smoke

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

smoke^¹

/sməʊk/ UK
/smoʊk/ Canada, US
/sməʉk/ Australia
/smɐʉk/ New Zealand
/smok/ Scotland
/smoːk/ Wales

Rhymes with -əʊk

Where it comes from

From Middle English smoke, from Old English smoca (“smoke”), probably a derivative of the verb (see below). Related to Dutch smook (“smoke”), Middle Low German smôk (“smoke”), German Schmauch (“smoke (from a gun barrel)”).

noun smokes · smoak

uncountable The visible vapor/vapour, gases, and fine particles given off by burning or smoldering material. If those were the days, however, when steam was triumphant, they were also the days of smoke. Nowhere was this so apparent as at "Kings Cross (Suburban)" where, one after another, the Great Northern tank engines thumped their way up the incline and emerged from the tunnel, in clouds of steam and smo
colloquial, countable A cigarette. Can I bum a smoke off you?
Similar: bine, blem, bogie, boagie, butt, cancerette, cancer stick, boon, cig, ciggy, coffin nail, cowboy killer
colloquial, uncountable Anything to smoke (e.g. cigarettes, marijuana, etc.) Hey, you got some smoke?
colloquial, countable An instance of smoking a cigarette, cigar, etc.; the duration of this act. I lit a pipe and had a good long smoke, and went on watching.
figuratively, uncountable A fleeting illusion; something insubstantial, evanescent, unreal, transitory, or without result. The excitement behind the new candidate proved to be smoke.
figuratively, uncountable Something used to obscure or conceal; an obscuring condition; see also smoke and mirrors. The smoke of controversy.
uncountable A light grey color tinted with blue.
slang, uncountable Bother, trouble; problems; hassle. You better not be giving me no smoke.
countable, uncountable Opaque aerosol released on a battlefield, used e.g. to signal or to degrade enemy observation via smokescreen.
countable, uncountable Pollen scattered by a plant. There has been a great deal of smoke in the yew-trees this year. One day there was such a cloud that it seemed to be a fire in the shrubbery. […]
countable, uncountable Mist, fog, or drizzle; water vapour, such as from exhalation into cold air. […] steeds, whose lowdnes filled the aire with terrour, and whose breathes dimmed the sun with smoake, converted to delicate tunes and amorous glances?
countable, slang, uncountable A fastball.
countable A distinct column of smoke, such as indicating a burning area or fire. When, lo! along the tall Rocky hill-side, a smoke ascends in clouds Like snow-flakes, soaring from the summit up Into the sky.

smoke^²

/sməʊk/ UK
/smoʊk/ Canada, US
/sməʉk/ Australia
/smɐʉk/ New Zealand
/smok/ Scotland
/smoːk/ Wales

Rhymes with -əʊk

Where it comes from

From Middle English smoken, from Old English smocian (“to smoke, to emit smoke”), from Proto-West Germanic *smokōn, from Proto-Germanic *smukōną (“to smoke”), ablaut derivative of Proto-Germanic *smaukaną (“to smoke”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mewg- (“to smoke”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian smookje (“to smoke”), West Frisian smoke (“to smoke”), Dutch smoken (“to smoke”), Low German smöken (“to smoke”), German Low German smoken (“to smoke”). Related also to Old English smēocan (“to smoke, emit smoke; fumigate”), Bavarian schmuckelen (“to smell bad, reek”).

verb smokes · smoking · smoked · smoken · smoak

transitive To inhale and exhale the smoke from a burning cigarette or cigar, burning material in a pipe, etc. He's smoking his pipe.
Similar: have a smoke
intransitive To inhale and exhale tobacco smoke. He used to drop into my chambers once in a while to smoke, and was first-rate company. When I gave a dinner there was generally a cover laid for him. I liked the man for his own sake, and even had he promised to turn out a celebrity it would have had no weight with me.
intransitive To give off smoke. My old truck was still smoking even after the repairs.
intransitive Of a fire in a fireplace, to emit smoke outward instead of up the chimney, owing to imperfect draught.
intransitive Of tobacco: to give off or produce smoke (in a certain manner or of a certain type). "Damp tobacco," said Cripps, eyeing Limpet offensively as he threw down the challenge, "smokes unevenly. You'll admit that to start with."
transitive To preserve or prepare (food) for consumption by treating with smoke. You'll need to smoke the meat for several hours.
transitive To dry or medicate by smoke. After opening one of the hives from the back, he smoked the bees to calm them and to drive the queen toward the front of the hive.
obsolete, transitive To fill or scent with smoke; hence, to fill with incense; to perfume.
obsolete, transitive To make unclear or blurry. Smoke your bits of glass, Ye loyal Swine, or her transfiguration Will blind your wondering eyes.
intransitive, slang, as present participle To perform (e.g. music) energetically or skillfully. The horn section was really smokin' on that last tune.
slang To beat someone at something; to be very good at something. We smoked them at rugby.
slang, transitive To snuff out; to kill, especially with a gun. He got smoked by the mob.
obsolete, slang, transitive To thrash; to beat.
obsolete, transitive To smell out; to hunt out; to find out; to detect. He was first smoked by the old Lord Lafeu.
obsolete, slang, transitive To ridicule to the face; to mock.
To burn; to be kindled; to rage. The anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man.
To raise a dust or smoke by rapid motion. Proud of his steeds, he smokes along the field.
To suffer severely; to be punished. Some of you shall smoke for it in Rome.
US, slang, transitive To punish (a person) for a minor offense by excessive physical exercise.
transitive To cover (a key blank) with soot or carbon to aid in seeing the marks made by impressioning.

Smoke^³

proper noun

The 44th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an.

proper noun the Smoke

UK, informal London. I'm heading down to the Smoke later this week.

noun

Synonym of Burmilla.
Similar: Burmilla

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: fume, marihuana, ganja, pot, marijuana, cannabis, dope, heater, weed, bullet, grass, hummer, skunk, sess, gage, fastball

Translations

Every language

noun colour

中文	煙灰色 /烟灰色 yānhuīsè
Română	fumuriu
Русский	ды́мчатый

noun visible particles and vapour given off by burning material

Español	humo, jumo
한국어	연기 yeon'gi
日本語	煙 kemuri
中文	煙 /烟 yān
हिन्दी	धूआँ dhūā̃, धूम्र dhūmra
Kiswahili	moshi
Português	fumo, fumaça
Français	fumée
Deutsch	Rauch, Qualm
Italiano	fumo
Ελληνικά	καπνός kapnós
Română	fum
Русский	дым dym, чад čad
Tiếng Việt	khói
العربية	دُخَان duḵān
עברית	עָשָׁן ashán

noun colloquial: cigarette

Español	pito, cigarro
한국어	담배 dambae
中文	煙 /烟 yān
Português	fumo
Français	clope
Ελληνικά	τσιγάρο tsigáro
Română	fumegară
Русский	ку́рево kúrevo

noun colloquial: instance of smoking

中文	抽煙 /抽烟 chōuyān, 吸煙 /吸烟 xīyān
Português	fumada
Italiano	fumata
Ελληνικά	κάπνισμα kápnisma
Română	țigară
Русский	куре́ние kurénije
עברית	עישון ishún

noun figurative: fleeting illusion

Ελληνικά	καπνός kapnós, οφθαλμαπάτη ofthalmapáti
Română	iluzie, amăgire, himeră

verb to give off smoke

Español	humear, jumear, vafear, vahear, humar
한국어	뿜다 ppumda
日本語	煙る kemuru
中文	冒煙 /冒烟 màoyān
Português	fumegar
Français	fumer
Deutsch	rauchen
Ελληνικά	καπνίζω kapnízo
Română	fumega, fuma
Русский	дыми́ть dymítʹ, дыми́ться dymítʹsja
العربية	دَخَنَ daḵana

verb to inhale and exhale smoke from a burning cigarette

Español	fumar, purear
한국어	피우다 piuda, 담배를 피우다 dambae-reul piuda, 흡연하다 heubyeonhada
日本語	吸う suu, タバコを吸う tabako o suu, 喫煙する kitsuen suru
中文	吸煙 /吸菸 /吸烟 xīyān, 抽煙 /抽菸 /抽烟 chōuyān, 抽 chōu
हिन्दी	पीना pīnā, सिगरेट पीना sigreṭ pīnā, धूम्रपान करना dhūmrapān karnā
Português	fumar
Français	fumer
Deutsch	rauchen
Italiano	fumare
Ελληνικά	καπνίζω kapnízo
Română	fuma
Русский	кури́ть kurítʹ, покури́ть pokurítʹ, смоли́ть smolítʹ, дыми́ть dymítʹ
Tiếng Việt	hút thuốc
العربية	دَخَّنَ daḵḵana
עברית	עישן \ עִשֵּׁן 'ishén

verb to inhale and exhale tobacco smoke regularly or habitually

Español	fumar
한국어	피우다 piuda, 담배를 피우다 dambae-reul piuda
日本語	吸う suu, タバコを吸う tabako o suu
中文	吸煙 /吸烟 xīyān, 抽煙 /抽烟 chōuyān
हिन्दी	पीना pīnā
Português	fumar
Français	fumer
Deutsch	rauchen
Italiano	fumare
Ελληνικά	καπνίζω kapnízo
Română	fuma
Русский	кури́ть kurítʹ
Tiếng Việt	hơi thuốc, hút thuốc
العربية	دَخَّنَ daḵḵana
עברית	עשן

verb to preserve or prepare by treating with smoke

Español	ahumar
한국어	훈제하다 hunjehada
中文	煙熏 yānxūn
Português	defumar
Français	fumer
Deutsch	räuchern
Italiano	affumicare, affumare
Ελληνικά	καπνίζω kapnízo
Română	afuma
Русский	копти́ть koptítʹ, закопти́ть zakoptítʹ

verb slang: to kill, especially with a gun

Español	cargarse
Français	descendre, buter

name 44th sura of the Qur'an

日本語	煙 Kemuri
Français	Fumée
Русский	Ды́м Dým
العربية	سورة الدخان

Talk about this word

Cite this

MLA

"smoke." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/smoke. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

smoke. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/smoke

Chicago

"smoke." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/smoke.

BibTeX

@misc{smoke_2026,
  title = {smoke},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/smoke},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}

smoke

AI In plain words

smoke¹

Where it comes from

noun smokes · smoak

smoke²

Where it comes from

verb smokes · smoking · smoked · smoken · smoak

Smoke³

proper noun

proper noun the Smoke

noun

Thesaurus

Translations

noun colour

noun visible particles and vapour given off by burning material

noun colloquial: cigarette

noun colloquial: instance of smoking

noun figurative: fleeting illusion

verb to give off smoke

verb to inhale and exhale smoke from a burning cigarette

verb to inhale and exhale tobacco smoke regularly or habitually

verb to preserve or prepare by treating with smoke

verb slang: to kill, especially with a gun

name 44th sura of the Qur'an

smoke^¹

smoke^²

Smoke^³