Etymology: < Middle French, French drogue ingredient used in chemistry or pharmacy (c1462, although earlier currency is probably implied by droguerie druggery n.), thing which is of poor quality, person whom one does not value (17th cent.; also in regional use, as also in the senses ‘poor merchandise’, ‘worthless thing’; compare also probable earlier depreciative use in the derivative droguet drugget n., and also Middle French adjectival use of drogue in the sense ‘badly dressed’ (1466)), further etymology uncertain and disputed. Compare Old Occitan drogo (1507, although earlier currency is probably implied by drogarié druggery n.), Catalan droga (1437), Spanish droga (end of the 15th cent.), Portuguese droga (a1536), Italian droga (1502).It is uncertain whether the following example reflects earlier currency of the Middle English word or (apparently otherwise unrecorded) use in Anglo-Norman:1327 Close Roll, 1 Edw. III i. m. 23 in Middle Eng. Dict. at Drogge Novem balas de drogges de spicerie.As regards the further etymology, one suggestion frequently made is that the Romance word results from borrowing of the Middle Dutch adjective drōghe dry (see dry adj.), probably through misanalysis of use in a phrase such as drōghe vate ‘barrels of dry goods’ (frequent in the 14th cent.). However, medieval trade in medicinal substances was more generally via the Mediterranean than via northern Europe, and hence the spread of the word would be somewhat surprising. Various attempts have been made to connect the word with various words in Arabic or Persian, but none have met with success. (See for discussion Französisches etymol. Wörterbuch at durawa, J. Corominas Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico (1981) at droga.) It is normally assumed that the depreciative uses originated from the perception of medicinal substances as being unpleasant to take. Corominas hypothesizes instead that the sense ‘worthless thing’ may have been original, which seems possible, although the Celtic etymology he suggests on the basis of this has not been widely adopted. In Middle English there was apparently confusion between this word and use of dredge n.² denoting a sweet medicinal preparation, which often results in scribal variation between the two words. With quot. c1400 at sense 1a compare quot. 1377 at dredge n.² 1, and with quot. c1405 compare quot. c1405 at dredge n.² 1.

Etymology: < drug v.¹ Compare also drag n.With the form druge in quot. 1893 at sense 1, which Elworthy notes rhymes with huge adj., perhaps compare drudge v., and the early form drugge.

Etymology: Origin unknown. Compare drag v., although it is difficult to explain the different stem vowel shown by the two verbs. Perhaps ultimately < the same base as drudge n. and drudge v. (see discussion of etymology at drudge n.).It is possible that quots. a1250 and c1405 may instead show drudge v. drug also occurs as a past tense and past participle form of drag v. in nonstandard and regional use (especially U.S. regional (southern and Midland)); drugged is also sometimes found in U.S. use.

Etymology: < drug n.¹ Compare French droguer to adulterate (1554 in Middle French of wine), to administer (drugs) (1611 in Cotgrave). drugging adj. may imply earlier currency in sense 2.It is unclear whether the form drudge in quot. a1730 at sense 2 shows a transmission error, or a pun on drudge v.