Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Fairfield

(Encyclopedia)Fairfield. 1 City (2020 pop. 10,000), Jefferson co., N central Ala., an industrial suburb of Birmingham; inc. 1919. Founded (1910) by the United ...

embolus

(Encyclopedia)embolus ĕmˈbələs [key], foreign matter circulating in and obstructing a blood vessel. It may be a portion of a clot that has separated from the wall of a vessel (see thrombosis), a bubble of gas o...

sense

(Encyclopedia)sense, faculty by which external or internal stimuli are conveyed to the brain centers, where they are registered as sensations. Sensory reception occurs in higher animals through a process known as t...

pneumoconiosis

(Encyclopedia)pneumoconiosis no͞oˌməkōˌnēōˈsĭs [key], chronic disease of the lungs. Primarily an occupational disease of miners, sandblasters, and metal grinders, it is a result of repeated inhalation of d...

Richards, Ann Willis

(Encyclopedia)Richards, Ann Willis, 1933–2006, American politician, b. Lakeview, Tex., as Dorothy Ann Willis. She began her career in politics in the early 1970s after having raised four children. A Democrat, she...

paraldehyde

(Encyclopedia)paraldehyde pârălˈdəhīdˌ [key], nervous system depressant similar to alcohol in its effects and used as a sedative. A colorless flammable liquid with a disagreeable odor, paraldehyde produces sl...

valve

(Encyclopedia)valve, device for controlling the flow of fluids (liquids and gases). Valves vary in construction and size depending upon their function. Some are classified according to their method of operation or ...

Bourke-White, Margaret

(Encyclopedia)Bourke-White, Margaret bûrkˈ hwīt [key], 1904–71, American photo-journalist, b. New York City. One of the original staff photographers at Fortune, Life, and Time magazines, Bourke-White was noted...

Teplice

(Encyclopedia)Teplice –shäˈnôf [key], Ger. Teplitz-Schönau, city (1991 pop. 53,004), NW Czech Republic, in Bohemia, in the Erzgebirge [ore mountains] and near the German border. It is a road and rail hub and ...

Steno, Nicolaus

(Encyclopedia)Steno, Nicolaus nēls stānˈsən [key], 1638–86, Danish anatomist, geologist, and Roman Catholic prelate. He lived principally in Copenhagen, Paris, and Florence. He investigated the heart, brain, ...