Ultimate Vaping Glossary & Resources

Here are some of our useful resources as well as some other awesome vaping websites, vaping blogs or Vaping YouTube channels that share their knowledge of vaping. Be sure to check them out!

Go To Vaping Glossary

BestClearomizer.com Guides

Top 10 Best American E Juice Vendors – Looking for the best e juice/e liquid / vape juice? at a fair price?

Our guide not only walks you through the best places to buy quality, cheap e juice, but we also share our top 3 tips for buying e juice online.

To top it off, we’ve worked out TONS of exclusive coupons that you can’t find anywhere else! Life’s too short, vape good e juice!

Best Box Mod Chart – Looking for the best box mod, but don’t know were to start?

Our box mod charts break down the top box mods in each wattage category and makes it easier than ever to review and compare the best vape mods available on the market as well as if they are an easy vape.

To read our growing list of vape mod reviews, click here!

Clearomizer Chart – We are BestClearomizer.com, and our site wouldn’t be complete without an awesome clearomizer chart to go with it.

With over 20 clearomizers in the chart, it is the single most comprehensive clearo chart on the web.

Coupons and Discounts!

Looking to save a few bucks on your next order?

Check out our deals and discounts section for all of our latest coupon codes and promos.

The only thing better than vape mail is vape mail with a discount!

People or Places To Check Out

Here are some other awesome sites on the internet anyone who vapes should check out!

Volcano Vape

Checkout Volcanoecigs.com

These guys have an amazing section on vaping! In fact it’s there main products and start vaping yours today.

ECR – Reddit /r/electronic_cigarette/

Pretty much the mecca of vaping news, info, guides and people.

If vapor has crossed your lips, it’s a must read on a daily basis! Go to ECR now.

GrimmGreen.com

Grimm Green is a leading blogger and Youtuber in the vaping community.

You should start reading and watching everything he produces if you aren’t already!

LicenseToVape.com

Here is a great E Cig State Laws map that shows you quickly and easily where your state stands on banning vaping.

Plus, don’t forget the information below the map that supplies details on any pending or potential bans.

Be sure to know where your state stands! They also have an abridged version of our vaping glossary to check out.

Vapeorama.net

Vape-O-Rama has a loaded resource page with tons of useful and helpful links.

They also boast some of the coolest vaping and vaping apparel you will find out there!

Great resources and awesome t shirts, what more do you want!

VaporFi.com

VaporFi, a leader in electronic cigarettes, vape mods and vape juices, provides vapers with what the industry is lacking: a reliable and trustworthy company with excellent customer service and a wonder assortment of products.

From their delicious e liquids to their very own vape tanks and vape mods, these guys are out there changing the vaping industry.

We encourage everyone to check out their custom blend e liquids for themselves!

Looking for a coupon? We have you covered there too.

CentralVapors.com

Recently featured on our Top 10 E Juice Vendors of 2015, Central Vapors offers a huge selection of e juice and vaping supplies at reasonable prices.

Combined with their remarkable customer service, they are a must-see for any vaper shopping online.

Vape Resource

Reviews and Deals on all your vaping needs!

HookahPenKing.com

The nation’s #1 smoke and vape trick supply shop, HookahPenKing sells the best hookah pens, vape pens, e juice and vape kits on the market.

If you need the vape gear to do awesome smoke tricks like O’s and smoke tornadoes, check them out!

Tasteyourjuice.com

Phil is an awesome guy! Wait, you don’t know who PBusardo is?

His passion for vaping is clearly defined in the amount of great information he has over at Tasteyourjuice.

He has alot of cool charts and reviews, so don’t be afraid to check him out!

Be sure to check back soon as we continue to add more resources! Down below you will find our awesome Vaping Glossary!

Check it out if you’re ever looking for the meaning of a vaping and e cig related term or lingo!



Welcome to the Ultimate Vaping Glossary, the largest vaping glossary on the internet!

With 230+ words, both beginner and veteran vapors are sure to learn something.

If you are a beginner to vaping and trying to learn the ropes, be sure to bookmark this page for easy reference.

Don’t see a word on here that should be?

Comment down below and let us know! Together we can keep this vaping glossary up to date and useful!

Pro Tip: If you would like to link to this glossary, you can add # then a letter at the end of the URL to make the link jump straight to a certain section.

For example, if you want to link to the definition of clearomizer, using the link www.bestclearomizer.com/ultimate-vaping-glossary/#c ( will make the link jump right to C definitions!

# | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

26650 – These are batteries that have typically been known for good sub-ohming. This is typically seen as true because the 26650 batteries more likely have a larger cathode/anode surface area, so they will be a bit less susceptible to thermal runaway. However, this is not always a indicator for a great sub-ohm battery.

306 (aka LR306) – Just one of many styles of atomizers available. It is a 510 threaded atomizer with low resistance.Many 510 users use LR306 atomizers on their batteries because it gives more vapor production and better throat hit.

401, 402, and 403 – Refers to the different length of this specific electronic cigarette. They are known as m401, m402, and m403.

510 – The most popular and common style of threading for electronic cigarettes available. Originally developed by the company JoyE, it quickly became the standard within the industry. It also has whats known as a male thread.

808 or KR808 – One of many styles of electronic cigarettes available.

901– An Atomizer with a female thread. it isnot compatible with 510 threading.

18350 – A battery that is 18mm x 35mm, used in smaller mods and generally have a low amp rating.

18650– A classification given to a specific size of Li-Ion battery popularly used in APVs, mechanical mods, and tube mods.

2-piece– A two-part electronic cigarette consisting of a battery and a cartomizer

3-piece– A three-part electronic cigarette consisting of a battery, atomizer and cartridge.

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A

Acrolein – Acrolein is produced when e-liquid is heated to incredibly high temperatures. Linked to lung cancer in analog cigarette use. Strong irritant to skin, eyes, and nasal passages.

Adapter – Dual threaded device used to allow a specific style or atomizer, cartomizer, or clearomizer onto a different style battery. This allows vapers to have the vapor production of one style of atomizer, while using the battery life of another style battery. (example: connecting a 901 atomizer threading onto a 510 battery)

Advanced Personal Vaporizer (APV) – An APV usually consists of a bigger battery, and features things such as variable voltage or variable wattage. Also referred to as a modified e-cig (MOD).

AEMSA – This is the Association of American E-liquid Manufacturing Standards. It is an all-volunteer organization dedicated for creating safe and sustainable standards within the production process of e-liquids. You can visit their website here: http://www.aemsa.org/

AFC – Air flow control

Airflow (adjustable airflow) – This is a part on most vaping tanks; clearomizers, atomizers, etc; that allows more air to be received in the process of vaping, allowing for more vapor, as well as cooler vaper.

All Day Vape – The e liquid that you personally enjoy over any other and can vape on all day long without it getting old.

Allen key/wrench – A tool used to open mods or tighten screws in atomizers

Alternative Cigarettes – Another name for electronic cigarettes

American Wire Gauge (AWG) – This is the standard used in the United States to determine the resistance and diameter of the electric wire used to create the coils in atomizers.

Amperage (amps) – Amperage is the flow of energy along a circuit. In APV’s the lower the amps, the less capable you are of using high voltages on low resistance atomizers. This is prevalent in high voltage upon low resistance atomizers in dual coil cartomizers or clearomizers.

Analog– It is a slang term used by the vaping community describing “traditional” cigarettes

Anodizing– A method used to seal and finish aluminium

Aqueous Glycerine (AG) – The process in which VG liquid is thinned with deionized water, making it less viscous.

Ass Juice – This is a common term used for rating an e liquid that tastes horrible. The main cause of this rating is by vapers experimenting with different e liquids and coming up with horrid results.

Atomizer (aka Atty) – The atomizer is contained in a metal housing that is screwed into the battery; and contains the heating coil, wick and mesh bridge. It is the component in an electronic cigarette or vaporizer that is responsible for heating the e liquid to the point of vaporization.

Automatic – A style of electronic cigarette/ vaporizer battery that does not have a button to activate the heating element. They are unsealed which allows airflow. When the user draws on the mouthpiece, a special sensor within the atomizer is activated by changing air pressure.

Automatic Shutoff – A common safety feature found on personal vaporizers that only allows the discharge of a battery for a set period of time. The average shutoff time is 10 seconds, however it is usually a smaller amount of time in ecigs and disposables.

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B

Battery (batt) – Commonly known as the most important part of an electronic cigarette, it provides powers the heating element that turns the e liquid into vapor. It comes in two different types: automatic and manual. Manual switched batteries have a button to activate rather than being activated upon inhalation. They range in sizes and most have an LED light at the end that lights up when it is activated.

Bauway – A brand known for its’ selection of atomizers. The quality is less than other atomizers but cost is low compared to most.

BCC– stands for bottom coil clearomizer. The atomizer coil sits at the bottom of the clearomizer tank.

BDC– Another term for “Bottom dual coil clearomizer“

Blanks – Cartridges or cartomizers with dry filler material that is filled with e-liquid.

Boge – Boge is brand known for its’ selection of cartomizers. It has been known to supply very quality efficient products at a low cost for consumers.

Boost – The circuitry of a regulated mod that allows it to fire above the applied voltage.

Box Mod – A box mod is any PV or APV that comes in a box shape, and comes in several different wattage selections. Some popular wattage classes for box mods are: 10-30 watts; 50-80 watts; 100+ watts.

BP -Shorthand for big pharmaceutical companies.

Breathing – the process of leaving an e-liquid open to the air so that any alcohol can evaporate off. Can mellow some flavors.

Brick and Mortar (B&M) – A physical store that you can buy electronic cigarette or vaping related products.

Bridge – A small metal wire U-shaped covering on the inside of an atomizer that is designed to wick the e liquid from the cartridge. It is coated in steel mesh.

BT – Slang for big tobacco companies.

Buck – The circuitry of a regulated mod that allows it to fire below the applied voltage.

BVC – Abbreviation for bottom vertical coils. A very popular design for atomizer coils.

Burner – slang for a traditional cigarette/cigar

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C

Car Adapter – Device that you can connect to a USB charger and charge your e-cig battery in the car.

Carcinogen – Any chemical, compound, or substance thought to cause cancer. E-liquid, when heated to very high temperatures can product some carcinogens (by way of incomplete combustion).

Cartridge (Cart) – A plastic or covered metal mouthpiece that is the third part of a 3-piece set and is usually stuffed with some sort of absorbent filler material that holds e liquid.

Cartomizer (Carto) – A cartomizer or carto is a combination of disposable cartridges and atomizers. They don’t last as long as an atomizer but they are also not as expensive; and they hold more e liquid than a regular cartridge/atomizer combination. The cartomizer tank is placed in the middle of the tube and is designed to hold to e liquid. It is typically made of poly-fill surrounding a type of gauze material that is wrapped around an atomizer coil and a plastic center tube for airflow.

Cartomizer punch (Carto Punch) – A device used for punching holes in cartomizers.

Cartomizer–Single Coil – A cartomizer that uses only 1 coil. This is usually the standard.

Cartomizer – Dual Coil – A dual coil cartomizer that uses 2 coils. Because of its’ dual coil design, it is able to produce twice as much vapor.

CASAA– Consumer Advocacy for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association. It is a non profit organization that campaigns for the rights of e-cig users.

Cig-A-Like– Any PV that has the similar appearance of a traditional cigarette.

Charger – A battery charger used to recharge your e-cig battery once it dies.

Clapton Coil – A coil made with a large gauge of wire wrapped tightly by a smaller gauge of wire, like a guitar string.

Clearomizer– A clearomizer is a transparent version of a cartomizer, designed to let users know how much e liquid they have left. It is usuallly made of thin, and easy breakable plastic, to maintain transparency. Clearomizers hold 2-3ml of e liquid, depending on the size and design. It’s two popular designs are Bottom Coil Clearomizer, and Top Coil Clearomizer. Check out our Clearomizer Comparison chart to find the best Clearomizer for you.

Clouds– Due to the highly dense water content in vapor, The vapor that is exhaled when smoking electronic cigarettes is referred to as clouds.

Coil– The wire that is used to vaporize the e liquid by creating an electrical circuit. The coil is usually made up of Nichrome or Kanthal wire. In the United States, the wire being used to make it is measured in AWG, while the rest of the world measures in the metric system.

Coil Jig – A device that makes rebuilding your own coils so much simpler.

Coil Winder – A tool used to wrap perfect coils every time.

Cone Threads– A new threading being implemented by some companies to better secure their atomizers to the batteries.

Connection– This is the threaded piece that allows you to screw into an atomizer/cartomizer/clearomizer.

Custom Mod– Any PV or APV that was handmade from parts not designed for vaping. This can even include wooden Mods.

Cut-Off– A safety feature that automatically stops you from taking a drag on your e cig if you take a drag for too long. It prevents the atomizer from overheating. There are flashing LED lights that usually let you know the feature is being used.

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D

DCA / 306DCA– Abbreviation for the 306 Drip Cup Adapter, (306DCA).

DCT– Dual Coil Tank / large 3 to 6ml Tank with a replaceable carto.

Debridge– Removing the bridge (and wick) from an atomizer.

Deck– The flat base area where the positive and negative posts sit on an RBA/RDA, which is designed to keep e liquid off of the battery connection.

Dewick– Removing the wick from an atomizer.

Diacetyl – Diacetyl is a flavoring used in some e-liquid production for it’s buttery flavor. Can cause Bronchiolitis obliterans (otherwise known as Popcorn Lung) if inhaled in large concentrations. Many e-liquid vendors have stopped using it.

Digital Cigarette– Another name for Electronic Cigarette

Disposable E-Cigs– Electronic cigarettes that are designed to be used and then thrown away.

DIY (Do-It-Yourself)– Term used to people that make their own e liquid

DNA– The DNA is a small variable wattage board built for vapers by Evolv.

Doubler– A double-strength flavour, intended to be used in 50/50 mixes.

Dragon Coil – Can be either macro or micro coils, they are wrapped as normal but the wick is wrapped outside of the coil so that air can flow through the inner diameter. Can increase vapor production with enough air flow.

Draw– Vapers inhale from their mouth on the electronic cigarette mouthpiece.

Drip– To drip drops of e-liquid into an atomizer.

Drip Kit– A battery, atomizer chamber, and drip tip, designed specifically for dripping.

Drip On-Demand (DOD)– An add-on that is used to feed e liquid into your atomizer by squeezing the bottle. It makes dripping easier.

Dripping (DD; direct dripping)– Vaping by adding a few drops of e liquid directly into the atomizer chamber instead of using a cartridge. This is the method that gives the best vapor quantity and flavor quality.

Drip Shield– The drip shield is a round metal or plastic tube that slips over your atomizer. If leaking occurs on your atomizer, the liquid will leak into the drip shield instead of leaking onto your PV. It then returns the excess e liquid to the atomizer to be used.

Drip Tip– A mouthpiece accessory with an opening that allows drops of e liquid to be dripped directly to the atomizer/cartomizer without the removal of the tip.

Drip Well– A bowl shape on a mod where the female connector is located on the atomizer; that is designed to catch any e liquid that might leak out.

Dry Burn/Hit– Purposefly firing an atomizer on a battery without e liquid to saturate it, which results in the heating up, and glowing of the coil. This allows the cleaning of the coil by burning off impurities.

Dual-Coil Cartomizers – A new type of cartomizer that has two coils that provides the resistance instead of one.

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E

ECF– E-Cigarette-Forum.com is one of the largest forums on the internet for electronic cigarettes. It is comprised of thousands and thousands of daily active members.

E Cig Accessories– Additional pieces to enhance your experience using e-cigarettes. They include chargers, extra batteries, and things like cases and lanyards.

eGo/eGo Style– A style of electronic cigarette that utilizes the 510 threads and allows one to use 510 components but with a much larger battery.

eGo Threading – Standard threading based on the Ego battery where the battery has male threading and the base of the cartomizer has female threading.

E Juice– The solution that is vaporized within the atomizer tank, comprised of Vegetable Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, and/or Nicotine and Flavoring. Also referred to as E-liquid, Juice, or Smoke Juice.

Ekowool– A specific brand of braided silica used to make wicks for rebuildables.

Electronic Cigar– Made up of the same components of an ecig, but is shaped to resemble a traditional tobacco cigar.

Electronic Cigarette Association (ECA)– An industry group formed in early 2009. It is made up of suppliers and manufacturers who combined resources to help keep the e-cigarette as a legal option for smokers in the USA.

Electronic Cigarette (e-cig)– An emerging alternative to traditional cigarettes that allows users to enjoy smoking without many of the harmful side effects. It contains e liquid that is vaporized upon inhalation and usually consists of flavors and nicotine.

Electronic Cigarette Starter Kit– An Electronic Cigarette Starter Kit is usually composed of 2 batteries, 1 or 2 cartomizers/atomizers/clearomizers and a mouth piece or drip tip.

E-Hookah – Another term for E-Cigs, it was coined to attract hookah users to vaping due to their similarities.

E Liquid– Another popular name for e-juice.

E-NIC (Electronic Nicotine Inhaler) – another name for the electronic cigarette.

E Smoke – Another short/slong for Electronic Cigarette.

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F

Filler Material (Abbreviated as Filler) – Material placed inside of a Cartridge that is absorbent. It is used to keep the liquid inside of the cartridge and regulate flow to the atomizer so no flooding occurs.

Flavor Cartridge– Another term for a cartridge, containing nicotine and flavors.

Flavors – This refers to the particular flavor of your e liquid.

Flooding – This occurs when too much e liquid is put into the atomizer. The indicator of flooding is a gurgling sound and the performance of the atomizer is sometimes negatively affected.

Fluval -A type of foam filter used in aquariums, and it has been said vapers use this to replace the old fiber filling found in most electronic cigarette cartridges.

Fluxomizer– see Clearomizer

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – An administrative branch of the United States government that oversees rules and regulations pertaining to the safety of food and drug products sold in the USA.

Formaldehyde – Formaldehyde can be produced much like acrolein; when e-liquid is heated to incredibly high temperatures. Also a known human carcinogen.

Forums – There are a growing number of forums dedicated to vaping, from small to large. The most popular one to date is the ECF, or Electronic Cigarette Forum.

Fuse– A specially designed fuse for use in mechanical mods to prevent some types of battery failure.

Fused Clapton – A Clapton coil that has two or more wires in the core of it as opposed to one in a regular clapton coil.

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G

Genesis Atomizer– An RBA that uses stainless steel mesh as a wick instead of the typical silica and sits on the top of a tank (usually glass) with one or more holes in the deck leading into the tank.

GG (Golden Greek)– A quality brand mechanical mods that comes from Greece.

Glassomizer– A clearomizer that uses glass rather than plastic for the tank. Examples would be the Kanger Protank.

Goose Neck– A flexible extension for your PV. Goose necks come in assorted colors and sizes.

GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe)– This acronym was created by the FDA to ensure people that the product that they are using is considered safe.

Grub Screw – A type of screw used in atomizer posts. The tip is pointed to better secure wires.

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H

Heatsink – Heatsinks are fins or protrusions on a mod, atomizer, or drip tip designed to dissipate heat by allowing more airflow over more surface area.

Heat steeping – Heat steeping is the process of speeding up steeping by placing one’s e-liquid container in a hot water bath or in a hot environment for any length of time.

High Resistance (HR)– An atomizer or cartomizer with a higher Ohm rating than the standard equipment. This allows you to apply higher voltage to the coil.

Hit– The inhalation of vapor.

Hot Spot– Areas of excess heat on the atomizer coil. Hot Spots are a known cause of Dry Hits.

HV– High Voltage /device that operates above the standard 3.7 volts.

HV Atty– An atty designed for higher voltage vaping, not for use with standard batteries due to low power.

HV Mod– A dual battery or boosted supply mod (modification) to allow higher power vaping.

Hybrid, Hybrid PV, Hybrid Mod– A combined topper and battery holder designed to fit together as one seamless unit.

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I

ICR– Lithium Ion Cobalt Rechargeable Battery

IMR– Lithium Ion Manganese Rechargeable Battery

Inception Coil – A nano coil inside a macro coil made from one continuous piece of wire.

Inhale-The act of breathing the vapor into your lungs.

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J

Joules – A unit of power used in temperature controlled mods. It is equal to the energy transferred (or work done) when applying a force of one newton through a distance of one metre (1 newton metre or N. m), or in passing an electric current of one ampere through a resistance of one ohm for one second.

Juice – Another name for e liquid.

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K

Knuckle Head– An adjustable drip tip that can be set to any angle desired.

Kick/Kicked – 1. another way to describe throat hit 2. The PV add-on that allows you to put it between your battery and PV’s spring and allows you to convert a standard Tube Mod PV into a Variable Wattage device

Kanthal Wire– Trademark for a family of iron-chromium-aluminium (FeCrAl) alloys used in high temperature applications.

Kanthal, Kanthal A1– Kanthal is a specific brand of resistance wire that is used in building coils for electronic cigarettes, usually sold for Rebuildables. Kanthal A1 is a specific grade of Kanthal wire which is widely known to be the best wire for coil use.

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L

Leaking – E liquid can leak out of the bottom of the clearomizer/atomizer/cartomizer and onto the battery, which in some cases can cause damage to the device and causing a shortage.

LED– The end of most electronic cigarettes contains a light for a realistic effect and to alert the user when the battery needs recharging.

Liquid – Also referred to as e liquid, e juice, smoke juice, or just juice. This is the liquid that is vaporized when using an electronic cigarette.

Li-Po– The Lithium Polymer rechargeable battery; made of different material than the Li-Ion batteries.

Lithium Ion Batteries (Li-Ion)– Considered the strongest and most powerful batteries in the electronic cigarette market, coming in many different sizes and shapes.

Low Resistance (LR)– An atomizer or cartomizer with a lower Ohm rating than the standard equipment. This generally causes the heating element to get hotter faster and produces vapor more quickly.

Lung Hit-Alternative to mouth to lung hits, lung hits are inhales of vapor straight to the lungs. Usually requires massive airflow.

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M

mA– 1/1000th of an amp. This number is most often used in reference to the output of chargers.

Macro Coil-The opposite of micro coils in size, macro coils are much larger wraps touching each other. The increase in surface area can increase vapor production when combined with the right setup.

mAh-Abbreviation for Milliampere-hour, which is used to describe the capacity or energy charge that a battery will hold before it needs to be recharged.

Manual – An e cig battery style that has a button that activates the heating element.

Manual Shut-off– A safety feature found on most manual devices that allows the user to turn off their battery with 5 clicks of the button in rapid succession in order to make it safe to transport.

Mechanical Mod (Mech Mod, Mech PV, Mech) – An electronic cigarette that doesn’t have any electronics or wiring, it’s just a metal tube with a mechanical switch that holds a battery and a connector for a topper of some sort.

Microcomputer– The smart chip that signals the battery to send a charge of power to the atomizer, effectively starting the e-cigarette.

Microprocessor– The part of the e-cigarette battery that is responsible for controlling the heater and the indicator LED light.

mg strength -(Milligram strength per millilitre-(ml) -This relates to the percentage of nicotine contained within the e-liquid. For example, 8mg is 8mg of nicotine per ml = 0.8% nicotine

Micro coil– A type of wire coil where the coil is wrapped so that the loops of the coil are all touching, requiring more wraps than a traditional coil.

Miligrams (Abbreviated as mg) – The unit of measure for how much nicotine is in a cartridge.Typical levels include 0mg, 6mg, 8mg, 12mg, 16mg, 18mg, 24mg, 30mg, 36mg and 48mg.

Milliliters (mL)– The amount of liquid in a given container.

Mini– Smaller than the average e-cigarette, the mini-cigarette is actually the same size as the average e-cigarette.

Mod– Short for modification. This originally referred to modifying a flashlight or a battery to be used in vaping, but is now commonly used to refer to any vaping device that is not a cigalike.

Mouthpiece– The end of the e-cigarette the user puffs on, and places to their mouth. Some mouthpieces come as a drip tip or cartridge.

Mouth to lung hit – Vapor is pulled into the mouth first and then inhaled into the lungs. Can provide more flavor in the mouth.

MV (Multi-Voltage)– These are rarer PVs that offer several different voltage settings predetermined by the manufacturer.

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N

Nichrome Wire– The resistance wire used in atomizer coils. Patented in 1905, it is made from nickel, chromium, and (often) iron. A common ratio is 80% nickel to 20% chromium. Generally considered the inferior of the two commonly used atomizer coil materials in cartomizers/clearomizers/atomizers.

Nic Juice– Nicotine liquid; and it’s also short for nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco

Ni200/Nickel Wire – Wire that is pure nickel, it has very low resistance and is used with temperature controlled mods. Never use Ni200 with regular VW.

Nicotine (Nic)– The substance found within traditional and electronic cigarettes that creates a pleasant sensation. An alkaloid found in tobacco and other plans of the nightshade family. It is available in various strengths, but also optional as some e liquids have the option of no nicotine.

Nicotine Level– The designated amount of nicotine per cartridge. The nicotine level is the amount of nicotine present in a cartridge or bottle of e-liquid. It is usually measured in mg/ml.

Nicotine Liquid– The nicotine solution that is vaporized in the e-cigarette. The liquid is contained in the cartridge.

NiMH– Ni-MH stands for Nickel-Metal Hydride. Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries have no Cadmium added. and no memory effect so it can be charged or topped-off at any time without affecting battery life.

Noob– A new vaper, due to a quick learning curve required to even start vaping, people are usually a real noob for only 1 week.

No Resistance Wire– Conductive wire that is used in RBAs to complete a circuit to the atomizer coil. This wire does NOT heat up.

NRT – Common acronym for Nicotine Replacement Therapy

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O

Ohm (Ω)-The standard unit of electrical resistance. A lower number indicates lower resistance and therefore faster heating.

Organic Cotton Coils- A new coil setup made by Kangertech. It features a larger heating section, with the addition of the Japanese organic cotton that lasts longer than the majority of other, cheaper cotton coils.

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P

Parallel – Batteries are wired into a mod parallel to each other, increasing battery life at the cost of voltage

Passthrough – A device that plugs directly into the USB port of a computer or charger and allows the user to vape without having to worry about battery life.

PCC -Common acronym for Personal (or portable) Charging Case. This allows an electronic cigarette battery to be stored in and charged from the PCC battery while away from other power sources.

PEG (Polyethylene Glycol) – Polyethylene Glycol, a less common ingredient found in e liquid. It is a newer alternative to the main ingredients in used in making e liquid (PG and VG) that has been used in the last few years.

Pen Style – One of many styles of electronic cigarettes available, resembles a ball point pen.

Personal Charging Case (PCC)– A slim and compact case that is designed to hold and charge e-cigarettes.

Personal Vaporizer (Abbreviated as PV) – Another name for an Electronic Cigarette, usually in reference to the more untraditional style e-cigs.

Propylene Glycol (PG)– One of two main substances used in the making of e-cigarette liquids.

PGA– Pure Grain Alcohol. This is recommended to be the highest proof vodka you can get your hands on legally. 151 proof is the minimum needed for use in thinning of VG in 100% VG e liquid. It can also be used as a base in a tincture in order to create your own flavorings for DIY applications.

Pipe Style– The Pipe style electronic cigarette is also known as an E-Pipe.

Poly-fill– Another term used for filler.

Primer– Some companies use a VG based primer for preservation and shipping. The primer is used inside the atomizer and on the coil.

Propanediol – An alternative to PG discovered by Five Pawns and produced by Dupont. Dupont will not sell to anyone using it for e-liquid.

Protected (batteries) -The battery has a computer chip that protects the battery and breaks the circuit in the battery from completing if the voltage goes too high or too low, the current goes too high or the cell temperature rises too high.

Priming/Prime – The act of preparing a wick to vape, usually done by adding a few drops and soaking the wick in e-juice or taking a few pulls without heating the coil. This is not relevant for drippers/drip-style atomizers.

PTB (Pyramid Tea Bags)– Some vapers find this material works better than the polyester fiber filling found in most electronic cigarette cartridges and cartomizers.

Puff– The motion the smoker uses on the e-cig to get a hit.

Pull– Also known as the draw, or hit. What the smoker does to get the vapor hit from the e-cig.

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R

Rayon-An alternative to cotton, stainless steel, ceramic and other types of wicks. Used for (subjectively) cleaner flavor than cotton.

Rebuildable Atomizer– Rebuildable atomizers vary in design. Some have fabric wicks, while some use mesh and kanthal. Rebuildable atomizers are meant to save on cost and be readily fixable.

RDA: Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer.

Resistance– The measurement of ohms that allows you to calculate the right amount of voltage to apply to get the best wattage necessary.It comes in two common different variations; low and standard.

Resistance Wire– The wire that is used in an atomizer coil and heats up when an electrical current is applied. It is typically made from Nichrome or Kanthal.

Ribbon Kanthal, Ribbon Wire, Ribbon– A type of resistance “wire” used for building coils. Ribbon wire has a flat cross section rather than round, as with traditional wire.

RBA – Rebuildable atomizer

RDA – Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer

RDTA – Rebuildable Dripping Tank Atomizer

RTA – Rebuildable tank atomizer

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S

SB (Silver Bullet)– The Silver Bullet PV sold by Smokeless Image.

Sensor– The part of the e-cigarette battery that detects when the user has taken a drag.

Series – Batteries are wired into a mod in series, increasing voltage at the cost of battery life.

Silica– Material used for building wicks. This is generally used to refer to braided silica cord. Silica has a very high melting point, so it can be cleaned with an open flame like a butane torch.

Smart Chip– A computer chip located within the e-cigarette battery that allows it to function.

Smoke Juice – Also referred to as E-Liquid, Liquid, Juice, or E-Juice. This is the liquid that is vaporized when using an electronic cigarette.

SmokTech– A chinese company most known for its cartomizers, cartomizer tanks and PV’s.

Smokeless Cigarette – A term used to refer to an electronic cigarette. This term is used due to the fact that no actual smoke is inhaled while using an e-cig.

Smokeymizer– An atomizer and cartridge combined, disposable but refillable a few times.

Squonk – Squonk box mods are mods that have a modified 510 connection where a bottle of juice is in the mod and can be squeezed (squonked) to push liquid into the cartomizer, rda, or tank from below.

Stacking– A risky practice of stacking batteries to create more power than one battery alone can achieve.

Standard Resistance– A standard resistance cartomizer is typically 3.0ohm. A standard resistance atomizer is 2.5ohm.

Starter Kit – A kit that typically includes everything needed to begin vaping. Most starter kits come with 1 or more atomizers, 1 or more batteries, a charger and 4 or 5 pre-filled cartridges.

Steeping– Allowing your e liquid to sit either open to the air, or in a sealed container. This is generally not necessary in e liquid that has a high ratio of PG to VG. It is more often necessary in high VG ratio juices.

Stick Style– Any electronic cigarette that resembles the style of a traditional cigarette.

Stovetop coil – Stovetop coils are coils built to resemble the heating elements on electric stoves. Massive surface area is possible, some claim they can produce insane amounts of vapor.

Subbing: See sub-ohm. Coil or coils with an ohm reading below one are used to create more vapor by offering higher coil temperatures.

Sub-Ohming- The practice by experienced vapers to increasing the current from your specific battery and by (using the principles of Ohms Law), reduce the ohms of the coils below one to achieve massive vaping clouds.

Syrupy – Some e-liquid are very sweet. Syrupy is often used to describe them.

Sweet Spot– The balance of several variables needed to achieve a satisfying vape. These variables are most commonly; voltage, wattage, resistance, and the flashpoint of the juice.

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T

Tailpiping– Direct Dripping without a Drip Tip

Tank– A special type of cartridge that holds considerably more liquid than cartridges with filler. Usually used with a cartomizer and sometimes an atomizer.

Thermal Runaway– A very rare but serious occurrence. A chain reaction that results in the fire and bursting of a rechargeable lithium based battery. This happens from a couple different possibilities: overcharging, short circuiting, stacking batteries, physical damage to the battery and other PV malfunctions.

Throat Hit– The feeling an e-cigarette smoker experiences when the vapor hits their throat. Most desire it to feel like a cigarette with a full, yet smooth hit. This is commonly felt with PG juices. Check out our PG vs VG page for more information.

Tiger Coil – A coil wrapped with a strand of regular kanthal twisted with ribbon wire.

Titanium wire – Alternative to nichrome, nickel, and kanthal wires. Can provide a cleaner flavor but tends to be harder to work with than kanthal. Often bursts into flames during dry burns. Is excellent for use with temperature controlled devices.

Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR)– Policy or practice of providing less harmful nicotine-containing products.

Toot– Also known as Pull or to draw from your electronic cigarette.

Topper– A device that goes on top of an electronic cigarette battery/battery holder

Topping Off– Adding a few drops of e-liquid into a cartridge, cartomizer or tank.

Triple-Coil Cartomizer – A newer type of cartomizer that employs three coils providing about 1.6ohms of resistance. They vape strong, slightly more so than dual-coils, and come in several sizes.

Tube Mod– Any PV or APV that comes in a tube shape about the size of a small flashlight.

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U

Unicorn bottle – E-liquid bottles that hold 15 ml or 30ml with an easy to use tip for dripping. Great for carrying liquid when traveling or out on the town as an alternative to the shorter, fatter bottles.

Unprotected Battery– Any lithium based battery that has no protection for the overcharging or other situations that can cause thermal runaway.

USB Charger– An e-cigarette battery charger that lets you charge by connecting the battery to your computer’s USB port.

USB passthrough-See passthrough.

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V

Vapegasm– The experience you get when you put on a new atomizer or cartomizer. That first taste you get from your favorite e liquid.

Vapehole – A vaper that shows little regard for anyone around them and vapes as obnoxiously as possible.

Vapor’s Tongue – This is a common problem among many vapers when they vape too much of one flavor, and their taste buds become desensitized to the flavor. For more info on vaper’s tongue, click here.

Vape Safe (Fuse)– The Vape Safe Fuse is a tiny disc shaped fuse for use with e-cigarette mods/PV’s. The fuse is an added layer of safety in addition to a good quality battery.

Vape Whore– (1) Someone who is constantly vaping every breath of their day; (2) Someone that only ever sign up for a site or community to try to win stuff. They never contribute, only hang out to soak up free things.

Vapor– The atomization of e liquid which results in a fog juice vapor which is commonly accepted to be exhaled as water vapor (steam). This is the main visible factor in vaping that simulates smoke, but is a much safer alternative.

Vaporizer– A vaporizer turns a liquid into a gas or a vapor. This is also another term used for electronic cigarette, ecig or PV.

Vapor Production– Typically associated with juices. Indicates how much vapor is produced using an average inhale of an e-cigarette.

Vaping (vape)-The use of an electronic cigarette – similar to the term smoking when referring to an analog cigarette.

Vented Battery Cap– A simple hole or series of holes that allow for the battery to vent harmful gases in the case that your battery goes into thermal runaway.

Vent holes-Special holes made in the casing of high-end PVs or mods, to vent battery gases away from the face in case of battery explosion.

Venting a Battery – The process where a battery is taken beyond its specifications and gas is released from the battery.

Vertical coil – Instead of leaving coils horizontal, they are rotated 90 degrees. Often allow for better airflow in rebuildable dripping atomizers.

VG (Vegetable Glycerine)– A common ingredient found in e liquid. Sweet tasting and of low toxicity, it is thicker than Propylene Glycol and is usually used where thicker liquid or vapour is desired or where a PG sensitivity is present.

Voltage– The amount of kinetic energy which, for our purposes, when paired with resistance creates wattage.

VOOP – The action in which one vapes while defecating.

VV (Variable Voltage)– Any PV, APV, or Mod that allows the user control over the voltage output of their device. Generally recognized as superior to regular PVs that have a static voltage output that cannot be changed.

VV Mod– A variable voltage mod. Usually has a removable battery and boosted supply. You can change the voltage to find your vaping sweet spot.

VW (Variable Wattage)– Any PV, APV, or Mod that allows the user control over the wattage output of their device across the atomizer coil. This differentiates itself from a VV device because the voltage is calculated to arrive at the set wattage.

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W

Watt (wattage)– The amount of raw heat that the atomizer coil uses to vaporize your e liquid.

Wick– Wicks are used to deliver e liquid to the coil in electronic cigarettes. Most atomizers use a wicks that are most commonly made from silica cord. However, wicks can also be made from rolled up steel mesh, fiberglass, cotton, and sometimes ceramic materials.

Wicking– The process of osmosis where more concentrated fluid moves to an area of lesser concentration in an effort to find equilibrium.

Wire– Generally refers to resistance wire used in building coils for atomizers.

Woody (Wood Mod)– Any PV or APV that is handmade and fitted inside a wooden tube or box.

Wrap – One revolution of a wire during the process of building coils. Wrap refers to the process of “wrapping” a wire around a tool, usually a drill bit or screwdriver.

Still looking for a term that we don’t have?

Other Vaping Glossarys:

Vaping.com

TheVapeStore.com

TheVapingForum.com

Reddit.com

CSPDailyNews.com

Please feel free to comment below and link to your favorite vaping glossary so we can continue to add to the largest online vaping glossary.