Beginner’s Guide to Vape Language

The E-cig Glossary

With the new technology of Vaping comes a whole new language. The below includes terminologies and some popular models to make the journey easier for the beginner. It is in no way complete as Vape Lingo and design and model improvement are ever increasing.

Adjustable Airflow – A small rotating sleeve that the user can adjust to increase or decrease the airflow to provide for individual personalised inhalation. Some basic devices have fixed airflow and cannot be adjusted.

Advanced Personal Vaporiser (APV) – A larger modified e-cigarette with replaceable batteries, variable voltage and wattage. Commonly called a Mod.

All day vape (ADV) – A flavoured e-juice that can be enjoyed all day long unlike some that become unenjoyable after shorter periods.

Analog – Term used by Vapers to describe a tobacco cigarette.

Atomiser – An atomiser is part of the e-cigarette containing the coil and wrapped cotton which absorbs the e-juice and is heated to convert into vapour.

Automatic Shutoff – A common safety feature in most quality e-cigs that automatically shuts down the device should it detect an electrical fault such as battery overheating.

Battery - (shortened to bat) Batteries are either built-in or removable. The most commonly used removable Bat is the 18650 which provides good power and long life.

Box Mods – Basically a box style vaporiser that includes variable voltage, wattage and temperature control.

Cartridge – Small cylinder usually prefilled with e-juice that attaches to a battery.  

Cartomiser – A hybrid combination of a cartridge and atomiser which can hold more e-juice.

Cig-A-Like -- An e-cigarette designed to look like an analog (tobacco cigarette). Has similar shape, size and can even have a glowing red tip mimicking the burning end of a cigarette.

Clearomiser – A see through version of the cartomiser with the added advantage of being able to see the e-juice level in the tank. Usually made of thin plastic or glass.

Clone – A copy, replica, imitation, fake, knock-off or counterfeit are all terms to describe the lower quality and often unreliable electronic cigarettes that are flooding the market. For virtually every authentic e-cig there is clone made and sold. Often impossible to tell the difference from the authentic originals. Buyer beware!  

Cloud Chaser – (sometimes known as Cloud Monsters) A vaping enthusiast who will go to great lengths to create massive clouds of exhaled vapour. Varying the percentage ratio of the e-juice and creating more powerful mods can create the much sought after clouds.

Coil – The coil is basically the wired part of the atomiser which when heated produces the vapour. The terms coil and atomiser are regularly termed as the same.   

Cuboid Pro – One of the most popular box mods for those who like technology. Powered by dual 18650 batteries it features a fully responsive touch screen with changeable wallpaper, easy access menu, clock, a pedometer, puff metre and temperature adjustment. It has 200W max output with preheat, reverse charging and over time protection. Photographs ca even be downloaded and displayed on the touchscreen.  A must have for the avid collector.

Deck – The flat base where the positive and negative posts sit on the atomiser and is designed to keep the e-juice off the battery connection.

Draw – The inhaling action of the Vaper when drawing on the mouthpiece of the e-cig.

Direct to Lung (DTL) – The action when the vaper inhales directly into the lungs without first holding the vapour in the mouth.

Dripping – The method of vaping where a few drops of e-juice is dripped directly onto the atomiser. Provides higher quality of flavour and higher quantity of vapour. Mainly for the more experienced vaping enthusiast.

Drip Tip – A mouthpiece accessory that allows the user to drip directly onto the atomiser.  

Dry Burn – The unpleasant experience when the e-juice runs out or when the coil was not primed with e-juice before use. Dry burn gives a burnt taste. Varied percentage ratios of PG, VG and or nicotine can often cause dry burn.

E-Cig – Shortened term for electronic cigarette.

eGo – The eGo series of vapes were made popular by the famous Joyetech electronic cigarette manufacturing company. Features included replaceable atomiser coils and variable voltage batteries. For many years the eGo were the world’s bestselling e-cig components. The eGo AIO (all in one) remains as one of the most popular beginner vapes on the market.

E-juice – Also juice, smokejuice, e-liquid, vape liquid or vape juice. A liquid solution containing varying ratios of Vegetable Glycerine (VG) and Propylene Glycol (PG) usually flavoured and often containing nicotine. When heated in an e-cig the e-juice provides the aerosol mist that resembles smoke when a vaper exhales.

Espion Solo – The 10th anniversary edition from Joyetech. An extremely reliable and pleasurable Box mod vape. Powered by a powerful 21700 battery and comes with an adaptor sleeve for an 18650 back up battery.  It feature a 1.3 inch touchscreen which is swiped to enter the menu where modes can be switched, battery can be checked and settings can be changed to lock the coil head, adjust power output, set date and time, turn on the preheat, set time out durations and adjust temperatures. Safety features include short circuit protection, no atomiser alert, weak battery alert, low power alert, low atomiser alert, temperature protection and device too hot alert.

Fire Button – The button on many e-cigs that is pressed to complete the electrical circuit from the battery to provide the required heat to the coil to enable the user to have a puff. Some devices do not have a fire button but rely on a sensor that activates when the user takes a puff. On many e-cigs the fire button also acts as the on/off switch which when depressed 5 times the device will turn on or off.

Flavour Chasers – These vaping enthusiasts go to great lengths to purchase the ideal flavoured juice. They often experiment with different flavours or ingredients to create their own unique blends.

Flooding – Can occur when too much juice has been added, if the device has been sitting unused for an extended period or if the device has been damaged. Common indications of flooding are juice leaks, a gurgling sound when having a draw or a reduced amount of vapour.

Glassomiser – A Clearomiser that uses glass instead of plastic. Can break easily if bumped or dropped.

Hit – A hit of vapour basically is the inhalation of the vapour.

Inhale – Also draw. The act of puffing on the vape in a similar way as one would on a tobacco cigarette.

Juice – Another name for e-juice, e-liquid, vape juice, vape liquid or smoke juice.

Kanthal – A trademarked brand name for wire made of iron-chromium-aluminium (FeCrAl) used in high temperature vape devices. Kanthal wire is regarded as the best wire for use in coils.

Kick – A kick or throat hit describes the feeling when a large amount of vapour enters the throat. Desirable by many vapers.

Leaking – When the e-liquid leaks from the tank (clearomiser, cartomiser, atomiser) through the air flow hole. Can also leak onto the battery to create an electrical short and possible damage to the e-cig device. Some poorer quality e-cigs tend to leak for no apparent reason. Tensioning can often be the cause or damaged rings and sometimes it just comes down to physics. Dropping or hard bumps can also create a leaking device.

Liquid – Another name for e-juice, e-liquid, vape juice, vape liquid or smoke juice.

Li-ion – The term for lithium ion batteries which are regarded as the highest quality and most powerful rechargeable electronic cigarette batteries available.

Low resistance (LR) – When an atomiser, cartomiser or clearomiser has a low Ohm rating which causes the heating element to heat faster producing more vapour quickly but can reduce battery life.

Lung Hit – When the vapour is inhaled directly into the lungs compared to mouth to lung when the vapour is held in the mouth before being inhaled to the lungs.

Mechanical Mod – (mech mod, mech PV (personalised vape), mech) E-cigarettes that have no electrical wiring or microchips but are operated by pressing a mechanical switch to connect the atomiser with the battery.

MG – Abbreviated term for milligrams which is the measure of nicotine in e-juice being how many milligrams per millilitre. An e-juice container would typically show 0mg, 3mg, 6mg, 12mg and be up to 48mg. Note – be aware of Australian Laws regarding the sale, possession and use of nicotine.

Mod – Originally a term to describe homemade or modified personalised vapes but now used to describe most box style mass produced e-cigs.

Mouth to Lung – When the vapour is inhaled and held in the mouth before being inhaled into the lungs. This technique gives more flavour in the mouth compared to the direct to lung (DTL) method which can give bigger clouds of vapour.   

Nic Juice – Vaping term for e–juice that contains nicotine. Nic being nicotine. Note – be aware of Australian Laws regarding the sale, possession and use of nicotine.

Noob – A beginner or someone new to vaping and the vaping culture. Also referred to as a ‘newbie’.

Ohm – The standard unit of measurement of electrical resistance. A lower number for coils indicates lower resistance with faster heating and thicker vapour. A higher ohm indicates slower heating with less vapour.

Pass Through – An e-cigarette that allows the user to vape while the device is being charged without affecting battery life.

Pen Style – A vaping device resembling the shape of a ball point pen.

Penguin – One of the most popular basic style of vapes for the beginner – very easy to use! The Penguin features a large 8.8ml e-juice tank, quick charging with a built in battery and is very robust. Safety features include short circuit protection, low voltage protection, atomiser protection and resistance detection.

Personalised Vaporiser (PV) – A commonly used alternate name for an electronic cigarette.

Propylene Glycol (PG) – One of the two main liquid ingredients used in making e-juice.

Priming – Dripping a few drops of e-juice onto the cotton wick of a new coil before activating the fire button to avoid dry burn. Allowing the coil to sit and soak up the e-juice for a few minutes also avoids dry burn. Another option to prime is to pull/puff on the mouthpiece without activating the fire button.  

The below abbreviations probably will not interest the beginner but are worth noting for future reference.

RBA – Rebuildable atomiser

RDA – Rebuildable dripping atomiser

RDTA – Rebuildable dripping tank atomiser

RTA – Rebuildable tank atomiser

RSST – Rebuildable stainless steel tank

Sliding – The term used for when a traditional tobacco cigarette smoker also vapes but in time reduces the dual use of tobacco cigarettes and electronic cigarettes in favour of E-cig use only.

Spitback – This occurs when some e-juice is drawn into the vaper’s mouth while drawing on the mouthpiece. This is unpleasant but can be avoided by modifying settings on the device and or changing the puffing technique. Cannot be avoided with some inferior quality devices.

Starter Kit – For beginners, purchasing a starter kit is probably the best option when entering the new world of vaping. Starter kits usually contain all that a beginner requires. For example, the popular Espion Solo Vape starter kit includes the Espion Solo vape box mod, 1 x atomiser, 2 x atomiser heads, 1 x spare glass tank, 1 x 18650 sleeve for the spare battery, 1 x USB cable for charging, the operation manual, spare parts and safety and warranty information cards.

Stealth Vaping – When a vaper vapes so as not to draw attention by exhaling small amounts of vapour or using smaller devices that don’t produce clouds. Some devices include a Stealth Mode in the settings.

Sweet Spot – The highest level of personal vaping satisfaction achieved by gaining just the perfect combination of temperature and resistance, the right vaping device, the best flavoured e-juice with the right PG/VG ratio, correct air flow and or the right personal puffing action.

Threading – The term used to describe the style of thread used to fit the atomiser onto the battery section of the e-cigarette. Most e-cigs use the 510 thread (male thread) which was developed by the Joyetech company and quickly became the industry standard for vaping devices. The 901 thread is also used in vaping devices but is not compatible with the 510 as the 910 is a female thread.

Throat Hit – Unlike the lung hit the throat hit is the feeling experienced when the vapour hits the throat similar to the feeling of smoking a tobacco cigarette.

Toot – Another term for the pull, draw or puff on an e-cigarette/vape.

Unprotected battery – Any type of battery that has no protection from thermal runaway or overcharging. Avoid unprotected batteries.

Vape – An electrical cigarette or e-cig.

Vaper – The commonly used name of someone who uses an electronic cigarette/e-cig/vape. Someone who vapes.

Vaping – Similar to smoking a cigarette but instead vaping an electronic cigarette/e-cig/vape.

Vaporiser -- A personal vaporiser (PV), e-cig or vaping device.

Vapour – The result of the e-juice being atomised by heat in the e-cig then inhaled and exhaled to produce steamy fog like clouds resembling smoke.

Vegetable Glycerin (VG) – One of the base ingredients in e-juice. It is clear, colourless and odourless and has a sweet taste. The higher percentage ratio of VG to PG (propylene glycol) produces larger clouds of vapour.

Voltage – The amount of electrical energy provided from the battery.

Variable Voltage (VV) – Some e-cig devices incorporate adjustable voltage for the vaper to create their own amount of heat to the coil.

Variable Wattage (VW) – An adjustment in many e-cigs that allows for variable control of the wattage output of the device.

Watt (Wattage) – A measurement of the units of power e.g. one Watt = one Joule per second. The measurement of power used to heat the atomiser coil. The higher wattage produces larger amounts of vapour (bigger clouds) but can lessen the flavour of the juice.

Wick – The wick is the material that is wrapped around the heating coil to absorb the e-juice prior to being heated to create the vapour. Wicks can be made of organic cotton, silica, hemp, ceramics, stainless steel mesh or fibreglass. Silica cord is the most commonly used material due to its ability to withstand high temperatures.

Wire – The material used to wrap around the coil containing the absorbent wick.

Wrap – The process of wrapping wire around a coil using a tool such as a screwdriver, drill bit or similar. One wrap equals one revolution of wire around a coil.