If you've wandered into fandom from TikTok or a friend's recommendation, 'ship' is probably a word you've seen used as a noun, a verb, and half a dozen other ways. It's one of the foundational concepts of fanfiction, and it's simpler than it looks.
A ship is a relationship fans want to see — and 'shipping' is the act of wanting it.
Where the word comes from
'Ship' is short for 'relationSHIP.' To ship two characters is to be invested in them as a couple, whether or not the original story ever puts them together. The term dates back decades, to early online fandom, and has since spread into mainstream pop-culture vocabulary.
You can ship a canon couple (one the source material confirms) or a non-canon one (a pairing fandom imagines). Much of fanfiction exists precisely to explore relationships canon never made official.
Ship names and how to find fic
Fandom loves to compress a pairing into a single 'ship name,' usually a portmanteau of the two characters' names — so the Harry Potter pairing of Draco and Harry becomes 'Drarry.' On AO3, though, relationships are tagged with both characters' full names joined by a slash, like 'Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter.'
To find fic for a ship, search that relationship tag, or browse a ship's page here on AO3Wiki to see its dynamics, common tropes, and example fics before diving into the app to read.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does shipping mean?
Wanting two (or more) characters to be in a romantic or sexual relationship, and being invested in that pairing — whether or not the source material supports it.
What is a ship name?
A short nickname for a pairing, usually a blend of the two characters' names — like 'Stucky' for Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. AO3 itself tags ships with full names joined by a slash.
What's the difference between a ship and a slash?
On AO3 the slash character (/) marks a romantic/sexual pairing in a relationship tag. 'Slash' historically also refers specifically to male/male pairings; an ampersand (&) marks a platonic relationship instead.