Key terms & definitions

A directional growth response of a plant to a stimulus.

The lowest layer of the atmosphere, where most weather occurs and global atmospheric circulation cells operate.

The prolonged conflict in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s involving republican and loyalist paramilitaries, police and British armed forces.

The political and national conflict in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s to 1998, usually understood to have ended with the Good Friday Agreement.

An agreement to stop fighting for a period of time, without necessarily settling every dispute.

An agreement to stop fighting.

A Church movement intended to restrict fighting at particular times, including religiously important days.

The full cost of making a prototype or product, rather than only the purchase price of its main material.

The value that would be obtained by an ideal measurement; in practice, it is usually unknown.

President Truman’s 1947 commitment to support countries threatened by communist takeover, which became a foundation of containment.

An axis with part of its range omitted, often because it starts above zero.

A former river-valley spur whose end has been cut off by a glacier, leaving a steep face.

Removing digits after a chosen place without changing the last digit kept.

A measuring wheel rolled along a route to measure its length.

Confidence that another business will act honestly and keep its commitments.

A person who holds or manages property on behalf of someone else, rather than treating it as their own.

Living honestly and putting truth and religious teachings into practice throughout daily life.

A table showing every possible combination of Boolean inputs and the corresponding output for each combination.

A table showing the output for every possible combination of digital inputs.

The emperor of Russia; Nicholas II was the tsar during the First World War.

Thyroid-stimulating hormone: a hormone released by the pituitary gland that stimulates the thyroid gland to release thyroxine.

Thyroid-stimulating hormone: a hormone released by the pituitary gland that stimulates the thyroid gland to release thyroxine.

A series of waves produced by sudden displacement of a large volume of water, often following movement of the seabed during an earthquake.

A hollow length of material; metal tubes can have round, square or rectangular cross-sections.

A bacterial disease, often affecting the lungs, which can spread through coughs and sneezes. It was historically called consumption.

A communicable disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, usually affecting the lungs.

A bacterial disease that damages the lungs.

The Trades Union Congress: an organisation bringing together trade unions to represent their shared interests and coordinate action.

A body position in which the hips and knees are bent and the knees are drawn towards the chest.

A stitched fold of fabric used to reduce fullness, add structure or provide decoration.