Haunt Glossary
The home haunting community has its own vocabulary. Here are the terms you'll encounter in build guides, forums, and on this site.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Animatronic | Any prop with mechanical movement. In home haunts, this ranges from a simple servo-driven head turn to complex multi-axis figures. See animatronics guide. |
| Bucky / Bucky Skeleton | A full-size poseable plastic skeleton, named after a once-popular brand. The standard base for corpsing projects. |
| Blucky | A cheap blow-mold skeleton, as opposed to a poseable Bucky. Less detailed but useful for parts and quick builds. |
| Corpsing | The process of adding texture and decay to a skeleton or figure to make it look like a decomposing body. See corpsing techniques. |
| Distraction Scare | A technique where the visitor's attention is drawn to one thing while the actual scare comes from another direction. |
| Dry Brushing | A painting technique using a nearly-dry brush to add highlights to raised surfaces. |
| FCG | Flying Crank Ghost. A motor-driven ghost prop that bobs and floats on fishing line. See ghost builds. |
| Fog Chiller | A device that cools fog machine output so it stays low to the ground. See DIY fog chiller. |
| Ground Breaker | A partial figure (usually upper body) positioned to look like it's emerging from the ground. |
| Monster Mud | A mixture of joint compound and latex paint used for texturing props. See monster mud guide. |
| Pepper's Ghost | An optical illusion using a transparent surface to superimpose a ghostly image. See ghost builds. |
| PIR Sensor | Passive Infrared sensor. Detects body heat for motion-triggered effects. See prop triggers. |
| Pneumatic | Using compressed air for prop movement. See pneumatic props. |
| Scare Zone | A defined area along the visitor path where a scare is positioned. See layout planning. |
| Startle Scare | A sudden, unexpected scare effect (loud sound, pop-up prop). Compare with dread. See scare techniques. |
| Toe-Pincher | The traditional hexagonal coffin shape, wider at the shoulders and narrower at the feet. See coffin build. |
| Uplighting | Lighting a prop from below. Creates unnatural shadows. See spotlighting. |
| Wash | Thinned paint applied to fill recesses and add depth. See painting guide. |
| Yard Haunt | A Halloween display set up in a residential yard, as opposed to a commercial haunted attraction. |