smog

[smog, smawg]

noun

1. smoke or other atmospheric pollutants combined with fog in an unhealthy or irritating mixture.

2. photochemical smog.

verb (used with object)

1. to cover or envelop with or as if with smog.

smog

/ smɒɡ /

noun

1. a mixture of smoke, fog, and chemical fumes

smog

1. A form of air pollution produced by the reaction of sunlight with hydrocarbons, nitrogen compounds, and other gases primarily released in automobile exhaust. Smog is common in large urban areas, especially during hot, sunny weather, where it appears as a brownish haze that can irritate the eyes and lungs. Ozone, a toxic gas that is not normally produced at lower atmospheric levels, is one of the primary pollutants created in this kind of smog.

2. Also called photochemical smog

3. Fog that has become polluted with smoke and particulates, especially from burning coal.

smog

1. A haze or fog composed of water vapor, complex molecules, and suspended particles.

In North America, the primary cause of smog is pollution from automobile exhaust.

The Los Angeles basin, where pollutants can be trapped by inversions and the surrounding mountains, has frequent problems with smog, as do other major urban areas.

The word smog is a combination of smoke and fog.

Other Word Forms

• smogless adjective
• desmog verb (used with object)
• smoggy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of smog¹

1900–05; sm(oke) + ( f)og ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of smog¹

C20: from _sm ( _oke + _f ) _og ¹

Example Sentences

In big cities, he says, such recurrent, wet coughs are commonly triggered by dust and smog, sometimes accompanied by mild bronchospasm.

Read more on BBC

Newsom said California has worked for decades to be a leader in environmental policies that reduced smog, cleaned up waterways and created the market that led to an influx of electric cars and green technologies.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

L.A. is coming to terms with a new reflection in the mirror, with some of the toughness, and the pride in toughness, that New Yorkers perfected: We got smog--so what?

Read more on Los Angeles Times

House representatives voted to prohibit California from banning the sale of new gasoline-only cars by 2035 and end California’s ability to set emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks and to combat smog levels in the state.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The state has notoriously struggled with smog and air pollution and has been a leader in adopting aggressive environmental regulations far exceeding national standards.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• acid rain 
• carbon dioxide 
• fog 
• smoke 
• soot