architecture

The style in which buildings are designed; the activity of designing buildings.

bridge

A structure built over a river, canyon, or railway so that people or vehicles can get to the other side.

build

To make something by putting different parts together.

building

A structure with walls and a roof.

characteristic

A typical quality or feature.

complex machine

A machine made up of two or more simple machines.  Also called a compound machine.

condition

Essential quality; property; attribute.  Something that is needed before another thing can happen or be allowed.

constraint

A limit to the design process. Constraints may be such things as appearance, funding, space, materials, and human capabilities.

construction

The systematic process of building, erecting, or constructing buildings, roads, or other structures.

design

To draw something that can be built or made.

drawing

A detailed picture of something to be built or made.

efficient

People or things that work very well and do not waste time or energy.

engineer

A person who is trained in and uses technological and scientific knowledge to solve practical problems.

feature

An important part or quality of something.

flowchart

A diagram that shows how something develops and progresses, step by step.

formation

The process of making something.

frame

A basic structure over which something is built.

function

A purpose, role, or job.

improve

To make something work better.

invent

To think up and create something new, or to make something better.

joint

A place where two or more things come together.

machine

A piece of equipment made up of fixed and moving parts that is used to do a job.

manufacturing

The process of turning materials into a finished product; especially in large quantities.

material

The tangible substances (chemical, biological, or mixed) that go into the makeup of a physical object. Can be natural or synthetic (human-made).

natural material

Material found in nature, such as wood, stone, gases, metals, cotton, silk, and clay.

process

An organized series of actions that produce a result.

property

A quality of something; an attribute; as, sweetness is a property of sugar.

prototype

A full-scale working model used to test a design concept by making actual observations and necessary adjustments.

quality

A special characteristic of someone or something; a product that meets specific requirements.

redesign

To change the features or layout of something to make it better.

simple machine

Machines to make work easier; including the lever, pulley, and inclined plane, along with their most basic modifications, the wheel and axle, wedge, and screw.

sketch

A rough drawing that represents the main features of an object or scene and often made as a preliminary study.

structure

Something that has been built, such as a house, an office building, a bridge, or a dam.  The organization of something or the way it is put together, as in the structure of a cabinet.

synthetic material

Material that is not found in nature, such as glass, concrete, polyester, and plastics; a human-made material.

technology

The use of science and engineering to do practical things, such as making something more efficient.

tool

A piece of equipment that you use to do a particular job.