Fume vs. Smoke — What's the Difference?

Fumes are fine particles resulting from volatile substances often seen in industrial settings.

Smoke is the visible vapor and gases emitted when a substance burns.

In literature, "fume" can represent something that is unsubstantial or fleeting.

In a figurative sense, smoke can mean to perform exceedingly well or with a lot of energy.

Fume is also used to describe the act of emitting gas or vapor.

Smoke is a collection of airborne particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-product of fires (including stoves, candles, internal combustion engines, oil lamps, and fireplaces), but may also be used for pest control (fumigation), communication (smoke signals), defensive and offensive capabilities in the military (smoke screen), cooking, or smoking (tobacco, cannabis, etc.).

An amount of gas or vapour that smells strongly or is dangerous to inhale

A visible suspension of carbon or other particles in air, typically one emitted from a burning substance

Feel, show, or express great anger

An act of smoking tobacco

Emit gas or vapour

A big city, especially London

Vapor, gas, or smoke, especially if irritating, harmful, or strong.

Emit smoke or visible vapour

A strong or acrid odor.

Inhale and exhale the smoke of tobacco or a drug

A state of resentment or vexation.

Treat, fumigate, or cleanse by exposure to smoke.

To subject to or treat with fumes.

Kill (someone) by shooting

To give off in or as if in fumes.

Make fun of (someone)

To emit fumes.

A mixture of gases and small suspended particles of soot or other solids, resulting from the burning of materials such as wood or coal.

To rise in fumes.

A cloud of such gases and suspended particles.

To feel or show resentment or vexation.

A vapor, mist, or fume that resembles this.

A gas or vapour/vapor that is strong-smelling or dangerous to inhale.

Something insubstantial, unreal, or transitory

A material that has been vaporized from the solid or liquid state to the gas state and re-coalesced to the solid state.

The act of smoking a form of tobacco

Rage or excitement which deprives the mind of self-control.

The duration of this act.

Anything unsubstantial or airy; idle conceit; vain imagination.

(Informal) Tobacco in a form that can be smoked, especially a cigarette

The incense of praise; inordinate flattery.

A substance used in warfare to produce a smokescreen.

(obsolete) A passionate person.

Something used to conceal or obscure.

(transitive) To expose (something) to fumes; specifically, to expose wood, etc., to ammonia in order to produce dark tints.

A pale to grayish blue to bluish or dark gray.

(transitive) To apply or offer incense to.

(Baseball) Pitches thrown at high velocity; fast balls

(intransitive) To emit fumes.

To draw in and exhale smoke from a cigarette, cigar, or pipe

(intransitive) To pass off in fumes or vapours.

To engage in smoking regularly or habitually

To express or feel great anger.

To emit smoke or a smokelike substance

To be as in a mist; to be dulled and stupefied.

To emit smoke excessively

Exhalation; volatile matter (esp. noxious vapor or smoke) ascending in a dense body; smoke; vapor; reek; as, the fumes of tobacco.

To go or proceed at high speed.

Rage or excitement which deprives the mind of self-control; as, the fumes of passion.

To play or perform energetically

Anything vaporlike, unsubstantial, or airy; idle conceit; vain imagination.

To draw in and exhale the smoke of (tobacco, for example)

The incense of praise; inordinate flattery.

To do so regularly or habitually

Solid material deposited by condensation of fumes; as, lead fume (a grayish powder chiefly lead sulphate).

To preserve (meat or fish) by exposure to the aromatic smoke of burning hardwood, usually after pickling in salt or brine.

To smoke; to throw off fumes, as in combustion or chemical action; to rise up, as vapor.

To fumigate (a house, for example).

To be as in a mist; to be dulled and stupefied.

To expose (animals, especially insects) to smoke in order to immobilize or drive away.

To pass off in fumes or vapors.

To expose (glass) to smoke in order to darken or change its color.

To be in a rage; to be hot with anger.

To kill; murder.

To expose to the action of fumes; to treat with vapors, smoke, etc.; as, to bleach straw by fuming it with sulphur; to fill with fumes, vapors, odors, etc., as a room.

To defeat decisively, as in a competition.

To praise inordinately; to flatter.

(Baseball) To throw (a pitch) at high velocity.

To throw off in vapor, or as in the form of vapor.

(uncountable) The visible vapor/vapour, gases, and fine particles given off by burning or smoldering material.

A cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

A cigarette.

Be mad, angry, or furious

Anything to smoke (e.g. cigarettes, marijuana, etc.)

Emit a cloud of fine particles;

An instance of smoking a cigarette, cigar, etc.; the duration of this act.

Treat with fumes, expose to fumes, especially with the aim of disinfecting or eradicating pests

A fleeting illusion; something insubstantial, evanescent, unreal, transitory, or without result.

Be wet with sweat or blood, as of one's face

Something used to obscure or conceal; an obscuring condition; see also smoke and mirrors.

Fume refers to gas or vapor that emits strong odors or chemicals.

(uncountable) A light grey colour/color tinted with blue.

Fume can indicate a state of smoldering anger or irritation.

Bother; problems; hassle.

A particulate of solid or liquid particles dispersed into the air on the battlefield to degrade enemy ground or for aerial observation. Smoke has many uses--screening smoke, signaling smoke, smoke curtain, smoke haze, and smoke deception. Thus it is an artificial aerosol.

A fastball.

(countable) A distinct column of smoke, such as indicating a burning area or fire.

(transitive) To inhale and exhale the smoke from a burning cigarette, cigar, pipe, etc.

(intransitive) To inhale and exhale tobacco smoke.

(intransitive) To give off smoke.

(intransitive) Of a fire in a fireplace: to emit smoke outward instead of up the chimney, owing to imperfect draught.

(transitive) To preserve or prepare (food) for consumption by treating with smoke.

(transitive) To dry or medicate by smoke.

To fill or scent with smoke; hence, to fill with incense; to perfume.

To make unclear or blurry.

To perform (e.g. music) energetically or skillfully.

To beat someone at something.

To kill, especially with a gun.

To thrash; to beat.

To smell out; to hunt out; to find out; to detect.

To ridicule to the face; to mock.

To burn; to be kindled; to rage.

To raise a dust or smoke by rapid motion.

To suffer severely; to be punished.

To punish (a person) for a minor offense by excessive physical exercise.

(transitive) To cover (a key blank) with soot or carbon to aid in seeing the marks made by impressioning.

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.

That which resembles smoke; a vapor; a mist.

Anything unsubstantial, as idle talk.

The act of smoking, esp. of smoking tobacco; as, to have a smoke.

To emit smoke; to throw off volatile matter in the form of vapor or exhalation; to reek.

Hence, to burn; to be kindled; to rage.

To raise a dust or smoke by rapid motion.

To draw into the mouth the smoke of tobacco burning in a pipe or in the form of a cigar, cigarette, etc.; to habitually use tobacco in this manner.

To suffer severely; to be punished.

To apply smoke to; to hang in smoke; to disinfect, to cure, etc., by smoke; as, to smoke or fumigate infected clothing; to smoke beef or hams for preservation.

To fill or scent with smoke; hence, to fill with incense; to perfume.

To smell out; to hunt out; to find out; to detect.

To ridicule to the face; to quiz.

To inhale and puff out the smoke of, as tobacco; to burn or use in smoking; as, to smoke a pipe or a cigar.

To subject to the operation of smoke, for the purpose of annoying or driving out; - often with out; as, to smoke a woodchuck out of his burrow.

A cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

A hot vapor containing fine particles of carbon being produced by combustion;

An indication of some hidden activity;

Something with no concrete substance;

Tobacco leaves that have been made into a cylinder

Street names for marijuana

The act of smoking tobacco or other substances;

(baseball) a pitch thrown with maximum velocity;

Inhale and exhale smoke from cigarettes, cigars, pipes;

Emit a cloud of fine particles;

Smoke can also refer to the act of inhaling and exhaling the smoke from tobacco.

Smoke can imply a ruse or something designed to obscure and confuse.

In colloquial use, "smoke" can refer to killing or defeating someone or something.

Yes, fumes can be flammable if they come from combustible materials and mix with air in the right proportions.

No, fumes can also result from chemical reactions that don't involve combustion.

Smoke often contains harmful substances and can be dangerous to breathe, but the harm can vary with the smoke's source and concentration.

Prolonged or intense exposure to toxic fumes can lead to long-term health issues, including respiratory problems.

Yes, processes like burning plastics can produce both smoke and toxic fumes simultaneously.

Many fumes can be toxic, especially from chemicals or metals, but toxicity varies depending on the substance.

Common sources include industrial processes, vehicle exhausts, welding, and some printing and painting operations.

Fumes can rise or spread out at ground level depending on their density relative to the surrounding air.

Use proper ventilation, wear protective masks, and ensure good air filtration in your environment.

Smoke is typically visible, though how clearly it can be seen can vary depending on the intensity of the fire and materials being burned.

Yes, some fumes can be odorless, making them particularly hazardous as they can go undetected.

Some smoke detectors can detect fumes, especially if there are particles involved, but not all fumes will be detected by standard smoke detectors.

Smoke management typically involves evacuation and containment, while fume management may require specific chemical neutralization.

Regulations may set exposure limits, require emissions controls, and dictate proper disposal methods to minimize environmental and health impacts.

Yes, smoke can deposit conductive or corrosive residues on electronics, potentially damaging them.