Split second is a static ability that functions only while the spell with split second is on the stack. “Split second” means “As long as this spell is on the stack, players can’t play other spells or abilities that aren’t mana abilities.” See rule 502.58, “Split Second.”
A spell or ability goes on top of the stack when it’s played or put onto the stack. Combat-damage assignments also go on top of the stack as though they were a single object. Whenever all players pass in succession, the spell, ability, or combat damage on top of the stack resolves and the active player receives priority again. See rule 217.6, “Stack,” and rule 408.1, “Timing, Priority, and the Stack.”
State-based effects continually “watch” the game for a particular state. Whenever a player would receive priority, state-based effects are checked and applied. See rule 420, “State-Based Effects.”
State triggers are triggered abilities that watch for a game state rather than an event and trigger as soon as the game state matches the condition. Once a state trigger has triggered, it won’t trigger again until the ability it created has resolved, has been countered, or has otherwise left the stack. See rule 410.11.
Static abilities do something all the time rather than being played at specific times. Static abilities create continuous effects, which are active as long as the permanent with the ability remains in play and has the ability, or as long as the object with the ability remains in the appropriate zone. See rule 412, “Handling Static Abilities.”
A permanent’s status is its physical state. There are three status categories, each of which has two possible values: tapped/untapped, flipped/unflipped, and face up/face down. Each permanent always has one of these values for each of these categories.
Status is not a characteristic, though it may affect a permanent’s characteristics.
Permanents come into play untapped, unflipped, and face up unless a spell or ability says otherwise.
Some phases of the turn are further subdivided into steps. See section 3, “Turn Structure.”
Storm is a triggered ability that functions while the spell is on the stack. “Storm” means “When you play this spell, put a copy of it onto the stack for each other spell that was played before it this turn. If the spell has any targets, you may choose new targets for any number of the copies.” See rule 502.30, “Storm.”
Some cards allow players to play a Magic subgame. A “subgame” is the game created by the card’s effect. See rule 506, “Subgames.”
Substance is a static ability with no effect. Certain older cards have received errata that give them substance for a brief period of time.
A card can have one or more subtypes printed on its type line. Subtypes are always single words and are listed after a long dash. Each word after the dash is a separate subtype.
Artifact subtypes are also called artifact types. Creature subtypes are also called creature types. Enchantment subtypes are also called enchantment types. Instant subtypes are also called instant types. Land subtypes are also called land types. Sorcery subtypes are also called sorcery types. Objects may have multiple subtypes.
If an artifact creature card has subtypes printed on its type line, those subtypes are creature types. If an artifact land card has subtypes printed on its type line, those types are land types.
Most card types each have their own unique set of possible subtypes. However, instants and sorceries can share subtypes. Collectively, instant and sorcery subtypes are called “spell types.”
See rule 205.3, “Subtypes,” and rule 212, “Type, Supertype, and Subtype.”
Some older cards were printed with the term “successfully cast.” In general, any ability that’s written as triggering when a spell is “successfully cast” should be read as triggering when the spell is played.
Older creature cards were printed with the type “Summon [creature type].” All “Summon [creature type]” cards should be read as “Creature – [creature type].”
The term “summoning sickness” is an informal term which describes a creature’s inability to attack or to use activated abilities that include the tap symbol when it has come under a player’s control since the beginning of that player’s most recent turn. See rule 212.3d. See also Haste.
Sunburst is a static ability that functions as an object is coming into play from the stack. “Sunburst” means “If this object is coming into play from the stack as a creature, it comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it for each color of mana used to pay its cost. If this object is coming into play from the stack and isn’t coming into play as a creature, it comes into play with a charge counter on it for each color of mana used to pay its cost.” See rule 502.37, “Sunburst.”
A card can have one or more “supertypes.” These are printed directly before the card’s types. If an object’s types or subtypes change, any supertypes it has are kept, although they may not be relevant to the new type. See rule 205.4, “Supertypes.”
An object’s supertype is independent of its type and subtype. Changing an object’s type or subtype won’t change its supertype. Changing an object’s supertype won’t change its type or subtype. When an object gains or loses a supertype, it retains any other supertypes it had. See rule 212. “Type, Supertype, and Subtype.”
The list of supertypes, updated through the Time Spiral set, is as follows: basic, legendary, snow, and world.
Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that functions while the card with suspend is in a player's hand. The second and third are triggered abilities that function in the removed-from-the-game zone. “Suspend N-[cost]” means “If you could play this card from your hand, you may pay [cost] and remove it from the game with N time counters on it. This action doesn’t use the stack,” and “At the beginning of your upkeep, if this card is suspended, remove a time counter from it,” and “When the last time counter is removed from this card, if it’s removed from the game, play it without paying its mana cost if able. If you can’t, it remains removed from the game. If you play a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of the spell or the permanent it becomes.” Playing a spell as an effect of its suspend ability follows the rules for paying alternative costs in rules 409.1b and 409.1f-h. See rule 502.59, “Suspend.”