Vaping Glossary: The Terms You Need to Know

VapeCloud is creating a vaping glossary just for you. The vaping lingo can be quite a headache for new vapers, so we will cover most common and least common vaping terms to help you navigate in your vaping journey. 

What is vape? Vape is short for vaporizer or vaporizing, it refers to the act of inhaling vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device. In order to vape, you must be at least 18 years old. Vape has been used as one of the ways to stop smoking.

E-liquid or E-juice or Vape Juice is the fluid used in vaping that is heated to produce vapor. It typically contains nicotine, flavorings, and a base liquid such as propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerin (VG). The PG/VG ratio can determine the thickness of the vapor in every puff. 

Tank as the part of a vape device that holds the e-liquid. It usually includes a coil (heating element) that vaporizes the liquid. It can come in big size and with plastic or glass, there is also stainless steel or acrylic. The stainless steel and glass are the most prevalent due to their durability, heat resistance, and compatibility with various e-liquids.

Pod Cartridges: Instead of a tank, vape pods use pod cartridges, which are small plastic or metal containers that hold the e-liquid. These cartridges usually have built-in coils or coil heads and may be refillable or disposable. Check out our recommendation of vape pods with refillable cartridges that you can explore.

Coil A heating element made of wire that vaporizes the e-liquid when electricity passes through it. Coils need to be replaced periodically if you are using a vape pod system or vape mod. But if you are using disposable vape, you don’t have to worry much about the coil because you can just dispose of it as soon as the liquid is done. To understand more about vape coil, you can check our blog on types and differences of vape coils.

Mod or vape mod: Short for modification, it refers to the main body of a vaping device that houses the battery and electronics. Mods can be regulated (adjustable wattage or temperature) or unregulated (mechanical). Usually those who enjoy customizing their vape device use vape mod. You need more knowledge on several vaping tool kits to use vape mod. You can use freebase e-liquid for this vape device.

Disposable vape is a vape device that comes pre-charged and pre-filled with a rich, flavorsome e-liquid and are ready to vape straight from the packaging.

 

A vape pod, often referred to as a pod system or pod mod, is a type of e-cigarette or vaping device that uses refillable or replaceable pods instead of traditional tanks or atomizers. You will also hear pod system as another name for this device.

Nicotine Strength is the concentration of nicotine in e-liquid, often measured in milligrams per milliliter (mg/ml). Common strengths range from 0mg/ml (nicotine-free) to 50mg/ml or higher for some salt nicotine formulations. In New Zealand, the limited nicotine strength is 28.5mg.

Drip Tip is the mouthpiece of a vape tank or dripper (RDA). Drip tips come in various shapes and sizes and can affect the vaping experience.

Ohm is a unit of electrical resistance. In vaping, ohms refer to the resistance of the coil. Lower ohm coils produce more vapor and warmth, while higher ohm coils provide a cooler vape with less vapor. Vape mods usually use coils with under 1.0 ohm resistance. Sometimes referred to as 'sub ohm' coils and are suitable for a direct-to-lung vaping style. 

Sub-ohm refers to coils with a resistance below 1 ohm. Sub-ohm vaping is popular for producing large clouds of vapor and intense flavor. Usually it is used in bigger vape devices like vape mods.

Mouth-to-Lung (MTL) is a vaping style where vapor is first drawn into the mouth before inhaling into the lungs, similar to smoking a traditional cigarette.

Direct Lung (DL) is a vaping style where vapor is directly inhaled into the lungs, bypassing the mouth, creating larger clouds.

Stealth Vaping is a term that means vaping discreetly. It is often done by using smaller devices like vape pods or techniques to minimize vapor production.

Dry Burn means firing a coil without e-liquid to burn off residue and clean the coil.

 

Vape Mod and Vape Pod Terms

Wicking is a process of saturating the coil's wick with e-liquid to ensure proper vaporization. Usually it can take 10 to 15 minutes to allow the e-liquid soaked perfectly to the coil. You can then vape as normal.

Squonking is using a squonk mod, which has a built-in bottle to feed e-liquid directly to the atomizer, eliminating the need for dripping.

Nichrome (NiChrome) is a type of resistance wire used in coils, known for its quick ramp-up time and stable performance. Other materials for coils can include stainless steel and kanthal. Read more on types of coils in our post.

Pass-through is a feature on some vape devices that allows vaping while the device is charging. VUSE ePod is one of the vape devices that allows this.

Temperature Coefficient of Resistance (TCR) is a setting on some advanced mods that allows users to fine-tune the temperature control of their coils based on the wire material used.

 

E-liquid Terms

Propylene Glycol (PG) is a common base liquid used in e-liquids that carries flavor and provides a throat hit.

Vegetable Glycerin (VG) is another base liquid used in e-liquids, VG produces vapor and contributes to the e-liquid's sweetness and smoothness. E-liquid that is higher in PG usually delivers stronger throat hits while e-liquid that is higher in VG can have denser clouds.

 PG/VG: These are abbreviations for propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG), which are the two primary base liquids used in e-liquids. PG provides throat hit and flavor, while VG produces vapor and sweetness.

Nicotine is a stimulant found in tobacco plants, nicotine is often added to e-liquids in varying concentrations (measured in milligrams per milliliter, mg/ml). It is highly addictive and you must meet legal age for vaping and smoking to consume this.

Flavorings are various food-grade flavorings that are added to e-liquids to create different tastes, ranging from fruits and desserts to menthol and tobacco flavors.

Freebase Nicotine is the standard form of nicotine used in most e-liquids, typically found in concentrations ranging from 0mg/ml (nicotine-free) to 18mg/ml or higher. Vape mods usually use freebase nicotine e-liquid. Not only that, freebase e-liquids are commonly high in VG ratio concentration, which makes it ideal for creating thicker clouds for those who vape for socializing. 

Salt Nicotine (Nicotine Salts) is a type of nicotine formulation that provides a smoother throat hit and faster nicotine absorption, commonly found in higher concentrations (20mg/ml to 50mg/ml) suitable for pod systems. Those who are making transition from vaping to smoking are suggested to try salt nicotine e-liquids for its strong nicotine hit that’s similar to smoking.

Steeping is  a process that allows e-liquids to sit and mature over time to enhance flavor and blend the ingredients more thoroughly.

Max VG is a term used for e-liquids with a high concentration of vegetable glycerin (usually 70% VG or higher), producing dense clouds and a smoother vape.

Throat Hit is the sensation of a slight "kick" or irritation at the back of the throat when vaping, often desired by former smokers for a more cigarette-like experience. That’s why it is often suggested that ex-smokers can try salt nic e-liquids to achieve their desired throat hit before gradually decreasing their nicotine strength.

DIY E-liquid is the process of creating e-liquids at home by mixing base liquids (PG, VG), nicotine, flavorings, and optional additives to customize the vaping experience. Some of the products are freebase nicotine mixer, Nicotine doubler, and nicotine shot.

Conclusion

Knowing some vaping lingo can help you in your journey of smoking cessation to vaping. Understanding which words to use can also help you while socializing with vapers and getting to know more about which vape products to try and more suitable to your need. You don't have to remember all the words of course, getting to know these words will eventually comes natural to you. Check out our other blog posts to learn more about vaping, or purchase your vape devices with 10% discount now! Use ENJOY10 at check out and happy vaping!