It has been a long time since vaping has become part of our everyday terminology. In fact, since the word “vape” was named Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year back in 2014, it has since gathered steam (pun intended) and has brought along with it a whole other world of terminologies and slang. With every passing year, the glossary continues to expand. Here, we will show you the general terms that you will come across, and a bit more of what is part of the e-cigarette etymology. There’s quite a lot here, but this is merely touching the surface of the variety of terms out there.
Common Terms You Will Come Across
Let’s start you slowly, and show you the basics. You will definitely come across the following three terms:
- E-cig / E-cigarette: Abbreviation of electronic cigarette.
- E-liquid: The fluid used within electronic cigarettes, which can come with or without nicotine, in a variety of strengths and flavours.
- Vaping: Inhaling and exhaling the vapour made by an E-cigarette.
What Are the Official Vaping Terms?
These are some of the proper vaping terms you might find listed on your e-cigarette package, including the components of an E-cigarette and the mixers, as well as what you may find as key features on your E-cigarette. Some of the key ones include the following (and are listed in alphabetical order):
- Adjustable Airflow: A screw or dial that adjusts the airflow into a tank during inhalation, which affects the amount of vapour and flavour.
- AG (Aqueous Glycerine): Pharmaceutical grade VG (Vegetable Glycerine) that has been thinned to make it a similar viscosity to PG (Propylene Glycol). AG creates more vapour than PG and adds some sweetness to the vapour.
- Analogue: A term for traditional tobacco cigarettes.
- Burning: This occurs if the coil gets too hot without enough e-liquid. When the coil is burnt, it needs replacing.
- Cartridge/Cart: The mouthpiece part that contains fibre that holds the e-liquid.
- Coil: A coil of wire that acts as a heating element and is located inside the steel coil body.
- DDA (Direct Drip Atomizer): An atomizer that has no e-liquid tank which requires topping up with e-liquid through a Drip Tip.
- Drip Tip: A mouthpiece with a wide bore to drop e-liquid to refresh the coil of a DDA.
- Dry Hit: If the wicking material is dry or has dried out due to lack of e-liquid you receive a “dry hit,” which can be an unpleasant burnt taste or a sudden and intense heat at the back of the throat.
- Direct to lung (DTL): In contrast to Mouth to Lung vaping, DTL vaping is the vapour inhaled to the lung without being held in the mouth.
- Japanese Cotton: A natural wicking material that uses no chemicals or bleaches in its production.
- Micro USB: Most E-cigarettes have a Micro USB port to charge the battery.
- Mixing: Blending one or more flavoured e-liquids with each other.
- Mouth to lung (MTL): Where the vapour is inhaled into the mouth and held before being drawn into the lung.
- Ohm (Ω): The indication of the resistance measurement of the heating coil.
- Pen-style (or “vape pen”): An E-cigarette that looks similar to a pen, which is a common starting point for many users.
- PG (Propylene Glycol): A diluent used for mixing your own liquid, which produces less vapour than VG.
- Tank: The top of an e-cigarette that connects to the battery, contains the atomizer and e-liquid. Usually has a removable or a fitted mouthpiece on the top.
- Vape Pod: A simple to use, all-in-one vaping device consisting of an in-built battery with a disposable ‘closed system’ cartridge/pod housing the atomizer head and e-liquid.
- VG (Vegetable Glycerine): This is diluent for people who mix their own liquid. VG produces more vapour than PG (Propylene Glycol) and adds a little sweetness to the mix.
- Wicking Material: This normally consists of cotton, or Silica wick, which is less common.
- 510: The screw thread cut. It is the most common thread pattern used on e-cigarettes which aid cross-compatibility of components and refers to the compatibility of mouthpieces and the connection at the top of the tank.
- 510 Mouthpiece: Tanks with a 510 fitting mouthpiece are interchangeable with another 510 mouthpieces allowing for personalisation and customisation.
What Are Slang Terms for Vaping?
When it comes to starting your vaping journey, then might be a bunch of Returns that you’ve never come across before. let’s show you some of these slang terms so you can get your head around them:
- APV (Advanced Personal Vapouriser): Advanced Personal Vapouriser is one of many terms used as an alternative for more modern electronic cigarettes.
- Atty: short for atomiser.
- Boxies: Vapers who prefer Box Mods (A Box Mod vape is bigger than other vaporizers and allows users to customize it).
- Cigalike: An e-cig that resembles a tobacco cigarette.
- Dipping: This is where you dip an atomiser into e-juice before vaping.
- Dripping: Where the e-liquid is poured directly onto the coil.
- Squonking: The action of squeezing a bottle of e-liquid directly attached to the coil in your mod.
- Throat Hit: The sensation of nicotine at the back of the throat.
- Vapeaversary: The day you changed from smoking to vaping.
- Vaper’s Tongue: Refers to a loss of taste, either suddenly going off a flavour or losing all taste for flavours.
- Venting: When gases are released via the vent holes from the e-cig battery.
- Zero Nic: E-Liquid or cartridges containing no nicotine.
There are so many different terms for vaping, and it is always a work in progress. There are going to be new terms added all the time, which is how language evolves. Somebody starts to talk about e-cigarettes in a unique and quirky way, and before you know it, a little term catches on in a social circle, which then makes its way onto the internet, which somebody else likes, and then this is how language evolves. So wherever you are, and whatever you call it, there are plenty of vaping terms to go around.