Army
An army at Battle School is a group of 40 soldiers and one commander, who battle against other armies in the battleroom.
Battle School
Battle School is a school where young, brilliant boys and (rarely) girls are sent to be trained to become officers and commanders of the International Fleet. Battle School is in space, and few children are chosen to go there.
Battleroom
The battleroom is a room with null gravity where the kids at Battle School play the most important game in the school. During the game, armies of 40 soldiers plus a commander try to "freeze" each other's suits by use of a laser gun. The game is important because it teaches the future commanders strategies that can be translated into fighting in space.
Desk
Essentially a laptop computer. Every student has a desk at Battle School.
Fantasy/Mind Game
A game played on the students' desks at Battle School, it continuously reinvents itself through advanced computer technology that accounts for the player's mental development. It is designed to help develop the students, and although no one really understands how it works, the general consensus is that it works for the good of the children.
International Fleet
The International Fleet, or I.F., is a fleet of starships and military officers designed to defend the world against attacks from the buggers. It has immense control in world politics along with inter-stellar control.
Third
The term for the third child in a family. The population regulations only allow two children per family, so having a Third is normally a violation by the parents, and Thirds are looked down upn. Ender's case was an exception, because the government requisitioned his parents to have him due to the exceptional qualities of his siblings.
Toon
A toon is a division in an army, derived probably from "platoon." Armies usually have 4 toons of 10, but Ender initially chooses 5 toons of 8. He chooses toon leaders and toon assistants for each toon so that his army can effectively be split up into four-person units. Ender relies on decentralized power beyond all others in the novel.
