Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Maitland, Frederic William

(Encyclopedia)Maitland, Frederic William mātˈlənd [key], 1850–1906, English legal historian, educated at Cambridge. A thorough scholar, he founded the Selden Society for the publication of early English docume...

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

(Encyclopedia)amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) āˌmīətrōfˈik, sklĭrōˈsĭs [key] or motor neuron disease, sometimes called Lou Gehrig's disease, degenerative disease that affects motor neurons in the brai...

Zika virus

(Encyclopedia)Zika virus zēˈkə [key], single-stranded RNA virus of the genus flavivirus that infects human and primates and causes a disease known as Zika fever or zika. It is primarily transmitted by the bite o...

Kiyoura, Keigo

(Encyclopedia)Kiyoura, Keigo, 1850–1942, Japanese government official and political leader. He joined the ministry of justice in 1876 and participated in the drafting of new legal codes for Japan. He held several...

public domain

(Encyclopedia)public domain, in law, legal availability for public use, free of charge, of materials, processes, devices, skills, and plans that are not protected by copyright or patent, including those on which co...

Calverley, Charles Stuart

(Encyclopedia)Calverley, Charles Stuart, 1831–84, English poet and translator. Expelled from Oxford for a youthful prank, he earned academic honors at Cambridge. He became famous for the wit and erudition of his ...

franchise

(Encyclopedia)franchise, in government, a right specifically conferred on a group or individual by a government, especially the privilege conferred by a municipality on a corporation of operating public utilities, ...

giardiasis

(Encyclopedia)giardiasis jēärdīˈəsĭs, järdīˈəsĭs [key], infection of the small intestine by a protozoan, Giardia lamblia. Giardia, which was named after Alfred M. Giard, a French biologist, is spread via...

repetitive stress injury

(Encyclopedia)repetitive stress injury or repetitive strain injury (RSI), injury caused by repeated movement of a particular part of the body. Often seen in workers whose physical routine is unvaried, RSI has becom...

varicose vein

(Encyclopedia)varicose vein, superficial vessel that is abnormally lengthened, twisted, or dilated, seen most often on the legs and thighs. Varicose veins develop spontaneously, and are usually attributed to a here...