The Magic Card Dictionary

	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	Term	Meaning	Term Origin	Card Origin	Recent Example	Notes

2	Anthem	A static effect providing additional power/toughness to all of a player's creatures.	Glorious Anthem	Bad Moon	Wedding Festivity	Generally one-sided and to all of a player's creatures, but may be universal and/or to a subset (e.g. based on color).
3	Armageddon	An effect that destroys all lands.	Armageddon	Armageddon	Fall of the Thran
4	Aristocrat	A creature that sacrifices other creatures for a positive effect.	Falkenrath Aristocrat	Fallen Angel	Fleshtaker
5	Bite	Target creature deals damage equal to its power to another creature.	Rabid Bite	Fall of the Hammer	Bite Down	See Punch, Contrast Fight
6	Blink	Exiling a permanent and immediately returning it to the battlefield	Blinking Spirit	Liberate	Fleeting Spirit	Contrast Flicker
7	Bob	A player reveals the top card of their library and puts it into their hand, then loses life equal to the mana value.	Dark Confidant	Dark Confidant	Sorin the Mirthless
8	Bogle	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD
9	Bounce	Returning a permanent (or spell) to its owner's hand.	Waterfront Bouncer	Unsummon	Lunar Rejection
10	Burn	A spell or effect dealing direct (non-combat) damage to a player.	???	Lightning Bolt+ in Alpha	Play with Fire	Often refers to a deck with a gameplan of primarily dealing non-combat damage with red spells.
11	Butt-	Using toughness instead of power for an effect.	Self-explanatory	Doran, the Siege Tower	Ancient Lumberknot	Grim Contest is a "butt-fight" spell, Catapult Captain has a "butt-fling" effect, etc.
12	Cantrip	A card that "replaces itself" by drawing a card as part of its resolution.	Dungeons & Dragons	Portent+ in Ice Age	Timely Interference
13	Chromatic	A card that is all five colors.	Chromatic Sphere	Sliver Queen	The Kami War	Also "WUBRG"
14	Color Hoser	An effect that absolutely decimates another color.	Self-explanatory	Gloom+ in Alpha	Ravnica at War	We don't really get these anymore - hate for multicolor or monocolored is the closest.
15	Counterspell	Counters a spell.	Counterspell	Counterspell+ in Alpha	Ertai's Scorn
16	Daunt	An effect preventing creatures with power 2 or less from blocking.	R&D Nickname	Scuttling Doom Engine	Riphook Raider
17	Disenchant	An effect destroys either an artifact or an enchantment.	Disenchant	Disenchant	Sanctify	See Naturalize
18	Divination	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD
19	Drain	An effect that causes one opponent to lose life (or a target to take damage) and the controlling player gains that much life.	Drain Life	Drain Life	Vampire's Kiss
20	Edict	An effect that forces an opponent to sacrifice a creature.	Diabolic Edict	Diabolic Edict	Sudden Edict
21	Egg	A cheap artifact that can be sacrificed to generate mana/draw a card.	Egg cycle	Black Lotus	Jack-O-Lantern	Contrast the creature type Egg, which generally dies and leaves behind another creature.
22	Falter	An effect that makes a creature unable to block for a turn.	Falter	Jamurran Lion	Unstoppable Ogre
23	Fight	Two target creatures deal damage equal to their power to each other.	Prey Upon	Arena	Sawblade Slinger	Contrast Bite & Punch
24	Filter	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD
25	Fireball	Any direct damage spell with X in its cost that deals damage to any target (especially a player).	Fireball	Fireball	Light Up The Night	Original Fireball was much more complex. Sometimes applied to cards that aren't direct damage (e.g. Lunar Strike).
26	Firebreathing	An ability to pay mana to increase a creature's power until end of turn. Traditionally a single red mana for +1/+0.	Firebreathing	Firebreathing	Fangblade Brigand	Can be divided to other categories, ex. “Smokebreathing” (two mana for +1/+0), “Steambreathing” (three mana for +1/+0).
27	Flicker	Exiling a permanent and returning it later, usually at the beginning of the next end step.	Flicker	Flicker	Hallowed Respite	Contrast Blink
28	Fling	Sacrificing a creature to deal damage equal to its power to another target.	Fling	Fling	Tiger-Tribe Hunter	Surtland Flinger is a reference.
29	Flying Men	One mana, 1/1 flying creature.	Flying Men	Scryb Sprites	Lantern Bearer	Kitesail Scout was the last vanilla.
30	Fog	An effect preventing combat damage dealt by/to a creature or creatures.	Fog	Fog	Blessed Respite
31	Force Spike	Counters a spell unless controller pays one generic mana.	Force Spike	Force Spike	Jwari Disruption	See Counterspell
32	FTK	A creature that, upon ETB, kills another creature (damage or outright).	Flametongue Kavu	Nekrataal	Cavalier of Night	Sometimes "187"
33	Gravedigger	A creature that upon ETB returns a creature from graveyard to hand.	Gravedigger	Gravedigger	Courier Bat	See Raise Dead
34	Gray Ogre	Three mana, 2/2 non-flying creature. Traditionally cost 2C.	Gray Ogre	Gray Ogre	Daybreak Combatants	Sliver Construct was the last vanilla.
35	Grizzly Bear	Two mana, 2/2 non-flying creature. Traditionally cost 1C.	Grizzly Bears	Grizzly Bears	Sporeback Wolf	Walking Corpse was the last vanilla.
36	Hate Bear	A small creature (in both mana-value and power/toughness) that has a disruptive effect attached.	Self-explanatory	Meddling Mage	Dennick, Pious Apparition
37	Heckbent	An effect that occurs when the controlling player has ≤1 cards in hand.	Play on Hellbent	Dread Wanderer+ in Amonkhet	Behold the Unspeakable
38	Helix	A spell that deals damage and gains its controller life equal to that damage.	Lightning Helix	Lightning Helix	Hurloon Battle Hymn
39	High Flying	An ability on flying creatures that only allows them to block other flying creatures	R&D Nickname	Cloud Elemental	Wandering Spirit
40	Hill Giant	Four mana, 3/3 creature. Traditionally costs 2C.	Hill Giant	Hill Giant	Bloodcrazed Socialite	Gilded Sentinel was the last vanilla.
41	Impulsive Draw	An effect exiling cards from the top of a player's library, and allowing them to play/cast those cards over a limited timeframe.	Act on Impulse	Elkin Bottle	Atsushi, the Blazing Sky
42	Karoo	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD
43	Lobotomy	An effect removing copies of a card from opponent's library.	Lobotomy	Jester's Cap	Lost Legacy
44	Loot	Drawing a card, then discarding a card.	Merfolk Looter	Jalum Tome	Kaito Shizuki	Contrast Rummage
45	Lord	A creature providing additional power/toughness (occasionally an ability) to a player's creatures by creature type.	Lord of Atlantis	Lord of Atlantis+ Alpha	Rundvelt Hordemaster
46	Mana Dork	A small creature that taps for mana.	Self-explanatory	Llanowar Elves	Reclusive Taxidermist
47	Mana Leak	Counters a spell conditional on the spell's controller not paying more than one additional mana.	Mana Leak	Power Sink	Geistlight Snare	See Counterspell
48	Mana Rock	An artifact that taps to add at least one mana to your mana pool.	Fellwar Stone	Sol Ring+ in Alpha	Honored Heirloom
49	Man-o'-War	A creature that, upon ETB, returns a target creature to its owner's hand.	Man-o'-War	Man-o'-War	Aether Channeler
50	Mill	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD
51	Mind Rot	An effect that forces a player to discard two cards.	Mind Rot	Hymn to Tourach	Aggressive Sabotage
52	Naturalize	Destroys either an artifact or an enchantment.	Naturalize	Disenchant	Sanctify	See Disenchant
53	O-Ring	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD
54	...On Legs	A creature with a recognizable spell effect that is repeatable.	Self-explanatory	???	???	The "Magus" cards and Spellshapers are all "X on legs."
55	...On a Stick	An artifact with a recognizable spell effect that is repeatable.	Isochron Scepter	???	???	Was this Rod of Ruin, as "Tim on a Stick?"
56	Ophidian	A card draw ability that triggers on dealing combat damage to a player.	Ophidian	Ophidian	Combat Research	Sometimes "Curiosity"
57	Overrun	An effect providing significant power boost and trample to all creatures on one side.	Overrun	Stampede	Glorious Sunrise
58	Pacifism	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD
59	Pants	An aura or equipment that enhances a creature.	Self-explanatory	Blessing+ in Alpha	Sheltering Boughs	The creature is said to be "wearing pants."
60	Piker	Two mana, 2/1 creature. Traditionally costs 1C.	Goblin Piker	Portal Commons	Wretched Throng	Curio Vendor was the last vanilla.
61	Pinger	A creature that can deal one non-combat damage to a creature player, either by tapping or paying a cost.	Self-explanatory	Prodigal Sorcerer	Ballista Watcher	Sometimes "Tim" after the Monty Python-based nickname for Prodigal Sorceror.
62	Pitch	An effect requiring its controller to discard a card	Self-Explanatory	Force of Will+ in Alliances	Solitude
63	Plague Wind	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD
64	Polymorph	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD
65	Pump	An effect increasing the power and toughness of a creature until end of turn.	Self-explanatory	Giant Growth	Massive Might
66	Punch	Target creature deals damage equal to its power to another creature.	Self-explanatory	Fall of the Hammer	Wolf Strike	See Bite, Contrast Fight
67	Raging Goblin	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD
68	Raise Dead	An effect retuning a creature from graveyard to hand.	Raise Dead	Raise Dead	Urborg Reposession	See Regrowth
69	Ramp	An effect providing a permanent mana advantage - usually putting lands from your library directly onto the battlefield. Also includes artifact mana.	Rampant Growth	Untamed Wilds (lands), Sol Ring+ in Alpha (artifacts)	Cartographer's Survey
70	Ravenous Rats	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD
71	Reanimate	An effect returning a creature from the graveyard to the battlefield.	Reanimate	Resurrection	Sheoldred's Restoration
72	Regrowth	An effect returning a card from graveyard to hand.	Regrowth	Regrowth	Retrieve	Often used in subsets (e.g. "X card is a regrowth for instants and sorceries"). Raise Dead effects are a Regrowth.
73	Relentless	Cards that may ignore the "four-of" deckbuilding rule and include any number.	Relentless Rats	Relentless Rats	Dragon's Approach	Seven Dwarves is a variant.
74	Ritual	A spell adding mana to your mana pool, temporarily.	Dark Ritual	Dark Ritual	Culling Ritual
75	Rootwalla	An onboard ability to increase a creature's power/toughness, usable only once each turn.	Rootwalla	Fire Drake	Snarling Wolf
76	Rummage	Discarding a card, then drawing a card.	Rummaging Goblin	Jandor's Ring	Blood Tokens	Contrast Loot
77	Saboteur	A creature with an ability that triggers upon dealing combat damage to a player.	Self-explanatory	Electryte	Falkenrath Forebear	Ophidians, Sliths, and Specters are Saboteurs. Daring Saboteur is a reference.
78	Savannah Lions	One mana, 2/1 creature.	Savannah Lions	Savannah Lions	Ascendant Packleader	Expedition Envoy was the last vanilla.
79	Shade	A creature that allows you to pay mana to give it +1/+1 until end of turn. Traditionally a single mana for +1/+1.	Frozen Shade	Frozen Shade	Tattered Apparition	Dread Shade was the last "true" shade.
80	Shrink	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD
81	Shock	An effect that deals two damage to a target.	Shock	Shock	Archangel of Wrath
82	Skulking	A creature ability requiring its owner to sacrifice it when it is targeted.	Skulking Ghost	Skulking Ghost	Phantasmal Dreadmaw	Sometimes "Illusion Ability"
83	Slith	An ability to get a +1/+1 counter upon dealing combat damage to a player.	The Slith Cycle	The Slith Cycle	Guild Thief
84	Snap	An effect giving a spell flashback or the ability to cast it from your graveyard, or casting it from your graveyard.	Snapcaster Mage	Snapcaster Mage	Bloodthirsty Adversary
85	Sol	An effect that adds two colorless mana.	Sol Ring	Sol Ring	Dustin, Gadget Genius
86	Specter	A creature that, upon dealing combat damage to a player, forces that player to discard.	Hypnotic Specter	Hypnotic Specter	Headless Specter
87	Squire	Two mana, 1/2 creature.	Squire	Squire	Parish-Blade Trainee	Omega Myr was the last vanilla.
88	Stalking	An effect that prevents a creature from being blocked by more than one creature.	Stalking Tiger	Stalking Tiger	Wolfrider’s Saddle
89	Splinter Twin	A two card combo that wins the game on the spot.	Splinter Twin	Channel/Fireball	Warlock Class/Scourge of the Skyclaves	Often used as a joke. Butterfly meme - is this Splinter Twin?
90	Stifle	An effect that counters an activated or triggered ability.	Stifle	Stifle	Overcharged Amalgam
91	Stone Rain	An effect that destroys a land.	Stone Rain	Stone Rain/Sinkhole	Gnottvold Slumbermound	Sometimes "Sinkhole" or "Strip Mine"
92	Tapper	A creature that has an ability to tap another creature.	Self-explanatory	Homarid Shaman	Clockwork Drawbridge
93	Threaten	An effect that lets its controller temporarily gain control of a creature.	Threaten	Threaten	Bloody Betrayal
94	Time Walk	An effect that lets its controller take an extra turn.	Time Walk	Time Walk	Alchemist’s Gambit	Occasionally used to reference plays that set your opponent back a turn. Hence Plow Under is “two Time Walks and two Stone Rains."
95	Trumpet Blast	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD	TO ADD
96	Tuck	An effect that puts a card on into its owner's library (or on the bottom).	Self-explanatory	Ether Well	Diver Skaab
97	Tutor	An effect that allows a player to search their library for a card.	Demonic Tutor	Demonic Tutor	Dig Up
98	Unstoppable	An ability that lets a creature assign combat damage as if it were not blocked.	Self-explanatory	Deathcoil Wurm/Lone Wolf	Indomitable Might	Sometimes "Super-Trample"
99	Vindicate	An effect that destroys any permanent.	Vindicate	Desert Twister	Clay Golem
100	Wheel	An effect that results in a player/players discarding their hands and drawing new hands.	Wheel of Fortune	Wheel of Fortune	Wheel of Misfortune