Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

433 results found

bee balm

(Encyclopedia)bee balm, name for several herbs, especially Melissa officinalis and Monarda didyma, both typical perennials of the family Labiatae (mint family) named for their fragrance, attractive to bees and humm...

Touraine

(Encyclopedia)Touraine to͞orĕnˈ [key], region and former province (until the French Revolution), W central France, centering around Tours (the historic capital) and drained by the Loire, Cher, and Vienne rivers....

Bartram, John

(Encyclopedia)Bartram, John bärˈtrəm [key], 1699–1777, pioneer American botanist, b. near Darby, Pa. He had no formal schooling but possessed a keen mind and a great interest in plants. In 1728 he purchased la...

caryatid

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Caryatid caryatid kărˌēătˈĭd, kărˈēətĭdˌ [key], a sculptured female figure serving as an ornamental support in place of a column or pilaster. It was a frequently used motif in arch...

azalea

(Encyclopedia)azalea əzālˈyə [key] [Gr.,=dry], any species of the genus Rhododendron, North American and Asian shrubs of the family Ericaceae (heath family) that are distinguished by the usually deciduous leave...

Challoner, Richard

(Encyclopedia)Challoner, Richard chălˈənər [key], 1691–1781, English Roman Catholic prelate. Brought up a Protestant, he became a Roman Catholic in his teens and was ordained in 1716. In 1730 he returned from...

Just, Ward

(Encyclopedia)Just, Ward, 1935–2019, American writer, b. Michigan City, Ind. Just worked for several newspapers and magazines before being hired (1965) by the Washington Post, for which he covered Washington poli...

Limburg, province, Belgium

(Encyclopedia)Limburg lĭmˈbûrg, Du. lĭmˈbûrkh [key], Fr. Limbourg, province (1991 pop. 750,435), 930 sq mi (2,409 sq km), NE Belgium, bordering on the Netherlands in the north. The chief cities are Hasselt (t...

marigold

(Encyclopedia)marigold, any plant of the genus Tagetes of the family Asteraceae (aster family), mostly Central and South American herbs cultivated elsewhere as garden flowers. The two common species of marigold, bo...

Mason, Bobbie Ann

(Encyclopedia)Mason, Bobbie Ann, 1940–, American regional author, b. Mayfield, Ky., grad. Univ. of Kentucky (B.A., 1962), State Univ. of New York, Binghamton (M.A., 1966), Univ. of Connecticut (Ph.D., 1972). Her ...