Key terms & definitions

Local armed groups, notably active in western England in 1645, which sought to protect their communities from the burdens imposed by both Civil War armies.

A reformed Benedictine order associated with the monastery of Cluny in France and introduced into England under Norman rule.

People with a shared culture, language or background living close together and forming a community.

Dividing a population into groups, randomly selecting some groups and including all members of the selected groups in the sample.

The four colours commonly used for full-colour printing: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. K stands for key and refers to black.

Computer numerical control: the control of manufacturing machinery using programmed numerical instructions, including coordinates for tool movements.

Computer-controlled cutting, shaping or drilling of a workpiece.

A computer-controlled machine that removes material with a rotating cutter to produce outlines, recesses or shaped surfaces.

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, a British organisation launched in 1958 that campaigns against nuclear weapons.

The joining together of proteins to form a thicker or more solid structure, as happens when milk forms yoghurt or cheese curds.

A sedimentary rock made mostly of carbon, formed from buried remains of ancient plants.

An alliance of countries acting together. In the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the coalition was led by the United States.

A force made up of contingents supplied by different rulers or leaders, whose interests may not always agree.

A government formed by two or more political parties working together.

A government formed by two or more political parties that agree to govern together and share ministerial posts.

Particles with diameters from 2500 nm to 10,000 nm, often described as dust.

The wearing away and removal of material from the coast by the sea.

The covering of normally dry coastal land by seawater.

The inland movement of the coastline as coastal land is lost through erosion; also called coastal retreat.

The landward movement of a coastline or cliff edge over time.

Loss of intertidal habitat when rising sea level pushes its seaward edge inland but a fixed defence prevents it moving inland on the landward side.

The movement of sediment from one place to another by waves or currents.

A metal with a surface layer of another material added to improve properties such as corrosion resistance, durability or appearance.

Covering the outside of food with another ingredient, such as breadcrumbs, to change its texture, flavour or appearance.

The fluid-filled structure in the inner ear where vibrations are converted into nerve signals.

An entertainment in which fighting birds were placed in a pit or ring, often with spectators betting on the outcome.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, commonly expressed in parts per million.

A feature that communicates meaning, such as a camera shot, costume, sound or gesture.

A group of instructions treated as one unit, such as the indented instructions inside a Python loop.

The number of bits in the binary code assigned to a character or other data element.