nicotine

noun

nic·​o·​tine ˈni-kə-ˌtēn 

: a poisonous alkaloid C₁₀H₁₄N₂ that is the chief active principle of tobacco and is used as an insecticide

Examples of nicotine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The pouches closely resemble nicotine products, raising concerns among school officials about student health and the difficulty of distinguishing between the products. — Cheyanne Mumphrey, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026

Here's a look at the costs of term life insurance for a 35-year-old in average health, with no history of nicotine use, living in Houston, Texas, according to Ethos in October 2026. — Aly J Yale, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026

British American Tobacco is well positioned to lead in transitioning the industry to smokeless nicotine, the bank added. — Sean Conlon,liz Napolitano,hugh Leask,justina Lee, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2026

Imagine 007 unmanned by a comparable tedium—slumped in a greasy London flat, counting his nicotine patches and waiting for M to call. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from New Latin nicotiana

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nicotine

• acridine
• acrolein
• adenine
• alkylene
• aniline
• anthracene
• aquiline
• asphaltene
• atlantean
• atrazine
• butadiene
• butylene

Kids Definition

nicotine

noun

nic·​o·​tine ˈnik-ə-ˌtēn 

: a poisonous substance found in tobacco and used as an insecticide

Medical Definition

nicotine

noun

nic·​o·​tine ˈnik-ə-ˌtēn 

: a poisonous alkaloid C₁₀H₁₄N₂ that is the chief active principle of tobacco and that is used as an insecticide and is sometimes used in smoking cessation aids

Note: Trademarks for nicotine include Nicoderm, Nicorette, and Nicotrol.