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nicotine definition

nico·tine (nik′ə tēn′, nik′ə tēn′)

noun

a toxic, addictive, water-soluble alkaloid, CHN, found in tobacco leaves

Etymology: Fr < nicotiane, the tobacco plant < ModL nicotiana (herba), Nicot's (plant), after Jean Nicot (1530-1600), Fr ambassador at Lisbon, who first introduced tobacco into France (1560)

Related Forms:

  • nicotinic nic′o·tin′ic (-tin′ik) adjective

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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