BTK

What Does BTK Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

BTK means "Back To Keyboard."

More Observations...

The abbreviation BTK is typically used in computer-based conversations (such as chat forums and multi-player games) to mean "Back To Keyboard." In this context, BTK indicates that a participant who had been away from their computer or console for a brief period has now returned. Of note, BTK, with the meaning "Bind, Torture, Kill," was also the signature used by serial killer Dennis Rader in his letters to police and news outlets. Rader murdered ten people in Sedgwick County, Kansas, between 1974 and 1991. "Bind, Torture Kill" was the title of a song released in 2006 by the American death metal band Suffocation. The story of Rader was detailed in the 2007 book " Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of the Serial Killer Next Door."

Image for BTK

When I write BTK, I mean this:

BTK can mean "Bind, Torture, Kill," but usually means "Back To Keyboard."

Summary of Key Points

"Back to Keyboard" is, by far, the most common meaning for BTK when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

BTK
Definition:	Back to Keyboard
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Examples of BTK in Sentences

Here are examples of BTK in a conversation with the meaning "Back To Keyboard":

• Gamer 1: Pause a minute. Gotta go to the toilet.
• Gamer 2: OK.
• Gamer 1 [5 minutes later]: BTK. What did I miss?
• Gamer 2: In the first minute, nothing. After that, you lost two forward bases and a transporter.

An Academic Look at BTK

BTK is used as a standalone declarative sentence (i.e., a statement), with the meaning "I am now back at the keyboard." In other words, it is not used as another part of speech within a wider sentence. Of note, BTK is an initialism abbreviation. This means it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., Bee Tee Kay). Initialisms contrast with acronyms, which are spoken like words.

Example of BTK Used in a Text

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