Glossary of Vaping TermsUpdated 15 days ago
A–C
Atomizer: The heating component of a vape device. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with coil or tank.
Box Mod: A larger, box-shaped vape device with adjustable settings (wattage, temperature). Designed to be paired with a separate tank.
Cartomizer: An older term for a combined coil and cartridge unit. Mostly replaced by pods and tanks.
Clearomizer: A clear tank/coil unit. Most modern tanks are clearomizers.
Cloud Chasing: The practice of producing large vapor clouds, typically using high-powered sub-ohm setups.
Coil: The heating element inside a tank or pod. Made of resistance wire wrapped around cotton wicking material.
D–F
Direct Lung (DL): An inhalation style where vapor is breathed directly into the lungs in one motion — like taking a deep breath. Used with sub-ohm devices.
Disposable: A single-use (or limited-use rechargeable) vape device that comes pre-filled and requires no setup.
Dry Hit: A harsh, burnt-tasting hit that occurs when the coil fires without enough e-liquid saturating the wick.
E-Liquid / Vape Juice / E-Juice: The liquid vaporized by a vape device. Made of PG, VG, flavor, and optional nicotine.
M–N
Mod: Short for "modification" — originally referred to modified flashlight batteries used in early vaping. Now refers to the battery component of a vape setup.
Mouth to Lung (MTL): An inhalation style where vapor is drawn into the mouth first, then inhaled to the lungs — similar to how cigarettes are smoked.
Nic Salt / Nicotine Salt: A form of nicotine that delivers a smoother throat hit at high concentrations. Used in pod systems.
O–P
Ohm: The unit of electrical resistance. Lower resistance coils (sub-ohm) produce more heat and vapor. Higher resistance coils produce less vapor and more throat hit.
Pod: A small cartridge that holds e-liquid and a coil, designed for use with pod systems.
Pod System / Pod Kit: A compact vape device that uses pods rather than traditional tanks.
Priming: Saturating a new coil with e-liquid before use to prevent dry hits and extend coil life.
PG (Propylene Glycol): One of the two base liquids in e-liquid. Thinner, carries flavor better, produces throat hit.
S–V
510 Connection: The industry-standard thread connection between a tank/atomizer and a mod device.
Steeping: Letting e-liquid age in a cool, dark place to allow flavors to mature and blend.
Sub-Ohm: Vaping with a coil resistance below 1 ohm. Produces large amounts of vapor and intense flavor. Requires more power and higher-VG e-liquids.
Tank: The component that holds e-liquid and houses the coil in traditional vape setups.
VG (Vegetable Glycerin): One of the two base liquids in e-liquid. Thicker, produces more vapor clouds, smoother throat hit.
Vaping: The act of inhaling vapor produced by heating e-liquid in a vape device.
Wicking: The process by which e-liquid is absorbed from the tank into the coil's cotton material to be vaporized.