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materialism

(Encyclopedia)materialism, in philosophy, a widely held system of thought that explains the nature of the world as entirely dependent on matter, the fundamental and final reality beyond which nothing need be sought...

delta

(Encyclopedia)delta [from triangular shape of the Nile delta, like the Greek letter delta], a deposit of clay, silt, and sand formed at the mouth of a river where the stream loses velocity and drops part of its sed...

Clovis

(Encyclopedia)Clovis. 1 City (2020 pop. 120,124, Fresno co., S central Calif., near the foothills of the Sierra Nevada range; inc. 1912. It is a growing trade ...

Trinity , river, United States

(Encyclopedia)Trinity, river rising in N Texas in three forks; the Clear Fork runs into the West Fork at Fort Worth, and the Elm Fork joins the West Fork at Dallas. The Trinity then flows c.510 mi (820 km) SE to Tr...

Watkins Glen

(Encyclopedia)Watkins Glen wŏtˈkĭnz [key], resort village (1990 pop. 2,207), seat of Schuyler co., W central N.Y., in the Finger Lakes region, at the southern end of Seneca Lake; inc. 1842. It is in a grape and ...

electric shock

(Encyclopedia)electric shock, effect of the passage of a current of electricity through the body. Fatality may result from shocks of from 1 to 2 amperes and 500 to 1,000 volts. However, the effect of electric shock...

Sun Valley

(Encyclopedia)Sun Valley, mountain resort city (1990 pop. 938), alt. c.6,000 ft (1,830 m), Blaine co., S central Idaho; inc. 1967. It is a popular year-round resort with both winter and summer sports. It was founde...

Condillac, Étienne Bonnot de

(Encyclopedia)Condillac, Étienne Bonnot de ātyĕnˈ bônōˈ də kôNdēyäkˈ [key], 1715–80, French philosopher who developed the theory of sensationalism (i.e., that all knowledge comes from the senses and t...

catchment area

(Encyclopedia)catchment area or drainage basin, area drained by a stream or other body of water. The limits of a given catchment area are the heights of land—often called drainage divides, or watersheds—separat...