Meth
/mɛθ/noun
An informal name for methamphetamine, a powerful and highly addictive stimulant drug.
Did you know?The chemical prefix methyl ultimately traces to Greek méthy, meaning “wine” or an intoxicating drink, linked to the ancient Indo-European word for honey and mead.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*médʰu
“Honey or an intoxicating fermented drink”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μέθυ (méthy)
“Wine or intoxicating drink”
19th Century
French
méthyle
“Methyl, a chemical group name derived from Greek méthy, “wine””
19th Century
English
methyl
“The chemical group CH₃, especially when occurring in organic compounds”
1893
English
methamphetamine
“A stimulant compound formed by modifying amphetamine with a methyl group”
20th Century
English
meth
“Informal shortened form of methamphetamine, especially in drug-related slang”