Glossary

accessible content Content that is packaged and delivered in a way that supports access by all input methods and output devices.

add-in A utility that adds specialized functionality to an app but does not operate as an independent app.

All Markup view A view that displays all tracked changes, including formatting, text edits, and comments.

alt text A descriptive text alternative for an image or object as required for accessibility.

aspect ratio The ratio of the width of an image to its height.

attribute An individual item of character formatting, such as size or color, that determines how text looks.

AutoCorrect A feature that automatically detects and corrects misspelled words and incorrect capitalization. You can add your own AutoCorrect entries.

AutoShape One of an array of ready-made shapes provided by Word to assist you with creating more complex pictures.

background The colors, shading, texture, and graphics that appear behind the text and objects in a document.

balloon In Print Layout view or Web Layout view, a box that shows comments and tracked changes in the margins of a document, making it easy to review and respond to them.

bar chart A chart with bars that compares the quantities of two or more items.

bibliography A listing of reference sources for information in a report or other publication.

blog A frequently updated online journal or column. Blogs are often used to publish personal or company information in an informal way. Short for web log. See also vlog.

bookmark A location or section of text that is electronically marked so it can be returned to later. Like a physical bookmark, a Word bookmark marks a specific location in a document. You can display a specific bookmark from the Go To page of the Find And Replace dialog box or from the Insert Bookmark dialog box.

border A visible outline applied to a paragraph, page, picture, table, table cell, or other document element. You can specify the color, pattern, and weight or width of a border. See also gridline.

building block Frequently used text or image elements saved in a gallery, from which it can be inserted quickly into a document.

caption Descriptive text associated with a figure, photo, illustration, or screenshot.

category axis The horizontal reference line on a grid, chart, or graph that has horizontal and vertical dimensions. Also called the x-axis.

cell A box formed by the intersection of a row and column in a worksheet or a table, in which you enter information.

cell address The location of a cell, expressed as its column letter and row number, as in A1.

character formatting Formatting you can apply to selected characters.

character spacing The distance between characters in a line of text. (In typography, also referred to as kerning.) Can be adjusted by pushing characters apart (expanding) or squeezing them together (condensing).

character style A combination of character formatting options identified by a style name. See also paragraph style; Quick Style; style, table style.

chart area A chart region in which you position chart elements, render axes, and plot data.

chevron A small control or button you can click to display or hide items, such as the chevron at the right end of the ribbon that you click to hide the ribbon. Also the « and » characters that surround each merge field in a main document; also known as guillemet characters.

citation A reference within a document to the source of the information, the details of which are given in a bibliography.

Click and Type A feature that allows you to double-click a blank area of a document to position the cursor in that location, with the appropriate paragraph alignment already in place. You can turn this feature on or off in Advanced Options.

clip art A piece of free, ready-made art distributed without copyright. Usually cartoons, sketches, illustrations, or photographs.

Clipboard A storage area shared by all Microsoft Office apps, where cut or copied items are temporarily stored so they can be pasted elsewhere.

coauthor To collaborate with other people on the development of a document.

collaborate To work with other people to update or interact with content.

column Either the vertical arrangement of text into one or more side-by-side sections or the vertical arrangement of cells in a table.

column break A break inserted in the text of a column to force the text below it to move to the next column.

column chart A chart that displays data in vertical bars to facilitate data comparison.

comment A note or annotation an author or reviewer adds to a document. Word displays the comment in a balloon in the margin of the document or in the Reviewing pane.

contextual tab See tool tab.

cross-reference entry An entry in an index that refers readers to a related entry.

cursor A representation on the screen of the input device pointer location.

cycle diagram A diagram that shows a continuous process.

data marker A customizable symbol or shape that identifies a data point on a chart. Data markers can be bars, columns, pie or doughnut slices, dots, and various other shapes and can be various sizes and colors.

data point An individual value plotted in a chart.

data series Related data points plotted in a chart. Most charts can display multiple data series. A pie chart has only one data series.

data source A file containing variable information, such as names and addresses, that is merged with a main document containing static information.

demoting In an outline, changing a heading to a lower heading level or body text; for example, changing from Heading 5 to Heading 6. See also promoting.

desktop publishing A process that creates pages by combining text and objects, such as tables and graphics, in a visually appealing way.

destination file The file into which a linked or embedded object or mail merge data is inserted. When you change information in a destination file, the information is not updated in the source file. See also source file.

diagram A graphic in which shapes, text, and pictures are used to illustrate a process, cycle, or relationship.

dialog box launcher On the ribbon, a button in the lower-right corner of some groups that opens a dialog box in which you can configure additional features related to the group.

digital signature Data that binds a sender’s identity to the information being sent. A digital signature might be bundled with any message, file, or other digitally encoded information, or transmitted separately. Digital signatures are used in public key environments and provide authentication and integrity services.

Display For Review options The four options for displaying comments in a Word document. The options are All Markup, Simple Markup, No Markup, and Original.

Document Inspector A tool that automates the process of detecting and removing all extraneous and confidential information from a document.

Draft view A document view that displays the content of a document with a simplified layout.

drag-and-drop editing A way of moving or copying selected text by dragging it from one location to another.

dragging A way of moving objects by selecting them and then, while the selection device is active (for example, while you are holding down the mouse button), moving the selection to the new location.

drawing canvas A work area for creating pictures in Word. The drawing canvas keeps the parts of the picture together, helps you position the picture, and provides a frame-like boundary between your picture and the text on the page.

drawing object Any graphic you draw or insert that can be changed and enhanced. Drawing objects include AutoShapes, curves, lines, and WordArt.

drop cap An enlarged, decorative capital letter that appears at the beginning of a paragraph.

embedded object An object that is wholly inserted into a file. Embedding the object, rather than simply inserting or pasting its contents, ensures that the object retains its original format. If you open the embedded object, you can edit it with the toolbars and menus from the app used to create it.

endnote A note at the end of a section or document that is referenced by text in the main body of the document. An endnote consists of two linked parts, a reference mark within the main body of text, and the corresponding text of the note. See also footnote.

Extensible Markup Language (XML) A format for delivering rich, structured data in a standard, consistent way. XML tags describe the content of a document, whereas HTML tags describe how the document looks. XML is extensible because it allows designers to create their own customized tags.

field A placeholder that tells Word to supply the specified information in the specified way. Also, the set of information of a specific type in a data source, such as all the last names in a contacts list.

field name A first-row cell in a data source that identifies data in the column below.

file format The structure or organization of data in a file. The file format of a document is usually indicated by the file name extension.

filtering Displaying files or records in a data source that meet certain criteria—for example, filtering a data source to display only the records for people who live in a particular state. Filtering does not delete files; it simply changes the view so you display only the files that meet your criteria.

font A graphic design applied to a collection of numbers, symbols, and characters. A font describes a certain typeface, which can have qualities such as size, spacing, and pitch.

font effect An attribute, such as superscript, small capital letters, or shadow, that can be applied to a font.

font size The height (in points) of a collection of characters, where one point is equal to approximately 1/72 of an inch.

font style The emphasis placed on a font by using formatting such as bold, italic, underline, or color.

footer One or more lines of text in the bottom margin area of a page in a document, typically containing elements such as the page number and the name of the file. See also header.

footnote A note at the end of a page that explains, comments on, or provides references for text in the main body of a document. A footnote consists of two linked parts, a reference mark within the main body of the document, and the corresponding text of the note. See also endnote.

formatting See character formatting; paragraph formatting.

formula A sequence of values, cell references, names, functions, or operators in a cell of a table or worksheet that together produce a new value. A formula always begins with an equal sign (=).

gallery A grouping of thumbnails that display options visually.

graphic Any piece of art used to illustrate or convey information or to add visual interest to a document.

grayscale The range of shades of black in an image.

gridlines In a table, thin lines that indicate the cell boundaries. Table gridlines do not print when you print a document. In a chart, lines that visually carry the y-axis values across the plot area. See also border.

group On a ribbon tab, an area containing buttons related to a specific document element or function.

grouping Assembling several objects, such as shapes, into a single unit so they act as one object. Grouped objects can easily be moved, sized, and formatted.

hands-free typing The ability to use your voice to enter text by using the Office Dictation command.

hard copy Printed output on paper, film, or another permanent medium.

header A line, or lines, of content in the top margin area of a page in a document, typically containing elements such as the title, page number, or name of the author. See also footer.

hierarchy diagram A diagram that illustrates the structure of an organization or entity.

hyperlink A connection from a hyperlink anchor such as text or a graphic that you can follow to display a link target such as a file, a location in a file, or a website. Text hyperlinks are usually formatted as colored or underlined text, but sometimes the only indication is that when you point to them, the pointer changes to a hand.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) A markup language that uses tags to mark elements in a document to indicate how web browsers should display these elements to the user and how they should respond to user actions.

hyphenating Separating syllables of a word that would otherwise extend beyond the right margin of the page, by using a hyphen.

icon A small picture or symbol representing a command, file type, function, app, or tool.

indent marker A marker on the horizontal ruler that controls the indentation of text from the left or right margin of a document.

index A list of the words and phrases discussed in a printed document and the page numbers they appear on.

index entry A field code that marks specific text for inclusion in an index. When you mark text as an index entry, Word inserts an XE (index entry) field formatted as hidden text.

index entry field The XE field, including the braces ( { } ), that defines an index entry.

inking Entering content in a document through a touchscreen or touchpad.

justifying Making all lines of text in a paragraph or column fit the width of the document or column, with even margins on each side.

keyboard shortcut Any combination of keystrokes that can be used to perform a task that would otherwise require a mouse or other pointing device.

landscape The orientation of a picture or page where the width is greater than the height. See also portrait.

legend A key in a chart that identifies the colors and names of the data series or categories in the chart.

line break A manual break that forces the text that follows it to the next line. Also called a text wrapping break.

line graph or line chart A type of chart in which data points in a series are connected by a line.

link See hyperlink; linked object.

linked object An object that is inserted into a document but still exists in the source file. When information is linked, the document can be updated automatically if the information in the original document changes.

LinkedIn A social networking site used by business professionals.

list diagram A diagram in which lists of related or independent information are visually represented.

Live Preview A feature that temporarily displays the effect of applying a specific format to the selected document element.

macro A recording of a series of commands performed in an Office file that can be run with a click or keyboard shortcut.

mail merge The process of merging information into a main document from a data source, such as an email address book or database, to create customized documents, such as form letters or mailing labels.

main document In a mail merge operation in Word, the document that contains the static text and graphics that are the same for each version of the merged document.

manual page break A page break inserted to force subsequent information to appear on the next page.

margin The blank space outside the printing area on a page.

markup Comments and tracked changes such as insertions, deletions, and formatting changes.

markup views Views that display tracked changes such as insertions, deletions, and formatting changes.

matrix diagram A diagram that shows the relationship of components to a whole.

merge field A placeholder in a document that is replaced with variable information from a data source during the merge process.

Microsoft Office Clipboard See Clipboard.

Navigation pane A pane that displays an outline of a document’s headings, or thumbnails of a document’s pages, and allows you to jump to a heading or page in the document by selecting it. Also provides content search capabilities.

nested table A table inserted into a cell of another table.

No Markup view A view that hides all tracked changes and comments.

object An item, such as a graphic, video clip, sound file, or worksheet, that can be inserted into a document and then selected and modified.

orientation The direction (horizontal or vertical) in which a page is laid out.

Original view A view that displays all content as it was originally entered in the document, with any tracked changes and comments hidden.

orphan The first line of a paragraph printed by itself at the bottom of a page.

Outline view A view that shows the headings of a document indented to represent their level in the document’s structure.

palette A collection of color swatches that you can apply to the selected text or object.

paragraph In word processing, a block of text that ends when you press the Enter key.

paragraph formatting Formatting that controls the appearance of a paragraph. Examples include indentation, alignment, line spacing, and pagination.

paragraph style A combination of character formatting and paragraph formatting that is named and stored as a set. Applying the style to a paragraph applies all the formatting characteristics at one time.

path A sequence of folders that leads to a specific file or folder. A backslash is used to separate each folder in a Windows path, and a forward slash is used to separate each directory in an internet path.

PDF (Portable Document Format) A fixed-layout file format in which the formatting of the document appears the same regardless of the computer on which it is displayed.

pen A customizable tool used for inking.

picture A photograph, clip art image, illustration, or another type of image created with an app other than Word.

picture diagram A diagram that uses pictures to convey information, rather than or in addition to text.

pie chart A round chart that shows the proportion of items in a single data series to the sum of the items. The pie chart represents each data set as a wedge of the round pie.

plot area In a two-dimensional chart, the area bounded by the axes, including all data series. In a three-dimensional chart, the area bounded by the axes, including the data series, category names, tick-mark labels, and axis titles.

point The unit of measure for expressing the size of characters in a font, where 72 points equals approximately 1 inch.

pointing to Pausing the mouse pointer or other pointing device over an on-screen element.

Portable Document Format See PDF.

portrait The orientation of a picture or page where the page is taller than it is wide. See also landscape.

post A message published on a blog, discussion board, or message board.

Print Layout view A view of a document as it will appear when printed—for example, items such as headers, footnotes, columns, and text boxes appear in their actual positions.

process diagram A diagram that visually represents the ordered set of steps required to complete a task.

promoting In an outline, changing body text to a heading, or changing a heading to a higher-level heading. See also demoting.

pull quote Text taken from the body of a document and showcased in a text box to create visual interest.

pyramid diagram A diagram that shows foundation-based relationships.

query Selection criteria for extracting information from a data source.

Quick Access Toolbar A small, customizable toolbar that displays frequently used commands.

Quick Table A table with sample data you can customize.

Read Mode A document view that displays a document in a simplified window with minimal controls, at a size optimized for reading documents on a computer screen. Previously referred to as Full Screen Reading view or Reading Layout view.

read-only A setting that allows a file to be read or copied but not changed or saved. If you change a read-only file, you can save your changes only if you give the document a new name.

record A collection of data about a person, a place, an event, or some other item. Records are the logical equivalents of rows in a table.

reference mark The number or symbol displayed in the body of a document when you insert a footnote or endnote.

relationship diagram A diagram that shows convergent, divergent, overlapping, merging, or containment elements.

revision A change in a document.

ribbon A user interface design that organizes commands into logical groups on separate tabs.

saturation In color management, the purity of a color’s hue, moving from gray to the pure color.

scalable vector graphic (SVG) A graphic format that stores image data in XML format instead of pixels. See also vector graphic.

screen clipping An image of all or part of the content displayed on a computer screen. Screen clippings can be captured by using a graphics capture tool such as the Screen Clipping tool included with Office 2019 apps.

ScreenTip A note that appears on the screen to provide information about the app interface or certain types of document content, such as proofing marks and hyperlinks within a document.

section break A mark you insert to show the end of a section. A section break stores the section formatting elements, such as the margins, page orientation, headers and footers, and sequence of page numbers.

selecting Highlighting text or activating an object so you can manipulate or edit it in some way.

selection area An area in a document’s left margin in which you can drag to select blocks of text.

series axis The third axis in a three-dimensional coordinate system, used in computer graphics to represent depth. Also called the z-axis.

SharePoint library A file storage unit on a SharePoint site.

Simple Markup view A view for tracked changes that clearly identifies where changes and comments are in a document, and gives you easy access to them, without detracting from the readability.

sizing handle A small circle, square, or set of dots at the corner or on the side of a selected object. You drag these handles to change the size of the object horizontally, vertically, or proportionally.

SmartArt graphic A predefined set of shapes and text used as a basis for creating a diagram.

soft page break A page break Word inserts when the text reaches the bottom margin of a page.

source file A file that contains information that is linked, embedded, or merged into a destination file. Updates to source file content are reflected in the destination file when the data connection is refreshed. See also destination file.

Spike Similar to the Clipboard, the Spike is a building block in which you can collect content. You cut content to the Spike by pressing Ctrl+F3. You paste content from the Spike by pressing Ctrl+Shift+F3, by typing spike and then pressing F3, or from the Building Blocks gallery, where you can also view the current Spike content.

stack A set of graphics that overlap each other.

status bar An app window element, located at the bottom of the app window, that displays indicators and controls.

status bar indicator A notification on the status bar that displays information related to the current app.

style Any kind of formatting that is named and stored as a set. See also character style; paragraph style; Quick Style; table style.

style area pane An optional pane that displays the assigned paragraph style of the adjacent paragraph in Draft or Outline view. The style area pane width is set in the Display section of the Advanced page of the Outlook Options dialog box. To display the pane, specify a width greater than 0.

subentry An index entry that falls under a more general heading; for example, Mars and Venus might be subentries of the index entry planets.

SVG See scalable vector graphic.

tab A tabbed page on the ribbon that contains buttons organized in groups.

tab leader An optional repeating character (usually a dot or dash) that separates the text before a tab stop from the text after the tab stop.

tab stop A location on the horizontal ruler that indicates how far to indent text or where to begin a column of text.

tabbed list A list that arranges text in simple columns separated by left, right, centered, or decimal tab stops.

table One or more rows of cells commonly used to display numbers and other items for quick reference and analysis. Items in a table are organized in rows and columns.

table of authorities A list of the references in a legal document, such as references to cases, statutes, and rules, along with the numbers of the pages on which the references appear.

table of contents A list of the headings in a document, along with the numbers of the pages on which the headings appear.

table of figures A list of the captions for pictures, charts, graphs, slides, or other illustrations in a document, along with the numbers of the pages on which the captions appear.

table style A set of formatting options, such as font, border style, and row banding, applied to a table. The regions of a table, such as the header row, header column, and data area, can be variously formatted.

target A file, location, object, or webpage displayed from a link or hyperlink.

template A file that can contain predefined formatting, layout, text, or graphics, and serves as the basis for new documents with a similar design or purpose.

text box A container object that contains content separate from other document content.

text wrapping The way text wraps around an object on the page.

text wrapping break A manual break that forces the text that follows it to the next line. Also known as a line break.

theme A set of unified design elements that combine color, fonts, and effects to provide a professional look for a document.

thesaurus A reference tool that groups words and their synonyms.

thumbnail A small representation of an item, such as an image, a page of content, or a set of formatting, usually obtained by scaling a snapshot of it. Thumbnails are typically used to provide visual identifiers for related items.

tick-mark A small line of measurement, similar to a division line on a ruler, that intersects an axis in a chart.

tool tab A ribbon tab containing groups of commands that are pertinent only to a specific type of document element such as a picture, table, or text box. Tool tabs appear only when relevant content is selected.

value axis The vertical reference line on a grid, chart, or graph that has horizontal and vertical dimensions. Also called the y-axis.

vector graphic A category of images that are composed of shapes instead of pixels, which means that as you increase or decrease their size, their edges remain smooth instead of becoming pixelated.

View Shortcuts toolbar A toolbar located at the right end of the status bar that contains tools for switching between views of document content and changing the display magnification.

view A common menu item that enables the user to select how the contents of the current app are displayed.

vlog A video blog or video log. See blog.

watermark A text or graphic image on the page behind the main content of a document.

web app See Word Online.

web browser Software that interprets HTML files, formats them into webpages, and displays them. A web browser, such as Edge or Internet Explorer, can follow hyperlinks, respond to requests to download files, and play sound or video files embedded in webpages.

Web Layout view A view of a document as it will appear in a web browser. In this view, a document appears as one page (without page breaks); text and tables wrap to fit the window.

web log See blog.

webpage A World Wide Web document. A webpage typically consists of an HTML file, with associated files for graphics and scripts, in a specific folder on a specific computer. It is identified by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

widow The last line of a paragraph printed by itself at the top of a page.

wildcard character A keyboard character that can be used to represent one or many characters when conducting a search. The question mark (?) represents a single character, and the asterisk (*) represents one or more characters.

Word Online A Microsoft Office Online app that enables users to upload, view (in full fidelity), share, and edit Word files in a web browser. Users can create and edit a new Word file directly from the web app, and this file can be saved, viewed, edited, and opened in the Word desktop app.

word processing The writing, editing, and formatting of documents in an app designed for working primarily with text.

word wrap The process of breaking lines of text automatically to stay within the page margins of a document or within window boundaries.

WordArt A group of text effects that incorporate qualities such as shadows, reflections, edge glow, beveled edges, 3D rotation, and transforms.

x-axis The horizontal reference line on a grid, chart, or graph that has horizontal and vertical dimensions. Also called the category axis.

XML See Extensible Markup Language.

y-axis The vertical reference line on a grid, chart, or graph that has horizontal and vertical dimensions. Also called the value axis.

z-axis The third axis in a three-dimensional coordinate system, used in computer graphics to represent depth. Also called the series axis.