chronic

What does chronic mean?

In slang use chronic refers to high-quality, potent marijuana. The word can also function as an adjective, meaning "excellent" or "outstanding" (probably due to the association with premium cannabis).

Examples of chronic

It's back on the track / With big money, big nuts, and a big fat chronic sack.
—Dr. Dre, The Chronic, 1992

When i was 10 a guy with this tattoo came up to me and my friends on the playground and asked us if we liked smoking chronic
—X (formerly Twitter), 23 Dec. 2023

All I know is I bought some Chronic from a new dealer and with one hit I was out! 
—Reddit.com 2 Mar. 2012

Where does chronic come from?

Chronic gained widespread popularity from serving as the title of Dr. Dre's widely popular and influential 1992 solo album The Chronic. According to Snoop Dogg, the term originated as a mispronunciation of hydroponic, which describes a method of growing marijuana using irrigation systems rather than soil. In Snoop’s retelling, when he and Dre first encountered hydroponically grown cannabis, they were so affected by it that they slurred hydroponic into hydrochronic, which was eventually shortened to chronic.

How is chronic used?

Chronic is typically used for extremely strong or high-quality marijuana strains rather than simply any type of cannabis. The word has also seen occasional use beyond cannabis culture as a general descriptor for anything excellent or impressive.