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Malluch

(Encyclopedia)Malluch mălˈək [key], in the Bible. 1 Merarite. 2, 3 Two who gave up foreign wives. 4, 5 Two signers of the covenant. 6 Priestly family returned with Zerubbabel; an alternate form is Melicu. Some o...

Bezer

(Encyclopedia)Bezer bēˈzər [key]. Reubenite town, E of the Jordan. Bezer is mentioned in the Moabite stone and several times in the Bible; it may be identical with Bozrah (2.) ...

prickly heat

(Encyclopedia)prickly heat (miliaria), inflammatory skin eruption due to obstruction of the sweat glands by keratin, the substance that forms the horny cells of the epidermis. It consists of blisterlike elevations ...

Calneh

(Encyclopedia)Calneh kălˈnē [key], in the Bible. 1 Place, in S Babylonia, founded by Nimrod with other cities; the word may mean “all of them.” 2 Unidentified city, possibly in N Syria. It is perhaps the sam...

derecho

(Encyclopedia)derecho dərāˈchō [key], a long-lived windstorm over a wide expanse that is associated with a line of rapidly moving thunderstorms or showers. The winds in a derecho generally exceed 57 mph (92 kph...

contact lens

(Encyclopedia)contact lens, thin plastic lens worn between the eye and eyelid that may be used instead of eyeglasses. Actors, models, and others wear them for appearance, and athletes use them for safety and conven...

coercion

(Encyclopedia)coercion, in law, the unlawful act of compelling a person to do, or to abstain from doing, something by depriving him of the exercise of his free will, particularly by use or threat of physical or mor...

fatwa

(Encyclopedia)fatwa, in Islamic law, an opinion made by a judicial/religious scholar (a mufti) on a legal, civil, or religious matter. The fatwa is usually a valuable source of information on any subject for privat...

iritis

(Encyclopedia)iritis īrīˈtĭs [key], inflammation of the iris, the pigmented portion of the eye surrounding the pupil. The condition is sometimes associated with diabetes, with rheumatic diseases such as rheumat...

governor, device

(Encyclopedia)governor, automatic device used to regulate and control such variables as speed or pressure in the functioning of an engine or other machine. A governor may be an electric, hydraulic, or mechanical de...