the Big Smoke see under smoke

too big for one's boots or breeches

Conceited, self-important

what's the big idea?

What on earth is going on?

smoke /smōk/

noun

1. The gases, vapours, and fine particles that are emitted by burning material
2. Solid particles suspended in a gas
3. Fumes
4. Vapour
5. Fog
6. A cloud or column of fumes
7. Something which may be smoked, eg tobacco, a cigarette, or a cigar (informal)
8. An instance or spell of smoking
9. South African brandy (Cape smoke)
10. Tear gas (informal)

intransitive verb

1. To exhale or emit smoke, vapour, dust, etc
2. To reek
3. To send smoke (esp in a wrong direction)
4. To move like smoke
5. To dash along in a cloud of smoke, vapour, spray, or dust
6. To suffer (orig at the stake), to smart
7. To take into the mouth and puff out the smoke of tobacco or something similar
8. To permit, or lend itself to, smoking

transitive verb

1. To dry, scent, preserve, fumigate, suffocate, blacken, taint, drive or render by smoke
2. To inhale and emit the smoke from
3. To scent out, suspect, have an inkling of (archaic)
4. To observe (archaic)
5. To quiz, ridicule (archaic)
6. To thrash (archaic)

smokˈable or smokeˈable adjective

Fit to be smoked

smoked adjective

smokeˈless adjective

1. (eg of a fuel) emitting no smoke
2. Containing little or no smoke

smokeˈlessly adverb

smokeˈlessness noun

smokˈer noun

1. A person who smokes tobacco
2. A smoking carriage or compartment
3. An apparatus for emitting smoke
4. A vent in the sea bed which issues hot water and minerals
5. A person who smoke-dries meat, or an apparatus for doing this
6. A smoking concert

smokie see smoky below

smokˈily adverb

smokˈiness noun

smokˈing noun and adjective

smokˈo noun (pl smokˈos) (informal)

A smoke-ho

smokˈy adjective

1. Giving out smoke
2. Like smoke
3. Coloured like or by smoke
4. Filled, or liable to be filled, with smoke
5. Tarnished or made unattractive or offensive by smoke
6. Suspicious (archaic)

noun (Scot)

A smoked haddock (also smokˈie)

smoke abatement noun

(measures directed to) reducing the amount of smoke in the atmosphere of towns

smoke alarm noun

A device that detects smoke from a fire in a room, building, etc and sounds a warning bell or buzzer

smoke ball noun

A shell emitting smoke as a screen or to drive out an enemy

smokeˈ-black noun

Lampblack

smokeˈboard noun

A board suspended before the upper part of a fireplace to prevent the smoke coming out into the room

smoke bomb noun

A bomb that emits smoke on bursting

smokeˈbox noun

Part of a steam boiler where the smoke is collected before passing out at the chimney

smoke bush or smoke tree noun

A sumach with light feathery or cloudlike panicles

smokeˈ-consumer noun

An apparatus for removing all the smoke from a fire

smoke control area noun

One in which the emission of smoke from chimneys is prohibited

smoke detector noun

A device that activates an alarm when it detects smoke in the air, a smoke alarm

smokeˈ-dried adjective

smokeˈ-dry transitive verb

To cure or dry by means of smoke

smokeˈ-filled room noun (informal)

A place away from the public view where political decisions are taken by a small but influential group of people (characterized as typically being smokers)

smoke helmet noun

A head-covering for firefighters or others who work in dense smoke

smoke-hoˈ noun (pl smoke-hosˈ) (Aust inf)

Orig a break for a smoke during the working day, now a rest, a tea-break

smoke hole noun

1. A fumarole
2. A hole allowing smoke to escape

smokeˈhood noun

A protective hood that prevents the wearer from inhaling smoke and poisonous fumes, eg from a fire on an aircraft

smokeˈhouse noun

A building where meat or fish is cured by smoking, or where smoked meats are stored

smokeˈ-jack noun

1. A contrivance for turning a spit by means of an ascending current of air (historical)
2. A muddled brain (obsolete)

smokeless fuel noun

A fuel that produces little or no smoke and is thus permitted in a smoke control area

smokeless zone noun

A smoke control area

smokeˈproof adjective

Impervious to smoke

smoke room noun

A smoking room (see below)

smokeˈ-room story noun

One unsuitable for telling elsewhere

smokeˈ-sail noun

A small sail hoisted to drive off the smoke from the galley

smokeˈscreen noun

A cloud of smoke raised to conceal movements (also figurative)

smoke signal noun

(often in pl) a signal or message conveyed by means of patterns of smoke (also figurative)

smokeˈstack noun

1. The funnel of a ship or railway engine
2. A (usu tall industrial) chimney

smokestack industry noun

A traditional heavy industry, esp one employing methods of production and technology that adversely affect the environment

smoke test noun

A method of testing for leaks in drain pipes or chimneys by introducing dense smoke, often by using a smoke bomb

smokeˈtight adjective

Impervious to smoke

smoke tree see smoke bush above.

smoke tunnel noun

A wind tunnel into which smoke is put at certain points in order to make wind effects visible

smoking cap, smoking jacket noun

A light ornamental cap and jacket formerly worn by smokers

smoking carriage, smoking compartment or smoking room noun

A railway carriage, compartment or room, set apart for smokers

smoking concert noun

A concert at which smoking (euphemistically) is allowed

smoking gun noun (informal)

A piece of evidence that leaves no doubt as to someone's involvement in a crime

smoky quartz noun

Cairngorm stone

end or go up in smoke

1. (of eg hopes) to vanish
2. (of eg plans) to come to nothing

like smoke

Very quickly

sell smoke

(L fūmum vendere to make empty promises) to swindle

smoke and mirrors

The use of deception, esp to achieve one's aims in spite of being in a weak position

smoke out

1. To discover
2. To drive out of a hiding place by smoke or fire

the (Big) Smoke (informal; also without caps)

1. A metropolitan area characterized by atmospheric pollution, esp London
2. The (nearest) city or major town (orig a phrase used by the Australian aborigines), now esp Melbourne or Sydney