Skip to content
Vape Terminology!

Vape Terminology!

The world of vaping can be a scary, daunting place for newcomers and starters with the amount of vape specific lingo and vocabulary, which is only getting bigger! We've made this little guide as a glossary with everything to get you up to speed in this weird world. Even if you're an experienced vaper you may find something new here!

#

18650 – A size of rechargeable battery inside some electronic cigarettes, typically holds more power than internal powered devices

21700 - Another size of battery that is commonly used in electronic cigarettes, these typically hold more power than the 18650 counterpart.

A

All Day Vape (ADV) – An E-Liquid that holds a preference over others for someone, could vape it all day without getting bored.

Amperage (AMPS) – Measurement of the strength in an electrical current. The lower the amps, the less capable the electrical circuit is in handling higher power outputs.

Atomiser – Also known as a coil, a component within an electronic cigarette, these feature a coiled wire around a piece of cotton and is the heating element within the device vaporising the E-Liquid.

B

Battery – Provides power for the heating element and other components in the device, most batteries are rechargeable either internally or externally. The size and capacity dictate how long the device can last.

Box Mod – A mod is simply the battery part of the kit, where all the power comes to power the coil inside the tank, a box mod is simply a mod in the shape of a box.

Bricks & Mortar (B&M) – A physical store where customers can purchase devices, E-Liquid, coils and the like, we have 2. Come and see us!

C

Cartridge – A pre filled vessel containing a set amount of E-Liquid that can be vaped instantly, they often cannot be refilled but are easier to transport and significantly less likely to leak.

Clearomiser (Tank) Commonly known as a tank, these are the most popular devices and feature a clear plastic or glass casing for E-Liquid, the liquid is then absorbed up the cotton into the coil for vaporising. 

Charger – Self explanatory this is a device to charge your electronic cigarette, usually through a USB port or directly through the mains socket.

Cloud Chasing – A common term within the vaping culture, this is the act of producing and exhaling the largest vape cloud possible, usually in a competitive manner.

Coil – The heating element within an electronic cigarette, this is used to vaporise the E-Liquid.

Custom Mod – This is a mod that has been custom built or a limited edition run, generally difficult to get your hands on or purchase.

D

De-wick – The act of removing the wicking within a tank or rebuildable.

Draw – A term used when inhaling vapour. Depending on preference vapers will take small or large inhales with vary levels of restriction.

Dripping – The act of dripping E-Liquid directly onto coils, usually with an RDA or n RDTA.

Drip Tip – The mouthpiece that fixes to the tank or device, named from the act of dripping E-Liquid directly onto the coils of an RDA or RDTA.

Dry Burn – The act of heating the coil when it is not saturated, done intentionally to burn off any impurities or clean the coils.

Dry Hit – Not as nice as a Dry Burn, this is the unintentional inhaling from a dry wick and leaves a horrible, burnt taste.

Direct to Lung – One of the 2 main styles of vaping, this is the act of inhaling directly into the lungs as if you would when taking a deep breath of air or normal breathing, this provides a stronger throat hit and denser cloud production.

E

Electronic Cigarette (E-Cigs) – Also know as E-Cigarettes, e-cigs, vaporisers, vapes etc. A better and healthier alternative to cigarettes. These use flavoured e-liquid and can contain nicotine and are inhaled when vaporised. These devices come in all different forms.

E-Liquid – Also know as e-juice, ape juice or vape liquid, it is the consumable component that gets vaporised and inhaled, they often contain nicotine. E-liquid is available in a wide variety of favours, nicotine strengths and ratio of vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol.

European Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) – Also known as EUTPD, is the legislation that was introduced in 2016 for European union states and aims to improve the functioning and quality of tobacco and related products, such as electronic cigarettes.

F

Flooding – The unfortunate event of too much e-liquid being in the coil, can inhibit the airflow and in some cases, cause hot e-liquid to spit into the users mouth during inhalation.

M

mAh – The abbreviation for milliamp-hour, this is the unit for measurement for the capacity or charged with a stead current of one amp per hour, it indicates how powerful a battery is.

Mechanical Mod – A low tech, high end device for experienced vapers, "mech mods" do not contain any sophisticated wiring or electronics and as a result do not contain any safety features. They are made up of a case, battery, mechanical switch and a cartomiser or rebuildable tank.

Milligram (Mg) – A metric unit of weight that is equal to 1/1000th of a gram, milligrams are used as a measurement of how much nicotine is present in one millilitre (ml) of e-liquid

Millilitre (Ml) – A metric unit of volume that is equal to 1/1000 of a litre. Also known as a cubic centimetre.

Mod – Abbreviation for modification, simply put this is the part of the device that holds the battery and electronics and produces the power for the rest of the device.

Mouthpiece – The top opening of an electronic cigarette that the user inhales from. Mouthpieces are usually in the form of a drip tip.

Mouth to Lung – One of the two styles of vaping, the user inhales to the mouth and then "takes back" the vapour into the lungs. This style of vaping is most similar to that of conventional smoking and often produce smaller vape clouds at lower powers.

N

Nicotine – Nicotine is a naturally occurring compound found in a variety plants in the nightshade family however, it is also produced synthetically. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance and has many known side effects, especially in high doses. Nicotine is commonly found in cigarettes and electronic cigarettes at various strengths.

Nicotine Salts - Similarly to nicotine this is often used as an additive to e-liquid, the difference being nicotine salts are an organic variant, meaning it is fast acting and often stronger without being harsh or having a strong throat hit.

O

Ohm (Ω) – Ohm is the measurement of electrical resistance. The lower the resistance, the bigger amount of electrical current can flow through. In electronic cigarettes, a lower resistance allows for a higher wattage, resulting in quicker heating of the coil.

P

Propylene Glycol (PG) – One of the key ingredients that is used in e-liquids, propylene glycol is a pharmacy grade diluent and is used widely in the production of plastics and food. Propylene glycol is believed to provide a better throat hit, greater flavour production and due to its thinner consistency, is less likely to clog up electronic cigarettes, compared to vegetable glycerine.

R

Rebuildable Atomiser (RBA) – An atomiser with flexibility and personalisation in mind, they can be completely disassembled to allow easy cleaning, servicing and changing of components. Such as coils and wick material, they are regarded to have better flavour and cloud production to that of a stock tank.

Rebuildable Dripping Atomiser (RDA) – A variant of a rebuildable atomiser that is intended for e-liquid dripping however, rebuildable atomiser and rebuildable dripping atomiser are used interchangeably.

Rebuildable Tank Atomiser (RTA) – A variant of a rebuildable atomiser this is intended for the convenience of vaping an e-liquid for a longer period before having to refill or change due to it's built in tank design.

S

Steeping – The act of allowing an e-liquid time to settle after production and before usage. Steeping is believed to allow greater flavour development for e-liquids with a higher ratio of vegetable glycerine to propylene glycol.

Sub Ohm – Refers to using atomisers and other components that have an Ohm resistance lower than 1.

Sub-Ohming – An activity of experienced vapers, that involves using sub-Ohm rated equipment to increase the wattage on their devices to produce large clouds of vapour. This is usually used in conjunction of an e-liquid with more than 60% VG (Vegetable Glycerine).

T

Tank – Also known as clearomisers.

Throat Hit – The sensation experienced at the back of the throat when a traditional or electronic cigarette user inhales. E-liqudis with a higher ratio of propylene glycol provide a better, more satisfying throat hit compared to higher ratios of vegetable glycerine.

V

Vaper – Used commonly to refer to someone that uses an electronic cigarette.

Vaping – The act of inhaling and exhaling vapour from an electronic cigarette. It can also refer to the use of electronic cigarette.

Vapour – The cloud-like production that comes from an electronic cigarette. Vapour is very small liquid droplets that evaporate over time. Vapour can be inhaled by mouth to lung, or direct to lung methods.

Vaper’s Tongue – A dry sensation on the tongue that can be experienced after vaping for a period. It can also cause your sense of taste to diminish. It can easily be fixed by changing your e-liquid to something completely different or having a drink of cold water.

Vegetable Glycerine (VG) – Another key ingredient that is used in e-liquids and is also a pharmacy grade diluent. It is used commonly in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. Vegetable glycerine is sweeter than propylene glycol, which can have an affect on flavour. It is also thicker than propylene glycol, so is more likely to clog up an electronic cigarette without regular maintenance. Vegetable glycerine however provides much larger plumes of vapour in comparison to propylene glycol. E-liquids with a higher content of vegetable glycerine usually need to be vaped at a higher wattage.

W

Wattage (Watts) – A measurement of electrical power consumed by a device, such as an electronic cigarette. A higher wattage in an electronic cigarette can produce more heat, allowing for quicker vaporisation of the e-liquid.

Wick – An absorbent material used in electronic cigarettes, they convey e-liquids from itself or from a clearomiser to the coil. Wicks come in a variety of different materials, such as silica and cotton.

Previous article Different Types Of E-Liquid
Next article What is Vaping?

Leave a comment

Comments must be approved before appearing

* Required fields