Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Muggleton, Lodowicke

(Encyclopedia)Muggleton, Lodowicke, 1609–98, English religious leader, a journeyman tailor. With his cousin John Reeve, also a tailor, he founded a new sect, whose adherents were known as Muggletonians. In 1652, ...

Wilkins, Roger

(Encyclopedia)Wilkins, Roger, 1932–2017, American government official, civil-rights activists, journalist, and educator, b. Kansas City, Mo., grad. Univ. of Michigan (B.A., 1953; LL.B. 1956); nephew of Roy Wilkin...

Steinem, Gloria

(Encyclopedia)Steinem, Gloria stīnˈəm [key], 1934–, American journalist and feminist, b. Toledo, Ohio, grad. Smith College (B.A., 1956). Steinem gained prominence as a spokeswoman for women's rights in article...

Spence, Michael

(Encyclopedia)Spence, Michael (Andrew Michael Spence), 1943–, American economist and educator, b. Montclair, N.J., Ph.D. Harvard, 1972. He has taught at Stanford (1973–75, 1990–99), Harvard (1975–90), and N...

Shimonoseki

(Encyclopedia)Shimonoseki shēˈmōnōsāˌkē [key], city (1990 pop. 262,635), Yamaguchi prefecture, extreme SW Honshu, Japan. An important port and fishing center on Shimonoseki Strait, it is opposite Kitakyushu,...

sarin

(Encyclopedia)sarin zärēnˈ [key], volatile liquid used as a nerve gas. It boils at 147℃ but evaporates quickly at room temperature; its vapor is colorless and odorless. Chemically, sarin is fluoroisopropoxymet...

rifampin

(Encyclopedia)rifampin rĭfămˈpĭn [key], antibiotic used in the treatment of tuberculosis. It is also used to eliminate the meningococcus microorganism from carriers and to treat leprosy, or Hansen's disease. Ri...

Pontius Pilate

(Encyclopedia)Pontius Pilate pŏnˈshəs pīˈlət [key], Roman prefect of Judaea (a.d. 26–36?). He was supposedly a ruthless governor, and he was removed at the complaint of Samaritans, among whom he engineered ...

cricket, in zoology

(Encyclopedia)cricket, common name of the slender, chirping, hopping insects forming the family Gryllidae in the order Orthoptera. Most crickets have long antennae, muscular hind legs for jumping, and two pairs of ...

covenant

(Encyclopedia)covenant kŭvˈənənt [key], agreement entered into voluntarily by two or more parties to do or refrain from doing certain acts. In the Bible and in theology the covenant is the agreement or engageme...

Browse by Subject