Glossary of player terms

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“
Hohoho, hohoho! You got owned!
Click to listen
— The Scout
 ”

A number of unofficial terms find regular usage in the game. This glossary of player terms lists some of the more common ones players may see:

General terminology

A

Airshot
A shot that hits an opponent who is in midair, usually following a juggle.
AFK
An acronym for Away From Keyboard, used to describe idling
Airblast
Slang for compression blast.
Airstab
The act of killing an enemy by dropping or falling behind them and backstabbing them as a Spy.
Axtinguish / Axtinguishing
A colloquialism that describes the critical hit that occurs when a burning enemy is struck in the back by the Axtinguisher.

B

Backcapping
Capturing a control point behind the enemy team, often while that team is attempting to capture a point whose possession changes more slowly. For example, sneaking in to take the final capture point, which on many maps changes possession very quickly, while the opposing team is attempting to retake their second point.
Banner
A slang term commonly used to refer to one of the Soldier's three backpack weapons: the Buff Banner, the Battalion's Backup, or the Concheror.
Battle Engineer
An Engineer that engages in combat on the frontlines, placing Sentry Guns in unexpected locations and using his primary weapon in an offensive manner. Such an Engineer will frequently equip the Gunslinger for its ability to quickly deploy Combat Mini-Sentry Guns.
Battle Medic
A Medic that focuses on killing opponents rather than healing teammates. Battle Medics that do not supplement fighting with healing or are otherwise unhelpful to the team effort are often looked down upon by teammates, as Medics are expected to fulfill their role as a support class.
BB
Can refer to a wide variety of items and maps, from the Buff Banner to Badwater Basin.
Bills
Shorthand name of the Bill's Hat.
Bodyshot
An attack where a Sniper kills a player by shooting him in the body with a Sniper Rifle. A player may deliberately go for a bodyshot because it is more reliable than attempting a headshot.
Bodyshotter
May refer to:
  1. A Sniper that repeatedly shoots at the body rather than the head.
  2. Slang for the Sydney Sleeper, since the weapon cannot deal headshots normally.
Bodysnatched
Refers to being killed with Your Eternal Reward. Used in voice or text chat as a way for a player to announce a YER-wielding Spy has taken their identity.
Bomb / Bombing
May refer to:
  1. A synonym for the cart in Payload maps.
  2. The bomb carried by the robots in Mann vs Machine.
  3. The act of rocket jumping or sticky jumping over a group of players while bombarding them with as many explosives as possible.
Bonk / Bonked
May refer to:
  1. Slang for the Bonk! Atomic Punch.
  2. A term used when stunned by the Sandman.
BP
Abbreviation for Backpack.
Briefcase
Slang for the Intelligence in Capture the Flag, as referred to in Meet the Spy.
Buds
Abbreviation for the Earbuds.
Buff
May refer to:
  1. A charged Buff Banner, Battalion's Backup, or Concheror deployed for use by a Soldier.
  2. The state of a player being overhealed by a friendly Medic.
  3. Slang for a weapon or item's game mechanics being improved or made stronger.
See also: Buff
Butterknife
Term for when a Spy kills a player with the Knife, but not with a backstab.
Bushwhack
Term for killing a Jarate-covered opponent with the Bushwacka.

C

Caber
Slang for the Ullapool Caber.
Camping
The act of staying in one location that enemies are more likely to pass through to obtain kills easily. This term does not apply to certain situations, such as an Engineer protecting his buildings.
Cannon Jumping
The act of using a delayed cannonball shot from the Loose Cannon to perform an explosive jump that covers long distances.
Cap / Capping / Capped
Short for "Capture", "Capturing", and "Captured", respectively. Refers to the completion of an objective such as a control point capture or returning the enemy's Intelligence to one's base.
Carrying
When a player or group of players contribute a significantly higher portion towards winning the game objective than their teammates.
Chaincap
Capturing the next point immediately after the previous point has been captured.
Chainsap
May refer to:
  1. The rapid placement of Sappers on several buildings at a time.
  2. The rapid replacement of Sappers on a single building, preventing the Engineer from repairing it.
Chainstab
Killing numerous enemies in quick succession via the backstab capability of any of the Spy's melee weapons.
Chievements, Chieves, Cheevos
Slang terms for achievements.
Chokepoint
An area that is relatively narrow, forcing players to group up to pass through. This makes it easier to defend by using weapons that damage a wide area.
Circle strafe
The act of moving around an opponent while keeping your crosshair locked on and attacking.
Civilian
May refer to:
  1. The act of abusing certain glitches to make the player go into the reference pose.
  2. The Civilian class from Team Fortress Classic that remains unused in Team Fortress 2.
Clean
Refers to the tradability, craftability or possibly attached gift text of an item. If an item is clean, then it means that it can be freely traded, crafted and has not been gifted.
See also: Trading.
Cloak and Camper / Camp and Dagger / Cloak and do Nothing
A diminutive term for a Spy who uses the Cloak and Dagger to hide in one place and slowly refill his Cloak meter.
Clutch
May refer to:
  1. A crucial moment related to winning or losing a match.
  2. The ability to perform under pressure.
Not to be confused with Crutch.
Collateral
Using the Machina to kill two or more enemies with a single fully-charged shot.
Combat Class
A class whose health and firepower is greater in proportion to its mobility, often found at the front lines. Classes include the Soldier, Demoman, and Heavy.
Combat Engineer / Combat Engie
See Battle Engineer.
Combo
May refer to:
  1. A general term for a Medic and his Medic buddy. Can be used in specific context; i.e. a "Heavy-Medic Combo" is used to indicate a Medic healing a Heavy.
  2. A series of attacks that take advantage of the fast weapon switch capability of either the Degreaser or Reserve Shooter. A Pyro may use the Degreaser to ignite an enemy, then quickly switch to the Flare Gun to finish him with a Critical Hit.
Comp
Abbreviation of Competitive play.
Cornering
Fighting an immobile target by strafing out of cover, firing, then strafing back into cover, generally at a corner. This tactic is especially effective against Sentry Guns, as the Sentry Gun's slow turn rate makes it easy to shoot at before it can return fire.
CP
Acronym for control point.
Cratering
Dying from fall damage by either falling a great distance or being accelerated into the ground by an explosive.
Credit to Team
Helpful to the other members of the team. Comes from one of the Heavy's lines when exiting a Teleporter - "Engineer is credit to team!" Also used sarcastically when referring to players who are not doing anything to help the team.
Crit
Abbreviation of critical hit.
Crocket
A portmanteau of Crit and Rocket.
Crutch
A derogatory term for a weapon that compensates for a player's lack of skill.
Not to be confused with Clutch.
Custom Map
A map that has been made by a member of the TF2 community, yet has not been inducted into the game officially.

D

D-Day
An acronym for drop day.
Deathmatch/DM
May refer to:
  1. An unofficial term for Arena Mode.
  2. Two parties that are battling each other to the death.
  3. An unofficial game mode where the goal is to kill the most players before time runs out.
Demo
May refer to:
  1. A demo recording.
  2. The Demoman.
Demojousting
Refers to a duel between Demoknights that focuses on charge attacks rather than conventional melee combat.
Demoknight
May refer to:
  1. A Demoman typically wielding the Chargin' Targe, Tide Turner or Splendid Screen that actively uses their melee weapon. Variations of the term usually refer to their other equipped weapons. Demoknights wielding the Bottle may be referred to as "Bottleknights", whereas Demoknights wielding the Sticky Jumper may be referred to as "Jumperknights" or "Rocketknights".
  2. In Mann vs. Machine, a robot Demoman variant that uses the Chargin' Targe and Eyelander.
Demomortar
A Demoman launching Stickybombs onto a far away location, typically towards an Engineer nest in an attempt to destroy it. The high-arced trajectory needed to accomplish this makes it somewhat resemble mortar cannon fire. Most often used in reference to TFBot Demomen, who have been observed performing this stunt at extreme ranges with abnormal accuracy.
Demopan
A Demoman carrying the Frying Pan, Bounty Hat, Chargin' Targe, and Dangeresque, Too?, referring to a popular community fad.
Demospam
A Demoman indiscriminately shooting grenades or Stickybombs where enemies will likely be without actually taking aim at a specific target.
DH
Acronym for the Direct Hit.
Dirty
Refers to the tradability of an item. Usually refers to the inability of an item to be crafted. Also applies to an item that is unable be freely traded and instead requires Gift Wrap to transfer it, an item that has been gifted by another player, or any item that was purchased before the November 29, 2012 Patch.
See also: Trading.
Divebomb
May refer to:
  1. See Bomb
  2. The use of the Ullapool Caber in conjunction with a sticky jump.
DR
Acronym for the Dead Ringer. In some contexts, it could be used as a signal that an enemy Spy equipped with the Dead Ringer is nearby.
Dr. Enforcicle
A label for a Spy who uses the Dead Ringer, Enforcer, and the Spy-cicle together. The term is a Portmanteau of the latter two weapons, with the Dead Ringer's common abbreviation "DR" used at the beginning.
Dr. Enforcicorder/Dr. Tapeforcicle
A label for a Spy who uses the Dead Ringer, Enforcer, and the Spy-cicle, along with the Red-Tape Recorder.
Drop
May refer to:
  1. Any item given to a player by the item drop system.
  2. The failure of a Medic to deploy an ÜberCharge before dying, despite being fully charged.

E

Edging
See Cornering
Engie
Abbreviation for the Engineer.
Engineer Nest
Slang terms used to describe a location where one or more Engineers have set up multiple Buildings.

F

F2P
May refer to:
  1. A term used to describe new players who do not possess a Premium account.
  2. Abbreviation for the Free to Play update.
  3. Anything that can be easily acquired by F2P users, E.G. the Ghostly Gibus.
F4
Used in Mann vs. Machine, to remind a teammate to press F4 so that the next wave can be deployed. This is most often used if a player appears ready, but has not indicated so.
Facestab
A Spy's knife attack that registers as a backstab despite appearing to hit their opponent's front due to lag compensation.
See also: Backstab Issues
Failstab
May refer to:
  1. A backstab attempt that fails due to any reason.
  2. A knife attack aimed at an opponent's back that registers as a normal hit due to lag compensation.
FAN/FaN
May refer to:
  1. Acronym for the Force-A-Nature.
  2. Short for the Fan O'War.
Farming
The act of obtaining something more rapidly over time than was originally intended. May refer to:
  1. Obtaining achievements through achievement servers or in ways outside of regular gameplay.
  2. Using idling or other methods to obtain hats or weapons via the item drop system.
  3. Rapidly ranking up a Strange weapon in specific servers or maps that are designed to do so.
Fat Scout
Refers to a Heavy who primarily uses either the Shotgun or the Family Business, often in conjunction with the Gloves of Running Urgently, rather than his primary weapon.
Fat Spy
Refers to a Heavy who uses the Holiday Punch to attack his enemy's back, forcing them to laugh. He may then execute his victim using any method of his choosing, akin to the Spy's backstab but far slower.
Flag
Synonym for the Intelligence in Capture the Flag maps.
Flying Scotsman
A Demoman who actively uses the Sticky Jumper, often in conjunction with the Ullapool Caber.
Field of View/FOV
A term to describe how much a player can see onscreen at a time.
FoW
An abbreviation for the Fan O'War.
Frag
Synonym for "kill", most often used when the player has been gibbed. Can be used in a variety of contexts, such as "Typefrag" or "Tauntfrag".
Frag Video
Refers to a video that records a player's kills or gameplay.

G

GG
May refer to:
  1. Good game, sometimes from a moral or sportsmanship standpoint rather than winning/losing.
  2. Grizzled Growth.
GJ
Good job, used often at the end of a game in a manner similar to GG.
GR
Good round. Used when the match is composed of more than one round (like Stopwatch matches on A\D and Payload maps, or "First to X" matches)
Gibus
A shortened version of either the Ghostly Gibus, Ghastly Gibus, Ghastlier Gibus, or Ghastlierest Gibus, often associated with players without a premium account.
Gibus Vision
A slang term for wearing a combination of easily obtainable cosmetics (Ghostly Gibus, Pyrovision Goggles, among a few others) whilst playing.
GRU
Acronym for the Gloves of Running Urgently.
Goggles
May refer to:
  1. Any goggle-related item.
  2. Pyrovision Goggles.
Goomba Stomp / Goomba Stomping / Goomba Stomped
May refer to:
  1. A server mod that allows players to kill enemies by jumping on their heads without use of the Mantreads.
  2. Killing another player by jumping on their head with the Mantreads.
  3. Landing on another player's head in mid-air and killing them with any weapon.
Griefing
Deliberately causing annoyance to players on the server, whether your team or the enemy team.
Gunshot Bride
A celebratory term used in the event of killing a player with an aerial. The phrase can be attributed to a video by tf2worms [1] showcasing a Pyro being killed by a rocket in mid-air while lyrics from Propane Nightmares [2] plays in the background.
See also: Airshot
Gunspy
A label for a Spy who uses his primary weapon more than his melee weapon.

H

Hale
May refer to:
  1. Saxton Hale
  2. The boss in VS Saxton Hale Mode, where the boss can be Christian Brutal Sniper, Horseless Headless Horsemann, Vagineer, or Saxton Hale.
Halo-caust
A slang term used to reference the September 2, 2009 Patch where Valve penalized players who had been using external programs to idle. As a result, some servers (primarily those run by people that didn't get Cheater's Laments) began opting "anti-halo" policies, even going so far as to use mods that changed the Cheater's Lament to form various insults targeting the wearer. The term is derived from the nickname for the Cheater's Lament that non-offending players received, placed in combination with a reference to the Holocaust.
Hayroom
Map-specific to 2Fort. Refers to the room in front of the primary resupply/spawn room for both teams, so named because it contains little more than hay.
Heavy Class
See Combat Class
Hevspy
Slang for a Spy who disguises as a Heavy, often remaining crouched with the Heavy's Fists active.
HHH
An abbreviation for the Horseless Headless Horsemann.
HHH Axe/HHHH
An abbreviation for the Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker May sometimes be said as UHHHH, noting the Unusual quality of the item.
HLDJ/HLSS
Half Life D.J. (Disc Jockey) and Half Life Sound System, respectively, which are programs used to play music and other sounds via voice chat.
Hoovy
Slang term for Heavy, often used in a silly fashion.
HOUWAR
Abbreviation for the Hat of Undeniable Wealth And Respect.
Huntspam
Terms used to describe players who use the Huntsman weapon unlock for the Sniper. Its 'lucky' qualities are attributed to the arrow's large projectile hitbox and quick travel time over long distances.

I

Idler
May refer to:
  1. Someone who is present on the server but is deliberately not playing the game for a long period of time to earn items via the item drop system.
  2. Someone who uses external idling programs or uses idling servers for the same purpose.
See also: Idling.
Instakill
A kill which is inflicted in a single hit, such as out-of-bounds fall damage, being hit by a Train, or being caught in the Payload explosion.
Intel
Abbreviation for the Intelligence in Capture the Flag maps.

J

Juggling
Refers to the use of weapons to suspend enemies in the air.
Jumpstab
A trickstab which is performed by jumping upon your target from an elevated position.

K

Katana
Alternative term for the Half-Zatoichi.
K/D, K/A/D
Acronym for "Kill-Death Ratio" or "Kill Assist Death Ratio". May be expressed as a ratio (27 Kills:7 Deaths) or a decimal number (1.75 KDR). Medics will often present their KDR as a ratio of assists to deaths, as kills are not usually accumulated in conventional Medic play.
KGB
Acronym for the Killing Gloves of Boxing.
Killstreak
May refer to:
  1. A series of consecutive kills obtained without dying.
  2. The Killstreak quality of a special weapon.
Knockback
The movement of a player, caused by an outside source. Often associated with weapons such as the Force-A-Nature.
See Knock back.
Kritz / Kritzed
Slang for the ÜberCharge of the Kritzkrieg, or being subjected to one.

L

Lag
The effect experienced by players who display erratic movement due to a poor framerate or server connection.
See Lag compensation.
Lag Warping
An extreme form of Lag compensation, in which a player appears to be teleporting from place to place due to extreme latency.
Last
Shorthand of "Last Control Point". Used on both Payload and Control Point maps.
Lit
Heavily damaged. Competitive players often use this term when pointing out enemy players that can be easily finished off.
Lowball
To propose a relatively lower-valued offer when trading items.
Lucksman
A term used for the Huntsman, typically when referring to kills obtained due to its arrows having abnormally large hitboxes.

M

Mac Shivback / Shiv McRazor
A label for a Sniper who uses the Machina, Razorback, and Tribalman's Shiv at the same time. The terms are varying portmanteaus of the latter two weapons, with "Mac" of the "Mc-" name prefix being a shortened name for the Machina.
Machinoob
A label for an inexperienced player that is using the Machina.
Macro/Macros
Using a key bind, .cfg file (configuration file; see scripting), or external program to automate an in-game process to make it faster or easier. While examples can be auto-rocket jump or auto re-disguise as Spy scripts, the term "macro" usually refers to the use of such scripts to quickly say a chat message without typing it. These can be useful for quick communication with the team, i.e. the 'b' key can be bound to make the player say in text chat, "Let's capture control point B."
Mail's Here
A term used when someone on fire has been killed by the Postal Pummeler.
Mann Up
Short for Mann Up Mode in Mann vs. Machine.
Marked
Used to signal teammates that an enemy has been hit by the Fan O'War.
Market Gardening
Refers to the act of using the Market Gardener for its intended purpose. The term is significantly popular due to the difficulty of actually landing a melee attack while rocket jumping. The term sometimes refers to doing a similar airborne attack with a melee weapon as another class.
Meatshot
When all of the pellets fired from spread weapons such as the Shotgun or Scattergun hit the target, thereby doing massive damage. The term was made famous by Daniel "carnagejohnson" Sturdivant.
Mecha spam
Slang for the rapid building of Sentry Guns, most often Mini-Sentry Guns.
Mic/Mike
A microphone, used for communication over voice chat.
Micspam
Originally described as the act of repeatedly playing sounds, music, or generally abusing the game's voice chat feature. It has since grown to include all manner of sound playing, both positively and negatively. Third party software is often used to accomplish this, including HLDJ, Virtual Audio Cable and Manycam. Micspam can be considered griefing by many, and some servers enact strict policies against it. However, other servers, known as "Micspam Servers", welcome this, allowing players to entertain the server population and share their audio collections during regular play.
Positive aspects of micspam may include:
  1. Playing various music for the server.
  2. Playing comedic soundbites from TV shows, movies, standup acts, and more.
  3. Playing appropriate sound files on specific occasions for humorous effect.
Negative uses of micspam may include:
  1. Repeatedly playing the same audio file to intentionally cause annoyance.
  2. Playing sounds that are high in bass/volume and can potentially damage other people's speakers.
  3. Creating noise by singing, blowing into the microphone, or simply talking incessantly in order to disrupt others.
  4. Using voice modification software to manipulate one's voice to sound either extremely high pitched or robotic in order to disrupt others.
Mid
Shorthand for the middle control point. Used most commonly 5 point Control Point maps.
MvM
Short for Mann vs. Machine.

N

Nades
Abbreviation of "grenades", referring to the projectiles fired from the Grenade Launcher.
Nerf
A term used to describe a weapon or item that has been downgraded or had its capabilities reduced. Typically weapons are "nerfed" for gameplay balance reasons, i.e. the item is significantly overpowered or provides too great an advantage over other players.
Ninja
May refer to:
  1. A Spy wielding the Conniver's Kunai.
  2. Colloquial of stealing something; generally a capture point or a typed response.
See also: Back-capping
Ninjaneer
When an Engineer tries to get behind enemy lines to secretly build a nest of buildings to teleport teammates in and lock the enemy team inside their base.
Noscope
Killing an enemy as a Sniper with the primary weapon (excluding bows) without zooming in.
Noob
General gaming slang for an inexperienced or new player. "Noob" and its homophones are generally considered to be more offensive, denoting someone with a lack of skill attributable to a deeper level than simple inexperience.
Noobforcer
Derogatory term for the Enforcer.

O

OMGWTFBBQ
A Pyro Achievement, where the Pyro must kill an enemy with the Hadouken taunt.

P

Point
Slang for Control Point
Phlog
May refer to:
  1. Slang for Phlogistinator
P-Vision
Short for Pyrovision
Picnic
Refers to when a group of Heavies from one or both teams get together and repeatedly eat the Sandvich or other lunchbox items.
Pimp Hat
Slang term for the Hustler's Hallmark cosmetic for the Demoman
Pipebomb / Pipes, Pills
Alternate name for the projectiles fired by the Grenade Launcher.
Piss
Slang for Jarate.
Pissrifle / Pissgun
Slang for the Sydney Sleeper.
Pit
May refer to:
  1. The final area in Badwater Basin.
  2. The two bottomless pits in front of spawn and along the bomb's path in Coaltown. Pyros can use the compression blast to push bomb-carrying Robots into the pit, resetting the bomb.
  3. The bottomless pit in Ghost Fort.
Pocket
May refer to:
  1. A player who is the primary healing target of a Medic.
  2. A Medic who primarily heals one particular ally.
Poor and Irish
A description used for a player who does not own any hats or items of value, coined by the Gentle Manne of Leisure within a hidden update page.
Pootis
A slang term deviated from the Heavy quote: "Put Dispenser here".
PoV demo
A recorded demo that has been recorded from the player's point of view.
Pro
May refer to:
  1. A term used when a skilled move has been executed.
  2. An accomplished player, often one who specializes in competitive play.
Pub / Pubber
May refer to:
  1. A player who does not play TF2 competitively.
  2. A public server, E.G. one that doesn't require a password, or is non-competitive.
Pub stomp
A practice in which one or more experienced players join a public server with the intention of winning in a spectacular fashion.
Puff
Slang for compression blast.
Puff'n'Flare
A variation on the Puff'n'Sting, but with the follow up completed with the Flare Gun instead of the Axtinguisher.
Puff'n'Shoot
A variation on the Puff'n'Sting, but with the follow up completed with the Reserve Shooter instead of the Axtinguisher.
Puff'n'Sting
A technique whereby a Pyro lights an enemy on fire with the Flamethrower, uses the compression blast to shove them against a wall, and then switches to the Axtinguisher for the kill. This technique can be used with any melee weapon.
PUG
May refer to:
  1. A "Pick Up Game" (also known as a lobby) in which players will organize to play a match following the competitive format of Highlander, 6v6, or 4v4 games.
Push
May refer to:
  1. The act of advancing the cart.
  2. An organized attack in which several players simultaneously move into enemy territory and attack in an attempt to overpower an enemy's defenses and complete an objective, such as capturing a control point or advancing the cart. Often accompanied by an ÜberCharge.
  3. The CTF map Push from Team Fortress Classic.
Pybro
A Pyro who helps friendly Engineers by checking for Spies, airblasting projectiles away from buildings, and removing Sappers with the Homewrecker or the Neon Annihilator.
Pyrocar
Synonym of W+M1. The term was created after a player decided to play Pyro with a racecar peripheral, literally becoming a "Pyro car" [3].
Pyrosharking
A term used for Pyros who use the Neon Annihilator to attack enemies whilst underwater.

Q

QQ
A slang originating from Warcraft 2 where 'alt'+'Q'+'Q' would quit the client, but is nowadays interpreted as an emoticon with a pair of crying eyes. Often used in a deriding manner, e.g. "QQ more".
Quickscope
Zooming in and instantaneously headshotting with any of the Sniper's primary weapons that are capable of doing so.

R

Rage
May refer to:
  1. The "Rage" meter a Soldier builds up when using the Buff Banner, Battalion's Backup, or Concheror unlock.
  2. The Knockback Rage ability the Heavy may buy as an upgrade in Mann vs. Machine.
Rage Heavy
A term used for a player who uses the Heavy as a last ditch effort after a losing streak or bout of frustration, hoping to use his large firepower to gain kills quickly and/or easily.
Can also be used with other classes; i.e. a player might "Rage Pyro" after suffering a streak of backstab deaths.
Random Crits
Commonly used description to describe when a player receives critical hits that are not due to a weapon's bonus attributes. Can be used as an acknowledgement when a fight may be prematurely over between two players attempting to fight fairly.
Rec
Shorthand for Reclaimed Metal.
Rescue Wrangler
An Engineer using the Rescue Ranger and Wrangler in the same loadout. He will often make use of Sentry Jumping to catapult himself to unexpected positions, then teleport his Sentry and other buildings to him to attack the enemy team.
Reflect / Reflect Kill
An term used when the compression blast is used to send enemy projectiles back towards the enemy team.
Ref
Shorthand for Refined Metal.
Revving
May refer to:
  1. Spinning up the Heavy's Minigun using the alternate-fire button.
  2. The delay experienced when the Minigun spins up prior to shooting using the primary fire button.
RTD/Roll The Dice
An unofficial server plugin that allows players to "roll the dice" using a command. Upon rolling the dice, players are granted some form of benefit or handicap, such as unlimited crits or being frozen in place for a short period of time.
RTV/Rock The Vote
In servers running an RTV plug-in, Rocking the Vote occurs when a majority of the players on the server vote to play a different map.
Rush
The practice of attempting to complete an objective quickly with all the players of one team playing as the same class. A "Scout Rush" would make use of entirely Scouts.

See Rush.

Revengineer
An Engineer who uses the Frontier Justice to fight after his Sentry Gun has been destroyed.

S

Sap'n'Stab
Slang for a technique wherein a Spy lures an Engineer to a building by sapping it, then killing him as returns to repair it, often with a backstab.
Scoot
Slang term for Scout, often used in a silly fashion.
Scrap
Shorthand for Scrap Metal.
Scrapbanking
Refers to the practice of trading two unwanted, craftable weapons in exchange for one scrap, and vice-versa.
Scramble
Refers to a random rearranging of teams in order to prevent or stop team stacking.
Scrub
An inferior player commonly known as a noob.
Sentry / SG / Turret
A Sentry Gun.
Sentry Farm
A position on a map where multiple Engineers have set up their Sentry Guns in close proximity. See also Engineer Nest.
SF
Festive weapons of Strange quality (e.g. "SF Scattergun").
Shack
A term used to refer to the various one-room huts scattered across TF2's maps, including the ones on Gravel Pit, Steel, and Dustbowl.
Shotty
A slang term for the Shotgun.
Sidestab
An alternate name for a spinstab.
Snoipah
Slang for the Sniper, often used in a silly fashion.
Solly
Slang for the Soldier, often used in a silly fashion.
Spam / Spamming
May refer to:
  1. The act of deliberately concentrating firepower within particular area in an attempt to get kills or deter enemy players from entering an area.
  2. Wanton firing of weapons such as the Grenade Launcher with little or no deliberate aim.
  3. An unwanted abundance of something such as chat messages, a specific class, or a certain tactic.
See Spamming.
Spawn
The area in which the player initially spawns and any area where they respawn.
Spawncamping
A situation in which one team manages to secure the area around the other team's spawn point. This results in the latter team being killed upon leaving spawn without coordination or significant firepower.
See Camping.
Spawnhugging
The act of staying near a respawn point, constantly retreating to the Resupply Cabinet when in danger.
See Camping.
Spec
Abbreviation for spectate.
Specs
May refer to:
  1. Nickname for weapon attributes.
  2. Slang for Deus Specs or any other glasses miscellaneous item.
Spiral
Map-specific to 2Fort. Refers to the Spiral-shaped corridor leading down from the Hayroom towards the Intelligence area.
Spire
Map-specific to Badlands. Refers to the rock spire where the second and fourth control points sit.
Spah / Shpee
Slang term for a Spy, often used in a silly fashion.
Spycap
A strategy where a Spy will lurk near a locked control point with the intention of capturing it as soon as it is unlocked, before the enemy team has time to retreat from defending the previous point. This is usually performed at the final point of a map due to the accelerated control point timing.
See Chaincap.
Spycheck / Spy checking
The act of checking if "teammates" are disguised enemy Spies or checking an area for Cloaked enemy Spies. Because there is no friendly fire, Spy checking can be performed by firing upon a teammate or area with any weapon. The Pyro's Flamethrower excels at doing so.
See Spy checking.
Spycrab / Spycrabbing
May refer to:
  1. A Spy that imitates the movement of a crab by crouching and looking up while having the Disguise Kit equipped. It has then became a popular fad. The Spy has a corresponding taunt which rarely occurs when taunting with the Disguise Kit, a reference to the original movement.
  2. A form of gambling in which participants are Spies and continuously taunt with the Disguise Kit. If the player performs the "Spycrab" taunt, they lose, continuing until there is only one person left.
Spygineer
May refer to:
  1. Portmanteau for a Spy disguised as a Engineer.
  2. A short-lived bug in which the Spy was able to build Dispensers.
  3. See Ninjaneer.
Spyper
Portmanteau for a Spy disguised as a Sniper.
Spyro
May refer to:
  1. Portmanteau for a Spy disguised as a Pyro.
  2. A Pyro who uses the Backburner.
Squeaker
Refers to a younger player who uses their microphone often, usually annoying others with a higher-pitched voice.
SR/ScoRes
Acronym for the Demoman's Scottish Resistance.
Stab'n'Sap
Slang for a technique whereby a Spy backstabs an Engineer from behind, then immediately switches to the Sapper and saps the Engineer's Sentry Gun before it kills him.
Stacking
Refers to one team being composed of players who work together or are more skilled than the other. The most common case is on a public server, having one team of skilled players against one that is less experienced or poorly organized.
Stairstab / Jumpstab
The act of jumping over another player's head from an elevated height as a Spy and backstabbing them before they can respond. One method for doing so is for the Spy to bait the victim into following him up a flight of stairs.
Stickies/Stickys
Slang for Stickybombs.
Stickybomb Carpet
Large group of Stickybombs spread over one area, making a "carpet" that is difficult to traverse.
Stickybomb Trap
Groups of Stickybombs, usually set in concentrated and hidden positions within confined areas, with the intent of killing players that enter the trap.
Sticky Spam
The act of continuously firing Stickybombs into enemy lines and immediately detonating them, as opposed to setting up carpets or traps.
Straight
Map-specific to 2Fort. Refers to the straight staircase leading down to the third resupply room. Sometimes referred to as L-shaft.
Sword and Board
Another name for Demoknight, referring to the use of the Eyelander and Chargin' Targe at the same time.

T

Targe
May refer to:
  1. Short for the Chargin' Targe.
  2. The charge ability offered by the Chargin' Targe, Splendid Screen, or Tide Turner.
TC
An acronym for the Team Captain cosmetic.
Tele/TP
Abbreviation for Teleporter built by an Engineer.
Telefrag
Portmanteau of teleport and frag – killing an opponent by teleporting into them when they are standing on a teleporter exit. The term comes from id Software's seminal first-person shooter Doom.
See Telefrag.
Telestab
A Backstab executed by maneuvering behind enemy lines thanks to an enemy Teleporter.
Trickstab
A term referring to when a Spy takes advantage of the terrain to outmaneuver and backstab an enemy who has discovered his true identity. There can be many variations of the term based on the context, including:
  1. Stairstab - Jumping down a flight of stairs to land behind and backstab a chasing enemy.
  2. Cornerstab - Waiting around a corner to backstab an enemy who runs by the Spy.
  3. Leapstab - Jumping from an elevated position and backstabbing an enemy upon or before landing on the ground.
  4. Matadorstab - While in melee combat, backstabbing an enemy who charges past the Spy.
Trolldier
A label for a Soldier who focuses on obtaining kills with the Market Gardener. He may also use the Rocket Jumper, Mantreads, or B.A.S.E. Jumper.
TS
An acronym for the Team Spirit paint.
Turtling
"Digging in" and employing extremely defensive tactics. May also refer to Engineer setting up a Sentry Gun and Dispenser next to each other, and then remaining in close proximity for a substantial period of time while constantly repairing the buildings.
Typefrag/Typekill
Killing an opponent that is typing in chat.
Tryhard
Derogatory term for a player who puts significant effort towards winning regardless of the in-game situation.

U

Über/Invuln/Charge
Abbreviation for ÜberCharge.
Übered
Someone who is being ÜberCharged.

V

Vanilla
A loadout consisting entirely of Stock weapons.
A server without any mods installed.
V [Hat/Weapon]
Vintage items.
VRH
The Virtual Reality Headset.

W

W+M1
Literally, "Forward (Default key W) and MOUSE1" - a derogatory term applied to a suicidally aggressive Pyro, often connotative of a lack of skill. It refers to Pyros who rush mindlessly (W) and fire their primary weapon (M1) without trying to flank or strategize with teammates. It can apply to a Heavy that plays in the same manner, moving forward and continuously firing his Minigun without thinking about teammates.
W+M2
Literally, "Forward (Default key W) and MOUSE2" - derived from "W+M1", the term is similarly used to refer to Pyro players who only use the compression blast ability to reflect projectiles or shove enemies around without actually using the Flamethrower's primary fire attack.
Wallhugger
Tactical slang for a Sniper hiding behind walls and only revealing himself when attacking.
Warp/Warping
An extreme form of Lag compensation in which a player seems to be teleporting from place to place due to extreme latency.
Weapon heckling
Using a class's repositioning abilities, such as the Scout's speed, to continuously force an opponent to use a disadvantageous weapon. For example, a Scout can maintain a safe distance from a Pyro, forcing the Pyro to equip the Shotgun, which is then outdamaged by the Scattergun at close range.
Wep
Abbreviation for weapon, used in trading discussion.
Wrenching / Wrenched
The act of repairing/upgrading a building with the Wrench.
The act of killing a Spy with the Wrench.

Y

YER
Acronym for the Spy's Your Eternal Reward.

Competitive terminology

These are some of the terms which players use in competitive gameplay.

#

4s / 4v4 / 4vs4
Shorthand for a competitive format where there are only 4 players per team. All classes can be used, but there can only be one of each class at a time. Additionally, the Heavy and Medic are banned from being used at the same time. The standard line up tends to consist of a a Scout, a Soldier, a Demoman, and a Medic. This format tends to promote more offclassing; it is not rare to see a Soldier player using the Pyro for the entire duration of the match.
6s / 6v6 / 6vs6
Shorthand for a standard competitive format where there are six players per team, commonly consisting of two Scouts, a Soldier who stays with the Medic (referred to as a "Pocket"), a second Soldier that focuses on utilizing alternate routes to attack the enemy (referred to as a "Roamer"), one Demoman, and one Medic.

B

Ban / Banned Weapon / Banned Item
Weapons, cosmetics and taunts that can not be used on a server running a special whitelist, often for balance reasons.
Blandlands
Shortened as "Blands", a term used by players referring to Badlands. This is only used by players not wishing to play the map, commonly because they have probably played the map a number of times in a short space of time.
Bombing
A term referring to when a Soldier rocket jumps above the enemy and shoots at the enemy Medic in order to either kill him or force him to use his ÜberCharge.

C

Comms
Short for communication. This refers to players communicating to each other either by using the in-game text chat or through voice chat, or more commonly an outside voice over IP (VoIP) program such as Mumble or Ventrilo.

D

Destroyed
Similar to Lit, players use this term to describe that an enemy player has taken a bunch of damage and is usually one hit from being killed.
Dry Push
Term that describes when an attacking team rushes the defending team's last point without having an ÜberCharge ready. Usually attempted when the defending team also doesn't have an ÜberCharge and the attackers outnumber the defenders.

E

ETF2L
Acronym for European Team Fortress 2 League. It is the central hub of the European competitive TF2 scene.
See ETF2L.
ESEA
Acronym for E-Sports Entertainment, a paid 6's league in North America. Generally, the highest skill players are in this league.
See ESEA.

F

Force / Force pop
To damage a Medic or his heal target enough to urge a Medic to deploy his Übercharge in self-defense, rather than using it to push. The alternate form incorporates the usage of "pop" to refer to the usage of an Übercharge.

G

G-Pit
Shortened for Gravel Pit.
Granlands
Refers to the two most popular maps used in competitive play: Badlands and Granary.

H

Has/Have
Indicates that a team's Medic has a full Übercharge ready to deploy.
Highlander / HL / 9s / 9v9 / 9vs9
A competitive match type wherein the nine-player roster of each team consists of one of every TF2 class.

L

Lit
To be low on health. Commonly used when referring to opponents, although priority friendly classes such as the Demoman and pocket will use this term when calling for a Medic.
Lobby
A synonym for "pug" ("pick-up-game"), popularized by the website TF2Lobby. Since TF2Lobby is no longer active, lobbies are organized and played on TF2Center.
Lobby Tease
Popular term used in TF2Lobby or TF2Center when a lobby is full/near full and a player leaves or a spectator does not join a team.

O

Offclassing
A technique involving deviation from the standard competitive class roster, often to accomplish a specific objective or eliminate a specific enemy player.

M

Maincalling
Coordinating and giving directions to your team. Mostly used in matches before pushing.

P

Pop
A synonym for "Use an Über"; for example the phrase "They popped" means "They used their Über". Can also be used in phrases such as "Pop the Über" or "Pop it!".
PUG/Mix
Acronym for "pick up game/group", referring to a private game with team compositions determined by out-of-game communication (as opposed to a clan match or pub).
Pick / Picking / Picked
The act of focusing on and killing an enemy with minimal help.

R

Roamer
Refers to the Soldier that is not pocketing the Medic. Roamer's typical primary mission is to take out the enemy Medic or to force an early Ubercharge.
Roll / Rolling / Rolled
Figurative language describing a very fast completion of the game's objective after it begins, often in relation to a "crushing defeat".
Rollout
The specific path that a player takes on the way to the middle capture point. It is designed to get the player to that point as quickly as possible or to provide another strategic advantage.

S

Scrim
A practice match between two teams.
Sticks
Refers to Stickybombs. Usually used to warn teammates of a sticky trap or that they are on an important location, e.g., "Sticks on cap!" meaning "There are stickies on the control point!".

U

UGC
Acronym for United Gaming Clans. It is a league that hosts competitive TF2 tournaments.

External links

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