Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Daedalus dĕdˈələs [key], in Greek mythology, craftsman and inventor. After killing his apprentice Talos in envy, he fled from Greece to Crete. There, he arranged the liaison between Pasiphaë and ...

(Encyclopedia) Kirkwood gaps, regions in the asteroid belt within which few asteroids are found. Astronomer Daniel Kirkwood first observed (1886) that few asteroids had an orbital period close to 1⁄2, 1⁄3, or 2�...

(Encyclopedia) Enriquillo, Lago lägˈō ĕnˌrēkēˈlyō [key], salt lake, SW Dominican Republic, the largest lake of Hispaniola and the Caribbean islands, c.89 ft. (27 m) below sea level. Lago Enriquillo, which h...

(Encyclopedia) Giambono, Michele mēkĕˈlā jämbōˈnō [key], fl.1420–62, Venetian mosaicist and painter, whose original name was Michele Giovanni Boni. One of the last exponents of the international Gothic sty...

(Encyclopedia) guru go͞oˈro͞o, go͝orˈo͞o [key], in Hinduism and Buddhism, spiritual teacher. The guru gives initiation into spiritual practice and instructs disciples, often maintaining a close relationship wi...

(Encyclopedia) corset, article of dress designed to support or modify the figure. Greek and Roman women sometimes wrapped broad bands about the body. In the Middle Ages a short, close-fitting, laced outer bodice or ...

(Encyclopedia) Jaisalmer jəsälˈmər [key], former principality, Rajasthan state, NW India. Its terrain is largely a sandy or stony waste and constitutes a section of the Thar Desert. Jaisalmer was brought under t...

(Encyclopedia) Jude, epistle of the New Testament, the next to last book of the Bible. The Jude who wrote it has been identified since ancient times with St. Jude the apostle, but most modern scholars deny the ident...

(Encyclopedia) hedge, ornamental or protective barrier composed of shrubs or small trees growing in close rows. The plants may be allowed to grow naturally or may be trimmed to various heights and shapes (see topiar...

(Encyclopedia) yungas yo͞ongˈgäs [key], region of lowland valleys in the eastern piedmont of the Andes Mts., 5,000–8,000 ft (1,524–2,438 m) high, extending from the Peru-Bolivia border SE into central Bolivia...