cigar

American  

[si-gahr] / sɪˈgɑr /

noun

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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

• cigarless
  adjective
• cigarlike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cigar

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

Compare meaning

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

• cigarillo vs. cigar

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

The Lakers have occasionally been tantalizingly close, but there’s a clear absence here of any cigar, and no chance of one walking through that door.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

Stopping Celtic earning 10 titles in a row was enormous but too often it was a case of close but no cigar and at Rangers, that's not good enough.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Tolkan was also well known for drilling Maverick and Goose with swift reprimands and tough love between puffs of his cigar as their commanding officer, Tom “Stinger” Jardian, in the 1986 blockbuster “Top Gun.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 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 gnaws on the end of a cigar and stabs his cane repeatedly into the carpet.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen