cigar English · revision 947

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sɪˈɡɑː(ɹ)/ ''(UK)''; /sɪˈɡɑɹ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|es|cigarro]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) of uncertain origin.^(Barnhart 1995)^(RHWU) It is possibly from Maya ''sicar'' “to smoke rolled tobacco leaves”, from ''sik'' “tobacco”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) or from or influenced by Spanish ''cigarra'' “cicada”, from a resemblance of shape,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) from Latin [[cicada]].^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A compact roll of tobacco leaves for smoking (1730 in Barnhart, Etymonline and Merriam-Webster; 1735 in the OED).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ An earlier English spelling was ''segar''.^(Etymonline) The French diminutive gave [[cigarette]].^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) Compounds include ''cigar-box'' (1819) and ''cigar-store'' (1839),^(Etymonline) and the wooden ''cigar-store Indian'' is so called from 1879.^(Etymonline) The colloquial phrase ''close, but no cigar'' refers to a cigar given as a prize, an effort not good enough to win.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1730 – the roll of tobacco.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1819 – ''cigar-box''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1839 – ''cigar-store''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1923 – the brown colour of a cigar.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A compact roll of cured [[tobacco]] leaves, wrapped in a tobacco leaf, for smoking.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cigarette]]

+ * [[cigarillo]]

+ * [[cicada]]

+ * [[tobacco]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}