Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

clerestory

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Clerestory clerestory or clearstory both: klĭrˈstōrˌē, –stôrˌē [key], a part of a building whose walls rise higher than the roofs of adjoining parts of the structure. Pierced by wind...

evergreen

(Encyclopedia)evergreen, term commonly used as synonymous with conifer and applied also to all those broad-leaved plants that bear green leaves throughout the year. Of the latter, most are plants of the tropics, su...

Trevelyan, Sir Charles Edward

(Encyclopedia)Trevelyan, Sir Charles Edward trĭvĕlˈyən [key], 1807–86, British colonial administrator. After a period of service in India, he returned (1838) to England and was (1840–59) assistant secretary...

Opelousas

(Encyclopedia)Opelousas ŏpəlo͞oˈsəs [key], city (1990 pop. 18,151), seat of St. Landry parish, S central La.; inc. 1821. Its industries are based chiefly on the agricultural products and livestock of the surro...

Azcapotzalco

(Encyclopedia)Azcapotzalco äskäpōtsälˈkō [key], city, S Mexico, in the Federal District. An important rail center, with railroad yards, it is the terminus of mail and cargo traffi...

Pallas, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Pallas pălˈəs [key], in astronomy, 2d asteroid to be discovered. It was found in 1802 by H. Olbers. The second largest asteroid, it has a diameter of c.300 mi (480 km). Its orbit has a semimajor ax...

Floris, Frans

(Encyclopedia)Floris, Frans fräns flōˈrĭs [key], c.1517–70, Flemish painter, originally named Frans de Vriendt; son of an Antwerp stonecutter. He studied in Liège and Rome. Returning to Antwerp in 1540, he o...

Fontana, Carlo

(Encyclopedia)Fontana, Carlo kärˈlō fōntäˈnä [key], 1634–1714, Italian architect. During his early years he worked for three of the most important architects of the high baroque period—Rainaldi, Cortona,...

Frederick III, elector of Saxony

(Encyclopedia)Frederick III or Frederick the Wise, 1463–1525, elector of Saxony (1486–1525). At Wittenberg he founded (1502) the university where Martin Luther and Melanchthon taught. At a crucial period for th...

Garcilaso de la Vega, Peruvian historian

(Encyclopedia)Garcilaso de la Vega gärsēläˈsō dā lä vāˈgä [key], 1539–1616, Peruvian historian; son of the Spanish conquistador Sebastián Garcilaso de la Vega and an Incan princess and therefore called...

Browse by Subject