Terms & Definitions

Glossary of Terms

Term	Definition
amnesty	A period during which offenders are exempt from punishment. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/amnesty
anesthetic	A substance used in surgery and dentistry that causes temporary loss of feeling, with or without the loss of consciousness. Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/anesthetic
bond	A long-term loan usually used to raise funds, in which the borrower (a corporation or government) agrees to pay a lender interest over the length of the loan and then repay the principal at the date of maturity (usually 10 years or more). Source: http://www.amosweb.com/cgi-bin/awb_nav.pl?s=gls&c=dsp&k=bond
Botox	A toxin (poison) that is used by medical doctors to treat muscle spasms, and by cosmetic surgeons to temporarily smooth frown lines. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Botox
Bread and Roses	The name of a major labor strike in 1912, in which 20,000 immigrant textile workers in Lawrence, MA, walked off their jobs to protest unfair wage cuts and unsafe working conditions. "Bread and Roses" refers to the fair wages (Bread) and dignified working conditions (Roses) demanded by the workers. Source: http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45b/073.html
certificate of deposit (CD)	A type of savings account maintained by banks and other depository institutions that pays higher interest rates than regular savings accounts, but requires that funds not be withdrawn for a specified time period. Source: http://www.amosweb.com/cgi-bin/awb_nav.pl?s=gls&c=dsp&k=certificate+of+deposit
consumer	One who purchases goods and services for direct use or ownership, rather than for resale or use in production and manufacturing. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/consumer
consumer trends	The general purchasing habits of a majority of consumers, for particular goods and services, at any given time. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
diversify	To spread out investments among different companies or securities in order to limit losses in the event of a decline in a particular market or industry. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/diversify
dysentery	An infection of the intestines marked by severe diarrhea. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dysentery
economic growth	An increase in an economy's capacity to produce goods and services, resulting in a growth of local or national income. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/economic+growth
economy	The organized system of production, distribution, and consumption (of goods and services) of a community, region, or country. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/economy
elasticity	The ability of a thing to return to its original shape after it has been stretched or compressed. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/elasticity
entrepreneur	A person who organizes, operates, and assumes the risk for a business venture. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/entrepreneur
environmentally conscious	To be concerned about human effects on our natural environment and resources, and to act in ways that help protect and conserve these. Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/environmentalism
goods and services	The "tangible" (touchable) and "intangible" things produced by a country's economy. Examples of tangible goods include food, clothing, machines, and new roads. Examples of intangible services include those of doctors, teachers, merchants, and government officials. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Goods_and_services&oldid=143284930
inflation	A persistent increase in the AVERAGE price level (prices IN GENERAL)in the economy. Source: http://www.amosweb.com/cgi-bin/awb_nav.pl?s=gls&c=dsp&k=inflation
infrastructure	The basic facilities, services, and installations needed for the functioning of a society, such as transportation and communications systems, water and power lines, and public institutions including schools, post offices, and prisons. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/infrastructure
innovator	One who helps to open up a new line of research or technology or art; one who creates or introduces new things. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/innovator
inoculation	The act of "inoculating" or introducing a vaccine (a weakened or killed form of a bacterium or virus) into the body of a person or animal, especially to produce or boost resistance to a specific disease. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/inoculation
mutual fund	A company that brings together money from many people and invests it in stocks, bonds or other assets. The combined holdings of the various assets owned by the fund are known as its portfolio, and each investor in the fund owns shares, which represent a part of these holdings. Source: http://www.sec.gov/investor/tools/mfcc/mutual-fund-help.htm
polio	The abbreviation for "Poliomyelitis," a highly infectious viral disease that chiefly affects children, marked by inflammation of nerve cells of the brain stem and spinal cord. In its acute forms, the disease can cause paralysis, muscular deterioration, and deformity. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Poliomyelitis
Ponzi scheme	An investment scam (also known as a "pyramid scheme") in which money paid by later investors or contributors is used to pay inflated returns to earlier investors--until the funds dry up when no more contributors can be found. Source: http://collegesavings.about.com/od/glossarydefinitions/g/ponzi-scheme.htm
scurvy	A condition caused by a lack of vitamin C in the diet. Signs of scurvy include tiredness, muscle weakness, joint and muscle aches, a rash on the legs, and bleeding gums. Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/scurvy
smallpox	A highly contagious and often fatal disease causing fever, rash, and blisters with pus, which usually leave permanent scars. Once a dreaded killer of children, smallpox was declared "wiped out" in 1980, following a worldwide vaccination campaign. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/smallpox
standard of living	A level of material comfort as measured by the goods, services, and luxuries available to an individual, group, or nation. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/standard+of+living
stock ticker	A scrolling electronic display of current stock prices and volumes. The term "ticker" comes from "ticker tape machine," which was the 1870s device that recorded and sent this information over telegraph wires and printed it by punching holes in a paper strip called "ticker tape." Source: http://www.investorglossary.com/stock-ticker.htm
textile	A cloth, especially one manufactured by weaving or knitting natural or synthetic fibers. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/textile
The Scarlet Letter	An American romance novel set in Puritan New England, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in the mid 1800s. The story centers around a young woman who is found guilty of adultery (being unfaithful to one's spouse) and is made to wear a red "A" on her dress as a symbol of her shame. Source: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/The-Scarlet-Letter-Book-Summary.id-167,pageNum-1.html
Uncle Sam	A symbolic representation of the United States government, the American nation, or its people, as a tall, thin man with a white beard and blue tailcoat, red-and-white-striped trousers, and a tall hat with a band of stars. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Uncle+Sam
venture capital industry	The people or companies engaged in providing start-up money for investment in new enterprises or research, especially in high technology, in which both the risk of loss and the potential for profit may be considerable. Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/venture-capital
venture capitalist	A speculator; one who makes money available for innovative projects, especially in high technology. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/venture+capitalist
wherewithal	The necessary means, especially financial means. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/wherewithal