noun
kush
kuush
noun
1
A potent strain of marijuana, especially Cannabis indica, originally associated with the Hindu Kush mountain region.
"The dispensary had several kush varieties on the shelf, each with a different aroma."
"He said the kush hit harder than anything else he'd tried."
2
A cheap, dangerous synthetic drug widely abused in parts of West Africa, unrelated to the cannabis strain despite sharing the name.
"News reports described young men collapsing in the street after using kush."
"Kush has been linked to a public health crisis in Sierra Leone."
How to Use Kush
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA cannabis strain name in most English-speaking contexts, but a different and much more dangerous synthetic drug in West African usage.
Common mistake
Don't assume the West African sense refers to the same substance as the cannabis strain — they are unrelated drugs that just share a name.
When to use it
Informal/slang in both senses.
Word Forms
Kushes plural
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The dispensary had several _____ varieties on the shelf, each with a different aroma.
Etymology
Shortened from "Hindu Kush," the mountain range where the original cannabis strain is said to have originated.