Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Beaufort, Margaret, countess of Richmond and Derby

(Encyclopedia)Beaufort, Margaret, countess of Richmond and Derby bōˈfərt, därˈbē [key], 1443–1509, English noblewoman, mother of Henry VII. She was the daughter and heiress of John, 1st duke of Somerset, an...

Cockcroft, Sir John Douglas

(Encyclopedia)Cockcroft, Sir John Douglas, 1897–1967, English physicist, educated at the Univ. of Manchester and St. John's College, Cambridge. He was a fellow of St. John's College (1928–46) and professor of n...

passion music

(Encyclopedia)passion music, choral music whose text depicts events immediately surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus. The earliest passions, composed from the 9th to the 14th cent., were monophonic and employed the...

midsummer day and midsummer night

(Encyclopedia)midsummer day and midsummer night, names given to the feast of the nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24) and the preceding night (St. John's Eve, June 23). Because midsummer is about the time of ...

Hughes, John Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Hughes, John Joseph, 1797–1864, American Roman Catholic churchman, b. Co. Tyrone, Ireland. He joined his family in the United States in 1817 and on graduating from Mt. St. Mary's College, Emmitsburg...

Frazee, John

(Encyclopedia)Frazee, John frāˈzē [key], 1790–1852, American pioneer sculptor, b. Rahway, N.J. Without formal instruction, he advanced from tombstone cutting to portrait busts, including those of Daniel Webste...

Rabboni

(Encyclopedia)Rabboni răbōˈnī [key] [Aram.,=my master], a variant of Rabbi, a title of respect to teachers. It is addressed to Jesus in the Gospels of St. Mark and St. John. ...

Tulloch, John

(Encyclopedia)Tulloch, John tŭlˈəkh, –ək [key], 1823–86, Scottish liberal theologian and educator. Ordained (1845) into the Church of Scotland, he was a parish minister until 1854, when he became principal ...

rose of Sharon

(Encyclopedia)rose of Sharon, common name for several plants, especially Hibiscus syriacus, of the family Malvaceae (mallow family), and for St.-John's-wort, i.e., any species of the genus Hypericum of the family H...

Bethesda, in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Bethesda bĕthĕzˈdə, –thĕsˈ– [key], pool in Jerusalem, perhaps the one discovered under the Crusaders' Church of St. Anne near St. Stephen's Gate in the northeast corner of the city. Accordin...

Browse by Subject