Smoke tree

smoke tree
    n 1: any of several shrubs or shrubby trees of the genus Cotinus
         [syn: {smoke tree}, {smoke bush}]
    2: greyish-green shrub of desert regions of southwestern United
       States and Mexico having sparse foliage and terminal spikes
       of bluish violet flowers; locally important as source of a
       light-colored honey of excellent flavor [syn: {smoke tree},
       {Dalea spinosa}]
    

Smoke \Smoke\ (sm[=o]k), n. [AS. smoca, fr. sme['o]can to smoke;
   akin to LG. & D. smook smoke, Dan. sm["o]g, G. schmauch, and
   perh. to Gr. ??? to burn in a smoldering fire; cf. Lith.
   smaugti to choke.]
   1. The visible exhalation, vapor, or substance that escapes,
      or expelled, from a burning body, especially from burning
      vegetable matter, as wood, coal, peat, or the like.
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   Note: The gases of hydrocarbons, raised to a red heat or
         thereabouts, without a mixture of air enough to produce
         combustion, disengage their carbon in a fine powder,
         forming smoke. The disengaged carbon when deposited on
         solid bodies is soot.
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   2. That which resembles smoke; a vapor; a mist.
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   3. Anything unsubstantial, as idle talk. --Shak.
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   4. The act of smoking, esp. of smoking tobacco; as, to have a
      smoke. [Colloq.]
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   Note: Smoke is sometimes joined with other word. forming
         self-explaining compounds; as, smoke-consuming,
         smoke-dried, smoke-stained, etc.
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   {Smoke arch}, the smoke box of a locomotive.

   {Smoke ball} (Mil.), a ball or case containing a composition
      which, when it burns, sends forth thick smoke.

   {Smoke black}, lampblack. [Obs.]

   {Smoke board}, a board suspended before a fireplace to
      prevent the smoke from coming out into the room.

   {Smoke box}, a chamber in a boiler, where the smoke, etc.,
      from the furnace is collected before going out at the
      chimney.

   {Smoke sail} (Naut.), a small sail in the lee of the galley
      stovepipe, to prevent the smoke from annoying people on
      deck.

   {Smoke tree} (Bot.), a shrub ({Rhus Cotinus}) in which the
      flowers are mostly abortive and the panicles transformed
      into tangles of plumose pedicels looking like wreaths of
      smoke.

   {To end in smoke}, to burned; hence, to be destroyed or
      ruined; figuratively, to come to nothing.
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   Syn: Fume; reek; vapor.
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Venetian \Ve*ne"tian\, a. [Cf. It. Veneziano, L. Venetianus.]
   Of or pertaining to Venice in Italy.
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   {Venetian blind}, a blind for windows, doors, etc., made of
      thin slats, either fixed at a certain angle in the
      shutter, or movable, and in the latter case so disposed as
      to overlap each other when closed, and to show a series of
      open spaces for the admission of air and light when in
      other positions.

   {Venetian carpet}, an inexpensive carpet, used for passages
      and stairs, having a woolen warp which conceals the weft;
      the pattern is therefore commonly made up of simple
      stripes.

   {Venetian chalk}, a white compact talc or steatite, used for
      marking on cloth, etc.

   {Venetian door} (Arch.), a door having long, narrow windows
      or panes of glass on the sides.

   {Venetian glass}, a kind of glass made by the Venetians, for
      decorative purposes, by the combination of pieces of glass
      of different colors fused together and wrought into
      various ornamental patterns.

   {Venetian red}, a brownish red color, prepared from sulphate
      of iron; -- called also {scarlet ocher}.

   {Venetian soap}. See {Castile soap}, under {Soap}.

   {Venetian sumac} (Bot.), a South European tree ({Rhus
      Cotinus}) which yields the yellow dyewood called {fustet};
      -- also called {smoke tree}.

   {Venetian window} (Arch.), a window consisting of a main
      window with an arched head, having on each side a long and
      narrow window with a square head.
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