Online:Abbreviations and Terms

Players of MMOs use many different Abbreviations and Terms to refer to different activities, in-game items and places. Here is a list of terms you may come across while playing ESO:

AA

Aetherian Archive

AD

Aldmeri Dominion

Adds

Additional enemies in a dungeon which are scripted to arrive during a boss fight.

AFK

Away From Keyboard — Player is going away from their computer for a period of time, usually more than 5 minutes. Compare BRB. See also BK.

Note that after 15 minutes inactivity, a player is automatically logged out.

Aggro

Aggression — Determines which player an enemy will attack. Taunting an enemy will increase its aggro towards you.

Ales

Fort Aleswell

Alt

An alternative character on a player's account. Compare Main.

AoE

Area of Effect — Abilities that deal damage to an area rather than a specific target.

AP

Alliance Points

Arx

Arx Corinium

AvA, RvR

Alliance versus Alliance — Alliance War content in Cyrodiil. "Realm versus Realm" is a term adopted from other games with similar large-scale PvP content.

Bananas

See: Yellows

BBL

Be Back Later

BC

The Banished Cells or Blessed Crucible, depending on zone. See also BCells, Crucible.

BCells

The Banished Cells. See also BC.

BH(H)

Blackheart Haven

BK

Back — With no other context, refers to a player who has just returned from being AFK.

Bloodport

Intentionally running into enemies in order to die and quickly respawn at a shrine.

Blues, Blueberries, Smurfs

PvP terms for Daggerfall Covenant enemies.

Bots

Automated characters without a human player, usually used to farm mob drops or collect crafting materials. Against the game's terms of service.

BRB

Be Right Back — Player is going away from their computer for a short period of time, usually less than 5 minutes. Compare AFK.

BRK

Blue Road Keep

Buff

1. A beneficial effect on an enemy or player character. Compare Debuff.
2. Used when certain content has been made more powerful or more effective. Compare Nerf.

Build, Spec

Refers to a character's race, attributes, chosen skills, gear and abilities.

CBB

Castle Black Boot

CBM

Castle Bloodmayne

CC

Crowd Control — Abilities that apply Disabling Effects to their target(s). CCs consist of Stuns, Knockbacks, and Pulls.

Chal

Chalman Keep

Char

Your character.

Cherries

See: Reds

CoA

City of Ash

CoH

Crypt of Hearts

CP

Champion Points

Crag

Craglorn. See also Grindlorn.

Crown

See: Lead

Crucible

Blessed Crucible. See also BC.

Cyro

Cyrodiil

DB

Dark Brotherhood

DC

Daggerfall Covenant. Compare d/c.

d/c, d/c'd

Disconnect(ed)

DD

Damage Dealer — A character whose primary role in a group is to deal damage. Compare DPS.

Debuff

A detrimental effect on an enemy or player character. Compare Buff (1).

D(ee)-Tick

Reward for keep defense. See Tick (2).

Def

Defend a keep or resource in PvP.

DFK

Direfrost Keep

Ding

Player has leveled up.

DK

Dragonknight

dmg

Damage

DoT

Damage over Time

DPS

Damage Per Second — Refers to a character who can make attacks quickly, or the rate at which they do so. Compare DD.

Drag(on), Dclaw

Fort Dragonclaw

Drake

Drakelowe Keep

DSA

Dragonstar Arena

DSC

Darkshade Caverns

Dung

Dungeon (say: "dunge") — A grouping of content including Delves, Public Dungeons, Group Dungeons and Trials. With no other context, usually refers to Group Dungeons.

Edu

King-Chief Edu

EH

Elden Hollow

Elite

An enemy which is more powerful than a standard mob, but less powerful than a boss. Has one pip on the health bar.

Emp

Emperor

Emperor Farming

The practice of grinding Alliance Points in a group and allowing Ring Keeps to fall in order to crown each member as Emperor.

EP

Ebonheart Pact

ESO, TESO

(The) Elder Scrolls Online

ESOTU

The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited

EXP

See: XP

Farming

Repeatedly killing certain enemies. See also Grinding.

Fare

Castle Faregyl

Farra

Farragut Keep

FC

Forward Camp

FG

1. Fungal Grotto
2. Fighters Guild

g, gp

Gold

G2G

Good To Go — A dungeon group whose players are ready to begin their run. Compare GTG.

Ganking

A higher level player attacking a lower level player by surprise, often when they are traveling between PvP objectives or completing PvE quests in Cyrodiil.

Glade

Fort Glademist

GM

A Gamemaster

Grats/z, GZ

Congratulations

Green Alliance, Greens

Dominion and Covenant working together in AvA. See Orange Alliance, Purple Alliance.

Grinding

Repeating the same content over and over, usually to level up. See also Farming.

Grindlorn

Going to Craglorn specifically for grinding, or referencing that grinding is the most common activity in overland Craglorn and its Delves.

GTG

Got To Go — Player is logging off for at least a few hours. Compare G2G.

Guildies

Fellow members of a player guild.

Head Farming

Repeatedly running a Veteran Group Dungeon to obtain a Monster Helm with a certain trait.

Healer

A character whose primary role in a group is to heal the other group members.

Hel Ra, HRC

Hel Ra Citadel

HoT

Healing over Time

IC

Imperial City

ICP

Imperial City Prison

Insp, IP

Inspiration Points

Kings

Kingscrest Keep

Kite

The act of attacking an enemy repeatedly (usually ranged but not always) while leading it (usually) in a pattern in order for others to safely kill it or focus on other things.

KoS

Kill on Sight

L2P

Learn to Play — Said to someone, often in derogation, who appears to not be able to play their build effectively.

Lead, Crown

Status as leader of a group, e.g. "pass lead".

LFG, LFS, LFP

Looking For Group/Squad/Party

LFM

Looking For More/Member

Lvl

Level

MA

Maelstrom Arena

Mad

Mad Urkazbur

Main

A player's main character. Compare Alt.

MG

Mages Guild

MMO(RPG)

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game

Mobs

Mobile Object Block — Refers to all computer-controlled characters, but usually used to mean standard overland enemies. See also NPC.

Monster Head

Monster Helm

MQ

Main Quest

NB

1. Nightblade
2. Nature's Bounty

Nerf

Used when certain content has been downgraded or made less effective. Compare Buff (2).

Newb(ie)

A Newb or Newbie is a new player to a game that may not know all of the mechanics and often has a lot of questions. Compare Noob.

Noob

A Noob (or sometimes seen as N00b) is a derogatory term meaning someone that does not know all of the game mechanics, is usually new to the game, and yet proclaims to know everything. This term is sometimes mistakenly used by people that mean to say Newb (or Newbie).

NPC

Non-Player Character — All of the computer-controlled characters in the game, but usually used to mean non-hostile characters. See also Mob.

Nyz

Nyzchaleft

OMW

On My Way

Orange Alliance, Oranges

Dominion and Pact working together in AvA. See Green Alliance, Purple Alliance.

Overland

Content which is not contained within a dungeon or other interior location.

Pips

Embellishments added to an enemy health bar that are indicative of difficulty, up to a maximum of three. Also called Stars.

PM, /w

Private Message, Whisper — Usually seen as "PM me" or "/w me", player is looking for a reply to their comment via /tell (/t) or /whisper (/w). See also PST.

Poa

Poacher's Encampment

Port

Teleport, to a player or Wayshrine.

Pots

Potions. See also Tri-Pots.

Proc

Procedural Random Occurrence — Activation of an effect based on random chance.

PST

Please Send Tell — Player is looking for a reply to their comment via /tell (/t) or /whisper (/w). "pst" also sounds like someone whispering. See also PM.

PTS

Public Test Server

PUG

Pick-Up Group — A random group of players, formed on the fly, often in which nobody knows anyone else.

Pull

Attack a single enemy and lure it away from a group of enemies, or towards a group of players.

Purple Alliance, Purples

Covenant and Pact working together in AvA. See Green Alliance, Orange Alliance.

PvE

Player versus Environment — Players fighting against computer-controlled enemies.

PvP

Player versus Player — Players in combat with each other.

Raid

1. A Trial.
2. A large-scale attack on a certain AvA objective.

Reds, Cherries, Tomatoes

PvP terms for Ebonheart Pact enemies.

Respec

Visiting a Shrine to change the skills or attributes in your build.

Res, Rez

Resurrect, using a Soul Gem.

Roe

Castle Roebeck

RP

RolePlay(ing)

RvR

See: AvA

Sej

Sejanus Outpost

Smurfs

See: Blues

SO, Sanctum

Sanctum Ophidia

Sorc

Sorcerer

SP

Skill Points

Spec

See: Build

Spindle

Spindleclutch

Stars

See: Pips

SW, Selene

Selene's Web

Syn

Synergy

Tank

A character whose primary role in a group is to take the majority of enemy damage, and keep the enemy's attention off other group members.

Temp

Templar

Tempest, TI

Tempest Island

TES

The Elder Scrolls

TESO

See: ESO

TG

Thieves Guild

Tick

1. The frequency at which a DoT or HoT ability applies damage or healing.
2. The AP reward for a successful keep capture or defense.

Tomatoes

See: Reds

Toon

A player's in-game character.

Train

A large group of coordinated players in PvP. Compare Zerg.

Trash

See: Vendor Trash, Trash Mobs

Trash Mobs

Enemies in a dungeon that may or may not be associated with a boss but don't give out big loot and are usually killed as a time waster.

Tri-Pots

Potions which restores health, magicka and stamina simultaneously.

TV Stones

Tel Var Stones

UA, US

Under Attack/Siege

UD

Unfinished Dolmen

Ulti, Ult

Ultimate

Vamp

Vampire

Vend

Visit a vendor to sell some Vendor Trash.

Vendor Trash

Items which are only valuable as something to sell to a merchant, e.g. loot items.

Vet, VR

Veteran (Rank)

Volen, VF

Volenfell

VoM, Vaults

Vaults of Madness

VP

Veteran Points

/w

Whisper, see PM.

Wasp Test

A method of fighting a group of 11 Giant Wasps in Craglorn solo to test the viability of a build.

WB

World Boss — An overland boss. In ESO, usually refers to a Group Boss location.

WGT

White-Gold Tower

WS

Wayrest Sewers

WTB

Want To Buy

WTS

Want To Sell

WTT

Want To Trade

WW

Werewolf

XP, EXP

Experience Points

Yellows, Bananas

PvP terms for Aldmeri Dominion enemies.

Zeni

See: ZOS

Zerg

A huge group of players rushing at a target, usually without any tactics. Compare Train.

ZOS, Zeni

ZeniMax Online Studios

External Links

• Unofficial ESO Slang and Abbreviation Dictionary at the Official ESO Forums, upon which parts of this list are based