What is "safeword"

n. (context BDSM English) A word used in sadomasochistic sexual practices to indicate that a participant wants to stop.

In BDSM, a safeword is a code word, series of code words or other signal used by a submissive or bottom to unambiguously communicate their physical or emotional state to a dominant or top, typically when approaching, or crossing, a physical, emotional, or moral boundary. Some safewords are used to stop the scene outright, while others can communicate a willingness to continue, but at a reduced level of intensity. Safewords are usually agreed upon before playing a scene by all participants, and many organized BDSM groups have standard safewords that all members agree to use to avoid confusion at organized play events.

Safewords of BDSM fall under the guiding philosophy of safe, sane and consensual. Those who practise the more permissive philosophy of risk-aware consensual kink may abandon the use of safewords, especially those that practice forms of edgeplay or extreme forms of dominance and submission. In such cases, the choice to give up the use of safewords is a consensual act on the part of the bottom or submissive.

A safeword, as used in sports, is a code word used by a player to avoid impending injury.

In certain contact sports such as rugby and professional wrestling, when a player feels an opposing players actions will lead to him or herself being seriously injured, he may utter a safeword which tells the opponent to stop the actions.

Professional rugby union footballers recognize the safeword "neck". This is said, during a scrum, when a player fears that his neck risks being broken. Players on both teams will recognize this and immediately release any downward pressure.

A more common example is "Matte" (pronounced "mah-teh", meaning "Wait!") in most Japanese martial arts including judo, which indicates surrender, usually due to an arm lock or a choke. In professional competition, saying "stop" or "help" does not indicate surrender and the opponent may continue combat.

During lifeguard training, the American Red Cross uses a "tap off" as a form of the safeword. If at any time one of the lifeguard trainees feels that they do not have enough oxygen to complete an underwater simulation of a rescue, that trainee should tap the other person twice to signal that the rescue has been aborted.

Safeword is a British television comedy panel game show hosted by Rick Edwards and broadcast on ITV2. It has been broadcasting since 23 July 2015.