Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Walton, Izaak

(Encyclopedia)Walton, Izaak, 1593–1683, English writer. He wrote one of the most famous books in the English language, The Compleat Angler; or, the Contemplative Man's Recreation. The first edition appeared in 16...

Rulfo, Juan

(Encyclopedia)Rulfo, Juan hwän ro͞olˈfō [key], 1918–86, Mexican writer. In his fiction he recreates the desolation of his native southern Jalisco and brings to life its simple people in a harsh and tragic man...

Böhm, Dominikus

(Encyclopedia)Böhm, Dominikus dômēˈnĭko͝os böm [key], 1880–1955, German architect. The widely varied styles of Catholic churches designed by Böhm have strongly influenced 20th-century ecclesiastical archi...

Burlamaqui, Jean Jacques

(Encyclopedia)Burlamaqui, Jean Jacques zhäN zhäk bo͝orlämäkēˈ [key], 1694–1748, Swiss jurist. His chief works are Principes du droit naturel [principles of natural law] (1747) and Principes du droit politi...

Langland, William

(Encyclopedia)Langland, William, c.1332–c.1400, putative author of Piers Plowman. He was born probably at Ledbury near the Welsh marshes and may have gone to school at Great Malvern Priory. Although he took minor...

capacitor

(Encyclopedia)capacitor or condenser, device for the storage of electric charge. Simple capacitors consist of two plates made of an electrically conducting material (e.g., a metal) and separated by a nonconducting ...

Langdell, Christopher Columbus

(Encyclopedia)Langdell, Christopher Columbus lăngˈdəl [key], 1826–1906, American teacher of law, b. New Boston, N.H. He practiced in New York City from 1854 to 1870, when he was appointed Dane professor of law...

De Maria, Walter Joseph

(Encyclopedia)De Maria, Walter Joseph, 1935–2013, American sculptor, b. Albany, Calif. From the late 1950s into the 60s De Maria partcipated in “Happenings,” created Dada-influenced minimalist sculptures, and...

data communications

(Encyclopedia)data communications, application of telecommunications technology to the problem of transmitting data, especially to, from, or between computers. In popular usage, it is said that data communications ...

DeBakey, Michael Ellis

(Encyclopedia)DeBakey, Michael Ellis dəbāˈkē [key], 1908–2008, American surgeon, b. Lake Charles, La. While still at Tulane medical school (M.D., 1932), DeBakey developed the roller pump, which later became a...