Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Durkee, John

(Encyclopedia)Durkee, John dûrˈkē [key], 1728–82, American pioneer and Revolutionary officer, b. Windham, Conn. Durkee, a leading member of the Connecticut Sons of Liberty, led the group that forced Jared Inge...

Alföld

(Encyclopedia)Alföld ôlˈföld [key], Hun. Nagy-Alföld [Great Alföld], great central plain of Hungary extending into Serbia and W Romania. The level region is drained by the Tisza and Danube rivers. Formerly wo...

Vance, Zebulon Baird

(Encyclopedia)Vance, Zebulon Baird, 1830–94, American political leader, Confederate governor of North Carolina (1862–65) in the Civil War, b. Buncombe co., N.C. A lawyer and a Whig, he served in the state legis...

Alcaeus

(Encyclopedia)Alcaeus ălsēˈəs [key], c.620–c.580 b.c., Greek lyric poet of Lesbos. An aristocrat, he was often embroiled in political battles with the ruling tyrants. He wrote drinking songs, hymns, love song...

Blenheim

(Encyclopedia)Blenheim blĕnˈəm [key], Ger. Blindheim, village, Bavaria, S Germany, on the Danube River. Between Blenheim and nearby Höchstädt, John Churchill, 1st duke of Marlborough, and Prince Eugene of Savo...

Cameron of Lochiel, Donald

(Encyclopedia)Cameron of Lochiel, Donald lŏkh-ēlˈ [key], 1695?–1748, Scottish clan chieftain, known as the Gentle Lochiel; grandson of Sir Ewen Cameron. He was the first of the major chieftains to join Charles...

Medellín

(Encyclopedia)Medellín māᵺāyēnˈ [key], city (1993 pop. 1,551,160), capital of Antioquia dept., W central Colombia. It is the country's chief manufacturing center. Textiles, steel, flowers, food products, aut...

Cumberland, river, United States

(Encyclopedia)Cumberland, river, 687 mi (1,106 km) long, rising in E Ky., and winding generally SW through Ky. and Tenn., then NW to the Ohio River near Paducah, Ky.; drains c.18,500 sq mi (47,910 sq km). The devel...

Chikamatsu, Monzaemon

(Encyclopedia)Chikamatsu, Monzaemon mônˈzäĕmŏnˈ chēˌkämäˈtso͞o [key], 1653–1725, the first professional Japanese dramatist. Chikamatsu wrote primarily for the puppet stage in the Tokugawa shogunate. H...

Suffren de Saint-Tropez, Pierre André de

(Encyclopedia)Suffren de Saint-Tropez, Pierre André de pyĕr äNdrāˈ də süfrĕnˈ də săN-trôpāˈ [key], 1726–88, French admiral. He participated in naval warfare in the War of the Austrian Succession and...