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To end in smoke

Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

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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