tobacco

noun (plural tobaccos)

• 1a preparation of the nicotine-rich leaves of an American plant, which are cured by a process of drying and fermentation for smoking or chewing.

• 2 (also tobacco plant) the plant of the nightshade family that yields tobacco, native to tropical America. It is widely cultivated in warm regions, especially in the US and China.

  • Nicotiana tabacum, family Solanaceae. See also nicotiana