nicotine

[nik-uh-teen, -tin, nik-uh-teen]

noun Chemistry.

a colorless, oily, water-soluble, highly toxic, liquid alkaloid, C10H14N2, found in tobacco and valued as an insecticide.

Origin of nicotine

From French, dating back to 1810–20; see origin at nicotiana, -ine²

Related formsnic·o·tined, adjectivenic·o·tine·less, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for nicotine

Contemporary Examples of nicotine

Ground glass is put in food to cause internal bleeding, and nicotine concentrated by boiling can cause a heart attack.
A Million Ways to Die in Prison
Daniel Genis
December 8, 2014
A man named Herbert Gilbert patented one back in 1963 that heated a nicotine solution and produced steam.
This Is Your E-Cigarette on Drugs
Daniel Genis
July 28, 2014
Even after recovering from the initial sickness, patients can be left in nicotine withdrawal that lasts for days.
CDC Study Finds Huge Increase of E-Cigarette Poisonings, Especially Among Children Under 5
Abby Haglage
April 3, 2014
E-cigarette users, who call themselves “vapers,” see them as a relatively harmless way to get a nicotine fix.
E-Cigarettes, Facing Ban, Still Figuring Out What They Want to Be
Alex Halperin
December 19, 2013
Then there is the nicotine: a stimulant that for the addict also has the added effect of calming the nerves.
My (Electronic) Cigarette Addiction
Eli Lake
January 31, 2013

Historical Examples of nicotine

Nicotine stain on right forefinger, extending to middle of second phalanx.
A Book of Burlesques
H. L. Mencken
The amount of nicotine does not appear to depend on the amount of curing.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce
E. R. Billings.
His teeth are yellow with nicotine, and his lips cracked and stained with tobacco.
The Root of Evil
Thomas Dixon
His fingers were stained with nicotine, and his teeth yellow from it.
The Root of Evil
Thomas Dixon
Though I had made application of the nicotine, I had but little faith in it.
The Quadroon
Mayne Reid

British Dictionary definitions for nicotine

nicotine

noun

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

Derived Formsnicotined, adjectivenicotinic (ˌnɪkəˈtɪnɪk), adjective

Word Origin for nicotine

C19: from French, from New Latin herba nicotiana Nicot's plant, named after J. Nicot (1530–1600), French diplomat who introduced tobacco into France

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

Word Origin and History for nicotine

poisonous alkaloid found in tobacco leaves, 1819, from French nicotine, earlier nicotiane, from Modern Latin Nicotiana, formal botanical name for the tobacco plant, named for Jean Nicot (c.1530-1600), French ambassador to Portugal, who sent tobacco seeds and powdered leaves back to France 1561. His name is a diminutive of Nicolas.

Medicine definitions for nicotine

nicotine

[nĭk′ə-tēn′]

n.

A colorless, poisonous alkaloid derived from the tobacco plant and used as an insecticide. It is the substance in tobacco to which smokers can become addicted.

Science definitions for nicotine

nicotine

[nĭk′ə-tēn′]

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: C10H14N2.

Culture definitions for nicotine

nicotine

[(nik-uh-teen)]

A poisonous chemical substance found in the tobacco plant.