R. Craig Collins >Common > Word Glossary

Word Glossary© R. Craig Collins, 2005

autocorrect: If you type in a lower case I and hit the space bar, Word will change it to an upper case I to be grammatically correct.

clipboard: an area or RAM (working memory) the can temporarily hold information that is cut or copied from one place, and pasted elsewhere

create-edit-format: the logical steps in creating a Word document

create: opening Word, and putting words in the document

cut-copy-paste: once a word or phrase is selected, it can be cut (removed from document, and place on the clipboard)
or copied (information is duplicated and placed on the clipboard) or pasted (taken from the clipboard, and inserted in the document)

doc or docx: the file type extension used by Microsoft Word

drag: when a selected area is moved by clicking and holding the left mouse button; let go of the mouse to finish the process

edit: after your document is created, the process of converting the rough draft to convey your meaning in the best way; you may need to replace or remove some words using the thesaurus, spell check, rearrange words, sentences, or paragraphs, etc.

footnote: used to give credit for a quote or an important idea. Word automatically adds a number at the insertion point, the drops to the bottom of the page where the author information is place.

font: the size, shape, and color of typed text

format: changing the appearance of text to add emphasis

format painter: the paintbrush tool that can duplicate formats and apply to other text

grammar check: a part of the full spell check that also verifies proper use of the language indicated by a green underline

header: the area at the top of a document that often holds page numbers

outline: a document view option, and a tool in word that indents for subtopics by using the tab key and reduces the indent using shift+tab

redo: reverses an undo

save: replacing an existing document with a newer version. How to save

save as: taking the temporary document in a computers memory and making a long term copy; requires a location, file name, and file type
How to save

select, then do: refers to the Windows paradigm, your must click or highlight and item before it can be manipulated

selection: highlighted words or phrases that can be dragged, deleted, copied, or formatted

spell check: words not found in Word's dictionary are marked by a red underline. Running the spell check will suggest replacements for spelling and grammar errors

style: multiple format options that can be applied at once, such as a headline is a different size, typeface, and is bold

table: a means of organizing information into rows and columns

thesaurus: a reference that contains words with similar meanings

template: a fully formatted document that you may replace the existing text with new text

undo: puts the document back the way it was before and action; if Word autocorrects something in error, or you move a phrase and don't like the result... you can undo the last action you did. They keyboard shortcut is [Ctrl]+[Z] or you can click the undo button to put it back the way it was.

wizard: a tool to guide you through a process

word wrap: automatically starting a new line when the margin is reached

wysiwyg: what you see is what you get; that is, what is printed should look identical to what is on the screen