Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Ambarvalia

(Encyclopedia)Ambarvalia ămbərvālˈyə [key], in Roman religion, yearly agricultural rite held at the end of May. To insure fertility and disperse evil, each farmer led members of his household and a sacrificial...

Gibbar

(Encyclopedia)Gibbar gĭbˈär [key], in the Book of Ezra, family that returned with Zerubbabel. In a similar list in the Book of Nehemiah, Gibeon appears instead; therefore, Gibbar may stand for Gibeon, and the ch...

ford

(Encyclopedia)ford, shallow place in a body of water, especially a river, that may be crossed by wading. Around the crossings habitually forded, cities sprang up; hence fords came to be the sites of numerous river ...

Metheg-ammah

(Encyclopedia)Metheg-ammah mēˈthĕg-ămˈə [key], in the Bible, place conquered by David from the Philistines. It is identified by some with Gath. There is some doubt whether it was an actual place; the spelling...

Norton Sound

(Encyclopedia)Norton Sound, inlet of the Bering Sea, c.150 mi (240 km) long and 125 mi (200 km) across at its widest point, W Alaska, S of the Seward Peninsula. Norton Bay is its northeast arm. Nome is on the north...

Achzib

(Encyclopedia)Achzib ăkˈzĭb [key], in the Bible. 1 Seacoast town, ancient Palestine, c.15 mi (24 km) S of Tyre. 2 Unidentified city of Judah. Chezib in the Book of Genesis and Chozeba in First Chronicles may be ...

Bransfield, Edward

(Encyclopedia)Bransfield, Edward, 1795–1852, English sea captain and antarctic explorer. In 1820, Bransfield sailed from Chile to the South Shetland Islands off the N Antarctic Peninsula. After claiming King Geor...

Ahithophel

(Encyclopedia)Ahithophel əhĭthˈəfĕl [key], in the Bible, David's counselor who joined with Absalom against David. He killed himself when Absalom ignored his counsel. He may have been the grandfather of Bath-sh...

Veterans' Day

(Encyclopedia)Veterans' Day, holiday formerly observed in the United States as Armistice Day in commemoration of the signing of the Armistice ending World War I. Nov. 11 officially became Veterans' Day on May 24, 1...

aardwolf

(Encyclopedia)aardwolf ärdˈwo͝olf [key], carnivore of the hyena family. The aardwolf, Proteles cristatus, resembles the true hyena but is smaller and more delicate. It has less powerful teeth and jaws and five i...