Word
nicotine
Phoneticsnico·tine
US/ˈnɪkəˌtin/
UK/nˈɪkətˌiːn/
Definitions
01the chemical substance
n. the addictive chemical found in tobacco plants and cigarettes.
n. a nitrogenous organic compound found in tobacco that acts as a potent stimulant and is highly addictive. Uncountable in its general sense.
“Many people find it hard to quit smoking because their bodies are used to the nicotine.”
“Research indicates that nicotine reaches the brain within seconds of inhalation, triggering a release of dopamine that reinforces the smoking habit.”
Technical
02tobacco products
n. a way to refer to cigarettes or tobacco in general.
n. a metonymic reference to tobacco or cigarettes themselves. Used figuratively to describe the habit or the product.
“He decided he needed to get away from the nicotine and started exercising instead.”
“After twenty years of heavy use, he finally managed to kick the nicotine for good, though the cravings persisted for months.”
Informal
Real-World Examples
“A team looked at 80 major trials involving nearly 30,000 people and found that nicotine vapes were more effective than traditional aids, increasing the success rate by about 60 percent.” “This annual, school-based survey has been tracking smoking and other nicotine product use in American youth ages 11 to 18 since 1999.” Etymology
Borrowed from French nicotine, equivalent to Nicot + -ine, named after Jean Nicot (1530–1604), the French ambassador to Portugal, who sent tobacco seeds back to France in 1561. The etymology of the surname itself is unclear.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.