: 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 WebFragrance notes: woody spices, tobacco leaf, vanilla, and ginger.—Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 30 May 2024 There are a few small cities and tens of thousands of acres of cotton, tobacco, soybeans, and other crops.—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2024 Wooden match or lighter How: Fill a shell, which represents the water element, with a sacred plant—the earth element—like sage, sweetgrass, tobacco, or cedar.—Zayda Rivera, Parents, 29 May 2024 Drugs, alcohol and tobacco are prohibited in our centers and programs.—Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for tobacco
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tobacco.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Spanish tabaco, probably from Taino, roll of tobacco leaves
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