| Anishnaabe | |
| One of the largest native groups in Canada. Their territory included the northern shores of Lake Huron and Lake Superior from Georgian Bay to the prairies. | |
| Applique | |
| A decorative technique whereby one piece of material is sewn on top of another. | |
| Apse | |
| Large semi-circular recess at end of church | |
| Aquafortis | |
| Nitric acid, used in the dyeing process to make the dye-bath acidic and improve the take up of dye by the wool fibres. | |
| Arcade | |
| Series of arches supporting or along wall | |
| Ashlar | |
| Square cut stone used as a facing on a rubble or brick wall (an expensive building finish) | |
| Athapaskan | |
| A forest-dwelling culture of hunters and trappers, originally from the American North West (Alaska & Canada). A nomadic people, they filtered down into the deserts and southern prairies of North America many centuries ago. Athapaskans were the ancestors of the Navajos and Apaches. | |
| Baroque | |
| A style current in England at end of 17th and early 18th centuries | |
| Bituminous | |
| Impregnated with bitumen (ordinary household coal). | |
| Broadcloth | |
| A high quality plain woven woollen cloth with a smooth felted appearance. | |
| Byzantine | |
| Style developed in Byzantine Empire | |
