Key terms & definitions

The opening between raised and lowered warp yarns through which a weft yarn passes during weaving.

A soft or subtle surface shine caused by reflected light.

A large, flat board supplied in a selected thickness, commonly made from manufactured timber such as plywood or MDF.

Making products from thin metal sheet through operations such as cutting, folding and joining.

The length and width of a sheet, normally specified alongside its thickness.

A spiritual teacher who guides a Sufi disciple in religious understanding, conduct and spiritual development.

God’s divine presence, which Jews believe can be experienced even though God cannot be seen.

The divine presence of God dwelling among people; also spelt Shekhinah.

The length of time a product can be stored before its condition or performance becomes unsuitable. For batteries, this includes retaining enough stored energy to remain useful.

The length of time a food remains suitable for use when stored under the specified conditions.

The wartime term for a range of psychological and physical symptoms associated with the strain and trauma of combat.

A historical term used for psychological distress associated with soldiers’ experiences of war.

A central Jewish prayer affirming that God is one and expressing the importance of loving and obeying God.

An ancient biblical term for the realm of the dead.

A 1921 US law providing federal funding for prenatal, maternal and infant health education through public health nurses supervised by the Children’s Bureau.

The king’s local representative in a shire, responsible for duties including collecting taxes and maintaining law and order; the office developed from the Anglo-Saxon shire-reeve.

The seven Jewish wedding blessings, praising God and celebrating creation, marriage and the couple’s happiness.

The branch of Islam which holds that Ali was Muhammad’s rightful successor and gives particular authority to leaders from the Prophet’s family.

A branch of Islam which gives particular religious authority to imams associated with Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, and his family. The Fatimid dynasty represented a form of Shia Islam.

Followers of one of the two main branches of Islam. Shia Muslims formed the majority of Iraq’s population but were excluded from power under Saddam.

The reduction in the attraction between the nucleus and an outer electron caused by electrons in inner shells.

Material placed between a radiation source and a person to reduce the radiation reaching the person.

The reduction in the attraction between the nucleus and an outer electron caused by electrons in inner shells.

A broad volcano with gently sloping sides, built mainly from repeated flows of low-viscosity lava.

A defensive formation in which soldiers stand close together with overlapping shields, creating a barrier against enemy attacks.

A deliberate move in the reader’s attention, for example from a landscape to a person or from an object to a memory.

A change in the position of equilibrium towards reactants, increasing their relative amount at the new equilibrium.

A change in the position of equilibrium towards products, increasing their relative amount at the new equilibrium.

An arrangement in which different groups of workers work during different scheduled periods, allowing a workplace to operate beyond a single working day.

A cheap, sensational publication sold for one shilling, designed to grip readers through suspense and shocking events.