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.

• Absorb - The act of using monster as an Equip Card or Xyz Material and gains its power.
• Ban - The act of forbidding a card from being used.
• Book / Blanket - The act of flipping a monster to face-down defense position.
• Boss - A strong monster whose summoning is a significant, if not main, focus of a Deck.
• Bounce - The act of returning a card from the field to the hand.
• Break / Pop / Blast - 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.
• Burn - Effect damage and the act of using it.
• Chimeratech - Multiple attacker in effect.
• Counter - Spell Speed 3 OR The act of using effect that would negate.
• Deathtouch - An effect that destroys a monster during or after an attack.
• Disrupt / Cancer - The continual use of Floodgate and/or Counter Trap Cards OR A card with an effect that hinders the opponent.
• 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 OR Material for a Summon / Card or effect's activation.
• Lock / Bind - The act of keeping a monster useless on the field with difficulty in removing it.
• 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 - Currently competitive decks.
• 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.
• Nerf - A card had its usability reduced, either by ruling or card effect.
• Nuke - The act of destroying many/all cards on the field at once.
• 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.
• 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.
• Search / Tutor - The act of adding a card from your Deck to your hand, except by drawing.
• Shadowstrike / Shadow Dive - Direct Attacker in effect.
• 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 - Harmful effects that activates upon destroying Opponent's mosnter by battle.
• Spin - The act of placing a card on the field on top of the deck.
• Stall - The act of prolonging the game with a card effect.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• OP (Overpowered) - A card that is too powerful compared to other cards.
• Wall - A monster card that is difficult to destroy by battle.