Microsoft Excel

The space between the page content and the edges of the page.

Margin

Cell reference that points to a specific cell and does not change when copied; appears with a dollar sign ($) before each column and row designation.

Absolute reference

A variation on an Excel theme color.

Accent

The selected cell in the worksheet; indicated with a dark border.

Active cell

The worksheet currently displayed in the workbook window.

Active sheet

The workbook you are currently using.

Active workbook

A single rectangular block that includes a group of contiguous cells.

Adjacent range

Specifies the numbers, text, or cell references used by a function to calculate a value.

Argument

A symbol, such as +, - , *, or /, used in a formula to perform arithmetic calculations.

Arithmetic operator

The feature that helps make entering repetitive text easier. As you enter text in a worksheet, text that begins with the same letters as a previous entry in the same column is displayed.

AutoComplete

An Excel tool that enables you to copy the contents of the selected cells by dragging the fill handle over another adjacent cell or range of cells rather than using the copy and past commands.

AutoFill

A button that quickly inserts Excel functions that summarize all the values in a column or row using a single statistic - SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, MIN or MAX

AutoSum

To eliminate empty space by matching the column width to the longest cell entry or the row height to the tallest cell entry.

Autofit

A color option that uses the Windows default text and background color values.

Automatic color

In an Excel table, rows of alternating colors that make data easier to read.

Banded rows

A line that prints along the side of a table cell or around the outside of selected text.

Border

The intersection of a column or row in a worksheet.

Cell

A group of worksheet cells, which can be adjacent or nonadjacent. (Example - A2:G19)

Cell range

The address of a cell indicating its column and row location.

Cell reference

In Excel, the part of the worksheet that identifies each column by a different letter.

Column heading

Symbol that indicates the relationship between two values.

Comparison operator

An amount for which the interest paid is calculated on the principal and any previous interest payments that have been added to that principal.

Compound interest

A setting that applies formatting only when a cell's value meets a specified condition.

Conditional format

A color you specify as a mixture of red, blue, and green color values, which makes available 16.7 million custom colors - more colors than the human eye can distinguish.

Custom color

To remove data from a cell and place it on the Office Clipboard.

Cut

A horizontal bar added to the background of a cell whose length reflects the cell's value.

Data bar

A value in a recognized date format.

Date data

A category of Excel functions that store and calculate dates as numeric values, representing the number of days since January 1, 1900.

Date function

To remove a cell or cells from a worksheet, shifting the remaining worksheet cells into the space previously occupied by the deleted cell or cells; also to remove a worksheet entirely from a workbook.

Delete

To move an item (either text or a graphic) by selecting it and dragging it with the mouse.

Drag and drop

A mode in which you can edit part of an entry rather than the entire contents of a cell.

Editing mode

A range of data you can treat as a distinct object in a worksheet.

Excel table

Rather than retyping a formula, you can switch reference in editing mode by selecting the cell reference and pressing the F4 key.

F4 key

A small black square in the lower-right corner of a selected cell or cell range that you drag to copy the contents of the selected cells to adjacent cells.

Fill handle

A category of Excel functions that calculate values from loans and investments.

Financial function

The command to locate specific letters and numbers in a workbook.

Find

A set of characters that uses the same typeface, style, and size.

Font

Determined by point size, which is a unit of measurement equal approximately to 1/72 of an inch.

Font size

Various ways that fonts can be displayed, such as regular, italic, bold, or bold italic; a special attribute applied to the characters of a font.

Font style

Text that appears at the bottom of every page in a document or at the bottom of every slide in a presentation.

Footer

A button on the Ribbon that, when selected, copies a format from one cell range to another.

Format painter

To change the appearance, not the data, of your workbook.

Formatting

A mathematical expression that calculates a value; all Excel formulas always begin with an equal sign (=) followed by an expression that describes the calculation to be done.

Formula

The bar located above the workbook window in which the contents of a cell are displayed.

Formula bar

Excel view in which cell formulas are displayed rather than the values returned by the formulas.

Formula view

A predefined formula that performs calculations using specific values called arguments.

Function

Default number format that automatically displays number, for the most part, the same way you enter them.

General number format

Text that appears at the top of every page in a document or every slide in a presentation.

Header

A logical function that returns one value if the statement is true and returns a different value if the statement is false.

IF function

Used to search for a particular function.

Insert Function dialog box

A type of page orientation in which the page is wider than it is tall, so that text spans the widest part of the page.

Landscape orientation

Used to identify the format of the data marker used for each series in a chart. Used if the chart contains more than one data series.

Legend

An Office feature that shows the results you would achieve in your file, such as the effects of formatting options on a document's appearance, if you click the option to which you are pointing.

Live preview

A page break that you insert anywhere on a page.

Manual page break

To combine the main document with a data source.

Merge

A spreadsheet program you use to display, organize, and analyze numerical data.

Microsoft Excel 2007

A tool bar that appears next to the pointer whenever you select text and contains buttons for the most commonly used formatting commands, such as font, font size, styles, color, alignment, and indents that may appear in different groups or tabs on the Ribbon.

Mini toolbar

The box located on the far left of the Formula bar in which the cell reference to the active cell is also displayed.

Name box

In Excel, a font that can be used no matter what theme the workbook has.

Non-theme font

Cell range that is comprised of two or more separate adjacent ranges.

Nonadjacent range

The view that renders the workbook and worksheets for the computer screen.

Normal view

A numerical value that can be used in a mathematical calculation.

Number data

A mathematical symbol that you use to combine values and then return a single value.

Operator

A set of predefined rules that Excel follows to unambiguously calculate a formula by determining which operator is applied first, which operator is applied second and so forth.

Order of precedence

Location in a worksheet that determines where a new page begins.

Page break

In Excel, a view that displays the worksheet as it is divided up into pages. Anything outside of the print area is grayed out.

Page break preview

In Excel, a view that shows how the worksheet will be laid out on the pages sent to the printer.

Page layout view

A colored dot that, when combined with other pixels, forms a picture or graphics display; stands for picture element.

Pixel

A worksheet that includes questions to help you define the purpose and objective of a workbook.

Planning analysis sheet

The unit used to measure the size of the characters in a font.

Point

The unit used to measure the size of the characters in a font.

Points

A type of page orientation in which the page is taller than it is wide (like a typical business letter.)

Portrait orientation

Selected portion of a worksheet to be printed.

Print area

In Excel, information that prints on each page.

Print title

A group of worksheet cells, which can be adjacent or nonadjacent. (AKA a cell range)

Range

Identification of a cell range using the upper-left and lower-right corners of the rectangular selection of cells.

Range reference

The command to overwrite letters and numbers in a workbook with another entry.

Replace

In Excel, the part of a worksheet that identifies each row by a different number.

Row heading

A font that does not have the small horizontal lines (called serifs) at the tops and bottoms of letters.

Sans serif font

The range of values that spans along an axis.

Scale (n)

To change the size of a graphic to make it fit into a document.

Scale (v)

A font that includes small horizontal lines (called serifs) at the tops and bottoms of letters.

Serif font

The area at the bottom of a worksheet that identifies the worksheet; clicking a sheet tab makes the worksheet active.

Sheet tab

A feature that check the words in a document against the program's built-in dictionary and helps you avoid typographical errors.

Spelling checker

A tool used in business for budgeting, inventory management, and decision making fir analyzing and reporting information.

Spreadsheet

A color that is always available regardless of the workbook's theme.

Standard color

A saved collection of formatting options - number formats, text alignment, font size and colors, borders, and background fills - that can be applied to cells in a worksheet.

Style

An Excel setting that applies styles to four table elements (header row, first column, last column, and totals row).

Table style

A combination of letter, numbers and some symbols.

Text data

Two or more text characters.

Text string

A designed collection of formatting options that include color, graphics, and background images.

Theme

The 12 colors that belong to a workbook's theme.

Theme color

A font associated with a particular design theme and used for headings and body text.

Theme font

A value in a recognized time format.

Time data

To cut off, or hide, the part of an entry that does not fit in a cell.

Truncate

The specific design of a set of printed characters, including letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and symbols.

Typeface

An approach using an electronic spreadsheet in which you change one or more of the values in the worksheet and then examine the recalculated values to determine the effect of the change.

What-if analysis

The file in which Excel stores an electronic spreadsheet.

Workbook

Window in which a workbook is displayed; also called worksheet window.

Workbook window

Each workbook is made up of individual worksheets, or sheets, containing formulas, functions, values, text, and graphics.

Worksheet