DARTS TERMS: A concise list of terminologies in dart games. You will find 100s of darts terms and definitions used by players and officials, all listed from A to Z.
Pub darters and competition referees can all use this vocabulary of dart terminology.
The darts glossary and common match rulings will also help spectators and sports fans.
The official darts rules and regulations is a good place to start if you are learning to play.
These darting key words cover the advanced lingo and darts slang terms related to the game. Shoot through to the most common darts terminology by clicking the alphabetic facility below. Or, take a timeout and sharpen your knowledge and understanding of the game.
This complete list of darts terms and definitions continues to grow. Check in often for more words associated with darts playing techniques and match-winning strategies.
Darts Terms and Slang Phrases
DARTS TERMS A-Z: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
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A – Ace
Shooting an ace in darts means your dart landed in double one.
Consequently if more than one dart hits double one then you score two or three aces.
Arrows
Arrows is a slang word often used instead of the terms darts or darting.
B – Bag of Nuts
Scoring a ‘bag o’ nuts‘ in darts means your total score for the throw is 45 points.
Barn Dart
The barn dart is commonly considered to be the third dart of a throw which successfully hits the intended target that the first two darts completely missed.
Barrel
The barrel is the metal portion of the dart and for most darters it is where you grip the arrow.
British Darts Organisation
The worldwide ruling body provides world rankings according to the BDO Darts Playing Rules book. They also run the BICC inter-county championship.
Bed
Hitting the beds is one of the terms used in darts games because a bed in darting is the section of any number.
Bed and Breakfast
Darts bed and breakfast is a British terms referring to a score of 26 points in one throw.
The three darts would hit a single 20, a single 5, and a single 1.
Black Hat
Hitting three double bulls (or 25’s) in one throw is termed a black hat.
Black Dog
The double bull is also called the black dog in some games.
Bombs
Extremely heavy darts or large and heavy darts are called bombs or bombers.
Bones
In some dart games bones refers to having a double 1 left to win the game.
Break
In darts terms a ‘break‘ means winning a game when your opponent started throwing first.
Bull
The two center rings of the dartboard are divided into two ringed sections called the double bull (50) and the single bull (25 points).
Bull Out
You bull out when you win a game finishing with a double bull.
Bull Up
Deciding which player will throw first is mostly done using the dart terminology of a ‘bull up challenge‘.
Bust
If you bust your score in ’01 games it means you hit too many points to win.
C – Chalk
Typically you will use chalk or a chalkstick to mark the score on the dartboard in a recreational or pub match. Chalking is the act of marking in a darts game.
Chips
Chips is an obscure darting term but it simply means your score for a three dart throw is 26 points.
Classic
Classic is scoring 26 points in a throw with a combination of a single 1, a single 5, and a single 20.
Clock Board
The clock board is one of darts slang terms which refers to the actual dart board itself. The phrase could also be associated with the context of a darts game called ’round the clock’.
Cork
The bull’s eye is often called a cork. Cork is also used to describe the challenge of determining the payer to throw first by hitting closest to the bull.
Cracked
Cracked signifies that your dart hit a single when you were actually aiming at scoring a double.
D – Dartboard
The dartboard is the target and a specific board design used in darting. Throwers attempt to score dartboard points while playing within the standard rules and regulations of darts.
Dead
Dead is one of the common dart terms used to describe hitting or scoring the exact amount you needed.
Diddle for the Middle
Diddle for the middle is an alternative method of deciding which player throws first by throwing nearest dart to the bull.
Dirty Darts
Dirty darts is derogatory slang for displaying questionable darting tactics.
Downstairs
Downstairs refers to the lower portion of the dartboard.
Double Bull
Double bull is the most center portion of the bull’s eye.
Double In (DI)
The phrase ‘double in’ means you must hit the double section of a number to start a game of ’01.
Double Out (DO)
The phrase ‘double out’ means you must hit the double section of a number to finish a game of ’01.
Double Top
Double top darts is the same as hitting double 20 in dartboard games.
Dust
If the dart lands outside the main scoring area it is sometimes termed as dust.
E – Easy In and Easy Out
Easy in means there is no requirement to hit a double to start a game and easy out means no double is required to end it.
Eights
Eights is a slang word describing the 18s in Darts Cricket terms.
F – Fat
In darts lingo ‘hitting it fat‘ refers to the dart landing in the largest porting of a number which is the section between the double ring and triple ring.
Fives
Fives is a slang word describing the 15s in Darts Cricket terms.
Flight
The flight refers to the ‘feathers‘ of the dart which makes them more aerodynamic for throwing.
G – Galed
Galed is a term used to describe a player who is being shutout of points.
Game On
The phrase game on is a general call for silence from the crowd before a game of darts begins.
Game Shot
The game shot simply means it is the winning shot that wins the game.
Good Group
Good group or grouping is a compliment for tightly grouped and accurate dart throwing.
Grand Slam
A grand slam in darts occurs for hitting the treble 1, treble 5, and treble 20 in one throw.
H – Hail Mary
In darting terminologies throwing a ‘Hail Mary‘ suggests the third or final dart of the trio dart miraculously scores a high score after the first two combined a low score.
Happy Meal
In darting scoring a happy meal means you hit a score of 69.
Hat-trick
In dart terminology a ‘hat trick‘ is scoring all three darts in the bull.
High Ton
Shooting more than 151 and less than 180 points in a game of 301 or 501 is called a high ton.
Hummer spot
The hummer spot represents the center most hole in the bullseye.
I – Iceman
Nicknamed ‘The Iceman‘, Gerwyn Price is a professional darts player from Wales. He competes in major Darts Corporation events.
L – Leg
The completion of a game in a match is called a leg. Commonly darts competitions are played over the best over five legs.
Little
The little or small part of a number on a dartboard is the single bed between triple and the bull.
Low Ton
Scoring a low ton means you hit a total throw of 100-150 points in a game of ’01.
M – Madhouse
Madhouse is a darts slang word for double 1 or having 1 and double 1 left to win a game.
Matador
A matador is one of the strange darts terms used to describe a thrower that consistently hits bulls.
Mugs Away
Mugs away means the losers go first in the return game.
N – Nines
Nines is a term used in the darts game ‘cricket’ for the nineteens.
O – Oche
The darting oche (often called and pronounced hockey) is the throw line where darters stand.
P – Patriot
The key word patriot refers to hitting a needed bull’s eye with your first dart.
Pie
Pie refers to the numbered segments on the dartboard because of their similar triangle shape to pies.
Premature Projection
Premature projection describes an excited thrower who often goes out of turn.
R – Robin Hood
The phrase robin hood describes a situation when one dart sticks into the back of another which is already in the board.
Round
In the darts world a round is any turn of throwing three arrows.
Round of 9
Throwing three trebles in one turn is called a round of 9.
Route 66
Route 66 is one of the less surprising dart terms and used when scoring 66 points in a throw.
S – Sevens
Sevens is slang for the seventeens in the darts game of cricket.
Shaft
The shaft is the portion of the dart that connects to and holds the flight.
Shanghai
Shanghai in darts is hitting a single, a double, and a triple of the same number in the same throw.
Single In (SI)
Single in refers to starting a game of ’01 without requiring to score a double first (sometimes called straight on).
Single Out (SO)
Single out refers to ending a game of ’01 without requiring to score a double to finish (sometimes called straight off).
Sisal Fibres
Most modern dartboards are manufactured with sisal fibre composites. Sisal plant fibres originate from Brazil, China, and East Africa. It is an environmentally friendly fibre because it is biodegradable and almost no pesticides or fertilizers are used in its cultivation.
Sixes
Sixes is a slang word for the 16s in the darts game called cricket.
Spider
The spider web of the dartboard is the wire assembly which forms the beds and numbers.
Splashing
Splashing is a method of choosing playing partners in a darts game. Players throw two darts at a time and the highest and lowest darts scores determine the partners.
Splitting the 11
Splitting the 11 is a neat trick of throwing a dart in between the numeral digits of the number 11 on the outer ring of the board.
Straight nine
Straight nine refers to hitting the treble 20, treble 19, and then the treble 18 in the first turn of the darts game called cricket.
Sunset Strip
Sunset strip is a term given to scoring 77 points in a throw.
T – Three in a Bed
Three in a bed in darts terminology refers to throwing all three darts in the same number on the board.
Ton
Scoring a ton means the tally for your throw achieves 100 points.
Tops
In darts lingo ‘tops‘ refers to the bed of double 20 on the board.
Treble Top
When using darts words in the game the phrase ‘treble top‘ refers to a score when all 3 darts land in the treble twenty bed.
Trombones
The dart word trombones means scoring 76 points in a throw.
Trophy Darts
Throwing trophy darts is a compliment for accurate throwing and tight grouping.
Two & 6
Scoring 26 points in a throw is called two and 6.
Two Fat Ladies
Scoring 88 points in a throw is called two fat ladies.
U – Upstairs
Upstairs refers to the numbers which are situated in the upper portion of the dart board.
W – Wet Feet
In the UK darts rules and regulations dictate where you stand at the throwing line (oche). Stepping over the oche, or standing closer to the dartboard, is a darts slang term called ‘having wet feet’ or ‘paddling’.
Wilson
Throwing a wilson in the darts game called cricket means you missed all three darts (sometimes called flatline).
Wiring
Wiring is a term used to describe a dart bouncing off a wire.
Woody
Woody refers to a shot where the dart lands outside the scoring zone.
Z – Zippo Cigarette Lighter
A darts zippo cigarette lighter is usually silver with a dartboard etched on the front side.
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