Lexicon
TLD
Top Level Domains. The last part of a domain name, coming after the dot. A key element of the Domain Names System (DNS) structuring the Internet and allowing the development of communities around thematic extensions, TLDs can be Generic (gTLD, such as .com, .org, .sport, .Madrid) or uniquely related to a country (ccTLD, such as .fr for France or .ch for Switzerland).
Registry / Registrar / Registrant
The organization operating a TLD is called the Registry. It usually concedes to tierce companies, called Registrars, the right to handle the commercialization of the TLD by selling domain names in the related extension. The entity registering a domain name is called a Registrant and can create a website on the name.
Sunrise Period
The launch of a new gTLD usually occurs in several steps leading to its global availability for the general public. The first step, called “Sunrise”, is limited to trademark owners who are given the opportunity to register domain names related to their brands prior to the launch.