Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

injection

(Encyclopedia)injection, introduction of a fluid into the body, usually by means of a needle and syringe. The material injected may be a test substance (as in determining allergic sensitivity or immunity to a disea...

Spillane, Mickey

(Encyclopedia)Spillane, Mickey (Frank Morrison Spillane), 1918–2006, American mystery writer, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. After contributing stories to comic books and pulp magazines, Spillane wrote his first novel, I, the...

Bessemer, Sir Henry

(Encyclopedia)Bessemer, Sir Henry bĕsˈəmər [key], English engineer and inventor, b. Charleton, Hertfordshire. He made experiments to obtain stronger material for gun manufacture and discovered the basic princip...

Kenosha

(Encyclopedia)Kenosha kĭnōˈshə [key], industrial city (2020 pop. 99,986), seat of Kenosha co., SE Wis., a ...

Maxim

(Encyclopedia)Maxim măkˈsĭm [key], name of a family of inventors and munition makers. Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim, 1840–1916, was born near Sangerville, Maine. After launching on a career of inventing, he moved to...

Jones, Mary Harris

(Encyclopedia)Jones, Mary Harris, 1830–1930, American labor agitator, called Mother Jones, b. Ireland. Interested in the labor movement for many years, she became active in it after the death of her husband and f...

Akeley, Carl Ethan

(Encyclopedia)Akeley, Carl Ethan ākˈlē [key], 1864–1926, American naturalist, animal sculptor, and author, b. Orleans co., N.Y. He served (1887–95) at the Museum of Milwaukee; from 1895 to 1909 he was at the...

Pyle, Ernie

(Encyclopedia)Pyle, Ernie (Ernest Taylor Pyle), 1900–1945, American journalist, b. Dana, Ind. After working (1923–32) as a reporter, an editor, and an aviation writer, he became managing editor of the Washingto...

cruiser

(Encyclopedia)cruiser, large, fast, moderately armed warship, intermediate in type between the aircraft carrier and the destroyer. During World War II, battle cruisers operated as small battleships, combining in on...

Quantico

(Encyclopedia)Quantico, town, (2000 pop. 561), Prince William Co., NE Va., on the Potomac River, 29 mi (47 km) SSW of Washington, D.C.; inc. 1927, reinc. 1934. It is now the site of the FBI training academy, and is...