Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

root, in mathematics

(Encyclopedia)root, in mathematics, number or quantity r for which an equation f(r)=0 holds true, where f is some function. If f is a polynomial, r is called a root of f; for example, r=3 and r=−4 are roots of th...

Triton , in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Triton trītˈən [key], in astronomy, innermost and largest of the eight known moons, or natural satellites, of Neptune. ...

thrush , in medicine

(Encyclopedia)thrush, in medicine, infection caused by the fungus Candida albicans, manifested by white, slightly raised patches on the mucous membrane of the tongue, mouth, and throat. The mucous membrane beneath ...

time , in music

(Encyclopedia)time, in music: see tempo; meter; rhythm; syncopation; metronome and musical notation. ...

timothy , in botany

(Encyclopedia)timothy or herd's-grass, perennial plant (Phleum pratense) of the family Poaceae (grass family), native to Europe and W Asia and one of the most widely cultivated hay grass of North America. Adaptable...

Titan , in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Titan tīˈtən [key], in astronomy, the largest of the named moons, or natural satellites, of Saturn. Also known as Saturn VI (or S6), Titan is 3,200 mi (5,150 km) in diameter, orbits Saturn at a mea...

transcendentalism , in philosophy

(Encyclopedia)transcendentalism, in philosophy, term descriptive of systems that hold that there are modes of being and principles of existence beyond the reach of mundane experience and manipulation. The term is n...

triangle , in mathematics

(Encyclopedia)triangle, in mathematics, plane figure bounded by three straight lines, the sides, which intersect at three points called the vertices. Any one of the sides may be considered the base of the triangle....

triangle , in music

(Encyclopedia)triangle, in music, percussion instrument consisting of a steel rod bent into a triangle, open at one angle, and struck with a steel rod. Only since the end of the 18th cent. has it been an orchestral...

Browse by Subject