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Added 10 October 2026

nicotine

/ˈnɪkətiːn/ noun

In Latin: nicotinum Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about nicotine at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An alkaloid (C10H14N2), commonly occurring in the tobacco plant.
She is addicted to nicotine.
Tobacco or cigarettes.
He's got nicotine stains on his fingers.

Origin

Borrowed from French nicotine, equivalent to Nicot + -ine, named after Jean Nicot (1530–1604), the French ambassador to Portugal, who sent tobacco seeds back to France in 1561. The etymology of the surname itself is unclear.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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