When I initially
started discovering polyamory
, I got countless concerns, and I also desired to talk about all my personal experiences — but i did not have the proper terms for many it. Just how do I explain that feeling I get whenever certainly my personal associates is in love? What do we call my personal partner’s different sweetheart? How come everybody joking about find a unicorn?!

Fortunate for me, the polyamorous society has arrived with
countless terms
which are not usually used by mono folk. As
a newer neighborhood
and identification, if you don’t a unique training — and with the assistance of social networking and being in a position to hook up and consult with each other — poly folk are continuously picking out brand new words and definitions can differ or shift also. Having the language to describe yours connections and experiences is actually incredible empowering for several people, however it also can get in the way of communicating with individuals who aren’t because acquainted with it.

Whether you’re brand new
to
the poly community
,
curious about honest non-monogamy
, or feel like you’ll need a translator when you’re around your own poly pals, listed below are seven conditions which you might run into, in addition to their meanings as they are most commonly included in both my neighborhood in addition to online poly society.

1. Polycule

A portmanteau of “polyamory” and “molecule,” polycule describes an attached system of non-monogamous interactions. This may be as small and simple as a vee union (aka a commitment including three men and women, where one person reaches the biggest market of the V and it is associated with both partners, whilst the other two partners who aren’t involved with both), or it may be a complex, extensive network men and women, all linked in some manner. Component elements of a polycule are occasionally known as “molecules.”

2. NRE And ORE

NRE is short for “new relationship fuel.” You are aware that first stage in a relationship the place you smile every time they text you, you stalk their social networking pages, and also you need to invest every waking minute with these people? Yeah, that. It is not actually especially to poly folk, but We hardly ever hear it made use of outside the poly area. “NRE junkie” is actually someone that is always going after that high.

ORE is — together might count on — “old union power.” It is that sense of comfort, familiarity, and contentedness that settles directly into a reliable, set up commitment as soon as the NRE has actually used down.

3. Monogamish

Dan Savage
,
composer of Savage Appreciate
, coined this term to describe a connection definitely mostly monogamous, but enables both lovers to periodically walk out under specific circumstances. Essentially, the periodically sexual experience is OK, within the proper circumstance — but romantic associations are not generally the main offer.

4. Poly-Fidelity

Poly-fidelity, or poly-fi, has a closed (without available) connection, merely using more than a couple. It has been called “monogamy +1″ (or +2, or however numerous). Just like in a monogamous relationship, members of the connection can just only date as well as have sex together; they’re not available to any individual outside of the commitment.

5. Polysaturated

That condition having as much considerable other individuals (along with tasks, pastimes, buddies, etc) jointly can handle. Feeling weighed down, time-crunched, and as if you can’t perhaps include another partner or partner? That is becoming polysaturated.

6. Metamour

Your lover’s some other partner is the metamour. Because saying “partner’s some other companion” everyday is a pain.

7. Unicorn & Unicorn Hunters

A unicorn is a Hot Bi Babe (HBB) definitely willing to day and become special to a couple of, often taking a job as secondary to their main connection.
This often identifies ladies
, and differing communities utilize different mythical animals — Pegasus, manticore, centaur — for a male version. Generally, a unicorn is much more of a sex toy than an actual partner, plus the phrase unicorn had been coined because whilst it’s common for partners to need this, finding a bi lady prepared to have this sort of relationship is quite uncommon. It must be mentioned, however, that some women in the city incorporate and so are reclaiming this term.

Unicorn hunters tend to be a couple looking for a unicorn to “finish” their family.

If you should be nonetheless interested in learning poly relationships, examine
these other poly terms
and
misconceptions about polyamory
.

Images: Fotolia; Giphy