Middle Ages Social and Medical History Vocabulary

A collection of vocabulary terms covering medieval social structures, castle architecture, siege weaponry, and the pathology and impact of the Black Death.

Patricians

A wealthy and powerful person in ancient Rome who belonged to the highest social class and often helped make important decisions in government.

Day labourers

A person who worked for daily wages, often doing hard physical jobs like farming or construction, without long-term employment or job security.

Robber Barons

A powerful and wealthy businessperson in the past who made a lot of money, often unfairly, by taking advantage of workers, customers or laws to grow their companies.

Bloodletting

A medieval medical practice where blood was deliberately removed using cuts or leeches, used during the plagues.

Miasma

Unpleasant smells or fumes thought to be the cause of disease in medieval times.

Feudalism

The social order in medieval Europe.

Little Ice Age

A period when the weather in parts of the world became much cooler than usual, causing economic problems like poor harvests and food shortages.

Commercial Revolution

A time in history when trade and businesses grew quickly across Europe, leading to new ways of buying, selling and making money.

New World

A term used for the Americas during Early Modern Times.

Social classes

Different types of groups people in society were based on, such as wealth, job, and power.

Craftsmen

Skilled workers who make things by hand, often using traditional methods.

Outbreak

The sudden spread of a disease or illness.

Sanitation

Facilities provided to remove waste, including sewage and household or business rubbish.

Quarantine

The practice of separating people, animals, or goods that may have been exposed to a contagious disease.

Flagellant

A person who whipped themselves as a form of religious punishment.

Motte

A high mound upon which a castle was built.

Pneumonic Plague

A severe, rapidly progressive lung infection caused by the bacteria $Yersinia\,pestis$, which was always fatal.

Septicaemic Plague

A severe, life-threatening infection where $Yersinia\,pestis$ bacteria multiply directly in the bloodstream, characterized by purple-black blotches on the skin.

Bubonic Plague

An infectious disease caused by the bacterium $Yersinia\,pestis$ spread through the bites of infected fleas living on rodents, characterized by pus-filled swellings of the lymph nodes.

The Peasants’ Revolt

A massive $1381$ uprising across England that occurred as an economic and social shift after the Black Death.

Chain Mail

A type of armor made from many small metal rings linked together.

Bailey

An enclosed courtyard area inside a castle’s walls.

Keep

The innermost tower of a castle.

Concentric Castle

A castle design that featured multiple rings of walls built around the center to make it stronger and harder to attack.

Stone Keep Castle

A medieval castle built from stone with the center being a large tower called the keep, used for protection and as a home for important people.

Catapult

A large medieval weapon used to throw heavy objects such as rocks mainly during battles and sieges.

Trebuchet

A large medieval siege weapon used to throw heavy objects at castles and enemy walls using a counterweight.

Ballista

A large weapon used in medieval times to shoot huge arrows or bolts at enemies, working like a giant crossbow.

Battering Ram

A large heavy beam used to break through castle gates, walls, or doors by being swung or pushed by soldiers.

Pope Clement VI

A religious leader who sat between two fires to purify the air during the plague, which likely kept him safe as fleas and bacteria dislike heat.