E Cigarette Terminology
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.
Analog: Slang term for a tobacco cigarette.
Atomizer, Atty: Reusable component of an e-cigarette that produces vapor in conjunction with a liquid-filled disposable cartridge.
Automatic Battery: An e-cigarette battery with a puff sensor or flexible membrane. Generates vapor automatically when the user puffs on the e-cigarette.
Bottom Feeder: An e-cigarette mod with a built-in e-liquid tank that feeds e-liquid through the bottom of the atomizer or cartomizer, keeping it wet without the need to constantly refill.
Bridge: Steel mesh component, shaped like a reverse “U,” at the top of an atomizer. Draws e-liquid from the cartridge to the heating coil. Some remove this component because it has little use for dripping.
Cartomizer, Carto: E-cigarette component containing both e-liquid and the heating coil needed to vaporize it. Combination of the words “cartridge” and “atomizer” for the two components referenced.
CASAA: Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association (casaa.org). Nonprofit organization in favor of government regulators creating a new “reduced harm” product category for e-cigarettes.
Chimney: sometimes used to describe the central air channel up through a clearomizer or tank.
Clearomizer, Clearo: Cartomizer with a clear plastic or glass shell.
Coil: a kanthal or nichrome wire that heats up the e-liquid to produce the vapor in an e-cigarette.
Cut-Off: Function in an e-cigarette battery or mod that shuts the device off after several consecutive seconds of use to avoid overheating.
Dripping: to drip liquid over an e-cigarette atomizer before using the e-cigarette. Requires constant addition of e-liquid to keep the atomizer coil wet, but produces a great deal of vapor and flavor.
Drip Well: A deep recess around the threading of an e-cigarette, intended to catch excess e-liquid that leaks out of the atomizer or cartomizer.
Dry Hit: The harsh, unpleasant sensation experienced when puffing on an e-cigarette nearly exhausted of e-liquid.
Dual Coil: A cartomizer with two heating coils rather than one. Theoretically produces up to double the vapor of a standard cartomizer.
eGo: An extremely popular e-cigarette model largely due to its high-capacity battery, often rated at 1000 mAh or more. Supports a wide variety of third-party atomizers and cartomizers.
E-Hookah, Hookah Pen: Term used by some e-cigarette sellers in an attempt to divert regulatory attention. May also refer to actual e-hookahs.
E-Liquid, E-Juice, Smoke Juice: Various terms for the flavored nicotine liquid vaporized by an e-cigarette.
Flooding: Adding more e-liquid to an atomizer or cartomizer than its reservoir or filler material can hold, causing excess e-liquid to leak out the bottom.
Gurgling: a sign too much refill has been added or it has obstructed the central air channel in the head.
mAh: Milliampere hour. Measures the total capacity of a battery on a full charge. For standard e-cigarette batteries, you can expect approximately one puff for every two mAh.
Manual Battery: An e-cigarette battery with a button for activation. The button must be held down when puffing on the e-cigarette. Some find that this results in better vapor production.
MG: The amount of nicotine contained in each ML of e-liquid. Also measured as a percentage; an e-liquid containing 18 MG of nicotine per ML contains 1.8% of total nicotine.
Mod: An e-cigarette with a shape other than that of a tobacco cigarette. Standard mod shapes include boxes and wide tubes.
Ohms: Measures resistance, or the amount of current restricted by an atomizer or cartomizer. If everything else is equal, a lower-resistance atomizer or cartomizer produces a greater amount of power in watts than a higher-resistance attachment, thus generating more vapor.
O Ring: A circular seal usually made from silicone, nitrile or other synthetic rubber-like materials. O-rings are widely used in ecigs to provide a sliding fit with a good liquid seal.
Pass-Through: An e-cigarette battery that can be used while charging, usually by drawing power from a USB port.
PCC: Portable charging case. An e-cigarette carrying case with an internal battery for charging dead e-cigarette batteries without a power source.
Priming: 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.
Propylene Glycol, PG: Commonly used as a base liquid for e-liquids as well as in cosmetics and foods.
PV: Personal vaporizer. Often used by people who feel the term “e-cigarette” inaccurately associates e-cigarettes with tobacco products.
Rebuildable Atomizer, RBA: An e-cigarette atomizer with components designed to be replaced by the user. For advanced e-smokers only.
Resistance: See Ohms.
Stacking: Using multiple batteries in an e-cigarette mod to achieve a higher total voltage. Evidence suggests this can be potentially dangerous.
Stealth Vaping: The art of vaping undetected in a situation where it may not be approved .
Steeping: Allowing a bottle of e-liquid to remain unused for days or weeks after receiving it. Some believe this results in better flavor development.
Sub Ohm: sub-ohm vaping is using an atomizer coil (or multi-coil group) of a resistance measuring below 1 ohm (so, ‘sub-1-ohm’).
Tank: Part where ejuice is held. Usually contains a coil and has many different sizes.
Throat Hit, TH: The sensation one feels in the back of the throat when vaporizing juice that contains nicotine. Because nicotine is a large contributing factor to throat hit, when a juice that contains zero nicotine is vaporized there is little throat hit.
Tobacco Harm Reduction, THR: Products or actions intended to lower the risks associated with using tobacco. (Read more: Wikipedia)
TVECA: Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association (tveca.com). E-cigarette industry association founded with the goal of ensuring that governments do not regulate e-cigarettes without knowing the facts derived from scientific studies.
Vapers 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.
Vape, Vaping: Slang term for the use of e-cigarettes, similar to “smoking.”
Variable-Voltage, VV: An e-cigarette with the ability to adjust its vapor production by changing voltage. Variable-wattage e-cigarettes are also available.
Vegetable Glycerin, VG: Base liquid used in conjunction with, or instead of, propylene glycol in e-liquids.