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Andronicus I

(Encyclopedia)Andronicus I (Andronicus Comnenus) ăndrənīˈkəs kŏmnēˈnəs [key], 1120?–1185, Byzantine emperor (1183–85), nephew of John II. He acceded to the throne by strangling his cousin Alexius II. T...

Ishmael

(Encyclopedia)Ishmael ĭshˈmāĕl [key] [Heb.,=God hears], in the Bible. 1 Son of Abraham and Hagar; ancestor of 12 tribes in N Arabia. Through Sara's jealousy he and his mother were sent into the desert, where th...

Jacob

(Encyclopedia)Jacob jāˈkəb [key], in the Bible, ancestor of the Hebrews, the younger of Isaac and Rebecca's twin sons; the older was Esau. In exchange for a bowl of lentil soup, Jacob obtained Esau's birthright ...

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...

Babbitt metal

(Encyclopedia)Babbitt metal, an antifriction metal first produced by Isaac Babbitt in 1839. In present-day usage the term is applied to a whole class of silver-white bearing metals, or “white metals.” These all...

Blackburn, Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Blackburn, Joseph, b. c.1700, d. after 1765, American portrait painter. Little is known concerning him except that from 1750 to 1765 he painted portraits (usually signed J.B.), chiefly of members of d...

Eeckhout, Gerbrand van den

(Encyclopedia)Eeckhout, Gerbrand van den gĕrˈbränt vän dĕn ākˈhout [key], 1621–74, Dutch painter and etcher. He was a pupil and close follower of Rembrandt, especially in his religious works. A fine drafts...

Rehoboth, in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Rehoboth rĭhōˈbəth [key] [Heb.,=broad places]. 1 As occurring in the Book of Genesis, well dug by Isaac. 2 City of Assyria, or possibly a part of Nineveh, mentioned in Genesis. 3 In the Bible, a p...

Abimelech

(Encyclopedia)Abimelech əbĭmˈəlĕk [key], in the Bible. 1 Name or title of a king of Gerar who had various dealings with Abraham and Isaac. 2 See Ahimelech (1.) 3 Son of Gideon. He murdered his 70 brothers, exc...

atomism

(Encyclopedia)atomism, philosophic concept of the nature of the universe, holding that the universe is composed of invisible, indestructible material particles. The theory was first advanced in the 5th cent. b.c. b...