Anthromorph:

Any creature halfway between humanoid and animal form. Can be bipedal, quadrapedal, plantagrade, ditagrade, etc.

Bipedal:

Has two legs used for walking. This can either be ditagrade or plantagrade.

Den/Lair:

On the net, this is anywhere werecreatures are. Websites, chatrooms, posting boards, clubs; all can be a lair or a den. In RL this is just another way to say 'Home'.

Ditagrade:

The same as walking on your toes... like a wolf or cat would.

Furry:

There's a fine line between Furries and Weres.. I think the difference is that they see themselves as just a mix of human and animal where Weres see themselves as humans with animal souls, or part animal.

Greymuzzle:

This refers to a Were who's wise and has been around for quite some time. It has nothing to do with grey hair. :)

Lycanthrope:

This refers to a particular 'species' of were, the wolves. It literally means 'Man Wolf'..

Mental Shift:

The personality, habits, appitites... anything having to do with thought shifts into that of an animal.

Physical Shift:

This is where your body changes forms. This one's impossible... at least noones been able to do it. :)

Plantagrade:

Walking with your weight on your heels... like a human or bear.

Quadrapedal:

Using four legs for walking. Can also be either plantagrade of ditagrade.

Theriomorph:

This means any human who mentaly shifts form, like a Were or a Furry.

Were-creature:

Any creature that can shift(any kind of shift) into an animal form or a form halfway between animal and human.

note that these are not to be taken as  the Black and White truth, there are shades of gray...

Shifter:

Any person, animal, etc. that practices any type of transformation listed below.

Shift:

Verb: to change, Noun: a change

Astral Shift:

You astrally leave your body and become that of another form, either by shifting the appearance of the spirit, or entering the body of another being on this plane (this too is included in the Walk-In section, and overlaps with that of the shapestealer definition below).

Attributes Shift (ATS):

Essentially, this is a mixture of 

the Mental, Physical, and Aural Shift, in varying degree (That is to say that One or Two could overshadow the other(s), or the repressed one(s) appear to be nonexistent).  Unlike the types of shifts (being separate) noted above, this type of shift can give you attributes of _any_ animal/spirit guide (not necessarily that of the wereside, or your personal spirit guide). These 'attributes' can be in the form of a physical (for example: "strength"), aural ("senses") or mental ("cognitive abilities").

Aural Shift:

The aura (if you can see them) takes on the shape of the animal/wereside.  I've also heard that with the AS, the person can take on some characteristics of that animal, mentally, but not a total mental shift.

Bilocation Shift:

In this shift, the "spirit body" of the were in question leaves the "physical form" and reforms itself outside of the human body.  The "new form" the spirit takes is a physical form (ass opposed to the Relocation Shift)

The shifter can be both awake or completely oblivious to what is 
occurring during this shift.

Dream Shift:

This is sometimes the most common form of
shifting, at least, for those that can remember their dreams.  This is exactly how it sounds, shifting while dreaming.  It could be any of the 
mentioned forms of shifting here, the most common being the Physical Shift (below).

The dream shift can occur in both the lucid and non lucid states.

Mental Shift:

A condition known to affect "weres" (even if said humans don't know about their awereness) when one species within their own spirit or soul is dominant over any other. In most cases weres are generally in their human mindset.  The actual shift occurs when the mindset changes from human to animal (e.g. Wolf) or Vice Versa. A mental shift can also occur with a physical shift, whereas you change  in mind or soul, as well as in body. 

Personality Shift:

This is one of the more recently developed terms I've seen used on the newsgroup.  From what I can tell of this, the personality will shift into one resembling a certain animal's personality. I think, however, that it is referring to a shift into the habits/personality of a species but retaining the human mindset.  (E.G. a wolf would want to remain in a pack setting, a lemming would jump off a cliff, etc.).

Phantom Shift:

This is a very 'popular' type of shift among Weres today.  This  shift is often mistake for a Partial PS, or a prelude to a PS.  In this shift, the were feels fur, pawlike hands, tails, movable ears, etc.  The Non-shift term for this phenomina is "Phantom Limbs." The actual "shift" is feeling the 
body changing to that of the wereside, but not on a truly physical level. Taken from various accounts in many were-forums.

Physical Shift:

The stuff dreams are made of...  This shift
alone, for those who believe, is a goal for the majority of "Weres" want to experience.  This is indeed going from form A to form B with the body as the artistic media.  A shift in body, many weres feel with the PS, they can become what they truly are on the inside, now reflecting on the outside. 

Relocation Shift:

In this shift, the "spirit body" of the were in question leaves the "physical form" and reforms itself outside of the human body.    The relocation shift either produces a ghostlike body, or one that cannot be sensed by others.  (Sometimes confused with the Bilocation Shift)

The shifter can be both awake or completely oblivious to what is 
occurring during this shift.

Shadow Shift:

This type of shifting should not be confused
with the PS.  This is a term to be used for the type of shift that occurs when only the appearance shifts.  This usually takes place when there is little available light, a sort of mass hallucination if you will, but whatever the case, the object being focused upon, appears to 
be something else.  Unlike the PS, this type of shifting is "looks only," you wouldn't gain any extra senses, or characteristics from 
this... it is, in fact, very similar to just putting on a fursuit (but without the suit). 

ShapeStealers:

Also known as 'Skinwalkers' and 'FleshDancers,' this is a type of shifting feared the world over.  They can manifest themselves in a variety of ways.  They can just merely take on the form of another entity.  Some claim that the shapestealer must kill the person, animal, etc they wish to take the form of.  This could also include Walk-Ins, whereas, they leap into the body of the one they wish to steal, essentially taking it over, and may or may not kick out the 'original.' (That particular method however is also in many references describing the 'astral shift').

Spirit Shift:

This type of shift has several meanings attached.  I will not split them up at this point in time.  Here goes:

A spirit shift takes place when Spirit Guides are present.  The actually shift is either: A. the guide leaves and another takes its place, B. Your soul "merges" with the spirit guide, C.  The spirit guide changes it own species/looks.

A spirit shift is also the merging of the two (or more) "sides" of a were's spiritual body.  For example, if a separatist were is a human and a wolf, the merging into an "anthro-wolf" form would be a spirit shift.

Wereside:

This wereside is a term widely used to express the animal side of a person, typically called weres or Therianthropes.  There are several Shades of Gray with these types of "awereness."   Many cases of this show that their is a human side, and an animal side of the same spirit or soul.  (In which case there may be a 'middle section' whereas the two 'sides' can combine to have traits of both).  This also has another situation, where the two 'sides' can exist at the same time, one being the human component, the other being the animal component.  Both can exist without each other, but are still parts of the same "Spirit."  Please read the "WereBreeds" section for more information.

This is a pseudoterm created for use by weres to replace "phenotype".

This too is a misnomer, for "Were" means man.  Thus making the word mean "Humanside"  instead of the actual animal side.

Spirit Guides:

The Spirit Guide is any separate benign entity living along with the 'true spirit owner' of the body.  Many weres consider their SG to be their 'wereside.' This is NOT the case, the wereside and the SG are two completely different entities.  Your wereside may be the same species as the SG, but the SG is not a part of you. SG's are separate spirits, they can come and go as they please, and may only stay with you for a limited about of time (Usually a SG will "guide" or help you in some way, and as soon as it has fulfilled it's "duty," it leaves, perhaps to help another).  Also, your wereside could be your SG, but your SG cannot be your wereside. The SG functions differently from you, which could give you insight into certain situations, they can help show or "guide" you to the correct path. 

Therianthropic:

Part human and part animal; relating to belief in or worship of such beings. From the Greek words "therios" for beast and  "anthropos" for man.

Is not specifically defined as a physical manefestation.  Can be Physical, Mental, Emotional, or Spiritual.

Therianthrope refers for a person reflecting this definition.

Theriomorphic:

Having the form of an animal.

From the Greek words "therios" for beast and  "morphe" for shape.

Is not specifically defined as a physical manefestation.  Can be Physical, Mental, Emotional, or Spiritual.

Phenotype:

Dictionary Definition: The physical expression in an organism of the interaction between its genotype and the environment;  the outward appearance of an organism.

Were Connotation: The species a "were" creature considers themself.

Phenotype is a misnomer though commonly used in the were-culture.

Animality:

The nature proper to animals; that part of a man's nature which he has in common with animals.

This is probably the best term for use  for weres to express "animal side."

Unfortunately, this word is also found in the video game "Mortal Kombat", whereas the characters turn into animals and kill their opponent.  This may prevent many weres from using the term in order to separate games from "RL".

PolyWere:

A WereCreature with more than one animal species as a part of his/her wereside.

This can denote both weres with two weresides, or, were's with one wereside that is a mix of two or more species.

Phantom Limbs:

This is a phenomina that many weres have experienced.  "Phantom Limbs" refers to the feeling of having the physical parts of animals that aren't shared with humans.  The most common example is the feeling of having and moving a "tail".

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