(Encyclopedia) automated teller machine (ATM), device used by bank customers to process account transactions. Typically, a user inserts into the ATM a special plastic card that is encoded with…
(Encyclopedia) oath, vocal affirmation of the truth of one's statements, generally made by appealing to a deity. From the earliest days of human history, calling upon the gods of a community to…
(Encyclopedia) Ortega y Gasset, JoséOrtega y Gasset, Joséhōsāˈ ôrtāˈgä ē gäsĕtˈ [key], 1883–1955, Spanish essayist and philosopher. He studied in Germany and was influenced by neo-Kantian thought. He…
(Encyclopedia) kidnapping, in law, the taking away of a person by force, threat, or deceit, with intent to cause him to be detained against his will. Kidnapping may be done for ransom or for…
(Encyclopedia) pontoon, one of a number of floats used chiefly to support a bridge, to raise a sunken ship, or to float a hydroplane or a floating dock. Pontoons have been built of wood, of hides…
(Encyclopedia) poodle, popular breed of dog probably originating in Germany but generally associated with France, where it has been raised for centuries. There are three varieties, differing in size…
(Encyclopedia) Caldwell, Zoe (Zoe Ada Caldwell)Caldwell, Zoezō [key], 1933–2020, Australian theater actress. From the late 1950s she played many Shakespearean roles first with England's Royal…
(Encyclopedia) vibration, in physics, commonly an oscillatory motion—a movement first in one direction and then back again in the opposite direction. It is exhibited, for example, by a swinging…
(Encyclopedia) Carter Family, group of singers that specialized in traditional music of the Southern Appalachian Mountains; it consisted of A(lvin) P(leasant) Carter, 1891–1960, b. Maces Spring, Va…
(Encyclopedia) supply-side economics, economic theory that concentrates on influencing the supply of labor and goods as a path to economic health, rather than approaching the issue through such…
