Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Molokai

(Encyclopedia)Molokai mōˈlōkīˈ [key], island (1990 pop. 6,587), 261 sq mi (676 sq km), Maui co., Hawaii, between Oahu and Maui islands. Molokai is generally mountainous, with Mt. Kamakou (4,970 ft/1,515 m) the...

macramé

(Encyclopedia)macramé măkˈrəmāˌ [key], a technique of decorative knotting employing simple basic knots to create a multitude of patterns. The term derives from an Arabic word for braided fringe. Its first kno...

Wells

(Encyclopedia)Wells, town (1991 pop. 9,252), Somerset, SW England. Primarily a cathedral town, it has changed little since medieval times, although shopping and tourism have become important. The first church was e...

stavkirke

(Encyclopedia)stavkirke stäfˈkērˌkĕ [key] [Nor.], medieval wooden church building of Scandinavian countries. Of hundreds erected in the 11th, 12th, and 13th cent., only a score survive, and these are all in No...

Shanhaiguan

(Encyclopedia)Shanhaiguan or Shanhaikwan both: shän-hī-gwän [key] [Chin.,=mountain sea door], city, NE Hebei prov., China, on the Bohai. Strategically situated where the Great Wall meets the sea and on the narro...

bacteriophage

(Encyclopedia)bacteriophage băktērˈēəfājˌ [key], virus that infects bacteria and sometimes destroys them by lysis, or dissolution of the cell. Bacteriophages, or phages, have a head composed of protein, an i...

games, children's

(Encyclopedia)games, children's, amusements or pastimes involving more than one child and in which there is some sort of formalized dramatic element, contest, or plot. Games are a cultural universal; for example, t...

Bank of England

(Encyclopedia)Bank of England, central bank and note-issuing institution of Great Britain. Popularly known as the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street, its main office stands on the street of that name in London. The ba...

abdomen

(Encyclopedia)abdomen, in humans and other vertebrates, portion of the trunk between the diaphragm and lower pelvis. In humans the wall of the abdomen is a muscular structure covered by fascia, fat, and skin. The a...

Chandrapur

(Encyclopedia)Chandrapur chänˈdə [key], city, Maharashtra state, central India, on the Irar River. It is a ...

Browse by Subject