n. & v.
n. 1 a visible suspension of carbon etc. in air, emitted from a burning substance. 2 an act or period of smoking tobacco (had a quiet smoke). 3 colloq. a cigarette or cigar (got a smoke?). 4 (the Smoke) Brit. & Austral. colloq. a big city, esp. London.
v. 1 intr. a emit smoke or visible vapour (smoking ruins). b (of a lamp etc.) burn badly with the emission of smoke. c (of a chimney or fire) discharge smoke into the room. 2 a intr. inhale and exhale the smoke of a cigarette or cigar or pipe. b intr. do this habitually. c tr. use (a cigarette etc.) in this way. 3 tr. darken or preserve by the action of smoke (smoked salmon). 4 tr. spoil the taste of in cooking. 5 tr. a rid of insects etc. by the action of smoke. b subdue (insects, esp. bees) in this way. 6 tr. archaic make fun of. 7 tr. bring (oneself) into a specified state by smoking. go up in smoke colloq. 1 be destroyed by fire. 2 (of a plan etc.) come to nothing. no smoke without fire rumours are not entirely baseless. smoke-ball 1 a puff-ball. 2 a projectile filled with material emitting dense smoke, used to conceal military operations etc. smoke bomb a bomb that emits dense smoke on exploding. smoke-bush = smoke-plant. smoked glass glass darkened with smoke. smoke-dried cured in smoke. smoke-ho Austral. & NZ colloq. = SMOKO. smoke out 1 drive out by means of smoke. 2 drive out of hiding or secrecy etc. smoke-plant (or -tree) any ornamental shrub of the genus Cotinus, with feathery smokelike fruit-stalks. smoke-ring smoke from a cigarette etc. exhaled in the shape of a ring. smoke-room Brit. = SMOKING-ROOM. smoke-stone cairngorm. smoke-tunnel a form of wind-tunnel using smoke filaments to show the motion of air. smokable adj. (also smokeable).
[ OE smoca f. weak grade of the stem of smeocan emit smoke ]