Definitions

This is something I've been meaning to sit down and do for a long time. This post holds a set of definitions, intended as a list of the terms you might encounter when reading about any aspect of the BDSM lifestyle. It is by no means an exhaustive list, and I intend to add to it over time as I learn more.

BDSM & Associated terms

APE - Absolute Power Exchange.
BBW - Big, Beautiful Woman.
B&D - Bondage & Discipline.
BDP - Border-line Personality Disorder.
BDSM - Catch all acronym, comprising of Bondage & Discipline, Domintion & Submission, Sadism & Masochism.
Bottom - The person who recieves during a scene. Eg they may be the one who is tied up, or the one being spanked etc. They may also be a masochist. Unlike a submissive, a bottom may give instructions to the top about what happens in a scene, and when certian activities may be performed.
CBT - Cock & Ball Torture.
CNC - Consentual Non-consent.
Dominant - Often shortened to Dom (male) or Domme (female). A partner who takes the role of giving during a scene, often incorporating many top tendancies. A dominant will often also take the role of carer or teacher for their submissive, and the role often extends outside the scene.
D/s - Dominition & submission (Note the capitalisation, often used to donate "rank" or respect).
Gor / Gorean - People who follow practises as set out by John Norman in his Science Fiction novels "The Chronicles of Gor".
Masochist - A person who takes sexual pleasure out of recieving pain, they will often (though not necessarily) take the role of bottom or submissive during a scene.
Master - Also known as Mistress or possibly Dominatrix if female. The dominant role in a power exhange relationship, where the master takes "control" of the submissive for a large proportion of the time the couple are together. Thus the difference between a dominant and a master is the degree of dominance. It must be noted that the role does not extend to power over the submissive's legal rights. It can also be noted that a master may have more than one submissive under his "control". Also, many people gain a sense of power or servitude during a scene by referring to the top as "master", though this must not be confused with the daily role of a master.
M/s - Master & slave relationship (Note the capitalisation, often used to donate "rank" or respect).
OTK - Over the Knee - a position used during spanking scenes where the spankee is literalty bent over the spanker's knee.
O/our - usually written by a submissive when referring to both her/himself and her/his dominant. Read as "our" (Note the capitalisation, used to donate "rank" or respect).
RACK - Risk-aware, Consentual Kink.
Sadist - A person who takes sexual pleasure out of inflicting (causing) pain, they will often (though not necessarily) take the role of top or dominant during a scene.
Scene - A BDSM encounter between two or more people. Although usually erotic, there may be no sexual contact between the participants.
Shibari - a type of Japanese bondage, often very decorative.
Slave - The submissive role in a power exhange relationship, where the submissive has given the right to their dominant to exercise authority over them. Thus the difference between a submissive and a slave is the degree of submission. It must be noted that the role does not extend to giving up legal rights. Also, many people gain a sense of power or servitude during a scene by referring to the bottm as "slave", though this must not be confused with the daily role of a slave.
S&M - Sadism & Masochism or sado-masochism.
SSC - Safe, Sane and Consentual.
St Andrew's Cross - a human-sized piece of bondage equipment in the shape of St Andrew's cross, can be free standing or fixed to the wall, with restraints along it's length to use on the bottom.
Submissive - Often shortened to sub. A partner who takes the role of recieving during a scene, often incorporating many bottom tendancies. However, unlike a bottom, a sub doesn't expect to give orders during a scene; indeed many subs enjoy giving up "control". The role of submissive is often extended to outside the scene, and often will carry out orders that aren't of a sexual nature, Eg house-hold chores.
Top - The person who gives during a scene. Eg they may be the one who ties someone else up, or the one giving the spanking etc. They may also be a sadist. Unlike a dominant, a top doesn't have "control" over a bottom's actions outside the scene.
TPE - Total Power Exchange.
Violet Wand - a device used to apply low current, high voltage static electricity to a person
W/we - usually written by a submissive when referring to both her/himself and her/his dominant. Read as "we" (Note the capitalisation, used to donate "rank" or respect).
YKIOKIJNMK - Your kink is OK, it's just not my kink.
Y/your - usually written by a submissive when referring to another D/s couple. Read as "your" (Note the capitalisation, used to donate "rank" or respect).