Whether you're a new cam model trying to decode the chat or a viewer figuring out how everything works, the camming world has its own language. From platform-specific terms like "greys" and "purples" to universal lingo like "whale" and "C2C," understanding this cam model glossary is essential to succeeding on sites like Jerkmate, Stripchat, and MyFreeCams.

This comprehensive list covers 100+ camming terms organized alphabetically so you can quickly find exactly what you need.

A

• ACH (Automated Clearing House): A US electronic bank transfer method used by sites like Jerkmate for direct deposit payouts. Usually free and takes 3-5 business days.
• Admin: A site employee or moderator with elevated privileges who can ban users, settle disputes, and enforce platform rules across all rooms.
• Affiliate link: A special URL that tracks referrals. Models can earn commissions when new users or broadcasters sign up through their link. Jerkmate's affiliate program pays up to $50 per referral.
• Age verification: The mandatory process of submitting government-issued ID to prove you're 18+ before broadcasting. Required by all legitimate cam sites.
• Apps (Jerkmate): Third-party programs that add interactive features to your Jerkmate room. Examples include tip menus, games, roll the dice, and tip goal counters. See our Jerkmate apps and bots guide.
• Away mode: A setting that keeps your room live but shows an "away" screen when you step away from the camera temporarily.

B

• Ban: Permanently or temporarily removing a user from your chat room. Models can ban viewers for rule violations, harassment, or any reason they choose.
• Bio: Your profile page on a cam site. This is where you display your tip menu, schedule, social links, and personal info. A strong bio is critical for conversions — see our Jerkmate bio templates.
• Block: Preventing a specific user from viewing your room or contacting you. Often used against trolls and harassers.
• Blueballs: Slang for a viewer who watches extensively and makes promises but never actually tips or pays for shows.
• Bot: An automated program that runs in your chat room. Bots can auto-greet viewers, manage tip menus, run games, and silence rule-breakers. Jerkmate has a robust bot system.
• Broadcaster: The official term for a cam model who is streaming live on a cam site. On Jerkmate, you're a "broadcaster" rather than a "model."
• BRB: "Be right back." Common chat abbreviation used by both models and viewers.

C

• C2C (Cam to Cam): A feature during private shows where the viewer turns on their own webcam so the model can see them. Some models charge extra for C2C.
• Camming: The act of performing live on a webcam for an online audience in exchange for tips, tokens, or credits.
• Camscore: A numerical ranking on MyFreeCams that determines a model's visibility and placement. Based on earnings and engagement.
• Cap/Capping: When someone illegally records a model's live stream without permission. This is a violation of the model's rights and most sites have DMCA policies against it. Read our DMCA takedown guide.
• Chargebacks: When a viewer's payment is reversed by their credit card company. On Jerkmate, the site absorbs chargebacks so models keep their earnings.
• Chat room: The live broadcast page where viewers watch the model and interact via text chat.
• Countdown: A running timer or token counter that counts down to a specific action or show. Often used with tip goals.
• Credits: The virtual currency on some cam sites (like LiveJasmin). Equivalent to tokens on Jerkmate.

D

• Dark purple: On Jerkmate, a user who has tipped a large amount recently. The shade of the username indicates spending level.
• Direct deposit: Receiving your cam earnings directly into your bank account via electronic transfer. The fastest free payout option on most sites.
• DMCA: Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Models use DMCA takedown notices to remove illegally recorded or distributed content from other websites.
• Donation: Another word for a tip. Some models prefer this term as it implies voluntary generosity.

E–F

• Earnings period: The time frame for which your tips/tokens are accumulated before payout. Jerkmate uses biweekly periods (1st-15th and 16th-end of month).
• Edge (edging): A type of show or performance style where the model teases and delays climax as long as possible, often tied to increasing tip amounts.
• Fanclub: A paid subscription offered by some models on cam sites. Fanclub members typically get perks like badges, spy show access, discounted privates, and recorded content.
• Flash: A brief reveal, usually lasting a few seconds. Models often put flashes on their tip menu for a set token amount (e.g., "flash 25 tokens").
• Follower: A viewer who follows your profile to receive notifications when you go live. Building followers is key to consistent viewership.
• Free chat: The default public broadcast mode where anyone can watch without paying. Tips are voluntary.
• Freeloaders: Viewers who watch free chat shows without ever tipping. Also called "lurkers."

G

• Geo-blocking: Blocking viewers from specific geographic regions from seeing your stream. Used by models who want to prevent people in their area from finding them. See our geo-blocking guide.
• Goal (tip goal): A token target set by the model. When viewers collectively tip enough to reach the goal, the model performs a promised action. Goals create excitement and community participation.
• Gold show: A ticketed group show on some cam sites. Viewers purchase tickets in advance, and the show begins once enough tickets are sold.
• Green: On Jerkmate, green usernames indicate users who have purchased tokens at least once. They may or may not have tokens remaining.
• Grey (gray): On Jerkmate, grey usernames indicate users who have never purchased tokens. Often associated with freeloaders, though some greys do eventually convert to paying viewers.
• Group show: A show type where multiple viewers pay a flat fee to watch together. Unlike privates, group shows have several paying participants.

H–I

• Happy hour: A promotional period where a model reduces private show rates or offers bonuses to attract more viewers and tips.
• Hidden cam/show: A private show setting on some sites where the show doesn't appear in the public listing, offering extra privacy.
• Hightipper: A viewer known for leaving large tips. Keeping hightippers happy is essential to a model's income.
• Interactive toy: A remote-controlled sex toy (like Lovense or OhMiBod) that vibrates in response to tips. See our interactive toys guide.
• IP ban: Blocking a user's IP address so they cannot access your room even with a different account.

J–K

• JOI: "Jerk Off Instruction." A type of show where the model verbally guides the viewer. Popular request in private shows.
• King (King of the Room): On Jerkmate, the viewer who has tipped the most in the current session. They get a crown icon next to their name and bragging rights.
• Knight: A dedicated viewer or moderator who defends the model against trolls and negativity in chat.

L

• Lovense: The most popular brand of interactive toys for cam models. Products include the Lush (internal), Nora (rabbit), Domi (wand), Max (male), and Hush (plug). All connect to cam sites for tip-activated vibrations.
• Lurker: A viewer who watches without interacting in chat or tipping. Most of your room count will be lurkers, and that's normal — some eventually become tippers.
• Lush: The Lovense Lush, the most popular tip-activated vibrator among cam models. It's small, quiet, and responds to token tips with customizable vibration patterns.

M–N

• Mod (moderator): A trusted viewer given special permissions to silence, ban, or manage other users in a model's chat room. Good mods are invaluable for managing busy rooms.
• Multi-streaming: Broadcasting on multiple cam sites simultaneously. Some sites prohibit this, while others allow it. Requires more bandwidth and management.
• Mute/Silence: Temporarily preventing a user from typing in chat. Models and mods can mute disruptive viewers.
• Newbie: A new model or viewer on the platform. Some sites tag new models to help them get extra visibility during their first days.
• Non-nude: A cam style where the model doesn't get fully naked. Non-nude rooms can still be very profitable through conversation, flirting, and softcore content.
• Notification: An alert sent to followers when you go live. Building your follower count directly impacts how many viewers show up when you start streaming.

O

• OBS (Open Broadcaster Software): Free streaming software that many cam models use for advanced features like overlays, scenes, and multi-camera setups. See our OBS setup guide.
• OhMiBod: A brand of interactive vibrating toys that sync with cam site tips. One of the original tip-activated toy brands.
• Ohmibod panel: A visual overlay in the chat room that shows the current vibration level and tip amounts needed for different vibration intensities.
• Online/Offline: Whether a model is currently broadcasting live or not.

P

• Paxum: An e-wallet payment service popular among cam models, especially those outside the US. Offers lower fees than wire transfers and fast processing.
• Pay period: The timeframe during which your earnings accumulate before being paid out. On Jerkmate, pay periods run 1st-15th and 16th-end of month.
• Payout: The process of receiving your earned money from the cam site. Methods include direct deposit, check, wire transfer, Paxum, and cryptocurrency.
• PM (Private Message): A direct message between a model and viewer, separate from the public chat room.
• Private show: A one-on-one paid show between the model and a single viewer. The viewer pays a per-minute rate set by the model. Learn more in our private shows pricing guide.
• Purple: On Jerkmate, purple usernames indicate viewers who have spent tokens (tipped) recently. Darker purple means more spending.

Q–R

• Queue: A waiting list for private shows when a model is already in a private with another viewer.
• Rain (token rain): When a viewer sends many small tips in rapid succession, creating a "rain" effect in the chat. It's exciting and can trigger other viewers to tip as well.
• Recording: Capturing video of a live show. Unauthorized recording (capping) is prohibited on all cam sites. Models can sell their own recordings as content.
• Referral: Signing up a new user or model through your affiliate link. Cam sites pay commission for successful referrals.
• Regular: A viewer who consistently visits your room and tips. Regulars form the backbone of most models' income and are worth nurturing.
• Revenue share: The percentage split between the cam site and the model. Jerkmate gives models roughly 50% ($0.05 per token, which viewers buy for $0.08-$0.11 each).
• Roll the Dice: A popular Jerkmate app/bot that assigns random actions to different dice outcomes. Viewers tip to trigger a roll.
• Room count: The number of viewers currently watching your stream. Higher room counts generally lead to more tips.
• Room subject: The text that appears alongside your stream in site listings. An effective room subject includes your tip goal, what you're doing, and relevant hashtags.

S

• Schedule: Your regular streaming times. Posting and sticking to a schedule helps build a loyal audience. See our schedule optimization guide.
• Silence: Muting a user in chat. Similar to a temporary ban but only prevents them from typing.
• Snapchat premium: A paid Snapchat account where models share exclusive content. Often sold as an add-on to cam site earnings.
• Spy show: A feature on Jerkmate where viewers can pay a reduced per-minute rate to watch an ongoing private show. The spy viewer can see but cannot interact.
• Split cam: Running two camera angles simultaneously, often using OBS. Creates a more professional broadcast setup.
• Squirt: A cam site (Squirt.org) primarily for male and gay models. Also a common tip menu item on other sites.
• Stickam: A now-defunct early webcam streaming platform that preceded modern cam sites.
• Stream key: A unique code that connects your streaming software (like OBS) to the cam site's servers.
• Subject line: See "room subject."
• Supporter badge: On Jerkmate, a badge that appears next to a user's name indicating they've purchased a monthly supporter subscription for $19.95.

T

• Tag: A descriptive keyword attached to your stream (like #new, #bigboobs, #lovense) that helps viewers find you through search and category pages.
• Teasing: A broadcast style focused on building anticipation rather than immediate nudity. Effective teasers can earn as much or more than models who undress quickly.
• Ticket show: A show type where viewers buy tickets at a set price. The show starts once enough tickets are sold, and only ticket holders can watch.
• Tip (tipping): Sending tokens/credits to a model. The primary way cam models earn money in free chat.
• Tip flood: Multiple tips sent rapidly, creating excitement in the chat room.
• Tip menu: A list of actions and their token prices displayed in a model's bio or chat. Examples: "Flash 25tk," "Song request 15tk," "Control Lush 5 min 200tk." Check our tip menu ideas.
• Tip note: A message attached to a tip. Viewers use tip notes to make requests that correspond to the tip menu.
• Token: The virtual currency on Jerkmate. One token equals $0.05 for the model. See our complete Jerkmate token guide.
• Top room: One of the most-viewed rooms on the site at any given time. Being in the top rooms means maximum visibility and earning potential.
• Troll: A viewer who joins chat to harass, insult, or disrupt the model and other viewers. Ban them immediately.
• True private: A private show setting where spy viewers are not allowed. Only the paying viewer and the model can see the show.

U–V

• Upload: Adding recorded videos or photos to your cam site profile for sale as content. Creates passive income.
• Vibe (vibrator): Short for interactive vibrator/toy. "Tip to control my vibe" is a common room subject.
• Viewer count: See "room count."
• VIP: On some cam sites, a premium viewer status that comes with perks like ad-free viewing, enhanced PM access, and special username colors.
• VOD (Video on Demand): Pre-recorded content that viewers can purchase and watch at any time. A key source of passive income for models.

W–Z

• Whale: A viewer who tips extremely large amounts — often thousands of tokens in a single session. Whales are rare but can make or break a model's month. See our guide on how to attract big tippers.
• Whisper: A private message sent within the chat room that only the sender and recipient can see.
• White label: A cam site that uses another site's technology and model pool under a different brand name. Many smaller cam sites are white labels of larger platforms.
• Wishlist: A public list of items a model wants (usually on Amazon). Viewers can purchase items as gifts. Models often link their Amazon wishlist in their bio.
• W-9 / 1099: US tax forms. Cam sites issue 1099 forms to models who earn over $600 in a calendar year. Models are independent contractors responsible for their own taxes. See our cam model taxes guide.
• 2257 compliance: Federal regulations requiring cam sites to maintain records verifying that all performers are 18+. Named after 18 U.S.C. 2257.

Why Learning Camming Terminology Matters

Knowing the language of camming is about more than just fitting in. Understanding these terms helps you:

• Communicate professionally with viewers and other models
• Set up your room correctly with proper apps, bots, and tip menus
• Understand your earnings and payout structures
• Protect yourself by knowing about capping, DMCA, and safety measures
• Market yourself effectively using the right tags and terminology

Bookmark this glossary and refer back to it whenever you encounter a term you don't recognize. The camming industry evolves quickly, and staying up to date with the latest terminology keeps you ahead of the curve.