artifact repository - service to store, manage, and distribute built artifacts + metadata (versions, package type, release/snapshot).
artifactory - an artifact repository product. Used by me in 2008 and not since; I hear it's gotten better.
attribute - a specific detail about a chef node.
berkshelf - a tool to manage dependencies of a chef cookbook
bundler - a tool to manage ruby gem dependencies
chef - a tool for managing system configuration
chef-server - hub for chef configuration data. stores cookbooks and data about nodes managed by chef
chef-client - agent that runs on nodes managed by a chef-server. Applies recipes and associated data to the node.
chef-solo - tool that allows nodes without access to a chef server to use a limited subset of chef's functionality.
chefspec - tool for writing unit tests against a chef cookbook. Does not require a chef run/convergence.
CI - continuous integration. Every git checkin is built and has tests run against it.
convergence - the stage in the chef-client run where a node is configured; also, the act of running chef to configure a node.
cookbook - a collection of chef recipes and attribute data used to manage a thing.
cucumber - tool for writing/running automated acceptance tests in a behavior-driven style.
fauxhai - mock node data for ohai
foodcritic - linting tool that enforces chef style guidelines
gem - a ruby package
jenkins - a build/CI system. The parent and open source version of hudson.
knife - command line tool for interacting with a chef server. Uses plugins to interact with non-chef-server entities like cloud providers, appliances, or services.
linting - process of flagging programming language usage deemed suspicious
macdaddy - teamcity build agent used for mobile builds (which require a mac) and cookbook testing (which doesn't).
minitest - tool for writing/running functional tests against a node on which chef has been run
node - in the context of chef, a server or VM.
nexus - an artifact repository product. Best known as a replacement for artifactory.
ohai - tool that detects certain properties of a node (automatic attributes) and supplies them to the chef-client
package management - the practice of keeping track of software that gets installed to systems.
rake - a ruby build tool, analogous to make
rbenv - a tool that allows a user to install/use more than one version of ruby. Not intended for managing rubies at a server level.
resource - in chef, a piece of a system plus its desired state; also, the code that describes a resource list of built-in resources
recipe - in chef, a collection of resources and a small amount of code. Used to manage a piece of a system.
role - runlist plus data to apply to a collection of nodes managed by chef.
runlist - a list of recipes and roles to apply to a chef node
rvm - another tool that allows a user to install/use more than one version of ruby. Also not intended for managing rubies at a server level.
tailor - linting tool that enforces ruby style guidelines.
teamcity - our build/CI system. licensed, expensive
test-kitchen - test tool for functional testing of chef cookbooks on VMs. Uses minitest and cucumber, requires a chef run/convergence.
vagrant - tool that abstracts a VM's lifecycle in a way that allows automation to be written against the VM