secondhand smoke
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of secondhand smoke
First recorded in 1975–80
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Behavioral contagion” is why secondhand smoke is truly dangerous, as Frank points out.
From Slate • May 15, 2026
Breathing in secondhand smoke in prison is “inhuman and degrading treatment” if the judges say so, while not being allowed to produce secondhand smoke is a violation of the “right to private life.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025
Meanwhile Australia’s bans in areas like beaches and parks aren't necessarily about secondhand smoke "because there’s plenty of fresh air around".
From BBC • Aug. 31, 2024
The American Cancer Society said that nonsmokers can develop lung cancer from “exposure to radon, secondhand smoke, air pollution, or other factors.”
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 19, 2023
Research on the effects of secondhand smoke was relatively new.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
