BDSMGifts.com BDSM Stuff!

BDSM Dictionary

ALGOPHILIA Psychology Sexual arousal from receiving pain.

ALPHA SUB Colloquial In a relationship in which one dominant has more than one submissive, the submissive accorded the greatest power or respect among all the submissives.

ANAL HOOK A smooth, blunt metal hook, typically about an inch thick and six inches long, with a small loop on one end. The shorter side of the hook is inserted into the anus, and a rope tied to the loop on the other end can be tied to an overhead fixture to force the wearer to kneel with his or her butt in the air, or can be secured to the wrists to bind the wearer’s hands. Some anal hooks inclide a ball on the end that is inserted.

ANILINGUS: Any sexual activity involving licking, kissing, or tonguing another person’s anus.

ANIMALISM Any form of role play in which a participant assumes the role of an animal to be trained, such as a horse or dog. See related pony play,
puppy play

ANKLE CUFFS Any cuffs (def. 1) specifically designed to be affixed to a person’s ankles. Ankle cuffs are often made of leather, but may also be made of cloth, rope, metal, or even wood.

ARMBINDER A restraint device consisting of a long sleeve into which both arms are placed, often fitted with laces or straps to hold the arms securely together. An armbinder may also include an integrated collar to prevent the wearer from withdrawing the arms. Also referred to as a single-glove or
monoglove.

ASS PLAY Any form of sexual stimulation of the ass, including anal sex, anilingus, and the like.

ASYMMETRIC BONDAGE Any bondage technique in which a person is bound in an asymmetric pose; for example, with one leg extended and one leg bent. Many forms of shibari include asymmetric bondage.

AUTO-EROTIC ASPHYXIA A specific form of breath control in which a person who is by himself or herself constricts his or her own breathing, often with a rope or similar implement, while masturbating.

BALL BUSTING Colloquial Any form of genitorture applied to the testicles, as by squeezing, impact, or tight binding.

BALL GAG A gag consisting of a ball, usually made of rubber, which is attached to a strap. The ball is placed in the mouth and the strap is placed around the head to hold it securely in place.

BALL TIE A specific form of bondage in which the person is bound in a seated position with the knees up, the head bent down over the knees, and the hands behind the back.

BASTINADO Any form of pain play involving inflicting pain on the soles of the feet, often by striking, cropping, or whipping them.

BDSM A composite acronym for “B&D” (bondage & discipline); “D&S” (dominance & submission); and “S&M” (sadomasochism).
Used to refer to any consensual activities or lifestyles between adults which include some or all of these things.
The term “BDSM” is used in a general sense to describe any situation or practice which includes erotic power exchange, dominance and submission, pain play, bondage, sensation play, or anything related to these.

BELTING The practice of striking a person with a belt or with any long, narrow, belt-like strap.

BLINDFOLD Any implement designed to prevent a person from seeing by covering the eyes. Also, verb the act of using a blindfold on a person.

BLOOD PLAY Any activity involving drawing blood. Specific types of blood play include needle play and knife play, among others.

BODY HARNESS A harness consisting of a series of straps designed to be worn around the torso, which may optionally include a mechanism for locking the harness into place and may also include rings or other attachments for ropes, cuffs, or chastity belts.

BONDAGE Any practice involving tying or securing a person, as with ropes, cuffs, chains, or other restraints. Restraint bondage, the most common form of bondage, involves immobilizing a person, by tying or otherwise restraining him or her to an object or by binding his or her limbs together.
Stimulation bondage is any form of tying in such a way that the subject is not immobilized and has freedom of motion, but the ropes or ties shift and move against the body, often in sensitive or erogenous areas; certain forms of shibari are stimulation bondage.
A person in bondage is said to be bound.

BONDAGE BELT A belt used to restrain a person, which consists of a heavy band of leather or a similar material which can be strapped or locked about the waist and which has several attachment points to which the subject’s wrists may be bound.

BONDAGE BUNNY Colloquial A person who enjoys being tied or bound. Usage:Often implies that the person described is not necessarily submissive or masochistic, but enjoys bondage because he or she takes pleasure from being restrained.

BONDAGE MITT A fingerless mitten, often made of leather, canvas, heavy vinyl, PVC, or similar materials, which is placed over the hand and then fastened in place with an integrated buckling or locking cuff. The bondage mitt holds the hand flat or balled up, and prevents the wearer from being able to pick things up or otherwise make use of his or her hands.

BONDAGE TAPE A vinyl tape material, available in many colors, which sticks only to itself but not to other materials such as skin or clothing, making it ideal for bondage.

BOOT WORSHIP A specific type of shoe fetishism centered around boots, in which the submissive partner may kiss, lick, polish, or otherwise adulate the dominant’s boots.
Often, but not always, includes some elements of uniform play.

BOX TIE A specific form of bondage in which a person brings his or her arms together and grips each forearm with the opposite hand, and then ropes are brought around the forearms to tie them together. Often combined with ropes between the upper arms to prevent the bound person from slipping his
or her arms sideways out of the tie.

BREAST BONDAGE A specific form of bondage involving binding around or over the breasts.

BREAST CLAMP A type of device, often consisting of two horizontal wooden planks with an adjustable screw or clamp mechanism between them, which can be clamped over the breasts.

BREAST TORTURE Pain play involving the breasts and/or nipples.

BULLWHIP A type of singletail consisting of a woven or braided leather whip, usually longer than 4′ and sometimes 6′ long or more, with a short rigid handle.

BUKKAKE (from the Japanese , “to splash water.”) A sexual practice, originating in Japan, in which a very large number of men masturbate and ejaculate onto a person.

BUTT PLUG A sex toy intended for anal stimulation, consisting of a flared dildo, usually quite short, with a wide base, designed to remain securely in the anus until removed.

BUTTERFLY CHAIR A chair which contains two horizontal planks to which the legs can be secured, affixed to a pivot such that the legs of the secured person can be spread apart.

CANE A thin, flexible instrument used to strike a person. Canes are often made of rattan or a similar material, but may be made of other types of wood or even of flexible plastic such as p olycarbonate. They are quite painful, often leaving marked welts.

CAT O’ NINE TAILS A specific type of flogger consisting of a handle, often made of wood and wrapped with cloth, with nine lashes affixed to it. The lashes are usually made of rope or of leather cords, and are braided or knotted. Generally more painful than many other types of floggers.

CATHETER Any thin, flexible tube designed to be inserted in the urethra.

WAIST CORSET A specific type of corset which is shorter than a full corset and wraps around the wearer’s waist.

CINCH KNOT A specific type of knot made by passing a rope or line through an opening, then around and around itself several times, and finally through a loop near the opening.

CLEAVE GAG A type of gag, usually mode of cloth, that is pulled tightly between the wearer’s teeth and tied behind the head.The cleave gag forces the mouth partway open and is quite effective in preventing speech.

CLOVER CLAMP A specific type of nipple clamp consisting of a clamp with a lever mechanism to which a chain or cord is affixed in such a way that pulling on the chain or cord increases pressure on the clamp.

COCK AND BALL TORTURE (CBT) Any of a number of different practices involving pain play of the penis and testicles, including such practices as binding, compressing, striking, or stretching the penis or testicles.

COCK BONDAGE Tying or restraining the penis.

COCK RING A ring (often made of metal or rubber) or strap designed to be affixed around the base of an erect penis. The ring allows blood to flow into the penis but constricts the penis sufficiently to prevent blood from flowing out, preventing the penis from becoming flaccid once it is erect.

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT Any activity involving disciplining a person through physical means, as by spanking.

CORSET An article of clothing, often made of leather, PVC, or vinyl and sometimes including strips of rigid “boning,” which is tightly laced and designed to narrow the waist and lift the breasts, creating an “hourglass” figure.

CORSET COLLAR A specific type of posture collar, typically made of leather, vinyl, PVC, or similar material and sometimes containing rigid inserts or rigid metal sides, which is designed to lace up the front, back, or sides rather than buckling or locking closed.

CROP A thin, flexible instrument used for striking, consisting of a rigid but flexible shaft wrapped with leather or a similar material, with a handle at one end and often with a small leather loop at the other.

DOMINA A female dominant.

DOMINANT A person who assumes a role of power or authority in a power exchange relationship. A dominant takes psychological control over or has power over another person, and may, for example, give that person orders which are to be obeyed.

DOMINATRIX A dominant, usually female and often a prodomme.

DUNGEON Any place specifically set up for BDSM activities, often equipped specifically for BDSM play, as with furniture such as racks, crosses, and the like.

ENEMA The act of introducing water or other liquid into the bowel or lower intestine, often by means of a nozzle inserted into the anus and connected to a liquid-filled bag or bulb. Commentary: In a BDSM context, enemas may be given for pleasure (some people find the sensations enjoyable or arousing), as a form of humiliation play, or simply as a precursor to anal sex.

EXHIBITIONIST One who is sexually aroused by showing others his or her body or by being watched, particularly in a sexual setting or while engaged in sexual activity.

FEMDOM A power exchange relationship in which the dominant is female. Often (but not always) used to refer to a relationship between a female dominant and a male submissive.

FISTING The practice of inserting the entire hand into the vagina or (less commonly) into the anus. Commentary: Vaginal fisting is actually quite a bit easier to do than most people realize; the human body is quite accommodating. Contrary to common misconception, fisting is not done by making a fist and shoving it into the vagina; rather, the fingers are placed together and inserted slowly; as the hand is inserted, the fingers tend to curl into a loose ball. Many women experience intense orgasms from vaginal fisting.

FLOGGER An implement used to strike a person, consisting of a handle with multiple lashes attached to it. The lashes are typically made of leather, but may also be made of materials such as rope, suede, horsehair, or even Koosh balls.

FORCED ORGASM An orgasm induced in a person against that person’s will or as part of resistance play, often by means of bondage combined with sexual stimulation.

FUCKING MACHINE Any device or machine which is designed to simulate the act of sex; often consisting of a dildo affixed to a reciprocating motor so as to thrust in and out of a person. Many varieties of fucking machines exist, some designed so that the subject straddles or sits on them, others designed to be used when the subject is prone or spreadeagle.

FUNNEL GAG A gag, usually consisting of an oblong or penis-shaped rubber or plastic bit, which has a tube running through it connected to a funnel. When the gag is placed in the mouth, any liquids introduced into the tube will pass into the mouth, and the person wearing the gag has no choice but to swallow them.

HAIR BONDAGE Any bondage technique in which a rope, twine, or cord is woven or braided through a person’s hair, then tied in such a way as to limit mobility of the bound person’s head.

HANDCUFFS Narrow metal cuffs with a pivoting hinge and a ratcheted locking mechanism, connected to each other by a short length of chain and often used to restrain people’s wrists together. Commonly used by law enforcement and security personnel. Commentary: Handcuffs are not always safe to use in BDSM scenarios, particularly if resistance play is involved, as their narrowness and hardness can cause injury to the wrist if the restrained person pulls or struggles against them.

HOGTIE A bondage technique in which the bound person’s ankles and wrists are bound together, usually behind the back; then the ankles are bound to the wrists wile the person lies on his or her stomach.

KARADA A rope harness, originating in Japan, that is tied around the torso in a series of diamond-shaped patterns. Often used as a foundation in shibari. The karada does not restrain the subject, and can even be worn under clothing.

KOTORI A rope harness intended to support a person’s weight from the torso and upper legs, used for suspension in shibari.

LACING TABLE A table or other flat, horizontal table-like object specifically designed for lacing, usually consisting of two or more rows of eyehooks affixed to the table in such a way that a person lying between the rows of eyehooks can be restrained to the table by a rope or cord that is laced back and forth between the eyehooks.

MASOCHIST One who experiences arousal, excitement, or sexual gratification from receiving pain. Contrast sadist. Commentary: Contrary to popular misconception, a masochist does not experience arousal at all forms of pain; stubbing a toe, for example, is unlikely to be arousing. The context of the pain is important.



MASTER A dominant, usually in a TPE relationship. Usually male; the female equivalent is a mistress. Contrast slave.



MOUTH BIT Any of a style of gags with a long, cylinder-shaped bit, usually made of soft rubber or latex, in place of a round ball. Mouth bits may include an integrated harness; such bits are often used in pony play.

MOUTH GAG A dental instrument designed to hold the mouth open for long periods of time, sometimes used as a gag in BDSM play.

NIPPLE CLAMP Any clamp or clamp-like device designed to be clamped to a subject’s nipples. May include a mechanism for adjusting or limiting the amount of pressure applied to the nipple. Clothespins make good (and cheap!) nipple clamps.

ORGASM CONTROL The practice whereby one person is not permitted to reach sexual orgasm without the permission of another person, or for a set period of time, or sometimes at all, even though that person may be permitted (or required) to engage in sexual activity or sex.

PADDLE Any stiff, hard implement, often made of wood, used for striking a person, most commonly on the buttocks. Also, verb to strike with a paddle.

PILLORY BED A bed with a stock built into the headboard and/or footboard, such that a person lying on the bed may have the stock closed over his or her ankles, wrists, or wrists and head to restrain the person and prevent him or her from leaving the bed.



PLAY PIERCING A form of needle play in which the needles are placed through the skin or through parts of the body such as nipples. The piercings thus made may or may not have items such as rings placed through them. A defining element of play piercing is that the piercings are not intended to be permanent and the needles or other items are removed at the end of the session.



PUMP GAG A type of gag consisting of a blunt, rounded, or penis-shaped rubber bladder which is placed in the mouth and can then be inflated with air by means of a hand pump. The gag increases in size, filling the mouth, when inflated.

PUNISHMENT TIE Any form of bondage done in such a way that the bound person’s pose or the bondage itself is painful or uncomfortable, or any kind of bondage done with the intent of causing pain or discomfort to the bound person. Some forms of shibari include punishment ties.



RACK Any type of bondage furniture consisting of a framework or platform to which a person may be bound; often derived from a Medieval implement consisting of a platform and a wheeled mechanism designed to stretch or pull the person bound to it.

RAPE PLAY A form of role play in which one person stages a mock “rape” for the purpose of gratification of all the people involved. See related consensual non-consent, resistance play. Commentary: A surprisingly common form of BDSM play, often staged so as to fulfill a woman’s sexual fantasies of rape or coerced sex in a safe and controlled way.

ROPE GAG A type of gag made by tying a rope around or through the mouth. Occasionally, a rope can be made to serve two functions by tying it around a person’s head so that it passes through the mouth and around a fixed object; this both restrains the head and prevents speech.

SADIST One who is aroused, excited, or receives sexual gratification from inflicting pain on another. Contrast masochist. Commentary: A sadist does not necessarily take pleasure in inflicting pain indiscriminately; for most sadists, the pleasure relies on knowing that the subject is also enjoying the experience.



SADOMASOCHISM Any activity or practice involving the inflicting or receiving of pain; pain play.



SHIBARI A type of bondage originating in Japan and characterized by extremely elaborate and intricate patterns of rope, often used both to restrain the subject and to stimulate the subject by binding or compressing the breasts and/or genitals. Shibari is an art form; the aesthetics of the bound person and the bondage itself are considered very important. Also sometimes called kinbaku.



SHINJU A type of rope harness, originating in Japan, which goes around and over the breasts. A shinju does not restrict motion, and can be worn under clothing; as the subject moves, the ropes shift against the breasts, providing constant stimulation. Often used in shibari.



SHOE FETISHISM A type of sexual expression centered around a fixtion on shoes, sometimes as part of submission. Submissive shoe fetishism may involve acts such as licking, kissing, or caring for the dominant partner’s shoes.



SJAMBOK A specific type of heavy, short whip-like implement used for striking, formerly made of tightly rolled rhinocerous hide but today often made of plastic or rigid rubber. The sjambok is typically about an inch wide at the handle end, half an inch wide or less at the striking end, and three to five feet in length.



SOMNOPHILIA Psychology A Sexual arousal from having sex with a sleeping person.

SPANK To strike on the buttocks, either with an open hand or with a paddle.



SPANKING BENCH A low bench, often padded and often equipped with restraints or tie-down points, over which a person can be bent or tied and spanked or flogged.

SPECULUM A medical instrument commonly consisting of two or occasionally three probes designed to be inserted into the vagina or (less commonly) the anus, together with a mechanism intended to spread the probes apart, opening the vagina or anus. Sometimes used in medical role play scenarios.

SPREADER BAR An implement consisting of a rigid bar or rod, often with attachment points for restraints built into it at each end, designed to be attached to a person’s feet or ankles so as to hold the person’s legs spread apart. May be adjustable in length.

STOCK A device used for bondage consisting of a vertical wooden post or a wooden frame atop which is set two heavy wood planks which close around a person’s neck and wrists.



STRAITJACKET A heavy jacket, often made of canvas, whose sleeves end in long straps, which are wrapped around the jacket and buckled in place. A person confined in a straitjacket has very little freedom of motion; freeing one’s self from a straitjacket is virtually impossible.



STRAP-IN A dildo designed to penetrate a person either vaginally or anally and then be held in place by a strap or harness, sometimes equipped with a lock to prevent it from being removed.



STRAP-ON A dildo attached to straps, a harness, or some other mechanism designed to be worn around the waist.

STRAPPADO BONDAGE A specific bondage technique in which a person’s hands are tied behind his or her back, then a rope is tied to the wrists and attached to an overhead fixture or pulley tightly enough so that the bound person is forced to bend over with his or her arms in the air.

SUSPENSION Any form of bondage in which the person bound is suspended partially or completely off the floor, often by ropes affixed to an overhead point (as with a kotori in shibari), or by means of a rigid bar with attached suspension cuffs.

SUSPENSION BAR A short bar, often made of metal and which may be straight or slightly curved, with a mounting point in the center and additional mounting points designed for rope, chain, or suspension cuffs on each end. A person is bound to the suspension bar, which is hung from an overhead point by means of a cable or chain connected to its centeral mounting point. May often be used in conjunction with a lift, winch, or pulley system such that a person may be bound to the suspension bar and the bar may then be raised or lowered.

SUSPENSION CUFFS Any restraints designed to encircle the wrists, ankles, hands, or feet and designed in such a way as to distribute the wearer’s weight so that the wearer may be partially or completely suspended from the cuffs.

SUSPENSION FRAME Any frame, rack, or similar structure designed for the purpose of suspension. Common configurations of suspension frames include an open “box” with mounting points along its upper edges, in which a person can be suspended so that the person hangs horizontally within the box; a rectangular upright frame, from which a person may be suspended with rope or suspension cuffs; and a long wood or metal pole, supported by two legs on each end, from which a person may be suspended by ropes.

TWEEZER CLAMPS A type of nipple clamp consisting of long, thin, tweezer-like clamps made of flexible spring steel, with a ring which can be used to adjust their tightness. Commentary: Among the mildest of all forms of nipple clamps, typically causing little or no pain.

UNIFORM PLAY Any of a wide variety of different forms of role play in which the wearing of uniforms, such as military uniforms, is a significant part of the role play. Commentary: Many people find uniforms, particularly uniforms that convey rank or indicate ierarchy or authority (such as police or military uniforms) arousing.

VAGINAL HOOK A smooth metal hook, usually about an inch thick and six to eight inches long, designed to be inserted into the vagina. The other end typically is bent into a loop into which a rope can be tied.

VIOLET WAND A device used for electrical play consisting of a handle, which contains a high-voltage coil called an “Oudin coil,” and several interchangeable electrodes, most commonly made of glass and filled with a gas which glows a brilliant purple in the presence of an electrical field.

*Thanks to xeromag.com for some information we used on this dictionary!