Reference
Glossary
Plain-language definitions of the terms used in speaking, microphones, meetings and Robert's Rules.
Each definition links the chapter section that explains the term. Filter by topic, or type a word.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Abstention | Choosing not to vote. Under Robert's Rules an abstention is not a vote and is not counted. More |
| Action item | One thing a person agreed to do, with a name and a date, written down before the meeting ends. More |
| Agenda | The list of items for a meeting, with each item's leader, minutes and kind. More |
| Alt text | A short written description of an image, read aloud by a screen reader. More |
| Amendment | A change to the wording of a motion, voted on before the motion itself. More |
| Assistive listening system | Equipment that sends a speaker's microphone sound straight to a listener's receiver or hearing aid. More |
| Audience analysis | Asking who the listeners are, what they already know and feel, and what the room and occasion are like. More |
| Backup reader | A person chosen ahead of time who holds a copy of your script and can finish it if you cannot. More |
| Block | In consensus decision-making, an objection serious enough to stop a proposal. More |
| Celebrant | A person, often not clergy, who leads a ceremony such as a funeral or wedding. More |
| Chair | The person who runs a meeting: opens it, calls on speakers, states questions and announces results. More |
| Communication apprehension | The term researchers use for fear or anxiety about speaking with others. More |
| Consensus | A way of deciding in which the group looks for a proposal everyone supports or can live with. More |
| Contrast ratio | A number comparing the brightness of text and its background; WCAG sets 4.5 to 1 for ordinary text. More |
| Cue card | A small card with the keywords for one part of a talk, plus delivery cues. More |
| Emcee | The host of a program, who introduces speakers and keeps the schedule moving. More |
| Eulogy | A talk about someone who has died, given at a funeral or memorial for the living. More |
| Extemporaneous speech | A speech prepared and rehearsed, then given from brief notes rather than a full script. More |
| Filler | A word or sound such as "um" used while thinking; normal in speech, a problem only when it distracts. More |
| General consent | A way to pass routine business without a vote: the chair asks if there is any objection and, hearing none, declares it done. More |
| Hearing loop | A wire around a room that sends microphone sound to hearing aids and implants with a telecoil. More |
| Honoree | The person a toast or tribute honors. More |
| Hybrid meeting | A meeting with some people in a room and some joining online. More |
| Impromptu speech | A talk given with little or no time to prepare, such as being asked to say a few words. More |
| Internal summary | A sentence in the middle of a talk that recaps the points so far. More |
| Introduction | A short talk that welcomes a speaker, says why the topic matters to this group and names the speaker last. More |
| Last line | The final sentence of a talk, planned in advance: a toast line, a handover or a request. More |
| Main message | The one thing a listener must remember from a presentation, stated first. More |
| Main motion | A proposal that the group take a particular action; it is the basic item of business in Robert's Rules. More |
| Main point | The one sentence a talk is about; if you cannot say it in a sentence, the talk is not yet focused. More |
| Majority | More than half of the votes cast, not counting abstentions. More |
| Manuscript speech | A speech read from a full written script. More |
| Memorized speech | A speech delivered from memory without notes. More |
| Minutes | The written record of a meeting. Under Robert's Rules they record what was done, not what was said. More |
| Motion | A formal proposal made by a member for the group to consider. More |
| Note-taker | The person who records decisions and action items at a meeting. More |
| Open meetings law | A state law that requires some public bodies to give notice of meetings and hold them in public; the rules vary by state. More |
| Parliamentarian | An adviser on parliamentary procedure who helps a chair and group apply their rules. More |
| Quorum | The number of members who must be present for a meeting to conduct business, usually set in the bylaws. More |
| Respelling | Writing a name as you will say it, with the stressed syllable in capitals. More |
| Roast | A toast with more teasing, within the same limits, using only material the room knows. More |
| Robert's Rules of Order | A widely used set of rules for running meetings; it applies to a group when the bylaws adopt it. More |
| Signpost | A short phrase that tells listeners where you are in a talk, such as "my second point". More |
| Slot | The minutes you have been given to speak. More |
| Sound check | Trying the microphone and speaking position before the audience arrives. More |
| Speaking rate | How many words you say per minute; published advice for presenting runs 120 to 150. More |
| Stage fright | Fear of speaking in front of people. More |
| Stand-aside | In consensus decision-making, saying you disagree but will not stop the group. More |
| Telecoil | A small coil in a hearing aid or implant that picks up sound from a hearing loop. More |
| Timekeeper | The person who watches the clock and signals the chair or speaker. More |
| Toast | A short speech that ends with the room drinking to someone. More |
| Transition | A phrase that moves a talk from one part to the next. More |
| Tribute | A talk honoring someone, living or dead. More |
| Two-thirds vote | At least two of every three votes cast; no rounding. More |
| Vigil | A gathering the evening before a funeral, often with prayers and remarks. More |
| Word budget | The number of words that fits your slot at your own speaking rate. More |
| Words of remembrance | Brief remarks about the person who died, in the form some Catholic parishes allow at a funeral Mass. More |