Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes (2018)
Chapter: Appendix C: Glossary of Terms Related to E-Cigarettes
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Suggested Citation:
"Appendix C: Glossary of Terms Related to E-Cigarettes." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/24952.
C
Glossary of Terms Related to E-Cigarettes
| Term | Definition |
| advanced personal vaporizer (APV) | Generally used to refer to second- or third-generation e-cigarette devices with regulated variable voltage or variable wattage, APV can also be called a mod. |
| analog (slang) | Combustible tobacco cigarette. |
| atomizer | The atomizer is the component in an electronic cigarette that is responsible for heating the e-liquid to the point of aerosolization. The atomizer contains the heating coil and wick. It is most often contained within the metal, glass, or plastic housing called a cartomizer, tank, or clearomizer, which is screwed into the battery. |
| base liquid | This is the liquid to which nicotine and flavoring are added to create e-juice. The two most common base liquids are glycerol and propylene glycol. |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix C: Glossary of Terms Related to E-Cigarettes." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/24952.
| Term | Definition |
| battery | The battery is used to power an electronic cigarette’s atomizer, and is usually a rechargeable lithium ion battery available in a variety of sizes/capacities expressed in mAh, commonly in 600, 900, and 1,100 mAh. |
| cartomizer | A combined atomizer and cartridge, the cartomizer combines a heating element and a juice delivery system into a single unit. Cartomizers can be made of plastic, metal, or a combination of both. They are disposable and not considered to be refillable, although some users manage to do so. Cartomizers can come in single-coil, dual-coil, or multiple-coil configurations. Having more than one coil produces twice as much aerosol or the same amount twice as fast from the standard. There are top-coil and bottom-coil configurations. |
| cartridge | The mouthpiece that contains the absorbent filler material soaked with e-liquid. This is a plastic or metal covered part of an e-cigarette, primarily of first-generation devices. A single cartridge contains about 1 ml of e-liquid. |
| cigalike | An electronic cigarette having a form factor similar to a combustible tobacco cigarette. It is generally considered to be the first generation of e-cigarette products. |
| clearomizer | A cartomizer that is made of a clear material (usually plastic, Pyrex, or glass) so that the user can see the quantity of e-juice remaining in the unit. Many have milliliter graduations for the capacity of e-liquid left. The common capacity of clearomizers varies from 3 to 6 ml. |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix C: Glossary of Terms Related to E-Cigarettes." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/24952.
| Term | Definition |
| coil/heating coil | A coil is generally a piece of nichrome or kanthal wire that has been wrapped around a wick. Current flows through the coil; the coil gets hot and aerosolizes e-liquid. Cartomizers can come in single-coil, dual-coil, or multiple-coil configurations. Having more than one coil in an atomizer results in increased production of aerosol as compared to single coil. |
| disposable e-cigarette | The disposable e-cigarette is designed to be used once and usually comes with no charger. It is a single-piece e-cigarette device. |
| do it yourself (DIY) | Commonly used to refer to preparing and customizing your own e-juice or refillable solution. |
| dripping | Putting e-juice directly on the atomizer. |
| dry puff | This refers to the unpleasant taste reported by an e-cigarette user when not enough e-liquid is supplied to an atomizer or cartomizer, resulting in poor aerosol and flavor. |
| e-cigar | E-cigarette device designed to resembles a traditional tobacco cigar in shape. |
| e-juice, e-liquid | The liquid that produces the aerosol in an electronic cigarette. E-liquid is aerosolized by the heating element, and generated aerosol is inhaled by the e-cigarette user. Typically contains glycerol, propylene glycol, nicotine, and flavorings. |
| e-pipe | E-cigarette device designed to resemble a tobacco pipe. |
| flavoring | The flavorings used in e-liquids, which are usually the same flavorings used in food and drinks. Certain ingredients (particularly sugars and sweeteners) are avoided, however, because of the damage they can do to atomizers. |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix C: Glossary of Terms Related to E-Cigarettes." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/24952.
| Term | Definition |
| mod | Short for modification. This originally referred to modifying a flashlight or a battery to be used in vaping, but is now commonly used to refer to any vaping device of second or third generation that is not a cigalike. |
| pen style | A style of first-generation e-cigarette device that resembles a pen. |
| personal vaporizer | The entire e-cigarette device; usually refers to second- and third-generation products. |
| starter kit | A kit that includes basic e-cigarette equipment, typically a battery, cartomizer, charger, and instruction manual for the user. |
| sub-ohming | Sub-ohming involves vaping using an atomizer coil with a resistance of <1 Ω. This increases the overall power output (wattage) of the device allowing more energy to reach the coil which, in turn, heats up faster and reaches a higher temperature so more aerosol is produced. |
| tank | The part of second- or third-generation e-cigarette that holds the refillable solution. Tank is a common name for a refillable clearomizer and it usually holds more e-liquid than cartridges and it is usually manually refilled with e-liquid by the user. |
| throat hit | The sensation on the back of the throat that e-cigarette users commonly report after taking a puff on an e-cigarette. |
| vape/vaping | The act of using an electronic cigarette. The equivalent of “smoking” for combustible tobacco cigarettes. |
| vaper | Someone who uses an electronic cigarette (a person who vapes). |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix C: Glossary of Terms Related to E-Cigarettes." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/24952.
| Term | Definition |
| vaper’s tongue | Used by experienced e-cigarette users to describe the sensation of not being able to taste the flavor in e-liquid when inhaled. |
| vaporizer | Used by experienced e-cigarette users to refer to their e-cigarette device. |
| variable voltage/variable wattage | E-cigarette with variable voltage or variable wattage allows users to control battery output voltage or power of the e-cigarette. Increasing the voltage/wattage leads to increased coil temperature and, as a result, increased production of aerosol. |
| wick | Deliver e-liquid to the coil in electronic cigarettes. Most commonly made from silica cord, the wick can also be made from rolled-up steel mesh, ceramic, fiberglass, cotton, or a host of other materials. |
| wire | Generally refers to resistance wire used in building coils for atomizers. |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix C: Glossary of Terms Related to E-Cigarettes." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/24952.
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