smoke

1 of 2

noun

ˈsmōk 

1

a

: the gaseous products of burning materials especially of organic origin made visible by the presence of small particles of carbon

b

: a suspension of particles in a gas

2

a

: a mass or column of smoke

b

: smudge

3

: fume or vapor often resulting from the action of heat on moisture

4

: something of little substance, permanence, or value

5

: something that obscures

6

a(1)

: something (such as a cigarette) to smoke

(2)

: marijuana sense 2

b

: an act of smoking tobacco

especially : a smoking break

7

a

: a pale blue

b

: any of the colors of smoke

8

: pitches that are fastballs

if a guy's going to hit you … he certainly isn't going to throw a spitter—he gives you smoke

—Tony Conigliaro

smokeless

ˈsmō-kləs 

adjective

smokelike

ˈsmōk-ˌlīk 

adjective

smoke

2 of 2

verb

smoked; smoking; smokes

intransitive verb

1

a

: to emit or exhale smoke

b

: to emit excessive smoke

2

archaic : to undergo punishment : suffer

3

: to spread or rise like smoke

4

: to inhale and exhale the fumes of burning plant material and especially tobacco

especially : to smoke tobacco habitually

transitive verb

1

a

: fumigate

b

: to drive (something, such as mosquitoes) away by smoke

c

: to blacken or discolor with smoke

smoked glasses

d

: to cure or flavor by exposure to smoke

smoked ham

They smoked a rack of ribs.

… offers, among other things, a flavorful sirloin steak and barbecued smoked chicken.

—Andy Birsh

e

: to stupefy (insects, such as bees) by smoke

2

archaic : suspect

3

: to inhale and exhale the smoke of

smoke a cigarette

4

archaic : ridicule

5

slang : kill sense 1a

6

slang : to defeat or surpass decisively

7

: to hit (something, such as a baseball) with great force

Synonyms

Verb

• annihilate
• blow away
• bomb
• bury
• clobber
• cream
• drub
• dust
• flatten
• paste
• rout
• shellac
• skin
• skunk
• smother
• snow under
• thrash
• trim
• tromp
• trounce
• wallop
• wax [slang]
• whip
• whomp
• whop
• whap
• whup

Examples of smoke in a Sentence

Noun

Smoke from the campfire stung my eyes.

We could see black smoke from the house fire.

Can I bum a few smokes off you?

Verb

I caught her smoking a cigarette.

He was thrown out of school for smoking marijuana.

She smokes and drinks, but I don't.

Do you mind if I smoke in here?

That old car smokes when you start it up.

the smoking remains of a fire

We smoke our hams over hickory.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Delta products are available to purchase at smoke shops and gas stations around the state. —Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Apr. 2024

The town is now cleaning up smoke damage in the station, which remains open. —Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 18 Apr. 2024

The air was buzzing with rumors of a Drake appearance, and questions about what the hell was taking so long while little clouds of weed smoke popped up like NYC chimneys in the wintertime. —Angel Diaz, Billboard, 18 Apr. 2024

Canada’s emergency preparedness minister is warning that this year’s wildfire season will be worse than that of 2023, when thousands of fires burned tens of millions of acres and set off massive plumes of smoke that enveloped major U.S. cities. —Ian Austen, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024

Two separate grass fires continue to burn in west Miami-Dade County Monday, a day after plumes of smoke caused officials to close parts of Southwest Eighth Street in the western part of the county. —David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024

The walls behind the frescoes are covered in a backdrop of black paint, likely to prevent smoke and soot stains from showing. —Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024

To celebrate the 120th anniversary of that moment, company president Guillermo León, a fifth-generation member of the founding family, recently introduced a limited-edition re-creation of that very smoke. —Richard Carleton Hacker, Robb Report, 13 Apr. 2024

Less than two hours later, witnesses in Osceola County reported hearing gunshots and smoke after a vehicle was set on fire at a construction site, Lemma said. —Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2024

Verb

Amsterdam also has been attempting to curb other behaviors by tourists, including banning cannabis smoking in certain parts of the city, closing some clubs and bars earlier, placing new limits on canal cruises and converting some hotels into homes or offices. —Ayana Archie, NPR, 19 Apr. 2024

The 2004 film, starring John Cho, Kal Penn, and Neil Patrick Harris, follows a couple of roommates in their quest to get to a White Castle after smoking marijuana. —The Indianapolis Star, 19 Apr. 2024

Dry-aged for one week in-house, then smoked and finished over the grill, it’s served with a Moujean tea beurre blanc sauce. —Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 2024

Its passage would amount to an effective lifetime ban on smoking for those under the age of 15. —Anna Gordon, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024

In a 9-inch cast-iron pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat, until the oil is hot but not smoking. —Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2024

Police said the four pulled over in a parking lot to smoke marijuana. —The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2024

The plan was to pick up Neese from her house at night and drive to a remote area to smoke marijuana. —Kieran McGirl, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2024

Perun, who neither drank nor smoked—and who had often spent his rare downtime in our apartment curling heavy dumbbells—was afflicted by a chronic cough that grew distressingly vicious as the operation progressed. —Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English smoca; akin to Old English smēocan to emit smoke, Middle High German smouch smoke, and probably to Greek smychein to smolder

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing smoke

• anti-smoke
• a smoke
• blow smoke
• chain-smoke
• cold-smoke
• go up in smoke
• holy smoke
• put/stick that in your pipe and smoke it
• secondhand smoke
• smoke and mirrors
• smoke bomb
• smoke detector
• smoke-filled room
• smoke-free
• smoke grenade
• smoke inhalation
• smoke jumper
• smoke like a chimney
• smoke out
• smoke point
• smoke screen
• smoke tree
• there's no smoke without fire
• where there's smoke, there's fire

Kids Definition

smoke

1 of 2 noun

ˈsmōk 

1

: the gas of burning materials (as coal, wood, or tobacco) made visible by small particles of carbon floating in it

2

: a mass or column of smoke

3

: something that has little substance or value or that doesn't last very long

4

: something that hides

5

a

: something to smoke (as a cigarette)

b

: an act of smoking tobacco

smokelike

ˈsmō-ˌklīk 

adjective

smoke

2 of 2 verb

smoked; smoking

1

a

: to give off or exhale smoke

b

: to give off too much smoke

2

a

: to inhale and exhale the fumes of burning plant material and especially tobacco

b

: to use in smoking

smoke a pipe

3

a

: to drive away by smoke

b

: to blacken or discolor with smoke

c

: to use smoke to give (as meat or cheese) flavor and keep from spoiling

smoker noun

Medical Definition

smoke

verb

ˈsmōk 

smoked; smoking

intransitive verb

: to inhale and exhale the fumes of burning plant material and especially tobacco

especially : to smoke tobacco habitually

transitive verb

: to inhale and exhale the smoke of

smoked 30 cigarettes a day