Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Aubrey, John

(Encyclopedia)Aubrey, John ôˈbrē [key], 1626–97, English antiquary and miscellaneous writer, b. Kingston, Wiltshire, educated at Trinity College, Oxford. He knew most of the famous people of his day and left c...

intarsia

(Encyclopedia)intarsia ĭntärˈsēə [key] or tarsia, properly a form of wood inlaying. The term is sometimes applied to inlays of other materials such as ivory and metal. It is differentiated from marquetry by th...

aloes

(Encyclopedia)aloes ălˈōz [key], drug obtained from the aloe; also a biblical name for an aromatic substance of various uses, mentioned in connection with myrrh and spices and thought to be the fragrant wood of ...

pencil

(Encyclopedia)pencil, pointed implement used in writing or drawing to apply graphite or a similar colored solid to any surface, especially paper. From prehistoric times lumps of colored earth or chalk were used as ...

port, wine

(Encyclopedia)port [from Oporto], fortified wine made in Portugal from grapes grown in the Douro valley; Portuguese law allows only this wine to be called port. Various grapes are blended by the growers, and brandy...

teak

(Encyclopedia)teak, tall deciduous tree (Tectona grandis) of the family Verbenaceae (verbena family), native to India and Malaysia but now widely cultivated in other tropical areas. Unfortunately, the wood of plant...

stalactite ornament

(Encyclopedia)stalactite ornament, type of ornament characteristic of Islamic architecture. Generally executed in wood or in plaster over a wood or brick base, it consists of little vertical polygonal or curved nic...

bignonia

(Encyclopedia)bignonia bĭgnōˈnēə [key], common name for the family Bignoniaceae, a family of chiefly woody vines of the American tropics and also a few shrubs and trees. The trumpet creeper (of the genus Bigno...

Tauranga

(Encyclopedia)Tauranga, city (1996 pop. 82,287), N central North Island, New Zealand, on the Bay of Plenty. With Mt. Maunganui, it is a leading New Zealand port for overseas trade. Wood products and meat are the la...

Martinsville

(Encyclopedia)Martinsville, city (1990 pop. 16,162), seat of Henry co., S Va., in the Blue Ridge foothills near the N.C. line; founded 1793, inc. as a city 1928. Tobacco is processed, and furniture, prefabricated h...