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Great Dane

(Encyclopedia)Great Dane, breed of very large, powerful working dog developed in Europe more than 400 years ago. It may stand as high as 36 in. (91.4 cm) at the shoulder and weigh up to 150 lb (68.1 kg). Its short,...

brazilwood

(Encyclopedia)brazilwood, common name for several trees of the family Leguminosae (pulse family) whose wood yields a red dye. The dye has largely been replaced by synthetic dyes for fabrics, but it is still used in...

hostage

(Encyclopedia)hostage, person held by another as a guarantee that certain actions or promises will or will not be carried out. During periods of internal turmoil, insurgents often seize hostages; recent examples in...

jackal

(Encyclopedia)jackal, name for several Old World carnivorous mammals of the genus Canis, which also includes the dog and the wolf. Jackals are found in Africa and S Asia, where they inhabit deserts, grasslands, and...

Philippians

(Encyclopedia)Philippians fəlĭpˈēənz [key], letter of the New Testament, written by St. Paul from captivity probably in Rome (c.a.d. 60) to the Christians of Philippi (in Macedonia), the first European city th...

Sérrai

(Encyclopedia)Sérrai sĕrˈəs [key], Lat. Serrae or Serrhae, city (1991 pop. 50,390), capital of Sérrai prefecture, NE Greece, in Macedonia. It is a trade center for tobacco, grain, and livestock. Textiles and o...

Moreno, Mariano

(Encyclopedia)Moreno, Mariano märyäˈnō mōrāˈnō [key], 1778–1811, Argentine revolutionist and publicist. He became prominent as legal counselor to the royal audiencia and to the cabildo of Buenos Aires. Hi...

Martens, Wilfried

(Encyclopedia)Martens, Wilfried, 1936–2013, Belgian statesman. A lawyer, Flemish Christian Democrat, and well-respected negotiator, he was president (1965–71) of the youth wing of the Christian People's party a...

Vizsla

(Encyclopedia)Vizsla vĭzhˈlə [key], breed of large sporting dog introduced into Europe by the Magyar invasion of the 10th cent. and perfected in Hungary over hundreds of years; also called Hungarian pointer. It ...

Castro, Cipriano

(Encyclopedia)Castro, Cipriano käsˈtrō [key], 1858?–1924, president of Venezuela (1901–8). In 1899 he usurped the government, overthrowing Andrade. Called the Lion of the Andes by his followers, he was a st...