Excel Terms
Active Cell
The active cell contains the cell pointer, a dark outline around the cell.
Active Sheet Tab
The selected worksheet; the tab name of an active sheet is bold.
Auto Calculate
A feature that temporarily performs the following calculations on a range of cells without making
you write a formula: Average, Count, Count Numbers, Max, Min, or Sum.
Blank Workbook
The excel default workbook contains three worksheet tabs or sheets.
Cell Reference
The location of a cell in a worksheet identified by its column letter and row number. This is also
known as the cell’s address.
Cell
A cell is the intersection of a column and a row on a worksheet. You enter data into cells to create
a worksheet.
Cut
The command used to remove data from a cell or range of cells and place it on the Clipboard.
Drag-and-drop Feature A method used to move or copy the contents of a range of cells by dragging the border of a
selection from one location in a worksheet and dropping it in another location.
Fill Handle
Dragging this handle, located in the lower-right corner of the active cell, will copy cell contents,formatting, or a
formula to adjacent cells.
Fill
A color that fills a cell, appearing behind the data.
Font
The typeface or design of the text.
Font Size
The measurement of the typeface in points.
Font Style
A cell style, or just style, can include any formatting that can be set in the Format Cell dialog.
Format
To apply attributes to cell data to change the appearance of the worksheet.
Formula Bar
As you enter data into a cell, it simultaneously appears in the Formula bar, which is located above the worksheet
frame.
Formula
An instruction Excel uses to calculate a number.
Function Name
The name given to Excel’s predefined formulas.
Function
Gridlines
A predefined formula that depends on specific values to perform a specific calculation.
Light gray lines that mark the cell borders.
Label Prefix
An apostrophe (‘) used to indicate that a number is really a label and not a value.
Label
Text in the first row or column of a spreadsheet that identifies the type of data contained there.
Mathematical Operator Symbols used in mathematics operations: + for addition, - for subtraction, * for multiplication, and
/ for division.
Name Box
Paste
Print Preview
The text box located to the left of the Formula bar.
The command used to place data from the Clipboard to a location on the worksheet.
A feature used to display a document as it will appear when printed.
Range
A block of cells in an Excel worksheet.
Redo
The command used to redo an action you have undone.
Scroll
Series
Sheet Tabs
A way to view locations on the worksheet without changing the active cell.
A list of sequential numbers, dates, times, or text.
Tabs that appear at the bottom of the workbook window, that display the name of each worksheet.
Standard Column Width
The default number of characters that display in a column based on the default font.
Undo
The command used to reverse one or a series of edition actions.
Value
A number entered in the worksheet.
Workbook
An Excel file with one or more worksheets.
Worksheet
The work area for entering and calculating data made up of columns and rows separated by
gridlines (light gray lines). Also called a spreadsheet.