/ təˈbækəʊ; NAmE -koʊ/ noun
[ U , C ] ( pl. -os ) the dried leaves of the tobacco plant that are used for making cigarettes, smoking in a pipe or chewing :
The government imposed a ban on tobacco advertising (= the advertising of cigarettes and all other forms of tobacco ) .
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent.: from Spanish tabaco ; said to be from a Carib word denoting a tobacco pipe or from a Taino word for a primitive cigar, but perhaps from Arabic .