Indian tobacco

noun

1
: a poisonous North American annual lobelia (Lobelia inflata) with small blue or white flowers
2
: a wild tobacco (Nicotiana quadrivalvis synonym N. bigelovii) found in dry valleys from southern California to southern Oregon

Examples of Indian tobacco in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Clarke shows off his Indian tobacco plants. Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 28 Aug. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Indian tobacco was circa 1618

Dictionary Entries Near Indian tobacco

Cite this Entry

“Indian tobacco.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Indian%20tobacco. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

Indian tobacco

noun
1
: an American wild lobelia (Lobelia inflata) with small blue flowers that is the source of the drug lobelia
2

More from Merriam-Webster on Indian tobacco

Last Updated: - Definition revised
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!