Additional Documentation Request (AIR): This term refers to a letter or other communication from the verifying DAR Staff Genealogist requesting additional documentation and/or clarification of the names, dates, places, relationships, and/or Revolutionary War service listed on the application form.
Ancestor: For the purposes of the DAR, the term ancestor is most often used to refer to the patriot ancestor—the individual in the applicant’s lineage who served in the Revolutionary War.  In some cases, the term is also used to indicate a direct, biological relative in a previous generatiosn (ie: mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, great-grandfather, etc).  
Ancestor Number: The unique identifying alphanumeric number given to each ancestor listed in the Ancestor Database of the GRS. All ancestor numbers begin with the letter A. For example: A121962. 
Ante: before
Applicant: A woman who has submitted an application to National for membership.
Biological Lineage: All DAR applications must depict the biological lineage from the applicant to a Revolutionary War patriot.  No adoptive parents or step-parents can be included on a DAR application. 
C.A.R.: Children of the American Revolution. The Children of the American Revolution is a separate (but affiliated) lineage organization.  Members of the C.A.R. who can produce a certificate of good standing and who submit their application to the DAR prior to the applicant’s twenty-second birthday can have the DAR application fee waived.
Census:  A Census is a list of individuals at a particular time.  The most common types of census records are the U.S. Federal Census records that were taken every 10 years since 1790.  There are also state or territorial census records available for certain locations and time periods.
Chapter: The DAR is organized into local groups called Chapters.  Each chapter holds meetings and programs and participates in a variety of service and social activities.
Chapter code: This is an alphanumeric number that identifies the chapter. Usually it is a four digit number followed by the two letter postal abbreviation for the state.
Chapter Officer: Each DAR Chapter has a number of officers who perform specific tasks to aid in the running of the chapter and to act as liaisons between the Chapter and the State and National Societies.
Chapter Registrar: Registrars serve as a liaisons between the Office of the Registrar General and applicants. It is their responsibility to see to it that applications submitted from their chapter are done in the correct format and sent with sufficient documentation to prove all facts stated therein. In the event that an application requires additional documentation, it is the responsibility of the registrar to assist the applicant with research to locate whatever documentation is needed in order to complete her application for admission to the Society. [p.8]
Circa: about
Civil Service: Civil service is the term used to designate certain activities that supported the formation of the new patriotic government but were not military in nature.  Individuals who held the offices of Selectman, Moderator or Justice of the Peace in local patriotic governments are among those who can be credited with Civil Service.
Complete Event: See Event
Continental Line:  The Continental Line was the national army created by Continental Congress. While Continental Line units were generally raised in a specific state or location, they traveled extensively.
Event: The term event is used to describe the birth and death of an individual on the application form.  For each individual in the lineage, the DAR requires documentation of at least one “complete event.”  This means that both the date and place of the event (the birth or death) need to be proven. 
Genealogical Research System (GRS): The DAR Genealogical Research System (GRS) is a collection of databases that provide access to the many materials amassed by the DAR since its founding in 1890.  It is comprised of the Ancestor Database, Membership Database, Descendants Database, and Library Catalog. There is a video tutorial on the GRS that goes into greater detail on the various databases and resources available in the GRS.
Lineage Research Volunteer: A Lineage Research Volunteer is a DAR Member who works with prospective members to research their lineage and to locate acceptable forms of documentation to be submitted with the application.
Military Service: Military service in the Revolution began, with a few exceptions, with the Battle of Lexington, 19 April 1775 and ended on 26 Nov 1783, the date that the British evacuated New York.
Militia:  Militia units were military units that were organized and managed on a local level (usually by the town or county).  These military units were generally tasked with protecting the home area in the event that the enemy came to the area.  They may have also supported Continental or State Line units that traveled through the area, but militia units did not often travel far from their home area.
Patriot Ancestor: See Revolutionary War Patriot
Patriotic Service: Patriotic Service is the term to designate certain activities that supported the overall war effort, but that were not military in nature.  Common types of patriotic service include: furnishing supplies to the army, paying supply taxes to support the war effort, signing an Oath of Allegiance to the patriotic government, and serving on local Committees that were made necessary by the war effort.
Post: after
Prospective Member: A woman interested in joining the DAR.
Rank(s): The term rank is generally used to denote the military or naval rank held by the Revolutionary War patriot.  In some cases, Patriotic Service and Civil Service are also referred to as a “rank.”
Residence: This is the locality in which the ancestor resided during the American Revolution. Since many types of service required that the individual performing the service be located in a specific geographical area, establishing residence is an important part of verifying that the correct service has been credited to the particular ancestor.
Revolutionary War:  The Revolutionary War is the conflict by which the American colonies won their Independence from Great Britain.  For the purposes of the DAR, the Revolutionary War includes the timeframe from 19 Apr 1775 (The Battle of Lexington) to 26 Nov 1783 (the evacuation of the British from NY).  There are some specific events or actions that took place prior to 19 Apr 1775 that also qualify as Revolutionary War service.  For more information about these earlier events, please refer to Genealogy Guidelines.
Revolutionary War Patriot: The Revolutionary War Patriot (also referred to as Patriot Ancestor, Patriot, Revolutionary War Ancestor, or Ancestor) is the applicant’s direct lineal ancestor who performed documented military, civil or patriotic service during the Revolutionary War. 
Service Description: The service description is a specific field on the ancestor record in the GRS.  This field should include a brief description of service attributed to your ancestor. An example description for patriotic service could be, “Paid Supply Tax, 1783” 
Service Source (or Source of Service): This is a specific field on the ancestor record in the GRS that includes a brief citation for the acceptable form of documentation that has been used to verify the Revolutionary War service performed by the patriot ancestor.
Supplemental Application: A Supplemental Application is an application submitted by an individual who is already a DAR member.  Supplementals are used to record lines of descent from patriots other than the ancestor listed on her original application. 
Supporting Documentation: Each name, date, place and relationship entered on the application form must be supported by an acceptable form of documentation.  For recent events, supporting documentation is usually submitted in the form of birth certificates, death certificates and marriage records.  Other common types of supporting documentation include census records, probate or court records, land records, and church records.
Verification: Verification is the name for the process by which the DAR Staff Genealogists review the lineage on an application and the supporting documentation submitted with that application.  During this process, the Staff Genealogists make sure that the each name, date, place and relationship on the application form are accurate and supported by acceptable documentary sources.  They also make sure that the application is complete and that there are no perceived errors with the lineage or Revolutionary War service.
Vital Records: The words “vital records” are commonly used to indicate birth, marriage and death records kept by town, county, or state officers. It varies from state to state as to when such records were recorded. 
Volunteer Genealogist: Volunteer Genealogist is the title given to those DAR members who work with the Volunteer Genealogist Committee to assist prospective members with the completion of DAR Applications.  Many of these DAR Members have received training the proper preparation of applications. See Also Lineage Research Volunteer