Munch. Play. Kink.

Kinktionary

n. A plain-language glossary of 100 BDSM and kink terms.

Aftercare—The care and attention given to partners after a BDSM scene to ensure emotional and physical wellbeing.Age Play—Role-play involving a power dynamic where one partner takes on a younger or older persona.

Bondage—The consensual restraint of a partner using rope, cuffs, tape, or other materials.BDSM—An acronym covering Bondage & Discipline, Dominance & Submission, and Sadism & Masochism.Bratting—Deliberately disobedient or cheeky behavior by a submissive to provoke a reaction from their dominant.Blood Play—Consensual erotic play that involves the drawing of blood, typically through cutting or needle play.Body Worship—Consensual acts of reverence, adoration, or service directed at a partner's body.Bottom—The person who receives sensation, restraint, or direction in a BDSM scene.Bunny (Rope Bunny)—The person who receives rope bondage, typically in Shibari or decorative rope work.Breath Play—Erotic restriction of breathing — considered high-risk edge play.

Caregiver—The nurturing dominant role in an age play or CG/l dynamic.Collar—A symbolic or physical item worn by a submissive to signify their relationship with a dominant.Consent—Freely given, reversible, informed, enthusiastic, and specific agreement to participate in an activity.CNC (Consensual Non-Consent)—Role-play that simulates non-consent within a fully negotiated and consensual framework.Chastity—The consensual restriction of sexual activity or orgasm, often enforced by a device controlled by a partner.Consent Violation—Any act performed without explicit consent or in violation of previously negotiated limits.Contract—A written agreement between partners that outlines the terms, limits, and expectations of a D/s dynamic.Caning—Impact play using a cane — a thin, flexible rod that produces intense, stinging sensation.

DD/lg—Daddy Dom / little girl — an age play dynamic between a nurturing dominant and a regressing submissive.Discipline—The 'D' in BDSM — the use of rules, punishments, and training within a D/s dynamic.Dominance—Taking the controlling, directing, or leading role in a power exchange dynamic.Dom Drop—A physical and emotional crash experienced by dominants after an intense scene.Dungeon—A private or commercial space equipped for BDSM play.D/s (Dominance and Submission)—A relationship or play dynamic centered on the consensual transfer of power from submissive to dominant.Degradation—Consensual acts or words intended to make a submissive feel reduced, objectified, or lessened.

Edge Play—BDSM activities considered higher risk that push physical, psychological, or emotional limits.Electrostimulation (E-stim)—Using controlled electrical current to create sensations on the body during BDSM play.Ethical Non-Monogamy (ENM)—A relationship structure where all partners consciously and consensually agree to non-exclusive relationships.Edging—Repeatedly bringing a partner to the edge of orgasm without allowing release.

Fetish—A sexual fixation on a specific object, body part, material, or situation.FRIES—A consent framework: Freely given, Reversible, Informed, Enthusiastic, Specific.Femdom—Female domination — a D/s dynamic in which a woman takes the dominant role.Financial Domination (FinDom)—A D/s kink in which a submissive derives pleasure from giving money or gifts to a dominant.Fire Play—Consensual use of flame or heat as sensation in BDSM play — considered edge play.Funishment—A 'punishment' that a submissive actually enjoys — often used to reward bratting behavior.Flogging—Impact play using a flogger — a multi-tailed implement made of leather, suede, or other material.

Gag—A device placed in or over the mouth to restrict or muffle speech during play.

Hard Limit—An absolute boundary that a person will not cross under any circumstances.Humiliation—Consensual play involving being made to feel embarrassed, degraded, or lessened as a source of erotic charge.

Impact Play—BDSM activities involving striking the body — with hands, paddles, floggers, canes, or other implements.

Kink—Any unconventional sexual interest, practice, or fantasy that falls outside mainstream sexual norms.Kink Community—The broader social network of people who practice or are interested in kink and BDSM.Knife Play—Consensual erotic play involving knives or blades used for sensation, power, or fear.Keyholder—The partner who holds the key to a chastity device, controlling the locked partner's access to orgasm.Kinkster—An informal term for a person who identifies as part of the kink or BDSM community.Kitten Play—A form of pet play where one participant takes on the persona and behaviors of a cat.Kink Etiquette—The unwritten rules and social norms of behavior in kink community spaces.

Little—The submissive partner in an age play or CG/l dynamic who takes on a younger persona.Little Space—The mental headspace a 'little' enters when regressing during age play.

Masochism—Deriving erotic pleasure from experiencing pain, humiliation, or suffering.Munch—A casual, public social gathering for the kink community held in a vanilla-friendly environment.Mummification—Full or partial body wrapping to restrict movement and create intense sensory effects.Master/slave (M/s)—A highly structured, often 24/7 power exchange dynamic between a Master/Mistress and a slave.

Negotiation—The pre-scene conversation where partners discuss limits, desires, health, and safe words.

Owner—A dominant who holds 'ownership' of a submissive within a consensual pet play or O/p dynamic.Orgasm Control / Denial—A D/s practice in which one partner controls when, how, or whether the other is allowed to orgasm.OTK (Over The Knee)—A spanking position in which the receiving partner lies across the giving partner's lap.

Pet Play—Role-play in which one partner takes on the persona of an animal, often with a handler or owner.Play Party—An organized event where kink community members gather to engage in consensual BDSM play.Power Exchange—The consensual transfer of control and authority from one partner to another.Protocols—Agreed-upon rules, rituals, and behaviors that govern conduct within a D/s relationship.Punishment—A consequence given by a dominant to a submissive for breaking a rule or failing to meet an expectation.Predicament Bondage—Bondage that places a person in a dilemma where any movement causes discomfort.Primal Play—A raw, instinctual form of BDSM play focused on animalistic energy, wrestling, and primal urges.Puppy Play—A form of pet play where one participant takes on the persona and behaviors of a dog.Praise Kink—Sexual arousal or fulfillment derived from being praised or affirmed by a partner.

RACK—Risk-Aware Consensual Kink — a consent philosophy that acknowledges inherent risk in some activities.Risk-Aware—Approaching BDSM activities with full knowledge and acknowledgment of the risks involved.Role-Play—Taking on a fictional persona or scenario as part of consensual erotic or BDSM play.Rope Bondage—The use of rope to restrain a partner, ranging from simple ties to elaborate Shibari patterns.Rigger—A person who ties rope bondage, particularly in Shibari or Japanese-style rope work.

Sadism—Deriving erotic pleasure from causing consensual pain, suffering, or humiliation.Sadomasochism—The consensual combination of sadistic and masochistic elements in erotic play.Safe Word—A pre-agreed word or signal used to pause or stop a scene immediately.Scene—A defined episode of BDSM or kink play with a clear beginning and end.Sensation Play—Using varied physical sensations — heat, cold, texture, vibration — to create erotic experiences.Service Submission—A form of submission focused on acts of service and care for a dominant partner.Shibari—The Japanese art of decorative and erotic rope bondage.Soft Limit—A boundary that is negotiable and may be explored with the right partner or circumstances.SSC—Safe, Sane, and Consensual — a foundational consent philosophy in the BDSM community.Sub Drop—A physical and emotional crash experienced by submissives after an intense scene.Submission—Taking the yielding, receptive, or following role in a power exchange dynamic.Subspace—An altered state of consciousness sometimes experienced by submissives during intense play.Switch—A person who enjoys both dominant and submissive roles, either within a relationship or across different ones.Safe Call—A pre-arranged check-in with a trusted person before and after meeting an unknown play partner.Sensory Deprivation—Deliberately restricting one or more senses to heighten the remaining senses or create psychological intensity.Suspension Bondage—Rope bondage in which the bound person is fully or partially lifted off the ground.Spanking—Striking the buttocks with an open hand or implement as a form of impact play or discipline.Stingy—Describing impact sensations that are sharp, surface-level, and felt primarily on the skin.

Temperature Play—Using heat and cold as sensation in BDSM play — commonly wax and ice.TPE (Total Power Exchange)—A 24/7 D/s dynamic where the submissive cedes control across most or all areas of daily life.Traffic Light System—A safe word system using green/yellow/red to communicate comfort level during a scene.Training—The process of teaching a submissive specific behaviors, responses, or protocols.Top—The person who actively gives sensation, direction, or restraint in a BDSM scene.Topping from the Bottom—When a submissive or bottom attempts to direct or control a scene from their receiving role.Thuddy—Describing impact sensations that are deep, resonant, and felt through tissue rather than on the surface.

Vanilla—Mainstream, non-kinky sexual activity or a person who does not engage in BDSM or kink.Vetting—The practice of researching a potential play partner's reputation and references before meeting.

Wax Play—Dripping hot candle wax onto a partner's skin as a form of sensation play.Wartenberg Wheel—A medical pinwheel with sharp rotating points used in sensation play to create intense tingling or stinging.