| Term |
Definition |
T
|
|
| Tail |
An appendage that protrudes from the rear of an animal. While humans have lost their tails, sometimes one is born with a tail as a sort of minor genetic regression. For the most part, this vestigial tail is usually removed with surgery while the person is still an infant. |
| Tattoo |
An ancient art form practiced on human skin where pigments are inserted (usually via a needle) into a layer below the skin so they are visible and permanent. While most tattoos are lone pieces of art, some cultures, notably in Japan, create almost full body tattoos depicting scenes which are added to and enhanced over the life of the person receiving them. |
| Taur |
Short for Centaur, the term is also used for a half human (from the waist up) with the lower body, complete with four legs of an animal of one's choice (ie, cattaur, wolftaur, etc) See also, Centaur, Chakat. |
| Techno- |
A prefix usually applied to mechanical entities, usually based on computer style hardware. It may also be applied to software based entities, although this is more rare, since the term "Cyber-" is more often applied. See Cyber-. |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles |
"Heroes in a half shell". The initial four characters (Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael) are normal turtles that mutated into humanoid turtles thanks to a liberal dose of mutagen (see Mutagen). Appearing in the early 1980's the one-shot comic was a surprise hit and spawned not only a major toy product and cartoon line, but also a revolution in independent comic book publishing and collecting that abruptly screeched to a halt by the end of that decade. In that time there was a host of imitators, including "Pre Teen Dirty Gene Kung-Fu Kangaroos" and "Geriatric Ju-Jutsu Gerbils" but not achieved the fame of the Turtles. |
| Techno-Organic |
A term coined by Marvel Comics to describe an entity that is alive, but is composed of circuitry and technology rather than flesh and blood. Such an entity has the ability to interface easily with other technologies, and adapt them to their service. The Marvel Comics Character "Warlock" fell under this category, and the term can be applied to Star Treks "The Borg" as well. |
| Teleporter / Transporter |
A device capable of transporting a person from point A to point B instantly. Commonly used on "Star Trek", the device has periodic glitches that scrambles the transportee's molecules, and transforming them in a variety of plot twists. The first example of such a transformation in film though should be attributed to the black and white 1950's movie "The Fly" (Later remade in the 1980's) where a scientist gets the head and claw of a fly, and the fly gets his head and hand after they go through his teleportation device. The moral - never test an teleporter yourself - get some other person to do it first! |
| Tengu |
In Japanese folklore, a kind of shape-shifting mountain spirit who have a tendency to take on bird-like forms. |
| Terminator(s) |
One of several humanoid robots from a post-apocalyptic reality illustrated in the "Terminator" movies. These robots, for all intents and purposes looked human; The hostile Terminator in the second movie was the first mainly computer-animated character used in a movie as it morphed from a human to a silvery humanoid form. The hostile Terminator in the third movie had even more advanced morphing capabilities. |
| Terraforming |
The transformation of an entire planet. Generally, the aim of such an activity is to make the planet more habitable for the species doing the terraforming. |
| TF |
1. Shorthand for TransFormation 2. Shorthand for TransFormers (Robots in disguise) 3. Shorthand for "Team Fortess" apparently a role playing game. |
| TFC |
Shorthand for TF Central, a prime site to discuss Transformation topics. It is located at www.tfcentral.com. |
| TG |
Shorthand for TransGender Used in cases where a male is transformed into a female, or a female is trandformed into a male. Also noted down as GC (Gender Change) See also TS |
| TGA |
Shorthand for the Transformation Graphics Archive, a huge early archive of transformation art. After three years of inactivity, it was removed from the web in 2000. |
| Therianthropy |
Another term for Werecreature. |
| Thing, The |
1. The working name for Marvel Comics character Ben Grimm, who was changed into a rocky orange humanoid by cosmic rays in the origin of the "Fantastic Four". He periodically has the ability to turn back to human, but is usually stuck in his rock form. 2. A shapeshifting alien creature first featured in the 1938 John W. Campbell short story "Who goes there?", later used in two movies titled "The Thing". The creature, which had been entombed in ice is freed by scientists in the Antarctic. It digests its victims, and then takes on their shape and personality, effectively replacing them, while consuming, and replacing further victims. 3. An animated hand with no body which appears in "The Addams Family" TV and movie series. |
| 3D |
Shorthand for Three Dimensional. Usually refers to computer rendered art. |
| -thropy/ - thropic |
Having the characteristics or ability to change into an animal (determined by the prefix) |
| Time Travel |
As a mode of transformation, time travel usually affects an entire culture or world it is applied to. It is commonly used where a time traveler goes back to the distant past and does something minor - like kill a mosquito - and when they return the world has somehow changed, although they remain normal. See also Devolution, Evolution. |
| Toon |
From cartoon, like Bugs Bunny- refers to situations where a character is put through the paces (getting flattened for instance) and goes away from it not much the worse for wear. |
| Topo TF/ Topographic TF |
For lack of a better or more widely accepted term, a broad term to describe changes to the surface of a person being transformed, ie a non-furry transformation. This includes the addition or deletion of limbs and appendages, flattening, inflation, petrification and so on. |
| Totem |
An iconic animal someone chooses to relate to, or be represented by. Usually the animals are chosen because of a trait or quality the person admires. See also Fursona. |
| "Training Ground of Accursed Springs" |
A key part of the popular Japanese Ranma 1/2 series mythos. Located near Mt. Quanjing,in the Bayankala Range of the Qinghai Province of China lies a group of accursed springs with bamboo poles rising out of them. Each spring is cursed with a tragic legend of a tragic person or animal that drowned there ages ago. Anyone falling into a spring is transformed into that drowned creature, and will turn back into that creature whenever they are doused with cold water. Hot water restores them to normal. A dunking in multiple springs will result in the transformation of the person into a composite of the creatures that drowned there. For whatever reason, some martial artist though it would be a good place to train, thus drawing other marital artists to the area, as well as other victims. In addition there is a guide to the spring who appears to be on hand to shout out a warning too late about which spring the visitor might have fallen into. Among the many springs, there are ones which transform people into pandas, girls, pigs, ducks, cats, bulls, and even an octopus (how an octopus could drown remains unclear) See also entry on Ranma 1/2 and Springs. |
| Transformation |
A change from one state into another. While this is most often equated on a spiritual level, this website looks at it on the physical level. |
| Transformers |
"Robots in disguise". A toy line and cartoon show from the 1980's that featured giant robots from the planet Cybertron that were able to change from a humanoid configuration to a vehicle (a car, plane, tank, whatever). Most could change from one state to a second state, but as the series progressed, some had three different transformation modes, or could combine with others to form an even larger robot. The series returned at the end of the 1990's with "Beast Wars" and "Beast Machines" a computer generated version building on their original's foundation, only now the robots could transform into animals or bio-mechanical animals. In 2003, the latest incarnation "Transformers: Armada" brought back the original Japanese anime look to the series. The series centers on a centuries long conflict between the Decepticons / Predecons who are evil, and the Autobots / Maximals who are good. |
| Transforum |
The title of a Senac message board established around 1998 by the early online TF Artist Pop Fusion as an area where people interested in Transformations could freely discuss that topic. Administration was handed over to ICAW at some point, who initially ignored and then terminated the board in November 2002 in favor of his own self hosted and tightly controlled Transforum Board, which in turn was terminated in May 2003. The term is sometimes still applied to message boards by the Transformation Community. |
| Transmorgrifier |
A transformation device used in the "Calvin and Hobbes" comic strip that could turn Calvin into other creatures - with the usual comedic foul-ups. It usually consisted of a cardboard box with the words "Transmorgrifier" written on the side. |
| Transvestite |
A person who dresses in the clothes of the opposite sex. and acts in a manner appropriate of their opposite sex persona. |
| Traveler's Tales |
An ancient source of tall tales. Travelers would often return from their journeys with outlandish tales of people with dog's heads (See Cynnocephalus) and other strange creatures. In a time before free speech, it was a way to get an idea across, or to create a parody of the status quo set in a far away land. The best known used of this genre was "Gulliver's Travels" which was a political commentary when it was written, although it is now usually considered plain fiction. |
| Tricksters |
Cultures across the globe have a history of tricksters, characters used in legends as either a villain or a hero, depending on the circumstance. These tricksters survive by their wits, and often have means to trick the unsuspecting by transforming themselves or others. Native Americans refer to Coyote, a trickster that appears in human of wolflike form; African have Anansi the Spider; and the Norse had Loki, a god of lies, to name a few. |
| Trigger |
Something that sets off a temporary transformation. The most common and well known trigger is the full moon, which causes some werecreatures to change into their bestial form. Other triggers include water, as in the case of "Ranma 1/2" where cold water causes the main characters to change into their alter egos, and hot water restores them to their normal forms. Sneezing has also been used as a trigger as well. Typically, a trigger is something that is common enough to have around to cause the transformation to occur, but with the proper care can be avoided or prepared for. |
| Tritons |
Generally, the male counterpart to mermaids, although they tend to have legs with fins, a tail, and are covered with scales. Not quite as nice to look at as a mermaid (See Mer-) |
| TS |
Definitions vary according to the group using it. 1) Shorthand for TranSsexual, TranSgender, ie, a person with both male and female attributes. (See also, Androgynous, Hermaphrodite) 2) Shorthand for Time Stop - a form of petrification where time stops for the victim, so they are like a statue made of flesh and bones. |
| Tube |
In the case of transformations, usually a tube similar to toothpaste which contains a transformative agent inside of it. |
| TV |
1. Shorthand for TransVestite. 2. Shorthand for TeleVision. |
| Twins, Fraternal |
Fraternal twins are the result of two separate eggs being fertilized by two separate sperm. While they share the same womb, their genetic makeup is different. On rare occasions Fraternal Twins have a rapport of some sort. |
| Twins, Identical |
As close to cloning as you can get in real life, identical twins are the result of an embryo that split in the early stages of development to create two or more children with identical sets of genes. They appear identical, and sometimes have a rapport bordering on the near telepathic. Identical twins who remain joined as they develop are known as Siamese Twins (See Siamese Twins). |
| 2D |
Shorthand for Two Dimensional. 1. Refers to 'traditional' hand drawn art. 2. Refers to a type of transformation where the subject is flattened out like a sheet of paper. See Flattening, Wringer. |
| Typhon |
A horrible hundred-headed Titan who was so scary he caused the Greek gods to turn themselves into animals and flee in fright (Zeus turned into a Ram, Venus and Cupid into fish, etc) Zeus would regain his courage, and fight Typhon, and with the aid of the other gods, trap him beneeth Mt. Etna (in Sicily, Italy), whose volcanic activity is attributed to Typhon's raging underneeth it. Typhon's wife, Echidna (see entry) was a naga-like entity who spawned a number of monsters which later Greek heroes encountered. |
