Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable nomenclature throughout its existence.^[1] Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses.^[2] In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence of fans so as not to reveal the worked nature of the business.^[1][2] In recent years, widespread discussion on the Internet has popularized these terms.^[1] Many of the terms refer to the financial aspects of professional wrestling in addition to in-ring terms.^[2]

The act of luring away key talent from one company to another, usually with offers of higher pay. It is sometimes done deliberately to weaken a company by taking away their top draws. Poaching is typically done by larger companies. A more extreme form of poaching, wherein multiple wrestlers from a company are lured away, is referred to as raiding.