Key terms & definitions

Converting a value from one data type to another, such as converting the string '43' to the integer 43.

A forming process in which molten metal enters a mould cavity, then cools and solidifies into its shape.

An iron–carbon alloy with a higher carbon content than steels; it is hard, wear-resistant and strong in compression, but brittle.

A fortified residence and military base where soldiers could defend themselves and control the surrounding area.

An area required to supply resources and soldiers to a castle, governed by the castle’s commander rather than directly by an earl.

In Freud’s theory, an unconscious fear of losing the penis through castration.

Temporary or irregular work without a dependable wage or guarantee of continued employment.

Work offered only when an employer needs labour, without a guarantee of regular employment or earnings.

People killed, wounded or taken prisoner during military operations; the term does not mean deaths alone.

A section of a workhouse providing basic, short-term accommodation for homeless people travelling or seeking work.

Computer-aided testing: the use of software to analyse how a design is likely to perform, such as its strength.

An enzyme that breaks down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen.

A condition involving bodily rigidity and reduced responsiveness. Eliot describes Silas’s episodes as cataleptic fits; other characters interpret them through their religious beliefs and superstitions.

A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being used up.

A substance that increases the rate of a reaction without being used up.

A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being used up in that reaction.

A character or event that brings about or accelerates an important change in the action.

A device in a vehicle exhaust system that uses catalysts to convert carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and unburned hydrocarbons into less harmful substances.

A device in a vehicle's exhaust system that uses catalysts to convert pollutants into less harmful substances.

The nickname for the 1913 law allowing hunger-striking prisoners to be temporarily released when seriously ill and rearrested after recovering.

A clouding of the eye’s lens that reduces the light reaching the retina and makes vision blurred.

Interpreting an event as far worse or more disastrous than it actually is.

A marked disturbance of movement or physical responsiveness, which may involve extreme stillness, unusual postures or agitation.

A song sung by several voices entering at different times, creating overlapping musical parts.

A fitting that holds a lid or door closed and can be released to open it.

The area of land drained by a river and its tributaries.

The area from which a service or attraction draws its users; in river geography, the area of land drained by a river and its tributaries.

A geographical area used by a school when giving priority to applicants for admission.

River management that considers how land use, water movement and decisions throughout a drainage basin affect one another.

Education in the Christian faith that helps people understand Christian teaching and live it out.