ETYM Old Eng. hemp, AS. henep, haenep.
Annual plant Cannabis sativa, family Cannabaceae. Originally from Asia, it is cultivated in most temperate countries for its fibers, produced in the outer layer of the stem, and used in ropes, twines, and, occasionally, in a type of linen or lace. Cannabis is obtained from certain varieties of hemp.
The name “hemp” is extended to similar types of fiber: sisal hemp and henequen obtained from the leaves of Agave species native to Yucatán and cultivated in many tropical countries, and manila hemp obtained from Musa textilis, a plant native to the Philippines and the Maluku.
A plant fiber.