'e-liquid' originates from the combination of 'electronic' and 'liquid', where 'electronic' refers to devices powered by electricity and 'liquid' refers to a fluid substance.

The term 'e-liquid' emerged with the rise of electronic cigarettes in the early 21st century, combining 'e-' as a prefix for electronic and 'liquid' to describe the fluid used in vaping.

Initially, it referred specifically to the liquid used in electronic cigarettes, and this meaning has remained consistent.