Key terms & definitions

A landscape shaped by rivers and their processes.

A process involving flowing river water, such as erosion, transportation or deposition.

A transfer of material from one store to another within a cycle.

A substance used during brazing or soldering to limit oxidation or help clean surfaces so that molten filler flows and bonds effectively.

A mobile guerrilla unit; during the Irish War of Independence, IRA flying columns operated from remote camps or safe houses.

A worker who travels to another workplace during an industrial dispute to encourage support for a strike or prevent supplies from moving.

A heavy rotating component that stores energy in its spinning motion.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging: a scanning technique that uses changes in blood oxygenation as an indirect measure of brain activity.

A mixture in which bubbles of gas are dispersed and held within a liquid, such as air in whisked egg.

A rigid, lightweight sheet made from a foam middle between two smooth outer sheets, used for models and displays.

The perspective through which events are presented, which may follow a particular character’s perceptions without making that character the narrator.

A character through whose perceptions events are presented. Utterson is the main focaliser for much of the novel, although a third-person narrator tells these chapters.

The distance along the principal axis from the centre of a lens to its principal focus.

The point within Earth where an earthquake begins.

The point at which light rays meet to produce a sharp image.

Directing attention and effort towards what matters for the task or target.

A guided discussion with a small group of people from the target market to gather detailed feedback.

A small group of target users brought together to discuss and give feedback on a problem, product or design idea.

A group discussion led by a researcher on a particular topic, exploring participants' views and their responses to one another.

A range of lifelong physical, learning and behavioural difficulties caused by exposure to alcohol before birth.

The stage of human development from about eight weeks after fertilisation until birth.

An unborn developing human in the later stages of pregnancy.

A character whose contrasting qualities help reveal another character’s qualities.

A character whose similarities or differences help reveal aspects of another character.

A decorative technique that transfers foil onto selected areas of paper or board using a heated die and pressure.

Board laminated with aluminium foil to reflect heat and provide resistance to water and oil, commonly used for food packaging.

Bending paper or card so that one part changes direction relative to another.

A carton board suitable for printing, creasing, folding and gluing into lightweight retail packaging.

A production aid that locates a paper or board blank and guides folding so that a fold can be repeated in the same position.

The creation of sounds by performing actions in synchronisation with filmed images, for example recording footsteps to accompany a character walking.