from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Tobacco \To*bac"co\, n. [Sp. tabaco, fr. the Indian tabaco the
tube or pipe in which the Indians or Caribbees smoked this
plant. Some derive the word from Tabaco, a province of
Yucatan, where it was said to be first found by the
Spaniards; others from the island of Tobago, one of the
Caribbees. But these derivations are very doubtful.]
1. (Bot.) An American plant ({Nicotiana Tabacum}) of the
Nightshade family, much used for smoking and chewing, and
as snuff. As a medicine, it is narcotic, emetic, and
cathartic. Tobacco has a strong, peculiar smell, and an
acrid taste.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The name is extended to other species of the genus, and
to some unrelated plants, as Indian tobacco ({Nicotiana
rustica}, and also {Lobelia inflata}), mountain tobacco
({Arnica montana}), and Shiraz tobacco ({Nicotiana
Persica}).
[1913 Webster]
2. The leaves of the plant prepared for smoking, chewing,
etc., by being dried, cured, and manufactured in various
ways.
[1913 Webster]
{Tobacco box} (Zool.), the common American skate.
{Tobacco camphor}. (Chem.) See {Nicotianine}.
{Tobacco man}, a tobacconist. [R.]
{Tobacco pipe}.
(a) A pipe used for smoking, made of baked clay, wood, or
other material.
(b) (Bot.) Same as {Indian pipe}, under {Indian}.
{Tobacco-pipe clay} (Min.), a species of clay used in making
tobacco pipes; -- called also {cimolite}.
{Tobacco-pipe fish}. (Zool.) See {Pipemouth}.
{Tobacco stopper}, a small plug for pressing down the tobacco
in a pipe as it is smoked.
{Tobacco worm} (Zool.), the larva of a large hawk moth
({Sphinx Carolina} syn. {Phlegethontius Carolina}). It is
dark green, with seven oblique white stripes bordered
above with dark brown on each side of the body. It feeds
upon the leaves of tobacco and tomato plants, and is often
very injurious to the tobacco crop. See Illust. of {Hawk
moth}.
[1913 Webster]