: 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
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Smoking is so deadly not because of nicotine, per se, but because of tobacco: Lighting a cigarette burns tobacco, releasing nicotine into the body.—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 1 Aug. 2025 Some exceptions apply, including tobacco products, marijuana or marijuana products, alcoholic beverages, any single item whose price is more than $2,500.—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025 Suppose a duty on the export of cotton, of tobacco, or of flour; and a suit instituted to recover it.—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 29 July 2025 The prohibition of kratom and THC products, including Delta-9, was added to the tobacco retail regulation ordinance.—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 23 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for tobacco
Word History
Etymology
Spanish tabaco, probably from Taino, roll of tobacco leaves
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