Glossary
Transportation Security Officer Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential transportation security officer terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key transportation security officer vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in transportation security officer training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- 3-1-1 rule
- Rules for carry-on liquids.
- AIT
- Advanced imaging technology body scanners.
- Alarm resolution
- Steps to clear an alarm.
- Bag check
- A manual inspection.
- Checkpoint
- The screening area.
- CT scanner
- Advanced 3D X-ray for bags.
- Divestiture
- Removing items before screening.
- ETD
- Explosives trace detection.
- Lead TSO
- A senior officer who guides others.
- Pat-down
- A physical search.
- Prohibited items
- Items not allowed through security.
- Standard operating procedures
- Required screening procedures.
- Sterile area
- The secure area past screening.
- Threat image projection
- Test images used to train screeners.
- TSA PreCheck
- Expedited screening for trusted travelers.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Transportation Security Officer practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Transportation Security Officer training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.