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Updated October 11, 2026
Vape boxes and product pages are full of shorthand: MTL, 0.8 Ξ©, 20 mg/mL, mesh, CRC. This glossary explains the three draw styles and 50 other common terms in plain English, grouped by topic. Where we've written a full guide on a topic, we link to it.
Jump to: MTL vs RDL vs DTL Β· Device types Β· Parts and power Β· E-liquid and nicotine Β· Using a device Β· Canadian labels and rules
These three terms describe how air and vapour move when you draw, and most devices are built for one of them.
How to tell what a device is built for: check the airflow (tight or open), the coil resistance and the power range. Sub-ohm coils and higher wattage point to DTL; tighter airflow and lower power point to MTL.
1. Disposable vape. A sealed, prefilled device that you use until the e-liquid runs out and then replace. It can't be refilled. It still contains a lithium-ion battery, so it doesn't go in the garbage; see how to dispose of vapes in Toronto.
2. Rechargeable disposable. A disposable with a USB-C port, so you can recharge the battery until the e-liquid is gone. Most large disposables work this way. Our guide to vape sizes explains how long they last.
3. Pod system (pod kit). A small reusable battery, often called the device or base, plus a removable pod that holds the e-liquid and usually the coil.
4. Closed pod system. A pod system that uses sealed, prefilled pods. When a pod is empty, you replace it and keep the battery. See pod vapes vs disposables.
5. Open pod system. A pod system with refillable pods that you fill from a bottle of e-liquid.
6. Prefilled pod. A sealed pod that comes full of e-liquid, with its own coil. It usually fits only its own brand's base.
7. Refillable pod. An empty pod with a fill port. Some have a built-in coil and are replaced as a unit; others take replaceable coils.
8. Pod mod. A larger pod device with mod-style controls, such as adjustable wattage or a screen. The term is used loosely, so check the specs.
9. Mod (box mod). A larger battery device that powers a separate tank and usually lets you adjust settings such as wattage. Box mods hold bigger or multiple batteries.
10. Tank. A refillable reservoir with a replaceable coil head that sits on a mod. A sub-ohm tank is built for coils under 1 Ξ© and higher power.
11. Battery. The rechargeable lithium-ion power source. Charge it the way the manufacturer recommends, and stop using any device whose battery is swollen, damaged or overheating.
12. mAh. Milliamp-hours, a measure of battery capacity. More mAh generally means more use between charges. Airlines measure batteries in watt-hours instead; see flying with a vape.
13. USB-C. The charging port on most current devices. Use the cable and adapter the manufacturer recommends.
14. Coil. The heating element that turns e-liquid into vapour. Our guide to vape coils covers the types in detail.
15. Mesh coil. A coil made from a flat strip of metal mesh instead of round wire, which heats a wider area more evenly. Dual mesh means two mesh coils working together, common in the higher-power modes of large disposables.
16. Wick. The material, usually cotton, that draws e-liquid to the coil.
17. Ohm (Ξ©). The unit for a coil's electrical resistance. Higher-resistance coils generally suit lower power and tighter draws.
18. Sub-ohm. A coil with resistance below 1 ohm, used at higher power for direct-to-lung vaping.
19. Wattage (W). How much power the device sends to the coil. More watts means more heat and more vapour, and the e-liquid and battery run down faster.
20. Variable wattage. A feature that lets you set the power level yourself.
21. Airflow. How much air comes in with each draw. A slider or ring lets you make the draw tighter or looser.
22. Draw-activated (auto-draw). The device fires when you inhale, with no button to press. Most disposables work this way.
23. Fire button. A button you press to heat the coil. Some pod devices offer both button and draw activation.
24. Boost or turbo mode. A higher-power setting on some devices. Output is stronger, but the e-liquid and battery run down faster.
25. Display screen. A screen that shows battery level, e-liquid level or the power mode.
26. CRC (child-resistant). Canadian rules require refillable vaping devices and parts, and containers of nicotine e-liquid, to be child-resistant. Kits labelled CRC are the versions made to meet that requirement. As Health Canada notes, child-resistant doesn't mean child-proof, so store everything out of reach of children and pets.
27. E-liquid (vape juice, e-juice). The liquid a device heats into vapour. It's usually made of propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), flavouring and, in most products, nicotine.
28. PG (propylene glycol). A thin base liquid that carries flavour well and adds more throat feel.
29. VG (vegetable glycerin). A thicker base liquid that produces more visible vapour.
30. PG/VG ratio. The mix of the two, such as 50/50 or 30/70. Thinner, higher-PG liquids suit small pods; thicker, higher-VG liquids suit sub-ohm tanks. Our e-liquid guide goes into more detail.
31. Nicotine salt (nic salt). A form of nicotine combined with a mild acid, which feels less harsh at higher strengths. Most disposables and prefilled pods use it.
32. Freebase nicotine. The original form of nicotine used in e-liquid. It's usually sold in lower strengths for larger, higher-power devices.
33. Nicotine strength (mg/mL). How many milligrams of nicotine are in each millilitre of e-liquid. In Canada, the legal maximum is 20 mg/mL, and every legal product's label shows its strength in mg/mL.
34. Nicotine percentage. Some brands show strength as a percentage, and 2% is about 20 mg/mL. Products labelled 5% (about 50 mg/mL) are sold in other countries but aren't legal in Canada.
35. Nicotine-free (0 mg). E-liquid without nicotine. Ontario's rules on where you can't vape apply whether or not the vapour contains nicotine.
36. Cooling agent. An additive, such as WS-23, that creates a cooling sensation. It's usually what "ice" means in a product name.
37. Throat hit. The feeling at the back of the throat when you inhale. It varies with nicotine strength, nicotine type and PG content.
38. Puff count. The manufacturer's estimate of how many draws a device gives. Draw length changes it a lot, so the e-liquid volume in mL is a better guide.
39. Priming. Letting a new pod or coil soak in e-liquid before the first use, so the dry wick doesn't burn. The Uwell Caliburn manuals we checked say to wait 10 minutes; some other brands say 3 to 5.
40. Dry hit. A harsh, weak draw when the wick is short of e-liquid.
41. Burnt hit. A burnt taste when the coil scorches a dry wick. In a disposable, it usually means the device is finished. See our troubleshooting guide.
42. Gurgling and spit-back. Gurgling is a bubbling sound from e-liquid or condensation pooled in the mouthpiece or around the coil. Spit-back is when small drops of hot e-liquid reach your mouth.
43. Leaking. E-liquid escaping from a pod, tank or device, often from overfilling, heat or pressure changes.
44. Auto-firing. When a device heats up without you drawing on it or pressing a button. Stop using it right away.
45. Coil gunk. Residue that builds up on a coil, mostly from thicker liquids and some flavouring ingredients, and shortens its life.
46. Chain vaping. Taking draw after draw without a break. It doesn't give the wick time to soak up more e-liquid, which can lead to dry or burnt hits.
47. Steeping. Letting a new bottle of e-liquid rest so the ingredients blend. It mostly applies to bottled e-liquid.
48. Health warning. Every vaping product with nicotine sold in Canada must carry the warning "WARNING: Nicotine is highly addictive." in English and French.
49. Specialty vape store. In Ontario, an adults-only store registered with the local board of health that gets at least 85% of its sales from vaping products. Only age-restricted specialty stores like these can sell flavours other than mint, menthol and tobacco. Our guide to vaping laws in Ontario and Toronto has the details.
50. Age 19+. The minimum age to buy vaping products in Ontario. Stores must ask for ID from anyone who looks under 25.
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