Terminology
WordPress: A free and open-source content management system (CMS) written in PHP and paired with a MySQL or MariaDB database.
Theme: A collection of files that work together to produce a graphical interface with an underlying unifying design for a website. These files are called template files.
Plugin: A piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website to add new features or extend functionality.
Widgets: Small blocks that perform specific functions. These can be added to WordPress sidebars (also known as widget-ready areas).
Shortcode: A WordPress-specific code that lets you do complex things with very little effort. Shortcodes can embed files or create objects that would normally require lots of complicated, ugly code in just one line.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets): A style sheet language used for describing the presentation of a document written in HTML or XML. CSS describes how elements should be rendered on screen, on paper, in speech, or on other media.
Custom Post Type: Content types like posts and pages are a default part of WordPress. Custom post types are content types created by the users to add more flexibility.
Taxonomy: A way to group things together. In WordPress, it refers to grouping posts and custom post types. The default taxonomies in WordPress are category and tag.
Permalinks: The permanent URLs to your individual posts, categories, and other lists of weblog postings.
Meta Tags: Snippets of text that describe a page’s content; they don’t appear on the page itself, but only in the page’s source code.
Dashboard: The administration area of a WordPress website, where you can create and manage content, add functionality, and change styling.
WooCommerce: An open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress designed for small to large-sized online merchants using WordPress.
API (Application Programming Interface): A set of protocols for building and interacting with software applications, which WordPress uses to communicate with other applications and services.
Child Theme: A WordPress theme that inherits its functionality from another WordPress theme, the parent theme. Child themes are a safe way to modify a WordPress theme without modifying the parent theme.
Custom Fields: These allow users to add additional information when writing a post. Custom fields store and display metadata that is specific to that post.
Hooks: Functions that can be applied to an action or a filter in WordPress. They allow users to modify WordPress functionality without editing core files.
Multisite: A WordPress feature that allows users to create a network of sites on a single WordPress installation.
Responsive Design: A design that adjusts gracefully to fit on desktop, tablet, and smartphone browsers.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer): A standard security protocol for establishing encrypted links between a web server and a browser in an online communication.
Widget Area: A place within a WordPress theme where a user can place any number of widgets.
Admin Bar: The dark bar at the top of the screen that lists useful administration screen links such as add a new post or edit your profile.
Database: A structured set of data held in a computer, especially one that is accessible in various ways. WordPress uses MySQL as its database management system.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol): A standard network protocol used for the transfer of computer files between a client and server on a computer network.
Localization: The process of translating WordPress (and plugins, themes) into different languages.
Pingback: An automated comment that WordPress creates when another WordPress blog links to a post.
Query: A request made to the database to retrieve specific data.
Revision: A version of a post or page that is saved in the database when the post or page is saved.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization): The practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.
Sidebar: A vertical column provided by a theme for displaying information other than the main content of the web page.
Template Tags: PHP functions used in WordPress to display content dynamically.