cigarette

noun

cig·​a·​rette ˌsi-gə-ˈret How to pronounce cigarette (audio)
ˈsi-gə-ˌret
variants or less commonly cigaret
: a slender roll of cut tobacco enclosed in paper and meant to be smoked
also : a similar roll of another substance (such as marijuana)

Examples of cigarette in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The new type of overlay would either outright ban or limit the presence of businesses like beer and cigarette markets, pawnshops and nightclubs in residential areas, even when existing zoning categories on a property would otherwise allow for them. Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 10 Oct. 2025 It is designed to test for vaporized tobacco, marijuana, nicotine products, and e-cigarette devices. Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025 Dillane, clothed in an Adidas track suit, smokes a cigarette. Esther Zuckerman, Time, 10 Oct. 2025 While smoking is the largest cause of lung cancer, this aggressive form of the disease can arise in those who have never had a cigarette. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cigarette

Word History

Etymology

French cigarette, diminutive of cigare cigar, from Spanish cigarro

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cigarette was in 1832

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Cite this Entry

“Cigarette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cigarette. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

cigarette

noun
cig·​a·​rette ˌsig-ə-ˈret How to pronounce cigarette (audio)
ˈsig-ə-ˌret
: a small roll of cut tobacco wrapped in paper for smoking
Etymology

from French cigarette, literally, "little cigar"

More from Merriam-Webster on cigarette

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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