A glossary is like a dictionary of words for a topic you are learning about. The words are in alphabetical order to help you locate them easily. You often see a glossary in non-fiction books and in some online material.

Glossaries differ from dictionaries by the fact that they are about a specific subject or are tailored to the content of a particular book. Dictionaries are more broad and have the meaning of lots of different words on any topic or idea.

Sometimes glossaries can contain hyperlinks, which are in a different colour and may be underlined. You can click on a hyperlink to take you to more detailed explanations. Hyperlinks may take you to another site or to a different place within the page you are in.

Read this glossary to learn the key words for this unit of inquiry. It contains hyperlinks to online dictionaries for additional information.

When using this research guide, the hyperlinks are the green words.

If you see this symbol in an online dictionary, you can click on it to hear how the word sounds.

annotate– To add notes to an image or diagram.

depend– Needing help from another to survive.

life cycle– The changes that a living thing goes through as they move through the phases of their life.

living– Something that is alive and not dead. It has needs for survival.

non-living– Has no life. Can be an object or an item.

biodiversity–  The range of living things in an area.

product– Something that has been made from materials.

Dictionary References

Merriam-Webster. (2022). Merriam-Webster dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/

Wordsmyth. (2022). Kids wordsmyth. https://kids.wordsmyth.net/we/