A drug made from the resin of the cannabis plant, typically smoked or eaten for its intoxicating effects. It's more concentrated than marijuana and has been used for centuries in various cultures.
From Arabic حَشِيش (ḥashīsh), meaning 'dry herb' or 'grass', derived from the root ح-ش-ش (ḥ-sh-sh) related to dryness and withering. The word entered English in the 16th century through contact with Middle Eastern cultures. The Arabic term originally referred to any dried plant material but became specifically associated with cannabis preparations in Islamic cultures.
The word 'hashish' originally just meant 'dried grass' in Arabic - it was as generic as saying 'herbs' in English! The infamous medieval 'Assassins' were called 'hashishiyya' (grass-eaters), though modern historians doubt they actually used the drug - the name might have just been an insult meaning 'lowlifes' or 'outcasts.'
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