Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Perrot, Jules

(Encyclopedia)Perrot, Jules pĕrōˈ [key], 1810–92, French dancer and choreographer, b. Lyons. Perrot studied with Auguste Vestris (see under Vestris, Gaetan) and Salvatore Vigano. He gained fame as a dancer be...

Villeroi, François de Neufville, duc de

(Encyclopedia)Villeroi, François de Neufville, duc de fräNswäˈ də növēlˈ dük də vēlrwäˈ [key], 1644–1730, marshal of France and favorite of King Louis XIV. In the War of the Grand Alliance, he succee...

Potiphar

(Encyclopedia)Potiphar pŏtˈifər [key], in the Bible, chief official of Pharaoh who bought Joseph and gave him a high position in his house. Later when his wife falsely accused Joseph, Potiphar put Joseph into pr...

council, ecumenical

(Encyclopedia)council, ecumenical ĕkˌyo͞omĕnˈĭkəl [key] [Gr.,=universal], in Christendom, council of church leaders, the decisions of which are accepted by some segment of the church as authoritative, also c...

Asenath

(Encyclopedia)Asenath ăsˈənăth [key], in the Bible, Poti-phera's daughter, the Egyptian wife of Joseph, mother of Manasseh and Ephraim. Her betrothal to Joseph and conversion to Judaism are the subject of Josep...

Chuquet, Nicolas

(Encyclopedia)Chuquet, Nicolas nēkôläˈ shükāˈ [key], c.1450–1500, French mathematician, probably b. Paris. Little is known of Chuquet's life. At Lyons in 1484 he composed a manuscript on the science of num...

Andronicus II

(Encyclopedia)Andronicus II (Andronicus Palaeologus) pālēŏlˈəgəs [key], 1258–1332, Byzantine emperor (1282–1328), son and successor of Michael VIII. He devoted himself chiefly to church affairs, renewing ...

Wilfrid, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Wilfrid, Saint, 634–709?, English churchman, b. Northumbria, of noble parentage. He was educated at Lindisfarne and Canterbury. With Benedict Biscop he traveled to Lyons and Rome in 654; Wilfrid rem...

Cévennes

(Encyclopedia)Cévennes sāvĕnˈ [key], mountain range, S France, bordering the Massif Central on the southeast. The Cévennes proper occupy the central section of a mountainous arc (average height 3,000 ft/910 m)...

Gray Eminence

(Encyclopedia)Gray Eminence: see Joseph, Father. ...