secondhand smoke

noun

: tobacco smoke that is exhaled by smokers or is given off by burning tobacco and is inhaled by persons nearby

Examples of secondhand smoke in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For example, marijuana legalization has re-elevated the conversation about secondhand smoke. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025 Cigarettes kill 1 in 2 users who don’t quit and harm others nearby through secondhand smoke. Ailsa R Butler, The Conversation, 8 Jan. 2025 The hazards of secondhand smoke are well documented. Niki Kitsantonis, New York Times, 28 Dec. 2024 Some who are concerned with the health component call the law a step backward, given the risks of secondhand smoke. Anabel Sosa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for secondhand smoke

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of secondhand smoke was in 1891

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Secondhand smoke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secondhand%20smoke. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

secondhand smoke

noun
: tobacco smoke that is exhaled by smokers or is given off by burning tobacco and is inhaled by persons nearby

Medical Definition

secondhand smoke

noun
sec·​ond·​hand smoke ˌsek-ᵊn(d)-ˌhan(d)- How to pronounce secondhand smoke (audio)
: tobacco smoke that is exhaled by a smoker or is given off by burning tobacco (as of a cigarette) and is inhaled by persons nearby

called also passive smoke

More from Merriam-Webster on secondhand smoke

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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