Adults only (21+)

Vaping Jargon Guide

A

ADV: this is an abbreviation for All Day Vape which refers to e-liquid that one can vape repeatedly — or all day — and not tire of using.

Advanced Personal Vaporizer (APV): these are modified e-cigs or mods that have a regulated variable voltage or variable wattage.

Airflow: the amount of air that goes into a tank or atomizer. More airflow equals more vapor, and less airflow equals more intense flavor, but less vapor.

Airflow control (AFC): a small screw, or dial, or screw on atomizers on tanks. It is used to adjust the drag of an e-cig.

Alien coil: a coil that is similar to a Clapton coil but the wrap is in an “S” pattern. Generally considered the most flavorful of coils.

Amps: this is short for amperage. It refers to the strength of an electrical current. Batteries with high amperes are compatible with sub-ohm devices because they can handle low resistance without overheating.

Analog: A traditional cigarette

Aqueous Glycerin: VG liquid which has been thinned with iodized water, making it less viscous.

Ass juice: slang for e-juice that tastes bad or rancid. Avoid vaping this e-juice.

Atomizer: also abbreviated Atty. Refers to the area of an e-cig that houses the coils and wicks.

Automatic: an automatic is an e-cig that lacks a firing button and instead powers up when you take a draw.

 

B

Bathtub eliquid: Eliquid mixed in an unsanitary facility that is not ISO certified nor could be

BCC: short for Bottom Coil Clearomizer. The coils of BCC atomizers sit at the bottom of the tank.

BDC: bottom Dual Coil Clearomizer. Has two coils sitting at the bottom of the tank.

Blanks: clearomizers or t that have no e-juice and are designed to be refilled with user’s e-juice.

Borro: The tank associated with a Billet Box that holds juice and the Bridge

Box mod: MODs that are shaped like boxes. Their batteries may or may not be removable. They can either be mechanical or regulated.

B&M: short for Brick and Mortar. Refers to a physical store where you can buy vape devices, vape equipment and e-juice.

Breathing: leaving e-liquid exposed to air so that alcohol content vaporizes and the liquid is mellowed.

Bridge: A type of atomizer for a Billet Box Mod.

Burner: A traditional cigarette.

BVC: Bottom Vertical Clearomizer. The coils at the bottom of the tank are arranged in a vertical configuration to improve airflow.

 

C

Cig-a-like: e-cigs that are designed to look and feel like the traditional cigarette.

Cap: Capella flavoring company for DIY eliquid flavors

Car Adapter: a vape device charger that connects to the car lighter.

Cartridge: also known as cart. Refers to the mouthpiece made of poly-fill which holds the liquid used to create vapor on some e-cigs.

Cartomizer or carto: an atomizer and cartridge in one. They allow for longer vape time compared to atomizers, hold more e-juice and are longer than atomizers.

Chuckin: The act of blowing clouds of vapor

Clapton coil: a coil made of a core of wire tightly wrapped by thinner gauge wire. Considered the most basic of vaping coils.

Clearomizer: also known as clearo. Refers to a cartomizer that is made of clear material such as glass or plastic to enable the user to see the amount of e-juice in their vape device.

Clouds: the vapor that you exhale after taking draws from a vape device.

Coil: the part of an atomizer that heats up and vaporizes e-juice.

Coil jig: a calibrated metal that looks like a screw driver. This metal is used to get the desired width you need as you make loops when you are building your own coils.

Coil winder: stainless steel tool for manually wrapping coils.

Connection: the type of threading your vape device uses for the atomizer.

Custom mod: a handmade vape device made from assembled household items.

Cutoff: the time that you can take a drag from an e-cig before it powers off to prevent overheating. Normally. Cutoff time is 10-15 minutes for most e-cigs.

 

D

Deck: a flat base area on an atomizer where the positive and negative poles sit on a rebuildable atomizer.

Dewick: removing a wick/wicks from an atomizer

Diacetyl: a buttery flavoring used in e-liquid production. It is an allergen that can cause Bronchiolitis.

Disposable e-cigarettes: non rechargeable e-cigs that you get rid of once they die out.

Draw: taking a puff/inhaling vapor to your mouth through the mouthpiece.

DIY: short for Do It Yourself

Dripping: refilling e-juice by dripping a few drops straight to the coils of an atomizer.

Drip shield: an external cover that you put in the atomizer to catch leaked e-juice and bring it back to the atomizer.

Drip tips: these are mouthpieces

Dry burn: firing an atomizer until the coil glows red so as to burn dried up e-juice residue.

Dry hit: the drag that you take off a vaping device that has no e-juice.

 

E

E-cig: abbreviation for an e-cigarette.

EDC: Every Day Carry referring to a MOD that is easy and convenient to carry

E-juice: the liquid that is vaporized in an atomizer to produce vapor and flavor. Also known as e-liquid.

eGo: an e-cig model that is larger than most vape pens and uses a 510 connection, eGo threading, or both.

eGo threading: the standard threading used in eGo cartomizers.

Ekowool: braided silica used to make wicks

Electronic cigar: an e-cig that looks like and feels like a Cuban cigar.

 

F

Flavor ghosting: tasting the previous flavor of e-juice that you were using, after changing to another flavor

Flooding: occurs when you put too much liquid in your atomizer that it produces a gurgling sound when you take a draw.

Forums: online communities where vapers share news and ideas.

Fralien: Framed Alien coils consisting of 2 larger gauge wires that frame smaller gauge core wires.

Fraple Coil: Framed Staple coil consisting of two round wires that frame the cores of ribbon wire (Staple)

Fuse: a fuse that is designed specifically for mechanical mods to prevent battery failure.

Fused Clapton: a Clapton coil that has two or more core wires instead of one like the regular Clapton coil.

 

G

Genesis atomizer: instead of using silica or cotton for wicking, a genesis style atomizer uses steel mesh. E-juice is delivered to the coils through osmosis.

Ghosting: using an e-cig to produce very little vapor by holding in a hit until the exhale is nearly invisible.

Golden Greek: abbreviated GG. Refers to a brand of quality mechanical mods that come from Greece.

Glassomizer: a clearomizer with a glass tank as opposed to a plastic one.

Gooseneck: a flexible extended mouthpiece on your PV that resembles the neck of a goose. This extension comes in a range of colors and sizes.

Grub screw: a screw in atomizer posts that has a pointed tip to secure wires better.

 

H

Heat steeping: speeding up the steeping process by putting e-juice in hot water or in a hot environment.

High resistance: an atomizer with a higher Ohm reading than the standard one, which allows vaping in high voltage.

Hit: inhalation of vapor.

Hot spots: parts of a coil that glow brighter than others when the coil is fired up due to uneven wrapping. They cause dry hits.

HV: shorthand for High Voltage. Refers to vape devices that use more than 3.7 volts.

Hybrid: A Mod that allows the atomizer 510 pin to make direct contact with the battery.

 

I

Inception coil: a type of coil that has a nano coil inside a macro coil, both made from continuous wire.

Inhale: breathing in vapor from a vape device into your lungs or mouth.

 

J

Juice: another name for e-juice or e-liquid.

 

K

Kanthal: a type of wire used to make vape coils.

Kennedy: A popular US made Mechanical Mod. Roundhouse, Ruby & Kennedy Vindicator

Kick: a term that describes throat hit or a chip made for mechanical PVs that converts them into variable voltage/wattage devices.

 

L

Leaking: when e-juice leaks out of the vape devices tank. This can damage the battery or short circuit your device.

LED: a light on the ends of e-cigs that glows like the traditional cigarette once you take a draw.

Li-Po: Lithium Polymer battery. 2S battery pack means that there are 2 cell lipo batteries in Series (S). A 2S battery provides ~7.4V, a three-cell (3S) pack ~11.1V, and a 4S ~ 14.8V

Li-Ion: Lithium-Ion batteries. They are high quality, rechargeable, and they come in a range of shapes and sizes.

Low resistance: refers to vape devices that have coils with a resistance of less than 1.5 ohms. This low resistance is meant to increase vapor production but at the expense of your battery's life.

 

M

mAh: milliampere-hour. It is the battery's capacity to store energy. The higher the mAh, the longer a battery lasts before recharge.

Manual: an e-cig that is powered up by pressing a switch.

Mech: Short for Mechanical Mod

Mechanical mod / Mech Mod: a vaping device that has no electric wirings or regulating chips.

MG strength: the amount of nicotine per milligram, in one milliliter of e-juice. Used to denote nicotine strength.

Micro coil: a tightly wrapped coil with a short radius where all the loops touch.

Mini vapes: small and stealthier models of e-cigs.

Mods: vape devices that are designed to optimize the experience of vapers. They have larger batteries which guarantee longer life and put off the need for a recharge but at the expense of size and portability.

Mouthpiece: ends through which you inhale vapor from your device.

Mouth to lung (MTL): a method of vaping which is much similar to smoking a traditional tobacco cigarette. You inhale vapor straight from your mouth and hold it there before inhaling it to your lungs. This method conveys less vapor and more flavor.

MV: Multi-Voltage devices are vaping devices that have different and selectable voltages.

 

N

Nic juice: e-juice that has nicotine.

Nicotine level: the amount of nicotine present in e-juice.

Nic salts: processed nicotine that is used in e-juices as opposed to freebase nicotine. Nic salts allow you to vape high nicotine levels without getting a harsh throat hit.

NiChrome wire: an alloy of Nickel and Chromium that is used to make coils for high wattage vaping.

Noob: a beginner/newbie in vaping.

 

O

Ohm: the SI unit for electrical resistance. Low ohm in coils produces dense cloud and hotter vapor while high ohm produces a better flavor.

Organic cotton: the most popular material used in wicking.

 

P

Pass through: an e-cig model that can be used while the device is charging or one that has no batteries and is instead powered up by plugging a USB cable in a computer, adapter, or power bank.

PCC: Personal/Portable Charging Case. It refers to a case used for storage and charging of cig-a-likes. It has an internal battery that charges from external power sources.

Pen style: pen shaped e-cigs like the ones found in starter kits.

PG: Propylene Glycerol. It is one of the two base substances used to make e-liquids. It has a high viscosity, and it is also used to make foodstuff.

PMTA: Pre-Market Tobacco Authorization is required by the FDA for all vape products produced after AUG 2016

Primer liquid: also known as "primer." It is a VG based solution that you apply to your wicks and coils during storage to prevent them from drying up.

Priming: adding few drops of e-liquid to the wicks till they reach saturation and letting them sit for a few minutes before you vape.

PV: short for personal vaporizer. It is another name for nontraditional cig-a-likes and mods. It also can also be used to refer to a personal vaping device.

 

R

RangerVapes.com: The best online vape shop

Rebuildables: atomizers that allow users to build their own coils. Also known as RBAs

RDA: Rebuildable Drip Atomizer. An atomizer that allows you to build your own coils but lacks a storage tank for e-juice, so you drip the juice directly to the wicks.

Resistance: the electrical resistance of a coil.

Resistance wire: the wire used to make coils, such as Kanthal.

RTA: Rebuildable Tank Atomizer. A rebuildable that has a tank for e-juice storage.

 

S

Sensor: an electronic device that senses when a user takes a puff and sends power to the atomizer, eliminating the need for a firing button.

SFC: Staggered Fused Clapton.

Sled: A way to machine build coils using a sliding sled (Daedalus Pro)

Sledder: A coil builder who passes their coils off as handmade when they are actually sled coils.

Smoke juice: another name for e-juice.

Smokeless cigarette: e-cigs that do not produce vapor.

Squonk: A term coined by Jack Murray to describe an altered 510 pin placed in an RDA that allows eliquid to feed into the juice well from an attached bottle.

SSFC: Staggered Staple Fused Clapton.

Staggered: When a coil builder places a wire thickness gap in the fuse of a coil.

Staple: A type of coil where the core is made up of stacked ribbon.

Starter kit: packages which you can find in vape stores. They have everything that you need to begin vaping such as an e-cig, an atomizer, a charger, and pre-filled cartridges.

Steeping: allowing the ingredients of your e-juice to settle by letting it sit in the open for a number of hours.

Strum: The act of scraping a coil to allow the protective/insulating qualities of an alloy properly form to prevent coil hotspots.

Sub-ohming: vaping below 1.0 ohms. Vapers use this vaping style because of its ability to produce dense clouds.

Sweet spot: what you achieve after vaping on the perfect vape which is a combination of the right: e-juice, voltage, nicotine level, and vape device.

 

T

Tank: enclosures that hold e-liquid in a vape device.

TC: Temperature control

TCR: Temperature Coefficient of Resistance

TFA: The Flavor Apprentice flavoring company for DIY eliquid flavors

Thermal runway: overheating of lithium batteries as a result of stacking, overcharging, physical damage or faulty wiring.

Throat hit: the feeling that you get when vapor hits your throat.

THR: short for Tobacco Harm Reduction. Refers to actions taken towards supplying less harmful nicotine products as alternatives to combusting traditional cigarettes.

Toot: slang for taking a draw from a vape device.

Topping off: adding a few drops of e-juice to your cartomizer or tank to fill it to capacity.

Torii Wicks: 100% Japanese Organic cotton processed with no chemicals. If you can find it, buy it!

Tiger coil: a coil made with regular Kanthal twisted with ribbon wire.

TPA: The Perfumer's Apprentice flavoring company for DIY eliquid flavors

U

Unprotected battery: a battery that has no protection for overcharging or situations that can cause a thermal runway. Some unprotected batteries are made with chemical materials that do not have a violent reaction.

USB passthrough: a setting of a vape device that allows one to vape as it charges through the USB port.

 

V

Vaper: anyone who uses e-cigs.

Vaper’s tongue: desensitization of one’s tongue due to use of too much of one flavor. Also, it refers to a tingling sensation on the tongue after vaping for long hours.

Vaper's Toungue Remedy: Place 1tsp of coffee grounds in your mouth and suck on them for 30-60sec. 

Vaping: the act of using an e-cig.

Vent holes: small holes in the battery area that prevent overheating and thermal runway.

Vaporizer: another name for e-cig.

Vapor production: the amount of vapor that a certain device or e-liquid produces.

VG: short for Vegetable Glycerin. It is one of the two base ingredients used to make e-juices. It produces dense clouds due to its low viscosity.

Voltage: the electrical potential of a battery.

Vooping: The act of pooping while vaping

VV: Variable voltage. Refers to any vape device allows users to adjust the voltage they vape on.

VW: Variable Wattage. Refers to the devices that allow users to adjust the wattage output.

 

W

Wattage: the amount of power that an atomizer coil consumes. High wattages help in vapor production. However, they diminish flavor.

Wick: Typically a cotton material that is inserted into the coil. It soaks up e-liquid for vaporization. Most wicks are made from organic cotton while some are made from silica.

Wrap: the number of loops made when making a coil. Many wraps make the coil’s resistance high.

Numbers

Battery numbering system: Using an 18650 as an example:
18: 18mm diameter
65: 65mm long
0: Battery shape is round

2S Found on LIPO battery pack means that there are 2 lipo batteries, cells, in Series (S). A 2S battery provides ~7.4V, a three-cell (3S) pack ~11.1V, and a 4S ~14.8V

21700: Very popular battery due to its high amperage ratings. Its name is derived from its size. It has a 21mm diameter, and it is 70mm long.

20700: this is the type of battery used for some mods. Its name is derived from its size. It has a 20mm diameter, and it is 70mm long.

26650: these batteries are used for sub-ohm vaping. They are the largest sized vape batteries used in advanced e-cigs and PVs.

306: a disposable atomizer that has a low resistance and uses the same threading as a 510 atomizer. This atomizer has greater vapor production than the 510 atomizers.

401, 402, and 403: types of e-cigs that look alike but they use different battery sizes. The 401 is the longest and 403 is the shortest.

510: the 510 is the most common and arguably, the most popular atomizer style. Its threading is the industry standard, and that's why most manufacturers use this style for atomizers, tanks, clearomizers, and cartomizers. If you need to chase the threads use a M7x0.5.

16340: this is the smallest battery. It is used in advanced cigarettes.

18350: these batteries are popular because they support stealth vaping. Because they are very small, advanced vapers prefer them.

18500: compared to the 18350s, 18500s are larger in size and they have a slightly longer battery life. They are disliked because their large size requires larger battery cases, taking up a lot of space, which is not worth a small increase in mAh.

18650: this is the industry standard vaping battery and also, the most popular. They are less bulky, and they give off adequate power for vape devices.