smoke

[smohk]

noun

1. the visible vapor and gases given off by a burning or smoldering substance, especially the gray, brown, or blackish mixture of gases and suspended carbon particles resulting from the combustion of wood, peat, coal, or other organic matter.

2. something resembling this, as vapor or mist, flying particles, etc.

3. something unsubstantial, evanescent, or without result.

   Their hopes and dreams proved to be smoke.

4. an obscuring condition.

   the smoke of controversy.

5. an act or spell of smoking something, especially tobacco.

   They had a smoke during the intermission.

6. something for smoking, as a cigar or cigarette.

   This is the best smoke on the market.

7. Slang.,  marijuana.

8. Slang.,  a homemade drink consisting of denatured alcohol and water.

9. Physics, Chemistry.,  a system of solid particles suspended in a gaseous medium.

10. a bluish or brownish gray color.

verb (used without object)

smoked, smoking 

1. to give off or emit smoke, as in burning.

2. to give out smoke offensively or improperly, as a stove.

3. to send forth steam or vapor, dust, or the like.

4. to draw into the mouth and puff out the smoke of tobacco or the like, as from a pipe or cigarette.

5. Slang.,  to ride or travel with great speed.

6. Australian.

   1. to flee.

   2. to abscond.

verb (used with object)

smoked, smoking 

1. to draw into the mouth and puff out the smoke of.

   to smoke tobacco.

2. to use (a pipe, cigarette, etc.) in this process.

3. to expose to smoke.

4. to fumigate (rooms, furniture, etc.).

5. to cure (meat, fish, etc.) by exposure to smoke.

6. to color or darken by smoke.

verb phrase

1. smoke out

   1. to drive from a refuge by means of smoke.

   2. to force into public view or knowledge; reveal.

      to smoke out the leaders of the spy ring.

Smoke

¹

/ sməʊk /

noun

1. short for Big Smoke

smoke

²

/ sməʊk /

noun

1. the product of combustion, consisting of fine particles of carbon carried by hot gases and air

2. any cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

3. 1. the act of smoking tobacco or other substances, esp in a pipe or as a cigarette or cigar

   2. the duration of smoking such substances

4. informal

   1. a cigarette or cigar

   2. a substance for smoking, such as pipe tobacco or marijuana

5. something with no concrete or lasting substance

   everything turned to smoke

6. a thing or condition that obscures

7. any of various colours similar to that of smoke, esp a dark grey with a bluish, yellowish, or greenish tinge

8. 1. to come to nothing

   2. to burn up vigorously

   3. to flare up in anger

verb

1. (intr) to emit smoke or the like, sometimes excessively or in the wrong place

2. 1. to draw in on (a burning cigarette, etc) and exhale the smoke

   2. to use tobacco for smoking

3. slang,  (intr) to use marijuana for smoking

4. (tr) to bring (oneself) into a specified state by smoking

5. (tr) to subject or expose to smoke

6. (tr) to cure (meat, fish, cheese, etc) by treating with smoke

7. (tr) to fumigate or purify the air of (rooms, etc)

8. (tr) to darken (glass, etc) by exposure to smoke

9. slang,  (intr) to move, drive, ride, etc, very fast

10. obsolete,  (tr) to tease or mock

11. archaic,  (tr) to suspect or detect

smoke

1. A mixture of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases, usually containing particles of soot or other solids, produced by the burning of carbon-containing materials such as wood and coal.

Other Word Forms

• smokelike adjective
• antismoke adjective
• unsmoked adjective
• unsmoking adjective
• smokable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of smoke¹

before 1000; (noun) Middle English; Old English smoca; (v.) Middle English smoken, Old English smocian

Word History and Origins

Origin of smoke¹

Old English smoca (n); related to Middle Dutch smieken to emit smoke

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. go up / end in smoke, to terminate without producing a result; be unsuccessful.

   All our dreams went up in smoke.

More idioms and phrases containing smoke

• chain smoker
• go up in flames (smoke)
• holy cow (smoke)
• no smoke without fire
• watch one's dust (smoke)

Example Sentences

They stayed with him through an eventful year that included a concert in Montreux, Switzerland, that ended with the venue engulfed in fire; Deep Purple memorialized the event in “Smoke on the Water.”

From Los Angeles Times

The internet comedian appeared in a handful of very cringe skits on “Swag” in which he encourages Bieber to smoke Black & Mild cigars and tells the singer that, although his skin is white, his soul is Black.

From Los Angeles Times

And as it rolled over the land, that fire incinerated any brush it encountered, leaving only a thin smoke cloud billowing from the top of the machine, some flashes of orange and red from behind its metal skirt and, in its wake, a desolate, smoldering black line.

From Los Angeles Times

Footage shared on social media showed the crumpled yellow funicular overturned on the cobblestone street and people running from the area as smoke filled the air.

From BBC

Nathan Cefai, 28, from Clapham, told the BBC he was walking to work when he spotted the bus, which had a "huge amount of black smoke" coming from its rear.

From BBC

Related Words

• exhaust 
• fog 
• gas 
• mist 
• pollution 
• smog 
• soot 
• vapor