cigarette card: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Specialized, historical, collecting
Quick answer
What does “cigarette card” mean?
A small, stiff piece of cardboard with a picture printed on it, originally included in cigarette packs as an incentive for purchase.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A small, stiff piece of cardboard with a picture printed on it, originally included in cigarette packs as an incentive for purchase.
A collector's item featuring images of various subjects, often forming part of a series; also used as a term for similar modern promotional collectible cards in other products.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is used in both varieties with the same meaning. The practice was common in both countries, but American English might more readily use 'trading card' as a broader category that includes cigarette cards.
Connotations
In both varieties, it evokes early-to-mid 20th century culture. In British English, it might be slightly more familiar due to prominent UK tobacco companies like W.D. & H.O. Wills.
Frequency
Low frequency in contemporary general use. Higher frequency in discussions of social history, antiques, and collectibles. Roughly equal in both varieties within those specialized domains.
Grammar
How to Use “cigarette card” in a Sentence
collect NOUNtrade NOUNNOUN features GENITIVE (e.g., a cigarette card of a footballer)NOUN from PERIOD (e.g., a cigarette card from the 1930s)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cigarette card” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He spent years cigarette-carding, amassing a complete set of 'Kings and Queens'.
- They would cigarette-card swap in the schoolyard.
American English
- He enjoyed cigarette carding as a hobby, focusing on baseball players.
- Kids would cigarette-card trade after school.
adverb
British English
- The collection was assembled cigarette-card by cigarette-card.
- He arranged them cigarette-card carefully in the album.
American English
- He collected them cigarette-card systematically over decades.
- The display was organized cigarette-card chronologically.
adjective
British English
- The cigarette-card market has remained surprisingly stable.
- He gave a talk on cigarette-card history.
American English
- The cigarette-card collector's convention is in Chicago.
- She wrote a cigarette-card price guide.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in historical analysis of marketing strategies or the antique trade.
Academic
Used in historical, sociological, or cultural studies papers discussing early 20th-century consumer culture, advertising, or childhood in that era.
Everyday
Very rare. Might be used by older generations recalling childhood or by collectors at a flea market.
Technical
Used in philately (the study of collectible paper items) or cartophily (specifically the collection of cigarette cards).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cigarette card”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cigarette card”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cigarette card”
- Using it to refer to modern loyalty cards for cigarette purchases (incorrect). Misspelling as 'cigaret card'. Using it as a synonym for any small card.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Very rarely by a few niche tobacco companies, primarily as novelties or reproductions. The practice largely ended in the mid-20th century due to cost and changing regulations.
Common themes included sports stars, military uniforms, animals, plants, cars, aircraft, actors, and royalty. They were often designed to be educational or to appeal to a wide audience.
Cigarette cards are a specific type of trading card. All cigarette cards are trading cards, but not all trading cards (like modern baseball or Pokémon cards) are cigarette cards, as they are not distributed with cigarettes.
They are typically found at antique fairs, specialist ephemera auctions, online marketplaces like eBay, and in the collections of family members who may have saved them.
A small, stiff piece of cardboard with a picture printed on it, originally included in cigarette packs as an incentive for purchase.
Cigarette card is usually specialized, historical, collecting in register.
Cigarette card: in British English it is pronounced /ˌsɪɡ.əˈret ˌkɑːd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsɪɡ.ə.ret ˌkɑːrd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to this term”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: CIGARETTE = smoke, CARD = stiff picture. A stiff picture found in a smoke pack.
Conceptual Metaphor
A WINDOW INTO THE PAST (the cards depict contemporary celebrities, vehicles, animals, etc.). A PHYSICAL TOKEN OF CONSUMPTION.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary context in which the term 'cigarette card' is used today?