: 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
Illustration of tobacco
tobacco 1
Examples of tobacco in a Sentence
a farm that grows tobacco
a state tax on tobacco
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
In the 1980s and ’90s, manufacturers owned by tobacco companies developed more products with increasingly irresistible combinations of sodium, fats and carbohydrates.—Alice Callahan, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 Trefethen 2021 Cabernet Franc has ethereal aromas of spice, cherry, cigar box, raspberry, black pepper, and plum, followed by flavors of cassis, jalapeño, blackberry, and tobacco leaf.—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025 So ignore the subterfuge being generated by the tobacco/vaping industry.—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2025 What the discount excludes is deli, meat, beer, wine, liquor and tobacco.—Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tobacco
Word History
Etymology
Spanish tabaco, probably from Taino, roll of tobacco leaves
Share