On top of all the champions and mechanics, newcomers to League of Legends are inundated with a plethora of niche terms and jargon. While some of these League terms are shared with other games, particularly MOBAs, some incredibly specific ones will make no sense, even to veteran gamers.

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Learning what these words or acronyms mean isn't only helpful for playing League, but also for following guides and videos, and watching pro games. To help players out, here is an alphabetical list of League of Legends terminology.

A

Ability Haste

This stat lowers the cooldown of abilities, allowing players to use their spells more often.

Aggro

League of Legends Turret Aggro

Minions, monsters, and turrets will attack one champion at a time. That champion has drawn aggro, for example, by walking into turret range.

Armor

This stat reduces incoming physical damage, such as from Auto Attacks.

Auto Attacks (AA)

Every champion in League can perform either ranged or melee Auto Attacks, which don't cost mana and typically deal physical damage.

B

Backdoor

When a player attempts to sneakily kill the Nexus while the enemy is distracted doing something else on the map. Teleport or invisibility often helps with this.

Base/Back/(B)

Base or Back are other words for recall, and this is done by pressing B and channeling for 8 seconds. Upon completion, the player will be returned to the fountain in the base and can buy items while replenishing their health.

C

Camping

When a Jungler or other roaming champion spends a lot of time in one lane, constantly ganking and helping.

Carry

A player can carry a game by performing well, dealing lots of damage and making the right team calls.

It can also refer to positions or champions who are typically expected to carry by dealing the most damage. For example, marksmen with lots of range damage are often known as ADCs or Attack Damage Carries.

(CC) Crowd Control

Crowd Control is when abilities or items prevent an enemy from moving or impede them in other ways.

Counterjungle

When a Jungler tries to kill the Jungle monsters on the enemy's side of the map.

Counter/Counter-pick

Certain champions fare very well against other champions, and in the pick & ban phase, they will be picked to counter a champion the enemy just picked.

(CS) Creep Score

This is the number of minions and monsters a player has killed. Having good CS is key to success. Also known as 'Farm'.

Cooldown

After using an ability, players have to wait before it is available again. Cooldowns can be reduced by buying items with the Ability Haste stat.

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D

Dive

An attempt to kill an enemy champion under their own tower. This is dangerous but is great for pushing advantages.

E

Energy

Instead of using Mana, some champions require Energy to cast spells. It regenerates naturally, but some of these champions have unique ways to restore it. Players cannot buy more Energy.

F

Facecheck

League of Legends Facechecking a Bush

Walking into an unwarded bush or an area where there is no vision. This is dangerous as the enemy could be waiting, but sometimes it is necessary for tanks to check.

Farm

This is the number of minions and monsters a player has killed. Having good Farm is key to success. Also known as 'CS'.

Players may also go to farm minions or focus on farming to get strong.

Fed

When a champion has lots of kills and farm, and thus gold and levels. In other words, they are very strong.

Feeding

When a player unintentionally or intentionally has lots of deaths and makes the enemy strong.

Freeze

This is the process of manipulating the minion wave so that it lands on your side of the lane without being killed by the tower. Champions in a strong position can then prevent their opponent from getting gold, as they would have to walk into danger to farm.

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G

Gank

An attempt to kill an enemy laner, usually performed by Junglers and hopefully with the advantage of surprise.

I

Insec

This move was named after the pro player InSec who first popularized getting into position as Lee Sin so that he can kick an opponent toward his team for the kill. Nowadays, it can refer to other champions with a knockback ability doing this.

Inting/Intentional Feeding

When a player intentionally gives the enemy lots of free kills. This is a form of trolling. The phrase can also be misused to have a go at a player who is just having a bad game.

J

Juke

Dodging spells skillfully.

K

Kite

The process of attacking an enemy while skillfully moving away from them or dodging abilities is known as kiting.

L

Lane

There are three lanes in League of Legends; Top Lane, Mid Lane, and Bot Lane. They have towers and minions march down them.

Last Hitting

Landing the killing blow on minions to get the gold for it.

Leash

When laners help their Jungler kill the first monster.

M

Magic Resistance

This stat reduces incoming magic damage, typically from spells.

Mana

Mana is a resource that most champions rely on to use spells. Mana regenerates slowly but can be fully restored in the base. Players can buy items that provide more Mana or increased Mana regeneration.

Minion Wave

League of Legends Minion Wave

A group of minions who spawn at the same time and march down the lane. Each wave will have three melee minions and three ranged minions. Periodically, waves contain a stronger siege minion, also known as a cannon minion.

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O

OOM (Out Of Mana)

When a player says they are 'OOM', this means they have no mana and are therefore weaker at fighting.

P

Pathing

League of Legends Jungle Pathing Suggestions

The order in which a Jungler kills their monster camps. Good Junglers will not only plan a route that is efficient in terms of traversal, but they will aim to arrive for a gank or objective at a certain time.

Peel

The process of keeping a carry alive by preventing the enemy from getting on top of them by using Crowd Control such as stuns and knockups. Healing, shielding, and speeding up carries is also a form of peel.

Push

Killing the enemy minion wave, so that your minions go into the enemy tower. This can be done to get off a good recall or to take the tower or turret plates.

Q

QSS

QSS is an abbreviation for the item Quicksilver Sash, which removes Crowd Control instantly when pressed.

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S

Scale

Scaling is the concept of waiting for the later stages of the game when a champion has acquired more gold and levels and become stronger. Some League champions scale better than others.

Snowballing

The concept of gaining an advantage via kills or other forms of gaining gold and levels, and then using that advantage to become stronger and stronger.

Splitpush

One champion advances far in one of the side lanes while the team does something on the other side of the map. The idea is to take towers or even an inhibitor or at least draw enemy champions away.

Stacks

Some champion abilities or items become stronger, the more a player achieves a specific goal. For example, Nasus gains stacks by killing minions with his Q. This makes his Q progressively stronger.

Summs

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T

Tank

The process of taking damage so that your team doesn't have to. For example, a player might tank the enemy turret while their allies finish off a kill. Those with high health will also often tank the baron or dragon, so that their carries don't get low.

Champions with lots of health or other defensive attributes are often known as tanks.

Tower Dive

An attempt to kill an enemy champion under their own tower. This is dangerous but is great for pushing advantages.

TP

TP is short for the Summoner Spell Teleport and its use.

U

Ultimate/Ult/R

An ultimate is typically the most powerful ability for each champion. It is unlocked at level 6, usually has a longer cooldown, and is bound to the R key by default.