Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) chloroprene klōrˈəprēnˌ [key] or 2-chloro-1,3-butadiene, colorless liquid organic compound used in the synthesis of neoprene and certain other rubbers. The structure of the chloroprene molecule i...

(Encyclopedia) Ruth, Babe (George Herman Ruth), 1895–1948, American baseball player, considered by many the greatest of all baseball players, b. Baltimore. Ruth, a left hander, proved to be (1914–19) a formida...

(Encyclopedia) Gunnlaugsson, Sigmundur Davíð, 1975–, Icelandic political leader. He worked as a journalist and comedian for Iceland's national radio before he joined the conservative Progressive party and entere...

(Encyclopedia) finance, theory and practice of conducting large public and private dealings in money. Important institutions of private finance include those that deal with insurance, banking, stocks (see stock), bo...

(Encyclopedia) Washington, Walter Edward, 1915–2003, American political figure, first African-American mayor of Washington, D.C. (1975–79) and of a major American city, b. Dawson, Ga., grad. Howard Univ. (A.B., ...

(Encyclopedia) Gansevoort, Peter gănsˈvo͝ort [key], 1749–1812, soldier in the American Revolution, b. Albany, N.Y. He served in the Quebec campaign and in 1777 was in command of Fort Schuyler (former Fort Stanw...

(Encyclopedia) Chester, city (2020 pop. 32,605), Delaware co., SE Pa., on the Delaware River south of Philadelphia; settled c.1644 by Swedes, inc. as a city 1866. A po...

(Encyclopedia) macromolecule, term that may refer either to a crystal such as a diamond, in which the atoms are identical and held by covalent bonds (see chemical bond) of equal strength, or to one of the units that...

(Encyclopedia) oxy group ŏkˈsē [key], in chemistry, functional group that consists of an oxygen atom joined by single bonds to two separate alkyl groups or aryl groups. It is the functional group of ethers. ...

(Encyclopedia) Clews, Henry, c.1836–1923, American financier, b. England. He emigrated to the United States c.1850 and joined an import business as a junior clerk. In 1859 he cofounded the banking firm that later ...