Your Essential Guide to Vaping Terminology

A glossary of all the vaping terms you need to know.

Starting out with vaping can be daunting: there are so many devices, so many types of vape juice, and tons of vaping terms you may never have heard of and that may seem totally alien. It's time to get to grips with the world of vaping in its entirety, including the sometimes bizarre terminology. Here’s our guide.

A

Airflow: An opening on an e-cigarette that can be set according to preference. Keeping it open gives you an airy vape full of vapor and big clouds, while keeping it closed gives you better flavor and a tighter draw. Some vapes, such as sub-ohm devices, require more airflow to cool the coil, due to the high temperature used to heat it.

Amps: A measure of the amount of energy flowing through your vape and used to heat the coil and create vapor. If you have more amps, you have more power in your vape. 

Atomizer: The heating element within an e-cigarette. This heats the e-liquid surrounding it and converts it into vapor. It’s also known as a coil, which can be replaced if installed separately inside a tank. In some pod mod devices, and in cig-a-likes, the atomizer is fixed, meaning the pod (in a pod mod) or cartomizer (in a cig-a-like, which also houses the e-liquid), must be replaced as a whole.

Automatic: This is a function found in many e-cigarettes, and especially beginner vapes. It describes the process of producing vapor, in that it's automatic once you inhale on the vape. With other devices, you must press a button, which fires it, but with an automatic vape, you simply draw and go. As such, these are also known as draw-activated vapes. 

Automatic Cut-off: A safety feature of newer vapes that shuts down an e-cigarette to prevent a short-circuit or overheating of the battery or coil, therefore protecting the vape and the user. 

B

Battery: The part of an e-cigarette that's used to power the device. It may be removable or fixed in place, and most are now rechargeable, usually via a USB cable. 

Box Mod: This is an e-cigarette with a box-like shape — hence its name — and that can be modified. Vapers often graduate to box mods to have more control when vaping, as they can alter the wattage, voltage, and, sometimes, the temperature to suit them.

C

Cartridge: A part of some e-cigarettes that holds the e-juice. These are removable and usually contain pre-filled vape juice, although they may be refillable.

Chain Vaping: When a vaper takes multiple draws in quick succession (for example, every five or ten seconds). Chain vaping can cause your coil to burn out faster, as it cannot soak up enough liquid before being fired again.

Charger: A device used to recharge an e-cigarette’s battery. This can be a simple USB cable, a car charger, or a standalone device in which removable batteries, including spare ones, are placed to recharge.

Cig-a-Like: An electronic cigarette that looks like a traditional cigarette. This is the most basic form of e-cig you can get. These may be in disposable form, which you simply throw away when empty, or part of a starter kit with refills, which screw onto the battery.

Clouds: Large plumes of thick vapor, so-called because they resemble clouds. Vapers may blow clouds for personal enjoyment or to take part in cloud-chasing competitions. Some vape gear is better than others for this activity, notably sub-ohm devices. 

Coil: Another word for an atomizer, which is either pre-built into a cartridge or pod, or installed in a vape tank. Replaceable coils come in different resistances, which affects vapor production and flavor. 

D

Direct to Lung (DTL): A method of inhaling where the vapor is drawn directly into the lungs, instead of held in the mouth and then inhaled (mouth-to-lung vaping). Vaping this way can cause a harsher throat hit if you use high-strength nicotine e-juice, so it’s typically favored by sub-ohm vapers.

Disposable E-Cig: An e-cigarette that's discarded, or disposed of, when the e-liquid runs out. It is not refillable or rechargeable. 

Draw: This is what you do when you place your mouth on your vape and inhale — you are "drawing" on your device. 

Dripping: This is when you refill your tank with vape juice by dripping it onto the coil instead of pouring the e-liquid into a tank. Dripping can give you great flavor, but it’s often impractical for those who prefer to vape on the go or for long periods. 

Drip Tip: A separate mouthpiece used to draw on a vape, especially box mods. These come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and can be easily removed to clean or replace.

Dry Burn: Using your e-cigarette without any vape juice in the tank will cause dry burn. It's characterized by a dry, burnt hit, and you’ll know if you have one because of the harsh taste. Dry burning is not recommended, as it can damage the coil, but some people do it to burn off any residue that may have built up during use. 

Dry Puff: An unpleasant condition that occurs when you inhale on your vape but don't get any vapor or taste. It's usually caused by a lack of e-liquid in the tank, but it can also be the result of the vape juice being slow to cover the wick, which is dependent on the type of e-liquid you're using and its viscosity. 

Dual Coil: Two coils instead of the usual one in your tank or atomizer. The result is better taste but lots more power used, so the battery depletes more quickly. 

E

Electronic cigarette/e-cigarette/e-cig: A device made of electronic and other components that uses a battery to heat flavored liquid and, sometimes, nicotine. The liquid evaporates into vapor, which is inhaled. 

E-Liquid: E-liquid, or e-juice, is a substance typically containing a base of propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerine (VG). Some e-liquids may contain more VG than PG (in some cases, 100% of one and none of the other), or vice-versa, and may also contain nicotine salts or freebase nicotine. 

ENDS: Electronic Nicotine Delivery System, a term used by federal agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration to describe e-cigarettes. 

F

Flavors: Ingredients added to e-liquid to provide a particular taste, of which there is an enormous range, from original tobacco to fruit flavors, desserts, and more. Some come in pre-filled pods, while others are available in bottles for refilling vape tanks. 

Flooding: When too much vape juice enters the coil and you don't get your usual flavor and taste level. You may hear a kind of gurgling noise as the vape struggles to cope with the liquid overload, and you may also get “spit-back,” when the excess liquid comes out of the mouthpiece and into your mouth. It can happen if there's a break in the tank's seal, if you draw too hard on the device, or if you put too much liquid directly in the coil when priming it. 

Freebase: The purest form of nicotine found in e-liquids, similar to that in tobacco cigarettes. 

G

Glassomiser: A clearomizer, or tank, that has a glass section for holding vape juice instead of a plastic one. As they’re resistant to the erosion effects of e-liquids with high acidity levels, they’re more durable than their plastic counterparts. 

Goose Neck: A term used to describe a long and slightly bent mouthpiece on a vape that looks somewhat like a goose's neck. Some people like it for its safety feature, as it positions the device further away from the face, especially if it becomes hot from chain vaping. Others like its ease of use when they’re lying down and vaping.

H

Heatsink: A device in a vape composed of several layers, or fins, that allow more airflow to dissipate heat from the battery and other components. This stops them from overheating and becoming damaged.

High Resistance: This is a type of coil vaped at a low wattage. They produce less vapor but also use up less e-juice, and they’re particularly suited for beginner vapers.

I

ICR/IMR: Different types of battery: Lithium-Ion Cobalt Rechargeable and Lithium-Ion Manganese Rechargeable. The former has more density and, therefore, power. 

Inhale: When you place your lips around the mouthpiece of your e-cigarette and draw on it, or inhale, to take in vapor. 

J

Juice: A slang term for e-juice or e-liquid. This can also be used to refer to the amount of "juice" left in your battery, as indicated on an LED panel on your vape or by a colored flashing light. 

K

Kick: A term that describes the throat hit someone gets when they vape, an integral part of the vaping experience.

L

Leaking/Leakage: This is what happens when e-liquid is able to escape the tank, either through loose seals or a wide-open airflow. Leakage can just be a few drops or the entire tank, and it's a common vaping problem. 

LED: Light-emitting diode — a display panel on some e-cigarettes that gives such information as the battery level, resistance, wattage, and how many puffs you've taken. 

Liquid: Another word for e-liquid or e-juice.

Li-Po: A Lithium-Polymer battery, which is rechargeable. 

Lithium-Ion: A Lithium-Ion battery — among the most common vaping batteries in use today. They're high-quality and are generally quick to charge. 

LR: Low resistance, referring to the coil in the tank of an e-cigarette. Coils with a resistance below 1 ohm are typically referred to as low-resistance, and they’re usually found in sub-ohm vapes used to create lots of vapor. 

M

mAh: This is an abbreviation of "milliampere hour," the unit at which power is measured over a period of time. In vaping, it's used to tell you how much electrical capacity e-cigarette batteries have. 

Manual Shut-Off: A feature letting you shut down your e-cigarette in the event of something going wrong. It’s usually done with a few clicks of a button. 

Manual Vape: E-cigarettes that are fired by pressing a button or bar on a device, in contrast to automatic, or draw-activated, vapes.

Mechanical Mod/Mech mod: Relatively simple vaping devices that use direct and pure battery power to produce vapor. Don’t be fooled by their simplicity though: mechanical mods lack circuit boards and safety features, and they produce high levels of power, so they can be dangerous if you’re not familiar with battery safety and Ohm’s law.

Mods: Modified vapes or vape gear that can be modified. They are generally bigger because they pack more power, but mods are increasingly becoming more pocket-friendly.

Mouthpiece: The part at the top of a vape where you draw and inhale the vapor. This may double up as a pod, clearomizer, or cartomizer, or be a removable drip tip. 

Mouth to Lung (MTL): This is where you inhale vapor and keep it in your mouth before inhaling to your lungs. It gives a smoother throat hit compared to direct-to-lung vaping. 

N

Nic Salts: E-liquid made with nicotine salts, which have a higher concentration of nicotine compared to the more usual propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine base used in the manufacture of e-liquid. 

Nic pouches - sachets you put under your lip to get that nicotine hit without inhaling.

O

Ohm: This is a unit used to measure the electrical resistance in coils. The lower the resistance, the more heat is needed, which creates more vapor.

Organic Cotton: A wick used in the coil that can give you a more intense and cleaner flavor from your e-liquids. 

P

PG: Propylene glycol, commonly known as PG, is an ingredient used in near-all e-liquid bases, along with vegetable glycerine (VG). E-juice high in PG offers a strong throat hit and great flavor. 

Priming: Priming a coil is the process of getting it ready for action, and it can also extend your coil’s life and prevent burnt hits. To perfectly prime a coil, drip a small amount of e-liquid directly inside the coil and on the wicking material poking through the holes around it. Then fill your tank and let your juice sit for at least five minutes before vaping. 

Pod Mod: A refillable vape with a disposable or refillable pod, instead of a tank (eg the VUSE Alto)

R

RBA: An acronym for Rebuildable Atomizer, an advanced bit of vaping kit that features a deck for building coils. 

Rebuildables: Tanks in which vapers rebuild the coils and wicks they want to use. 

Resistance: How thick the wires are in the coil, which determines its resistance to electricity and the amount of heat — and vapor — it generates. 

S

Snus - see nic pouches!

Starter Kit: A product sold by vape stores that has everything you need to start vaping, including an easy-to-use e-cigarette/battery, charger, and possibly free e-liquid. 

Steeping: Letting e-juice that's been mixed stand for several hours, days, or longer. Steeped e-juice has a smoother and more pronounced flavor, and is usually darker in color.

Sub-Ohm: Vapes with low-resistance coils that provide lots of heat, vapor, and clouds. 

T 

Tank: The chamber in an e-cigarette that holds the e-liquid and a removable coil, or dual coils.  

Throat Hit: The feeling of vapor and any nicotine it may contain when it hits the back of the throat. Depending on the type of e-liquid, wattage, and the resistance of your coil, it can be harsh or soft, and different vapers have different preferences. 

Topping Off: Adding more e-juice to the tank to fill it to the maximum level.

U

USB Charger: The most common way to charge an e-cigarette. A cable is attached to the vape and plugged into a USB port, either on a laptop or in an electrical socket using a plug with a USB attachment. 

V

Vape Juice: Another word for e-liquid or e-juice.

Vape Tricks: Various tricks you can do with the vapor from your vapes, such as blowing O rings and lots more. 

Vaper's Tongue: A phenomenon in which you temporarily lose the taste of your vapes. It can be caused by vaping too much; not drinking enough water, as vaping dries out the mouth; or by vaping too much of one flavor.

Vape Pen: A tall, thin e-cigarette in the shape of a pen. They're simple to use and ideal as a starter vape. 

Vapor: The product of e-liquid that’s been heated. It evaporates and is inhaled into the mouth. When exhaled, it will create either a light mist or thick clouds, depending on the vape used.

Viscosity: The level of thickness of an e-liquid, which in turn affects the vaping experience. Liquids high in PG are thinner, while high-VG juice has a high viscosity.

VG: Vegetable glycerine, which, along with propylene glycol, is one of the most common bases used in making e-liquid. It’s thicker and is favored by cloud chasers and sub-ohm vapers for its ability to create big clouds.

W

Wattage: The amount of power used to fire your vape. Higher wattages fire at a higher temperature and produce more vapor, though this comes at the cost of using more e-liquid.

Wick: A material, usually cotton, that surrounds the coil and soaks up e-liquid. In pre-built coils, you’ll usually see this poking through the holes that surround the coil. Coils that soak up the e-liquid well prevent the wick from drying up and last longer.

Looking for vape kits, e-liquids, and everything else you need to get started and keep on vaping? We have it all right here at the Electric Tobacconist online vape store. And we've got free and zippy shipping on qualifying orders!