Key terms & definitions

An understanding of the universe as passing through repeated stages of creation, preservation and destruction.

A quadrilateral whose four vertices lie on one circle.

A pattern of rises and falls that repeats over time; its cycle need not be a year.

The movement of a substance between living organisms and the non-living environment, allowing it to be used again.

The path followed by the centre of a tropical cyclone over time.

Building with very large, roughly shaped stone blocks, with smaller material filling the gaps.

A one-eyed giant; Polyphemus is the Cyclops encountered by Odysseus and his men in Book 9 of the Odyssey.

A three-dimensional solid with a constant circular cross-section.

An attitude of distrust towards people’s motives or promises, often expecting selfishness or disappointment.

An inscribed clay cylinder recording Cyrus’ account of his conquest of Babylon and his actions as its ruler. It presents his kingship as approved by the Babylonian god Marduk.

An inherited disorder of cell membranes caused by a recessive allele, resulting in thick, sticky mucus in the airways and digestive system.

Division of the cytoplasm and cell membrane to form two separate cells.

Division of the cytoplasm to form two separate daughter cells.

The jelly-like material in a cell where many chemical reactions take place.

The gel-like material inside a cell where many chemical reactions take place.

An ancient kingdom north of the Danube, corresponding largely to modern Romania, conquered by Trajan in two wars.

An honorary title awarded to Trajan after his first Dacian victory, identifying him as the conqueror of the Dacians.

A metrical unit consisting of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables, creating a falling, three-syllable rhythm.

The six-foot verse metre used in Greek and Roman epic, including Homer’s Iliad and Virgil’s Aeneid.

A metrical pattern in which a stressed syllable is followed by two unstressed syllables, creating a triple rhythm.

A daemon in His Dark Materials is an animal manifestation of a person’s inner self. Lyra’s daemon is Pantalaimon, usually called Pan.

James VI of Scotland’s 1597 book defending belief in witchcraft and discussing its dangers.

The German Labour Front, the Nazi organisation that replaced independent trade unions and controlled workers’ pay and conditions.

A land-revenue assessment system introduced under Akbar in 1580, using ten-year averages of agricultural production and prices to calculate cash payments.

The amount of energy a person needs from food each day to support their body's functions and activity.

A leader who acts as guardian of the Imams’ teaching for Musta’li Ismaili communities during the Imam’s occultation.

A leading spiritual figure in Tibetan Buddhism who also headed Tibet’s government before fleeing to India in 1959.

A term meaning ‘oppressed’, used by many people from communities historically treated as ‘untouchable’.

A barrier built across a river to hold back water and control its flow.

Self-restraint or self-control; one of the virtues taught in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 5.2.