Apprentice An Apprentice is the lowest rank in a craft.
Auntie is the term of address for an older female relative, or for any older woman in a Hold.


Badges They are used to tell which Hold, Hall, or Weyr a person belongs to. They are used along with rank knots.
Barracks These are the resting quarters for candidates and Weyrlings in a Weyr.
Beasthealers They are known as the veterinarians of Pern. Usually, they are not trained for dragons.
Beastherders The shepherds and ranchers of Pern.
Benden It is the territory in the North-Eastern section of Pern’s Northern Continent. It is also the second oldest Weyr to be founded.
Benden Wine The top notch wine of Pern.
Between Between is a place of nothingness. It is the very cold place that the dragons use to get from one place to another.
Blackdust It is thread that has been killed by the cold. It is commonly seen during threadfalls that happen in the winter.
Bowl The bowl is the floor of a volcano that houses a Weyr. It is the wide open area where dragons land and take off, as well as the ‘courtyard’ of the Weyr.
Bubbly Pies Bubbly pies are little tarts that are made on Pern. It is often one of the favourite desserts of children.
Burdenbeasts They are the beasts of burden such as Oxen.
Burrow A burrow is a place where Thread has penetrated the ground and is in the process of consuming the plant life beneath the surface.


Candidate A person who has been accepted during Search to become a dragonrider.
Candidate Robe A white robe that candidates wear to hatchings.
Clutchmates These are the people who have gone through Weyrling Training together or who Impressed during the same hatching.
Couch A stone bed upon which the dragons sleep.
Crafters They are Pern’s equivalent to professionals who have received a degree. They work in various trades.
Crom Crom was a Hold in High Reaches territory.


Dawnsisters A trio of stars in the Pernese sky.
Deadglow A derogatory term for someone who is very foolish.
Dimglow A derogatory term for someone who is dull or foolish.
Dragonet A non-synthesized fire lizard.
Dragonhealer A crafter who heals dragons.
Drudges These are people who do unskilled labour in the Holds, Halls, or Weyr.


Eye Rock An astronomical sighting device at Benden Weyr, used in conjunction with the Finger Rock. When the Red Star is visible through the Eye Rock and appears to be balanced on the Finger Rock, a Pass is imminent.

Fair The collective term for a group of fire lizards in flight.
Fellis A Pernese sedative, widely used.
Finger Rock An astronomical sighting device at Benden Weyr, used in conjunction with the Eye Rock. When the Red Star is visible through the Eye Rock and balanced on the Finger Rock, a Pass is imminent.
Firehead A pernese disease that has these symptoms: severe headache, dizziness, photophobia, and a fever.
Firelizards The native Pernese creature from which dragons were engineered. They are also spelled Fire Lizards, Flitts, or Flits. They are synthesized Dragonets.
Firestone The phosphine-bearing rock that dragons chew to produce a flame. Dug up from the ground in mines, this rock comes in various degrees of quality.
Flamethrower Used by goldriders to burn Thread, since her Gold dragon cannot chew firestone without becoming infertile.
Fort the oldest Hold on Pern. It is located in the western mountain range on the Northern Continent.
Fosterage When the birthparents of a child are unwilling or unable to raise their child, they are sent into 'fosterage'. In other words, they are given to another couple that may or may not have children of their own or are unable to bear children. This is a common practice for both dragonriders and high-ranking Holders. The latter, however, is more of an exchange system so that their children might learn the skills necessary to run a Hold.
Fosterling A child who was sent into fosterage.
Full-Blood A legitimate child of a Lord Holder.


Gathers A huge gathering of people and traders. Basically, it is a county fair, a time for fun and games. Gathers are normally held on restdays when no Thread is due to fall.
Glows A basket containing bioluminescent lichen that are kept alive in a liquid. They are used as a light source.
Groundcrews These people are not dragonriders, and are responsible for the destruction of any Thread that reaches the ground and begins to burrow before it can spread.
Half-Blood An illegitimate child of a Lord Holder.
Half-Circle Seahold A minor hold located on the Nerat Peninsula on Pern's Northern Continent.
Harpers Officially, they are the teachers and musicians of Pern. However, they are also often employed as diplomats, lawyers, and spies.
Hatching The social event that takes place when the hardenend eggs hatch and the dragonets telepathically bond to their riders.
Headwoman The woman responsible for overseeing the domestic workings of her Hall/Hold/Weyr. She usually reports to the Weyrwoman, the Lady Holder, or the senior crafter.
Healers The medics and physicians of Pern.
High Reaches A Weyr located high in the northwest mountains of the Northern Continent.
Holdless A person who does not belong to a Hold, Hall, or Weyr. A person is usually made holdless through expulsion, which is considered a death sentence during a Pass.


Igen A Weyr set in the desert area on the Northern Continent.
Impression The act of a dragon permanently telepathically bonding with it's rider. Should the rider die, the dragon will commit suicide by disappearing between.
Infirmary Where the injured and the sick receive treatment in the Weyr from their Healer(s).
Intervals The 200 Turns between Passes when no Thread falls.
Ista A weyr located on an islend just south of the Igen region on the Northern Continent.


JourneymanA craft rank attained by demonstrating sufficient skill that the person no longer needs supervision. They are sent throughout Pern to serve in different locations for varying amounts of time. They also teach apprentices.


Klah Pernese coffee. It is made from a cinnamon-like bark, and served hot.


Leading Edge The first part of a Threadfall.
Lemos A major hold on the Northern Continent under the protection of Benden Weyr.
Long Intervals These are Intervals that last approximately 400 Turns, during which time no Thread falls. These Intervals are artificially created, and occur every third Pass.
Lower Caverns The main domestic area of the Weyr. Inside can be found the Kitchen, the Dinning Hall, storage areas, and the sleeping quarters of the Weyrfolk. The Lower Carverns are supervised by the Headwoman.


Marks Pern's version of money. They consist of a circular piece of wood, each bearing the mark of the craft that made them, and their monetary value, which is decided every Turn by a committee of senior crafters. Marks are subdivided according to the division of musical notes, down to 1/32.
Master The highest rank in the general population of their craft. Masters conduct new research into the more obscure fields of their expertise.
Mating Flight The method by which dragons and firelizards mate. When the female goes into heat, she will 'blood' an animal (ie. suck the blood out of it) and then take off into flight, enticing males to chase her. Once she is caught, the male will twine with her and lock their pinions together, falling to the ground while using their wings as an air brake. It is said that the higher and longer the flight, the larger the clutch of eggs the golden queen with lay.
Meatrolls A popular and common Pernese food consisting of meat wrapped in pastry.


Nabol A Hold in the North of the Northern Continent under the protection of High Reaches Weyr.
Needlethorn The Pernese version of a needle. They are the hollow spine of a plant that the Healers use to inject medication.
Nerat The long, curving peninsula in the southeast part of the Northern Continent.
Numbweed An ointment that numbs the skin to relieve pain.


Oil Used to keep the hides of both dragons and firelizards soft and supple. Without this, the hide becomes dry and flaky, which may lead to serious injuries when traveling between. - Needed to keep the hides of dragons and firelizards soft and supple. Dry, flaky hide can harm a dragon or firelizard that travels between.


Packtail A very oily Pernese fish.
Pern The planet that dragons and their riders live on. It was dubbed P.E.R.N. by the Federation of Setient Planets. Although the name means 'Parallel Earth: Resources Negligible', it is now simply known as 'Pern'.


Queen A gold dragon.


Rank Cords Often referred to as 'knots', rank cords are braided loops of macroma knots that are worn over one shoulder. They are sued to distinguish whether the wearer is from a Weyr, Hold, or Hall, and what rank he or she possesses. They are used along with badges.
Red Star The reddish planetery body that is the source of Thread.
Redwort A disinfectant liquid used by Perns healers to clean wounds. It is reddish in colour and has a particularly sharp scent.
Renegades People who have committed criminal acts, and have subsequently become Holdless.
Riding Leathers The clothing that all riders where while flying with their dragons and fighting Thread. Riding leathers are made from wherhide leather, and consist of a helmet, a pair of goggles, a jacket, one pair of gloves, a pair of trousers, and a pair of boots, and normal clothing is worn underneath. Often referred to as 'riding gear', these leathers offer the rider protection against the cold of between and of high altitudes, as well a margin of protection against Threadscores.
Ruatha A major Hold under the protection of Fort Weyr. The word is Irish for 'red river.'
Rukbat Pern's sun.
Runners (animals) A domesticated animal similar to a llama that is used for riding.
Runners (people) Couriers.


Sail The membrane that stretches between the wingbones of dragons and firelizards.
Search The act of searching for new candidates for Impression. The riders bring them to the Weyr shortly before the Hatching. It is the dragons who choose.
Searchriders Riders who search for suitable candidates. Technically, any dragon can Search, but the task is usually assigned to blueriders.
Shipfish Dolphins.
Sleeping-furs A bed. Often, there are furs lining it for warmth.
Smiths Pern's engineers.
Southern Boll The southwestern peninsula of Pern's Northern Continent
Spiderclaws A crustacean similar to crabs.
Starstones The collective term for the Eye Rock and the Finger Rock in a Weyr.
Sweeps Aerial surveys done by dragonriders to ensure that no Thread has burrowed into the ground.


Teaching Songs Songs taught to Pernese children as part of their education, teaching them about how to prepare for Threadfall, how to survive a Pass, and how to treat dragonriders.
Telgar The north-central area in the Northern Continent. It is also the home of Pern's main Smith Crafthall.
Thread It is a spore that falls on Pern during every Pass, caused by the irregular orbit of the Oort cloud in Rukbat's solar system. Thread consumes anything biological (animals, plants, people, etc.), though stone, metals, and ceramics are impervious to it.
Threadfall When Thread is falling from the skies. Threadfall only occurs during a pass, and each fall lasts for roughly six hours, during which time the dragonriders and their dragons must flame it out of the sky.
Threadscore An injury caused by Thread coming into contact with bare skin. these injuries are usually treated by 'drowning' the Thread spore with water, and then applying numbweed. However, should the wound be deep enough, it would need to be cleansed and then stitched shut.
Timing The ability of dragon to travel between through time and space. However, because the gold dragons usually inhibit this ability in most dragons, the fact that this is at all possible is only known to a few--mostly those who discovered it by mistake, the senior weyrwoman, and weyrleaders.
Tithes Donations of food and supplies made to the Weyrs by the Holds and Halls in their territory. Tithes are given so that the dragonriders can concentrate on training for fighting Thread and caring for their dragons rather than harvesting and producing their own basic supplies and food. Tithes consist of food, leather goods, healers' services, fabrics, and anything else needed to run a settlement of dragonriders.
Tithing Trains the wagonn trains that bring tithes to a Weyr from the Holds and Halls in their territories.
Turn A year. In a Turn, there are 13 mpnths of 28 days, as well as a Turn's End Day.
Trundlebugs A bug.
Tubers Potatoes.
Tunnelsnakes Snakes with legs that live in caves.


Uncle The term of address for an older male relative or any older man in a Hold.


Vtols Mosquitoes and/or flies. Basically all the annoying flying insects.


Watchdragon Dragons who keep a lookout for Thread falling out of seaon or out of pattern. Their riders also keep a log of incoming and outgoing riders. They are stationed at the highest points of Hall, Hold, and Weyr.
Watch-heights Where watchdragons and their riders are stationed to keep watch.
Weyr A place where riders and their dragons live. When capitalized, it refers to a place where a group of dragons live, whereas when it is not, it refers to the place of residence of an individual dragons and its rider.
Weyrcrafter A senior member of any craft at a Weyr. (ie. Weyrhealer, Weyrharper, etc.)
Weyrleader The rider of the dragon who most recently caught the senior gold dragon during a mating flight. He is responsible for the organization of riders to fight Thread, planning strategies, and the training of both dragons and their riders.
Weyrlings Riders of dragons that have yet to reach full maturity (ie. under 18 months), and who are still attending Weyrling Lessons.
Weyrlingmaster The rider who instructs the Weyrlings in the care of their dragons, the basics of fighting Thread, and how to live in a Weyr.
Weyrling Training the initial training of newly-Impressed riders. These lessons last for the first 18 months of their lives as dragonriders.
Weyrmates A rider and his or her bed partner, who may or may not be of the same sexe. Because of the influence that dragons have over their riders during mating flights, it is customary that dragonriders do not marry. This is done as a courtesy for those who do not ride dragons, since a great deal of them expect seal fidelity in a marriage.
Weyrwoman A woman who rides a gold dragon. This term, however, is usually reserved for the most senior goldrider, who is also responsible for the domestic and diplomatic running of her Weyr.
Wherhide Leather. It is used to make riding gear for the dragonriders.
Wherry A domesticated bird similar to a chicken or a turkey.
Wing A gourp of 12 to 30 dragonriders who are lead by a Wingleader and two Wingseconds. They fly together to train and to fight Thread.
Wing Drills Daily training to fight Threadfall.
Wingleader The dragonrider in charge of a Wing.
Wingsecond The second-in-commands of a Wing. There are usually no more than two in a Wing.