nicotine

American  

[nik-uh-teen, -tin, nik-uh-teen] / ˈnɪk əˌtin, -tɪn, ˌnɪk əˈtin /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, oily, water-soluble, highly toxic, liquid alkaloid, C 1 0 H 1 4 N 2 , found in tobacco and valued as an insecticide.

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nicotine British  

/ ˈnɪkəˌtiːn, ˌnɪkəˈtɪnɪk /

noun

1. a colourless oily acrid toxic liquid that turns yellowish-brown in air and light: the principal alkaloid in tobacco, used as an agricultural insecticide. Formula: C 10 H 14 N 2

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nicotine Scientific  

/ nĭk′ə-tēn′ /

1. A colorless, poisonous compound occurring naturally in the tobacco plant. It is used in medicine and as an insecticide, and it is the substance in tobacco products to which smokers can become addicted. Nicotine is an alkaloid. Chemical formula: C ₁₀ H ₁₄ N ₂ .

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nicotine Cultural  

1. A poisonous chemical substance found in the tobacco plant.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nicotined
  adjective
• nicotinic
  adjective
• nicotineless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of nicotine

From French, dating back to 1810–20; see origin at nicotiana, -ine ²

Explanation

Nicotine is a drug that's present in tobacco. People who are addicted to cigarettes are really hooked on nicotine. Nicotine is most commonly known for occurring in tobacco, and therefore in cigarettes. In small amounts, nicotine is a stimulant, although in larger quantities it's considered a poison and is even used in many insecticides. The earliest French root of the word was nicotiane, which comes from the Modern Latin botanical term for the tobacco plant, Nicotiana, named for Jean Nicot, the French ambassador who first brought tobacco from Brazil to France in 1561.

Example Sentences

Based on the photos, the items appeared to be from companies like ALP Drifter Nicotine, Footlocker, Epson, DeepCool AI, Renkus-Heinz and Medicube.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

“The holdup quite frankly is Marty Makary,” said Richard Burr, the former North Carolina senator who now leads a pro-vaping group, the Coalition for Smarter Regulation of Nicotine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

February is National Cancer Prevention Month, and Dr. Jon Ebbert, medical director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, says it’s never too late to make lifestyle changes that can decrease your risk of cancer.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 22, 2024

The experts work across the hospitals and in local communities helping participants through a series of face-to-face behavioural support and licensed pharmacotherapy sessions, including Nicotine Replacement Therapy.

From BBC • Oct. 5, 2023

Besides "The Brigands," there were "The Queen's Mate," "The Grand Duchess," "Poor Jonathan," "Apollo," "La Cigale," "Girofl�-Girofla," "The Mountebanks," "Princess Nicotine," "Erminie," "The Tzigane," "La Perichole," "The Little Duke," and "An American Beauty."

From Famous Prima Donnas by Strang, Lewis Clinton