Keif
/kiːf/noun
A cannabis preparation, especially resin, or the pleasurable intoxication associated with it.
Did you know?Keif entered English through North African usage, where Arabic kayf referred broadly to pleasurable mood or well-being before becoming associated with cannabis.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Arabic
Arabic
kayf
“Pleasure, enjoyment, or a pleasurable state of mind”
Ottoman Period
Ottoman Turkish
keyif
“Pleasure, comfort, or relaxed enjoyment”
19th Century
North African Arabic
kif
“Cannabis, especially the intoxicating preparation made from it”
19th Century
French
kif
“Hashish or cannabis used for intoxication”
Late 19th–Early 20th Century
English
keef / kief / keif
“A cannabis preparation, particularly resin, and the resulting pleasurable intoxication”
Modern English
English
keif
“A variant spelling of kief, referring to cannabis resin or cannabis-induced pleasure”