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Tobacco - Dictionary Definition and Overview |
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Tobacco : (noun)
1: leaves of the tobacco plant dried and prepared for smoking
or ingestion [syn: baccy]
2: aromatic annual or perennial herbs and shrubs
Based on WordNet 2.0
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Tobacco : \To*bac"co\, n. [Sp. tabaco, fr. the Indian tabaco the
tube or pipe in which the Indians or Caribbees smoked this
plant. Some derive the word from Tabaco, a province of
Yucatan, where it was said to be first found by the
Spaniards; others from the island of Tobago, one of the
Caribbees. But these derivations are very doubtful.]
1. (Bot.) An American plant ({Nicotiana Tabacum) of the
Nightshade family, much used for smoking and chewing, and
as snuff. As a medicine, it is narcotic, emetic, and
cathartic. Tobacco has a strong, peculiar smell, and an
acrid taste.
Note: The name is extended to other species of the genus, and
to some unrelated plants, as Indian tobacco ({Nicotiana
rustica, and also Lobelia inflata), mountain tobacco
({Arnica montana), and Shiraz tobacco ({Nicotiana
Persica).
2. The leaves of the plant prepared for smoking, chewing,
etc., by being dried, cured, and manufactured in various
ways.
Tobacco box (Zo["o]l.), the common American skate.
Tobacco camphor. (Chem.) See Nicotianine.
Tobacco man, a tobacconist. [R.]
Tobacco pipe.
(a) A pipe used for smoking, made of baked clay, wood, or
other material.
(b) (Bot.) Same as Indian pipe, under Indian.
Tobacco-pipe clay (Min.), a species of clay used in making
tobacco pipes; -- called also cimolite.
Tobacco-pipe fish. (Zo["o]l.) See Pipemouth.
Tobacco stopper, a small plug for pressing down the tobacco
in a pipe as it is smoked.
Tobacco worm (Zo["o]l.), the larva of a large hawk moth
({Sphinx, or Phlegethontius, Carolina). It is dark green,
with seven oblique white stripes bordered above with dark
brown on each side of the body. It feeds upon the leaves
of tobacco and tomato plants, and is often very injurious
to the tobacco crop. See Illust. of Hawk moth.
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
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Tobacco : Tobacco: A South American herb, formally known as smokeless tobacco .
Nicotiana tabacum belongs to the nightshade family, which also includes potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and red peppers. All contain nicotine. However, the concentration of nicotine in those vegetables
is far lower than the level in tobacco.
Nicotiana tabacum presents a huge health problem. Disease and premature death continue to be caused by the use of tobacco. About 50 million Americans smoke. Of those who quit, 90% do so on their
own. But in a given year, only about 1.7 million American smokers (3.6%) stop smoking.
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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