Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) lightning rod, a rod made of materials, especially metals, that are good conductors of electricity, which is mounted on top of a building or other structure and attached to the ground by a cable. By v...

(Encyclopedia) Paul the Deacon, c.725–799?, Lombard historian. He received a good education, probably at Pavia, and he learned Latin thoroughly and some Greek. He lived at Monte Cassino and at Charlemagne's court....

(Encyclopedia) Oldcastle, Sir John, 1378?–1417, English leader of Lollardry. He married the heiress of Lord Cobham in 1408 and was known as “the good Lord Cobham.” Under the rule of Henry IV he performed valua...

(Encyclopedia) Megarian school, Greek school of philosophy at Mégara from late 5th cent. to early 3d cent. b.c. Influenced by the Eleatic school and by Socrates, it was known for its interest in logic and for argum...

(Encyclopedia) Perrers, Alice pĕrˈərz [key], d. 1400, mistress of Edward III of England. She entered the service of Edward's queen, Philippa of Hainaut, and married a courtier, Sir William de Windsor. Becoming th...

(Encyclopedia) British thermal unit, abbr. Btu, unit for measuring heat quantity in the customary system of English units of measurement, equal to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of...

(Encyclopedia) Biminis bĭˈmĭnēz, bəmēˈnēz [key], island group in the Straits of Florida, forming the northwest section of the Bahamas. The group includes North Bimini, South Bimini, and surrounding cays. Exc...

(Encyclopedia) Barrow, Sir John, 1764–1848, British geographer, promoter of arctic exploration. His early travels as secretary to Earl Macartney (who was ambassador to China and governor of the Cape of Good Hope c...

(Encyclopedia) Cavendish, Thomas, 1560–92, English navigator. He commanded a ship in the flotilla under Sir Richard Grenville sent (1585) by Sir Walter Raleigh to establish the first colony in Virginia. In 1586, i...

(Encyclopedia) Clonmel klŏnmĕlˈ [key], town, administrative center of South Riding, Co. Tipperary, S Repu...