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Tarde, Gabriel de

(Encyclopedia)Tarde, Gabriel de gäbrēĕlˈ də tärd [key], 1843–1904, French sociologist and criminologist. During his years of public service as a magistrate, he became interested in the psychosocial bases of...

nylon

(Encyclopedia)nylon, synthetic thermoplastic material characterized by strength, elasticity, resistance to abrasion and chemicals, low moisture absorbency, and capacity to be permanently set by heat. After 10 years...

polystyrene

(Encyclopedia)polystyrene pŏlˌēstīˈrēn [key], widely used plastic; it is a polymer of styrene. Polystyrene is a colorless, transparent thermoplastic that softens slightly above 100℃ (212℉) and becomes a v...

isoleucine

(Encyclopedia)CE5 isoleucine īˌsəlo͞oˈsēn [key], organic compound, one of the 20 amino acids commonly found in animal proteins. Only the l-stereoisomer appears in mammalian protein. It is one of several es...

palladium, chemical element

(Encyclopedia)palladium [Gr. Pallas, goddess of wisdom], metallic chemical element; symbol Pd; at. no. 46; at. wt. 106.42; m.p. 1,554℃; b.p. 2,970℃; sp. gr. 12.02 at 20℃; valence +2, +3, or +4. Palladium is a...

phenylalanine

(Encyclopedia)CE5 phenylalanine fĕnˌəlălˈənēnˌ [key], organic compound, one of the 22 α-amino acids commonly found in animal proteins. Only the l-stereoisomer appears in mammalian protein. It is one of ...

nitrogen cycle

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Nitrogen cycle nitrogen cycle, the continuous flow of nitrogen through the biosphere by the processes of nitrogen fixation, ammonification (decay), nitrification, and denitrification. Nitrogen...

Cobb, Ty

(Encyclopedia)Cobb, Ty (Tyrus Raymond Cobb), 1886–1961, American baseball player, b. Narrows, Ga. In 1905 he joined the Detroit Tigers as center fielder and in his 24 years in the American League was one of the m...

grease

(Encyclopedia)grease, mixture of lubricant and thickener. It is used to reduce friction between surfaces from which oils would leak away or cause damage by dripping, or where lubrication must be assured for extende...

Brock, Lou

(Encyclopedia)Brock, Lou (Louis Clark Brock), 1939–2020, American baseball player, b. El Dorado, Ark. A left-handed outfielder best known for his extraordinary base running skill, Brock was signed by the Chicago ...