cigar
- 01 B1 Intermediate
a roll of dried tobacco leaves that you smoke.
a cylinder of tobacco rolled and wrapped with an outer covering of tobacco leaves, intended to be smoked.
Simple“He sat on the porch after dinner and lit a cigar.”
In context“The guest of honour celebrated the victory by lighting an expensive Cuban cigar, filling the room with a thick, aromatic smoke.”
Synonymsstogiecheroot - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a prize or success, usually used in the phrase 'close, but no cigar'.
a metaphorical prize or acknowledgement of success; almost exclusively used in the negative idiom 'close, but no cigar' to indicate a near-miss.
Simple“Your guess was very near the right answer, but no cigar.”
In context“The startup's pitch was impressive and nearly secured the funding, but ultimately it was a case of 'close, but no cigar' as the investors backed a rival.”
UsageCommonly used in the fixed idiomatic expression 'close, but no cigar'.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
a very informal and rude word for the penis.
a vulgar slang term for the penis, used in highly informal or crude contexts.
Simple“The comedian made a crude joke involving a cigar.”
In context“The script was rejected by the studio for containing too many vulgar double entendres involving cigars and other phallic imagery.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is highly vulgar and rare in standard conversation; learners should avoid using it to prevent causing offense.
From Spanish cigarro, of uncertain origin. See that entry for more information.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.