Key terms & definitions

A medical imaging technique that detects radiation resulting from positron-emitting radiotracers inside the body.

A group assembled by a law-enforcement officer to help pursue suspects or enforce the law.

A group summoned by the sheriff to help capture criminals, including those who had escaped local pursuit.

A grammatical relationship showing belonging or association, as in ‘the runner’s shoes’.

An apostrophe showing that something belongs to, or is associated with, a person or thing.

The complete set of all possible outcomes of an experiment.

A person whom a clone thinks might be the human they were copied from in Never Let Me Go.

A stack of alternating wet handmade paper sheets and couching felts, ready for pressing.

Voting by sending a ballot paper through the post rather than attending a polling station.

Differences in access to services or their quality depending on where someone lives rather than only on their needs.

A reading that examines colonial power and its consequences, including how an outsider controls a place and its inhabitants.

An interpretation that examines colonial power and its effects on identity, representation and whose voice is heard.

A loop that tests its condition after executing its body, so the body executes at least once.

An outlook that treats feminist gains as already achieved and often emphasises individual confidence and choice. DeRogatis questions whether Juno's appearance of empowerment conceals a less supportive message about women.

A Buddhist name given after death by a monk or priest, especially in Japanese funeral traditions; known as a kaimyō.

An economy in which services and knowledge-based activities have become more important than traditional manufacturing.

Latin for ‘after death’; in this succession dispute, an earlier promise naming who should become king after the reigning king died.

The stage after shooting when footage is edited and elements such as sound and visual effects are completed.

An interpretation examining responsibility, fears and misunderstandings on both sides rather than blaming only the USA or USSR; it does not necessarily assign equal blame.

Support provided after a customer has bought a product, such as user training, help lines, servicing or repairs.

The phase after competition, aimed at rest and recovery while light aerobic training maintains a level of general fitness.

A mental health condition that can follow a traumatic experience and may involve intrusive memories, nightmares and distress. Often abbreviated to PTSD.

A mental health condition that can develop after a traumatic experience, involving lasting distress such as intrusive memories, heightened alertness or avoidance.

Mirroring or adopting a similar body position to another person; it may indicate agreement or friendliness.

The position and alignment of the body when standing, sitting or moving.

The positioning of the body when standing or sitting.

Broad agreement between the main political parties after 1945 about maintaining substantial welfare provision and government involvement in the economy, despite continuing disagreements.

Water that is safe to drink.

Water that is safe to drink and has sufficiently low levels of dissolved salts and microbes.

Water that is safe to drink, with sufficiently low levels of harmful microbes and dissolved substances. It is not necessarily chemically pure.