Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Kerry blue terrier

(Encyclopedia)Kerry blue terrier, breed of large, sturdy terrier perfected in Ireland more than 100 years ago. It stands from 17 to 19 in. (43.2–48.3 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 30 to 40 lb (13.6–1...

shrike

(Encyclopedia)shrike or butcher bird, predatory songbird found in most parts of the world except Australia and South America. The plumage of the European and North American species is mostly gray, black, and white;...

Acton

(Encyclopedia)Acton, town (2020 pop. 24,021), Middlesex co., E Mass., NW of Boston; settled c.1680, inc. 1735. Among its manufactures are electrical machinery, chemicals, prefabricated houses, and preci...

Malamud, Bernard

(Encyclopedia)Malamud, Bernard mălˈəməd [key], 1914–86, American author, b. New York City, grad. College of the City of New York (B.A., 1936), Columbia (M.A., 1942). His works frequently reflect a concern wit...

flint, mineral

(Encyclopedia)flint, variety of quartz that commonly occurs in rounded nodules and whose crystal structure is not visible to the naked eye. Flint is dark gray, smoky brown, or black in color; pale gray flint is cal...

Torrey, John

(Encyclopedia)Torrey, John, 1796–1873, American botanist and chemist, b. New York City, M.D. College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1818. He was professor of chemistry (1827–55) at his alma mater and professor of ...

brant

(Encyclopedia)brant or brant goose, common name for a species of wild sea goose. The American brant, Branta bernicla, breeds in the Arctic and winters along the Atlantic coast. The head, neck, and tail are black, t...

Weimaraner

(Encyclopedia)Weimaraner vīˈməräˌnər, wīˈmərāˌ– [key], breed of large, muscular sporting dog developed in Germany in the early 19th cent. It stands between 23 and 27 in. (58.4–68.6 cm) high at the sh...

Corea, Chick

(Encyclopedia) Corea, Chick (Armando Anthony), 1941-2021, American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader, b. Chelsea, Ma. Corea’s father was a bandleader in Boston...

Rhett, Robert Barnwell

(Encyclopedia)Rhett, Robert Barnwell, 1800–1876, American politician, b. Beaufort, S.C. His family changed its name from Smith to Rhett (after a colonial ancestor) in 1837. A lawyer, he was a state legislator, st...