Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Sloat, John Drake

(Encyclopedia)Sloat, John Drake, 1781–1867, American naval officer, b. near Goshen, N.Y. He entered the navy as a midshipman in 1800 and resigned after a year's service, but reentered for service in the War of 18...

bauxite

(Encyclopedia)bauxite bôkˈsīt, bŏkˈ– [key], mixture of hydrated aluminum oxides usually containing oxides of iron and silicon in varying quantities. A noncrystalline substance formerly thought to be a minera...

Basse-Terre

(Encyclopedia)Basse-Terre bäs-tĕrˈ [key], town, on Basse-Terre Island, capital of Guadeloupe, a French overseas ...

Saumarez, James Saumarez, baron de

(Encyclopedia)Saumarez, James Saumarez, baron de sŏmˈərĕz [key], 1757–1836, British admiral, b. Guernsey. He entered the navy in 1770 and attained command of a vessel in 1778. He was with Admiral George Rodne...

Barros, João de

(Encyclopedia)Barros, João de zhwouN dĭ bäˈro͝osh [key], 1496–1570, Portuguese historian. Of noble family, he early entered the service of the prince who became King John III. The most important office he he...

Guadeloupe

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Guadeloupe gwädəlo͞opˈ [key], overseas department and administrative region of France (2015 est. pop. 450,000), 687 sq mi (1,779 sq km), in the Leeward Islands, West Indies. The department ...

olive

(Encyclopedia)olive, common name for the Oleaceae, a family of trees and shrubs (including climbing forms) of warm temperate climates and of the Old World tropics, especially Asia and the East Indies. Many are popu...

Christiansted

(Encyclopedia)Christiansted krĭsˈchənstĕdˌ [key], town, chief city of St. Croix, one of the U.S. Virgin ...

fer-de-lance

(Encyclopedia)fer-de-lance fĕrˌ-də-lănsˈ [key], highly poisonous snake, Bothrops atrox, found in tropical South America and the West Indies. A pit viper, related to the bushmaster and the rattlesnake, it has h...

Hawkins, Sir Richard

(Encyclopedia)Hawkins, Sir Richard, 1562?–1622, English admiral, son of Sir John Hawkins. He served under Sir Francis Drake in the 1585–86 expedition to the West Indies, commanded the Swallow in the defeat of t...