Glossary of Common Terms

C

Coat

A garment.

Cookie

Unleavened bread, baked twice for longer preservation.

D

Doodle

An irregular feature drawn with a pen, pencil, etc.

Drawer

A sliding compartment in a desk used to store items.

G

Gabardine

A robust diagonal fabric.

Gabela

Levies, taxes, or contributions paid to the State.

Galbana

Laziness, apathy, or low desire to do something.

Gallicism

Use of French words or phrases in another language.

Gallardo

Unfettered, graceful, and gallant. Also, brave.

Gallego

A native of Galicia.

Gallo

A bird of the Galliformes order.

Galvanism

Electricity produced by a chemical reaction.

Garbanzo

A herbaceous plant of the pea family.

Garbo

Gallantry, courtesy, good air and posture.

Garza

A small-headed wading bird.

Gastralgia

Stomach pain.

Gaviota

A type of wading bird.

Gavotte

A traditional dance for two people.

Gazelle

A common name for several medium-sized antelopes.

Gazette

A periodical containing news (business, administrative, literary, or otherwise).

Gaznápiro

A peasant, scrawny, awkward, and infatuated with anything.

Gazpacho

A cold soup made with bread and other ingredients.

Gelatin

A transparent solid substance obtained by cooking connective tissue, bones, and cartilage of animals.

Gem

A generic name for precious stones, mainly those called oriental.

Gendarme

A police officer, from France or other countries, who maintains order and public safety.

General

Common, usual.

Generation

A succession of lineal descendants.

Generic

Common to several species.

Generosity

An inclination to prioritize decorum over usefulness and interest.

Generous

A cheerful giver, free, liberal. Also, one who acts with magnanimity and nobility of spirit.

Genesis

The origin or beginning of something.

Genius

The nature or condition that influences someone’s work.

Genitive

That which can breed and produce something.

Genoese

People from Genoa, Italy.

Gentile

Non-Jewish.

Genuine

Authentic, legitimate.

Geodesy

The mathematical science of determining the Earth’s shape and size.

Geography

The study of the Earth’s physical features, climate, and human populations.

Geometry

The study of figures in a plane or in space.

Geranium

A plant of the Geraniaceae family.

Germ

The principle that outlines the development of a living being.

Germanic

Relating to the Germanic languages or peoples.

Germinate

To begin to grow from a seed.

Gerund

A non-personal verbal form expressing simultaneous action.

Gesticulate

To make gestures.

Gesture

Movement of face, hands, or other body parts expressing emotions.

Giant

A person of abnormally large stature.

Girona

Natural from Girona.

Gladiolus

A plant of the Iridaceae family.

Gleba

A lump of earth turned up by a plow.

Glycerin

A colorless, thick, sweet substance found in fats.

Globe

The Earth.

Globule

A small spherical body.

G

Go

To move from one place to another.

Goat

A domesticated mammal with horns and a beard.

God

A supreme being.

Gold

A precious metal.

Good

Having desirable qualities.

Goose

A large waterfowl.

Government

The governing body of a nation, state, or community.

Grace

Elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action.

Grade

A particular level of rank, quality, proficiency, intensity, or value.

Grain

A small, hard seed, especially of a food plant such as wheat, corn, rye, oats, rice, or millet.

Grand

Magnificent and imposing in appearance, size, or scope.

Grape

A small, round, smooth-skinned edible fruit, typically green or purple when ripe, that grows in clusters on vines.

Grass

Vegetation consisting of typically short plants with long narrow leaves, growing wild or cultivated on lawns and pasture, and as a fodder crop.

Grave

A place of burial for a dead body, typically a hole dug in the ground and marked by a stone or mound.

Gray

Of a color intermediate between black and white, as of ashes or lead.

Great

Of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the normal or average.

Green

Of the color between blue and yellow in the spectrum; colored like grass or emeralds.

Grief

Deep sorrow, especially that caused by someone’s death.

Grind

Reduce (something) to small particles or powder by crushing it.

Grip

Grasp (something) tightly.

Grit

Small loose particles of stone or sand.

Gross

(Especially of wrongdoing) flagrant and extreme.

Ground

The solid surface of the earth.

Group

A number of people or things that are located close together or are considered or classed together.

Grow

(Of a living thing) undergo natural development by increasing in size and changing physically; progress to maturity.

Growth

The process of increasing in physical size.

H

Hawk

A bird of prey, about three decimeters long from beak to tail tip.

Hen

A female chicken.

Hump

A rounded protuberance on the back of a camel or other animal, or a similar protuberance on the back of a person.

M

Moan

To express sorrow or pain with a sound.

O

Office

A room smaller than the room where you meet people you trust.

P

People

Numerous individuals.

Pick

Strong wire bent at one end, like a hook.

Press Release

A short news item intended for inclusion in a newspaper.

Prudery

Affectation of modesty, devotion, or scruples.

R

Rabbit

A small furry mammal with long ears.

S

Sheaf

A bundle of grain stalks tied together after reaping.

T

Throat

The upper windpipe.

T

Twin

Born of the same parturition.

K

Kneel

The action of bending the knee down towards the floor, usually a sign of reverence.

G

Gymnastics

Exercises to develop, strengthen, and give flexibility to the body.

Gypsy

Charming and funny, capturing people’s willingness.

Sunflower

An annual plant native to Peru, of the Compositae family.

R

Rotate

To move around a point or axis.

Spin

Rotation.