smoking cigarette

[panicmonger]

There was a smoking cigarette end in the ashtray.

Does this smoking cigarette above mean cigarette that is smoking? How come a cigarette can perform the smoking action?
Thank you.

 

[Rover_KE]

It means that smoke was rising from the end of a cigarette.

Rover

 

[Neillythere]

Hi Panicmonger

What it means is that the tobacco was still burning, with smoke rising from the cigarette, not that it was being actively smoked.

Hope this helps
NT