Smoke is the visible cloud of tiny particles and gases that rises from something burning. When wood burns in a campfire, smoke drifts upward, carrying the smell of burning with it. Smoke forms because burning doesn't completely destroy everything: tiny bits of ash, water vapor, and gases mix together to create those gray or black clouds.

Smoke can be dangerous to breathe because it contains particles and chemicals that irritate your lungs. That's why firefighters wear special masks and why you shouldn't stand directly over a campfire. Throughout history, people learned to use smoke intentionally: to preserve meat, to send signals across long distances, or to keep mosquitoes away.

The word also describes the act of breathing in smoke from burning tobacco, which can harm the lungs and heart. To smoke meat or fish means to preserve it by exposing it to wood smoke, which was crucial before refrigeration.

When something goes up in smoke, it means a plan has failed completely, like when all your careful preparations disappear as quickly as smoke dissipates in the wind. If there's no smoke without fire, it means rumors usually have some truth behind them. And where there's smoke and mirrors, someone is using tricks and illusions to hide what's really happening.