Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Eiffel Tower

(Encyclopedia)Eiffel Tower, structure designed by A. G. Eiffel and erected in the Champ-de-Mars for the Paris exposition of 1889. The tower is 984 ft (300 m) high and consists of an iron framework supported on four...

circle

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Circle circle, closed plane curve consisting of all points at a given distance from some fixed point, called the center. A circle is a conic section cut by a plane perpendicular to the axis of...

handball, court

(Encyclopedia)handball, court, indoor or outdoor game played by striking a ball against a wall or walls with the palm of the hand. Play may be for singles or doubles (four players) on a court with one, three, or fo...

social welfare

(Encyclopedia)social welfare or public charity, organized provision of educational, cultural, medical, and financial assistance to the needy. Modern social welfare measures may include any of the following: the car...

antifreeze

(Encyclopedia)antifreeze, substance added to a solvent to lower its freezing point. The solution formed is called an antifreeze mixture. Antifreeze is typically added to water in the cooling system of an internal-c...

altazimuth coordinate system

(Encyclopedia)altazimuth coordinate system ăltăzˈəməth [key] or horizon coordinate system, astronomical coordinate system in which the position of a body on the celestial sphere is described relative to an obs...

center of mass

(Encyclopedia)center of mass, the point at which all the mass of a body may be considered to be concentrated in analyzing its motion. The center of mass of a sphere of uniform density coincides with the center of t...

Montana, University of

(Encyclopedia)Montana, University of, at Missoula; state supported; coeducational; chartered 1893 as the Univ. of Montana. In 1913 when the Montana Univ. System was established, the school's name was changed to Sta...

Abreu, José Antonio

(Encyclopedia)Abreu, José Antonio, 1939–2018, Venezuelan music educator, economist, and politician. With degrees in petroleum economics and in organ and composition, Abreu was an economics professor at various V...

Fleming, Peggy

(Encyclopedia)Fleming, Peggy, 1948–, American ice skater, b. San Jose, Calif. She began skating at age 9, and after distinguished accomplishments as a juvenile and novice skater, she was U.S. Ladies Champion from...

Browse by Subject