toke

Toke is a slang term used in English to denote a puff of smoke drawn from a cigarette, pipe, or cannabis joint. As a noun, it can refer to a single inhalation or to the amount of smoke inhaled; as a verb, to inhale smoke deliberately. In casual speech, people say "take a toke" or "pass me a toke" when sharing a joint or pipe, and phrases like "one toke" or "two tokes" describe the number of inhalations.

In cannabis culture, toke most often refers to inhaling smoke from marijuana. It is common in American and other English-speaking communities and tends to appear in spoken language, lyrics, and informal writing rather than formal contexts. Being "toked up" or "toking" describes being under the influence after inhalation.

The etymology is uncertain; the term appears in American slang from roughly the mid-20th century with broader use in the 1960s and 1970s. It is related to general imagery of smoke or drags, though the exact origin is not settled. Variants include tok or toked, and phrases such as "to take a toke."

Legal and cultural context: the term is strongly associated with illicit drug use in many places, though cannabis laws vary. As slang, its meaning is understood mainly within social contexts, and it is usually avoided in formal discourse.