Key terms & definitions

Relating to the reign of Elizabeth I; Much Ado About Nothing was written towards the end of this period.

An oval-shaped path; a circle is a special case of an ellipse.

The three dots used to show that an established pattern continues indefinitely.

A set of dots indicating an unfinished thought, omission or trailing pause.

Three dots (…) that can indicate hesitation, a trailing-off thought or something left unsaid. In an edited quotation, they can indicate omitted material.

The omission of a period of story time from the events presented on screen.

A closed, oval-shaped path. A circle is a special case; some ellipses are almost circular, while others are strongly elongated.

An irregular warming of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, linked to changes in atmospheric pressure, winds and rainfall.

A commemorative account praising a person's career and achievements; the plural is elogia.

In plant growth, the stage in which new cells produced by mitosis increase in length, before they differentiate to form tissues.

Running away secretly with a romantic partner, often with the intention of marrying. In Pride and Prejudice, Lydia expects marriage, but Wickham initially does not.

Regulations introduced by Wolsey in 1526 to reduce spending and improve the organisation of Henry VIII’s royal household.

An electronic message sent to one or more email addresses, which can include attached files.

A check in which a user follows a link or enters a code sent to an email address to demonstrate access to that email account.

The freeing of people from slavery.

Lincoln’s declaration, effective from 1 January 1863, that enslaved people in designated areas in rebellion against the United States were free. It did not abolish slavery throughout the country.

A raised bank beside a river that increases the amount of water the channel can contain before overflowing.

Raised banks beside a river that increase the amount of water contained before it spills onto surrounding land.

A ban on trade with a particular country. The 1973 oil embargo banned petroleum exports to selected countries that supported Israel.

A mission undertaken by a representative to negotiate or conduct important business with another ruler.

An electronic controller built into a product to carry out particular functions.

A letter included within a larger narrative, allowing another character’s words to enter the story.

A story told inside another story. Thaddeus’s account of his father’s past interrupts Watson’s account of the present investigation.

A story told within another story; the surrounding narrative provides the circumstances in which the inner story is told.

A quotation incorporated grammatically into your own sentence.

A short quotation fitted into the grammar of your own sentence.

A computer system built into a larger device to perform a dedicated function.

Water used during the production of a product, such as water used to grow crops or manufacture clothing.

The dishonest taking of money or valuable property entrusted to someone’s care.

A blockage of a blood vessel by material, such as a blood clot, carried in the bloodstream.