Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

column

(Encyclopedia)column, vertical architectural support, circular or polygonal in plan. A column is generally at least four or five times as high as its diameter or width; stubbier freestanding masses of masonry are u...

oscilloscope

(Encyclopedia)oscilloscope əsĭlˈəskōpˌ [key], electronic device used to produce visual displays corresponding to electrical signals. Displays of such nonelectrical phenomena as the variations of a sound's int...

warship

(Encyclopedia)warship, any ship built or armed for naval combat. The forerunners of the modern warship were the men-of-war of the 18th and early 19th cent., such as the ship of the line, frigate, corvette, sloop of...

direction finder

(Encyclopedia)direction finder, electronic device used to determine the position of a ship or aircraft. In a simple direction finder a radio receiver is equipped with a revolving directional antenna. The antenna re...

Mesa, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Mesa māˈsə [key], city (1990 pop. 288,091), Maricopa co., S central Ariz., in the irrigated Salt River valley; inc. 1883. Electronic components, fabricated metals, aircraft, and machine tools are a...

Harlingen

(Encyclopedia)Harlingen härˈlĭnjən [key], city (2020 pop. 71,829), Cameron co., extreme S Tex.; inc. 1910. It ...

fault

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Types of faults fault, in geology, fracture in the earth's crust in which the rock on one side of the fracture has measurable movement in relation to the rock on the other side. Faults on othe...

Yakima, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Yakima yăkˈəmô, –mə [key], city (1990 pop. 54,827), seat of Yakima co., S central Wash., on the Yakima River just below its confluence with the Naches; inc. 1886. It is the trade and shipping c...

Zaïmis, Alexander

(Encyclopedia)Zaïmis, Alexander zäˈēmēs [key], 1855–1936, Greek statesman. At the end of the disastrous 1897 war with Turkey, he became premier for the first time (1897–99). He was again premier in 1901–...

Queen Latifah

(Encyclopedia) Queen Latifah , 1970- , African-American rapper, songwriter, and actress, b. Newark, N.J., as Dana Elaine Owens. In a musical style known for its m...

Browse by Subject