Short for methamphetamine; a highly addictive and illegal drug that stimulates the nervous system, or alternatively, short for methanol in chemistry contexts.
Shortened form of 'methamphetamine,' which combines 'meth-' (from methyl alcohol) and 'amphetamine.' The full term emerged in the 1930s when the drug was synthesized. 'Meth' as slang became common by the 1980s as the drug gained prominence.
Methamphetamine was originally synthesized in Japan in 1893 and was even sold commercially as a nasal decongestant and diet pill in the mid-20th century! It's a sobering reminder that drugs considered 'safe' by one era can be understood very differently later as their true dangers emerge.
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