Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Smoke?

\Smoke\, n. [AS. smoca, fr. sme['o]can to smoke; akin to LG. & D. smook smoke, Dan. sm["o]g, G. schmauch, and perh. to Gr. ??? to burn in a smoldering fire; cf. Lith. smaugti to choke.] 1. The visible exhalation, vapor, or substance that escapes, or expelled, from a burning body, especially from burning vegetable matter, as wood, coal, peat, or the like. Note: The gases of hydrocarbons, raised to a red heat or thereabouts, without a mixture of air enough to produce combustion, disengage their carbon in a fine powder, forming smoke. The disengaged carbon when deposited on solid bodies is soot. 2. That which resembles smoke; a vapor; a mist. 3. Anything unsubstantial, as idle talk. --Shak. 4. The act of smoking, esp. of smoking tobacco; as, to have a smoke. [Colloq.] Note: Smoke is sometimes joined with other word. forming self-explaining compounds; as, smoke-consuming, smoke-dried, smoke-stained, etc. {Smoke arch}, the smoke box of a locomotive. {Smoke ball} (Mil.), a ball or case containing a composition which, when it burns, sends forth thick smoke. {Smoke black}, lampblack. [Obs.] {Smoke board}, a board suspended before a fireplace to prevent the smoke from coming out into the room. {Smoke box}, a chamber in a boiler, where the smoke, etc., from the furnace is collected before going out at the chimney. {Smoke sail} (Naut.), a small sail in the lee of the galley stovepipe, to prevent the smoke from annoying people on deck. {Smoke tree} (Bot.), a shrub ({Rhus Cotinus}) in which the flowers are mostly abortive and the panicles transformed into tangles of plumose pedicels looking like wreaths of smoke. {To end in smoke}, to burned; hence, to be destroyed or ruined; figuratively, to come to nothing. Syn: Fume; reek; vapor.
\Smoke\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Smoked}; p. pr. & vb n. {Smoking}.] [AS. smocian; akin to D. smoken, G. schmauchen, Dan. sm["o]ge. See {Smoke}, n.] 1. To emit smoke; to throw off volatile matter in the form of vapor or exhalation; to reek. Hard by a cottage chimney smokes. --Milton. 2. Hence, to burn; to be kindled; to rage. The anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke agains. that man. --Deut. xxix. 20. 3. To raise a dust or smoke by rapid motion. Proud of his steeds, he smokes along the field. --Dryden. 4. To draw into the mouth the smoke of tobacco burning in a pipe or in the form of a cigar, cigarette, etc.; to habitually use tobacco in this manner. 5. To suffer severely; to be punished. Some of you shall smoke for it in Rome. --Shak.
\Smoke\, v. t. 1. To apply smoke to; to hang in smoke; to disinfect, to cure, etc., by smoke; as, to smoke or fumigate infected clothing; to smoke beef or hams for preservation. 2. To fill or scent with smoke; hence, to fill with incense; to perfume. ``Smoking the temple.'' --Chaucer. 3. To smell out; to hunt out; to find out; to detect. I alone Smoked his true person, talked with him. --Chapman. He was first smoked by the old Lord Lafeu. --Shak. Upon that . . . I began to smoke that they were a parcel of mummers. --Addison. 4. To ridicule to the face; to quiz. [Old Slang] 5. To inhale and puff out the smoke of, as tobacco; to burn or use in smoking; as, to smoke a pipe or a cigar. 6. To subject to the operation of smoke, for the purpose of annoying or driving out; -- often with out; as, to smoke a woodchuck out of his burrow.