Fair warning: this is not the most complete diabetes glossary on the internet. Not even close.
The diabetes community has been building its own language for decades — in hospital waiting rooms, late-night forums, Instagram comments and WhatsApp groups at 3am. There are brilliant glossaries out there already, and we've drawn from many of them to put this together. We owe a nod to the communities at Type 1 Strong, Diabetes UK Forum, dStigmatize, T1D Exchange and the wider DOC for the language that inspired this list.
What this is, is our version. Written by someone who actually lives with diabetes, for everyone else who does too. The slang, the acronyms, the community shorthand — gathered in one place, in plain English, with zero judgment and maybe a small amount of cheek.
We'll keep adding to it. Because the language keeps evolving, and so do we. Got a term we've missed? Drop it in the comments. This glossary belongs to all of us.
⚠️ A note on language before we start
Words matter. Especially in diabetes. The way we talk about diabetes — and about people living with it — can either add to the weight of the condition or help lift it. The global Language Matters movement, backed by Diabetes Australia, the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES), and dStigmatize, exists for exactly this reason.
Research is clear: stigmatising language affects emotional wellbeing, motivation for self-care, and even how people engage with their own healthcare. The core principle is simple: people are not their diagnosis. A person lives with diabetes. They are not defined by it.
Throughout this glossary, you'll notice we use person-first language — not because we're policing anyone (plenty of people in the community reclaim "diabetic" with total pride, and that's entirely their right) — but because we believe in defaulting to language that empowers rather than labels. No shame. No blame. No judgment. Just people, living full lives, managing a complex condition. Let's talk about it that way.
A
A1c (also: HbA1c, "the report card")
A blood test measuring your average blood glucose over roughly 3 months. Useful data — but not a grade on your worth as a human being. 👉 Blood Sugars Are Just Information magnet — a daily reminder that numbers don't define you.
Artificial Pancreas
A closed-loop insulin delivery system combining a CGM and insulin pump to automatically adjust insulin. The future is now — and it's got an algorithm.
B
Basal
The background insulin your body needs 24/7 just to exist. The unsung hero of every good BG day. 👉 Shop the Pancreas as a Vial hoodie — celebrating the insulin that keeps us alive.
Bat Belt
The belt, waistband, or harness some people wear to carry their pump, CGM receiver, and approximately 47 other diabetes items. No cape required, but honestly it should come with one.
Beetus
Affectionate shorthand for diabetes. The community reclaimed it, the memes ran with it, and here we are. 👉 Wear it proudly — shop the Mr. Diabeetus sticker.
BG / BS
Blood Glucose / Blood Sugar. Two letters that show up in approximately every sentence in the DOC.
Bolus
A dose of fast-acting insulin taken to cover food or correct a high blood sugar. Also a verb. Also something we do dozens of times a week without anyone ever thanking us. 👉 Shop Pancreas as a Vial tees — for every bolus that keeps us going.
Brain Fog / Low Brain
That thick, cotton-wool feeling when blood sugar drops and the brain simply refuses to cooperate. You know every word in the English language. You cannot access a single one.
C
Carb Diem 🍕
Seize the carbs. Life's too short not to bolus and enjoy the pizza. An ancient diabetes proverb. 👉 Shop the Carb Diem Unisex T-Shirt — for the bold bolusers who fear no pizza.
CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor)
A small sensor worn on the body that reads blood sugar levels in real time. Revolutionary tech that also gets caught on every single door frame you walk through.
CHO
Carbohydrate portion — commonly used in the UK. Because the NHS loves an abbreviation.
Chasing Unicorns
The pursuit of the perfect blood sugar — that elusive, steady, flat-line reading sitting beautifully in range. Aspirational. Occasionally achievable. Always celebrated. 👉 Still chasing? So are we — shop the Chasing Unicorns hoodies & sweatshirts and the Chasing Unicorns tees.
Controlled (as in "uncontrolled diabetes")
A word to retire. Diabetes is not a tap you can turn on and off — it's a full-time physiological negotiation. Complex is not the same as "uncontrolled."
Crashing
When blood sugar drops rapidly. Usually happening at the most inconvenient moment possible — the middle of a meeting, a first date, a film's climactic scene.
D
D-Bag
Your diabetes supply bag. The one stuffed with lancets, sensors, snacks, juice boxes, and that one glucose tab from 2019. 👉 Our Everything is O.K. Diabetes Pouch and All My Diabetes Stuff Bag were basically made for this.
D-Mama / D-Dad / D-Parent
Parents of children living with diabetes. The ones who check blood sugars at 2am, carry snacks in every pocket, and deserve every award. 👉 Shop Type 1 Mom hoodies, Type 1 Dad tees, and the I Love Somebody With Diabetes magnet.
Dawn Phenomenon
The early-morning rise in blood sugar caused by hormones. The alarm you never set going off anyway. Your body's enthusiastic good morning.
Dead Pancreas Gang
A community nickname for people whose pancreas has officially clocked out. Worn as a badge of honour by T1Ds everywhere. 👉 Shop Dead Pancreas Gang tees, the sticker, and the Dead Pancreas Gang magnet.
Dead Strips
Used test strips that somehow end up absolutely everywhere. In pockets. Down the sofa. In the car. Under the fridge. Science cannot explain it.
Diabetes Burnout
The emotional exhaustion that can come from managing diabetes 24/7/365, with no days off, no sick days, no pauses. It's real, it's valid, and it's more common than most people admit. Worth remembering: people with diabetes make an extra 180 decisions per day on top of everything else. Be kind to yourself. 👉 Shop the 180 Decisions Every Day magnet — because that number deserves to be seen.
Diabadass
Someone who absolutely owns life with diabetes. Manages the chaos, keeps going anyway, and still shows up. That's you. 👉 The Everything is O.K. Diabetes Pouch was made for every Diabadass out there.
Diabestie / Diabuddy
A close friend who also lives with diabetes. They get it. All of it. The 3am lows, the unexplained highs, the CGM alarms in quiet rooms. Gold.
Diaversary
The anniversary of your diagnosis. Some people mark it quietly; others celebrate loudly. Both are valid. Either way, you're still here. That matters. 👉 Shop the Happy Diaversary mug — for you or someone worth celebrating.
DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis)
A serious, life-threatening condition caused by insufficient insulin. Not a punchline — one of the most important things for anyone new to T1D to understand and watch for.
DNF / Did Not Feel It
A hypo that arrives with no warning symptoms. Also called hypoglycaemia unawareness. Sneaky, dangerous, and a very good reason to wear a CGM.
DOC (Diabetes Online Community)
The global online diabetes community — forums, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook groups, blogs. The place where people who get it actually find each other. You're part of it. Also worth knowing: #dedoc° is one of the most active international diabetes communities out there — connecting people living with diabetes worldwide.
DSN
Diabetes Specialist Nurse. Your diabetes co-pilot, advocate, and very often the person who actually explains things in a way that makes sense. 👉 Shop the Pancreas Co-Pilot sticker — for everyone helping keep us flying.
E
Endo
Short for endocrinologist — your diabetes specialist doctor. The person you see roughly four times a year and then spend the rest of the time managing everything they prescribed solo.
F
Flicked
When your CGM sensor or infusion set catches on something and gets ripped off mid-day. A scream into the void. Then you put another one on.
Food Police
People who think they should comment on what someone with diabetes eats. They mean well. They are still wrong. "Should you be eating that?" is not a helpful question.
Free Food
Foods so low-carb they barely affect blood sugar. The category that launched a thousand low-carb diabetes cookbooks.
G
GI (Glycaemic Index)
A measure of how quickly carbohydrates raise blood sugar. White bread: fast. Lentils: slow. Your own body's response: completely unpredictable regardless of what the chart says.
Gusher
An overenthusiastic finger prick. More blood than expected. More drama than required. Carry tissues.
H
Honeymoon Phase
The temporary period after Type 1 diagnosis where the pancreas still produces some insulin, making management feel deceptively manageable. Then it ends. Then the real adventure begins.
Hypo (Hypoglycaemia)
Low blood sugar. The thing you treat. The thing that wakes you up at 3am. The thing that makes you eat 47 grams of glucose when you only needed 15.
Hypo Hangover
That exhausted, foggy, heavy feeling the morning after a night spent battling lows. The body's invoice for the drama.
Hypostash
Emergency glucose hidden strategically around the house, in every bag, in every pocket, in the car, at work. A system. A lifestyle. An art form.
Hyper (Hyperglycaemia)
High blood sugar. The other thing. The one that makes you thirsty, tired, and deeply uninterested in everyone around you.
I
#insulin4all
A global movement fighting for affordable, accessible insulin for everyone who needs it. Because no one should ration insulin to survive. Not in 2025. Not ever. 👉 We proudly support this movement — shop the #insulin4all tee, with 10% of profits donated to T1International. Also available as a sticker, #insulin4all magnet, and unisex styles.
Insulin on Board (IOB)
The amount of insulin still active in your body from a previous dose. Stack too much IOB and the floor comes up to meet you very quickly.
I Run on Coffee + Insulin
Not a slang term. A lifestyle statement. A biological fact. ☕💉 👉 Shop the I Run on Coffee + Insulin tee, the sticker, and the magnet.
L
Language Matters
A movement advocating for respectful, stigma-free diabetes language. The idea that how we talk about the condition shapes how people feel about themselves and their care. Words have weight. Choose them carefully.
Loop / Looping
Using a closed-loop automated insulin delivery system — where your CGM and pump talk to each other and adjust insulin automatically. A genuine game-changer for many. Also something that's incredibly hard to explain to your GP.
Low
Simply: low blood sugar. Sometimes stated very plainly because at the time, simple is all you've got.
Low Carb
A lower-carbohydrate approach to managing blood sugar. Effective for many, not the only way, and nobody's business but the person doing it.
M
MDI (Multiple Daily Injections)
Managing diabetes with insulin pens or syringes instead of a pump. The OG method. Still works. Still valid. Still involves a lot of carrying stuff around.
Mr. D / Sir Mellitus / The Wizard of Oz
Nicknames people give to their diabetes. Personifying the condition, giving it a name, making it less of an abstract threat. It's coping. It's valid. Name yours whatever you like.
N
NDR (Not Diabetes Related)
A post in a diabetes community that's unrelated to diabetes. Used to signal "yes, I'm posting about my cat. Yes, in the diabetes group. Yes, that's fine."
Newly Diagnosed / Newly Dx'd
Someone recently diagnosed with diabetes. The community wraps around them fast. There's a lot to learn and none of it has to be learned alone.
Non-Compliant
An outdated clinical term that implies someone is willfully ignoring their own health. It misses the complexity of living with a 24/7 condition and deserves to retire permanently.
P
Pen
An insulin pen. The one you always have. The one you sometimes leave at home. The one you've left in a restaurant once and nearly had a breakdown.
Person-First Language
Putting the person before the diagnosis. "Person living with diabetes" rather than "diabetic." Not a rule — a default starting point that centres the human. 👉 Diabetes Does Not Define Me magnet — say it loud.
Person Living with Diabetes / Person with Diabetes
The preferred, respectful way to refer to someone living with diabetes in clinical and public contexts. Though ultimately, people can call themselves whatever they like.
Podder
Someone who uses Omnipod — the tubeless patch pump. Proud of it, too.
Poker
A lancet device used for finger prick blood tests. Also: the thing you keep forgetting to change the lancet in. (We all do it. Don't lie.)
R
Rage Bolus
A frustrated correction dose when blood sugar refuses to come down despite doing everything right. Named for the emotional state in which it's administered. Usually followed by a hypo 90 minutes later. A cautionary tale.
Roller Coaster
A CGM graph that looks like a theme park attraction — dramatic peaks, terrifying dips, no smooth bits. Sometimes caused by illness. Sometimes by Tuesday.
S
Sensor
The wearable device that powers your CGM. Worn on the arm, abdomen, or back of the arm. Also: the thing that keeps catching on every item of clothing you own.
Shooting Up
Injecting insulin. Community shorthand. Not something that requires explanation in a pharmacy queue but might raise an eyebrow anywhere else.
Site
Where your pump cannula or CGM sensor sits on your body. Rotated regularly. Complained about occasionally. A surprisingly important part of diabetes management.
S.W.A.G. (Scientific Wild A** Guess)
Estimating carbs and insulin when you don't have exact information. Based on experience, intuition, and a fair amount of hope. More accurate than it sounds. Usually.
Stigma
The blame, shame, and judgment often attached to diabetes — particularly Type 2. None of it is deserved. All of it causes harm. We push back on it here. 👉 Diabetes Does Not Define Me magnet — wear it, stick it, mean it.
T
T1D / Type 1
An autoimmune condition where the body attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Not caused by diet or lifestyle. Requires insulin to survive. Non-negotiable.
T2D / Type 2
A condition where the body doesn't use insulin effectively, or doesn't produce enough. Influenced by genetics, environment, and many other factors. Not simply "caused by eating badly" — and that narrative needs to stop.
Time in Happiness 💙
The metric no CGM measures — but absolutely should. Because what's the point of chasing numbers if you're not actually living well?
Time in Range (TIR)
The percentage of time blood sugar stays within target range. A more useful metric than A1c alone — because it shows the whole picture, not just the average.
Time in Tight Range (TITR)
A narrower and more precise version of TIR. For when "in range" isn't specific enough and you really want to torture yourself with data.
Twilight Zone High
A completely unexplained high blood sugar that arrives without provocation, ignores correction, and disappears when it feels like it. Stress? Hormones? The moon? Nobody knows.
Type Zero
Someone with no lived experience of diabetes who suddenly becomes an expert on how you should manage yours. Often found in comment sections. Unasked for. Always confident.
U
"Uncontrolled" / "Non-compliant" / "Brought it on yourself"
Outdated, harmful language that deserves retiring permanently. They imply failure, blame, and personal weakness. They are inaccurate. They cause real damage to real people. We don't use them here.
Unicorn
A perfect blood sugar reading — usually defined as 5.5 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) in the community. Mythical. Magical. Celebrated loudly when it appears. 👉 Celebrate the perfect number with the Chasing Unicorns hoodie.
W
Wearable
Any diabetes tech worn on the body — pumps, pods, CGMs, hybrid closed-loop systems. We're basically cyborgs at this point. Stylish ones, ideally.
Z
Zombied
That slow-motion, eyes-half-open, shuffle-to-the-kitchen walk during a 3am hypo. Arms out optional. Juice box mandatory.
And that's a wrap — for now.
This glossary will keep growing because the community — and its language — never stops evolving. Got a term we've missed? Drop it in the comments. This belongs to all of us.
Special thanks to the communities at Type 1 Strong, Diabetes UK Forum, dStigmatize, and T1D Exchange whose work, research, and lived experience shaped this list.
And if you're new here: welcome to The Diabetic Survivor. We make diabetes as fun as it can possibly be — one hoodie, one sticker, and one perfectly timed bolus at a time. 💙