Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Praed, Winthrop Mackworth

(Encyclopedia)Praed, Winthrop Mackworth prād [key], 1802–39, English poet and essayist. A Conservative member of Parliament (1830–32, 1834–39) and an accomplished political satirist, he is best remembered fo...

polonaise

(Encyclopedia)polonaise pŏlˌənāzˈ, ōˌ– [key], Polish national dance, in moderate 3–4 time and of slow, stately movements. It evolved from peasant and court processions and ceremonies of the late 16th cen...

Thomson, Peter William

(Encyclopedia)Thomson, Peter William, 1929–2018, Australian golfer. A leading player in European tournaments at a time when Australians had not yet emerged as top golfers, Thomson had a compact swing and efficien...

Pynson, Richard

(Encyclopedia)Pynson, Richard pĭnˈsən [key], d. 1530, English printer, b. Normandy. He moved to England c.1482 and in 1491 or 1492 began printing books pertaining to law in London. He became king's printer (to H...

Roebuck, John

(Encyclopedia)Roebuck, John, 1718–94, English physician, chemist, and inventor. He acted as a chemical consultant to local industries in Birmingham and invented the lead chamber process of manufacturing sulfuric ...

Richards, Gordon

(Encyclopedia)Richards, Gordon, 1904–86, British jockey. He began as a stable apprentice in 1919. From the mid-1920s until his retirement in 1954, he was the championship jockey of England 26 times. In 1943 he be...

Dorsett, Tony

(Encyclopedia)Dorsett, Tony (Anthony Drew Dorsett) dôrˈsət [key], 1954–, American football player, b. Rochester, Pa. The first running back to gain over 6,000 yards in Division I-A, he won the Heisman Trophy a...

Albrechtsberger, Johann Georg

(Encyclopedia)Albrechtsberger, Johann Georg yōˈhän gāˈôrk älˈbrĕkhtsbĕrˌgər [key], 1736–1809, Austrian musical theorist, teacher, and composer. He became (1772) court organist in Vienna and later was ...

Fairfax

(Encyclopedia)Fairfax, city (2020 pop. 24,146), historic seat of Fairfax co., NE Va., a residential suburb of Washington, D.C.; inc. 1892, as a city 1961 (at which ti...

fandango

(Encyclopedia)fandango făndăngˈgō [key], ancient Spanish dance, probably of Moorish origin, that came into Europe in the 17th cent. It is in triple time and is danced by a single couple to the accompaniment of ...

Browse by Subject