cigarette
cigarette
Pronunciation
Cigarette: /ˌsɪɡəˈrɛt/
ci-: /sɪɡ/
/s/ - voiceless alveolar fricative
/ɪ/ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel
/ɡ/ - voiced velar stop
-ga-: /ə/
/ə/ - schwa (mid-central vowel)
-rette: /rɛt/
/r/ - alveolar approximant
/ɛ/ - open-mid front unrounded vowel
/t/ - voiceless alveolar stop
Word Form Variations
Singular: cigarette
Plural: cigarettes
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A small, cylindrical roll of finely cut tobacco encased in thin paper, designed to be ignited and smoked.
Synonyms: butt, smoke, fag (informal, UK), dart (slang, Australia/New Zealand)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a physical object. One might consider "cessation" or "abstinence" in the context of smoking.)
Definition 2: (Figurative) An act or instance of smoking a cigarette.
Synonyms: puff, drag, smoke break
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms. Concepts like "quitting" or "non-smoking" relate to the activity.)
Examples of Use
Books: "He lit another cigarette, the brief flare illuminating the lines of worry etched around his eyes." (From The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, August 2020)
Newspapers: "New regulations aim to curb the sale of flavored cigarettes to minors, a move supported by public health advocates." (The Guardian)
Online Publications: "E-cigarettes are often marketed as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, though long-term health effects are still being studied." (WebMD)
Television/Film: "Could I trouble you for a light? I seem to have run out of matches for this cigarette." (Dialogue from a character in the TV series Peaky Blinders, Season 5, September 2019)
Music: "And she's got a cigarette, but she's not smoking it." (Lyric from the song "Fluorescent Adolescent" by Arctic Monkeys, May 2007)
General Public Discourse: "My grandmother used to say a cup of tea and a cigarette were her only vices." (Heard in a casual conversation)
Advertisements (Historical): "Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet." (Slogan from a 1930s Lucky Strike cigarette advertisement)
10 Quotes Using Cigarette
"A cigarette is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure." (Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1890)
"Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times." (Mark Twain, often attributed)
"Happiness is a good cigarette, a good meal, and a good woman. Or a good man. It depends on which way you are inclined." (Oriana Fallaci)
"I'm a connoisseur of cigarette butts." (John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, 1939)
"A woman is only a woman, but a good cigarette is a smoke." (Rudyard Kipling, The Betrothed, 1890)
"My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people." (Orson Welles, often attributed)
"You better cut your talk and come to terms with your cigarette." (Bob Dylan, "Talkin' World War III Blues", 1963)
"I tried to stop smoking cigarettes by drinking. It didn't work." (Andy Warhol, The Philosophy of Andy Warhol: From A to B and Back Again, 1975)
"What a great age to live in, when cigarette smoking is a sign of sophistication." (Art Buchwald)
"I smoke too much, but who doesn't these days? Everyone's got their own little vice, whether it's a cigarette or a secret addiction to reality TV." (Original Quote)
Etymology
The word "cigarette" essentially means "little cigar." It comes from the French word cigarette, which is a "diminutive" of cigare, meaning "cigar." So, the "-ette" ending in French often means "small" or "little."
This French word cigare itself has Spanish roots, coming from the Spanish word cigarro. The origin of cigarro is a bit debated, but it likely came from a Maya word like sicar, which referred to smoking rolled tobacco leaves. Some also think it might be influenced by the Spanish word for "grasshopper" (cigarra) because of the shape.
The first known use of "cigarette" in English appears to be around 1831 or 1832. At that time, it was used to describe what we still understand as a "small roll of finely cut tobacco enclosed in paper for smoking." Basically, people in Spain started rolling discarded cigar bits into paper, and these "little cigars" (cigarrillos) eventually became popular in France, where they got their French name, and then that name made its way into English.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Cigarette
Cigarette break: A short pause from work or activity to smoke a cigarette.
Chain-smoke cigarettes: To smoke many cigarettes one after another without much pause.
A pack of cigarettes: A standard quantity of cigarettes sold together (usually 20).
Go out for a cigarette: To temporarily leave a place to smoke.
The last cigarette: Often implies the final one before quitting or a significant event.
Burning through cigarettes: Smoking a large number of cigarettes rapidly.
Smoke 'em if you got 'em: An informal invitation to light up a cigarette if one possesses them, often in a casual or slightly defiant context.
Ashtray full of butts: Describes a situation where a lot of cigarettes have been smoked.
Like a lit cigarette in the rain: Refers to something quickly diminishing or having a very short lifespan.
Flick a butt: To dispose of a cigarette end, often by flicking it away.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of cigarette from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
