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incantation

(Encyclopedia)incantation, set formula, spoken or sung, for the purpose of working magic. An incantation is normally an invocation to beneficent supernatural spirits for aid, protection, or inspiration. It may also...

McDuffie, George

(Encyclopedia)McDuffie, George, 1790–1851, American politician, b. Columbia co., Ga. He was a member of the South Carolina legislature and served (1821–34) in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he quickly...

Bassett, John Spencer

(Encyclopedia)Bassett, John Spencer, 1867–1928, American historian, b. Tarboro, N.C. He was professor of history at Trinity College (now Duke Univ.) from 1893 to 1906 and then at Smith from 1906 to 1928. Bassett ...

Kara Kum

(Encyclopedia)Kara Kum kärˌə ko͝omˈ [key], two deserts, one in Kazakhstan and one in Turkmenistan. The Caspian Kara Kum or Garagum, the larger desert (c.115,000 sq mi/297,900 sq km), is W of the Amu Darya Rive...

Kydland, Finn Erling

(Encyclopedia)Kydland, Finn Erling, 1943–, Norwegian economist, Ph.D Carnegie Mellon Univ., 1973. He has taught at the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (since 1973), Carnegie Mellon Univ....

Nicholson, Ben

(Encyclopedia)Nicholson, Ben, 1894–1982, English painter; son of Sir William Nicholson. Nicholson's geometric abstractions of landscapes and still lifes are discreetly colored and lyrically expressed. In works su...

Arnim, Mary Annette (Beauchamp), Countess von

(Encyclopedia)Arnim, Mary Annette (Beauchamp), Countess von: see Russell, Mary Annette (Beauchamp) Russell, Countess. ...

Russell, Mary Annette (Beauchamp) Russell, Countess

(Encyclopedia)Russell, Mary Annette (Beauchamp) Russell, Countess, pseud. Elizabeth, 1866–1941, English novelist, b. Sydney, Australia; cousin of Katherine Mansfield. In 1890 she married Count Henning von Arnim a...

Babington, Anthony

(Encyclopedia)Babington, Anthony băbˈĭngtən [key], 1561–86, English conspirator. A member of the Roman Catholic gentry, he served as a youth in the household of the earl of Shrewsbury at Sheffield Castle, whe...

Maitland, William

(Encyclopedia)Maitland, William (Maitland of Lethington), 1528?–1573, Scottish statesman. In 1559 he deserted the regent Mary of Guise and joined the revolt of the Protestant nobles. When Mary Queen of Scots retu...