smoke tree n 1: any of several shrubs or shrubby trees of the genus Cotinus [syn: smoke tree, smoke bush] 2: greyish-green shrub of desert regions of southwestern United States and Mexico having sparse foliage and terminal spikes of bluish violet flowers; locally important as source of a light-colored honey of excellent flavor [syn: smoke tree, Dalea spinosa]

smoke tree noun Date: 1846 either of two small shrubby trees (genus Cotinus) of the cashew family with large panicles of minute flowers that suggest a cloud of smoke: a. one (C. coggygria) of Eurasia that is widely planted in the eastern United States b. one (C. obovatus) of the southeastern United States and Texas

Venetian \Ve*ne"tian\, a. [Cf. It. Veneziano, L. Venetianus.] Of or pertaining to Venice in Italy. Venetian blind, a blind for windows, doors, etc., made of thin slats, either fixed at a certain angle in the shutter, or movable, and in the latter case so disposed as to overlap each other when close, and to show a series of open spaces for the admission of air and light when in other positions. Venetian carpet, an inexpensive carpet, used for passages and stairs, having a woolen warp which conceals the weft; the pattern is therefore commonly made up of simple stripes. Venetian chalk, a white compact or steatite, used for marking on cloth, etc. Venetian door (Arch.), a door having long, narrow windows or panes of glass on the sides. Venetian glass, a kind of glass made by the Venetians, for decorative purposes, by the combination of pieces of glass of different colors fused together and wrought into various ornamental patterns. Venetian red, a brownish red color, prepared from sulphate of iron; -- called also scarlet ocher. Venetian soap. See Castile soap, under Soap. Venetian sumac (Bot.), a South European tree ({Rhus Cotinus}) which yields the yellow dyewood called fustet; -- also called smoke tree. Venetian window (Arch.), a window consisting of a main window with an arched head, having on each side a long and narrow window with a square head.

Smoke \Smoke\, n. [AS. smoca, fr. sme['o]can to smoke; akin to LG. & D. smook smoke, Dan. sm["o]g, G. schmauch, and perh. to Gr. ??? to burn in a smoldering fire; cf. Lith. smaugti to choke.] 1. The visible exhalation, vapor, or substance that escapes, or expelled, from a burning body, especially from burning vegetable matter, as wood, coal, peat, or the like. Note: The gases of hydrocarbons, raised to a red heat or thereabouts, without a mixture of air enough to produce combustion, disengage their carbon in a fine powder, forming smoke. The disengaged carbon when deposited on solid bodies is soot. 2. That which resembles smoke; a vapor; a mist. 3. Anything unsubstantial, as idle talk. --Shak. 4. The act of smoking, esp. of smoking tobacco; as, to have a smoke. [Colloq.] Note: Smoke is sometimes joined with other word. forming self-explaining compounds; as, smoke-consuming, smoke-dried, smoke-stained, etc. Smoke arch, the smoke box of a locomotive. Smoke ball (Mil.), a ball or case containing a composition which, when it burns, sends forth thick smoke. Smoke black, lampblack. [Obs.] Smoke board, a board suspended before a fireplace to prevent the smoke from coming out into the room. Smoke box, a chamber in a boiler, where the smoke, etc., from the furnace is collected before going out at the chimney. Smoke sail (Naut.), a small sail in the lee of the galley stovepipe, to prevent the smoke from annoying people on deck. Smoke tree (Bot.), a shrub ({Rhus Cotinus}) in which the flowers are mostly abortive and the panicles transformed into tangles of plumose pedicels looking like wreaths of smoke. To end in smoke, to burned; hence, to be destroyed or ruined; figuratively, to come to nothing.

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