smoke

[ smohk ]

noun

1. the visible vapor and gases given off by a burning or smoldering substance, especially the gray, brown, or blackish mixture of gases and suspended carbon particles resulting from the combustion of wood, peat, coal, or other organic matter.
2. something resembling this, as vapor or mist, flying particles, etc.
3. something unsubstantial, evanescent, or without result:

   Their hopes and dreams proved to be smoke.

4. an obscuring condition:

   the smoke of controversy.

5. an act or spell of smoking something, especially tobacco:

   They had a smoke during the intermission.

6. something for smoking, as a cigar or cigarette:

   This is the best smoke on the market.

7. Slang. marijuana.
8. Slang. a homemade drink consisting of denatured alcohol and water.
9. Physics, Chemistry. a system of solid particles suspended in a gaseous medium.
10. a bluish or brownish gray color.

verb (used without object)

, smoked, smok·ing.

1. to give off or emit smoke, as in burning.
2. to give out smoke offensively or improperly, as a stove.
3. to send forth steam or vapor, dust, or the like.
4. to draw into the mouth and puff out the smoke of tobacco or the like, as from a pipe or cigarette.
5. Slang. to ride or travel with great speed.
6. Australian.
   1. to flee.
   2. to abscond.

verb (used with object)

, smoked, smok·ing.

1. to draw into the mouth and puff out the smoke of:

   to smoke tobacco.

2. to use (a pipe, cigarette, etc.) in this process.
3. to expose to smoke.
4. to fumigate (rooms, furniture, etc.).
5. to cure (meat, fish, etc.) by exposure to smoke.
6. to color or darken by smoke.

verb phrase

1. 1. to drive from a refuge by means of smoke.
   2. to force into public view or knowledge; reveal:

      to smoke out the leaders of the spy ring.

Smoke

¹

/ sməʊk /

noun

1. See Big Smoke
   the Smoke
   the Smoke short for Big Smoke

smoke

²

/ sməʊk /

noun

1. the product of combustion, consisting of fine particles of carbon carried by hot gases and air
2. any cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
3. 1. the act of smoking tobacco or other substances, esp in a pipe or as a cigarette or cigar
   2. the duration of smoking such substances
4. informal.
   1. a cigarette or cigar
   2. a substance for smoking, such as pipe tobacco or marijuana
5. something with no concrete or lasting substance

   everything turned to smoke

6. a thing or condition that obscures
7. any of various colours similar to that of smoke, esp a dark grey with a bluish, yellowish, or greenish tinge
8. go up in smoke
   go up in smokeend up in smoke
   1. to come to nothing
   2. to burn up vigorously
   3. to flare up in anger

verb

1. intr to emit smoke or the like, sometimes excessively or in the wrong place
2. 1. to draw in on (a burning cigarette, etc) and exhale the smoke
   2. to use tobacco for smoking
3. slang.
   intr to use marijuana for smoking
4. tr to bring (oneself) into a specified state by smoking
5. tr to subject or expose to smoke
6. tr to cure (meat, fish, cheese, etc) by treating with smoke
7. tr to fumigate or purify the air of (rooms, etc)
8. tr to darken (glass, etc) by exposure to smoke
9. slang.
   intr to move, drive, ride, etc, very fast
10. obsolete.
    tr to tease or mock
11. archaic.
    tr to suspect or detect

smoke

/ smōk /

1. A mixture of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases, usually containing particles of soot or other solids, produced by the burning of carbon-containing materials such as wood and coal.

Derived Forms

• ˈsmokable, adjective

Other Words From

• smokelike adjective
• anti·smoke adjective noun
• un·smoked adjective
• un·smoking adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of smoke¹

before 1000; (noun) Middle English; Old English smoca; (v.) Middle English smoken, Old English smocian

Word History and Origins

Origin of smoke¹

Old English smoca (n); related to Middle Dutch smieken to emit smoke

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. go up / end in smoke, to terminate without producing a result; be unsuccessful:

   All our dreams went up in smoke.

More idioms and phrases containing smoke

In addition to the idiom beginning with smoke , also see chain smoker ; go up in flames (smoke) ; holy cow (smoke) ; no smoke without fire ; watch one's dust (smoke) .

Example Sentences

When it comes to the increasing number of rape allegations leveled at Bill Cosby, the smoke is becoming impenetrable.

From The Daily Beast

You spice it with blues and skiffle music, and pickle it in alcohol and tobacco smoke.

From The Daily Beast

“At least it keeps the mosquitoes away,” one of my table-mates said, as we watched the swooshes of smoke waft into the Havana sky.

From The Daily Beast

Perhaps the guards at the Guantanamo Bay detention facilities will finally be allowed to smoke cubans, too.

From The Daily Beast

So too does Inherent Vice, which is something like a love letter written in pot smoke to the Gold Coast.

From The Daily Beast

The young men gathered round him and offered him a cigar, which he accepted and began to smoke.

From Project Gutenberg

After a bit of waiting, Mac decided that the smoke was floating from a certain direction, and we began to edge carefully that way.

From Project Gutenberg

The smoke from her kitchen fire rose white as she put in dry sumac to give it a start.

From Project Gutenberg

In most club card-rooms smoking is not permitted, but at the Pandemonium it is the fashion to smoke everywhere.

From Project Gutenberg

When the smoke and dust cleared away nothing stirred on the whole of that piece of ground.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• exhaust
• fog
• gas
• mist
• pollution
• smog
• soot
• vapor