Definition of 'smoke'

Word Frequency

smoke

(smoʊk )

Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense smokes , present participle smoking , past tense, past participle smoked

1. uncountable noun

Smoke consists of gas and small bits of solid material that are sent into the air when something burns.

A cloud of black smoke blew over the city.

The air was thick with smoke.

Synonyms: fumes More Synonyms of smoke

2. verb

If something is smoking, smoke is coming from it.

The chimney was smoking fiercely. [VERB]

...a pile of smoking rubble. [VERB-ing]

3. verb

When someone smokes a cigarette, cigar, or pipe, they suck the smoke from it into their mouth and blow it out again. If you smoke, you regularly smoke cigarettes, cigars, or a pipe.

He was sitting alone, smoking a big cigar. [VERB noun]

It's not easy to quit smoking cigarettes. [VERB noun]

Do you smoke? [VERB]

Smoke is also a noun.

Someone came out for a smoke.

smoker Word forms: plural smokers countable noun

He was not a heavy smoker.

4. verb [usually passive]

If fish or meat is smoked, it is hung over burning wood so that the smoke preserves it and gives it a special flavour.

...the grid where the fish were being smoked. [be VERB-ed]

...smoked bacon. [VERB-ed]

5. See also smoked, smoking

See there's no smoke without fire

See go up in smoke

Phrasal verbs:

See smoke out

More Synonyms of smoke

Video: pronunciation of
smoke

smoke in British English

(sməʊk )

noun

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

any cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

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

the duration of smoking such substances

4. informal

a cigarette or cigar

a substance for smoking, such as pipe tobacco or marijuana

something with no concrete or lasting substance

everything turned to smoke

a thing or condition that obscures

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

8. See go up in smoke

verb

9. (intransitive)

to emit smoke or the like, sometimes excessively or in the wrong place

10.

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

to use tobacco for smoking

11. (intransitive) slang

to use marijuana for smoking

12. (transitive)

to bring (oneself) into a specified state by smoking

13. (transitive)

to subject or expose to smoke

14. (transitive)

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

15. (transitive)

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

16. (transitive)

to darken (glass, etc) by exposure to smoke

17. (intransitive) slang

to move, drive, ride, etc, very fast

18. (transitive) obsolete

to tease or mock

19. (transitive) archaic

to suspect or detect

Derived forms

smokable (ˈsmokable) or smokeable (ˈsmokeable)

adjective

Word origin

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

Word Frequency

Smoke in British English

(sməʊk )

noun

See the Smoke

Word Frequency

smoke in American English

(smoʊk )

noun

vaporous matter arising from something burning and made visible by minute particles of carbon suspended in it

a mass or cloud of this

any vapor, fume, mist, etc. resembling smoke

a. US

an act or period of smoking tobacco, etc.

time out for a smoke

something to smoke, as a cigarette or pipeful of tobacco

something without substance, significance, or lasting reality

something that beclouds or obscures

a dusky gray

7. Physical Chemistry

a suspension of solid particles in a gas

verb intransitiveWord forms: smoked or ˈsmoking

to give off smoke or a smokelike substance

to discharge smoke in the wrong place, esp. into a room

said of a furnace, fireplace, etc.

10.

to give off too much smoke

said of a lamp, type of fuel, etc.

11. Rare

to move very rapidly, esp. so as to raise dust

12.

to draw the smoke of tobacco, etc. into the mouth, and often lungs, and blow it out again

to be a habitual smoker

verb transitive

13.

to stain or color with smoke

14.

to treat (meat, fish, etc.) with smoke, as in flavoring or curing

15.

to fumigate as with smoke

16.

to drive or force into the open with or as with smoke; force out of hiding, secrecy, etc.

often with out

17.

to stupefy or stun (bees, etc.) with smoke

18.

to draw the smoke of or from (tobacco, a pipe, etc.) into the mouth, and often lungs, and blow it out again

19. Archaic

to detect or be suspicious of

20. Obsolete

to tease or mock

Derived forms

smokable (ˈsmokable)

adjective or ˈsmokeable

Word origin

ME < OE smoca, akin to Ger schmauch < IE base *smeukh-, to smoke > Gr smychein, to smolder, Ir mūch, smoke

Examples of 'smoke' in a sentence
smoke

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.Read more…

You used to smoke like a chimney.Why should he not pretend to smoke the famous cigar? Tobacco smoke can decrease the number of negative ions in the air.When he lights a fire it smokes.Coastal areas also have many varieties of smoked fish and fish pies.The combination of excessive drinking and smoking is very dangerous.The smell of pipe smoke in a cold room.The smoke was very thick but there was no harm done.The products are most commonly used by smoking but can also be ingested.Electronic cigarettes provide smokers with the nicotine they seek without the deadly toxins delivered by smoking tobacco.

Quotations

As an example to others, and not that I care for moderation myself, it has always been my rule never to smoke when asleep, and never to refrain from smoking when awakeMark Twain70th birthday speech