Indian tobacco
noun
1
: a poisonous North American annual lobelia (Lobelia inflata) with small blue or white flowers
2
: a wild tobacco (Nicotiana bigelovii synonym N. quadrivalvis) found in dry valleys from southern California to southern Oregon
Examples of Indian tobacco in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Clarke shows off his Indian tobacco plants.
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Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 28 Aug. 2022
Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 28 Aug. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Indian 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
First Known Use
circa 1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of Indian tobacco was
circa 1618
Dictionary Entries Near Indian tobacco
Cite this Entry
“Indian tobacco.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Indian%20tobacco. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.
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Medical Definition
Indian tobacco
noun1
: an American wild lobelia (Lobelia inflata) with small blue flowers that is the source of the drug lobelia
2
More from Merriam-Webster on Indian tobacco
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Indian tobacco
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