You feel lost in the midst of all the technical terms encountered everywhere in the world of vaping? This « Vaping Lexicon » will lead to a better understanding

18650

Indicates a battery’s size. In this case, 18 represents the diameter, and 65 the length (in millimeters). This battery would therefore measure 18x65mm.

26650

Indicates a battery’s size. In this cas, 26 represents the diameter, and 65 the length (in millimeters). This battery would therefore measure 26x65mm.

AIO

Abbreviation for “all-in-one”. Indicates that this e-cigarette stands all in one piece. Everything is directly incorporated: the battery, the e-cigarette and the atomizer.

Airflow

The airflow is the hole allowing air to permeate the cotton while inhaling. Its size and number influence the savor rendering of the e-liquid.

Airhole

The airflow is the hole allowing air to permeate the cotton while inhaling. Its size and number influence the savor rendering of the e-liquid.

All-day

When used in the context of vaping, all-day is a term that indicates that the same liquid can be used all day without refilling the tank or recharging the battery.

Atomiseur

It is the reservoir in which to put the e-liquid.

Batch

A batch is a series, used for example to designate a specific lot of e-liquids or boxes.

BF

BF is the abbreviation for “Bottom Feeder”. Bottom Feeding allows to keep all the aroma of a dripper and to compensate for the inconvenience that it does not contain a reservoir. BF drippers have a little hole in the center of the pin that allows the liquid to rise from the bottom reservoir of a BF box by simply pressing on the bottle.

Bottom cap

The bottom cap indicates the bottom of an electronic or mechanical mod. The cap maintains the battery in place and creates the contact between the battery and the e-cigarette.

Box

A “box” designates an e-cigarette with 1 or 2 batteries, sometimes directly integrated. They can be hand-crafted at times by so-called “modders”.

Chain vaping

The fact of inhaling several times in a row from an e-cigarette. The coil needs in this case to have a good capillarity in order to avoid the so-called “dry-hit”.

Firing chamber

The firing chamber is the area of an e-cigarette where the e-liquid is warmed and air inhaled when mixed. It can also be called the chimney, or the atomizer chamber. In clearomizers and RTAs, it is on top of the coil and isolates e-liquid in reservoirs. Some drippers are equipped with them in addition to the top cap – in other cases, the top cap itself acts as firing chamber.

Chipset

A chipset is a set of electronic components that are integrated in a pre-programmed integrated circuit that allows to managed the load of numerical data between the processor(s), the memory, and the peripherals. They can be found in e-cigarettes such as electronic mods and boxes.

Clearomizer

The clearomizer is the reservoir where the e-liquid goes.

Cloud

A cloud is the cloud produced by the vapour that comes out of our mouths after pulling on the electronic cigarette.

Cloud Chasing

Indicates a specific type of use of e-cigarettes and e-liquids in order to maximize the generation of vapor (cloud). Electrical constraints are high and this requires excellent knowledge of the equipment and the mounting of the resistances.

Coil

English term that designates the resistance. In the world of vaping experts, it usually designates a “home-made” resistance with resisting strings.

Cuve

The tank refers to the location of the atomizer intended to accommodate the e-liquid.

Deck

The deck is the mounting plate that constitutes the base of the atomizer. This piece holds the plots and the pin on which the cap goes.

Degassing

Degassing happens to a battery during a long-lasting short-circuit. The battery exhales a toxic liquid and an acid substance. Mods and boxes with this type of batteries are generally equipped with degassing holes, which allow the gaz and liquid to escape, thereby avoiding the risk of an explosion of the battery.

DL = Direct Lung

Type of vaping whereby the inhalation happens in one go, and not by first keeping the vapor in the mouth before inhaling in a second step.

DIY

DIY stands for "Do It Yourself". This term is used for liquids that you create yourself, home-made assemblies (coil + cotton) or certain boxes that you assemble yourself.

Drip Tip

Tip that is placed on top of the atomizer and that is in contact with ones’ mouth when inhaling from an e-cigarette.

Drip Top

The drip top is similar to a drip tip but with a wider opening. It is principally used on drippers to “power-vape”.

Dripper

A dripper is a rebuildable atomizer that does not have a reservoir. The cotton needs to be therefore manually soaked with e-liquid every 4-5 inhalations. It is generally used to try out different flavors. A BF (Bottom Feeder) dripper gives the same end-result in terms of flavor, but with an e-liquid reservoir that is located inside the box.

Dry burn

Dry burning is the fact of warming the resistance without liquid (i.e. dry).

Dry hit

Dry hits happen when the coil is no longer soaked with e-liquid. This immediately gives the resistance a taste of burnt.

Dual coil

The term Dual Coil is used for a resistance that has 2 individual heating units.

Fire

Knob on which to press to switch on the e-cigarette. It is also used pressed during inhalation to produce vapor.

Fluffer

The fact of unraveling the cotton in order to increase the capillarity.

Flush

The atomizer comes up to the level of the e-cigarette, without leaving any space between the two.

Handcheck

A “handcheck” is the fact of taking a photo with our set-up (e-cigarette or e-cigarette with e-liquid) in hand.

High-End

The term “high-end” is used in vaping to designate high-quality material, often assembled by renown vapers. This type of material is usually rare and expensive.

Hit

The “hit” is the throat sensation when inhaling vapor containing nicotine. But certain e-liquids or additives also provide this “hit” (contraction in the throat) without using any nicotine.

Hybride

MA “hybrid” is a Mod in which the atomizer is directly integrated in the top of the Mod.

Kanthal

The Kanthal is the resistance string used to build home-made coils, for rebuildable atomizers. They exist in different diameters, which in turn influences the Ohm value of the coil.

Kick

Electrical module allowing to regulate the outgoing power for mechanical mods.

mAh

The milli-amper-hour (mAh) indicates the quantity of energy that a battery can give back. It directly impacts a battery’s autonomy. The higher the mAh of a battery, the longer its autonomy.

Mesh

Very fine stainless steel sieve that can replace glass fiber. After oxidation, it is circled with resistance string. It allows a so-called “Genesys” way of mounting.

MTL = Mouth To Lung

MTL describes inhalation in 2 steps: first by taking the vapor in one’s mouth, and then in a second step to inhale into one’s lungs. This is the way most cigarette smokers proceed.

Micro-coil

The micro-coil is a resistance in which all spires touch each other to create a sort of tunnel. The heating surface is different from a normal resistance and thereby provides a different rendering of savors.

Mod

A Mod is an e-cigarette whose shape does not look like a traditional cigarette. The term itself comes from “MODified e-cigarette”. It generally comes in a tubular or box form, allowing to fix one or several batteries. In BF mode, it also contains the bottle of e-liquid.

Electronic Mod

An electronic mod is a mod that in addition contains a chipset that allows to vary the volts or watts provided by the battery. The electronic regulation diminishes the discharge sensation coming from the battery, which is often felt when the batteries are close to empty on mechanical Mods.

Mechanical Mod

A mechanical Mod (also called “Meca-Mod”) is made of a tube or box that hosts one or more batteries. The energy sent to the coil is the same as the energy contained in the battery (it is not electronically regulated). The more the battery is empty, the less the resistance will warm the e-liquid.

Nano coil

A nano coil is the smallest of coils, with a diameter of 1mm or less. It is used with disposable resistances when one wants to use or make a dragon coil (a sort of vertical coil around which the capillary fiber is placed).

Nichrome

The nichrome is a non-magnetic alloy of nickel and chrome. The most common is 80% nickel and 20% chrome. Its color is grey silver, it resists corrosion and melts at 1,400°C. Thanks to its high levels of resistance, it is used to build the coil of rebuildable atomizers.

Ohmmeter

The Ohmmeter is a piece of equipment that is specially built for vaping. It generally comes with a 510 plot and an eGo (i.e. 2 different plots). It is required when making a rebuildable, especially when the atomizer is mounted on a mechanical mod. It also manages to hold the atomizer when building ones’ coils.

PG

PG is the abbreviation for Propylene Glycol, one of the 2 base components of e-liquids.

Pin

The Pin is the piece under the atomizer that enables the contact with the mod, or the piece on top of the mod that transmits the electrical current. It is generally constituted of a screw enabling setting changes. On certain mods, it is put on spring to allow flush mounting.

Plot

Piece that sticks out of the rebuildable atomizer’s plate, to fix onto it a resistance (a coil).

Analog potentiometer

The analog potentiometer allows to regulate the electrical tension coming from the battery. This system is more economical in electricity than a chipset with Watt settings, which allows for a better return.

Power vaping

Power vaping is a way of vaping that produces large clouds of vapor. This way of vaping originally comes from the Philippines, where vaping 100% VG on very strong equipment has been the rage for a certain number of years. This type of vaping is only suitable to well informed people that choose adapted e-liquids, and that are aware of the proper mounting and cleanliness of the coils.

Puff

Puff is the word used to indicate an inhalation of vapor.

RBA

RBA is the abbreviation for “Rebuildable Atomizer”.

RDA

RDA is the abbreviation for “Rebuildable Dripper Atomizer”, more commonly named Dripper.

RDTA

RDTA is the abbreviation for “Rebuildable Dripper Tank Atomizer", i.e. a dripper with an integrated reservoir.

Refill

It simply means filling something. Whether it's filling your atomizer or filling your e-liquid bottle.

RTA

RTA is the abbreviation for “Rebuildable Tank Atomizer”, i.e. a rebuildable (reconstructible) atomizer.

Set-up

In the world of vaping, the word set-up designates the type of equipment used to vape. For example: “my set-up for today is an Eleaf Pico 25 box with an ato Smok Plus spiral and a dotLeaf e-liquid”.

Shortfill

Refers to a bottle in which it’s possible to add, depending on the need, one or more nicotine boosters in 20mg/ml and/or 0mg/ml base. These versions of e-liquids are overdosed/boosted in aroma so as not to alter their flavours after thinning.

Squonker

As a noun, it designates at Bottom Feeder box. As a verb, it is the action of pressing on the e-liquid bottle to push it up into the dripper.

Steeper

Action to let an e-liquid rest in order to optimize its flavors.

Sub-Ohm

The term Sub-Ohm regroups all types of coils that are geared towards vaping equipment with an Ohm value below 1Ohm. Under this threshold, e-cigarettes or atomizers will produce a lot more vapor and give back more flavor. But please be aware that increased vapor consumption is directly correlated with more nicotine consumption.

Switch

The Switch of an e-cigarette is the button used to start the production of vapor, and/or to turn the equipment on/off.

Tank

The tank is another word for atomizer. It is the container where the e-liquid goes.

Top cap

Top part of an electronic or mechanical mod. It is on this part that the pin is fixed.

VG

VG stands for Vegetal Glyceryn, one of the 2 base components of e-liquids.

Wire

Strings used to create resistances.

Wrap

Resistance wire when which coils are made of. Rolled several times around an axis of varying diameter. The number of spires and the diameter, along with the type and width of wire used, will determine the level of resistance.