cigar

American  

[si-gahr] / sɪˈgɑr /

noun

• cigars
  plural

1. a more or less cylindrical roll of tobacco cured for smoking, of any of various lengths, thicknesses, degrees of straightness, etc., usually wrapped in a tobacco leaf.

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idioms

1. no cigar, not being a winning or successful effort, as if not good enough to earn a cigar as a prize.

   He made a good try at fielding the ball, but no cigar.

cigar British  

/ sɪˈɡɑː /

noun

1. a cylindrical roll of cured tobacco leaves, for smoking

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cigarless
  adjective
• cigarlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cigars
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of cigar

First recorded in 1625–35, cigar is from the Spanish word cigarro

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Compare meaning

How does cigar compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cigarillo vs. cigar

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Explanation

A cigar is a fairly large rolled bundle of tobacco that smokers light and take puffs from. A cigar is usually brown, and it's almost always fatter and longer than a cigarette. Cigar smoking tends to be more of a special event than cigarette smoking, and the ritual involves cutting off the cigar's closed end, lighting the other side with a match, and puffing the smoke lightly. Another difference between cigar and cigarette smokers is that cigar smoke isn't usually inhaled, but only drawn into the mouth. The word cigar comes from the Spanish cigarro, most likely from a Mayan root, sicar, "to smoke rolled tobacco leaves."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cigar cigars

He looked like he was smoking a cigar even when he wasn’t smoking a cigar.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

If you’ve been peering through the steamed up windows of the Amicus Plus smokeless cigar bar longingly, hovering over that “subscribe to Slate Plus” button.

From Slate ● Oct. 3, 2026

"My Brownie leader came in with a cigar box full of names and asked if anyone would like a pen pal from Scotland," she said.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

When Volcker — who served so long ago that smoking was still allowed in the hearing room — didn’t like a line of questioning, he would disappear behind a large cloud of cigar smoke.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026

She cleared these things to one side and laid the cigar down in the middle of the dressing-table.

From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl

He later called the community “a unique opportunity to experiment with democracy,” describing it as the kind of place where people can freely set off fireworks and smoke cigars wherever they want.

From Salon ● May 3, 2026

He eventually entered to find his boss, Winston Churchill, and Gen. Charles de Gaulle, the leader of the Free French, puffing cigars and “sitting side by side with amiable expressions on their faces.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026

Insurers paid out £106,700 for the loss, but Prosecutor Julian Winship said there were only seven Fabergé sets - containing a jewelled egg, watch, whisky bottle, cigars and humidor - in existence.

From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026

The "Festival del Habano" draws cigar enthusiasts, traders, and specialized journalists from around the world and features an auction of luxury cigars and humidors.

From Barron's ● Feb. 14, 2026

He learned to light Doc’s cigars and he wanted Doc to smoke all the time so he could light the cigars.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck

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