Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Ramgoolam, Navinchandra

(Encyclopedia)Ramgoolam, Navinchandra, 1947–, Mauritian political leader, prime minister of Mauritius, (1995–2000, 2005–14), son of of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam. A doctor, he practiced medicine from 1975 to 1...

inflation

(Encyclopedia)inflation, in economics, persistent and relatively large increase in the general price level of goods and services. Its opposite is deflation, a process of generally declining prices. The U.S. Bureau ...

Weber, Ernst Heinrich

(Encyclopedia)Weber, Ernst Heinrich vāˈbər [key], 1795–1878, German physiologist. He was a professor at the Univ. of Leipzig (1821–71) and is known for his work on touch and for the formulation of Weber's l...

Rizal

(Encyclopedia)Rizal, province, central Luzon, the Philippines. The capital is Pasig. The province, which horseshoes around Manila and includes Quezon City and Pasay, has had a huge population increase since the 197...

cesarean section

(Encyclopedia)cesarean section sĭzârˈēən [key], delivery of an infant by surgical removal from the uterus through an abdominal incision. The operation is of ancient origin: indeed, the name derives from the le...

Tlaquepaque

(Encyclopedia)Tlaquepaque tläkāpäˈkā [key], city (1990 pop. 328,031), Jalisco state, SW Mexico, in the Guadalajara valley. Its folklore and local artisanry, as well as its proximity to Guadalajara, make Tlaque...

George, Henry

(Encyclopedia)George, Henry, 1839–97, American economist, founder of the single tax movement, b. Philadelphia. Of a poor family, his formal education was cut short at 14, and in 1857 he emigrated to California; t...

terrace

(Encyclopedia)terrace, a level field built on top of a hillslope into the floor of a deep valley to improve cultivation of crops. Terracing uses the runoff from the hill to increase soil retentiveness and arability...

tempering

(Encyclopedia)tempering, process involving slow and moderate heating to increase the hardness and toughness of metals that have undergone previous heat treatment. Metals are usually hardened (see hardening) by bein...

body temperature

(Encyclopedia)body temperature, internal temperature of a living organism. Mammals and birds are termed warm-blooded, or homeothermic, i.e., they are able to maintain a relatively constant inner body temperature, w...