Primings: A tobacco plant has rows of leaves, six to be exact, and these rows are known as primings. The number one priming is the one closest to the ground; number six at the top. This affects flavor because the primings closer to the top are stronger in flavor, due to their closeness to the sun.

Puncture Cutter: A tool used to remove a plug from the head of the cigar when pressed against it. The plug is typically ¼ of an inch in diameter and allows for large air hole.

Puro: In the olden days, the term Puro was used to separate a cigar from a cigarette. Nowadays, it refers to cigars that use tobacco from only one country (ie; not blended). Any Cuban cigar is a Puro.

Pyramid: This unique, tapering cigar shape features a wide and open foot and a head that is closed.

Ring Gauge: A unit of measurement measuring the diameter of a cigar in terms of 1/64 of an inch. For instance, a cigar that has a ring gauge of 32 is half an inch in diameter; 64 ring gauge means a full inch. Likewise, a 48 inch ring gauge is ¾ of an inch.

Robusto: A short, fat cigar. 5 or 5 ½ inches in length with a ring gauge between 48 and 50.

Rollers: The people that roll the cigars. Depending on the manufacturer, different rollers may do different aspects of the rolling, with the more experienced doing the more difficult tasks.

Rosado: A red-hued Cuban-seed wrapper. Found in Punch Rare Corojo, Aspira, and others.

Scissor Cutter: A straight cutting tool that looks like a pair of scissors.

Seco: Meaning dry in Spanish, Seco is a medium-bodied filler.

Seconds: These are the rejects from a manufacturer. They are cigars that may have a big blemish, or one so small that the untrained eye wouldn’t even notice. They are packaged cheaply and can make for a good deal.

Shade-Grown: Shade grown leaves are usually darker in color. They are grown beneath tapados, which also gives them a thinner, stretchier feel.

Shape: Not as simple as it may seem, shape is not just the shape of a cigar, but its shape in relation to its ring gauge. Examples include the Corona and Robusto.

Shoulder: The part of the cigar where the cap and body meet. Cutting into the shoulder of a cigar will make the cigar start to come undone.

Size: Another way of saying shape.

Smoke Shop: A tobacconist or store where they sell premium tobacco.

Smoking Time: The amount of time a cigar averages with regards to time it takes to smoke.

Special Solution: In order to ensure that water does not evaporate beyond the 70 percent relative humidity point in your humidifier, you should add a mix of 50 percent water, 50 percent propylene glycol. You should do this every three to six months as needed. In addition to preventing the evaporation, it also helps fight bacteria and mold.

Spill: If you want to avoid adding the taste of a candle or lighter fluid to your cigar, one method is to create a spill. A spill is a piece of cedar (usually from a cigar box that has been broken), which is then lit from the candle or lighter, and then used to light the cigar.

Straight Cut: This is another name for the guillotine cutter, which behaves in a similar fashion as the execution device of the same name.

Strength: Strength is how strong your cigar is: mild, medium, or full-bodied.

Stripping: When tobacco leaves are left intact, they continue to have chemical changes, even after being picked. To stop this from occurring, the stem is removed from the leaf, leaving behind two halves. Note that the leaf will continue to change and become mild after this.

Sugar: Tobacco contains natural stores of sugar. Lower priming tobacco leaves (those closer to the ground), contain more than high priming leaves. Dark tobacco leaves contain more sugar.

Sumatra: A mild, pleasant smelling and pliable wrapper grown in Indonesia. It is also grown in Ecuador from Indonesian seeds, making it more flavorful and letting it present a fuller bouquet. One such cigar is the Hoyo De Monterrey.

Sun-Grown: Tobacco grown in direct sunlight, resulting in darker colors.