Smoker

/ˈsmoʊkər/ noun

Definition

A person who smokes cigarettes or other tobacco products, or a device used for smoking or cooking food with smoke.

Etymology

From 'smoke' plus the agent suffix '-er.' The word 'smoke' comes from Old English 'smoca,' from Germanic roots. The term 'smoker' for a person became common by the 18th century.

Kelly Says

Historically, 'smoker' was a neutral or even prestigious identity—Victorian gentlemen had 'smoking rooms' as exclusive clubs—but the word's social meaning completely flipped after the 1950s when health risks became undeniable, showing how word meanings shift with public knowledge.

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