Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Beneš, Eduard

(Encyclopedia)Beneš, Eduard ĕˈdo͝oärt bĕˈnĕsh [key], 1884–1948, Czechoslovakian president (1935–38, 1946–48). As a student at Prague Univ. he adopted the political and social philosophy of T. G. Masar...

spiritism

(Encyclopedia)spiritism or spiritualism, belief that the human personality continues to exist after death and can communicate with the living through the agency of a medium or psychic. The advocates of spiritism ar...

urinalysis

(Encyclopedia)urinalysis yo͝orˌənălˈĭsĭs [key], clinical examination of urine for the purpose of medical diagnosis. Urine is initially examined for such characteristics as color, odor, and specific gravity. ...

prairie dog

(Encyclopedia)prairie dog, short-tailed, ground-living rodent, genus Cynomys, of the squirrel family, closely related to the ground squirrels, chipmunks, and marmots. There are several species, found in the W Unite...

Ferreira, António

(Encyclopedia)Ferreira, António äntôˈnyo͝o fərēˈrə [key], c.1528–69, Portuguese dramatist and poet. Ferreira served as a privy councillor and a magistrate. Influenced by the Italian Renaissance, he wrote...

aphasia

(Encyclopedia)aphasia əfāˈzhə [key], language disturbance caused by a lesion of the brain, making an individual partially or totally impaired in his ability to speak, write, or comprehend the meaning of spoken ...

Amyot, Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Amyot or Amiot, Joseph ämyōˈ [key], 1718–1794?, French Roman Catholic missionary in China, a Jesuit. He wrote a long treatise on the history, sciences, and customs of the Chinese (15 vol., 1776�...

Jyväskylä

(Encyclopedia)Jyväskylä yüˈvăsküˌlă [key], city (1998 pop. 76,948), Western Finland prov., S central Finland. Situated on Lake Päijänne, it is an important port. Paper and wood products, metals, wool, and...

Kyzyl

(Encyclopedia)Kyzyl or Kizil both: kĭzĭlˈ [key], city (1989 pop. 85,000), capital of Tuva Republic, S Siberian Russia, on the Yenisei River. It services motor transport and has brickyards, sawmills, furniture fa...

Lacombe, Albert

(Encyclopedia)Lacombe, Albert älbĕrˈ läkôNbˈ [key], 1827–1916, French Canadian Roman Catholic missionary. He studied at Assomption College in Quebec prov. before he joined the Oblate order and was ordained ...