One-line definition

B/D stands for Bondage and Discipline, one of the three letter-pairs inside the BDSM acronym.

Full definition

BDSM compresses three pairs into six letters, and B/D is the first. Bondage is about restricting the body’s movement. Discipline is about rules, training, reward, and consequence, the felt sense of order. B/D can overlap with D/s and S/M, but it needs neither pain nor a standing power relationship; someone can love rope and rules while wanting nothing to do with either.

How the term is used

  • Explaining where BDSM’s letters come from.
  • Classifying restraint, rules, and discipline topics.
  • Distinguishing the territory from D/s and S/M.
  • BDSM
  • Bondage
  • Protocol
  • D/s
  • S/M

Related Terms

TallyCollaringTributeSadism and MasochismPublic PlayScene