English word origin

Etymology of benz

Clipping of benzedrine, originally a brand name for amphetamine. Possibly influenced by Benz (short for Mercedes-Benz), alluding to its high speed.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

The drug amphetamine, used recreationally for its stimulant effects.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of benzedrine, originally a brand name for amphetamine. Possibly influenced by Benz (short for Mercedes-Benz), alluding to its high speed.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "benzedrine"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of benzedrine"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
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      "benzedrine#English"
    ],
    [
      "Benz",
      "Benz#English"
    ],
    [
      "Mercedes-Benz",
      "Mercedes-Benz#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The drug amphetamine, used recreationally for its stimulant effects."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang",
        "uncountable"
      ],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "b992c17453f359f02b0bc06ac6c36b2a0b8eae104afc76e91588c764e645c760",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 9963668
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Clipping of benners (“a bag of cannabis worth £10”).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of benners, an alteration of tenners, plural of tenner (“a £10 banknote”).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "benners"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of benners"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
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      "benners#English"
    ],
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      "tenners#English"
    ],
    [
      "tenner",
      "tenner#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Clipping of benners (“a bag of cannabis worth £10”)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
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        "slang"
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for benz →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-YmVueg