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Pomponius Mela

(Encyclopedia)Pomponius Mela mēˈlə [key], fl. c.a.d. 50, Roman geographer, b. Spain. His De situ orbis, a description of the then known world, was published in Latin in 1471 and translated into English by Arthur...

Tappan, Lewis

(Encyclopedia)Tappan, Lewis, 1788–1873, American abolitionist, b. Northampton, Mass. He became a partner in his brother Arthur's New York mercantile house in 1828 and in 1841 founded the first agency for rating c...

Woolf, Virginia

(Encyclopedia)Woolf, Virginia, 1882–1941, English novelist and essayist, b. Adeline Virgina Stephen; daughter of Sir Leslie Stephen. A successful innovator in the form of the novel, she is considered a significan...

Lüda

(Encyclopedia)Lüda lo͞oˈdäˈ [key], former municipality, S Liaoning prov., China, at the tip of the Liaodong peninsula. It comprised the important and historic cities of Lüshun (Port Arthur) and Dalian (Dairen...

Long Branch

(Encyclopedia)Long Branch, residential city (1990 pop. 28,658), Monmouth co., E central N.J., on the Atlantic coast; settled 1740, inc. 1904. It has clothing, cabinetmaking, and electronics industries. Long Branch,...

Aneurin

(Encyclopedia)Aneurin or Aneirin ənīˈrĭn [key], fl. c.600, Welsh bard whose reputed writings are contained in a 13th-century manuscript, The Book of Aneirin. Included in this manuscript is Y Gododdin, an elegia...

anti-hero

(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, his weaknesses...

Allison, Bobby

(Encyclopedia)Allison, Bobby (Robert Arthur Allison), 1937–, American auto racing driver, b. Miami, Fla. The hard-charging Allison drove the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing circuit from 1965 to 198...

Tintagel

(Encyclopedia)Tintagel tĭntāˈjəl [key], small town, Cornwall, SW England. It is S of Tintagel Head, a promontory connected to the mainland by a narrow, rocky neck of land. The ruined Tintagel Castle, which exte...

pessimism

(Encyclopedia)pessimism, philosophical opinion or doctrine that evil predominates over good; the opposite of optimism. Systematic forms of pessimism may be found in philosophy and religion. In religion Buddhism and...