Nicotine

google

ref

early 19th century: from French, from nicotiana + -ine4.

wiktionary

ref

Borrowed from French nicotine, named after Jean Nicot, French ambassador to Portugal, who sent tobacco seeds back to France in 1561. Etymology of the surname itself is unclear.

etymonline

ref

nicotine (n.)

also nicotin, poisonous volatile alkaloid base found in tobacco leaves, 1819, from French nicotine, earlier nicotiane, from Modern Latin Nicotiana, the formal botanical name for the tobacco plant, named for Jean Nicot (c. 1530-1600), French ambassador to Portugal, who sent tobacco seeds and powdered leaves from Lisbon to France 1561. His name is a diminutive of Nicolas (see Nicholas).