Illustration of tobacco
- tobacco 1
tobacco
noun
to·bac·co
tə-ˈba-(ˌ)kō 
plural tobaccos
1
: any of a genus (Nicotiana) of chiefly American plants of the nightshade family with viscid foliage and tubular flowers
especially
: a tall erect annual tropical American herb (N. tabacum) cultivated for its leaves
2
: the leaves of cultivated tobacco prepared for use in smoking or chewing or as snuff
3
: manufactured products of tobacco (such as cigars or cigarettes)
also
: smoking as a practice
has sworn off tobacco
4
: a moderate brown
Examples of tobacco in a Sentence
a farm that grows tobacco
a state tax on tobacco
Recent Examples on the Web
During the enforcement, investigators recovered nine pounds of cannabis and 17,794 tobacco products from a business on Gwynn Oak Avenue.
—
Adam Thompson, CBS News, 15 June 2026
The latter is inspired by Prohibition-era nightlife, with notes of rum, tobacco, and smooth, velvety orris.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 15 June 2026
Her yogurt habit sat alongside a Mediterranean diet, daily movement, a busy social calendar, solid sleep and zero tobacco or alcohol.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 15 June 2026
Examples range from businesses like Enron, Tyco, and Bernie Madoff, along with historical tyrants like Stalin or Hitler to modern figures like Putin, and industries like tobacco that knowingly harm users for profit.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tobacco
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Adam Thompson, CBS News, 15 June 2026
The latter is inspired by Prohibition-era nightlife, with notes of rum, tobacco, and smooth, velvety orris.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 15 June 2026
Her yogurt habit sat alongside a Mediterranean diet, daily movement, a busy social calendar, solid sleep and zero tobacco or alcohol.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 15 June 2026
Examples range from businesses like Enron, Tyco, and Bernie Madoff, along with historical tyrants like Stalin or Hitler to modern figures like Putin, and industries like tobacco that knowingly harm users for profit.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tobacco
Cite this Entry
“Tobacco.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tobacco. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tobacco
noun
to·bac·co
tə-ˈbak-ō
plural tobaccos
1
: any of a genus of chiefly American plants of the nightshade family that have sticky leaves and tube-shaped flowers
especially
: a tall upright tropical American herb with pink or white flowers that is grown for its leaves
2
: the leaves of cultivated tobacco prepared for use in smoking or chewing or as snuff
Medical Definition
tobacco
noun
to·bac·co
tə-ˈbak-(ˌ)ō
plural tobaccos
1
: any plant of the genus Nicotiana
especially
: an annual South American herb (N. tabacum) cultivated for its leaves
2
: the leaves of cultivated tobacco prepared for use in smoking or chewing or as snuff
3
: manufactured products of tobacco
also
: the use of tobacco as a practice
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