smoke

UK: /ˈsməʊk/ US: /smoʊk/ ,(smōk)

Inflections of 'smoke' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

smokes

v 3rd person singular

smoking

v pres p

smoked

v past

smoked

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

smoke /smoʊk/   n., v., smoked, smok•ing. 
n. 

1. Chemistry [uncountable] the visible vapor and gases given off by a burning substance.
2. [uncountable] something resembling this, as mist.
3. [countable] an act or spell of smoking something, esp. tobacco.
4. something for smoking, as a cigarette:
   [countable] Have you got a smoke?
5. [uncountable] a bluish or brownish gray.

v. 

6. [no object] to give off smoke.
7. to draw into the mouth and puff out (the smoke of tobacco or the like, as from a pipe or cigarette): [no object]
   She doesn't like to smoke.
   [~ + object]
   He smoked a pack of cigarettes a day.
8. Slang Terms to (cause to) move or travel with great speed: [no object]
   That throw really smoked through the air!
   [~ + object]
   The quarterback smoked the next pass to his tight end.
9. to expose (rooms, etc.) to toxic vapor in order to kill insects or pests:
   [~ + object] to smoke a room.
10. Food to expose (meat, fish, etc.) to smoke and thus dry and flavor it:
    [~ + object] to smoke salmon in the smokehouse.
11. smoke out:
    • to drive from a place of hiding by the use of smoke: [~ + out + object]
      to smoke out the raccoons.
      [~ + object + out]
      to smoke the animals out.
    • to force into public knowledge;
      expose: [~ + out + object]
      to smoke out the traitors.
      [~ + object + out]
      to smoke the traitors out with a clever trick.

Idioms

12. Idioms go up in smoke, to be unsuccessful:
    All his plans for promotion went up in smoke.

smoke•less, adj.: 

so-called smokeless tobacco, or chewing tobacco.

smok•er, n. [countable]
smok•i•ness, n. [uncountable]
smok•y, adj., -i•er, -i•est. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

smoke  (smōk), n., v., smoked, smok•ing. 
n. 

1. Chemistry the visible vapor and gases given off by a burning or smoldering substance, esp. the gray, brown, or blackish mixture of gases and suspended carbon particles resulting from the combustion of wood, peat, coal, or other organic matter.
2. something resembling this, as vapor or mist, flying particles, etc.
3. something unsubstantial, evanescent, or without result:
   Their hopes and dreams proved to be smoke.
4. an obscuring condition:
   the smoke of controversy.
5. an act or spell of smoking something, esp. tobacco:
   They had a smoke during the intermission.
6. something for smoking, as a cigar or cigarette:
   This is the best smoke on the market.
7. Drugs, Slang Terms [Slang.] marijuana.
8. Slang Terms a homemade drink consisting of denatured alcohol and water.
9. Physics a system of solid particles suspended in a gaseous medium.
10. a bluish or brownish gray color.
11. go up or end in smoke, to terminate without producing a result;
    be unsuccessful:
    All our dreams went up in smoke.

v.i. 

12. to give off or emit smoke, as in burning.
13. to give out smoke offensively or improperly, as a stove.
14. to send forth steam or vapor, dust, or the like.
15. to draw into the mouth and puff out the smoke of tobacco or the like, as from a pipe or cigarette.
16. Slang Terms to ride or travel with great speed.
17. British Terms [Australian.]
    • to flee.
    • to abscond.

v.t. 

18. to draw into the mouth and puff out the smoke of:
    to smoke tobacco.
19. to use (a pipe, cigarette, etc.) in this process.
20. to expose to smoke.
21. to fumigate (rooms, furniture, etc.).
22. Food to cure (meat, fish, etc.) by exposure to smoke.
23. to color or darken by smoke.
24. smoke out:
    • to drive from a refuge by means of smoke.
    • to force into public view or knowledge;
      reveal:
      to smoke out the leaders of the spy ring.

• bef. 1000; (noun, nominal) Middle English; Old English smoca; (verb, verbal) Middle English smoken, Old English smocian

smoke′like′, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

smoke / sməʊk/ noun

1. the product of combustion, consisting of fine particles of carbon carried by hot gases and air
2. any cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
3. the act of smoking tobacco or other substances, esp in a pipe or as a cigarette or cigar
4. the duration of smoking such substances
5. a cigarette or cigar
6. a substance for smoking, such as pipe tobacco or marijuana
7. something with no concrete or lasting substance: everything turned to smoke
8. a thing or condition that obscures
9. go up in smoke, end up in smoke ⇒ to come to nothing
10. to burn up vigorously
11. to flare up in anger

verb

1. (intransitive) to emit smoke or the like, sometimes excessively or in the wrong place
2. to draw in on (a burning cigarette, etc) and exhale the smoke
3. (transitive) to bring (oneself) into a specified state by smoking
4. (transitive) to subject or expose to smoke
5. (transitive) to cure (meat, fish, cheese, etc) by treating with smoke
6. (transitive) to fumigate or purify the air of (rooms, etc)
7. (transitive) to darken (glass, etc) by exposure to smoke

Etymology: Old English smoca (n); related to Middle Dutch smieken to emit smoke

ˈsmokable, ˈsmokeable adjective

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Smoke / sməʊk/ noun

1. the Smoke ⇒
   short for Big Smoke