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
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His mother, Tammy Martin, stood off to the side, smoking a cigarette, her salt-and-pepper hair in a ponytail, as her son recounted his decisions from a decade ago. Stephanie Kuzydym, The Courier-Journal, 6 July 2025 Schmidt brought the other diver to his boat, where the driver was drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette. Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 5 July 2025 This photo illustration shows a man holding a cigarette on August 1, 2023, in Montreal. Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025 The two left to get a pack of cigarettes, leaving baby Avery at home. Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 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 10 Jul. 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

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