sməuk 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. øgo 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. øøsmokable adj. (also smokeable). [OE smoca f.
weak grade of the stem of smeocan emit smoke]