What does "tobacco" mean?
Any plant of the genus Nicotiana.
Tobacco
/təˈbæk.əʊ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any plant of the genus Nicotiana.
- Grammar: tobacco is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: tobacco plant, baccy, chewing, herb.
- Useful contrasts: non-tobacco, tobacco abstinence, tobacco-free.
- Usage evidence: For thy sake, tobacco, I would do anything but die.
How to use "tobacco"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tobacco" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tobacco" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tobacco" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tobacco" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tobacco" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "tobacco plant" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tobacco", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any plant of the genus Nicotiana. uncountable
- 2 leaves of the tobacco plant dried and prepared for smoking or ingestion wordnet
- 3 Leaves of Nicotiana tabacum and some other species cultivated and harvested to make cigarettes, cigars, snuff, for smoking in pipes or for chewing. uncountable
"Tobacco and the plant valerian are also considered to be anaphrodisiac in their effects, diminishing sexual inclination."
- 4 aromatic annual or perennial herbs and shrubs wordnet
- 5 A variety of tobacco. countable
"Tobaccos from the Connecticut Valley were used for wrapping cigars."
Verb
- 1 To indulge in tobacco; to smoke. intransitive
- 2 To treat with tobacco. transitive
"The most satisfactory method of tobaccoing houses is that of stitching the leaves on to a piece of cloth like a strip of matting, which is then laid on the floor. Powdered tobacco should be introduced into rat holes, which can then be firmly closed up with bricks and mortar. Experiments carried out in the City of Hyderabad seem to have been very satisfactory."
Proper Noun
- 1 Two rivers in Michigan, United States.
- 2 A township in Gladwin County, Michigan, probably named after one of the rivers.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"For thy sake, tobacco, I would do anything but die."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tobacco"?
Common synonyms include: tobacco plant, baccy, chewing, herb, smokable leaf, smoking.
How do you use "tobacco" in a sentence?
For thy sake, tobacco, I would do anything but die.
How do you pronounce "tobacco"?
Pronounced /təˈbæk.əʊ/.
Etymology
Attested since 1588, borrowed from Spanish tabaco. The Spanish word could be from Arabic طُبَّاق (ṭubbāq, “Dittrichia viscosa”) or from a Caribbean language such as Kari'na or Taíno or multiple of them, from a word meaning "roll of tobacco leaves" or "a pipe for smoking tobacco," such as tabago (“tube for inhaling smoke or powdered intoxicating plants”).