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

Onstage at the Moody Center, Little Big Town kicked off the performance with Jimi Westbrook and Karen Fairchild taking the first lines as smoke, lights, and lasers swirled around the group. —Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024

Fortunately, this new collaborative expression is well balanced with equal parts smoke and sweetness. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2024

That fire, which more than a year later has not been fully extinguished, billowed thick, dark smoke for months. —Lee Hedgepeth, WIRED, 6 Apr. 2024

According to the brand, it’s equipped with 99.97 percent filtration efficiency to capture all sorts of germs and allergens from the air, including pollen, dust, smoke, and pet dander. —Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024

Videos showed people hurrying out of the ferry’s cabin while putting on life vests, as thick black smoke swept across the ferry. —TIME, 4 Apr. 2024

Video of the scene showed blazes and a huge column of smoke emerging from the building’s bottom floor, leaving charred what could be seen of its facade. —Sammy Westfall, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024

In the distance, plumes of smoke carried the scent of roasting tea leaves. —Erin Vivid Riley, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024

Edwards packs the movie with eerie moments, whose ferocious terror is tempered by an artistic use of fire and smoke. —Katie Rife, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2024

Verb

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

Add ground turkey, garlic powder, smoked paprika and pepper to skillet. —Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 6 Apr. 2024

With heavier usage, many people now have built up a tolerance and may need to smoke multiple joints with 2% THC or buy a single joint with 6% to get a similar feeling. —Patrick Martin, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024

According to this study, vaping THC is a healthier alternative to consuming THC than smoking. —Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024

After asking Bet-David if he is bothered by others smoking around him, Steve-O explained that Maher’s insistence on smoking marijuana forced him to turn down an interview. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 2 Apr. 2024

Don’t be fooled by its aristocratic interiors—rates start at around $180 per night—and be sure to make reservations at the hotel’s excellent Asturian restaurant, whose dishes spotlight local ingredients like sea urchin caviar and smoked Los Caserinos cheese. —Siobhan Reid, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2024

Not smoking, getting regular exercise, and eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can all decrease your risk of heart disease. —Lauryn Higgins, Health, 27 Mar. 2024

Some of the bamboo species grown in Uganda are imported from Asia, but many — like one whose shoots are smoked and then boiled to make a popular traditional meal in eastern Uganda — grow wild. —Rodney Muhumuza, Quartz, 24 Mar. 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