Guide to Gaming: What do all these terms mean?

As in any subculture or group, unique terms (jargon) are created to describe common events, elements, or people within that group. Unfortunately, that can make it very intimidating to outsiders or newcomers--what do all these things mean? How do they fit in? And no one wants to look like an idiot and use terms incorrectly. So here's a list of terms for your reference.

Please feel free to leave a comment if you've seen a term not on this list that you think belongs here, or if you've encountered a term you do not know and would like to find out (without getting harassed by trolls). This is your safe place.

If you know a term that isn't on this list, or have encountered a term you don't recognize that we don't have on this list, please let us know in the comments and we will add it in. Note that we will likely remove comments after we have added the terms requested, just to keep things neat and tidy.

The following terms are presented in alphabetical order, for your convenient reference.