AFK
Etymology
An initialism for away from keyboard, from 1990s IRC chat and early online gaming, where players typed it to signal a break. It survives as both a status (“he’s afk”) and a loose way to say someone isn’t engaged.
adjective · /ay-ef-KAY/
Away from keyboard — not present at your device, or not paying attention.
What it names
It names the state of being connected but absent: your account is online, but you aren’t really there. It lets people flag a pause without disconnecting entirely.
Example
Don’t start the match yet — half the team is still afk.
Related idea
Different from offline: offline means disconnected entirely, while afk means still connected but not actually at the controls.