Street
viper
What does viper mean?
1920s-40s slang for a habitual cannabis smoker, especially among jazz musicians.
"The band were all vipers, hissing on their reefers."
Origin
Said to reference the hissing sound of a smoker drawing sharply on a joint.
Frequently asked questions
What does viper mean in cannabis slang?
A viper is 1920s-40s slang for a habitual cannabis smoker, especially among jazz musicians.
Where does the term viper come from?
It's said to reference the hissing sound of a smoker drawing sharply on a joint.
Is viper current slang?
It's a retro, jazz-era term that evokes that period rather than being common today.
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