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chemical analysis

(Encyclopedia)chemical analysis, the study of the chemical composition and structure of substances. More broadly, it may be considered the corpus of all techniques whereby any exact chemical information is obtained...

embolus

(Encyclopedia)embolus ĕmˈbələs [key], foreign matter circulating in and obstructing a blood vessel. It may be a portion of a clot that has separated from the wall of a vessel (see thrombosis), a bubble of gas o...

pneumothorax

(Encyclopedia)pneumothorax no͞omōthôrˈăks [key], collapse of a lung with escape of air into the pleural cavity between the lung and the chest wall. The cause may be traumatic (e.g., gunshot or stab wound), spo...

probate

(Encyclopedia)probate prōˈbāt [key], in law, the certification by a court that a will is valid. Probate, which is governed by various statutes in the several states of the United States, is required before the w...

noun

(Encyclopedia)noun [Lat.,=name], in English, part of speech of vast semantic range. It can be used to name a person, place, thing, idea, or time. It generally functions as subject, object, or indirect object of the...

navigable water

(Encyclopedia)navigable water, in the broadest sense, a stream or body of water that can be used for commercial transportation. When, as in the early common law, the term is restricted to waters affected by tides, ...

vomiting

(Encyclopedia)vomiting, ejection of food and other matter from the stomach through the mouth, often preceded by nausea. The process is initiated by stimulation of the vomiting center of the brain by nerve impulses ...

borzoi

(Encyclopedia)borzoi bôrˈzoi [key], breed of tall, swift hound developed in Russia in the early 17th cent., also called Russian wolfhound. It stands from 26 to 31 in. (66–81.2 cm) high at the shoulder and weigh...

sports medicine

(Encyclopedia)sports medicine, branch of medicine concerned with physical fitness and with the treatment and prevention of injuries and other disorders related to sports. Knee, leg, back, and shoulder injuries; sti...

squash tennis

(Encyclopedia)squash tennis, game played on a four-walled court, similar in dimensions to the court on which squash racquets is played. The two games, however, differ in equipment, rules, and play. The squash tenni...