ENGLISH
REFERENCE

jane

n. uncountable
C2 Proficiency US //ˈdʒeɪn// UK //dʒˈeɪn// jane Archaic Informal Slang

n. a slang name for marijuana. People use this word in very casual or old-fashioned ways to talk about the drug.

n. a slang term for cannabis or marijuana. Informal in register; often used as a personification or euphemism in colloquial speech.


SIMPLE

He spent the weekend hanging out with Mary Jane.

CONTEXTUAL

The lyrics of the song use the name Jane as a hidden reference to smoking cannabis.

COMPLEX

While modern slang has largely moved toward more clinical or regional terms, Jane remains a recognizable, if somewhat dated, euphemism within certain subcultures.

Origin

Variant of Jeanne, from French Jeanne, from Middle French Jehanne, from Medieval Latin Johanna, variant of Latin Ioanna under influence from Latin Iōhannēs, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννα (Iōánna), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָה (Yôḥānāh, literally “God is gracious”), the feminized form of יְהוֹחָנָן (Yəhōḥānān) which produced John and its many doublets. As a placeholder name, cf. similar use of John and Jack and earlier use of Joan in the same role. Doublet of Gianna, Ivana, Jana, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena.

Usage

Often used in the compound 'Mary Jane'; functions as a proper noun in personification but remains uncountable in its substance sense.

Idioms4 entries

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