*Some of these glossary definitions have been adapted and reproduced by permission of The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Many computer and Web-related definitions have been contributed by Jason Snart, College of DuPage.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

bandwagon A fallacy that relies on the uncritical acceptance of others’ opinions because “everyone believes it. ”

begging the question A circular fallacy that assumes in the premises of the argument that the conclusion about to be made is already true. Also known as “circular reasoning. ”

beliefs Interpretations, evaluations, conclusions, or predictions about the world that we endorse as true.

bias A preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment.

blog See Web log.

blueprint A detailed plan of action, model, or prototype.

Boolean logic A system of symbolic logic devised by George Boole; used in computers.

brainstorming A method of shared problem solving in which all members of a group spontaneously contribute ideas.

browser A program that allows users to access information on the Internet. The browser displays text and images that have been prepared using HTML. Common browsers include Internet Explorer and Netscape, although there are others.