DCHP-1 Online

Indian tobacco

• 1a a poisonous plant, Lobelia inflata, used as tobacco.

  • 1860  . . . Indian Tobacco, a plant of some medicinal value, is also now in flower.

• 1b a plant, Nicotiana attentuata, of the western mountain region, used with other plants in preparing smoking mixtures.

  • 1880  Before the introduction of the potato, the only plant cultivated was one which has been described to me as 'Indian tobacco.'
  • 1950  Indian tobacco . . . was used by the Thompson Indians from time immemorial. The leaves were gathered, dried and greased. Before being used they were blended with bear-berry leaves which had been dried or roasted over a fire.

• 2 any of several mixtures prepared by Indians for smoking, especially kinnikinik (def. 1).

  See also: kinnikinik (def. 1)  

  • 1805  (1904)  [All of which we purchased for a few fishing hooks and a Small Sack of Indian tobacco.]
  • 1915  And he could always [have] a few long draws at his kin-i-kin-nick (sort of Indian tobacco) pipe.
  • 1956  By early fall I was almost ready for the winter, I had stored all my berries, roots and leaves, and I had an ample supply of Indian tobacco.