tobacco

Definition

Any plant of the genus Nicotiana.

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”).

Example Sentences

• "Tobacco and the plant valerian are also considered to be anaphrodisiac in their effects, diminishing sexual inclination."
• "Tobacco-settlement bonds are a tribute both to the inventiveness of bankers and the childlike impatience of politicians."
• "City councilors in Newton have approved a generational ban on tobacco and e-cigarette sales in the city that will prohibit purchases by anyone born after March 1, 2004, joining a growing number of Massachusetts communities that have passed measures to curb tobacco use among young people."