# smoke

Pronunciation: say "SMOHK" US /smoʊk/, UK /sməʊk/

## Noun

1. The visible mixture of gases and fine particles given off by something burning or smoldering; also, a single column of this rising from a fire.
   - Simple: The gray or black cloud that rises from something burning. Also, one rising cloud of it.
   - _Black smoke poured from the factory chimney all afternoon._
   - _Firefighters warned that smoke inhalation kills more people than flames do._
4. A single instance of smoking a cigarette or cigar, or the time the act lasts. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A short break to smoke a cigarette, or the time it takes.
   - _They stepped out for a smoke between sets._
   - _A quick smoke calmed his nerves before the interview._
5. Something to smoke, such as a cigarette, tobacco, or marijuana. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A cigarette, or anything people smoke, such as tobacco or marijuana.
   - _He stopped at the gas station for a pack of smokes._
   - _He always kept a little smoke hidden in his desk._
6. An opaque cloud released on a battlefield, used to signal or to block the enemy's view.
   - Simple: A thick cloud released in battle to hide soldiers or to send signals.
   - _The platoon advanced behind a wall of smoke laid down by mortar rounds._
   - _Colored smoke marked the landing zone for the incoming helicopters._
7. Any cloud of fine particles, vapor, or mist spread through the air, such as fog, breath in cold air, pollen, or stage fog.
   - Simple: Any cloud in the air that looks like smoke, such as mist, steam, dust, or pollen.
   - _Theatrical smoke from a fog machine drifted across the stage during the opening number._
   - _Where the ammonia and acid vapors met, a cloud of white smoke formed above the lab bench._
9. Something used to obscure or conceal the truth; a deliberately confusing condition.
   - Simple: Something used to hide the truth or pull attention away from what is really going on.
   - _The flashy product launch was mostly smoke, meant to distract reporters from the layoffs._
   - _Behind the smoke of vague promises, nothing had actually changed._
11. A pale gray shade with a bluish tint.
   - Simple: A light gray color with a touch of blue in it.
   - _The designer chose smoke for the curtains to match the gray sofa._
   - _We picked curtains in smoke, a light gray with a hint of blue, to match the rug._
13. Something insubstantial or fleeting; an illusion that vanishes without lasting result.
   - Simple: Something that has no real substance and quickly fades away to nothing.
   - _Her early success proved to be smoke, gone within a single season._
   - _To a child a year feels endless, but to the old it is smoke._
15. A fastball thrown by a pitcher. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A very fast pitch thrown in a baseball game.
   - _Their closer can really bring the smoke when the game is on the line._
   - _Scouts raved about the rookie's smoke, clocking several pitches above ninety-five._
16. Bother or trouble; problems and hassle. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Trouble or hassle that someone causes or runs into.
   - _She wasn't looking for smoke, just a quiet night out._
   - _He said he didn't want any smoke, so he walked away from the argument._

## Verb

2. To draw smoke from a burning cigarette, cigar, pipe, or other substance into the mouth or lungs and breathe it out.
   - Simple: To breathe in and blow out smoke from a cigarette, cigar, pipe, or something else that is burning.
   - _He smokes a cigar only on special occasions._
   - _Sailors used to smoke strong pipes on long voyages._
3. To give off smoke, as something burning or smoldering does; of a fireplace, to send smoke into the room instead of up the chimney.
   - Simple: To send out smoke, for example when something is burning or a fireplace doesn't draw well.
   - _The volcano continued to smoke for weeks after the eruption._
   - _Damp firewood smokes heavily and gives little heat._
10. To defeat someone decisively in a game, race, or competition. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To easily beat someone in a game or contest.
   - _They smoked their rivals by thirty points._
   - _He bragged that he could smoke anyone on the track._
8. To expose food or other material to smoke in order to flavor, dry, preserve, or medicate it.
   - Simple: To treat food or other things with smoke, especially to give food flavor or keep it from going bad.
   - _Farmers smoke hams in a special shed for several weeks._
   - _Every fall, my uncle smokes salmon over alder wood in his backyard._
12. To play or perform, especially music, with great energy and skill. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To play or perform with lots of energy and skill.
   - _The quartet smoked through the second half of the concert._
   - _The best jam bands smoke when the audience feeds them energy._
14. To kill someone, especially by shooting. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To kill someone, especially by shooting them.
   - _He swore he would smoke the informant before the trial._
   - _Rival dealers smoked two of his men overnight._

## Verb

17. To fill or scent a space with smoke; to fill it with incense or perfume. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To fill a place with smoke or sweet-smelling incense.
18. To detect, find out, or uncover something, as if by smelling it out. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To find someone or something out, or to discover a secret or trick.
19. To make something unclear, blurred, or hard to make out, whether to the eye or to the mind. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To make something unclear or hard to see.
20. To thrash or beat someone soundly. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To beat or hit someone hard.
21. To ridicule or mock someone openly, to their face. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To make fun of someone openly, right to their face.

## Other meanings

- (verb) To punish a person for a minor offense by forcing them to do exhausting physical exercise.
- (verb) To coat a key blank with soot or carbon so that the marks left by impressioning become visible.
- (verb) To burn, to catch fire, or to rage with heat.
- (verb) To stir up a cloud of dust or smoke with very fast movement.
- (verb) To go through severe suffering, or to be harshly punished.

## Origin

**Meanings 1, 4–7, 9, 11, 13, 15–16** — Old English smoca ("smoke") was probably formed from the verb and became Middle English smoke. Dutch smook and Middle Low German smôk, both meaning "smoke," are related.
**Meanings 2–3, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17–21** — The root is Proto-Indo-European *(s)mewg- ("to smoke"), which led to Proto-Germanic *smukōną and Proto-West Germanic *smokōn. Old English smocian, meaning "to smoke, emit smoke, fumigate," then became Middle English smoken. West Frisian smoke, Dutch smoken, and German Low German smoken are cognates.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/smoke (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).