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

Rather than strictly drinks and snacks, the tech company Palantir began stocking nicotine pouches as a job perk, hoping to increase workers’ focus and productivity. —Devika Rao, TheWeek, 20 Mar. 2026

The small disposable sachets of nicotine salt and other chemicals can now be found almost everywhere — and that's part of the problem. —Pilar Melendez, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026

About 86% of poisoning calls related to e-cigarettes and liquid nicotine in 2025 were for children under 5 years old, Campbell said. —Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 13 Mar. 2026

But what about nicotine products like pouches and patches? —Erica Sweeney, EverydayHealth.com, 11 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from New Latin nicotiana

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nicotine

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

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.