Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) hornbeam or ironwood, name in North America for two groups of trees of the family Betulaceae (birch family), native to the eastern half of the continent. Carpinus caroliniana, also called blue beech a...

(Encyclopedia) silky terrier, breed of agile, spirited toy dog originated in Australia in the early 20th cent. It stands about 10 in. (25 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 8 to 10 lb (3.6.–4.5 kg). Its silk...

(Encyclopedia) soft-coated wheaten terrier, breed of medium-sized dog developed and perfected in Ireland. It stands from 17 to 19 in. (43.1–48.3 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 30 to 45 lb (13.6–20.4 kg...

(Encyclopedia) vireo, small, migratory songbird of the New World. Some species nest in the United States, but the majority are tropical. Vireos (also called greenlets) range from 4 to 6 1/2 in. (10.2–16.5 cm) in l...

(Encyclopedia) ribbon, relatively narrow width of woven fabric edged with selvage. Ribbons have been used for centuries as girdles, headdresses, and badges and for ornamentation. At first called ribbands, they were ...

(Encyclopedia) Sabbatarians, persons who insist upon strict observance of Sunday as the Sabbath. Societies promoting Sabbatarian objectives include the Lord's Day Alliance of the United States and the Lord's Day Obs...

(Encyclopedia) ageratum ăjˌərāˈtəm, əjĕrˈə– [key] [Gr.,=unaging], any plant of the genus Ageratum, tropical American annuals of the family Asteraceae (aster family). The commonly cultivated species is th...

(Encyclopedia) ephod, sacred linen garment worn by the high priests of Israel. It was in two parts—one covering the back, one the front of the body to the hips—and was fastened at the shoulders by two clasps of ...

(Encyclopedia) Giono, Jean zhäN jônōˈ [key], 1895–1970, French novelist, b. Provence. His semiautobiographical novel, Jean le bleu (1932, tr. Blue Boy, 1946) concerns his childhood. His pastoral trilogy—Coll...

(Encyclopedia) amphibole ămˈfəbōlˌ [key], any of a group of widely distributed rock-forming minerals, magnesium-iron silicates, often with traces of calcium, aluminum, sodium, titanium, and other elements. The ...