electronic cigarette

noun

variants or e-cigarette

ˈē-ˌsi-gə-ˈret 

-ˈsi-gə-ˌret

or less commonly e-cig

ˈē-ˌsig 

: a battery-operated device that is typically designed to resemble a traditional cigarette and is used to inhale a usually nicotine-containing vapor

Note: Electronic cigarettes contain a liquid solution typically consisting of nicotine, various chemical substances (such as propylene glycol or glycerol), and often flavoring. The solution is heated by the battery producing the aerosol or vapor inhaled by the user.

Examples of electronic cigarette in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Baltimore sued Juul Labs Inc. in 2020, accusing the electronic cigarette maker of promoting to minors. —Mathew Schumer, Baltimore Sun, 7 May 2025

Behind the counter, sipping a drink and occasionally puffing on an electronic cigarette, Ms. Isshiki said her customers read about the tariffs in the news. —River Akira Davis, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025

The agency had increased staffing recently because of complaints from the electronic cigarette industry about an approvals backlog; those people are now gone, Zeller said. —Joseph Choi, The Hill, 2 Apr. 2025

For the uninitiated, vaping is the inhaling of an aerosol mist from an electronic cigarette or other similar device, which heats up a liquid containing nicotine to create a vapor that looks like smoke. —Nina Totenberg, NPR, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

2003, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for electronic cigarette

• abet
• asset
• baguette
• banquette
• barbette
• beget
• beset
• brevet
• briquette
• brunet
• brunette
• burette

Kids Definition

electronic cigarette

noun

: a battery-operated device that resembles a cigarette and is used to inhale a vapor that usually contains nicotine

Medical Definition

electronic cigarette

noun

variants or e-cigarette

ˈē-ˈsi-gə-ˌret 

also e-cig

ˈē-ˌsig 

: a battery-operated device that is typically designed to resemble a traditional cigarette and is used to inhale nicotine vapor

Another new product is the electronic cigarette (e-cigarette), a battery-powered device that aerosolizes nicotine for inhalation but does not burn tobacco.

—Nancy A. Rigotti, The Journal of the American Medical Association

see vape