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Safra

(Encyclopedia)Safra, family of Brazilian bankers with Sephardic Jewish roots. They began as merchant bankers in Syria and Lebanon, financing caravans throughout the Middle East. The Safras are also noted philanthro...

baryon

(Encyclopedia)baryon bârˈēŏnˌ [key] [Gr.,=heavy], class of elementary particles that includes the proton, the neutron, and a large number of unstable, heavier particles, known as hyperons. From a technical poi...

cocoa-plum

(Encyclopedia)cocoa-plum, sweet but somewhat dry fruit of the evergreen tree Chrysobalanus icaco, of the family Chyrsobalanaceae. The fruits are eaten fresh and often made into preserves. An oil used for making can...

Jameson, Storm

(Encyclopedia)Jameson, Storm (Margaret Storm Jameson), 1891–1986, English novelist and critic, b. Whitby, Yorkshire, grad. Leeds Univ., 1912. Descended from a shipbuilding family, she drew on her knowledge of tha...

Korah

(Encyclopedia)Korah kōˈrə [key], in the Bible. 1 Levite leader, with Dathan and Abiram, of the unsuccessful revolt in the desert against the exclusive priesthood of the Aaronic family and against the leadership ...

Bragança

(Encyclopedia)Bragança –zə [key], town (1991 est. pop. 15,624), capital of Bragança dist., NE Portugal, in Trás-os-Montes. It is of interest because of its castle, seat of the Braganza family, long the royal ...

strangler fig

(Encyclopedia)strangler fig, common name for a number of tropical plant species, most of them are in the family Moraceae (fig family). They include the golden fig, Ficus aurea, of the SE United States. The name str...

wandering jew, in botany

(Encyclopedia)wandering jew, common name for several creeping plants of the genus Tradescantia (including Zebrina) in the spiderwort family. T. pendula is most commonly cultivated in window boxes and hanging pots. ...

rudderfish

(Encyclopedia)rudderfish or sea chub, common name for members of the family Kyphosidae, small-mouthed fishes of warm seas throughout the world. Rudderfishes commonly follow vessels (whence their name), scavenging o...

sorrel tree

(Encyclopedia)sorrel tree, common name for a variety of plants, including the Australian hibiscus, Hibiscus heterophyllus, of the mallow family. The staggerbush, Lyoma mariana, and the sourwood, Oxydendrum arboreum...