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ABERTURA: The opening, grading, and stacking of leaves, in the casas de escogida, or sorting houses. The job is always done by a woman.

ABONO: Spanish name for fertilizer. There are many different types and combinations of fertilizer used in the growing process.

AFICIONADO: Cigar smoker afflicted with delusions of grandeur.

AHUEVADO: A cigar that bulges in the middle, is egg-shaped, and a blunder.

AIR CURING: The process of hanging freshly picked tobacco leaves in open air, covered, barns to dry in the breeze. Freshly picked leaves are hung in pairs in Curing Barns/Casas de Tabaco for approximately 50 days. During air curing, leaves lose their Chlorophyll and 85% of their humidity.

AIRING: After the leaves are moistened and made pliable for stripping and sorting, they are first aired out to allow much of the moisture to evaporate.

ALMACÉN: The Cuban name for the warehouse where tobacco is stored, while awaiting a manufacturer’s request for delivery.

ALMACENAJE: The storage room where tercios remain, for a few months to several years.

ALTA REGALIA: Another name for cigars which are totally made by hand, thus referred to as ‘premium’ cigars.

AMARILLO: A yellow-hued wrapper leaf grown under shade.

AMARRADOR: The wooden board that holds cigars in place, while forming a bundle.

AMATISTA: A glass jar containing either 25 or 50 cigars, sealed, and sold as factory fresh. The name is derived from the fact that the container is amethyst colored.

AMS: American Market Selection, a seldom-used term created by the major importer of Cuban cigars in the 1950s to designate claro-colored wrappers.

ANCHO: The central, wider portion of the wrapper leaves.

AÑEJAMIENTO: The final curing process, at low humidity levels, which allows tobacco to slowly develop, while being stored in warehouses.

AÑEJAMIENTO: Maturing process which allows the leaf to develop to its optimal state.

ANILLA: A paper ring featuring the brand, rolled around the cigar. Some boxes have cigars without rings.

ANILLA: The cigar band.

ANILLADO: The factory section where the cigar bands are attached.

ANILLADOR: The Cuban title for the worker who bands cigars; traditionally this was a woman.

ANILLO DE COMBUSTION: The area at the end of the ash and the rest of the cigar. The Anillo should be even in a properly produced cigar, although improper storage can cause ‘running’.

ANILLO: The name for the lithographed piece of paper for the band placed on the cigar, identifying the Band.

APAGON: A reference to a bad cigar, which should be ‘extinguished’.

APARTADOR: The worker responsible for sorting the tobacco leaves into their color classifications.

APARTADURA: One of the procedures in the classification of tobacco leaf, specifically, their separation in to various categories.

APILONAR: The worker who is responsible for piling tobacco leaves, in the fields has this name.

APORCAR: The physical removal of soil around the seedlings, in their furrows, early in the growing stage.

APORQUE: Also known as ‘aporcadura’, the Aporque refers to the planting process when soil is placed, or ‘churned’, around a seedling in the furrow.

APOSENTO: That part of the curing barn where the drying bars are stacked.

APOSENTOS: The sections, or divisions, of the tobacco curing barn in which the drying bars (cuje) are stacked, top to bottom. The space between the each section is called a ‘falsos’, which refers to the attic areas.

APUYARSE: This term is the Cuban derivative of the Spanish word for ‘drooping’, and refers to a defective plant.

ARDER A LA VELA: A Cuban idiom which refers to the combustibility of tobacco, meaning the product is ‘ready’ or prepared.

ARDER: The combustibility factor of a cigar, when lit.

ARDIDO: Moldy tobacco, produced during the fermentation process.

ARIQUE: A small piece of cord (yagua) used to tie tobacco.

AROMA: A set of olfactory sensations generated while smoking cigars. The aroma or "bouquet" of a cigar should not be confused with its quality or strength. A cigar can be strong and not much aroma, or it may be smooth and very rich in aroma.

ARPILLERA: The name for the burlap or sackcloth, used in baling tobacco, also known as coarse jute.

ARREBATAR: A faulty process where there is excessive heating of the tobacco leaves, causing them to dry quickly, losing their flavor, fragrance, and are of reduced in quality.

ARRUGADO: One method for preparing the binder for production, where the tobacco is folded in creases.

ASC: An Internet cigar forum, where participants discuss a wide variety of cigar related information. One can be a ‘lurker’, that is, passive, reading the postings, or be an active participant. The subjects are provocative, at times.

ASPECTO EXTERIOR: Outer aspect of the cigar which is produced to be alluring to the smoker.

AXILLARY SUCKERS: These are the shoots which sprout under the leaves at the point where they join the stem. If not removed, they consume the plant’s nutrients, preventing growth of the leaves.