Looked up rather than read. Every term is defined in one or two sentences, and the ones that need more have a page of their own.
The hobby
- AFOL
- An adult who builds with, collects or simply enjoys LEGO® bricks. The abbreviation stands for “Adult Fan of LEGO”.Also: Adult Fan of LEGOMore about this term
- Alternate build
- A different model built only from the parts of one particular set.Also: Alternative build, Alternate modelMore about this term
- Anti-stud
- The underside of a part: the recess and tubes that receive the studs of the part below.Also: Antistud, TubeMore about this term
- Army building
- Collecting many copies of the same minifigure or small set, typically soldiers, guards or droids.Also: Army builderMore about this term
- Bite marks
- Dents left by teeth, from prising parts apart with the mouth.Also: Tooth marks, Teeth marksMore about this term
- B-model
- A second official model that can be built from the parts of a set, with instructions of its own.Also: B model, Secondary modelMore about this term
- Brick-built
- Made from ordinary bricks and plates where a single specialised moulded piece could have been used.More about this term
- BrickLink
- An online marketplace and catalogue for LEGO® sets, parts and minifigures, with a price guide built from its own sales.More about this term
- Brickset
- A website with a database of LEGO® sets and an active community of collectors.More about this term
- BURP
- A large single-piece rock panel. The nickname stands for “Big Ugly Rock Piece”.Also: Big Ugly Rock Piece, LURPMore about this term
- Clone brand
- A maker of building bricks that fit LEGO® bricks but are not made by the LEGO Group.Also: Clone, Compatible bricksMore about this term
- Clutch power
- The grip that holds two connected parts together.Also: ClutchMore about this term
- Convention
- A gathering of fans, often with a public exhibition of their models, talks, games and a marketplace.Also: Fan convention, ExhibitionMore about this term
- Dark age
- The years in which a fan stopped building, usually between childhood and a return to the hobby as an adult.Also: Dark agesMore about this term
- Greebling
- Small detail parts added to a surface to make it look technical and complex, as on a spaceship hull.Also: Greebles, GreebleMore about this term
- Illegal technique
- A way of connecting parts that puts them under stress or that official sets do not use.Also: Illegal build, Illegal connectionMore about this term
- KFOL
- A child who is a fan of LEGO® building. The abbreviation stands for “Kid Fan of LEGO”.Also: Kid Fan of LEGOMore about this term
- LUG
- A club of fans of LEGO® building, usually organised by region, that meets, builds together and exhibits.Also: LEGO User Group, RLUGMore about this term
- Microscale
- Building at a scale far smaller than a minifigure, where a single stud can stand for a window or a person.Also: Micro scaleMore about this term
- Minifig scale
- The scale at which a model suits minifigures: its doors, seats and vehicles fit a figure.Also: Minifigure scaleMore about this term
- MOC
- A model somebody designed themselves and did not build from an official set's instructions. Short for “My Own Creation”.Also: My Own CreationMore about this term
- MOD
- An official set that somebody has changed: extended, recoloured, improved or combined with another.Also: ModificationMore about this term
- NPU
- Praise for using a part cleverly in a role it was not designed for. Short for “Nice Part Usage”.Also: Nice Part Usage, Nice Parts UsageMore about this term
- Part out
- To break a set down into its individual parts, to sell them one by one or to add them to a parts collection.Also: Parting out, Parted outMore about this term
- Part-out value
- What the parts and minifigures of a set would bring if each were sold separately.Also: POV, Part out valueMore about this term
- Parts draft
- A club activity: everybody brings a copy of the same set, the parts are sorted, and members take turns choosing lots.Also: DraftMore about this term
- POOP
- A large specialised part that could just as well have been built from smaller, common ones.Also: Parts Out of Other Parts, Pieces Out of Other PiecesMore about this term
- Purist
- A builder who uses only genuine, unmodified LEGO® parts: no cut, glued, painted or third-party pieces.More about this term
- Rebrickable
- A website with a catalogue of LEGO® sets, parts and minifigures and a large library of fan-designed models.More about this term
- Sig-fig
- A minifigure that a fan uses to represent themselves, online or on a name badge.Also: Sigfig, Signature figureMore about this term
- SNOT
- A building technique in which parts are mounted sideways or upside down, so that studs do not point upwards.Also: Studs Not On TopMore about this term
- Sorting
- Organising loose parts so that they can be found again: by kind, by colour, or both.More about this term
- Stress marks
- Pale lines in the plastic where a part has been bent or overloaded.Also: Stress whiteningMore about this term
- Stud
- The round bump on top of a brick or plate. It grips the underside of the part above and is the unit builders measure in.Also: Studs, KnobMore about this term
- TFOL
- A teenage fan of LEGO® building. The abbreviation stands for “Teen Fan of LEGO”.Also: Teen Fan of LEGOMore about this term
- Yellowing
- The gradual discolouring of parts, most visible on white, light grey and blue, caused by light and age.Also: Discolouration, Sun damageMore about this term
The catalogue
- Advertising link
- A link to a shop for which BrickDb may earn a commission. It is labelled “Advertising”.Also: Affiliate link, Paid link, Sponsored linkMore about this term
- Asking price
- What a seller wants for an item. Not what anybody has paid.Also: Listing price, Offer priceMore about this term
- Bag code
- The DataMatrix code and the digits beside it on a collectable minifigure bag or box, which reveal which figure is inside.Also: Minifigure bag code, Box codeMore about this term
- Barcode
- The pattern of lines on a set box that a shop scans at the till. It encodes the product's number.More about this term
- Collection role
- What a member of a shared collection may see and do: Owner, Editor, Reader or Insurance.Also: Owner, Editor, Reader, InsuranceMore about this term
- Colour name
- The name a catalogue gives to a colour. The same colour can carry different names on different sites.Also: Color name, Colour IDMore about this term
- Completeness
- How much of a set's contents a copy still has, from complete with spares to parts only.Also: Complete, IncompleteMore about this term
- Condition flag
- A single observation about a copy, such as shelf wear, yellowing or an original receipt.Also: FlagMore about this term
- Condition grade
- The single overall grade BrickDb derives from a copy's condition profile, from Sealed down to For parts.Also: Overall grade, GradeMore about this term
- Condition profile
- BrickDb's description of a copy along several independent lines: seal, build, completeness, box, instructions, parts and stickers.Also: ConditionMore about this term
- Copy
- One physical specimen of a set that you own. BrickDb's unit of ownership.Also: Owned copyMore about this term
- Cost basis
- What you paid for your copies, set against what they are worth now.Also: Price paid, Purchase priceMore about this term
- Cover mount
- A gift attached to the front of a magazine, typically a small bagged model or minifigure.Also: Covermount, Cover gift, Magazine giftMore about this term
- DataMatrix
- A small square code made of dots. Collectable minifigure bags and boxes carry one.Also: Data Matrix, 2D codeMore about this term
- Design ID
- The LEGO Group's own number for the shape of a part. It is often moulded into the part itself.Also: Design number, Mould numberMore about this term
- EAN
- The thirteen-digit product number under the barcode on goods sold in Europe.Also: EAN-13, European Article NumberMore about this term
- Element ID
- The LEGO Group's number for one part in one colour. It is the number printed in the parts list of the instructions.Also: Element number, ElementMore about this term
- First edition
- The first published version of a book. For a set, an early production run that differs from later ones.Also: First printing, 1st editionMore about this term
- GTIN
- The worldwide family of product numbers that EAN and UPC barcodes belong to.Also: Global Trade Item NumberMore about this term
- Instructions
- The printed booklet that shows how to build a set, step by step.Also: Building instructions, Manual, Instruction bookletMore about this term
- Inventory
- The complete list of what a set contains: every part in every colour, with its quantity, and the minifigures.Also: Parts list, Set inventoryMore about this term
- ISBN
- The number that identifies one edition of a book.Also: ISBN-13, International Standard Book NumberMore about this term
- Median price
- The middle value of a set of prices: half of the sales were cheaper, half were dearer.Also: MedianMore about this term
- Minifigure number
- A catalogue's identifier for one particular minifigure, such as fig-000144.Also: Fig number, Figure IDMore about this term
- Missing parts
- The list of pieces an incomplete copy lacks: part number, colour and quantity.Also: Missing pieces, Missing parts listMore about this term
- Mould variant
- A small change to the shape of a part over the years, such as a different underside or a reinforced clip.Also: Mold variant, Mould variationMore about this term
- Numbered bags
- The inner bags of a set, numbered in the order in which the instructions use them.Also: Bag numbersMore about this term
- Part lot
- A quantity of one part in one colour that you own loose, outside any set.Also: Lot, Loose partsMore about this term
- Part number
- A catalogue's identifier for a part's shape, independent of its colour.Also: Part ID, Item numberMore about this term
- Parts view
- BrickDb's summary of every piece you own, added up across your sets, minifigures and loose parts.Also: Owned partsMore about this term
- Piece count
- The number of parts in a set, as stated on the box or in a catalogue.Also: Part count, Number of piecesMore about this term
- Price observation
- One recorded price: a sale or an offer, with its date, source, currency and tax basis.Also: Observation, Price recordMore about this term
- Price per part
- A set's price divided by its number of parts. A rough yardstick for comparing sets.Also: PPP, Price per pieceMore about this term
- A decoration applied to a part at the factory. Unlike a sticker it is part of the piece.Also: Printed part, PrintingMore about this term
- Public collection
- A collection its owner has opened to people without an account, by link or to the whole web.Also: Published collectionMore about this term
- Quartile band
- The range the middle half of recorded sales fell into, shown beside a median.Also: Typical range, p25–p75, Interquartile rangeMore about this term
- Reference rate
- The exchange rate BrickDb uses to compare prices in different currencies: the European Central Bank's published rate.Also: ECB reference rate, Exchange rateMore about this term
- Retired
- No longer produced or sold by the LEGO Group. A retired set is available only from remaining stock and second hand.Also: EOL, End of life, DiscontinuedMore about this term
- RRP
- The price the manufacturer recommends for a new set in a given market.Also: Recommended retail price, UVP, MSRP, List priceMore about this term
- Sample size
- How many sales a figure was computed from.Also: Number of sales, ObservationsMore about this term
- Set number
- The number printed on a set's box and instructions. It identifies the product.Also: Item number, Set IDMore about this term
- A collection with members: other people you have invited to see it or to keep it with you.Also: CollectionMore about this term
- Sold price
- What a buyer actually paid for an item.Also: Completed sale, Sale priceMore about this term
- Spare parts
- The few extra small pieces a set includes beyond what the model needs.Also: Spares, Extra partsMore about this term
- Sticker sheet
- The sheet of self-adhesive decorations supplied with a set, for the builder to apply.Also: Stickers, Decals, DSSMore about this term
- Storage place
- Where a copy is kept: a room, a location inside it, or a compartment inside that.Also: Room, Location, CompartmentMore about this term
- Subtheme
- A narrower group inside a theme, such as one film within a licensed theme or one season of a series.Also: Sub-themeMore about this term
- Tax basis
- Whether a price includes VAT or sales tax (gross) or not (net).Also: Gross, Net, VATMore about this term
- Theme
- A product line that sets are grouped under, such as city life, castles or space.More about this term
- UPC
- The twelve-digit product number under the barcode on goods sold in North America.Also: UPC-A, Universal Product CodeMore about this term
- Valuation
- BrickDb's estimate of what a copy is worth, computed from recorded sales.Also: Market value, Estimated valueMore about this term
- Variant suffix
- The “-1” after a set number. It tells apart different products that share one printed number.Also: -1, Set variant, Version suffixMore about this term
- Wishlist
- Your list of the sets, minifigures and parts you are still looking for.Also: Wanted list, Wish listMore about this term
BrickDb itself
- Advent calendar
- A seasonal set with twenty-four numbered doors, each hiding a small model or figure.More about this term
- Aftermarket
- Made by somebody other than the original manufacturer: replacement stickers, custom prints, accessories.Also: Third-party, ReproductionMore about this term
- Baseplate
- A large, thin, flexible sheet of studs on which models are built.Also: Base plateMore about this term
- Big figure
- A large moulded figure for characters too big to be an ordinary minifigure.Also: Bigfig, Big figMore about this term
- Blind bag
- Sealed packaging that hides which of several possible items is inside.Also: Blind box, Mystery bagMore about this term
- Box condition
- The state of a set's box, graded separately from its contents.More about this term
- Bracket
- An L-shaped part with studs on two faces, which turns the building direction by ninety degrees.More about this term
- Brick
- The basic building element: a block with studs on top, as tall as three plates.More about this term
- Brick separator
- A lever tool for prising apart plates and tiles without damaging them.Also: SeparatorMore about this term
- Built
- A set that has been put together at least once.Also: Assembled, DisplayedMore about this term
- Bulk
- Unsorted loose parts, bought and sold by weight or by the boxful.Also: Bulk lot, Bulk brick, Loose bricksMore about this term
- CMF
- The series of individually packed minifigures sold in sealed bags or boxes, so that the buyer cannot see which figure is inside.Also: Collectable Minifigures, Collectible Minifigures, Minifigure seriesMore about this term
- Exclusive
- A set sold only through one channel, such as the manufacturer's own shops or a single retailer.Also: Exclusive set, Retailer exclusive, D2CMore about this term
- Foil bag
- An opaque sealed bag, typically holding the minifigure or small model that comes with a magazine.Also: Foil pack, FoilbagMore about this term
- GWP
- A promotional set given away with a purchase above a certain amount. Short for “gift with purchase”.Also: Gift with purchase, Free giftMore about this term
- Inner box
- A plain box inside the set box that holds part of the contents.Also: Inner boxesMore about this term
- Jumper plate
- A plate with a single centred stud, which shifts whatever is built on it by half a stud.Also: JumperMore about this term
- MIB
- A set in mint condition with its box, though not necessarily sealed. Short for “Mint In Box”.Also: Mint In Box, NIB, New In BoxMore about this term
- Microfigure
- A very small one-piece figure, much smaller than a minifigure.Also: Microfig, Micro figureMore about this term
- Minidoll
- A slimmer, more realistically proportioned figure, introduced with the Friends theme.Also: Mini-doll, Mini dollMore about this term
- Minifigure
- The small posable figure with a cylindrical head that populates most LEGO® sets.Also: Minifig, Fig, FigureMore about this term
- MISB
- A set in a factory-sealed box that is itself in mint condition. Short for “Mint In Sealed Box”.Also: Mint In Sealed BoxMore about this term
- Misprint
- A part or package that left the factory with a printing or moulding mistake.Also: Error, Factory errorMore about this term
- Modular building
- One of a series of detailed town buildings that connect to each other to form a street.Also: Modular, ModularsMore about this term
- New and used
- The two basic conditions on marketplaces: new means unused, used means built or handled.Also: New, Used, N, UMore about this term
- NISB
- A new, unopened set. Short for “New In Sealed Box”; it says nothing about the state of the box.Also: New In Sealed Box, BNISBMore about this term
- Plate
- A flat element with studs on top, one third the height of a brick.More about this term
- Polybag
- A small set sold or given away in a sealed plastic bag instead of a box.Also: Poly bagMore about this term
- Promotional set
- A set made for a promotion and not for regular sale: a giveaway, an event exclusive, a shop opening gift.Also: Promo, Promotional itemMore about this term
- Ready to ship box
- The plain brown carton in which a set ordered from the LEGO® Shop can arrive.Also: Shipper, Shipping carton, RTSMore about this term
- Resealed
- A box that was opened and closed again by somebody other than the manufacturer.Also: Re-sealed, ResealMore about this term
- Seal types
- The ways a set box is closed at the factory: tape seals, glued flaps or a perforated push-in tab.Also: Tape seal, Thumb tab, Punch tab, Glued flapsMore about this term
- Sealed
- Never opened: the factory seals of the box are intact.Also: Factory sealed, UnopenedMore about this term
- Shelf wear
- Light scuffs and rubbed edges a box picks up from being stored and handled.Also: ShelfwearMore about this term
- Slope
- A brick with a slanted face, used for roofs, noses and angled surfaces.Also: Roof brick, Slope brickMore about this term
- Technic pin
- A small peg that joins two parts through their round holes.Also: Pin, Friction pinMore about this term
- Tile
- A plate with a smooth top and no studs.More about this term
- UCS
- A line of large, detailed display models aimed at adult collectors. Short for “Ultimate Collector Series”.Also: Ultimate Collector SeriesMore about this term