The Dab Dictionary

From extraction types to smoking tools, educate yourself on dab dialect with this helpful guide.

7:10:

The unofficial time to dab (“OIL” spelled upside down).

Absolutes:

Extracts that have had any waxes, fats and lipids removed (see also Winterization).

Autobuddering:

Phenomenon in which, over time, the texture of an extract slowly transforms from a glassy, shatter-like texture into more of a waxy, budder-like texture due to hydration by trapped moisture (nucleation).

Bell (a.k.a. Curve):

A bell-shaped glass headpiece that attaches to the stem of a standard water pipe used for smoking concentrates (see also Slide).

Belly Button:

Type of rig attachment in which a dome-like structure with a hole on its side is placed next to a nail rather than over it, eliminating the need to remove and replace a dome while dabbing.

BHO:

Butane hash oil, also referred to as butane honey oil. A concentrate made by shooting butane gas through cannabis, then “purging” out the butane.

Blasting:

Slang term for open column butane extraction.

Borch:

A torch tube, or a combination bong and blowtorch.

Bubble:

A type of hash that bubbles up when you smoke it.

Budder:

An extract that has been whipped to a creamy, spreadable texture like butter; not to be confused with actual cannabis-infused butter, which is ingested rather than smoked.

Budder-Faced:

Getting really high on cannabis budder (i.e., “getting budder-faced”).

Closed Loop System:

Extraction method/equipment that recaptures the solvent gas released for reuse.

Concentrate:

Any form of cannabinoid extracted from cannabis-plant material (e.g., hash, wax, tincture).

Concretes:

Extracts derived from fresh plant material.

Dab:

A hit of extract loaded onto a wand or pick to be smoked on a rig.

Dabber:

A glass utensil used for smoking concentrates (see also Wand).

Dabbing:

Smoking a concentrate from a nail, swing or shovel.

Dish:

A small, glass, ashtray-like container used to hold concentrates; usually including an indentation to rest a dabber.

Dome:

The bowl-like collar/glass cap placed over the hot nail on an oil rig to help contain the smoke and prevent injury.

Domeless Nail:

A type of nail that has its own method of capturing the smoke they create (such as holes built into it), therefore eliminating the need for a removable dome to capture the smoke.

Dual Extraction Method (DEM): 

The name given to the pairing of a butane extraction with an alcohol wash, in which butane is used as the solvent for the “first run” and alcohol or ethanol is used for the “second run.”

Errl:

Slang for BHO (“oil”).

Earwax (or just “Wax”): 

An extract with a sticky, pasty consistency resembling ear wax.

E-Pen:

Portable electric smoking device designed for smoking/vaping extracts

Extraction:

Any method by which the THC and/or other cannabinoids are removed from the plant matter via a solvent.

Fail-Tech:

Term used to refer to the use of faulty materials, equipment or techniques, producing an inferior extract.

Flavorbombing:

The technique of dabbing an extract onto a nail that’s just hot enough to vaporize only the terpenes, producing a hit designed to maximize/emphasize aroma and flavor rather than potency.

Fork:

A sharp-pronged dabber that allows one to break off and stab a dab of snap or shatter.

Goo:

Any sticky, oozy concentrate.

Glob:

An especially large dab.

Globe:

Another term for dome.

Hash Oil: 

A sticky, moist concentrate that has the consistency of oil.

Honeybud:

Cannabis buds that have been infused with BHO.

Hot-Knifing:

A method of smoking concentrates that entails heating up the edge of a knife and then dabbing the concentrate onto it.

Ice Hash (a.k.a. “Water Hash”):

A concentrate made using ice-water extraction methods (see also Bubble, Melt).

Iron:

A metal spike used to smoke concentrates (see also Nail).

ISO Hash (a.k.a. “QWISO,” for “Quick-Wash ISO”):

A concentrate made by soaking cannabis in isopropyl alcohol as a solvent.

John Hammond:

More slang for goo (named after the scientist from Jurassic Park and his amber fossil, which has a similar appearance).

Kief:

A dry, solventless, powdered concentrate derived from sieving cannabis over a fine mesh.

Melt:

A very pure hash that melts fully when smoked and leaves no residue.

Mercaptans:

A clear gas with a rotten egg smell added to more dangerous gases (i.e. propane, butane) so their presence can be detected by their odor.

Miyagi:

More slang for earwax (i.e., “wax on, wax off”).

MSDS (Materials Safety Data Sheet):

List of all ingredients and essential information (toxicity, boiling and flash points) accompanying a can of butane or other volatile gas.

Nail:

A spike used in place of a bowl to smoke concentrates; usually made of glass, quartz or titanium (see also Iron).

Needle (a.k.a. “Pick”):

A metallic device similar to a wand (usually a nut opener or dental pick) used to scrape up concentrates and dab them onto a hot surface for smoking.

Oil Rig (or just “Rig”):

A bong designed specifically to smoke concentrates by replacing the bowl with a nail and dome.

Oleoresins:

Extracts derived from drier and cured material.

Open Column Extraction:

Extraction method/equipment in which solvent is passed through a glass or stainless steel cylinder packed with material, through a screen and onto a dish or tray. Extra solvent gas is lost into the atmosphere.

Paddles:

Long, thin glass sticks with rounded edges used to smoke concentrates by heating up and pressing together.

Purge:

The act of drawing out any solvents from your concentrate (usually by whipping with low heat or by vacuum leaching).

Reclaim:

The excess oil that builds up inside a rig or shovel, which can be “reclaimed” by gently heating the glass with the torch and pouring it out.

Seasoning a Nail: 

The practice of heating a nail, then cooling it off in water before using it to burn away any impurities that may be present on it.

Scoop:

A shovel-like dabber that allows one to scoop up drier, powdery extracts.

Sha-budder:

Budder-like extract texture achieved by placing shatter on low heat over time rather than whipping it.

Shatter:

A form of BHO that shatters when you try to scrape it up from the dish.

Shovel:

A hollow paddle that can be smoked from; a hybrid between a paddle and a bowl.

Skillet:

A small metal plate used for dabbing.

Slide:

A glass bowl that fits a standard water pipe that’s specifically designed for smoking concentrates.

Snap/Sap:

An extract texture that is opaque like shatter yet pliable like taffy, that will have a slight ‘snap’ to it as pulled apart.

Solvent:

A medium used to extract cannabinoids from plant matter (e.g., butane, ethanol, alcohol, oxygen).

Stab:

A hit from a hot knife (i.e., “Give me a stab of that earwax dude!”).

Swing:

A small metallic plate clipped to a bong or oil rig and used to smoke concentrates.

Thin Film Vacuum:

A purging technique that uses vacuum pressure rather than heat to remove residual solvents from an extract that’s been spread very thinly, thus preserving more oils and terpenes.

Tincture:

An ingestible extraction made by soaking plant matter in an edible solvent such as agave, drinking alcohol or vegetable glycerin.

Torch:

A small blowtorch (usually a handheld crème brûlée torch or propane canister) used to heat a nail or skillet for smoking concentrates.

Torching:

Smoking concentrates using a torch.

Traveler:

A rig that’s small enough to fit in one hand and take on the go.

Treebasing:

Slang term for dabbing.

Tube:

A rig or bong.

Vacuum Oven:

A chamber that applies both heat and vacuum pressure to purge extracts of any residual solvents.

Wand (a.k.a. “Dropper,” “Dabber”):

A long glass tool used to scrape up and apply concentrates to a heated surface for smoking.

Wash:

The technique of soaking an extract in a second, liquid solvent (i.e. alcohol, ethanol) in order to further purge away any remnant traces of the first solvent. When combined with cold, waxes, lipids and fats are also separated (see also Winterization).

Whipping:

The technique of literally whipping an extract to give it a fluffier texture by aerating it.

Winterization:

Refinement process that separates the waxes, fats and lipids from an extract by soaking it in alcohol and freezing it. Also known as an alcohol wash.

The Dab Dictionary