Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) norovirus or Norwalk virus, highly contagious viral disease caused by infection with an RNA virus of the genus Norovirus. The virus causes acute gastroenteritis, usually one to two days after infectio...

(Encyclopedia) Ostade, Adriaen van äˈdrēän vän ôˈstädə [key], 1610–85, Dutch genre painter, b. Haarlem. Trained in the studio of Frans Hals, he was strongly influenced by his fellow student Adriaen Brouwe...

(Encyclopedia) Baade, Walter välˈtər bäˈdə [key], 1893–1960, German-born American astronomer. From 1919 to 1931 he was on the staff of the Hamburg observatory; from 1931 to 1958, at the Mt. Wilson observator...

(Encyclopedia) compression, external stress applied to an object or substance, tending to cause a decrease in volume (see pressure). Gases can be compressed easily, solids and liquids to a very small degree if at al...

(Encyclopedia) Cobden, Richard kŏbˈdən [key], 1804–65, British politician, a leading spokesman for the Manchester school. He made a fortune as a calico printer in Manchester. A firm believer in free trade, afte...

(Encyclopedia) jackrabbit, popular name for several hares of W North America, characterized by very long legs and ears. Jackrabbits are powerful jumpers and fast runners. In normal progress leaps are alternated with...

(Encyclopedia) Jackson, Jesse Louis, 1941–, African-American political leader, clergyman, and civil-rights activist, b. Greenville, S.C. Raised in poverty, he attended the Chicago Theological Seminary (1963–65) ...

(Encyclopedia)  CE5 Apsis points, or apsides, in the earth's orbit: At perihelion the earth is closest to the sun and at aphelion it is farthest from the sun. apsis (pl. apsides), point in the orbit of a body whe...

(Encyclopedia) John of the Cross, Saint, Span. Juan de la Cruz, 1542–91, Spanish mystic and poet, Doctor of the Church. His name was originally Juan de Yepes. He was a founder of the Discalced Carmelites and a clo...

(Encyclopedia) kinship, relationship by blood (consanguinity) or marriage (affinity) between persons; also, in anthropology and sociology, a system of rules, based on such relationships, governing descent, inheritan...