WORD PROCESSING
Basic Terminology

Before using any type of word-processing software, there are certain terminology that one needs to become familiar with in order to create documents. In Microsoft Word, the following terminology are used to articulate certain features of the software progam, its function/navigation methods, and common word-processing terms.

Term
Definition
Arrow Keys

Located on the keyboard, these left/right and up/down arrow keys can be used to move around on the computer screen.

Border

A border is used to outline an object/image on a page or you can insert borders around text/phrases. One can also create borders for entire pages to simulate letter stationery.

Click

Press and release the left mouse button once. Double-click means to click the left mouse button twice quickly.

ClipArt

A gallery or collection of graphic images or pictures that you can add to documents.

Close

A software feature that allows you use to close a document that you are working on without closing the software program.

Color Spectrum

A range of colors from cool to warm. When creating objects (e.g., circles, polygons) one can customize the colors of the objects using the color spectrum table.

Double-click

Press and release the left mouse button twice.

Drag and Drop

Moving objects from one location to another. With your mouse, move the pointer over an object on your screen. Press and hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse to where you want the object to be. Release the button.

Draw Tools

A software feature that allows you to draw objects like lines and shapes using your mouse.

Editing

Changing the appearance of a document in some way such as deleting, moving, or adding characters, changing font styles, inserting bulleted items, and altering the color of text.

File Names

A title given to a document. Names can be up to 255 characters long.

Fill

A software feature you use to change the color or shading inside an object, text box, etc.

Font/Typeface

A software feature you use to change the style of the text in a document. Font refers to the design and size of characters in a document.

Formatting

Changing the way the information is displayed in a table, chart, etc.

Group/Ungroup

Asoftware feature that allows you to group several objects into one or ungroup objects to edit individually.

Icon

A small picture that represents an object such as a program.

Insertion Point

Blinking vertical line that appears on the screen that shows where text will be inserted.

Landscape

Prints across long edge (11" x 8.5").

Line Spacing

A software feature you use to adjust the blank spaces between lines.

Margin

A software feature you use to adjust the blank space surrounding a document on all sides.

Maximize

Enlarges a window to fill the entire screen. This allows you view more of its contents.

Minimize

Removes document window from the screen. This moves the item to the task bar. You may redisplay the window at any time.

Moving

A software feature you use to change the position of text/objects, or move text/objects between different documents.

Open

A software feature you use to open a previously saved document such as a letter.

Recycle Bin

Stores all the deleted files that can be recovered later.

Resizing

Asoftware feature you use to change the size of an object like a drawing, picture, or text box.

Restore

Returns a window to its previous size. This lets you view information hidden behind the window.

Reverse Text

White text on a black background.

Save

Save data to a disk with its own file name.

Save As

Save a document under a different name or to save a new document.

Scroll

Allows you to look up and down a long document to view or edit parts.

Scroll Bar

Lets you browse through information in a window. This is useful when a window is not large enough to display all the information a document contains.

Search/Find

A feature that allows you to find all occurances of a word, phrase, numbers, etc. in a document. The Replace option allows you to substitute a word/phrase with another.

Selecting

Highlighting text in order to change it in some way.

Stack/Order

Place one object on top of or behind another.

Text Object

An object is drawn with special tools and the text is typed inside.

Title Bar

Displays the name of an open window.

Page Orientation

The direction (portrait or landscape) in which information is printed across the paper.

Portrait

Default print setting for documents. It prints across the short edge (8.5" x 11").

Print Preview

A software feature that allows you to view an entire document, including margins, page numbers, etc. before actually printing the document.

Word Wrap

As typewritten text reaches the end of a line on a page, the following word will move down automatically to the next line.