Leet or eleet (Leet: l337, 3l337 or l33t, 3l33t ), also known as "leetspeak", is an alphabet used primarily on the Internet for the English language. It uses various combinations of ASCII characters to replace Latinate letters. The term is derived from the word "elite", and the usage it describes is a specialized form of symbolic writing. Different "dialects" or varieties of leet are found on different online forums.
Initially, the word
l33t was used as an adjective, to primarily describe the behavior or accomplishments of others in the community, with “lame” being its antonym.[citation needed] In that usage leet generally carries the same meaning when referring to either the game prowess, n00b ownage, or, in original usage, hacking expertise of another person. From adjective form its use then expanded to include use as an expletive or interjection in reaction to a demonstration of the former qualities. With the mass proliferation of Internet use in the 1990s into the 21st century, Leet has since become a part of Internet culture and slang.[1] Leet may also be considered a substitution cipher, albeit with much variation from user to user.
Haxor, and derivations thereof, is Leet for "hacker",[14] and it is one of the most commonplace examples of the use of the -xor suffix. Suxxor (pronounced suck-zor) is a derogatory term which originated in warez culture and is currently used in multi-user environments such as multiplayer video games and instant messaging; it, like haxor, is one of the early Leet words to use the -xor suffix. Suxxor is a modified version of "sucks" (the phrase “to suck”
, and the meaning is the same as the English slang. Its negative definition essentially makes it the opposite of roxxor, and both can be used as a verb or a noun.