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Gossec, François Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Gossec, François Joseph fräNswäˈ zhôzĕfˈ gôsĕkˈ [key], 1734–1829, Belgian composer; pupil of Rameau. In 1784 he organized the École Royale de Chant and taught (1795–1816) composition at...

Épinal

(Encyclopedia)Épinal āpēnälˈ [key], town, capital of Vosges dept., E France, in Lorraine, on the Mosel...

Drebbel, Cornelis Jacobszoon

(Encyclopedia)Drebbel, Cornelis Jacobszoon kôrnāˈlĭs yäˈkôpsōn drĕbˈəl [key], 1572–1634, Dutch inventor, physicist, and mechanician. His major inventions were an atmospherically driven clock and the fi...

Dunbar, William, American scientist

(Encyclopedia)Dunbar, William, 1749–1810, American scientist in the old Southwest, b. near Elgin, Scotland. He came to America in 1771. Commissioned by President Jefferson to investigate the Ouachita and Red Rive...

Otsu

(Encyclopedia)Otsu ōˈtso͞o [key], city (1990 pop. 260,018), capital of Shiga prefecture, S Honshu, Japan. It is a tourist center and a port for excursion boats on Lake Biwa. Electrical appliances, textiles, prec...

Smeaton, John

(Encyclopedia)Smeaton, John smēˈtən [key], 1724–92, English civil engineer. He became an instrument maker, improved navigation instruments, and carried out many experiments on mechanical apparatus. Between 175...

Blacher, Boris

(Encyclopedia)Blacher, Boris bläˈkhər [key], 1903–75, Estonian-German composer, b. Yingkou, China. Blacher lived for six years in Siberia. He studied in Berlin and in 1953 became the director of the West Berli...

Native American music

(Encyclopedia)Native American music. The music of Native North Americans is primarily a vocal art, usually choral, although some nations favor solo singing. Native American music is entirely melodic; there is no ha...

Hubble Space Telescope

(Encyclopedia)Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the first large optical orbiting observatory. Built from 1978 to 1990 at a cost of $1.5 billion, the HST (named for astronomer E. P. Hubble) was expected to provide the c...

cutlery

(Encyclopedia)cutlery, various types of implements for cutting, preparing, and eating food. In addition to different kinds of knives and the steels to sharpen them, the term usually encompasses forks and spoons. Th...