Vaping Glossary

Term

Definition

Variable Wattage / Voltage

This means that the wattage or voltage (amount of power) that your device puts out can be adjusted to suit your needs and the needs of the coil. Both can sometimes be abbreviated to VW and VV.

ADV

ADV is an abbreviation for 'All Day Vape'. This simply refers to a flavour that is easy and pleasant to vape all day, without getting too sickly or harsh.

Airflow

This refers to the amount of air that passes through your coil, and then into your mouth through the mouthpiece (or drip tip / tip) when you inhale.

Airflow Control

Your airflow control adjusts the amount of air you inhale through your coil when you inhale. The more airflow you have, generally the cooler and smoother your vape tends to be.

AIO

AIO is an abbreviation for 'All in one'. This is a kit where the pod/tank is built into the device. Some AIO kits refer to pods kits that either have a proprietary fit or are concealed in the device itself, such as the Nautilus Prime X or DotMod AIO.

APV (Or Pro/Enthusiast Kits)

APV is another common abbreviation, which stands for Advanced Personal Vaporizer. These kits/mods usually have adjustable wattage/voltage, and sometimes temperature control.

Auto Shut off

Most modern regulated mods have this now. This refers to the device automatically shutting down if the battery or coil gets too hot.

Atomiser

More commonly referred to as a coil, this is the heating element of your vape, which heats the liquid and converts it into vapour. This vapour can then be inhaled and subsequently exhaled by the user.

Battery

This is what powers your device. Some devices have their battery built into the device itself, and are charged via USB. Some others have removable batteries that can be charged externally or via USB through the device.

Bridge

A bridge is very similar to a standard tank, but usually these are concealed within the device, like an AIO.

Clearomiser

The clearomiser houses the liquid and coil in your vape. It consists of a bottom section (where it connects to the mod/battery), a centre chamber and a mouthpiece, through which you inhale the vapour.

Cloud Chaser/Chasing

A cloud chaser kit is a sub-ohm device, running at high power, a lot of airflow and producing a lot of vapour.

Cloud(s)

Cloud refers to the vapour that you exhale after each inhale.

Coil Jig

A coil jig is a tool used when building coils, which allows the builder to build a coil to an exact diameter. These are recommended for ‘Pro’ vapers, and do require some practice to get right. 

Coil

This is the heating element of your vape, which heats the liquid and converts it into vapour. This vapour can then be inhaled and subsequently exhaled by the user.

Closed Pod System

A closed pod system simply means a pod kit that has it's coil built into the pod, and comes pre-filled with e-liquid.

Drip Tip

A drip tip is the mouthpiece, through which you inhale the vapour produced by your vape. Some are built into the device/pod, however, some tips are removable and can be replaced easily. These tips come in various sizes, most commonly being either 5 10 or 8 10.

Dripper

A dripper is a different type of tank. Rather than having a clearomiser/tank that houses liquid, you drip liquid directly onto the cotton and coil. These are also referred to as rebuilables or RDAs.

Dry Burn / Dry Hit

A dry burn occurs when the cotton inside the coil is not wicked, meaning it isn't holding any liquid. When this happens and you fire the device, you end up burning the cotton, and creating a dry burn. A dry hit is when you inhale from a coil that has been dry burned, resulting in an unpleasant burnt taste.

DTL / MTL

DTL is short for direct to lung, also referred to as direct inhale. This is a type of vaping, where you inhale the vapour directly to your lungs. MTL is short for mouth to lung, where as the name suggests, you inhale the vapour into your mouth, and then to your lungs. More similar to the way most people would inhale a cigarette.

E-liquid

E-Liquid is the liquid that you use in a vaping device, also known as 'Juice' or 'E-juice'.

LED

An LED is an indicator light on your device, which usually shows battery life, activation or power. LED indications vary from product to product, so it's best to check your manual for what certain lights mean.

LR / Low Resistance

Low resistance means that the coil needs more power to fire. These coils produce more vapour than higher resistance coils, and as a result will drain battery life faster.

Mechanical (Mech) Mod

A Mech Mod or Mechanical mod refers to an unregulated mod. These devices are essentially a battery, an enclosure and a tank (usually an RDA). These devices usually have no safety features, so if you are considering one it's important to learn about them first before using them.

MG

MG stands for milligram and refers to the strength of nicotine in a liquid. Strength of e-liquid ranges from 3mg - 20mg in the UK.

Mod

A mod is the device that houses your battery, and where you adjust any settings that your kit may have. These come in many different shapes and sizes, depending on what style of vape you're looking for.

Nic Salt

A nic salt is a type of nicotine in an e-liquid. It simply means the liquid has a very high nicotine content, generally smoother and absorbed into your body more similarly to a cigarette. Nic salts are recommended for use with a higher resistance coil (0.6ohm or higher), and in lower powered MTL kits.

Ohm

Ohms are the measurement of resistance that a coil has. This determines the amount of power it needs to heat the e-liquid to vaporise.

PG / VG

PG and VG are acronyms for 'propylene glycol' and 'vegetable glycerine'. These are the two main ingredients of all e-liquid, aside from flavourings and nicotine if you choose to have any.

PG/VG Ratio (Mix)

E-Liquids can come in different ratios of PG and VG. Generally speaking, the higher the VG level, the thicker the liquid is and the more power is needed for it to vaporise. This is why VG liquids are more suited for Sub-Ohm vaping, and 50 /50 mixes are more suited for MTL devices.

Refillable Pod

Pods serve the same purpose as a tank does, it houses your e-liquid and coils. Unlike a 'Closed Pod System', standard pods are refillable with a liquid of your choosing. Some pods can still come with the coils built in instead of removable coils.

Rebuildables

Rebuildables are devices that the user can build their own coils for. These normally come in the form of an RDA or RDTA.

RDA 

RDA stands for 'Rebuildable Dripper Atomiser'. This is a rebuildable tank that allows the user to use coils that they have built, and drip their liquid directly onto the cotton.

RDTA

RDTA stands for 'Rebuildable Dripper Tank Atomiser'. Similar to an RDA, an RDTA is a rebuildable tank that allows the user to use coils that they have built. Rather than dripping the liquid, RDTAs have a tank section which houses the liquid like a standard tank.

Regulated Mod

A regulated mod is the most common style of power unit you’ll come across, they offer battery protection and typically allow you to set your desired wattage / voltage level.

Starter Kit

A starter kit is a set that contains everything you need to get started in vaping. A mod, tank/pod, charging cable and usually a couple of coils. Some kits come with the battery built into the device, some are removable. It's advisable to check the product page of your kit to see if you need to purchase a seperate battery, as these are not included

Sub-Ohm 

Sub-ohm is a style of vaping, and refers to a coil that has a resistance lower than 1.0 ohms. Because these coils have low resistance, they run at a higher power, and produce more vapour. 

Shortfill

A type of e-liquid. Shortfills come in various sizes, and are all 0mg in nicotine. You can add nicotine to them using a 10ml ‘Nic Shot’.

Tank

This houses your e-liquid and coil. You screw or attach the tank to your mod.

Throat Hit

This refers to the feeling at the back of your throat after inhaling vapor. Some liquids and devices will provide more throat hit than others.

Vaper’s Tongue

Vapers tongue is a term used to describe losing flavour in a liquid you've been using for a while. Sometimes you can get too used to one particular flavour, and you may start to notice it doesn't quite taste how it should, even with fresh juice and a coil. This is Vapers Tongue. It is temporary, and there are solutions for it.

Wick

A wick is the cotton in your coil, which absorbs your e-liquid.

Wattage

This is the most common measurement of how much power your vape is putting out. Some devices have adjustable wattage, where you can adjust this power.