Meaning

noun a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

noun a hot vapor containing fine particles of carbon being produced by combustion

noun an indication of some hidden activity

originFrom Middle English smoken, from Old English smocian (“to smoke, to emit smoke”), from Proto-West Germanic *smokōn, from Proto-Germanic *smukōną (“to smoke”), ablaut derivative of Proto-Germanic *smaukaną (“to smoke”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mewg- (“to smoke”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian smookje (“to smoke”), West Frisian smoke (“to smoke”), Dutch smoken (“to smoke”), Low German smöken…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0