puff the magic dragon

verb

To smoke marijuana.

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Meanings

verbpuff the magic dragon (third-person singular simple present puffs the magic dragon, present participle puffing the magic dragon, simple past and past participle puffed the magic dragon)

present singular third person puffs the magic dragon · participle present puffing the magic dragon · participle past puffed the magic dragon · past puffed the magic dragon

  1. humorousslangTo smoke marijuana.

    Sure, he puffed the magic dragon — who didn't? — but no cocaine, no heroin.

    2006, Richard Greener, The Lacey Confession

Origin

From the name of a song, Puff, the Magic Dragon (1963), reinterpreting puff as a verb. The authors of the song have repeatedly denied that it is about marijuana.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

puff the magic dragon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/puff%20the%20magic%20dragon

MLA

“puff the magic dragon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/puff%20the%20magic%20dragon. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “puff the magic dragon,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/puff%20the%20magic%20dragon.

Source: puff the magic dragon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.