vape

verb

ˈvāp 

vaped; vaping

transitive + intransitive

: to inhale vapor through the mouth from a usually battery-operated electronic device (such as an electronic cigarette) that heats up and vaporizes a liquid or solid

This electronic cigarette … contains a small reservoir of liquid nicotine solution that is vaporized to form an aerosol mist. The user "vapes," or puffs on the vapor, to get a hit of the addictive nicotine …

—John Tierney

When a person tokes, eats or vapes cannabis, a wave of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, washes into the brain.

—Laura Sanders

vaper noun

The problem is that little is known about the precise dangers of being in the same space as a vaper indulging their e-habit.

—Amber Dance

Examples of vape in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

More recently, the city of Sanibel in Lee County approved a ban on smoking and vaping at public beaches and parks in March 2026. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Nearly three dozen states were behind the investigation that found that the vaping company did in fact appeal to young people through the hiring of young models, giving out free samples and their use of social media. — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026

To be legal under the new law, a vaping device must be both refillable (or use replaceable pods) and have a rechargeable battery. — Susanne Rust follow, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

But among nicotine products, the percentage of people smoking cigarettes decreased across age groups while the percentage of people vaping mostly increased. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 28 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

short for vapor entry 1, in reference to the aerosol produced by the cigarette, by analogy with smoke entry 2

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for vape

• ape
• cape
• crape
• crepe
• drape
• gape
• grape
• pape
• rape
• scape
• scrape
• shape

Kids Definition

vape

verb

ˈvāp 

: to inhale vapor through the mouth from a usually battery-operated electronic device that heats up and vaporizes a liquid or solid

Medical Definition

vape

verb

ˈvāp 

vaped; vaping

intransitive verb

: to inhale and exhale vapor from an electronic cigarette or similar device like someone smoking a conventional cigarette

transitive verb

: to inhale or exhale the vapor of

vaper noun

Vapers can inhale huge numbers of very small aerosol particles into the lung's tiniest airways.

—Janet Raloff, Science News