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

• nicotined adjective
• nicotineless adjective
• nicotinic adjective

Etymology

Origin of nicotine

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

Example Sentences

He co-founded Soylent, a health-foods company, and Lucy, which makes nontobacco nicotine products.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

The court has applied this legal principle for decades, including in 2000 to strike down the Food and Drug Administration’s move to regulate nicotine as a “drug.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

People have relied on these same compounds for generations, using them in pain relief, medical treatments, and everyday products including caffeine and nicotine.

From Science Daily • Feb. 3, 2026

“We’re pretty clear that nicotine is not some smart drug or panacea for the normal range of human behavior and cognition,” Newhouse said.

From Salon • Jan. 9, 2026

Thus, if nicotine sulphate is applied before rather than after the apple blossoms turn pink one of the important predators is spared, probably because it is still in the egg stage.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson