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swordfish

(Encyclopedia)swordfish, large food and game fish, Xiphias gladius, of the warmer Atlantic and Pacific waters. It is named for its sharp, broad, elongated upper jaw, which it uses to flail and injure its prey of sm...

wolf

(Encyclopedia)wolf, carnivorous mammal of the genus Canis in the dog family. Once distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, wild wolves are now confined to the wilder parts of a reduced range. Three wolf sp...

raccoon

(Encyclopedia)raccoon, nocturnal New World mammal of the genus Procyon. The common raccoon of North America, Procyon lotor, also called coon, is found from S Canada to South America, except in parts of the Rocky Mt...

Shire horse

(Encyclopedia)Shire horse, a breed of draft horse native to central England. It is equal in weight to the Belgian horse and is usually slightly taller. Widely used as a war horse during the Middle Ages, it was well...

Marryat, Frederick

(Encyclopedia)Marryat, Frederick mărˈēăt [key], 1792–1848, English novelist. He is famous for his thrilling tales of sea adventure. His 24 years of service in the British navy in various parts of the world pr...

Fonseca, Rubem

(Encyclopedia)Fonseca, Rubem, 1925–2020, Brazilian short-story writer and novelist. Fonseca, who studied law and worked for a time as a police officer, is known for urban crime tales, many informed by his police ...

fennel

(Encyclopedia)fennel, common name for several perennial herbs, genus Foeniculum vulgare of the family Umbelliferae (parsley family), related to dill. The strawlike foliage and the seeds are licorice-scented and are...

Mifune, Toshiro

(Encyclopedia)Mifune, Toshiro təshērˈō mĭfo͞oˈnē [key], 1920–97, Japanese actor, b. Qingdao, China. Mifune was a versatile actor, noted for a wide range of roles in more than 120 films. He appeared in mor...

Cleary, Beverly

(Encyclopedia)Cleary, Beverly, 1916–2021, American children's books author, b. McMinnville, Ore. as Beverly Atlee Bunn, Univ. of California, Berkeley (BA, 1938) . S...

snapper

(Encyclopedia)snapper, name for members of the Lutjanidae, a family of spiny-finned food and game fishes found chiefly in tropical coastal waters. Snappers are carnivorous, active, and voracious, with large mouths ...