DNS The system by which nameservers tell other machines online how to reach any given function of the domain.

Domain Name An alphanumeric name registered to an owner to point to email, web and other internet related services.

Email Account The section of a mailserver used to send and receive email for a specific email address.

Email Address The text which specifies where an email is delivered to, consisting of a username of the email account, the domain name the address is within, and the @ character, pronounced "at", separating the two.

Email Alias An email address which does not have an account associated, but is instead forwarded to an email account under a different address.

Headers A section of an email detailing the path the email took from sender to recipient, including servers, the time the servers were reached, and any messages they returned when dealing with the email.

Mailmap The record on a mailserver which points an email alias to an email account for forwarding purposes.

Mailserver A server responsible for sending and receiving email.

MX Record The DNS record which directs email to the appropriate mailserver for receipt.

Propagation The process by which changes to a domains DNS settings are picked up through the internet.

Server Machines responsible for a given function of a domain name, such as web hosting or email, are refered to as servers.

Zone The final section in an email address, specifying the domain that the email address resides within.