smoke
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.
something resembling this, as vapor or mist, flying particles, etc.
something unsubstantial, evanescent, or without result: Their hopes and dreams proved to be smoke.
an obscuring condition: the smoke of controversy.
an act or spell of smoking something, especially tobacco: They had a smoke during the intermission.
something for smoking, as a cigar or cigarette: This is the best smoke on the market.
Slang. marijuana.
Slang. a homemade drink consisting of denatured alcohol and water.
Physics, Chemistry. a system of solid particles suspended in a gaseous medium.
a bluish or brownish gray color.
to give off or emit smoke, as in burning.
to give out smoke offensively or improperly, as a stove.
to send forth steam or vapor, dust, or the like.
to draw into the mouth and puff out the smoke of tobacco or the like, as from a pipe or cigarette.
Slang. to ride or travel with great speed.
Australian.
to flee.
to abscond.
to draw into the mouth and puff out the smoke of: to smoke tobacco.
to use (a pipe, cigarette, etc.) in this process.
to expose to smoke.
to fumigate (rooms, furniture, etc.).
to cure (meat, fish, etc.) by exposure to smoke.
to color or darken by smoke.
smoke out,
to drive from a refuge by means of smoke.
to force into public view or knowledge; reveal: to smoke out the leaders of the spy ring.
Idioms about smoke
go up / end in smoke, to terminate without producing a result; be unsuccessful: All our dreams went up in smoke.
Origin of smoke
1Other words from smoke
- smokelike, adjective
- an·ti·smoke, adjective, noun
- un·smoked, adjective
- un·smok·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use smoke in a sentence
Stoumen made lighter reds this year, limiting the time juice was in contact with grape skins because the skins could have smoke residue from the wildfires that devastated Northern California wine country this harvest season.
We deserve ‘nouveau’ wine in 2020 — a vintage meant to be fun and drunk right away | Dave McIntyre | November 20, 2020 | Washington PostA little smoke, a little sweet, the loose stack of produce is irresistible.
At Moon Rabbit, chef Kevin Tien lures fans to the Wharf | Tom Sietsema | November 20, 2020 | Washington PostAt lower heights, the team found, smoke and soot triggered most melting of the snow and ice.
Surprising long-haul dust and tar are melting high glaciers | Sid Perkins | November 17, 2020 | Science News For StudentsOutside of her apartment in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood, a throat-burning blanket of smoke hovered over the city as wildfires tore through the surrounding region.
The True Cost of Keeping a Restaurant Open During a Pandemic | Charlotte Druckman | November 11, 2020 | EaterTheir pulled pork shoulder, flecked with seasoned pieces of outside brown, takes a plodding hunk of meat and turns it into an elegant tangle of smoke, acid, flesh and fat.
The estimated ship date of the gadget is December 2014—perfect timing to say sayonara to smoking forever.
The night before he bought a lot of crack-cocaine on credit with no way to pay, intending to kill himself after smoking.
In every movie I see somebody smoking, I never see anybody reading books.
James Patterson Goes Full ‘Fahrenheit 451’ With Burning Book Video | William O’Connor | November 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThese pundits were raised by pot-smoking single moms and went to Montessori schools.
How long has it been since the Republican Party had a smoking hot presidential ticket?
He, with others, thinking the miss-sahib had gone to church, was smoking the hookah of gossip in a neighboring compound.
The Red Year | Louis TracyColumbus found the natives of San Salvador smoking after this manner.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.When Cortez made conquest of Mexico in 1519 smoking seemed to be a common as well as an ancient custom among the natives.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.In 1629 he found the Hurons smoking the dried leaves and stalks of the Tobacco plant or petune.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.In most club card-rooms smoking is not permitted, but at the Pandemonium it is the fashion to smoke everywhere.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James Wills
British Dictionary definitions for smoke (1 of 2)
/ (sməʊk) /
the product of combustion, consisting of fine particles of carbon carried by hot gases and air
any cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
the act of smoking tobacco or other substances, esp in a pipe or as a cigarette or cigar
the duration of smoking such substances
informal
a cigarette or cigar
a substance for smoking, such as pipe tobacco or marijuana
something with no concrete or lasting substance: everything turned to smoke
a thing or condition that obscures
any of various colours similar to that of smoke, esp a dark grey with a bluish, yellowish, or greenish tinge
go up in smoke or end up in smoke
to come to nothing
to burn up vigorously
to flare up in anger
(intr) to emit smoke or the like, sometimes excessively or in the wrong place
to draw in on (a burning cigarette, etc) and exhale the smoke
to use tobacco for smoking
(intr) slang to use marijuana for smoking
(tr) to bring (oneself) into a specified state by smoking
(tr) to subject or expose to smoke
(tr) to cure (meat, fish, cheese, etc) by treating with smoke
(tr) to fumigate or purify the air of (rooms, etc)
(tr) to darken (glass, etc) by exposure to smoke
(intr) slang to move, drive, ride, etc, very fast
(tr) obsolete to tease or mock
(tr) archaic to suspect or detect
Origin of smoke
1- See also smoke out
Derived forms of smoke
- smokable or smokeable, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for Smoke (2 of 2)
/ (sməʊk) /
the Smoke short for Big Smoke
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for smoke
[ smōk ]
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with smoke
In addition to the idiom beginning with smoke
- smoke out
also see:
- chain smoker
- go up in flames (smoke)
- holy cow (smoke)
- no smoke without fire
- watch one's dust (smoke)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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