Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Tabb, John Banister

(Encyclopedia)Tabb, John Banister, 1845–1909, American poet, b. Amelia co., Va. He was converted to Roman Catholicism in 1872 and entered the priesthood in 1884. His poems on nature and religion are simple and po...

Millikan, Robert Andrews

(Encyclopedia)Millikan, Robert Andrews mĭlˈĭkən [key], 1868–1953, American physicist and educator, b. Morrison, Ill., grad. Oberlin College, 1891, Ph.D. Columbia, 1895, studied in Germany. He taught (1896–1...

headdress

(Encyclopedia)headdress, head covering or decoration, protective or ceremonial, which has been an important part of costume since ancient times. Its style is governed in general by climate, available materials, rel...

Micah, book of the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Micah mīˈkə [key], 6th of the books of the Minor Prophets of the Bible, containing the oracles of the prophet Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah whose career spanned the period c.750–c.700 b.c. The ...

Lewis, Meriwether

(Encyclopedia)Lewis, Meriwether, 1774–1809, American explorer, one of the leaders of the Lewis and Clark expedition, b. near Charlottesville, Va. He was a captain in the army and served in a number of campaigns a...

Clark, Kenneth MacKenzie

(Encyclopedia)Clark, Kenneth MacKenzie (Lord Clark of Saltwood), 1903–83, English art historian, studied Oxford. After working with Bernard Berenson in Florence, Clark was keeper of the department of fine art at ...

Filson, John

(Encyclopedia)Filson, John, c.1753–1788, Kentucky pioneer, b. Chester co., Pa. In 1783 he acquired land in Kentucky, taught school, and wrote Discovery, Settlement, and Present State of Kentucke (1784). This firs...

Numbers

(Encyclopedia)Numbers, book of the Bible, fourth of the five books of the Law (the Pentateuch or Torah) ascribed by tradition to Moses. Numbers begins at Sinai and ends in Moab on the eve of the Hebrews' entry into...

Ælfric

(Encyclopedia)Ælfric ălˈfrĭk [key], c.955–1020, English writer and Benedictine monk. He was the greatest English scholar during the revival of learning fostered by the Benedictine monasteries in the second ha...

Reinmar von Zweter

(Encyclopedia)Reinmar von Zweter tsvāˈtər [key], c.1200–c.1260, German minnesinger. He is best known for his Sprüche, short and often satirical verses on politics, religion, morals, and courtly love. ...