nicotine

American  

[nik-uh-teen, -tin, nik-uh-teen] / ˈnɪk əˌtin, -tɪn, ˌnɪk əˈtin /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, oily, water-soluble, highly toxic, liquid alkaloid, C 1 0 H 1 4 N 2 , found in tobacco and valued as an insecticide.

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nicotine British  

/ ˈnɪkəˌtiːn, ˌnɪkəˈtɪnɪk /

noun

1. a colourless oily acrid toxic liquid that turns yellowish-brown in air and light: the principal alkaloid in tobacco, used as an agricultural insecticide. Formula: C 10 H 14 N 2

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nicotine Scientific  

/ nĭk′ə-tēn′ /

1. A colorless, poisonous compound occurring naturally in the tobacco plant. It is used in medicine and as an insecticide, and it is the substance in tobacco products to which smokers can become addicted. Nicotine is an alkaloid. Chemical formula: C ₁₀ H ₁₄ N ₂ .

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nicotine Cultural  

1. A poisonous chemical substance found in the tobacco plant.

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Other Word Forms

• nicotined adjective
• nicotineless adjective
• nicotinic adjective

Etymology

Origin of nicotine

From French, dating back to 1810–20; nicotiana, -ine ²

Example Sentences

Even so, nectar contains other compounds, such as nicotine and caffeine, that are known to influence animal behavior.

From Science Daily

But their message—the Ozymandian nature of consumer goods—is like a nicotine hit: quickly and easily processed, enjoyable for a fleeting moment, but ultimately unsatisfying.

From The Wall Street Journal

These offspring were compared with those from a control group whose fathers had not been exposed to nicotine.

From Science Daily

And unlike nicotine, doctors sometimes recommend it, “so why should it be bad then?” added Trimua, who says he doesn’t partake.

From The Wall Street Journal

The court has applied this legal principle for decades, including in 2000 to strike down the Food and Drug Administration’s move to regulate nicotine as a “drug.”

From The Wall Street Journal