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nicotine

 - 6 dictionary results

nic⋅o⋅tine

[nik-uh-teen, -tin, nik-uh-teen]
–noun Chemistry.
a colorless, oily, water-soluble, highly toxic, liquid alkaloid, C1 0H1 4N2, found in tobacco and valued as an insecticide.

Origin:
1810–20; < F; see nicotiana, -ine 2


nic⋅o⋅tined, adjective
nic⋅o⋅tine⋅less, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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nic·o·tine   (nĭk'ə-tēn')   
n.  A colorless, poisonous alkaloid, C10H14N2, derived from the tobacco plant and used as an insecticide. It is the substance in tobacco to which smokers can become addicted.

[French, from New Latin nicotiāna; see nicotiana.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

nicotine [(nik-uh-teen)]

A poisonous chemical substance found in the tobacco plant.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

nicotine 
"poisonous alkaloid found in tobacco leaves," 1819, from Fr. nicotine, from Mod.L. Nicotiana, formal botanical name for the tobacco plant, named for Jean Nicot (c.1530-1600), Fr. ambassador to Portugal, who sent tobacco seeds and powdered leaves back to France 1561. His name is a dim. of Nicolas.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: nic·o·tine
Pronunciation: 'nik-&-"tEn
Function: noun
: a poisonous alkaloid C10H14N2 that isthe chief active principle of tobacco and that is used as an insecticide
Niácot /nE-kO/, Jean (1530?–1600), French diplomat. While French ambassador toPortugal, Nicot introduced tobacco to France by sending tobacco seeds as a gift to the French court in 1560. Linnaeus named the plant genus Nicotiana in his honor in 1753.
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

nicotine nic·o·tine (nĭk'ə-tēn')
n.
A colorless, poisonous alkaloid derived from the tobacco plant and used as an insecticide. It is the substance in tobacco to which smokers can become addicted.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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