smoking-car

A man reads a newspaper in the smoking-car of a train.

Definition

Noun: A "smoking-car" is a railway carriage or compartment designated for passengers who wish to smoke tobacco. It is a specific area on a train where smoking is permitted.

Usage Examples

• (He went to the designated area for smoking on the train.)
• (A distinct carriage for smokers was located at the back of the train.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be in the smoking-car": to be located in the designated smoking area.

  • Most of the passengers were in the smoking-car, enjoying their pipes. (The majority of travellers were in the compartment where smoking was allowed.)

• "smoking-car regulations": rules governing smoking in that specific carriage.

  • The smoking-car regulations required passengers to extinguish cigarettes before entering the dining car. (Rules for the smoking compartment mandated that smoking stop before moving to another area.)

Variants and Related Words

• Smoker (n): a railway car or compartment designated for smoking; also a person who smokes.

  • The train had a smoker for those who wanted to smoke. (A railway car set aside for smoking.)

• Smoking compartment (n): a smaller section within a train car designated for smoking.

  • The smoking compartment was filled with blue haze. (The small room for smoking was smoky.)

Synonyms

• Smoker: a railway car or compartment for smoking.
• Smoking carriage: a railway carriage where smoking is allowed.

Related Idioms

• Smoke like a chimney: to smoke heavily (not directly related to the car, but often associated with its use).
  • He smoked like a chimney in the smoking-car. (He smoked very heavily in that designated area.)

Notes

• This term is largely historical or regional, as many trains have now banned smoking entirely or restricted it to specific, well-ventilated areas. In modern usage, "smoking car" or "smoking compartment" may be more common.