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social contract

(Encyclopedia)social contract, agreement or covenant by which men are said to have abandoned the “state of nature” to form the society in which they now live. The theory of such a contract, first formulated by ...

Lowell, Josephine Shaw

(Encyclopedia)Lowell, Josephine Shaw, 1843–1905, American political reformer, b. Roxbury, Mass. Lowell, brother of Robert Gould Shaw and widow of Colonel Charle...

Herzen, Aleksandr Ivanovich

(Encyclopedia)Herzen, Aleksandr Ivanovich əlyĭksänˈdər ēväˈnəvĭch hârˈtsĭn [key], 1812–70, Russian revolutionary leader and writer. A member of the aristocracy, he was appalled at the brutality of hi...

smoking

(Encyclopedia)smoking, inhalation and exhalation of the fumes of burning tobacco in cigars and cigarettes and pipes; in the 21st cent., vaping, the similar use of e-cigarettes, also has become common. Some persons ...

Meynell, Alice (Thompson)

(Encyclopedia)Meynell, Alice (Thompson) mĕnˈəl [key], 1847–1922, English poet and essayist. She spent most of her youth in Italy. Converted to Roman Catholicism in 1872, she wrote much on religious subjects. I...

amphictyony

(Encyclopedia)amphictyony ămfĭkˈtēōˌnē, –ŏˌnē, –ənēˌ [key], in ancient Greece, a league connected with maintaining a temple or shrine. There were a number of these, but by far the most important wa...

Lindsey, Parts of

(Encyclopedia)Lindsey, Parts of: see Lincolnshire. ...

Arran, earls of

(Encyclopedia)Arran, earls of. Use Hamilton, James, or Stuart, James.

Lion, Gulf of

(Encyclopedia)Lion, Gulf of, Fr. Golfe du Lion gôlf dü lyôNˈ [key], arm of the Mediterranean Sea, S France, extending from the French-Spanish border to Toulon. Its coastline includes many lagoons and the Rhône...

Arras, Treaty of

(Encyclopedia)Arras, Treaty of. 1 Treaty of 1435, between King Charles VII of France and Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy. Through it, France and Burgundy became reconciled. Philip deserted his English allies and r...