Shop talk
Smoke Shop Glossary
48 terms you’ll hear at the counter, in plain English. Each one links to its department.
No terms match. Ask the crew. They’ve heard it all.
- Ash catcherBongs & Glass
- A small chamber between the bowl and the piece that catches ash and adds filtration.
- BangerDab Rigs & E-Rigs
- A quartz bucket that attaches to a dab rig and is heated before use.
- BorosilicateBongs & Glass
- Heat-resistant scientific glass used for quality pipes and bongs.
- Bowl slideBowls, Stems & Parts
- The removable bowl that sits in the downstem of a water pipe.
- Box modVapes & E-Cigs
- A battery-powered vape device with adjustable wattage.
- BriarPipes & Pipe Tobacco
- Dense, heat-resistant root wood used for most tobacco pipes.
- BubblerBongs & Glass
- A handheld pipe with a small water chamber.
- Butane gradeLighters & Torches
- How many times butane was refined (3x, 5x, 7x, 9x). Higher is cleaner.
- Carb capDab Rigs & E-Rigs
- A cap placed over a banger to control airflow and heat.
- CavendishPipes & Pipe Tobacco
- A processing method that makes pipe tobacco sweet and mild.
- ChillumBongs & Glass
- A small, straight one-hitter pipe.
- CoilVapes & E-Cigs
- The heating element in a vape. Rated in ohms.
- ConductionDry Herb Vaporizers
- Heating by direct contact with a hot chamber.
- Connecticut shadePremium Cigars
- A light, mild cigar wrapper grown under shade cloth.
- ConvectionDry Herb Vaporizers
- Heating by passing hot air through the material.
- DownstemBowls, Stems & Parts
- The tube that carries smoke from the bowl into the water.
- E-rigDab Rigs & E-Rigs
- A battery-powered dab rig that heats to a set temperature.
- FootPremium Cigars
- The end of the cigar you light.
- GuillotineCigar Accessories
- A straight cigar cutter with one or two blades.
- HMDHookah & Shisha
- Heat management device. Holds coals over a hookah bowl instead of foil.
- HumidorCigar Accessories
- A box or cabinet that keeps cigars at a steady humidity.
- JointBowls, Stems & Parts
- Where glass parts connect. Measured in mm (10, 14, 18) and male or female.
- Keck clipBowls, Stems & Parts
- A plastic clip that locks two glass joints together.
- Kief catcherGrinders
- The bottom chamber of a 4-piece grinder, under the screen.
- LatakiaPipes & Pipe Tobacco
- Fire-cured tobacco with a smoky flavor.
- MaduroPremium Cigars
- A dark wrapper aged longer for sweetness and richness.
- MeerschaumPipes & Pipe Tobacco
- A soft white mineral carved into pipes that color with use.
- Mouth-to-lungVapes & E-Cigs
- A tighter vape draw, like a cigarette, held in the mouth first.
- Nic saltVapes & E-Cigs
- A smoother form of nicotine e-liquid used in pod systems.
- OhmVapes & E-Cigs
- The unit of coil resistance. Lower ohms usually mean bigger clouds.
- One-hitterBongs & Glass
- A tiny pipe for a single small draw.
- PercolatorBongs & Glass
- A chamber inside a water pipe that splits smoke into bubbles to cool it.
- PhunnelHookah & Shisha
- A hookah bowl with a raised center spire that keeps juices in the bowl.
- Pod systemVapes & E-Cigs
- A compact vape that uses refillable or pre-filled pods.
- Punch cutCigar Accessories
- A round hole cut into the cigar cap.
- QuartzDab Rigs & E-Rigs
- Heat-resistant glass used for bangers.
- RecyclerDab Rigs & E-Rigs
- A rig that cycles water between chambers for a smoother draw.
- Ring gaugePremium Cigars
- A cigar’s diameter in 64ths of an inch.
- ShishaHookah & Shisha
- The moist tobacco smoked in a hookah.
- SlideBowls, Stems & Parts
- Another name for a bowl slide.
- Spoon pipeBongs & Glass
- The classic handheld glass pipe with a bowl and carb.
- TamperPipes & Pipe Tobacco
- A tool for pressing tobacco down in a pipe bowl.
- Terp pearlDab Rigs & E-Rigs
- A small ball that spins in a banger to spread heat.
- TorchLighters & Torches
- A butane lighter with a focused, windproof jet flame.
- UV glassStorage & Scales
- Violet glass that blocks light to keep contents fresh.
- V-cutCigar Accessories
- A wedge-shaped cut in a cigar cap for a focused draw.
- VitolaPremium Cigars
- A cigar’s size and shape, like robusto or toro.
- WrapperPremium Cigars
- The outer leaf of a cigar and the biggest clue to its flavor.