Imperial Guard Terms

Astra Militarum Portal

This is a list of some of the commonly used slang and terms in the various regiments of the Imperial Guard. Most of the terms are also common throughout the Imperium:

A

Term	Definition	Source
AA	Anti-aircraft weapons.	[Help]
Ace	A skilled/veteran pilot in the Imperial Navy.	[Help]
Ace-in-the-Hole	A back-up plan usually in the form of a one-shot bolt pistol, dagger, shotgun or other unofficial weapons.	[Help]
Amasec	A widely available and highly alcoholic beverage distilled from wine.	Rogue Trader Core Rulebook, pg. 141
Aquila/Sign of the Aquila	A sign of devotion or blessing to the Imperium that forms the Imperial Eagle, by crossing the hands with the palms pressed to chest and thumbs linked.	[Help]
Augmetic	Cybernetic or bionic, usually in the sense of body implants or repairs.	[Help]
Auspex	A device, that, when set properly, can track heat, motion or bio-signatures. Can also be set to active or passing scanning.	Rogue Trader Core Rulebook, pg. 143

B

Term	Definition	Source
Baby Ogryn	A Catachan Jungle Fighter.	[Help]
Backwater	A technologically primitive world.	[Help]
Bat -	A Navy term for hostile aircraft.	[Help]
Battle Standard	Another name for a company standard or regimental standards used by the Guard on certain worlds, usually Feral Worlds.	[Help]
Black cross/black on black	A term for Guard on Guard 'friendly fire' casualties	[Help]
Bleed Out	To die of blood loss before medical attention can be given.	[Help]
Blunt	Sanctioned Psyker slang for a non-telepath.	[Help]
Bogey	Another naval term for enemy aircraft.	[Help]
Bone 'ead	An Ogryn sergeant with surgically augmented intelligence who can interpret orders for his less advanced squadmates. Also used as a term of abuse for anyone taking orders too literally to the detriment of their subordinates.	[Help]
Bombardier	A Guardsman specialising in explosives.	[Help]
Box	naval term for a cargo. Also a multi-purpose storage container.	[Help]
Bravery Bolter	Slang for a Commissar's bolt pistol.	[Help]
Bravery in a Bottle	Alcoholic beverages	[Help]

C

Term	Definition	Source
Catachan Kiss	a headbutt	[Help]
Cameleoline	a rare material which can be incorporated into clothing. Used as an advanced form of camouflage. The cameleoline automatically adapts to blend the wearer into their surroundings.	[Help]
Camo Netting	a net of material covered in leaves used to mask a vehicle and hide it from the enemy.	[Help]
Chart Table/Desk	an easel-like device that can project tactical hololithic maps and 3D images such as terrain models. The chart desk is a heavy, stationery form of the invention while a chart table is a more portable version.	[Help]
Chatter	also known as vox-chatter. A machine usually used by Chaos to spout random, incoherent information along vox-caster frequencies in an attempt to block out important messages that could be sent.	[Help]
Chem-inhaler	a rebreather that feeds the user with narcotics, which makes them less likely to break in combat.	[Help]
Cogboy	A faintly derisive term for Enginseers and Techpriests.	Death or Glory (Novel) by Sandy Mitchell, Chapter Six
Codifier/cogitator/logic-engine	a device empowered by the Machine Spirit to perform battlefield calculations and complex numerical problems.	[Help]
Cooker	slang for a meltagun.	[Help]
Counterseptic	a fluid used to combat infection and disease from entering wounds.	[Help]
Creed's Swagger	a phrase used to express surprise, shock, or amazement. It is in reference to Ursarkar E. Creed, a charismatic and inspiring leader of Cadia.	[Help]

D

Term	Definition	Source
Dataslate	a cheap handheld device with a screen used to transfer and store imagery, information, orders and other tactical items.	[Help]
Det-tape	tape peeled off to detonate tube charges (see Tube Charges). Also used as general explosives. For tube-charges the time delay before explosion is determined by the amount of tape peeled off.	[Help]
Devil-Dare	a dare or act of extreme craziness or stupidity e.g. trying to get further to an enemy gun emplacement than someone else.	[Help]
Digi-Weapon	Short for Digital weapon.	[Help]
Do a Yarrick	To take a trophy from an enemy that was slain as a memento of battle, as Commissar Yarrick did with Warboss Ugulhard's Power Klaw.	[Help]
Dreg-Soldiers	a term for conscripts/Penal Legion.	[Help]
Drop-Troopers	Guardsmen that drop out of a grav-chute behind enemy lines (see Elysia and Hell-Drop).	[Help]

E

Term	Definition	Source
Elysia	drop-troop elites that other squads strive to better(see Drop-Troopers and Hell-Drop).	[Help]
Emperor's Benediction	common euphemism for mercy killing.	[Help]
The Emperor Protects	common blessing or refrain used by Imperial Guardsmen.	[Help]
Enginseer	A Techpriest of the Adeptus Mechanicus tasked with the responsibility of tending the Machine Spirits of the regiment's vehicles to keep them in good working order.	[Help]
Evac	short for evacuation.	[Help]

F

Term	Definition	Source
Feth	A Tanith curse word derived from the name of an obscure tree-god. Common usages include, "Feth this", "by feth", "Holy feth", "What the feth," "Shut the feth up," etc.	Gaunt's Ghosts (Novel Series) by Dan Abnett, [Help]
Field Homicide	killing a squad-mate and trying to pass it off as friendly fire.	[Help]
Flak Armour	standard armour for Imperial Guard regiments. Exceptions include Jungle Fighters who wear lighter and more vulnerable flak-vests.	[Help]
Flakboard	general sheet material usually used for crude defence and repair. Fitted to the inside walls of defensive positions to stop loose material being dislodged by explosions causing injuries.	[Help]
Flamer Tan	result of being in close proximity of flames. A good example would be the nozzle of a flamer.	[Help]
Found wanting	euphemism for a field execution by Commissar e.g. "He was found wanting at the front line."	[Help]
Freak/Brain/Bolt Magnet	slang for a Sanctioned Psyker by non-psychics.	[Help]
Fury	A naval interceptor that operates in space.	[Help]
Fyceline	main ingredient used in the manufacture of Imperial explosives.	Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy, pg. 204

G

Term	Definition	Source
Gadget-Man	slang for a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus.	[Help]
Gak	A Verghast curse word. Common usages are "gak-head", "stupid gak", "you're gakking me", "Eat gak and die," "these rations are gak," etc.	Gaunt's Ghosts (Novel Series) by Dan Abnett, [Help]
The Green(Catachan)	used by Catachan troops for jungle terrain and death world jungle.	[Help]
Greenskin or 'Skin	an Ork.	[Help]
Grenadier	another term for bombardier (see bombardier).	[Help]
Gribblies	Slang for nerves or persistent worries, used by Valhallan Ice Warriors.	The Traitor's Hand (Novel) by Sandy Mitchell, Chapter Two
Gun-baby	A Conscript (also see Whiteshield).	[Help]

H

Term	Definition	Source
Hangman or Leash	slang for a commissar.	[Help]
Hell-Drop	a drop straight into a battle by grav-chute or dropship (see Elysia and Drop-Troopers)	[Help]
Hololith	glowing 3D images projected via light(see Chart Table).	[Help]
Human bombs	Penal Legion troops that have volunteered to wear a bomb harness to repent for whatever crimes they were convicted for. In battle they charge headlong into the enemy. An individual controlling the detonation device triggers the bombs when they are close to the enemy troops, which blows up the human bombs along with the enemy.	[Help]

I

Term	Definition	Source
Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer	standard manual given out to every Guardsmen. Contains procedures for every dilemma and outcome. Features a lot of propaganda.	[Help]
Infil-Traitor	a genetically and bionically modified spy. Not knowing about his job said spy acts as normal until programming kicks in.	[Help]
Internal Guard	a general term for a localized Imperial army, such as a PDF or a regiment given colonial duties.	[Help]
Iron Duke	a common name for vehicles and/or ships.	[Help]

J

Term	Definition	Source
Jammer	a device used to disrupt enemy communications (similar to Chatter).	[Help]
Jet	slang for a flyer.	[Help]
Jink	a manoeuvre in a vehicle when it swerves wildly to avoid hostile fire, explosions or other difficulties that may arise.	[Help]
Jumper	another term for Drop-Trooper (see Drop-Trooper). Also a term for a naval pilot that evacuates ship.	[Help]
Junker	a scratch-built vehicle. Usually spontaneously combusts.	[Help]
Juvenat	as in 'juvenat processes'. Techniques for prolonging youth and vitality. Highly expensive, only the most wealthy or important Imperial servants such as Inquisitors and local planetary Imperial noble families have access to it.	[Help]

K

Term	Definition	Source
Kark	a common Imperial curse word. Common usages "Stupid karker", "What the karking hel?"	Warhammer 40,000: Darktide: Veteran Professional and Loose-Cannon, and Sergeant-Major Morrow
Klom	Shorthand for kilometre used by Valhallan Ice Warriors.	Caves of Ice (Novel) by Sandy Mitchell, Chapter One

L

Term	Definition	Source
Lamp-Pack	a pack to be held or placed on top of a lasgun's bayonet. Used as normal lamp with limited power-supply.	[Help]
Leftovers	an incomplete squad built from remnants of other squads.	[Help]
Lho Sticks	an addictive narcotic smoked after being rolled into a tube. Officea Medicea have warned that they may cause lung disease.	[Help]
long-las	a longer lasgun modified or designed to work as a sniper rifle.	[Help]

M

Term	Definition	Source
Magnoculars	a hand-held device that can zoom in, track heat and observe enemy personnel from afar.	[Help]
Micro-Bead	only found on civilised and technologically advanced worlds. An inter-squad contact device that works from sounds being sent between the different machines. Consists of an earpiece and mouthpiece.	[Help]
Multikey	an (almost) universal lock-pick.	[Help]

N

Term	Definition	Source
Nine-Seventies	an entrenching tool.	[Help]

O

Term	Definition	Source
Obscura	banned narcotic.	[Help]
One-Way Ticket	a grav-chute landing.	[Help]

P

Term	Definition	Source
Pict	a video equivalent of a vox.	[Help]
Plank	idiot, Ogryn.	[Help]
Promethium	a term for fuel and the gel-Like substance in flamers.	[Help]

R

Term	Definition	Source
Resuscitrex	an Officio Medicae device incorporating several functions but mostly used to resuscitate patients who have suffered cardiac arrest.	[Help]

S

Term	Definition	Source
Savlar	thief or drug-addict. The name is taken from the Savlar Chem-Dogs regiment, who are notorious thieves, and who also rely on chem-inhalers in battle	[Help]
Scope	general term for any powered spotter sights, such as telescopic sights on a lasgun or a hand-held 'telescope' sometimes used by officers.	[Help]
Scrambled	insane or shell-shocked.	[Help]
Screamer-Killer	a Tyranid Carnifex.	[Help]
Shell	a term for carapace armour.	[Help]
Slap	discipline from an officer for a minor offense.	[Help]
Spook	a Tyranid Lictor.	[Help]
Sweeper/Sweeper set/Sweeper broom	a man-portable mine detector.	[Help]

T

Term	Definition	Source
Torch	a flamer.	[Help]
Toy Soldiers/Glory Boys	slang for Storm Troopers.	[Help]
Tread Fether	slang used by troops from Tanith for man-portable, shoulder-launched, rocket-launching anti-tank weapon.	[Help]
Tube charges	approximately 20 cm long metal tubes filled with explosives used for demolition or grenade-type use (also see Det-Tape).	[Help]
Twist	a mutant.	[Help]

V

Term	Definition	Source
Vox-caster	communications back-Pack device. Used to contact other squads.	[Help]
Vox officer	a vox-caster (see above) user. Usually one per squad.	[Help]

See also

• Imperial Guard

Sources

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• Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition, 2nd Codex), p. 62 (most terms)
• other Imperial Guard codexes