Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

English > Technical Terminology > Flashcards

Technical Terminology Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

Adventure

A

Form

Story genre that depicts the story of a protagonist that goes on a literal or metaphorical journey

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Allegory

A

Language

A story that can be interpreted to have a hidden moral/political meaning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Allusion

A

Language

Alluding to something, non-literal reference

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Amplification

A

Language

A rhetorical device used to embellish a sentence with more information

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Anadiplosis

A

Language

The repetition of a word or phrase that ends with a clause and begins with another clause

E.g. “fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Anaphora

A

Language

Repetition of a word/phrase in successive clause at the begging of a sentence

E.g. “I have a dream.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Analogy

A

Language

Comparison of two completely different concepts for the sake of explanation

E.g. life is like a race

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Anastrophe

A

Structure

The inversion of typical word order

E.g. patience I lack

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Anecdote

A

Language

The use of a story to explain/exaggerate a point

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Anthropomorphise

A

Language

Attributing human qualities/characteristics to a non-human thing such as a God, dog or bog

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Antithesis

A

Language

A thing that is the direct opposite of something else

E.g. love is the antithesis of hate

ANTI thesis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Aphorism

A

Language

An observation that doesn’t say a lot but that contains a general truth

E.g. the child is father to the man

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Aposiopesis

A

Language

The rhetorical device of suddenly breaking off in the middle of speech

E.g. nothing last for-

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Archetype

A

Language

(Based of Jungian phycological theory) a very typical expanse of a person

E.g. hero, sage or joker

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Asyndeton

A

Language

When conjunctions are put in a series of clauses, they shorten sentences and focus on the meaning.

E.g. “I came, I saw, I conquered”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Authorial Intrusion

A

Language

When the narrator speaks directly to the reader

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Bildungsroman

A

Form

A novel that explores someone’s formative years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Cacophony

A

Language

A harsh incoherent mixture of sounds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Catachresis

A

Language

The incorrect use of words or phrases on purpose

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Characterisation

A

Language

The creation of a fictional character that gives them human qualities

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Chiasmus

A

Language

The repetition of similar ideas in the reverse sequence

E.g. she has all my love; my heart belongs to her

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Conflict

A

Form

The narrative of disagreement

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Connotation

A

Language

An idea which invokes a meaning deeper than the literal

E.g. ‘discipline’ has connotations of punishment and repression

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Denotation

A

Language

The straight forward definition of something

E.g. a lamb is a young sheep

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Deus ex Machina

A

Structure
Plot device
An unexpected event that saves a seemingly hopeless situation

E.g. the appearance of the eagles in Lord of the Rings

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Diacope

A

Language

Repetition of a word or phrase with only one or two words between the repeated words

E.g. see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil

27
Q

Diction

A

Language

The choice and use of words and phrases in writing

28
Q

Doppelgänger

A

Language

An apparition or double of a living person

29
Q

Epanalepsis

A

Language

Repetition at the end of a clause with the word at the begging of the clause

E.g. the next time there won’t be a next time

30
Q

Epilogue

A

Form

Section at the end of a book

31
Q

Epistrophe

A

Language

The repetition of a word at the end of successive phrase, clause or sentence

E.g. I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth

32
Q

Epizeuxis

A

Language

The repetition of a word in the same sentence

33
Q

Euphemism

A

Language

Makes something bad sound good

E.g. they passed away

34
Q

Flashback

A

Structure

Use of the past

35
Q

Foil

A

Language

Pairs of characters whose differences highlight their character

36
Q

Folklore

A

Form

The stories of a community passed down through the generations by word of mouth

37
Q

Foregrounding

A

Language

Making something the most prominent or important feature

38
Q

Foreshadowing

A

Language

Alluding to future events

39
Q

Hendiadys

A

Language

An idea expressed by two words connected by ‘and’

E.g. nice and warm

40
Q

Hubris

A

Language

Excessive pride or self-confidence

41
Q

Hyperbaton

A

Language

Inversion of normal word order for effect

E.g. this I must see

42
Q

Hyperbole

A

Language

Exaggerated statements not to be taken literally

E.g. I slept for a thousand years

43
Q

Imagery

A

Language

Visual symbolism

44
Q

In medias res

A

Structure

‘In the action’
The story begins in the action

45
Q

Irony

A

Language

Using language that usually means the opposite of the original meaning

E.g. the cow is lactose intolerant

46
Q

Isocolon

A

Language

Succession of sentences of grammatically equal length

E.g. ‘roses are red, violets are blue. It’s called catching fire, not the hunger games 2’

47
Q

Juxtaposition

A

Language

Broad term

Compares two contrasting things

E.g. Satan’s Pandemonium juxtaposes God’s Heaven

48
Q

Litotes

A

Language

An ironic understatement when an affirmative is expressed by the negative

E.g. I shan’t be sorry for I shall be glad

49
Q

Malapropism

A

Language

The accidental use of a word in place of a similar sounding word

E.g. dancing ‘flamingo’ - instead of ‘flamenco’

50
Q

Metaphor

A

Language

A thing regarded as representative of something else

51
Q

Metonymy

A

Language

A figure of speech in which one word is substituted for another which is closely associated

E.g. lend me your ear

52
Q

Motif

A

Language

An image, sound, action or other figure that has a symbolic significance and develops a theme

E.g. the polka music in ‘Streetcar’ or Marilyn Monroe in ‘Blood Brothers’

53
Q

Oxymoron

A

Language

Combines a pair of opposite terms and turns them into a single expression

E.g. sweet sorrow

54
Q

Paradox

A

Language

A statement that contradicts itself and is still somewhat true to reveal a point

E.g. ‘I know that I know nothing’

55
Q

Pathetic fallacy

A

Language

The weather described reflects the mood or emotions of the protagonist

56
Q

Periphrasis

A

Language

An overly long expression

E.g. elongated yellow tropical fruit - a banana

57
Q

Personification

A

Language

Personification is an act of giving human characteristics to animals or objects to create imagery,

Anthropomorphism aims to make an animal or object behave and appear like it is a human being.

58
Q

Polyptoton

A

Language

Repetition of words derived from the same root

E.g. love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired

59
Q

Polysyndeton

A

Language

Repetition of conjunctions in close succession in place of a comma

E.g. he is brave and strong and kind and clever

60
Q

Portmanteau

A

Language

The blending of two words into one sound

E.g. brunch

61
Q

Prologue

A

Form

A separate introduction to a literary piece that provides insight on the story

62
Q

Satire

A

Form

the use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticise people’s stupidity, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues

63
Q

Simile

A

Language

To say something is like something else

English (2 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions