I'm confused before I even finished reading this and long before I started posted.
So we're on the same page, you are trying to define terms used in D&D that are not quite called out right? So far all you have is a list of references and in your first post you start pulling exception stuff again. Some of the very things you wish to define can be found by reading the books too.
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Encounter
An encounter usually drains the parties resources in some manner. HP, spells per day, healing, limited magic item usage, and so on but not always. The level of the encounter is hard to judge and takes into account several factors. The DMI & DMGII contain details on this and if you still have questions on how to handle encounter levels this is the wrong thread to ask them (see the GM Gameology subforum).
Defined types
Combat: A fight between the party and a single or group of monsters and/or traps.
Negotiation: Roleplaying and/or skill checks to achieve the desired results though noncombat interaction between two or more people.
Environmental: Weather, earthquakes, landslides, fast moving water, and fires to name a few.
Problem-Solving: mysteries, puzzles, or riddles. Likely it creates no drain on resources but annoys the crap out of your players, give them some XP to make up for it.
Judgment Calls: Do you chop the arm off the guy stealing food for his family? See also roleplaying rewards (DMG).
Investigation: A long term combination of negotiation & problem solving, ie when saying 'friend' in elven just isn't worth a reward.
Sources: DMG, Encounters, pg50.
See Also: Adventures (DMG).
Note: Abilities that reset via start of a new encounter may also regenerate at the rate of once per ten rounds or so (FAQ ruling (link?)), there is not set time span on how far the encounters must be spaced apart to count as separate encounters but it is advised to be five minutes (source?)
Creature or Monster?
Creature (what players tend to use)
A. Must have a forum of ability generation with limits.
B. Must have a race or defined typeof.
C. Advances, either through class levels, racial HD, or other specific method (such as blood lines or monster class levels) using XP as defined by B.
D. Limited to what ever their race, class, feats, items, and direct DM interference gives them.
Monster : Creature
A. As their own default ability array, limitless in scores (ie can start with 35 str if desired).
B. Always has at least a fraction of racial HD.
D. abstract (must be overriden), gains and is granted abilities by the author or DMs whim (or simply set to gains/loses nothing).
E. Is not usable by Players without DM permission.
Barghest : Monster
C. Overrides Creature's advancement, Barghests advance by eating other Creatures.
D. Barghest has several abilities that cannot be obtained normally.
E. Savage Species overrides Barghest's E, players may play as one using a monster class (normally LA entries found in the typeof override).
Sanity
A. A Barghest is a Monster and is a Creature.
B. A Goblin is a Monster and is a Creature.
C. A Goblin is not a Barghest.
D. An Elven Bard is a Creature.
E. An Elf cannot be compared (race is not a creature).
Sources: Monster Creation (MM), Printed Monsters, & Rules Order (SRD/RC) explained using type casting and inheritance per type oriented programming languages.
Race
A. Races add or remove abilities and bonuses, they may force Racial Hit Dice levels as well.
B. Race is an addon to Creature and is often null in the case of creatures who instead use their typeof instead.
C. Races gain levels by obtaining XP, starting HD sets starting XP appropriately.
Base Class (and it's synonym Standard Class)
Has 20 levels gained through XP, may or may not have alignment/race requirements to taking levels in it.
Source: DMGII, pg209.
See Also: Designing Prestige Classes (DMGII).