# cigarette

/ˌsɪɡɝˈɛt/ (US) · /sˌɪɡəɹˈɛt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cigarette
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. tobacco roll

noun · CEFR A2

a thin roll of paper filled with tobacco that you light and smoke.

For teachers: a small cylinder of finely cut tobacco leaves rolled in thin paper, typically including a filter at one end.

- He stepped outside the restaurant to smoke a cigarette before the main course arrived.
- Public health campaigns have significantly reduced the social acceptability of smoking a cigarette in enclosed public spaces over the last few decades.

### 2. to provide a smoke

verb · CEFR C2 · Slang · Informal

to give someone a cigarette or light one for them.

For teachers: to provide another person with a cigarette or to facilitate the lighting of one. Transitive use is restricted to specific informal contexts.

- He asked his friend to cigarette him since he had left his pack at home.
- In the old noir film, the protagonist would cigarette his partner before discussing the details of the heist.

Usage: This verb use is extremely rare and usually found in specific regional dialects or older slang.

Teaching tip: Learners should treat 'cigarette' almost exclusively as a noun; using it as a verb will likely confuse most native speakers.

## Examples

- He stepped outside to smoke a cigarette.
- The hotel has a strict policy against smoking a cigarette in any of the guest rooms.
- Public health campaigns have significantly reduced the social acceptability of lighting a cigarette in shared indoor spaces, leading to widespread legislative bans across many urban centers.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.