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boric acid

(Encyclopedia)boric acid, any one of the three chemical compounds, orthoboric (or boracic) acid, metaboric acid, and tetraboric (or pyroboric) acid; the term often refers simply to orthoboric acid. The acids may be...

cysteine

(Encyclopedia)CE5 CE5 cysteine sĭsˈtēn [key], organic compound, one of the 20 amino acids commonly found in animal proteins. Only the l-stereoisomer participates in the biosynthesis of mammalian protein...

Kwajalein

(Encyclopedia)Kwajalein kwäˈjälān, –lēn, –lĭn [key], coral atoll, 6.5 sq mi (16.8 sq km), central Pacific, in the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. The largest atoll of the Marshalls, Kwajalein, consis...

Fort Sam Houston

(Encyclopedia)Fort Sam Houston, U.S. army facility, S Tex., in San Antonio; headquarters of the U.S. Army North and the U.S. Army South. In 2010 it was amalgamated with Lackland and Randolph air force bases to crea...

Edwards Air Force Base

(Encyclopedia)Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the wo...

Mintoff, Dominic

(Encyclopedia)Mintoff, Dominic, 1916–2012, Maltese political leader, prime minister of Malta (1955–58, 1971–84). An architect and engineer, he was educated at the Univ. of Malta and Oxford. He joined the Labo...

Oxnard

(Encyclopedia)Oxnard ŏkˈsnärd [key], city (1990 pop. 142,216), Ventura co., S Calif., on the Pacific coast; inc. 1903. Its economy, formerly based on agriculture, mining, and nearby military bases, has expanded ...

macromolecule

(Encyclopedia)macromolecule, term that may refer either to a crystal such as a diamond, in which the atoms are identical and held by covalent bonds (see chemical bond) of equal strength, or to one of the units that...

magnesia, chemical compound

(Encyclopedia)magnesia, common name for the chemical compound magnesium oxide, MgO. It occurs as colorless, cubic crystals. It is refractory, melting at about 2,800℃. It is very slightly soluble in pure water but...

spermaceti

(Encyclopedia)spermaceti spûrˈməsēˈtē [key], solid waxy substance, white, odorless, and tasteless, separated from the oils obtained from the sperm whale (see sperm oil) and other marine mammals. A mixture of ...