Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Schurman, Jacob Gould

(Encyclopedia)Schurman, Jacob Gould shûrˈmən [key], 1854–1942, American educator and diplomat, b. Freetown, Prince Edward Island. His education was completed in London, Edinburgh, and, as Hibbert fellow, in He...

pipsissewa

(Encyclopedia)pipsissewa pĭpsĭsˈəwä [key], any plant of the genus Chimaphila, perennial herbs of dry wooded regions in the Northern Hemisphere. The pipsissewas, closely related to the wintergreens, have thick,...

Peter II, king of Yugoslovia

(Encyclopedia)Peter II, 1923–70, king of Yugoslavia (1934–45). He succeeded under the regency of his cousin, Prince Paul, when his father, King Alexander, was assassinated in Marseilles. In World War II, when P...

Owain Gwynedd

(Encyclopedia)Owain Gwynedd ōˈwīn gwĭnˈĕᵺ [key], d. 1170, prince of North Wales (1137–70). During the troubled reign of King Stephen of England, Owain and other Welsh princes were able to reoccupy much te...

Waldeck

(Encyclopedia)Waldeck välˈdĕk [key], former principality, central Germany, now an administrative district (c.420 sq mi/1,090 sq km) of Hesse. Arolsen was the capital. An agricultural region, hilly and forested, ...

Warri

(Encyclopedia)Warri wôˈrē [key], city (1991 est. pop. 111,000), S Nigeria, a port on the Warri River. It is a transshipment point where oceangoing vessels meet Niger River boats. The main items shipped from Warr...

Beatrix

(Encyclopedia)Beatrix bēˈətrĭks, bē-ăˈtrĭks [key], 1938–, queen of the Netherlands (1980–2013). The oldest daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, she rece...

Zedekiah

(Encyclopedia)Zedekiah zĕdˌəkīˈə [key], in the Bible. 1 Last king of Judah. He was the third son of Josiah to occupy the throne, the others being Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim. Zedekiah, whose name was originally Ma...

Bonifácio, José

(Encyclopedia)Bonifácio, José zho͞ozāˈ bônēfäˈsēō [key], 1763–1838, Brazilian statesman and scientist. He studied in Europe and gained international fame as a geologist before returning (1819) to Brazi...

Borodin, Aleksandr Porfirevich

(Encyclopedia)Borodin, Aleksandr Porfirevich əlyĭksänˈdər pərfēˈrĭvĭch bôrôdyēnˈ [key], 1833–87, Russian composer, chemist, and physician. He studied at the academy of medicine in St. Petersburg, wh...