What does vaping mean?
Vaping means using an electronic cigarette or a similar device to inhale an aerosol, commonly containing nicotine, flavoring chemicals, and other substances. The word can function as a noun naming the activity or as a verb describing the act of doing it. It became prominent in the early 2010s as electronic cigarettes were marketed as an alternative to conventional tobacco smoking, and it is now widely used in public-health, medical, legal, and everyday contexts. Although vaping avoids the burning of tobacco, its aerosol is not merely harmless water vapor; it may contain nicotine, fine particles, and other potentially harmful substances. Debates about vaping therefore focus on its health effects, its appeal to young people, and the extent to which it helps people stop smoking. The term is also useful because it distinguishes the act of using an electronic device from smoking combustible cigarettes, even though the two practices can overlap in motivation and presentation.
The activity or practice of using an electronic cigarette or similar device to inhale an aerosol, usually containing nicotine.
"The clinic offers support for people who want to stop vaping."
This use is commonly uncountable when it refers to the activity generally.
To use an electronic cigarette or similar device, normally to inhale a nicotine-containing aerosol.
"He began vaping after switching from traditional cigarettes."
The -ing form may function as a gerund or as a present participle in a continuous construction.
The plural vapings is possible but uncommon; vaping is normally treated as an uncountable noun.
"The study compared different forms of vaping among young adults."
Vaping turned what looks like a cloud into a public-health question: aerosol mist can contain nicotine and fine particles, not just water vapor.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of vaping
The modern verb vape developed from vapor, a word inherited through French from Latin vapor, meaning steam or mist. Vaping follows the usual formation of a gerund or present participle and spread rapidly in English during the early 2010s alongside electronic cigarettes. Its later meaning is closely associated with vaping devices and nicotine aerosols, while vaporize, vaporous, and evaporate preserve the older Latin root in other senses.
Related word forms
How vaping is actually used
Vaping is standard in both British and American English and is often used neutrally as the name for the activity. The shorter form vape is more informal and can refer either to the device or, in phrases such as quit vaping, to the activity. Vapor is the usual American spelling, while vapour is standard in British English.
Easily confused with vaping
A vape is an electronic cigarette or the aerosol it produces, whereas vaping is the activity of using such a device.
Vapor is the gas or mist itself, while vaping is the action of inhaling an aerosol through a vaping device.