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Webster, Margaret

(Encyclopedia)Webster, Margaret, 1905–72, American actress, producer, and director, b. New York City; daughter of Ben Webster and Dame May Whitty. Webster made her formal acting debut in 1924. After working with ...

Royal Ballet

(Encyclopedia)Royal Ballet, the principal British ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. It is noted for lavish dramatic productions, a superbly disciplined corps de ballet, and bril...

tympanum

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Tympanum (west pediment, temple of Aphaia at Aegina) tympanum tĭmˈpənəm [key]. In architecture, the triangular space of a pediment, or low-pitched gable, above a portico, door, or window. ...

Rameau, Jean Philippe

(Encyclopedia)Rameau, Jean Philippe zhäN fēlēpˈ rämōˈ [key], 1683–1764, French composer and theorist. He was organist at the cathedral in Clermont and at Notre Dame de Dijon. In the early part of his caree...

Boulogne-sur-Mer

(Encyclopedia)Boulogne-sur-Mer bo͞olôˈnyə-sür-mĕrˈ [key], city, Pas-de-Calais dept., N France, in Picardy, on the English ...

Plekhanov, Georgi Valentinovich

(Encyclopedia)Plekhanov, Georgi Valentinovich gāôrˈgē vəlyĭntyēˈnəvĭch plyĭkhäˈnəf [key], 1857–1918, Russian revolutionary and social philosopher. He was a leader in introducing Marxist theory to Ru...

octane number

(Encyclopedia)octane number, figure of merit representing the resistance of gasoline to premature detonation when exposed to heat and pressure in the combustion chamber of an internal-combustion engine. Such detona...

Abelard, Peter

(Encyclopedia)Abelard, Peter pyĕr äbālärˈ [key], 1079–1142, French philosopher and teacher, b. Le Pallet, near Nantes. A theological Platonist, Abelard emphasized Aristotle's dialectic method. His belief t...

Lacordaire, Jean Baptiste Henri

(Encyclopedia)Lacordaire, Jean Baptiste Henri zhäN bätēstˈ äNrēˈ läkôrdĕrˈ [key], 1802–61, French Roman Catholic preacher and liberal. Ordained in 1827, he came under the influence of Lamennais and col...

Amiens

(Encyclopedia)Amiens ämyăNˈ [key], city, capital of Somme dept., N France, in Picardy, on the Somme River. It is a rail hub and a large market for the truck farming carried on in the...