Key terms & definitions

A hard, usually brittle, non-metallic material made by heating substances such as clay or sand; examples include bricks, porcelain and glass.

The region at the back of the brain that coordinates muscle movement and helps maintain balance.

A brain structure that coordinates movement and helps maintain balance and posture.

The highly folded outer layer of the cerebrum, involved in conscious thought, memory, language and intelligence.

The thin outer layer of the brain’s cerebral hemispheres, containing specialised areas involved in functions such as movement, sensation and language.

The two large, folded halves at the top and front of the brain that control conscious thought, memory, language, sensory awareness and voluntary movement.

The large, upper part of the brain responsible for higher-order processes including conscious thought, intelligence, memory and personality.

The main upper part of the brain, containing lobes involved in functions such as thinking, processing sensory information and memory.

An event that is guaranteed to happen; its probability is 1.

An event that must happen; its probability is 1, or 100%.

A non-communicable disease in which cells of the cervix grow and divide uncontrollably.

A non-communicable disease in which abnormal cells in the cervix divide uncontrollably.

A pit used to collect sewage and other waste.

Computer-generated imagery: images created or enhanced using computer software.

Computer-generated imagery: digitally created images integrated into a film, including creatures, vehicles and environments.

An index comparing a value in one period with its value in the immediately preceding period, which acts as the reference value of 100.

An index comparing a value with the value in the immediately preceding period, rather than with a fixed base period.

The system through which military orders pass from senior commanders to the officers and troops who carry them out.

The formal line of authority through an organisation, showing who reports to whom.

The organised system for treating and moving wounded soldiers from the front line to progressively better-equipped medical facilities.

A sequence of fission reactions in which neutrons released by one fission cause further nuclei to split.

A shop belonging to a business that operates shops in several locations.

The cup used to hold wine which is consecrated as Christ’s blood during the Eucharist.

Bread traditionally eaten at Shabbat and festival meals; two loaves are used at the Shabbat table.

A burial room cut into a hillside, commonly reused for successive burials.

Leavened food made from certain grains, removed from the home and not eaten during Pesach.

A sloping face made by removing the corner between two surfaces.

The canopy above the Guru Granth Sahib, used as a sign of honour and reverence.

An unpredictable or accidental occurrence, which need not be part of a predetermined plan.

A royal official who headed the chancery, which produced royal documents and used the king’s Great Seal to authenticate them.