What does bong mean?
A bong is a water pipe designed for smoking cannabis, typically consisting of a bowl to hold the herb, a stem leading down into a chamber of water, and a mouthpiece through which smoke is drawn. The smoke bubbles up through the water, which cools it slightly and filters out some particulates before it is inhaled. The word derives from the Thai term for a cylindrical container or bamboo tube, reflecting the device's Southeast Asian origins, and entered widespread English usage during the twentieth century as cannabis culture spread globally. Bongs are strongly associated with informal, countercultural settings and appear frequently in music, film, and comedy as shorthand for marijuana use more broadly. They range from improvised household constructions to elaborate hand-blown glass art pieces, some commanding high prices among collectors. While the word carries distinctly casual connotations, it has become a fully established part of the modern English lexicon.
nounA water pipe used for smoking cannabis or other substances, in which smoke is drawn down a tube and filtered through water before being inhaled.
- A water pipe used for smoking cannabis, consisting of a vertical tube through which smoke passes into and out of water before inhalation.
"The glass bong sat untouched on the shelf after he gave up smoking altogether."
"Police found a homemade bong fashioned from a plastic bottle under the bed."
"He cleared the chamber of the bong in a single breath, then coughed violently."
Standard regular plural; counts individual pipes.
"The shop displayed dozens of bongs along its back wall."
The bong gets its name from the Thai word 'baung' — originally just a hollow bamboo tube before it became counterculture iconography.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bong
The word bong comes ultimately from Thai 'baung' (บ้อง), a cylindrical container or tube traditionally made of bamboo, which was adapted into a smoking device. It reached English via contact with Southeast Asian languages during the twentieth century, becoming widespread in American English alongside cannabis culture from the 1960s onward. A separate British homograph refers to the resonant tolling of a large bell or clock.
How bong is actually used
Informal register throughout; strongly associated with cannabis culture and countercultural imagery since the mid-20th century. In British usage there exists a separate, unrelated noun 'bong' referring to the deep ringing note of a large clock or bell, though this homograph is far less prominent today.
Easily confused with bong
Bhang is an edible preparation made from cannabis leaves, whereas a bong is the water pipe device itself.
A gong is a large metal percussion instrument that sounds like a resonant 'bong', while a bong is a smoking device.