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Legazpi, Miguel López de

(Encyclopedia)Legazpi, Miguel López de mēgĕlˈ lōˈpāth dā lāgäsˈpē [key], d. 1572, Spanish navigator, conqueror of the Philippines. In 1545 he went to Mexico and was later chosen by the viceroy to head a...

finance

(Encyclopedia)finance, theory and practice of conducting large public and private dealings in money. Important institutions of private finance include those that deal with insurance, banking, stocks (see stock), bo...

home schooling

(Encyclopedia)home schooling, the practice of teaching children in the home as an alternative to attending public or private elementary or high school. In most cases, one or both of the children's parents serve as ...

Gérando, Joseph Marie de

(Encyclopedia)Gérando, Joseph Marie de zhôzĕfˈ märēˈ də zhāräNdōˈ [key], 1772–1842, French philosopher and political figure. Joining the insurrection in Lyons against the French Revolutionary governme...

biodiesel

(Encyclopedia)biodiesel, fuel made from natural, renewable sources, such as new and used vegetable oils and animal fats, for use in a diesel engine. Biodiesel has physical properties very similar to petroleum-deriv...

Hofstra University

(Encyclopedia)Hofstra University hŏfˈstrə, hôfˈ– [key], at Hempstead, N.Y.; coeducational. Founded as a division of New York Univ. in 1935, it became independent in 1940, and its name was changed to Hofstra ...

school vouchers

(Encyclopedia)school vouchers, government grants aimed at improving education for the children of low-income families by providing school tuition that can be used at public or private schools. The idea behind schoo...

Marcos de Niza

(Encyclopedia)Marcos de Niza märˈkōs dā nēˈsä [key], c.1495–1558, missionary explorer in Spanish North America. A Franciscan friar, he served in Peru and Guatemala before going to Mexico. There he headed a...

Limerick, city, Republic of Ireland

(Encyclopedia)Limerick, city (1991 pop. 56,083), seat of Co. Limerick, SW Republic of Ireland, at the head of the Shannon estuary. The city has a port with two docks. The primary imports are grain, timber, and coal...

Pontchartrain, Lake

(Encyclopedia)Pontchartrain, Lake pŏnˈchərtrān [key], shallow lake, c.630 sq mi (1,630 sq km), 41 mi (66 km) long and 25 mi (40 km) wide, SE La., N of New Orleans. It is linked with Lake Maurepas at its western...