A glossary of the Spanish and trade terms used in Cuban cigar making. For context, read How Cuban Cigars Are Made and Understanding Cigar Vitolas.
- Anilla
- The cigar band.
- Belicoso
- A figurado with a short, rounded taper at the head.
- Cabeza
- The head of the cigar — the end you cut and smoke from.
- Capa
- The wrapper leaf, chosen for appearance, texture and flavour.
- Capote
- The binder leaf that holds the filler together.
- Casa de tabaco
- A curing barn where harvested leaves are hung to dry.
- Cepo
- Ring gauge: the diameter of a cigar in 64ths of an inch.
- Despalillo
- Removing the central vein from the leaf.
- Escaparate
- A conditioning room where finished cigars rest before sorting and boxing.
- Escogida
- The sorting and grading of leaves.
- Figurado
- Any shaped cigar, such as a torpedo or pirámide.
- Galera
- The rolling room of a factory.
- Habano
- The protected designation for premium Cuban cigars.
- Lector
- A reader who reads aloud to the rolling room.
- Ligero
- Upper leaves of the plant; the strongest filler.
- Parejo
- A straight-sided cigar.
- Pie
- The foot of the cigar — the end you light.
- Seco
- Middle leaves; valued for aroma.
- Tapado
- Cloth used to shade wrapper tobacco in the field.
- Tercio
- A bale of tobacco traditionally wrapped in palm bark.
- Torcedor
- A cigar roller.
- Totalmente a mano
- Made entirely by hand.
- Tripa
- The filler leaves inside the cigar.
- Vega
- A tobacco field or plantation.
- Veguero
- A tobacco farmer.
- Vitola
- The format of a cigar: its size and shape.
- Vitola de galera
- The factory name for a size.
- Vitola de salida
- The commercial name for a size, as printed on the box.
- Volado
- Lower leaves; chiefly contribute to burn.