What does stogie mean?
A stogie is a cigar, particularly an inexpensive one, and in British English it is also an informal term for a cigarette. The word has a slightly old-fashioned, colorful quality that makes it especially common in humorous writing, dialogue, and depictions of casual or hard-bitten characters. American usage tends to associate it with cigars, whereas British usage more often treats it as a synonym for a cigarette. Although “stogie” can sound dismissive when used to describe a cheap cigar, it is not necessarily insulting; it may simply add atmosphere or suggest an old-fashioned habit. The word is part of a small family of spelling and clipping variants, including stoga, stogey, and stog. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, which makes its otherwise straightforward modern meaning all the more memorable.
nounA stogie is a cigar, especially an inexpensive one; in British English it is also an informal word for a cigarette.
- A cigar, especially an inexpensive or inexpensive-looking cigar.
- An informal British term for a cigarette.
"He settled into his chair and lit a stogie."
"He settled into his chair and lit a stogie."
"The shopkeeper kept a box of stogies behind the counter."
The standard plural is stogies.
"The tobacconist sold stogies and other tobacco products."
The word’s ultimate origin is uncertain, but stogie has become a fixture of both British and American tobacco slang.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stogie come from?
English adopted stoga in the 19th century as a name for a cigar, and stogie developed as a spelling variant that became established in American English. The ultimate origin of stoga is uncertain, so proposed links with other languages should be treated cautiously. The related forms stogey and stog arose as spelling and clipping variants of the same tobacco term.
Related word forms
How stogie is actually used
The word is informal and can sound jocular, old-fashioned, or mildly disparaging. In British English it is commonly used for a cigarette, while in American English it usually means a cigar.
Easily confused with stogie
Stoga is an older spelling variant of stogie and denotes the same thing rather than a separate meaning.