Client
Your terminal that connects to the tmux server to interact with sessions.
Plugin
External script or tool that extends tmux functionality (e.g., TPM for managing them).
Attach (to a session)
Connect your terminal to an existing tmux session to view and interact with it.
Detach (from a session)
Leave the session running in the background while disconnecting your terminal.
Window
A full‑screen container inside a session, typically holding one or more panes.
Pane
A split region inside a window running a shell or program; multiple panes share a window.
Prefix key
A key sequence that tells tmux the next keystrokes are tmux commands (default: Ctrl-b).
Status bar
The line (usually at the bottom) showing session/window info, time, and custom data.
Copy mode
A mode that lets you scroll history and select/copy text within a pane.
Layouts
Saved arrangements of panes (e.g., even‑horizontal, even‑vertical, tiled).
Zoom pane
Temporarily make a pane full‑screen within its window; toggle to restore layout.
Synchronize panes
Send the same keystrokes to all panes in a window simultaneously.
Options
Settings that control behavior/appearance; can be global, per‑session, per‑window, or per‑pane.
tmux.conf
Startup config file where you set options, key bindings, and plugins.
Key tables
Named sets of key bindings that tmux switches between (e.g., root, copy-mode).
Target specifier (-t)
Points a command at a specific session, window, or pane (e.g., -t session:window.pane).
Pane / window index
Numeric identifiers for panes and windows used in commands and the status line.
Buffers / paste buffers
Temporary storage for copied text within tmux; can paste into panes.
Mouse mode
Option that enables clicking to select windows/panes and dragging to resize.
Command prompt
Interactive prompt (opened via a key binding) to run tmux commands.
choose-tree
Navigable tree UI to quickly jump between sessions, windows, and panes.
Alerts (activity/bell/silence)
Notifications when a pane has activity, a bell event, or prolonged silence.
Hooks
Triggers that run commands when events occur (e.g., client-attached, pane-died).
Formats (e.g., #{pane_id})
Placeholders used to display tmux metadata in messages, status lines, and scripts.
Session
A workspace containing one or more windows; you attach/detach from sessions.
Server
The background process that manages all sessions, windows, and panes.