Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense smokes, present participle smoking, past tense, past participle smoked
1. uncountable noun
Smoke consists of gas and small bits of solid material that are sent into the air when something burns.
A cloud of black smoke blew over the city.
The air was thick with smoke.
Synonyms: fumes More Synonyms of smoke
2. verb
If something is smoking, smoke is coming from it.
The chimney was smoking fiercely. [VERB]
...a pile of smoking rubble. [VERB-ing]
3. verb
When someone smokes a cigarette, cigar, or pipe, they suck the smoke from it into their mouth and blow it out again. If you smoke, you regularly smoke cigarettes, cigars, or a pipe.
He was sitting alone, smoking a big cigar. [VERB noun]
It's not easy to quit smoking cigarettes. [VERB noun]
Do you smoke? [VERB]
Smoke is also a noun.
Someone came out for a smoke.
smokerWord forms: plural smokerscountable noun
He was not a heavy smoker.
4. verb [usually passive]
If fish or meat is smoked, it is hung over burning wood so that the smoke preserves it and gives it a special flavour.
...the grid where the fish were being smoked. [beVERB-ed]
...smoked bacon. [VERB-ed]
5. See also smoked, smoking
6.
See there's no smoke without fire
7.
See go up in smoke
8.
See go up in smoke
Phrasal verbs:
See smoke out
More Synonyms of smoke
smoke in British English
(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.
a.
the act of smoking tobacco or other substances, esp in a pipe or as a cigarette or cigar
b.
the duration of smoking such substances
4. informal
a.
a cigarette or cigar
b.
a substance for smoking, such as pipe tobacco or marijuana
5.
something with no concrete or lasting substance
everything turned to smoke
6.
a thing or condition that obscures
7.
any of various colours similar to that of smoke, esp a dark grey with a bluish, yellowish, or greenish tinge
8. go up in smoke
verb
9. (intransitive)
to emit smoke or the like, sometimes excessively or in the wrong place
10.
a.
to draw in on (a burning cigarette, etc) and exhale the smoke
b.
to use tobacco for smoking
11. (intransitive) slang
to use marijuana for smoking
12. (transitive)
to bring (oneself) into a specified state by smoking
13. (transitive)
to subject or expose to smoke
14. (transitive)
to cure (meat, fish, cheese, etc) by treating with smoke
15. (transitive)
to fumigate or purify the air of (rooms, etc)
16. (transitive)
to darken (glass, etc) by exposure to smoke
17. (intransitive) slang
to move, drive, ride, etc, very fast
18. (transitive) obsolete
to tease or mock
19. (transitive) archaic
to suspect or detect
Derived forms
smokable (ˈsmokable) or smokeable (ˈsmokeable)
adjective
Word origin
Old English smoca (n); related to Middle Dutch smieken to emit smoke
Smoke in British English
(sməʊk)
noun
the Smoke
smoke in American English
(smoʊk)
noun
1.
a.
vaporous matter arising from something burning and made visible by minute particles of carbon suspended in it
b.
a mass or cloud of this
2.
any vapor, fume, mist, etc. resembling smoke
3.
a. US
an act or period of smoking tobacco, etc.
time out for a smoke
b.
something to smoke, as a cigarette or pipeful of tobacco
4.
something without substance, significance, or lasting reality
5.
something that beclouds or obscures
6.
a dusky gray
7. Physical Chemistry
a suspension of solid particles in a gas
verb intransitiveWord forms: smoked or ˈsmoking
8.
to give off smoke or a smokelike substance
9.
to discharge smoke in the wrong place, esp. into a room
said of a furnace, fireplace, etc.
10.
to give off too much smoke
said of a lamp, type of fuel, etc.
11. Rare
to move very rapidly, esp. so as to raise dust
12.
a.
to draw the smoke of tobacco, etc. into the mouth, and often lungs, and blow it out again
b.
to be a habitual smoker
verb transitive
13.
to stain or color with smoke
14.
to treat (meat, fish, etc.) with smoke, as in flavoring or curing
15.
to fumigate as with smoke
16.
to drive or force into the open with or as with smoke; force out of hiding, secrecy, etc.
often with out
17.
to stupefy or stun (bees, etc.) with smoke
18.
to draw the smoke of or from (tobacco, a pipe, etc.) into the mouth, and often lungs,and blow it out again
19. Archaic
to detect or be suspicious of
20. Obsolete
to tease or mock
Derived forms
smokable (ˈsmokable)
adjective or ˈsmokeable
Word origin
ME < OE smoca, akin to Ger schmauch < IE base *smeukh-, to smoke > Gr smychein, to smolder, Ir mūch, smoke
More idioms containing
smoke
put that in your pipe and smoke it
blow smoke
go up in smoke
send out smoke signals
smoke and mirrors
there's no smoke without fire
Examples of 'smoke' in a sentence
smoke
You used to smoke like a chimney.
Patrick O'Brian Richard Temple
Why should he not pretend to smoke the famous cigar?
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Tobacco smoke can decrease the number of negative ions in the air.
Martlew, Gillian & Silver, Shelley Stay Well This Winter (1989)
When he lights a fire it smokes.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Coastal areas also have many varieties of smoked fish and fish pies.
Wood, Katie Cheap Eats Guide to Europe 1994 (1993)
The combination of excessive drinking and smoking is very dangerous.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The smell of pipe smoke in a cold room.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The smoke was very thick but there was no harm done.
The Sun (2006)
The products are most commonly used by smoking but can also be ingested.
McKenzie, James F. & Pinger, Robert R. An Introduction to Community Health (1995)
Electronic cigarettes provide smokers with the nicotine they seek without the deadly toxins delivered by smoking tobacco.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
To this natural cycle has been added the smoke from modern fires.
Levenson, Thomas Ice Time: Climate, Science, and Life on Earth (1990)
There is a trace of wood smoke in the air.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The smoke is thicker on the other side.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They drink vodka and smoke cigarettes.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Serve with smoked or oily fish.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Outside, a line forms around a truck selling smoked meats.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
All are potentially dangerous as gas leaks, smoke or rotten food can easily go undetected.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Like smoking, eating meat increases the risk of heart disease and cancer.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The heavier the cigarette smoking history, the higher the risk.
Shreeve, Caroline (Dr.) How to Lower High Blood Pressure (1994)
Quotations
As an example to others, and not that I care for moderation myself, it has always been my rule never to smoke when asleep, and never to refrain from smoking when awakeMark Twain70th birthday speech
In other languages
smoke
British English: smoke /sməʊk/ NOUN
Smoke consists of gas and small bits of solid material that are sent into the air when something burns.
I can smell smoke.
American English: smoke
Arabic: دُخَّان
Brazilian Portuguese: fumaça
Chinese: 烟
Croatian: dim
Czech: kouř
Danish: røg
Dutch: rook damp
European Spanish: humo
Finnish: savu
French: fumée
German: Rauch
Greek: καπνός
Italian: fumo
Japanese: 煙
Korean: 연기
Norwegian: røyk
Polish: dym
European Portuguese: fumo
Romanian: fum
Russian: дым
Latin American Spanish: humo
Swedish: rök
Thai: ควัน
Turkish: duman
Ukrainian: дим
Vietnamese: khói
British English: smoke /sməʊk/ VERB
If something is smoking, smoke is coming from it.
Heat the oil until it starts to smoke.
American English: smoke
Arabic: يُدَخِّنُ
Brazilian Portuguese: fumegar
Chinese: 冒烟
Croatian: pušiti
Czech: kouřit
Danish: ryge
Dutch: roken
European Spanish: humear
Finnish: savuta
French: fumer
German: rauchen
Greek: καπνίζω
Italian: fumare
Japanese: 煙を出す
Korean: 연기를 뿜다
Norwegian: røyke
Polish: palić
European Portuguese: fumegar
Romanian: a fumega
Russian: дымить(ся)
Latin American Spanish: fumar
Swedish: röka
Thai: มีควัน
Turkish: dumanı tütmek
Ukrainian: диміти
Vietnamese: bốc khói
All related terms of 'smoke'
Big Smoke
→ the Big Smoke
smoke-dry
to cure ( fish , meat , etc) in smoke
smoke out
If you smoke out someone who is hiding, you discover them and make them publicly known.
the Smoke
a large city, esp London
blow smoke
to deliberately confuse or mislead someone in order to deceive them
Cape smoke
South African brandy
chain-smoke
Someone who chain-smokes smokes cigarettes or cigars continuously.
smoke alarm
A smoke alarm or a smoke detector is a device fixed to the ceiling of a room which makes a loud noise if there is smoke in the air, to warn people.
smoke bomb
A smoke bomb is a bomb that produces clouds of smoke when it explodes .
smoke-dried
(of fish, meat , etc) cured in smoke
smoke-free
without any smoke from cigarettes , etc
smoke ring
a visible ring formed by the sudden release of smoke , usually created by blowing smoke from the mouth or by a cigarette , incense stick etc
smoke room
a room, esp in a hotel or club , for those who wish to smoke
smoke shop
a shop that sells tobacco , cigarettes , pipes , etc
smoke tree
an anacardiaceous shrub , Cotinus coggygria, of S Europe and Asia, having clusters of yellowish feathery flowers
smoke jumper
an employee of the forest service parachuted to strategic spots in fighting forest fires
smoke screen
a cloud of smoke spread to screen the movements of troops , ships, etc.
smoke signal
If someone such as a politician or businessman sends out smoke signals , they give an indication of their views and intentions. This indication is often not clear and needs to be worked out.
cigarette smoke
the acrid smoke produced by cigarettes being smoked
smoke detector
a usually battery-operated warning device that sets off a loud signal when excessive smoke or heat is detected
smoke pollution
pollution caused by fuels, etc, that produce smoke when burned
secondhand smoke
smoke from a cigarette , cigar , etc., that is inhaled by persons other than the smoker
sidestream smoke
cigarette smoke that passes into the air without first being inhaled by the smoker
smoke a joint
A joint is a cigarette which contains cannabis or marijuana.
smoke inhalation
poisoning of the lungs caused by inhaling large quantities of toxic fumes from a fire
the Big Smoke
a large city , esp London
go up in smoke
If something goes up in smoke , it is destroyed by fire .
second-hand smoke
the smoke of other people's cigarettes
smoke and mirrors
things which are intended to deceive or confuse people
smoke-filled room
If you talk about a decision being made in a smoke-filled room , you mean that it is made by a small group of people in a private meeting, rather than in a more democratic or open way.
smoking room
a room , esp in a hotel or club , for those who wish to smoke
steam fog
fog caused by cold air flowing over a body of comparatively warm water, the vapor condensing in small convective columns near the water surface and giving the appearance of smoke or steam
a smoke-filled room
if a political or business decision is made in a smoke-filled room , it is made by a small group of people in a private meeting , rather than in a more democratic or open way
no smoke without fire
the evidence strongly suggests something has indeed happened
smokescreen
If something that you do or say is a smokescreen , it is intended to hide the truth about your activities or intentions .
send out smoke signals
to give an indication of your views or intentions , often in an unclear or vague form which then needs to be interpreted
go up in flames (or smoke)
to burn
there's no smoke without fire where there's smoke there's fire
If someone says there's no smoke without fire or where there's smoke there's fire , they mean that there are rumours or signs that something is true so it must be at least partly true.
where there's smoke there's fire
If someone says where there's smoke there's fire , they mean that there are rumors or signs that something is true so it must be at least partly true.
put that in your pipe and smoke it
said to tell someone that although they may dislike or disagree with something you have just said, they must accept that it is a fact or true
Chinese translation of 'smoke'
smoke
(sməuk)
n(u)
烟(煙) (yān)
vi
[person]吸烟(煙) (xīyān)
[chimney]冒烟(煙) (màoyān)
vt
[cigarette, cigar, pipe]抽 (chōu)
[fish, meat]熏制(製) (xūnzhì)
to have a smoke/go for a smoke抽根烟(煙)/去抽根烟(煙) (chōu gēn yān/qù chōu gēn yān)
to go up in smoke[house etc]被烧(燒)光 (bèi shāoguāng) (fig) 突然破灭(滅) (tūrán pòmiè)
do you smoke?你抽烟(煙)吗(嗎)？ (nǐ chōu yān ma?)
All related terms of 'smoke'
smoke alarm
烟(煙)雾(霧)报(報)警器 yānwù bàojǐngqì [ 个(個) gè ]
do you smoke?
你抽烟(煙)吗(嗎)？ nǐ chōu yān ma?
to go up in smoke
( house etc ) 被烧(燒)光 bèi shāoguāng
a haze of cigarette smoke
香烟(煙)的烟(煙)雾(霧) xiāngyān de yānwù
a puff of wind/air/smoke
一阵(陣)风(風)/空气(氣)/烟(煙) yī zhèn fēng/kōngqì/yān
to have a smoke/go for a smoke
抽根烟(煙)/去抽根烟(煙) chōu gēn yān/qù chōu gēn yān
to be shrouded in mist/smoke etc
被雾(霧)/烟(煙) 等 笼(籠)罩 bèi wù/yān děng lǒngzhào
1 (noun)
Definition
the cloudy mass that rises from something burning
The air was thick with cigarette smoke.
Synonyms
fumes
2 (noun)
Definition
a cigarette or cigar
Someone went out for a smoke.
Synonyms
cigarette
He went out to buy a packet of cigarettes.
fag (British, informal)
A woman on her doorstep asked if he could spare a fag.
ciggie (British, informal)
1 (verb)
Definition
to give off smoke
The rubble was still smoking.
Synonyms
smoulder
Whole blocks had been turned into smouldering rubble.
fume
I fumed when the board turned down my proposal.
emit smoke
2 (verb)
Definition
to draw the smoke of (burning tobacco) into the mouth and exhale it again
He didn't argue, he just quietly smoked a cigarette.
Synonyms
puff on
draw on
inhale
drag on (informal)
vape
3 (verb)
Definition
to cure (meat, cheese, or fish) by treating with smoke
The fish was being smoked.
Synonyms
preserve
idiom
See go up in smoke
phrasal verb
See smoke something or someone out
Quotation
As an example to others, and not that I care for moderation myself, it has always been my rule never to smoke when asleep, and never to refrain from smoking when awake [Mark Twain – 70th birthday speech]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of fag
Definition
a cigarette
A woman on her doorstep asked if he could spare a fag.