Introduction to the BDSM Glossary
Are you curious about the world of BDSM but feel lost in a sea of confusing terminology? Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered!
In this beginner’s guide to BDSM terminology, we’ll break down all the jargon and lingo you need to know to navigate this intriguing subculture with confidence.
A
- Aftercare: The process of attending to a partner’s emotional and physical needs after a BDSM scene.
- Age Play: Role-playing involving an age differential, often where one partner takes on the role of a younger person.
- Anal Play: Sexual activities involving stimulation of the anus.
- Asphyxiation Play: Activities involving controlled breath restriction for heightened sensations.
B
- Bondage: Physically restraining someone, typically with ropes, cuffs, or other devices.
- Bottom: The person in a BDSM scene who receives the action, whether that be pain, bondage, or servitude.
- Breath Play: Play involving the restriction of breathing for erotic arousal.
- Blindfolding: The use of a blindfold to enhance other senses and increase anticipation.
C
- Collar: A symbol of commitment, often used in BDSM relationships to signify ownership or belonging.
- Consensual Non-Consent: A consensual agreement between partners to engage in activities that mimic non-consensual behavior within pre-negotiated boundaries.
- Cuckolding: A fetish where one partner derives pleasure from their significant other having sex with someone else.
- Cane: A flexible, thin stick used for striking in impact play.
D
- Dominant (Dom/Domme): The person who takes control in a BDSM relationship or scene.
- Discipline: The practice of training a submissive through rules, routines, and punishments.
- Domination and Submission (D/s): The power dynamic between a dominant and a submissive.
- Dungeon: A space equipped with BDSM gear and furniture designed for scenes and play.
E
- Edge Play: Activities that are considered risky, either physically or emotionally, often because they push personal boundaries.
- Electroplay: The use of electrical stimulation for erotic sensation.
F
- Fetish: A sexual fixation on a particular object, material, or body part.
- Fire Play: Using fire near or on the skin for sensation play.
- Flogging: The act of striking someone with a whip or flogger.
- Furry: A subculture where people role-play as anthropomorphized animal characters.
G
- Gags: Devices used to restrict speech, often for the purpose of bondage or humiliation.
- Golden Showers: A form of play involving urine.
- Gorean: A subculture based on the fictional works of John Norman, emphasizing a master/slave dynamic.
H
- Humiliation Play: Play that involves degrading or embarrassing a submissive partner consensually.
- Hypno-Kink: The use of hypnosis to induce trance states and control in a BDSM context.
I
- Impact Play: Activities involving striking the body, such as spanking, flogging, or whipping.
- Intense Sensation Play: Play that involves strong sensations, like hot wax or ice.
- Interrogation Play: Role-playing scenarios involving intense questioning, often with elements of power exchange and fear play.
J
- Japanese Bondage (Shibari/Kinbaku): A form of intricate rope bondage originating from Japan.
K
- Knife Play: The use of knives or other sharp objects for sensation play.
- Kink: Unconventional sexual practices, fantasies, or concepts.
- Kitten Play: A form of pet play where one partner takes on the role of a kitten.
L
- Limits: Boundaries set by participants that should not be crossed during a scene. Hard limits are absolute; soft limits may be negotiable.
- Lifestyle: Living BDSM as a central part of one’s daily life and identity.
- Leather Community: A subculture within BDSM with roots in the gay male leather scene, emphasizing leather attire and specific codes of behavior.
M
- Masochist: Someone who derives pleasure from experiencing pain or humiliation.
- Master/Mistress: A dominant partner in a relationship, often with a long-term submissive.
- Medical Play: Role-playing involving medical scenarios, often with equipment like needles, scalpels, or speculums.
- Mummification: The practice of wrapping a partner’s body in plastic or cloth for restraint and sensory deprivation.
N
- Negotiation: The discussion and agreement on what activities will occur in a scene, establishing boundaries and safe words.
- Needle Play: The use of needles to pierce the skin for sensation or aesthetic purposes.
O
- Owner: A dominant who has taken responsibility for a submissive, often signified by a collar.
- Orgasm Control: Techniques involving the delay or denial of orgasm for heightened sexual arousal.
P
- Pet Play: Role-playing where one or more participants take on the characteristics of animals.
- Power Exchange: The transfer of control from the submissive to the dominant.
- Public Play: Engaging in BDSM activities in public or semi-public settings.
R
- RACK (Risk-Aware Consensual Kink): A philosophy emphasizing informed consent and awareness of the risks involved in BDSM activities.
- Role Play: Acting out scenarios, often with power dynamics or specific fantasies.
- Restraint: Using devices like cuffs, ropes, or straps to limit a partner’s movement.
S
- Safe Word: A pre-agreed word or phrase to immediately stop a scene.
- Sadist: Someone who derives pleasure from inflicting pain or humiliation on others.
- Submissive (Sub): The person who gives up control in a BDSM relationship or scene.
- Switch: A person who can take on either the dominant or submissive role.
- Sensory Deprivation: The removal of one or more senses (sight, hearing, touch) to heighten other sensations.
- Slave: A submissive who gives up a significant degree of autonomy to their dominant, often in a long-term arrangement.
- Suspension: The practice of hanging a person off the ground using ropes or other equipment, often in intricate patterns.
T
- Top: The person who performs the action in a BDSM scene, often synonymous with the dominant.
- TPE (Total Power Exchange): A relationship where the submissive gives all control to the dominant.
- Toys: Various implements used in BDSM play, such as floggers, paddles, vibrators, and clamps.
V
- Voyeurism: Deriving sexual pleasure from watching others.
W
- Wax Play: The practice of dripping hot wax onto a partner’s body for sensation play.
- Whipping: The act of striking a partner with a whip.
- Wartenberg Wheel: A medical device with small, sharp pins used for sensation play.
Z
- Zentai: A fetish involving tight, full-body suits, often covering the entire body, including the face.
- Zapper: A device used in electroplay to deliver electric shocks for sensation.
If you’re interested in learning more about the world of BDSM, then you should check out our post on BDSM for beginners.
