List of unofficial terms

The following words are commonly used by players to describe certain game mechanics but aren't official terminology in Yu-Gi-Oh!. These word usually came from other card games, direct translation from other language (mainly from Japanese), or is a simplification for an entire action.

When referring to cards, players generically use the easier name between English and translated Japanese name. Other wordings include.

• Absorb - The act of using monster as an Equip Card or Xyz Material, then gain its power.
• Ban - The act of forbidding a card from being used.
  • Banlist - List of Forbidden, Limited or Semi-limited cards.
• Book / Blanket - The act of flipping a monster to face-down defense position.
• Boost - The act of using an effect that increase ATK, DEF or effect's affection capability.
• Boss - The most powerful monster(s) of an archetype or Deck. For example, the boss monster of the "Cubic" archetype is "Crimson Nova Trinity the Dark Cubic Lord".
• Bounce - The act of returning a card from the field to the hand.
• Blast / Break / Pop - The act of destroying a card on the field.
• Brick / Rot - A bad card combination in the hand that results in the player having to make a sub-optimal play.
• Buff - A positive effect applied on a monster OR the act of using it. Alternatively, it can also be used to refer to an OCG/TCG card's effect being made stronger than its anime/manga version.
• Burn - Effect damage and the act of using it.
• Cancer - A card or a deck that focuses on lockdown to the point of being frowned upon.
• Chimeratech - Multiple attacker in effect.
• Counter - Spell Speed 3 OR The act of using effect that would negate.
• Counterattack - A monster that had been attacked, but was not destroyed, destroys the attacker after the attack OR A monster gains ATK/DEF enough to overpower an attacking monster.
• Deathtouch - An effect that destroys a monster during or after an attack.
• Debuff - A negative effect applied on a monster OR the act of using it.
• Disrupt - The continual use of Floodgate and/or Counter Trap Cards.
• Engine - A number of cards that helps a Deck achieve a certain action or helps a player draw a good card. For example, a player uses a "Windwitch" engine consisting of "Windwitch - Snow Bell", "Windwitch - Ice Bell", "Windwitch - Glass Bell", and "Windwitch - Crystal Bell" to Special Summon "Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon" quickly.
• Dump - The act of getting cards (of any number or specification) in the GY so that those card would be used later from the GY.
• Evolution - A card that is better than another card while the two cards holding a similar design OR The act of using one.
• Flash - Spell Speed 2.
• Floating - The act of a monster replacing itself upon being sent to the Graveyard.
• Floodgate - A card with a continuous effect that restricts one or both players from performing some action.
• Fodder - A card that is used solely as a Tribute, Material or for Costs.
• Lock / Bind - The act of keeping a monster useless on the field with difficulty in removing it.
• Lockdown - A situation in which a player has an extreme field control.
• Loop - A series of action that results in the same or at least similar effect that can be used over and over again.
• Lifelink - A negative effect that applies when a card leaves the field.
• Meta - Competitive decks in the current banlist and card pool.
• Mill - The act of sending cards from the top of a player's deck to the Graveyard.
• Mimic / Copy - Having a card gain the property (usually Effect or ATK) of another card.
• Minus - Decreasing the number of cards in one's hand/field.
• Mirror Match - Two opposing Decks using the same Archetype, strategy or theme.
• MST / Cyclone - "Mystical Space Typhoon" OR the act of using it.
• Nerf - A card had its usability reduced, either by ruling or card effect. Alternatively, it can also be used to refer to an OCG/TCG card's effect being made weaker than its anime/manga version.
• Netdeck - The act of completely copying a Deck (often those that win the YCS or placed high in a competition) from online sources without any modification.
• Nuke - The act of destroying many/all cards on the field at once.
• OP / Broken - A card that is too powerful compared to other cards.
• Pile - A stack of card, usually Graveyard.
• Play - An action involving playing a card or cards, often a combo, e.g. "making a play."
• Plus - Increasing the number of cards in one's hand/field.
• Rage - Force Attacks in effect.
• Recycle - The act of adding cards from the Graveyard to the hand or deck.
• Reload - The act of recovering cards to use them as fodder.
• Reset - The act of having a card returned to its initial state when it is placed on the field.
• Revive - The act of Special Summoning from the Graveyard.
• Row - Series of card Zone, with "Front Row" referring to "Main Monster Zone" and "Back Row" referring to "Spell & Trap Zone"
  • Backrow removal - The act of removing Spell/Traps from the field.
• Sacrifice - Tributes, Materials or Costs and the act of using them
• Scale - The act of weighing Booster Packs to determine which pack has a rare card.
• Search / Tutor - The act of adding a card from your Deck to your hand, except by drawing.
• Shadowstrike / Shadow Dive - Direct Attacker in effect.
• Sharking / Rule-sharking - The abuse of Yu-Gi-Oh! rules to gain an unfair advantage. This form of unfair conduct is often used on less experienced players.
• Shut / Knock - The act of Negating, whether temporary or permanently.
• Spawn - The act of summoning the same monster, usually Token or low-Level Monster with another card from time to time.
• Spectral Strike - An effect that would harm an opponent upon their monster gets detsroyed by battle with your monster.
• Spin - The act of placing a card on the field on top of the deck.
• S/T / S&T / ST - Spell and Trap Cards.
• Stack - The act of arranging cards to ensure a player draws a good card while the other doesn't OR A bad hand from a deck not throughly shuffled, usually from the previous duel.
• Stall - The act of prolonging the game with a card effect, which will be met with penalties at tournaments.
• Stand - The act of changing card to Face-up Attack Position or in a state where the card or its effect can be fully used OR A Monster remains on the field with high ATK/DEF for its current Battle Position.
• Staple - A good card that can be used in many Decks, for example "Pot of Duality".
• Steal - The act of taking your opponent's monster, or their card's property, for your own.
• Suicide / Ramming / Crash - The act of intentionally attacking knowing the attacker will be destroyed.
• Suppress - Prevent a card and/or effect from activating in a certain timing.
• Surprise - A harmful effect is put in play at a certain timing without the opponent foreseeing it.
• Swarm / Spam - The act of summoning many monsters in a turn, regardless of battle power.
• Tag Out - The act of a monster removing itself from the field and replacing itself with a different monster.
• Tap / Rest - The act of changing card to Face-up Defense Position or in a state where the card or its effect cannot be fully used.
• Tech - A card placed in a Main Deck, Side Deck, or Extra Deck for the purpose of supporting a deck with cards that help it run smoother, deal with cards that would counter the deck, or to combat specific deck builds often run in the current Metagame.
• Thunder Mine - Harming effect that activates when a specific action is preformed by an opponent.
• Time Bomb - A card that will destroy itself at certain timing, with harmful effect upcoming from that.
• Tier 0 - A deck that can only be beaten by itself.
• Throw - The act of placing a card on your opponent's field in order to hinder them.
  • Lava Golem'd / Kaiju'd - Tribute an opponent's monster to replace them with your card.
• Trample / Penetrate - The act of inflicting Piercing Battle Damage.
• Topdeck - The top card of the deck OR The act of placing a card on top of the deck.
• Top-Decking / Lucksacking - A situation in which the player is at a large disadvantage and draws a card that ends up turning the game in their favor.
• Toolbox - Searching for a monster to be used in a specified situation.
• Vanilla - A Normal monster.
• Wall - A monster card that is difficult to destroy by battle.