Glossary

• Aftercare

  The intentional, mutual care after a scene, physically and emotionally. Water, blankets, eye contact, talking it through.

• BDSM

  Umbrella acronym: Bondage & Discipline, Dominance & Submission, Sadism & Masochism.

• Brat

  A submissive who playfully resists or teases, submission expressed through cheek, not deference.

• CNC

  Consensual non-consent. Pre-negotiated roleplay where 'resistance' is part of the agreed scene.

• Collaring

  A symbolic ritual marking a committed D/s relationship, analogous to (but distinct from) an engagement.

• DDLG / CGL

  Caregiver/Little dynamic. A nurturing power exchange centered on care, structure, and play.

• Dom / Domme

  The partner taking the leading role in a power exchange.

• Dominant

  The partner taking the leading role in a power exchange, sets the frame, holds the container.

• Submissive

  The partner offering deference, service, or surrender inside a negotiated dynamic.

• Top

  The partner doing the action in a scene (tying, impact, etc.), not necessarily the one in charge.

• Bottom

  The partner receiving the action in a scene, not necessarily the one submitting.

• Versatile

  Comfortable topping or bottoming depending on partner, scene, or mood.

• Curious

  New to kink or to a specific dynamic, and openly exploring what fits.

• Edge play

  Activities at the riskier end of the spectrum, knife, fire, breath. Requires advanced negotiation.

• Hard limit

  A non-negotiable no. Limits are load-bearing, not paperwork.

• Impact play

  Spanking, flogging, caning, paddling, sensation delivered through controlled strikes.

• Negotiation

  The conversation before a scene where partners align on wants, limits, signals, and aftercare.

• Pet play

  Roleplay where one partner takes on traits of an animal (puppy, kitten) as a form of submission or play.

• Primal

  Instinctive, animalistic play, biting, growling, chase dynamics. Often hunter/prey.

• Protocol

  Agreed rules of behavior between partners in a power dynamic, formal or casual.

• RACK

  Risk-Aware Consensual Kink. Acknowledges all play carries risk; partners agree with eyes open.

• Safeword

  A word or signal that immediately pauses or stops a scene. Often traffic-light: green, yellow, red.

• Service top

  Tops who facilitate the bottom's experience, driven by their partner's pleasure.

• Rope top

  The partner doing the tying. Skilled rope work is part craft, part scene.

• Rope bottom

  The partner being tied. Active, communicative, body awareness is the skill.

• Subspace

  A trance-like headspace some submissives enter during intense play. Aftercare matters here.

• Switch

  Someone who plays both dominant and submissive roles, depending on partner and context.

• Vanilla

  Sex or relationships outside kink. Not a value judgment, descriptive only.

• Daddy

  A caregiver-leaning dominant archetype. Warmth + authority, not necessarily age-related.

• Mommy

  A nurturing dominant archetype. Care expressed through structure and command.

• Sir

  A formal honorific for a masc-leaning dominant. Often paired with protocol.

• Mistress

  A formal honorific for a femme-leaning dominant. Often paired with protocol.

• Master

  A formal honorific for a dominant in a high-protocol or ownership dynamic.

• Owner

  The dominant party in an ownership dynamic, where the sub consents to being 'kept'.

• Caregiver

  Dominant role focused on nurturing, structure, and play. Pair to Little.

• Little

  A submissive who taps into a younger, playful headspace inside a Caregiver dynamic. Not age play involving minors.

• Babygirl

  A submissive flavor, sweet, indulged, often paired with Daddy/Mommy dynamics.

• Princess

  A submissive flavor, adored and slightly demanding. Brat-adjacent.

• Pet

  A submissive who takes on animal-like traits (puppy, kitten) as a form of play or service.

• Sadist

  Someone who finds erotic pleasure in giving consensual pain or intensity.

• Masochist

  Someone who finds erotic pleasure in receiving consensual pain or intensity.

• Hunter

  The pursuing role in primal play. Chase, capture, hold.

• Prey

  The pursued role in primal play. Resistance is part of the dance, not a real 'no'.

• D/s dynamics

  Dominance/submission, power exchange that may or may not include physical play.

• 24/7

  A D/s dynamic that doesn't switch off, the power exchange runs through everyday life.

• Rope

  Bondage with rope. Aesthetic, restrictive, ritual, depends on the tie and the partners.

Definitions are descriptive, not prescriptive. Your kink, your words.