Femdom glossary: the vocabulary, plainly defined

The terms are grouped by what they describe: who is who, how a dynamic is structured, what happens in a scene, how money fits in, how online sessions work, and how people keep all of it safe. Each definition is neutral. A word appearing here tells you what it means, not that every Mistress offers it, and anything this site does not host at all has been left out rather than described.

Where a term has its own page, the definition links to it, so the glossary doubles as a map of the site. The introduction to femdom is a better first read if the whole subject is new to you.

The people in a femdom dynamic, and the titles they use.

• Domme: a dominant woman in a BDSM context; short for dominatrix and used for both professionals and private players.
• Dominatrix: a woman who takes the controlling role in BDSM, most often as a professional; the dominatrix explainer covers the role in depth.
• Mistress: the most common form of address for a Domme, and a title many use as a name.
• Goddess: a title for a Domme whose dynamic centres on being adored; see goddess worship below.
• Findomme: a Domme who practises financial domination.
• Keyholder: the person who holds the key to a submissive's chastity device and decides when, or whether, it comes off.
• Pro-Domme: a professional dominatrix who is paid for sessions; the opposite is a lifestyle Domme, who dominates in her private life.
• Submissive (sub): the person who hands over control within agreed limits.
• Slave: a submissive in a deeper or longer-term arrangement, usually with stricter protocol; the word is a chosen role, not a legal status.
• Switch: someone who enjoys both the dominant and the submissive side.
• Finsub: a submissive whose kink is giving money; also called a paypig.
• Cuckold: a man who is aroused by his partner's interest in, or time with, someone else, and by being reminded of it.
• Bull: in cuckold play, the other man the dominant partner chooses.
• Sissy: a submissive who enjoys being feminised by a dominant woman; see sissification.

The frameworks that describe how power is shared, and for how long.

• D/s: dominance and submission, the power exchange at the heart of any femdom arrangement.
• Power exchange: the agreed transfer of some control from one person to another, for a scene or for longer.
• FLR: a female-led relationship, where the woman leads in some or most areas of a couple's life; the FLR guide explains the levels and rules.
• TPE: total power exchange, an arrangement in which the submissive gives up control over almost everything, by agreement and with a way out.
• Protocol: the formal rules of a dynamic, such as how to address Her, when to speak and how to kneel.
• Collar: a symbol of belonging to a Domme, worn or represented, and sometimes marked by a collaring ceremony.
• Contract: a written agreement of rules, limits and expectations; it has no legal force but makes intentions clear.
• Service submission: submission expressed through useful acts, from chores to errands; there is a service tag for Mistresses who enjoy it.

The scenes and practices most often named in femdom rooms.

• Pegging: a woman penetrating a man anally with a strap-on dildo; the strap-on cams page shows who is live for it.
• SPH: small penis humiliation, a verbal fetish in which a Domme mocks a consenting man's size; the humiliation cams page covers it alongside other verbal play.
• Verbal humiliation: degrading language used by agreement, with the words and topics set in advance.
• CBT: cock and ball torture, meaning deliberate, controlled sensation applied to the male genitals within agreed limits.
• JOI: jerk-off instructions, a Domme directing a man's masturbation step by step.
• Ruined orgasm: a climax deliberately interrupted so that it brings little satisfaction.
• Tease and denial: arousal built up and then withheld, often for days, as a form of control.
• Orgasm control: a Domme deciding when, how and whether a submissive may climax.
• Chastity: wearing a locked device that prevents erection or touch, usually with a keyholder.
• Sissification: feminisation play in which a submissive dresses and behaves in feminine ways under a Domme's direction.
• Goddess worship: rituals of adoration such as kneeling, praise and offerings, aimed at a Domme treated as divine.
• Foot worship: kissing, massaging or admiring a Domme's feet as an act of devotion.
• Boot worship and heel worship: the same devotion directed at Her boots or high heels, often including cleaning or kissing them.
• Trampling: a Domme standing or walking on a submissive, done with care and within weight and body limits.
• Facesitting: a Domme sitting on a submissive's face; breathing must never be restricted.
• Bondage: restraint with rope, cuffs or tape; online it is usually self-bondage under instruction, which has its own safety rules.
• Impact play: spanking, paddling or similar striking, from light to firm.
• Erotic hypnosis: trance and suggestion used as a domination tool, always within limits agreed while fully alert.
• Tasks: orders to carry out between sessions and report back on; the tasks guide has examples.

Financial domination has a vocabulary of its own.

• Findom: financial domination, where giving money is itself the act of submission; the findom explainer goes further.
• Paypig: a submissive who gives money as submission; the word is deliberately unflattering and used by agreement.
• Tribute: money given to a Domme as a mark of respect or obedience; on DominatrixCam tributes are paid in crypto.
• Drain: a session in which an agreed sum is given away in stages as the main event.
• Wishlist: a list of gifts a Domme would like bought for Her.
• Cash meet: an in-person handover of money; offers of one from a stranger online are a common scam pattern.

Words that describe how a live session is set up.

• Cam2cam (C2C): two-way video, where the performer can see the fan as well; here it exists only in LiveJasmin partner rooms, as a paid extra, never with our own Mistresses.
• One-way session: you watch and listen while your camera and microphone stay off; this is how every private session with a DominatrixCam Mistress works.
• Partner room: a live room from LiveJasmin shown in our grids; the performer is theirs, not ours.

The words that keep every dynamic above working.

• Safeword: a word that stops a scene at once; the BDSM safety guide explains how to use one online.
• Traffic lights: green for carry on, amber for slow down, red for stop.
• Hard limit: something you will not do under any circumstances.
• Soft limit: something you are hesitant about and would only approach slowly, if at all; the limits list helps you sort yours.
• Yes/no/maybe list: a checklist for recording what you want, what you refuse and what you are curious about.
• Negotiation: the conversation before a scene about wants, limits and anything medical.
• Aftercare: the calm, reassuring time after a scene, whether with Her or on your own.
• Sub drop: a low mood that can follow an intense scene, sometimes a day or so later.
• SSC: safe, sane and consensual, an older framework for acceptable play.
• RACK: risk-aware consensual kink, a framework that accepts some risk as long as everyone understands it.