Definitions for Nicotine
ˈnɪk əˌtin, -tɪn, ˌnɪk əˈtinNico·tine

Princeton's WordNet(2.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. nicotinenoun

   an alkaloid poison that occurs in tobacco; used in medicine and as an insecticide

GCIDE(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Nicotinenoun

   An alkaloid which is the active principle of tobacco (C10H14N2). It occurs in tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum and Nicotiana rusticum) to the extent of 2 to 8%, in combination with malic acid or citric acid. It is a colorless, transparent, oily liquid, having an acrid odor, and an acrid burning taste. It is intensely poisonous. The apparently addictive effects of tobacco smoking have been ascribed largely to the effect of nicotine, and the controlled administration of nicotine on various forms has been used as a technique for assisting efforts to stop the smoking habit. Ure.

   Etymology: [F. nicotine. See Nicotian.]

Wiktionary(1.67 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. nicotinenoun

   An alkaloid (CHN), commonly occurring in the tobacco plant. In small doses it is a habit-forming stimulant; in larger doses it is toxic and is often used in insecticides.

   Etymology: From nicotine, named after Jean Nicot, French ambassador to Portugal, who sent tobacco seeds back to France in 1561.

Wikipedia(1.60 / 5 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Nicotine

   Nicotine is a stimulant and potent parasympathomimetic alkaloid that is naturally produced in the nightshade family of plants. It is used for the treatment of tobacco use disorders as a smoking cessation aid and nicotine dependence for the relief of withdrawal symptoms. Nicotine acts as a receptor agonist at most nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), except at two nicotinic receptor subunits (nAChRα9 and nAChRα10) where it acts as a receptor antagonist.Nicotine constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco. Usually consistent concentrations of nicotine varying from 2–7 µg/kg (20–70 millionths of a percent wet weight) are found in the edible family Solanaceae, such as potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant. Some research indicates that the contribution of nicotine obtained from food is substantial in comparison to inhalation of second-hand smoke. Others consider nicotine obtained from food to be trivial unless exceedingly high amounts of certain vegetables are eaten. It functions as an antiherbivore chemical; consequently, nicotine was widely used as an insecticide in the past, and neonicotinoids, such as imidacloprid, are widely used. Nicotine is highly addictive. It is one of the most commonly abused drugs. An average cigarette yields about 2 mg of absorbed nicotine; high amounts can be more harmful. Nicotine addiction involves drug-reinforced behavior, compulsive use, and relapse following abstinence. Nicotine dependence involves tolerance, sensitization, physical dependence, and psychological dependence. Nicotine dependence causes distress. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms include depressed mood, stress, anxiety, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and sleep disturbances. Mild nicotine withdrawal symptoms are measurable in unrestricted smokers, who experience normal moods only as their blood nicotine levels peak, with each cigarette. On quitting, withdrawal symptoms worsen sharply, then gradually improve to a normal state.Nicotine use as a tool for quitting smoking has a good safety history. Nicotine itself is associated with some health harms. Youth are especially sensitive to the effects of nicotine. Nicotine is potentially harmful to non-users. At low amounts, it has a mild analgesic effect. The Surgeon General of the United States indicates that nicotine does not cause cancer. Nicotine has been shown to produce birth defects in some animal species, but not others. It is considered a teratogen in humans. Nicotine can harm adolescent brain development. The median lethal dose of nicotine in humans is unknown, but high doses are known to cause nicotine poisoning.

Webster Dictionary(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Nicotinenoun

   an alkaloid which is the active principle of tobacco. It is a colorless, transparent, oily liquid, having an acrid odor, and an acrid burning taste. It is intensely poisonous

   Etymology: [F. nicotine. See Nicotian.]

Freebase(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Nicotine

   Nicotine is a potent parasympathomimetic alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants. It acts as a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist. It is made in the roots and accumulates in the leaves of the plants. It constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco and is present in the range of 2–7 µg/kg of various edible plants. It functions as an antiherbivore chemical; therefore, nicotine was widely used as an insecticide in the past and nicotine analogs such as imidacloprid are currently widely used. In smaller doses, the substance acts as a stimulant in mammals, while high amounts can be fatal. This stimulant effect is likely a major contributing factor to the dependence-forming properties of tobacco smoking. According to the American Heart Association, nicotine addiction has historically been one of the hardest addictions to break, while the pharmacological and behavioral characteristics that determine tobacco addiction are similar to those determining addiction to heroin and cocaine. The nicotine content of popular American-brand cigarettes has slowly increased over the years, and one study found that there was an average increase of 1.78% per year between the years of 1998 and 2005. This was found for all major market categories of cigarettes.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Nicotine

   nik′o-tin, n. a poisonous, volatile, alkaloid base, obtained from tobacco.—adj. Nicō′tian, pertaining to tobacco, from Jean Nicot (1530-1600), the benefactor who introduced it into France in 1560.—n. a smoker of tobacco.—n.pl. Nicotiā′na, the literature of tobacco.—n. Nic′otinism, a morbid state induced by excessive misuse of tobacco.

The Nuttall Encyclopedia(2.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Nicotine

   a poisonous alkaloid extracted from the leaves of the tobacco plant, is a colourless, oily liquid, readily soluble in water, and has a pungent odour.

U.S. National Library of Medicine(3.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Nicotine

   Nicotine is highly toxic alkaloid. It is the prototypical agonist at nicotinic cholinergic receptors where it dramatically stimulates neurons and ultimately blocks synaptic transmission. Nicotine is also important medically because of its presence in tobacco smoke.

Suggested Resources(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. nicotine

   Song lyrics by nicotine -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by nicotine on the Lyrics.com website.

Etymology and Origins(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Nicotine

   After Jean Nicot, who introduced tobacco, which he had purchased at Lisbon, into France in 1560.

Matched Categories

1. • Alkaloid
   • Plant Toxin

Anagrams for Nicotine »

1. cotinine

How to pronounce Nicotine?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say Nicotine in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Nicotine in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Nicotine in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of Nicotine in a Sentence

1. Brian Primack:

   One property of highly addictive drugs like this is that the body gets used to them and needs more over time, after someone has gotten used to some nicotine in the form of an e-cigarette, they may ultimately transition to traditional cigarettes to get nicotine more efficiently.

2. Dr Dana Meaney-Delman:

   We're absolutely concerned about THC, but there's a large number in our data that are reporting (use of) both nicotine and THC, there is no one product, device or substance that we can point to that is common among all these different patients.

3. Marc Siegel:

   Nicotine has been associated with seizures, so if you guide it into your brain faster, or more of it, could it cause a seizure ? I think its possible.

4. Matt Wall:

   There's something unique about the drug (nicotine) and the delivery system -- the smoking -- combined which makes it really, really addictive.

5. Norman Edelman:

   Whether cigarettes have lots of nicotine or a little bit of nicotine, they're still unsafe, the best way of protecting Reuters Health is to quit.

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