The following list is intended as the basic essentials.

Address Bar

The area of a Browser, near the top, into which the address of a web site is either typed (rarely, as you have to be precise) or automatically entered by choosing a search result.

Application (App)

A computer program designed to perform a group of coordinated functions, or tasks for the benefit of the user. This contrasts with a system program, which is mainly involved with running the computer.
Examples are Word™, Excel™ and Google Chrome

Browser

A program used to access the Internet and display results of searches. Examples are MS Edge; Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Microsoft Internet Explorer has been superseded. They all do the same basic thing, with slightly different interfaces. For this course, the use of Firefox will be assumed.

Chrome

an Internet browser made by the Google technology company.

Click

What you do with your mouse to perform some action. The left button is used predominantly. When we say simply "Click", we always mean "Left-click"; when we mean "Right-click" we say so explicitly. Double-click always means "2 rapid Left-clicks".
Left-handers need to adapt the terms if they convert the mouse to left-hand use by swapping the action of the buttons.

Context Menu

When you hover the cursor over an object, the Operating System detects what actions are possible in the context and presents these as options in the menu which pops up if you right-click.

Desktop, the

The primary display screen of a computer, on which, when no application is running, are various icons represent files, groups of files, programs, or the like, which can be moved, accessed, added to, put away, or thrown away in ways analogous to the handling of file folders, documents, notes, etc., on a real desk. n.b. also sometimes used to refer to the whole set of user's files on the computer, even if it is a laptop!

Drag and Drop

Moving an object on the screen by selecting it and dragging it by holding the left mouse button down as you move to the new location, before releasing the mouse button.

Google

An IT company, also used as the name of its Search Engine. They are also behind the Chrome browser and Gmail. You might enable access to the Internet using the Firefox browser and then search the Internet using the Google search engine (known colloquially as "Googling")

Hover

To position the cursor over an item without clicking, commonly to allow a Tooltip to pop up.

Internet and World Wide Web

The Internet is the global system of interconnected computer networks that links devices worldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of private, public, academic, business, and government networks linked by an array of electronic, wireless, and optical networking technologies.
The Internet carries an extensive range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked hypertext documents and applications of the World Wide Web (WWW), electronic mail, telephony, and file sharing. The World Wide Web (abbreviated WWW or "the Web") is an information space (like a library located in many buildings) where a huge number of documents and other web resources are located and accessed via the Internet.

Operating System

System program that manages your computer hardware and software resources and provides common services for computer programs. All computer programs require the Operating System in order to function.

Profile, user

Every Windows computer has the facility to enable each of multiple users to use the computer as if it were solely theirs - any changes made to suit their use are preserved for their use only, as well as storing their documents separately. The selection of User Profile is made at startup.

Program

The stuff we run in order to perform a useful task, like text processing, also called software; now generally called Application or App. - see above

Recycle Bin

When you delete a file (letter, poster, picture, spreadsheet etc.) it is not gone for ever but stays in the Recycle Bin in case you deleted it by mistake. It is emptied by the Council every fortnight ☺, or you can empty it yourself periodically.

Scroll, to

To move the viewing window across the document content (if it is wider or taller than the window) by moving the horizontal or vertical scroll bar of the window.

Search Bar

The bar on the left of the Taskbar into which you can type a query to e.g. track down a Windows utility

Search Engine

The means of searching the huge area of information that is on the Internet. Examples are Google Search, Bing and Yahoo Search.

Select, to

To make an object the focus of your next operation. If it is a folder or file in File Explorer, this is achieved by simply clicking on it. Typically, the background colour of the object will change to indicate the selection.

Start Button

The button on the left of the Taskbar used to access the programs and housekeeping tools on your computer

Start Screen

What you see after clicking the Start Button

System Tray

The area to the right of the Taskbar containing the clock and the icons of certain programs, so that you are continually reminded that they are there and can easily click one of them.

Task View

A view of your running programs, arranged as tiles on a blank background.

Taskbar

The area of screen containing the Start Button, Search Bar and shortcuts to programs that you have put there

Tooltip

A tiny pop-up text box that gives you a clue as to what the item will do (typically) if clicked. If you are unsure what clicking a particular icon will do, read its Tooltip. hover here for an example

to Google

Colloquial term for searching the Internet, whether using the Google search engine or an alternative such as Bing or Yahoo.

Windows

The Operating System of a Windows-based computer.

window, a

An area of the screen within which a program, such as a word processor, can run. Several windows can be open at once and arranged as convenient.
This is the paradigm after which the Windows operating system is named.

Windows Store

A means of trying to sell you stuff! Make removing its icon from your Taskbar or Start screen one of your first actions.