Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Franck, James

(Encyclopedia)Franck, James frängk [key], 1882–1964, German physicist. He was professor of physics at Göttingen and at Johns Hopkins (1935–38) and professor of physical chemistry at the Univ. of Chicago from ...

Antoninus, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Antoninus, Saint ăntōnīˈnəs [key], 1389–1459, Italian churchman, b. Antoninus Pierozzi. He was a Dominican and became archbishop of Florence. He ruled well and was renowned for his charitable w...

Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act

(Encyclopedia)Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act, officially the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, U.S. budget deficit reduction measure. The law provided for automatic spending cuts to take effect ...

fusel oil

(Encyclopedia)fusel oil fyo͞oˈzəl [key], oily, colorless liquid with a disagreeable odor and taste. It is a mixture of alcohols (largely amyl alcohols) and fatty acids, formed during the alcoholic fermentation o...

Fizeau, Armand Hippolyte Louis

(Encyclopedia)Fizeau, Armand Hippolyte Louis ärmäNˈ ēpôlētˈ lwē fēzōˈ [key], 1819–96, French physicist. The first to measure (1849) the velocity of light in air, he also determined its speed in water. ...

Lytton, Victor Alexander George Robert Lytton, 2d earl of

(Encyclopedia)Lytton, Victor Alexander George Robert Lytton, 2d earl of, 1871–1947, British diplomat, son of Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st earl of Lytton. He was undersecretary of state for India (1920–22) a...

Thespis

(Encyclopedia)Thespis thĕsˈpĭs [key], fl. 534 b.c., of Icaria in Attica. In Greek tradition, he was the inventor of tragedy. Almost nothing is known of his life or works. He is supposed to have modified the dith...

seeing

(Encyclopedia)seeing, in astronomy, the clarity with which stars and other celestial objects can be observed. It is primarily determined by the atmosphere of the earth. The most obvious phenomenon is twinkling, whe...

plasma

(Encyclopedia)plasma, in physics, fully ionized gas of low density, containing approximately equal numbers of positive and negative ions (see electron and ion). It is electrically conductive and is affected by magn...

Dolomites

(Encyclopedia)Dolomites or Dolomite Alps, Alpine group, N Italy, between the Isarco and Piave rivers, named for the dolomitic limestone of which it is composed. Famous for their strikingly bold outline (a stairstep...