Explained: every vaping related term that’s made you pause and go, “what?”
The vaping industry was born out of a growing desire among our consumers to have better choices. When more choices are provided, so grows the language that describes those choices too. For many, vaping is an intriguing topic, yet it can leave the average individual feeling stumped or overwhelmed due to technical terminology and colloquialisms. We invite you to browse our A-Z Glossary of Vaping – a comprehensive guide so you can truly understand your options. And if you have any questions please drop us a line. Happy vaping!
A
All Day Vape (ADV): An e-liquid that can stand the test of time, something you can enjoy all day without being overwhelmed.
Analog: Traditional cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. E-cigarettes are electronic and digital and thus the older cigarettes, cigars, and pipes are considered analog.
Airflow: The amount of air that passes through an atomizer or tank. Higher/looser airflow results in more vapor, while lower/tighter airflow results in less vapor but more intense flavor.
Amps: Short for amperage, this is the flow of energy across/along an electrical circuit. Batteries with higher amps can better handle atomizers with lower resistances without overheating.
Atomizer: This is the (replaceable) part of an e-cigarette, that contains a wick (usually cotton) and the coil housed together. The wick feeds the e-liquid into the coil. The coil when heated, turns the e-liquid into vapor.
B
Battery: This may refer to one of two things:
1.) The core part of an e-cigarette, the term usually refers to vape pens and cig-a-likes like MYLÉ, STLTH, KI, SMOK Nord, SMOK Novo, etc. There are two types, manual and automatic. Automatic batteries are switched on by inhaling, while manual batteries require the user to press a button found on the side.
2.) For users of Mods, this refers to Li-ion batteries used to power their devices.
C
Cig-A-Like: This is a slang term for an e-cigarette that looks like a traditional cigarette.
Cloud Chasing: Trying to blow the largest and densest vapor from an e-cigarette.
Coil: This is the metal wire that is used to turn the e-liquid into vapor by heating up. Coils are most commonly made with kanthal, stainless steel or nichrome.
Coils can be classified into two categories:
- Sub-Ohm (<1 Ohm) – Used for high vapor production and intense flavor.
- Above-Ohm (>1 Ohm)- Used for higher concentration of nicotine, low vapor production and emulation of smoking.
D
Disposable: An e-cigarette that is used until it’s out of e-liquid, then discarded completely.
Dry Hit: When a vaping device is used without e-liquid (usually accidentally), and it burns the wick, resulting in an extremely unpleasant experience.
Deck: The part of the atomizer in which the +ve and -ve posts are found. Deck is an exclusive term to rebuildable atomizers, pre-made atomizers for Tanks do not have a deck.
Draw: The act of inhaling vapor from the e-cigarette mouthpiece into your mouth.
Drip (Dripping): Refilling an atomizer via drops of e-liquid straight onto the coil of an atomizer, this is exclusive to rebuildable atomizers.
Direct to Lung: Inhaling straight to the lungs, without holding it in the mouth first. Direct to Lung e-cigarettes are usually designed for an enhanced experience in flavor and quantity of vapor, only to be used with lower concentrations of nicotine.
E
E-cig: Shorthand for an e-cigarette (electronic cigarette)
E-Cigarette: The term used to describe any alternative electronic device that satisfies the nicotine craving of a person.
E-liquid (E-Juice/Juice): The solution that is vaporized to create vapor. It is usually made from propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerine (VG), flavoring, and nicotine (there are also some without nicotine). E-liquid comes in two formats, Freebase & Salt Nicotine.
F
Flooding: Filling up too much e-liquid in the atomizer. Flooding is the root cause of the gurgling noise that an e-cigarette makes.
L
Leaking: When e-liquid is seeping out of the e-cigarette. Leaking can be caused by a variety of factors, including but not limited to, overfilling an e-cigarette, improper storage, improper use, damage to the device, or changes in air pressure.
Lithium-Ion Battery: The power source for a rechargeable e-cigarette. The Lithium-Ion is the most commonly used type of battery.
M
mg: This is the indication of the amount of nicotine in an e-liquid per milliliter. 3mg is 3 milligrams of nicotine per milliliter, or 0.3% nicotine.
Mod: The shortened version of “modification.” A type of e-cigarette you can modify by adding on your own choice of batteries, tanks, atomizers, etc., often with the goal of improving the performance of the device.
Mouth to Lung: Inhaling into the mouth, before transferring into the lungs. Mouth to Lung e-cigarettes are designed to emulate smoking and are designed for use with higher concentrations of nicotine.
N
Nicotine: Nicotine is an addictive substance found in cigarettes and e-liquids. E-liquids have varying amounts of nicotine, ranging from 0% to 5.9%. Users can choose the amount of nicotine in their e-liquid based on their preference.
O
Ohm: A measurement of electrical resistance. The resistance of a coil dictates the amount of time it takes to heat up the coil and the amount of electrical current that can pass through it.
Organic Cotton: A type of wick used in atomizers, organic cotton burns quick but offers cleaner, more intense flavor.
P
Pods: A pod is a chamber (usually clear) with an atomizer inside, this atomizer cannot be changed or replaced. A pod can either come pre-filled with e-liquid or be a blank pod that can be refilled.
Pod System: E-cigarettes that use replaceable pods, with built in atomizers.
Pod Systems can be classified in two categories:
- Open Pod System: Refillable pods that can be used multiple times.
- Closed Pod System: Pre-filled pods that can only be used once before they have to be discarded.
PG (Propylene Glycol): One of the primary ingredients in e-liquid. This fluid has no odor and no color and is less viscous (thick) than VG, and is used as a binding agent for the nicotine and flavoring used in the e-liquid. It is also used to provide a ‘throat hit’, which some users claim is similar to the sensation experienced when smoking tobacco
R
Rebuildables: This refers to atomizers/tanks that let users build their own coils and install their choice of wick. Primarily used by advanced users, rebuildables allow users to modify their setups to achieve their preferred vapes.
Rebuildables are classified into three categories:
- RDA – Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer, a type of rebuildable where there is no reservoir for holding e-liquid. E-liquid has to be dripped directly onto the wick and it needs to be refreshed continually after 8-10 draws.
- RDTA – Rebuildable Dripping Tank Atomizer, a type of rebuildable where there is a reservoir which is not connected to the wick. When the wick dries out the RDTA needs to be aligned so that the e-liquid can drip onto the wick.
- RTA – Rebuildable Tank Atomizer, a type of rebuildable with a reservoir connected to the tank. Functions like a rehgular tank while still offering the advantage of modifying the setup.
S
Starter Kit: A package that usually has everything one needs to start vaping.
Most starter kits include, an e-cigarette, a tank, an atomizer and a charging cable or if it is a pod system it may include, a battery, pre-filled pods/blank pods and a charging cable.
T
Tank: A cylindrical reservoir that holds the e-liquid and feeds it to the atomizer.
Throat Hit: The feeling of vapor hitting the throat when a user inhales the vapor from an e-cigarette.
V
Vape: The act of using an e-cigarette. “I’m going to vape this ‘Quad Berry’ e-liquid.”
Vaper: A person who vapes.
Voltage: Refers to the electrical potential of the battery.
VG (Vegetable Glycerin): One of the primary ingredients in e-liquid. This fluid has a faint sweet odor, no color and a faint sweet taste. It is highly viscous, and is used for its ability to create a dense vapor.
Variable Wattage: An e-cigarette that has functionality to control the Wattage.
W
Wattage: The amount of heat that passes through the coil to turn e-liquid into vapor.
Wick: The wick is a filament (commonly made of cotton, fiberglass or ceramic) which feeds the e-liquid to the coil.