DOCS-386 edit glossary

Author: Bob Grabar

source/reference/glossary.txt

@@ -591,18 +591,18 @@ Glossary
    eventual consistency
       A property of a distributed system allowing changes to the
       system to propagate gradually. In a database system, this means
-      that readable nodes are not required to reflect the latest
+      that readable members are not required to reflect the latest
       writes at all times. In MongoDB, reads to a primary have
-      :term:`strict consistency`; reads to secondary nodes have
+      :term:`strict consistency`; reads to secondaries have
       :term:`eventual consistency`.
 
    strict consistency
-      A property of a distributed system requiring that all nodes
+      A property of a distributed system requiring that all members
       always reflect the latest changes to the system. In a database
       system, this means that any system that can provide data must
       reflect the latest writes at all times. In MongoDB, reads to a
       primary have :term:`strict consistency`; reads to secondary
-      nodes have :term:`eventual consistency`.
+      members have :term:`eventual consistency`.
 
    write concern
       Specifies whether a write operation has succeeded. Write concern
@@ -617,16 +617,16 @@ Glossary
 
    priority
       In the context of :term:`replica sets <replica set>`, priority
-      is a configurable value that helps determine which nodes in
+      is a configurable value that helps determine which members in
       a replica set are most likely to become :term:`primary`.
 
-      .. seealso:: :ref:`Replica Set Node Priority
+      .. seealso:: :ref:`Replica Set Member Priority
          <replica-set-node-priority>`
 
    election
       In the context of :term:`replica sets <replica set>`, an election
       is the process by which members of a replica set select
-      primary nodes on startup and in the event of failures.
+      primaries on startup and in the event of failures.
 
       .. seealso:: :ref:`Replica Set Elections
          <replica-set-elections>` and :term:`priority`.
@@ -653,25 +653,25 @@ Glossary
 
    arbiter
       A member of a :term:`replica set` that exists solely to vote
-      in :term:`elections <election>`. Arbiter nodes do not replicate data.
+      in :term:`elections <election>`. Arbiters do not replicate data.
 
-      .. seealso:: :ref:`Delayed Nodes <replica-set-delayed-members>`
+      .. seealso:: :ref:`Delayed Members <replica-set-delayed-members>`
 
    read preference
       A setting on the MongoDB :doc:`drivers </applications/drivers>`
       that determines how the clients direct read
       operations. Read preference affects all replica sets including
-      shards. By default, drivers direct all reads to :term:`primary`
-      nodes for :term:`strict consistency`. However, you may also
-      direct reads to secondary nodes for :term:`eventually consistent
+      shards. By default, drivers direct all reads to :term:`primaries <primary>`
+      for :term:`strict consistency`. However, you may also
+      direct reads to secondaries for :term:`eventually consistent
       <eventual consistency>` reads.
 
       .. seealso:: :ref:`Read Preference <replica-set-read-preference>`
 
    replication lag
       The length of time between the last operation in the primary's
       :term:`oplog` last operation applied to a particular
-      :term:`secondary` or :term:`slave` node. In general, you want
+      :term:`secondary` or :term:`slave`. In general, you want
       to keep replication lag as small as possible.
 
       .. seealso:: :ref:`Replication Lag <replica-set-replication-lag>`
@@ -689,14 +689,14 @@ Glossary
       level between the application layer and the database server.
 
    failover
-      The process that allows one of the :term:`secondary` nodes in a
+      The process that allows one of the :term:`secondary` members in a
       :term:`replica set` to become :term:`primary` in the event of
       a failure.
 
       .. seealso:: :ref:`Replica Set Failover <replica-set-failover>`.
 
    data-center awareness
-      A property that allows clients to address nodes in a system to
+      A property that allows clients to address members in a system to
       based upon their location.
 
       :term:`Replica sets <replica set>` implement data-center
@@ -714,8 +714,8 @@ Glossary
 
    recovering
       A :term:`replica set` member status indicating that a member
-      is synchronizing or re-synchronizing its data
-      from the primary node. Recovering nodes are unavailable for reads.
+      is not ready to begin normal activities of a secondary or primary.
+      Recovering members are unavailable for reads.
 
    control script
       A script used by a UNIX-like operating system to start, stop,
@@ -915,7 +915,11 @@ Glossary
    sync
       The :term:`replica set` operation that replicates data from the
       :term:`primary` to the other members of the set that hold data.
-      Replication uses two types of sync: "initial sync," in which one
-      member clones the data from another member, and "oplog sync," in
-      which one member copies the oplog entries from another member and
-      then applies them.
+      Replica sets synchronize data at two different points:
+
+      - "Initial sync" occurs when MongoDB creates new databases on a
+        new or restored :term:`replica set` member, populating the the
+        member with the replica set's data.
+
+      - "Replication" occurs continually after initial sync and keeps
+        the member updated with changes to the replica set's data.