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.
Phrases and idioms:
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.
Derivatives:
smokable adj. (also smokeable).
Etymology: OE smoca f. weak grade of the stem of smeocan emit smoke