Smokeless Tobacco Glossary of Terms

1. How Smoking Affects Your Looks and Life Slideshow
2. Tips to Quit Smoking Slideshow
3. Take the Quiz on Smoking

Addiction: An uncontrollable craving, seeking, and use of a substance such as alcohol or a...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Cardiovascular: Relating to the circulatory system, which comprises the heart and blood ve...

Cardiovascular disease: Disease affecting the heart or blood vessels.

Cheek: The side of the face, which forms the side wall of the mouth. The cheekbone is part...

Chewing tobacco: Tobacco that is chewed, not smoked. A form of smokeless tobacco.

Esophagus: The tube that connects the pharynx (throat) with the stomach. The esophagus lie...

FDA: Food and Drug Administration.

Food and Drug Administration: An agency within the US Public Health Service that provides ...

Gingivitis: Gum disease with inflammation of the gums. On inspection, the gums will appea...

Gum disease: Inflammation of the soft tissue (gingiva) and abnormal loss of bone that surr...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart disease: Any disorder that affects the heart. Sometimes the term "heart disease" is ...

Leukoplakia: A white spot or patch on the mucous membranes in the mouth (for instance, ins...

Lips: Aside from the lips of the mouth, there are two pairs of lips at the entrance to the...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

Nicotine: An alkaloid (a nitrogen-containing chemical) made by the tobacco plant or produc...

Pancreas: A spongy, tube-shaped organ that is about 6 inches long and is located in the ba...

Prescription: A physician's order for the preparation and administration of a drug or dev...

Smokeless tobacco: Tobacco that is not smoked but used in another form such as chewing tob...

Snuff: Tobacco in the form of a powder that is inhaled into the nose, not smoked.

Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

Stroke: The sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood...

Tobacco: A South American herb (Nicotiana tabacum) whose leaves contain 2 to 8 percent nic...

Tongue: A strong muscle that is anchored to the floor of the mouth. The tongue is covered ...

Tooth: One of the structures within the mouth that allow for biting and chewing. Teeth hav...

Youth: The time between childhood and maturity.