Key terms & definitions

Testing many substances to find any that affect a chosen biological target.

Testing people for signs of a disease so that it can be detected early, potentially before symptoms appear.

The written plan for a film's scenes, actions and dialogue, which establishes how its narrative will be communicated.

A printing technique in which a squeegee pushes colour through the open areas of a mesh screen while a stencil blocks other areas.

A threaded fastener that engages with a thread in the material or a receiving component.

The use of an engine-driven propeller to move a ship through the water.

A spiral ridge around a cylinder, or a matching spiral groove inside a hole, that allows parts to engage as they are turned.

A person trained to write documents and keep records.

A teacher or expert in the religious law. In Mark 2:16, the critics are scribes associated with the Pharisees.

A room in a monastery where manuscripts were copied and sometimes decorated.

Sacred writings regarded as authoritative within a religion, such as the Bible in Christianity or the Qur’an in Islam.

Early revelations given by Allah to Ibrahim (Abraham), also called the Suhuf, which Muslims believe are now lost.

An examination of a prospective Athenian office-holder’s eligibility and conduct before they entered office.

Careful examination of proposals, decisions or actions to identify weaknesses and test their justification.

A small room used for washing dishes and other kitchen work.

A three-dimensional work of art made, for example, by carving, modelling or casting materials.

A disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, associated with swollen gums and poor wound healing.

A payment that allowed a baron to provide money instead of military service to the king.

A large Roman shield; the familiar Imperial legionary type was curved and rectangular when viewed from the front.

A horse-drawn war vehicle fitted with projecting blades intended to injure soldiers and disrupt their formation.

The intelligence branch of the SS, which collected information about threats to the Nazi regime.

Strategic Defence Initiative: Reagan’s proposed missile-defence system, announced in 1983 and nicknamed ‘Star Wars’. It was not an operational protective shield.

Students for a Democratic Society: an American student organisation that campaigned for greater student influence and became involved in protest against the Vietnam War.

Ice formed by the freezing of seawater, which floats on the ocean.

The area of ocean covered by sea ice, measured using a defined ice-cover threshold.

A surface treatment that reduces absorption into timber or board, helping control moisture uptake or prepare it for further coatings.

A join closed against leakage, for example by welding compatible synthetic textile surfaces together.

An increase in the average level of the sea, caused by processes including the expansion of warming seawater and the melting of ice on land.

A title identifying Muhammad as the last prophet: Muslims believe no prophet will come after him.

A small engraved stone used to impress a design into a soft material such as clay.