tobacco

noun

to·​bac·​co tə-ˈba-(ˌ)kō 

plural tobaccos

1

: 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 Web

These shabby little movie houses, tucked away in the back alleys of Shinjuku, smelled of urine and stale tobacco. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Law enforcement officers arrested 51-year-old Yahya Mohamed Mosleh and his son, 18-year-old Islam Mohamed Mosleh, on charges connected to a narcotics investigation involving an Oxford tobacco shop, Puffs Vape, Tobacco and Beer Store. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

During that time, the group raised thousands of dollars from the tobacco, gambling, and pharmaceutical industries, as detailed by a Washington Post report. — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026

Some of these claims stem from the observation that nicotine is a naturally occurring plant compound found primarily in tobacco and in nightshade vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant in trace amounts. — Hasmeena Kathuria, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish tabaco, probably from Taino, roll of tobacco leaves

First Known Use

circa 1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing tobacco

• anti-tobacco
• chewing tobacco
• dipping tobacco
• Indian tobacco
• smokeless tobacco
• tobacco budworm
• tobacco hornworm
• tobacco juice
• tobacco mosaic virus
• tobacco road

Rhymes for tobacco

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo

Kids Definition

tobacco

noun

to·​bac·​co tə-ˈbak-ō 

plural tobaccos

1

: any of a genus of chiefly American plants of the nightshade family that have sticky leaves and tube-shaped flowers

especially : a tall upright tropical American herb with pink or white flowers that is grown for its leaves

2

: the leaves of cultivated tobacco prepared for use in smoking or chewing or as snuff

Medical Definition

tobacco

noun

to·​bac·​co tə-ˈbak-(ˌ)ō 

plural tobaccos

1

: any plant of the genus Nicotiana

especially : an annual South 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

also : the use of tobacco as a practice