Page 114 - A History of the World in 25 Cities

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Abbasid A dynasty of leaders who ruled the Islamic Empire from Baghdad between 750 and 1258.
activist A person who campaigns publicly or works for an organisation to bring about social or political change.
alloy A metal made by combining two or more types of metal.
altar A holy table in a temple or church.
amulet A small object or piece of jewellery carried to offer protection from evil or danger and to bring good luck.
Anglo-Saxons The people who lived in England from the fifth century until the Norman Conquest in 1066.
apprentice Someone who works for a skilled person in order to learn their trade.
aqueduct A bridge or channel carrying water across country.
arena A place where sport, entertainment and public events are held in front of spectators.
arsenal A building where military equipment and weapons are stored or made.
bazaar A market in an Indian or Middle-Eastern country.
Buddhism A religion and philosophy founded by the teacher Siddartha Gautama, who is often known as the Buddha.
canal A long, narrow waterway built to carry water from one place to another or for boats to travel along.
catacomb An ancient underground cemetery with passageways and rooms where people were buried.
citizen A person who lives in a town, city or country.
city state A city that, along with the area around it, forms an independent nation with its own government.
civil war A war between different groups of people living in the same country.
class A system where society is divided into groups according to social status.
Cold War A period of hostility between the Western powers (including the United Kingdom and the United States) and countries of the Soviet Union.
colony A country or area that is controlled by another country; people who come to live there from the controlling country are known as colonists.
convict Someone who is in prison having been found guilty of a crime.
cosmopolitan A cosmopolitan city is home to people from many different countries and cultures.
democracy A system of government in which people vote in elections to choose their own leaders.
dynasty A line of rulers from the same family.
ecological Involved with or concerning ecology, which is the relation of different forms of life to one another and their environment.
ecosystem All the plants and animals that live in a particular area and the relationship between them and their environment.
embalm To preserve a dead body using special chemicals.
empire A number of individual nations that are
c c o o n n t t r r o o l l l l e e d d b b y y t t h h e e g g o o v v e e r r n n m m e e n n t t o o r r r r u u l l e e r r o o f f a a s s i i n n g g l l e e c c o o u u n n t t r r y y. .
flagship The most important of a group of things owned by an organisation or company.
floodplain A flat area beside a river that is made up of sediment deposited by the river when it floods.
gladiator A person, especially in the Roman Empire, who fought wild animals or other gladiators to entertain an audience.
Glossary