: any of a genus (Nicotiana) of chiefly American plants of the nightshade family with viscid foliage and tubular flowers
especially: a tall erect annual tropical American herb (N. tabacum) cultivated for its leaves
2
: the leaves of cultivated tobacco prepared for use in smoking or chewing or as snuff
3
: manufactured products of tobacco (such as cigars or cigarettes)
also: smoking as a practice
has sworn off tobacco
4
: a moderate brown
Illustration of tobacco
tobacco 1
Examples of tobacco in a Sentence
a farm that grows tobacco
a state tax on tobacco
Recent Examples on the WebIn 2009, Congress gave the FDA authority to regulate the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of tobacco products.—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 6 June 2024 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the cavity-prevention strategy ranks alongside the development of vaccines and the recognition of tobacco’s dangers as signal achievements of the 20th century.—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 28 May 2024 Other major companies that have traditionally pedaled cigarettes, including Marlboro producer Philip Morris International, are pivoting to vapes as legislation and taxes increasingly push out tobacco products.—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 24 May 2024 However, buying large quantities of alcohol or tobacco and not paying country-specific taxes can lead to big savings.—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for tobacco
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tobacco.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Spanish tabaco, probably from Taino, roll of tobacco leaves
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