nicotine

noun

nic·​o·​tine ˈni-kə-ˌtēn 

: a poisonous alkaloid C₁₀H₁₄N₂ that is the chief active principle of tobacco and is used as an insecticide

Examples of nicotine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By 2015, e-cigarettes had taken over traditional cigarettes as the nicotine product of choice of U.S. high school students, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Youth Tobacco Survey. —Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2024

Drinking alcohol—as well as using nicotine and caffeine products—close to sleeptime doesn’t promote sound shut-eye. —Melissa Willets, Parents, 5 Nov. 2024

Seed oils may sterilize you, but nicotine is a superfood. —Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024

Meanwhile, over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy products, such as nicotine patches, gums and lozenges, have been on the market for decades. —Will Yakowicz, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, from New Latin nicotiana

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

nicotine

noun

nic·​o·​tine ˈnik-ə-ˌtēn 

: a poisonous substance found in tobacco and used as an insecticide

Medical Definition

nicotine

noun

nic·​o·​tine ˈnik-ə-ˌtēn 

: a poisonous alkaloid C₁₀H₁₄N₂ that is the chief active principle of tobacco and that is used as an insecticide and is sometimes used in smoking cessation aids

Note: Trademarks for nicotine include Nicoderm, Nicorette, and Nicotrol.