Definitions
01tobacco roll
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a roll of dried tobacco leaves that you smoke.
n. a cylinder of tobacco rolled and wrapped with an outer covering of tobacco leaves, intended to be smoked.
日本語:葉巻※
“He sat on the porch after dinner and lit a cigar.”
“The guest of honour celebrated the victory by lighting an expensive Cuban cigar, filling the room with a thick, aromatic smoke.”
Synonyms
02a reward or success
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal
n. a prize or success, usually used in the phrase 'close, but no cigar'.
n. a metaphorical prize or acknowledgement of success; almost exclusively used in the negative idiom 'close, but no cigar' to indicate a near-miss.
“Your guess was very near the right answer, but no cigar.”
“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.”
Usage
Commonly used in the fixed idiomatic expression 'close, but no cigar'.
03vulgar slang for penis
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Slang · Vulgar
n. a very informal and rude word for the penis.
n. a vulgar slang term for the penis, used in highly informal or crude contexts.
“The comedian made a crude joke involving a cigar.”
“The script was rejected by the studio for containing too many vulgar double entendres involving cigars and other phallic imagery.”
Teaching tip
This sense is highly vulgar and rare in standard conversation; learners should avoid using it to prevent causing offense.
Etymology
From Spanish cigarro, of uncertain origin. See that entry for more information.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/cigar
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0