(Encyclopedia) Benchley, Robert Charles, 1889–1945, American humorist, b. Worcester, Mass., grad. Harvard, 1912. He was drama critic of Life (1920–29) and of the New Yorker (1929–40). Benchley was…
(Encyclopedia) Beit, AlfredBeit, Alfredbīt [key], 1853–1906, South African financier, b. Hamburg. He went to South Africa in 1875, grew rich from the development of diamond mines, and was a colleague…
(Encyclopedia) TaymaTaymatāˈmä [key], large oasis, SW Saudi Arabia. Cuneiform inscriptions possibly dating from the 6th cent. b.c. have been recovered from Tayma. In ancient Arabic tradition the…
(Encyclopedia) spinel, magnesium aluminum oxide, MgAl2O4, a mineral crystallizing in the isometric system, usually as octahedrons. It occurs as an accessory mineral in basic igneous rocks, in…
(Encyclopedia) Thoma, HansThoma, Hanshäns tōˈmä [key], 1839–1924, German painter and lithographer. He was influenced by Courbet. His later, individual style, modeled on that of old German woodcuts,…
(Encyclopedia) halophytehalophytehălˈəfītˌ [key], any plant, especially a seed plant, that is able to grow in habitats excessively rich in salts, such as salt marshes, sea coasts, and saline or…
(Encyclopedia) Gretchaninov, Aleksandr TichonovichGretchaninov, Aleksandr Tichonovichəlyĭksänˈdər tēkônôˈvĭch grĕchänēˈnŏf [key], 1864–1956, Russian composer; pupil of Rimsky-Korsakov. Among his…
(Encyclopedia) Li Shang-yinLi Shang-yinlēˈ shăngˌ-yĭnˈ [key], 813?–858, Chinese poet. Of his 598 extant works, the best known are untitled love poems that describe in rich, sensuous detail scenes of…
(Encyclopedia) Little SiouxLittle Siouxs&oomacr; [key], river, 221 mi (356 km) long, rising in SW Minn. and flowing generally SW across NW Iowa to the Missouri River S of Sioux City. Flowing…
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