(Encyclopedia) ErichthoniusErichthoniusĕrĕkthōˈnēəs [key], in Greek mythology, son of Hephaestus and Athena, half man and half serpent. After his birth Athena concealed him in a chest that she gave…
(Encyclopedia) anti-hero, principal character of a modern literary or dramatic work who lacks the attributes of the traditional protagonist or hero. The anti-hero's lack of courage, honesty, or grace…
(Encyclopedia) Drummond, Henry, 1851–97, Scottish clergyman and author, educated at the Univ. of Edinburgh. He was a minister of the Free Church and from 1877 a lecturer on science in Free Church…
(Encyclopedia) DryopithecusDryopithecusdrīˌōpəthēˈkəs, –pĭthˈəkəs [key], an extinct group of apes. Fossils about 20 million years old have been found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Dryopithecus had a…
(Encyclopedia) Crothers, RachelCrothers, Rachelkrŭᵺˈərz [key], 1878–1958, American playwright and director, b. Bloomington, Ill., grad. Illinois State Normal Univ., 1892. Her plays, many of which…
(Encyclopedia) Davis, Andrew Jackson, 1826–1910, American spiritualist, b. Blooming Grove, N.Y. He became a professional clairvoyant, known as the “Poughkeepsie Seer,” after being mesmerized in 1843…
(Encyclopedia) Evans, Maurice, 1901–89, Welsh-American actor. Evans came into prominence in 1928 and in 1934 was a leading man with the Old Vic. He first appeared on Broadway in 1936 in Romeo and…
(Encyclopedia) SemeleSemelesĕmˈĭlē [key], in Greek mythology, mother of Dionysus, daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia. Zeus, who loved her, appeared to her as a man. Semele asked him to come to her in…
(Encyclopedia) recoilless rifle, light artillery piece, without recoil, usually operated by two men. An American invention, it was used as an infantry weapon for attacking fortifications such as…
(Encyclopedia) Ramanujan, SrinivasaRamanujan, Srinivasashrēˌnĭväˈsə rämäˈn&oobreve;jən [key], 1889–1920, Indian mathematician. He was a self-taught genius in pure mathematics who made original…
