(Encyclopedia) white snakeroot, North American woods perennial (Eupatorium urticifolium) of the family Asteraceae (aster family), having a flat-topped cluster of small white flowers. It is of the…
(Encyclopedia) zitherzitherzĭthˈər [key], stringed musical instrument, derived from the psaltery and the dulcimer. It has a flat sound box over which are stretched from 30 to 45 strings; these are…
(Encyclopedia) Tromelin IslandTromelin IslandtrōmlăNˈ [key], c.1 sq mi (2.6 sq km), in the Indian Ocean c.260 mi (420 km) E of Madagascar, part of the Scattered Islands district with the French…
(Encyclopedia) silky terrier, breed of agile, spirited toy dog originated in Australia in the early 20th cent. It stands about 10 in. (25 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 8 to 10 lb (3.6.–4.5…
(Encyclopedia) milling, mechanical grinding of wheat or other grains to produce flour. Milling separates the fine, mealy parts of grain from the fibrous bran covering. In prehistoric times grain was…
(Encyclopedia) Jackson, Shirley, 1916–65, American writer, b. San Francisco. She is best known for her stories and novels of horror and the occult, rendered more terrifying because they are set…
(Encyclopedia) Wilson, Colin, 1931–2013, English writer, b. Leicester. Born into a working-class family and largely self-educated, Wilson in many of his books exhorts humankind to expand its powers…
(Encyclopedia) eccentric, in mechanics, device for changing rotary to back-and-forth motion. A disk is mounted off center on a shaft. One flat, open, circular end of a rod fits around the edge of the…
(Encyclopedia) double bass, bowed stringed musical instrument, the contrabass of the modern orchestral string section. It originated as a double-bass viol, an instrument described as early as 1566. A…
(Encyclopedia) damaskdamaskdămˈəsk [key] [from Damascus], fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or synthetic fibers, with a pattern formed by the weaving; e.g., the ground may be in twill weave, and…
