What is the best mountain bike for around 200 dollars?

For $200 you will need to buy a used bike. Nothing new at that price will handle rough service.

Basic Lingo:

Fork- Holds the front wheel and allows steering.

Frame- Structure that hold everything together into a bicycle.

Hardtail- bike with front suspension only

FS or Full Suspension- Suspension front and rear. Not necessary except for extreme conditions

Speeds- Total number of gears. Does not dictate how fast the bike will go. Multiply front gears x back gears to determine number of "speeds"; ex: 3 in front x 7 in back =21 speeds.

Grip Shift- Shifters that are actuated by "twisting".

TriggerShift (or) RapidFire- Shifters that are actuated by pushing or pulling with thumb or index finger.

Front derailleur- Changes gears on the chainrings (by the pedals). LEFT shifter is used.

Rear derailleur- Changes gears on the cassette or freewheel (on the rear wheel). RIGHT shifter is used.

Rim- Metal "hoop" that holds the tire and tube.

Spokes- Metal "wires" that hold the hub to the rim.

Hub- Center of the wheel (comprised of rim, hub, spokes, tire, and tube) that houses the axle and bearings.

Quick Release- A cam operated unit that allows fast removal of wheels (if so equipped) or adjustment of saddle height.

Cassette (or) Freewheel- group of rear gears. Primary difference is the method of attachment to the hub.

V Brake (also Linear Pull)- a type of brake that uses 2 long brake arms, attached to opposite sides of the frame/fork and connected by a cable running across the top. These are the standard brake for most all terrain bikes and many mountain bikes.

Disc Brake- a type of brake that uses a small disc attached to the hub and a caliper attached directly to the frame. Used primarily on bikes used for offroad but seeing expanding use on "Walmart" bikes intended for onroad only.

Frame size- Measurement of frame between center of bottom bracket and (usually) top of seat tube to determine standover height. Larger frame, taller rider.

Bottom bracket- Area that houses the crank and pedals.

Mountain bike (MTB)- Intended for riding offroad on varying degrees of rough terrain. Secondary use for onroad but not optimum usage. Typical price is $600 and up- as price goes up it becomes more dedicated to offroad use.

All Terrain ATB (or) Sport bike- Intended for on road or off road on smooth trails (rain ruts/small rocks/gravel). Good choice for city commuters or riders that ride on a variety of surfaces. Typical price is $250 and up.

Utility bike- Appears as an ATB or MTB but is generally under $200 and intended for occasional onroad use only, NOT for offroad. "Walmart" grade.

Shimano- Largest manufacturer of bicycle components, on about 90% of the worlds bikes regardless of price. Makes a wide range of products in different price ranges. Most bikes that specifically say something like "Shimano Equipped" tend to have the lowest grade of components.

I hope this helps... everytime I defined something it forced me to define something else!