Wellbeing Words Explained

Health and lifestyle writing borrows words from medicine, science and business. We try to explain terms as we go, but a single place to look them up helps. These definitions are deliberately short and general; for anything about your own health, a professional's explanation comes first.

Sleep and rest

Sleep inertia: the groggy, slow feeling just after waking, which usually fades as the morning gets going.
Sleep cycle: the repeating pattern of lighter and deeper sleep stages through the night.
Insomnia: ongoing difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking too early, with tiredness during the day.
Body clock: the internal rhythm that makes us feel alert or sleepy at different times, strongly shaped by light.

See them in use in Why Do I Feel Tired After 8 Hours of Sleep?

Digestion

Heartburn: a burning feeling behind the breastbone, often after eating or when lying down.
Reflux: stomach contents travelling back up into the food pipe.
Gastroenterologist: a doctor who specialises in the digestive system, usually seen after a GP referral.

Supplements and smoking

Adaptogen: a name used for certain herbs marketed as helping the body cope with stress; evidence varies widely between them.
CBD: cannabidiol, a compound from the cannabis plant sold in many products; rules and quality differ between countries.
E-liquid: the liquid heated in a vape, usually containing flavourings and often nicotine.
Nicotine replacement: licensed products such as patches or gum designed to ease withdrawal when stopping smoking.

Dental care

Implant: a small post placed in the jawbone to support a replacement tooth.
Crown: a cap that covers a tooth or sits on an implant.

Hobbies and small business

Bobbin: the small spool underneath a sewing machine that supplies the lower thread.
Tension discs: the parts that grip the upper thread so stitches form evenly.
Overheads: the running costs of a business that are not tied to one product, such as tools, fees and insurance.
Wholesale price: the lower price a shop pays so it can resell at the retail price.
Lifestyle business: a venture designed around the life its owner wants, rather than growth at any cost.

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Topics at a glance

Quick definitions

Terms from across the site

A short selection to sit alongside the full list on this page.

Body clock: The internal daily rhythm, steered mostly by light, that makes us alert by day and sleepy at night.
Gastroenterologist: A doctor focused on the gut, usually reached through a referral from your GP.
E-liquid: The fluid a vape heats into vapour, made of a base, flavourings and often nicotine.
Crown: A cap fitted over a damaged tooth or onto a dental implant.
Tension discs: Two small plates on a sewing machine that grip the top thread so stitches sit evenly.
Wholesale price: What a shop pays a maker, set low enough that the shop can still sell at the retail price.