Glossary
/ˈɡlɒsəri/
Definitions
An alphabetical list of terms and their definitions, often found at the end of a book or document, pertaining to a specific subject.
/ˈɡlɒsəri/
An alphabetical list of terms in a specific domain of knowledge with the definitions for those terms.
Please refer to the glossary for an explanation of the terms used in this report.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're reading a science book, and there are a bunch of words you don't know. A glossary is like a mini-dictionary at the end of the book that explains those words in simple terms, making it easier to understand what you're reading!
👶 For kids: It's like a special dictionary at the end of a book that tells you what tricky words mean.
More Examples
The glossary helped me understand the technical language used in the contract.
I created a glossary of terms for my presentation to ensure everyone understood the concepts.
How It's Used
"A glossary is often included at the end of textbooks to define technical terms."
"The user manual contained a glossary to help readers understand the specialized vocabulary."
"The legal document's glossary clarified several ambiguous terms."
Idioms & expressions
go through the glossary
To carefully read and understand the glossary of a document.
"Before starting the exam, make sure you go through the glossary to understand any unfamiliar terms."
From Medieval Latin *glossarium*, derived from the Greek word *glōssa* (meaning "tongue" or, by extension, "a difficult word"). Initially, a glossary was a collection of glosses (explanations of difficult words or phrases).
The term 'glossary' has existed since the 16th century, used to aid the understanding of obscure or foreign words.
Memory tip
Think of a "glossy" book – it's like a list of explanations for the tricky words.
Word Origin
"tongue, difficult word"