シャブ

Japanese

Etymology

Derivation uncertain. First attested in a text from 1977.^[1]

Possibly derived from the verb しゃぶる (shaburu, “to suck on something”), from the way that the addictiveness of the drugs sucks in the user.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) シャブ [sháꜜbù] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [ɕa̠bɯ̟]

Noun

シャブ or しゃぶ • (shabu) 

1. [from 1977] (slang) a stimulant (generally restricted to the context of illicit drugs such as amphetamine or methamphetamine)

Synonyms

• 覚醒剤(かくせいざい) (kakuseizai) (neutral term referring to stimulants more broadly)

Descendants

• → Tagalog: shabu

References

1. Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
2. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN