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Every listing on this site is built from the same small vocabulary: full flavor, lights, ultra light, original, smooth, blue, silver, carton, pack, package type. Regulars read it without thinking, but if you are ordering cigarettes online for the first time — or switching from a brand you used to buy at a store — those words do most of the work of deciding what lands at your door.
This page is the reference sheet. It defines each term the way the catalogue actually uses it, shows which products carry that word, and links the SKU where you can see it in context. Definitions below are tied to live listings, current prices and the published shipping terms — nothing is inferred about a pack beyond what the product page states.
How to use this glossary
- Start with the pack word, not the brand. The word after the brand name (Full Flavor, Lights, Ultra Light, Menthol) tells you what tier you are buying inside that family.
- Then confirm the package type. The same cigarette sells as a pack or a carton, and the price changes with it.
- Check the SKU, not the brand, for price. A brand can sit at one carton price on one variant and a different one on another. The five $29.00 cartons are named further down.
Variant words: the terms printed after the brand name
These are the words that decide what you are actually smoking. They are not interchangeable between brands, but they follow a pattern across the whole catalogue.
Full Flavor (also spelled Full Flavour)
The strongest tier name in the catalogue. A full flavor listing is the most tobacco-forward version a brand offers. Ten products carry the word: BB Full Flavor, Canadian Full, Classics Full Flavor, Discount Full Flavor, DK’s Full, Nexus Full Flavor, Playfare Full Flavor, Putters Full Flavor, Rolled Gold Full Flavor and Time Full. Two brands use a different word for the same position: Canadian Classics Original and Canadian Premium Original.
Note the spelling split. Most titles use the American “Flavor”; Playfare and the blog guides use “Flavour”. Both mean the same tier, so if a search comes up empty, try the other spelling before assuming the product is gone.
Lights
The middle tier. Same brand family, same format, dialled back from full flavor. If you know you want a brand but not the strongest version, “Lights” is the default step down: Canadian Lights, Canadian Classics Silver, Classics Lights, Discount Lights Canadian Blend, DK’s Light, Nexus Light, Playfare Light, Putters Light, Rolled Gold Light and BB Light.
Ultra Light and Extra Lights
Two different words for the bottom rung of a lineup. They mean the same thing: the lightest variant the brand makes. In the catalogue you will see Canadian Ultra Lights, Playfare Ultra Light and Classics Extra Lights. Do not assume the two spellings sit on the same brand — Classics uses “Extra Lights” where Canadian and Playfare use “Ultra Light”.
Menthol
The cooling variant. Seven products in the catalogue carry the word: Canadian Menthol, Canadian Classics Menthol, Classics Menthol, Discount Menthol Canadian Blend, Playfare Menthol, Rolled Gold Menthol and BB Menthol. Menthol is its own lane, not a strength step — every one of those brands also sells a non-menthol version separately. The full comparison lives in the menthol buying guide.
Original
Some brands do not use “Full Flavor” at all — they call the baseline version Original. In practice it is the same position: the strongest of that lineup. Canadian Classics Original stands opposite Silver and Ultra Blue in the four-variant lineup, and dM Original is the fuller of the two dM SKUs.
Smooth
Used as an actual product name in exactly one place: dM Smooth, the lighter of the two dM variants. Elsewhere “smooth” appears in descriptive copy for many brands, but it is not a tier word unless it is in the title.
Blue
A colour word used as a strength cue. Time Blue is the lighter of the two Time SKUs — the catalogue lists it as a smooth light blend — while Time Full is the fuller one. Colour words are a browsing shortcut only: the written variant name is what you are buying. If a colour cue is doing the deciding for you, the pack colour guide explains how each brand uses them.
Silver
Another colour-as-tier cue, seen at Canadian Classics Silver. Silver generally signals a lighter variant in colour-coded lineups, but check the listing rather than assuming — the same colour rarely means the same tier across two different brands.
Ultra Blue
A two-word cue that combines the bottom-rung word with a colour. Canadian Classics Ultra Blue sits at the light end of the Canadian Classics four-variant lineup. If you are stepping down from Silver, this is the next step.
Special
Not a strength word at all. Canadian Premium Special is a distinct formulation inside the Canadian Premium family, not simply the light version of Original. Treat “Special” as its own product rather than a tier you can read off a chart.
Canadian Blend
A blend descriptor rather than a strength descriptor, used in two Discount SKU names: Discount Lights Canadian Blend and Discount Menthol Canadian Blend. It tells you the tobacco style, not how strong it is. How Virginia, Burley and Oriental components shape that style is covered in the tobacco blends guide.
Variant cue quick reference
Pack word | What it usually means | Example SKU -------------+----------------------------+------------------------- Full Flavor | strongest tier in a brand | BB Full Flavor Original | same position, other name | dM Original Lights | middle tier | Canadian Lights Ultra Light | lightest tier | Playfare Ultra Light Extra Lights | lightest tier, other name | Classics Extra Lights Menthol | cooling variant, own lane | Playfare Menthol Smooth | lighter variant name | dM Smooth Blue | lighter cue, brand-specific| Time Blue Silver | lighter cue, brand-specific| Canadian Classics Silver Ultra Blue | lightest cue, two words | Canadian Classics Ultra Blue Special | separate formulation | Canadian Premium Special
Packaging and order-unit terms
Pack
One pack is 20 cigarettes and is priced at $5.00 across almost every brand in the catalogue. The one exception is Rolled Gold Menthol at $6.00. Packs exist so you can try a variant without committing to 200 sticks.
Carton
A carton is 10 packs, or 200 cigarettes, and it is where the pricing splits into two clear bands: $29.00 and $38.99. The full breakdown of when a carton beats packs is in the carton buying guide.
Package Type
The attribute on every product page that switches the price between Pack and Carton. This is the single most common place an order goes wrong: the page loads on one option and the shopper assumes the other. Check the package type line before you add to cart, and again in the cart. Reading a listing correctly is covered in more depth in how to read cigarette product listings.
Mystery Pack and Mystery Carton
Multi-brand samplers, listed as their own products at $6.00 for the mystery pack and $50.00 for the mystery carton. They are not a discount on a named brand — they are a way to see several brands in one order. If you want to control exactly what you get, buy named SKUs instead; if you want variety, the sampler guide explains the trade-off.
Spend Tier
The three Buy More, Get More free-item lines: spend $80 for a free pack, spend $240 for a free carton, and spend $480 for two free cartons. These are separate catalogue products, not coupon codes, and they sit on top of free shipping rather than replacing it. The mechanics are spelled out in the bundle deals guide.
Sealed carton
An unopened carton keeps its packs fresher than ten loose packs. If you buy a carton and only smoke a pack every few days, open it as you go rather than breaking every pack at once. Storage detail is in the freshness and storage guide.
Strength, draw and construction terms
Strength tier
The position a variant holds inside its brand: full flavor at the top, lights in the middle, ultra light at the bottom. Tiers are relative within a brand, not across brands — one brand’s Lights and another brand’s Lights are not the same thing by name alone. The strength levels guide maps the tiers, and the catalogue map lists every branded tier in one place.
Draw
How much effort it takes to pull smoke through the cigarette. A “tighter” draw usually comes from a denser pack of tobacco or more filter ventilation; a “looser” draw from a lighter fill. It is the term most often used to describe a smoother cigarette, and it is the main difference people notice when they step down a tier.
Filter and ventilation
The filter is the tip; ventilation refers to the small air intakes that dilute each draw. More ventilation generally means a lighter-feeling smoke, which is why ultra light variants lean on it. The physical mechanics behind why two packs taste different are covered in filters, paper and cut explained.
King size
The standard length in this catalogue, listed at 84–85mm on product pages. If you are comparing a king size to a 100s or a slim, the pack sizes guide covers the differences. Almost everything stocked here is king size, so the term rarely needs a decision.
Blend
The tobacco recipe inside the cigarette. Three component names cover most of what you will read: Virginia (sweet, bright), Burley (body, earthiness) and Oriental (spice). “Canadian blend” is a style label built from those components, not a strength rating.
Burn time
How long a single cigarette actually lasts, which varies with draw pace, paper and moisture rather than with price. It matters for planning: it is how you convert “how many do I smoke a day” into packs and cartons. The numbers are in how long a cigarette lasts.
Shopping and checkout terms
SKU and variant
A SKU is one buyable row — a specific brand, variant and package type. A brand page can hold three or four variants, and each variant holds a pack and a carton option, so a single brand can be eight SKUs. Browse by family at the cigarettes category, or start from a brand archive such as BB, Canadian Classics or Playfare.
Price band
The carton price group a SKU belongs to. Two bands exist: $29.00 and $38.99. The $29.00 cartons are Discount Full Flavor, Discount Lights Canadian Blend, Playfare Ultra Light, Putters Full Flavor and Time Blue. Everything else is $38.99. Note that band membership is per SKU, not per brand: Discount Menthol is $38.99 while the other two Discount cartons are $29.00, and Playfare Light is $38.99 while Playfare Ultra Light is $29.00.
Free-shipping threshold
The cart total at which delivery cost drops off. A flat rate applies below the threshold and free shipping kicks in above it, with a second threshold that behaves differently once discounts are applied. Rather than guess, check the shipping options guide for the current ladder and the $99 cart plan for how to build an order that reaches it without buying things you do not want.
Service level
The delivery speed you pick at checkout — flat-rate expedited, Xpresspost or priority. Delivery runs through Canada Post, typically 2–5 business days for most Canadian addresses and 3–8 business days for rural or remote ones. Canada Post operates Monday to Friday, so weekend days do not count.
Cut-off
9 AM PST. Orders that are paid before the cut-off are usually processed and shipped the same day; anything after it moves to the next business day. If you order from Ontario or points east, that cut-off lands early in your afternoon — plan around your own clock, not Pacific time labels.
On hold
An order status that means payment has not cleared yet. Card and crypto payments authorise at checkout, while Interac e-Transfer stays on hold until the transfer is confirmed. If you never confirm the transfer, the order simply sits there. The payment methods guide explains which option matches a same-day timeline.
Tracking number
The Canada Post reference emailed to you when the parcel ships. It is what the order tracking page and the carrier’s own site both read from. What each scan status means is covered in how to read every tracking status.
Signature and photo ID
Every parcel is handed over against an adult signature and government-issued photo ID. Practically, this means someone who can sign needs to be at the delivery address. If you are not usually home, use a workplace address or a P.O. Box, or plan the order to land on a day you are in.
Discreet packaging
Plain, unmarked outer packaging with the contents sealed inside. It is standard on every order, not an upgrade, and it is also what keeps the packs airtight in transit. The discreet delivery guide covers how that works alongside address details.
Final sale
Once a tobacco order has shipped, it cannot be returned or exchanged. Two related windows matter more: an order can be cancelled within two hours of placement if it has not shipped, and a damaged or incorrect order must be reported within two business days of arrival with the order number and photos. Both are explained in cancellations and changes and delivery problems.
Puffs Points and referral credit
The loyalty currency earned on orders, plus the credit a referral brings in. Both reduce what you pay on a later order rather than discounting the current one. The earning and redemption rules are in the rewards guide and the balance lives on the rewards page.
Nicotine pouch terms
Pouch and can
A pouch is a single nicotine portion; a can holds 20 pouches. Every pouch SKU here is $15.99 per can: ZYN Spearmint Slim, ZYN Watermelon Slim and ZYN Peach Bellini Slim 9mg. Pouched products do not qualify for the cigarette-based free-item tiers, so plan their cost separately — the per-day maths is in the pouch cost guide.
Slim and mg
“Slim” describes the pouch shape; “mg” is the stated nicotine per pouch, and only Peach Bellini carries a rating in the published copy (9mg). If you are weighing pouches against cigarettes as a format, the comparison guide and the ZYN guide cover the trade-offs.
Price-band quick reference
Item | Price | What you get -------------------------+---------+------------------------- Pack (most brands) | $5.00 | 20 cigarettes Pack (Rolled Gold Ment.) | $6.00 | 20 cigarettes Carton, $29.00 band | $29.00 | 10 packs / 200 sticks Carton, $38.99 band | $38.99 | 10 packs / 200 sticks Mystery pack | $6.00 | multi-brand sampler Mystery carton | $50.00 | multi-brand sampler Nicotine pouch can | $15.99 | 20 pouches
Five confusions this glossary settles
- Lights vs Ultra Light. Lights is the middle tier; Ultra Light is the bottom one. Two words exist for the bottom rung — Ultra Light and Extra Lights — and they mean the same position.
- Original vs Full Flavor. Same tier, different brand convention. Canadian Classics and Canadian Premium say Original; everyone else says Full Flavor.
- Blue vs Ultra Blue. Blue is a lighter cue on its own; Ultra Blue stacks the bottom-rung word on top of it. They are not the same tier.
- Brand price vs SKU price. Discount Full Flavor is a $29.00 carton and Discount Menthol is $38.99. Read the SKU line, not the brand name.
- Spend tier vs coupon. The Buy More, Get More lines are catalogue products you add to reach a total, not discount codes, and they stack with free shipping.
Where to start with this vocabulary in hand
If you know the tier word you want, go straight to a variant: Canadian, Classics, Discount, DK’s, dM, Nexus, Putters, Rolled Gold and Time. If you are brand-agnostic and only care about the tier, the light cigarettes comparison lines up every lighter variant side by side.
If you do not know the tier yet, buy one step wider than you think you need: a mystery pack or two single packs at $5.00 each costs less than one carton and answers the question properly. Then commit to the carton, where the per-pack price drops to $2.90 on the $29.00 band and $3.90 on the $38.99 band. Single-variant families such as Canadian Goose make that decision for you, and the Canadian Premium archive keeps it to two choices. Full four-variant families such as Canadian Classics and Canadian Premium Special reward a little reading first.
And if the shopping itself is the unfamiliar part rather than the words, the shop page lists everything in one grid, the price comparison puts pack and carton costs in context, and the 25-question guide answers the rest.
Short answers to the most common term questions
What does “Full Flavor” mean on a cigarette listing?
The strongest tier in that brand’s lineup. It is the most tobacco-forward variant the brand offers, and it is usually the highest-priced carton band too.
Is a carton cheaper than ten packs?
Yes, always. Ten packs at $5.00 each is $50.00; a $29.00 carton works out to $2.90 per pack and a $38.99 carton to $3.90 per pack. The only exception is the single $6.00 Rolled Gold Menthol pack, which is still $60.00 for ten.
What is “Package Type”?
The Pack / Carton selector on a product page. It changes both the unit and the price, so it is the field to double-check before checkout.
Does “Lights” mean the same thing on every brand?
No. It means “the middle tier of that brand”, and middle tiers differ between brands. Compare within a brand first, then across brands using the light cigarettes comparison.
What does “on hold” mean on my order?
Payment has not cleared. Card and crypto authorise at checkout, while Interac e-Transfer stays on hold until the transfer is confirmed — which also means it misses the 9 AM PST cut-off more often.