Vaping Glossary

There are a host of terms used in the vaping industry, some of the meanings are obvious and others complete jargon to the new vaper (and even to those more experienced vapers!) This glossary is to help educate and provide meaning to the terms that you hear but were unsure of.

 E-cigarette Glossary

Adjustable Airflow – Dial or moveable opening that adjusts the airflow into a tank. By adjusting the airflow, vapers can choose the size of the clouds they produce or the intensity of the e-liquid flavour

ADV – ‘All Day Vape’ An e-liquid which hits the spot, often down to personal preference. Ideal for everyday vaping

AG (Aqueous Glycerine) - is similar to VG diluent, with the added benefit of being easier to pour due to the presence of distilled water

Amps (Ampere) – a measure of electrical current. The battery capacity on electronic cigarette is normally measured in milli amp hours (mAh)

Analog Cigarette – Term used to refer to traditional tobacco cigarettes

APV (Advanced Personal Vaporiser) – More advanced e-cigarette - allows users to vary the voltage, or even the wattage

Atomiser – The heating element in an electornic cigarette that turns the e-liquid into vapour

Atomiser Head - Unit that houses the heating coils and wicking material

Atty - Abbreviation for atomiser Battery – The element which supplies power to the vaping device. It can be either a removable battery which can be removed, recharged or replaced, or a built-in battery, which cannot be separated from the device

Bottom Coil Clearomiser (BCC) – The heating coil is located at the bottom of the clearomiser and most of the times it is filled from the bottom end of the clearomiser rather than from the top. This means that the e- liquid can get to the coil faster, helping to avoid `dry vape’

Bottom Dual Coil Clearomiser (BDC) - Term used for clearomisers with two coils. Despite the fact that it uses up batteries quicker than single coil clearomisers, it increases the vapour production and provides a stronger throat hit

Bottom Vertical Coil Clearomiser (BVC) – A bottom coil clearomiser with a single coil sitting vertically over the airflow. It reduces resistance and improves vapour production.

Boxies – Term used for vapers who prefer mods

Bridge – A small covering over the heating coil of some automizers designed to wick e-liquid towards the heating element

Burning Coil– Occurs when the e-liquid inside the tank fails to properly saturate the wicking material. Once burnt, the coil needs replacing. Cartomiser – Suitable for the beginner vapers, cartomisers combine the automiser with the disposable cartridge, simplifying the three-part devices

Carts - Abbreviation of cartridges

Ceramic coil – A type of coil that has a longer life span than other coils and produces more vapour and flavour

Cigalike -  electronic cigarette that resembles a traditional tobacco cigarette

Clapton – A type of coil configuration which consists of a core wire tightly wrapped by a thin gauge wire Clearomiser – A transparent version of a cartomiser, which allows users to see how much e-liquid they have left in the cartridge

Cloud Chaser – A person blowing clouds of vapour using an e-cigarette Coil – Located in the atomiser head, a coil is the element of an e-cigarette that turns the e-liquid into vapour

Connection pin – Is usually the positive feed from the battery that connects to the atomizer and gives it power

Custom Mod – A mod that has been done by the user or by a company for a particular customer

Diacetyl – TPD regulations ban its use in the UK but still can be found in some e-liquids. A harmful ingredient which needs to be avoided

Diluent – Diluents such as PG and VG are used to dilute e-liquid mixes. Choosing the right diluent is important and decides the sort of taste and throat hit you’re going to get

Dipping – Refers to dipping an atomiser into e-juice before vaping

Direct to lung – Vapour is inhaled to the lung without being held in the mouth first

Disposable Vape / E-Cigarette –An e-cig designed to be used once and then thrown away once it runs out of e-liquid

DNA Chipset - A collection of microscopic DNA spots attached to a solid surface. It provides control and delivery of power to e-cigarettes

DNA Mod - A mod that uses the DNA chipset

Drip Shield – Accessory that prevents e-liquid leaks when using drip tips

Drip Tip – Term used for an e-cigarette mouthpiece

Dripping – Suitable for custom built mods, dripping is the act of dripping e-liquid onto the coil

Dry Burn/ Hit – Occurs when the wicking material is dry, the coil has insufficient e-liquid or when the coil burns out.

E-cig / E-cigarette – Abbreviations foe electronic cigarette. A device where an automiser vaporises the e-liquid which is then inhaled as vapour

Electronic Cigar – Similar to e-cigarettes, electronic cigars resemble the traditional tobacco cigars

E-liquid – Term used for the liquid solution used within e-cigs. Usually contains flavouring, nicotine, propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine.

ENDs – Electronic Nicotine Devices is another term for e-cigarette - mostly used in scientific papers

E-Pipe – The electronic version of a traditional tobacco pipe

E-Smoking - Smoking with an e-cigarette

Favour Cigarette - One of the smokeless e-cigarettes

Filling/ Filler – Refers to the material used to pack a cartomiser

Fins - Raised metal ridges designed to dissipate heat

Flavour Chaser – A person who prioritises flavour from his e-cigarette

Flooding - Occurs when e-liquid floods into the atomiser.

Han Li  - Inventor of the modern e-cigarette.

Hookah pen – Another e-cigarette style – generally long and thin

Hot spots – Term used for the hot spot on the coil that can cause burning taste

Hybrid – A mod which has the tank screwed directly onto the battery

Japanese Cotton – wicking material with good e-liquid retention – since it uses no chemicals or bleaches in its production, it can be burnt at high temperatures

Kanthal - A wire alloy used to make heating coils – it contains iron, chrome and aluminium

LED – The only light that can be found on an e-cigarette – it lights up when the user inhales and depending on the model, it provides information about the battery. For example, the green light shows that the battery is fully charged, and the red light shows that the battery is low and that the device need to be charged

LR - Abbreviation for low resistance

mAh -  mAh is a unit for measuring electric power used to describe the total amount of energy a battery can store at one time

Mech Mod / Mechanical Mod - A mechanical mod is a device which has handmade components. Due to the fact that they have no electronic switches, they rely on mechanical connections to operate

Micro USB - A Micro USB port is used for charging the battery

ML – Millilitre is a measuring unit for liquid. With electronic cigarettes it is also used to indicate the capacity of the tank

Mod – Term used originally the for an electronic cigarette which has been modified into a unique design. Now it is frequently used to describe box style e-cigarettes

Mouth to lung – The vapour is taken into the mouth, before being inhaled into the lungs

Mouthpiece – The part of the e-cigarette that goes between the lips

Ohm (Ω) - The SI unit used to measure the electrical resistance of an electrical devices

Passthrough – USB cord which connects the e-cigarette to an external power source

PCC (Personal Charger Case) – Used to charge cigalike vapes on the go

Pen-Style – an electronic cigarette known for its resemblance to a pen

Personal Vaporiser (PV) – Alternative term used for electronic cigarette.

PG (Propylene Glycol) – A pharmaceutical grade diluent used in most of e-liquids. PG juices will have a stronger throat hit than VG and produce smaller clouds

Priming – Soaking the new coil into e-liquid to reduce the chances of dry burn

RBA - Rebuildable atomizer.

RDA - Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer.

Resistance – The resistance of the coil in the atomiser

RTA - Rebuildable tank atomizer

Ruyyan Cigarette - The first modern e-cigarette, by inventor Hon Lik.

Second Generation ECigarette – Term used by scientists for modern e-cigarettes

Silica – A type of wicking material

Smoke-juice - Another term used for e-liquid

Smokeless Cigarette – Term used for e-cigarette mostly in the media

Stealth vaping – The technique vapers use to minimise the amount of vapour exhaled

Sub Ohm – Vaping with a coil with a resistance set below one ohm.

Tank – Term used for the top of an electronic cigarette – it houses the atomiser and e-liquid

TC – Temperature control

TH (Throat Hit) – the feeling when the nicotine hits the back of the throat

Titanium coils – An alternative to nickel coils – they offer a higher resistance

Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) – A directive of the EU (European Union) which places limits on the sale and merchandising of electronic cigarettes and tobacco products

Topping - Topping up a cartridge with e-liquid

Vape – To inhale and exhale the vapour produced by an e-cigarette

Vaper - A person who vapes

Vaper’s Tongue – Refers to losing the taste for all flavours

Vapers In Power - A political party which represents vapers in the UK and stands in elections to raise awareness of vaping issues

Vent holes – Vent holes are used to allow gases to be expelled from an e-cig battery

VG (Vegetable Glycerine) - Pharmaceutical grade ingredient used as a diluent in e-liquid. VG produces more vapour than PG and adds more flavour to the e-juice

Watt - A measure for units of power

Wick – A small piece of cotton found in the automiser coil which absorbs the e-liquid and provides vapour production

Zero Nic - E-Liquids or cartridges that contain no nicotine