An Online Resource for Schools

Glossary

A-B | C-D | E-G | H-L | M-O | P | R-S | T-Z

Abode - 1) Lived  2) a place where people live

Abacus - A wooden object that helped Victorian children to count by sliding coloured discs along a column

Acre
 - A piece of land equal to 4,840 square yards (4,047 square metres)

Afford
 - Provide, allow

Alighted
 - Got down (from a train, bus etc)

Altered
 - Changed

Ample - Enough

Artificer -
 A tradesman

Barge - A large flat-bottomed boat used to carry heavy goods on rivers and canals

Bath-chair - A wheelchair for people who are ill or who can't walk very well, usually pushed by an attendant

Beating - 1) A traditional farming method for threshing crops like corn by hand beating to separate the grain from the stalks.  2) Scaring birds from bushes out into the open for shooting parties.

Beg to
  - "Beg to thank", "beg to inform"  means wish to thank, wish to inform

Benefit - "For the benefit of"  means  to help

Bird Scaring - Victorian children would be employed to work in fields scaring birds away from eating crops by being noisy or by chasing them off.

Blackboard - A black wooden board where the teacher would use white chalk to write information on.

Boarder - A person paying rent for a room (or bed) and meals in somebody else's house

Brake - A four-wheeled, open-topped horse-drawn vehicle able to carry six or more people

Brass Band - A musical band composed of brass instruments like a trumpet or horn, and percussion
instruments like a drum or triangle.

Brass Instrument - A type of wind instrument, such as a trumpet or trombone, and made of brass or other metal. Sound is produced by blowing into the mouthpiece, vibrating the lips, and adjusting the length of the sound tube by means of valves or a slide.

Brig - A sailing ship with two masts

British Empire - Many countries around the world which were under British control during Victoria's reign. The British Empire included large parts of North America, India, Africa, and Australia.

Bronchitis - A disease causing coughing and problems with breathing.

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