Kief
/kiːf/noun
A concentrated powder of resinous cannabis trichomes, often collected from the plant’s flowers.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes through North African Arabic kif, meaning pleasure or well-being, before becoming associated specifically with cannabis resin.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Arabic
Arabic
kayf
“Pleasure, well-being, or a state of enjoyment”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
kif
“Pleasure or enjoyment; later, cannabis and its intoxicating preparation in North Africa”
17th–18th Century
Maghrebi Arabic
kif
“Cannabis, especially cannabis used for its intoxicating effects”
19th Century
French
kif
“Hashish or cannabis preparation, borrowed from North African usage”
19th–20th Century
English
kief
“Cannabis resin or powdered cannabis material, an English spelling influenced by Arabic and French forms”
Modern English
English
kief
“Powdered cannabis trichomes separated from the plant’s flowers”