Definition
In turbine engine combustion systems, a small auxiliary igniter unit, also called an igniter plug or torch igniter, that produces the high-energy spark used to light the fuel-air mixture during engine start. The slang term refers to the slim, cylindrical shape of the igniter and, in some designs, to a small starting fuel nozzle and igniter assembly that produces a visible flame resembling a lit cigarette during the start sequence.
Plain English
A nickname for the igniter device that lights the fuel in a turbine engine when it is being started. It is shaped like a small cylinder and produces the spark or flame that gets combustion going.
Context Anchor
Seen during powerplant maintenance when inspecting, cleaning, or replacing fuel nozzles and small fuel-system screens.
Derivation
The name comes from the everyday cigarette because the igniter is long, thin, and cylindrical, and in some starting systems it produces a small visible flame at its tip during engine light-off. It is shop-floor slang that stuck because the visual is immediate and obvious.
Why Pilots Care
Knowing the slang helps maintenance technicians and pilots follow shop and manual references to ignition components. A failed cigarette igniter means no engine start, so it is one of the first items checked when a turbine engine fails to light off.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as a smoking-related item. In this maintenance context, a cigarette is a small fuel-screen filter named for its shape.
Example Sentence 1
The technician replaced the cigarette igniter after the engine failed to light during the start attempt.
Example Sentence 2
After the run-up, the mechanic checked the cigarette for signs of oil contamination.