Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Torrens, Lake

(Encyclopedia)Torrens, Lake, shallow salt lake, 2,230 sq mi (5,776 sq km), central South Australia state, Australia. In a rift valley, it is 120 mi (193 km) long and is Australia's second largest lake. It becomes p...

Beracah

(Encyclopedia)Beracah bērāˈkə [key], in the Bible. 1 One who joined David at Ziklag. 2 Valley, N of Hebron, running roughly east-west. ...

Rezeph

(Encyclopedia)Rezeph rēˈzĕf [key], ancient city, probably to be identified with Rasafa, E of Palmyra in the Euphrates valley. It is mentioned in the Bible. ...

De la Rue, Warren

(Encyclopedia)De la Rue, Warren dĕlˈəro͞o, dĕləro͞oˈ [key], 1815–89, British scientist and inventor. Especially noted as an astronomer, he was a pioneer in celestial photography. He adapted the wet-plate ...

Day, John, English printer

(Encyclopedia)Day, John, 1522–84, English printer. At his London shop Day designed and made type for himself, but not for sale. His types included musical notes and the first Anglo-Saxon type. He printed the firs...

Daedalus

(Encyclopedia)Daedalus dĕdˈələs [key], in Greek mythology, craftsman and inventor. After killing his apprentice Talos in envy, he fled from Greece to Crete. There, he arranged the liaison between Pasiphaë and ...

Huneker, James Gibbons

(Encyclopedia)Huneker, James Gibbons hŭnˈĭkər [key], 1860–1921, American essayist and music critic, b. Philadelphia. The originality and pungency of his style and the soundness of his criticism made him one o...

Oceanus

(Encyclopedia)Oceanus ōsēˈənəs [key], in Greek mythology. 1 Circular stream that flows around the edge of the earth. The sun and moon rise from and descend into this stream; it is the source of all rivers. 2 P...

Pew Charitable Trusts

(Encyclopedia)Pew Charitable Trusts, philanthropic foundation established (1948) by the children of Sun Oil Company founder Joseph N. Pew (1886–1963) of Philadelphia to provide funds for “general religious, cha...

Philomena of Dacia, Peter

(Encyclopedia)Philomena of Dacia, Peter, or Peter Nightingale, fl. 1291–1303, Danish astronomer and mathematician. He taught at the Univ. of Bologna (1291–92) and in Paris, and was a canon of Roskilde Cathedral...