In response to a need for a concise presentation of new terms and concepts in salt tectonics, we have compiled a glossary that focuses on ideas developed during the 1980's. Unlike conventional glossaries, ours is conceptual rather than alphabetical; each term is defined in the context of preceding terms. When known, the first paper to define or develop a new term has been cited. The purpose of this glossary is to promote a common language for salt tectonics, so that terminology and concepts will be better understood and so that the discipline will continue to develop.