The Lexicon

M/f

Notation indicating a dynamic in which a male Dominant partners with a female submissive.

M/m

Notation indicating a dynamic in which both parties are men, with a Dominant and a submissive.

M/s (Master and slave)

A relationship structured around Mastery and slavery, generally ongoing and formalised.

Madam

Formal title of address sometimes used for a female Dominant or head of household.

Maintenance

The ongoing routine care of person, gear and space that sustains a dynamic.

Marking

Symbolic act by which a person, dynamic or pack claims presence or affiliation with another person or space.

Master

A person who holds recognised ongoing authority over another within a Master/slave dynamic.

Matriarch

Woman who serves as the recognised head of a household or house lineage.

Matriarchal Panther Camp

A Panther Camp organised under the leadership of a senior woman or council of women.

Matriarchy

In Lifestyle usage, a household or relationship structure in which a woman occupies the recognised leadership role.

Matrifocal Dynamic

A relationship arrangement in which the woman is the central organising figure of household life and decision-making.

MDlb

Abbreviation for a caregiver dynamic pairing a Mommy Domme with a little boy.

Medical Table

A table modelled on clinical examination furniture, used in medical-themed play.

Mentoring

Practice of offering guidance and knowledge to less experienced practitioners.

Mentorship

The transmission of skill, ethics and tradition from an experienced practitioner to a newer one.

Mentorship Dynamic

Relationship in which a more experienced practitioner guides a less experienced one in matters of practice, protocol or personal development.

Merchant Caravan

In the Gorean setting, an organised expedition of merchants moving goods between cities.

Merchant Caste

In the Gorean setting, the caste engaged in trade, banking and long-distance commerce.

Metal Cuffs

Rigid restraints of metal used at the wrists or ankles.

Mindfuck

Play whose primary content is the manipulation of perception, expectation or belief.

Minimalism

An aesthetic tendency in rope practice that values fewer wraps, cleaner lines and greater restraint.

Mistress

Traditional title of address for a female Dominant, used across scene, relationship and household contexts.

MLR

Abbreviation for a relationship whose accepted structure vests governance in the male partner.

Modern Gorean Household

A contemporary consensual household organised on Gorean lines, whether Book, Reformed or hybrid.

Modern Kinbaku

The twentieth- and twenty-first-century tradition of erotic and aesthetic Japanese rope practice.

Morning Protocol

Routine of expected actions or observances performed at the beginning of the day.

Mummification

Full-body encasement, typically in plastic wrap, tape or bandages.

Munch

An informal social gathering of Lifestyle people, typically at a restaurant or café, in ordinary clothes and without play.

Mutual Growth

Framing of authority-based relationships as spaces for the development of both parties.

Muzzle

A device fitted over the mouth of a Pet or animal-role participant.