Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

God Save the King

(Encyclopedia)God Save the King (or Queen), the English national anthem. The words and music are both of doubtful origin. The air, possibly derived from a folk tune, has been attributed to Henry Carey (whose claim ...

Fuchu

(Encyclopedia)Fuchu fo͞oˈcho͞o [key]. 1 City, Hiroshima prefecture, W Honshu, Japan, on the Ashida River...

Meridian

(Encyclopedia)Meridian mərĭdˈēən [key], city (1990 pop. 41,036), seat of Lauderdale co., E Miss., near the Ala. line; settled 1831, inc. 1860. It is an important rail and highway point and the trade and shippi...

loam

(Encyclopedia)loam, soil composed of sand, silt, clay, and organic matter in evenly mixed particles of various sizes. More fertile than sandy soils, loam is not stiff and tenacious like clay soils. Its porosity all...

Lompoc

(Encyclopedia)Lompoc lŏmˈpōk [key], city (1990 pop. 37,649), Santa Barbara co., S Calif., in an oil and agricultural area; inc. 1888. It has a huge flower-seed industry and two large diatomaceous earth mines. Pe...

Mariotte, Edme

(Encyclopedia)Mariotte, Edme ĕdˈmə märyôtˈ [key], 1620?–1684, French physicist. His De la nature de l'air (1676) includes a statement of Boyle's law (see gas laws), which he discovered independently and whi...

Mahón

(Encyclopedia)Mahón mäōnˈ [key], Catalan Maó, town (1990 pop. 24,383), capital and chief town of Minorca island, Baleares prov., Spain, in the W Mediterranean Sea. A port with an excellent natural harbor defen...

Valdosta

(Encyclopedia)Valdosta văldŏsˈ tə [key], city (1990 pop. 29,806), seat of Lowndes co., S Ga., near the Fla. line, in a lake region; inc. 1860. Valdosta is a large naval stores market and a processing, distribut...

Blanchard, Jean Pierre

(Encyclopedia)Blanchard, Jean Pierre fräNswäˈ [key], 1753–1809, French balloonist. In 1785 he made with Dr. John Jeffries of Boston, Mass., the first crossing by air of the English Channel. His ascents at Phil...

Wuzhou

(Encyclopedia)Wuzhou wo͞oˈjōˈ [key], city (1994 est. pop. 236,200), E Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, S China, a port on the Xi River at the mouth of the Gui River. It is an important trade and shipping cente...