Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

mother-of-pearl

(Encyclopedia)mother-of-pearl or nacre nāˈkər [key], the iridescent substance that forms the lining of the shells of some fresh-water and some salt-water mollusks. Like the pearl it is a secretion of the mantle,...

Muhammad of Ghor

(Encyclopedia)Muhammad of Ghor, d. 1206, Afghan conqueror of N India. A brother of the sultan of Ghor, he was made governor of Ghazni in 1173 and from there launched a series of invasions of India. By 1186 he had c...

Mull of Galloway

(Encyclopedia)Mull of Galloway gălˈəwā [key], headland, 239 ft (73 m) high, Dumfries and Galloway, SW Scotland, the southernmost extremity of Scotland, on the southern tip of the Rhinns of Galloway. ...

Athelney, Isle of

(Encyclopedia)Athelney, Isle of ăthˈəlnē [key], small area formerly surrounded by marshland, Somerset, SW England. King Alfred took refuge from the Danes there in 878 and founded a Benedictine abbey in 888. Rel...

Moncton, University of

(Encyclopedia)Moncton, University of, at Moncton, N.B., Canada; French language; founded 1864 as St. Joseph's Univ. Its name was changed in 1963. It has faculties of arts, sciences and engineering, business adminis...

Nevada, University of

(Encyclopedia)Nevada, University of, at Reno and Las Vegas; land-grant and state supported; coeducational; chartered 1864, opened 1874 at Elko, moved to Reno 1886. The Reno campus includes the Mackay School of Mine...

Browse by Subject