Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia)  Afrofuturism, artistic and cultural movement that is based on the wedding of African diasporic themes with modern technology and elements of science fiction and fantasy. The term is gener...

(Encyclopedia) Dion, Stéphane stāfänˈ dyôn [key], 1955–, Canadian politician, b. Quebec, grad. Laval Univ., Quebec (B.A. 1977, M.A. 1979), Institut d'études politiques, Paris. A political science professor a...

(Encyclopedia) Duvalier, François fräNswäˈ düvälyāˈ [key], 1907–71, dictator of Haiti (1957–71). A physician, he became director-general of the national public health service in 1946 and subsequently ser...

(Encyclopedia) Boulle or Buhl, André Charles both: äNdrāˈ shärl bo͞ol [key], 1642–1732, French cabinetmaker, the master of a distinctive style of furniture, much imitated, for which his name has become a syn...

(Encyclopedia) Cordeliers kôrdəlyāˈ [key], political club of the French Revolution. Founded (1790) as the Society of the Friends of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, it was called after its original meeting ...

(Encyclopedia) Barroso, José Manuel Durão zho͞ozĕˈ mänwĕlˈ do͞orouNˈ bärōˈzo͞o [key], 1956–, Portuguese politician, b. Lisbon. A leftist activist while in law school, he became a Social Democrat in 1...

(Encyclopedia) Brownian movement or motion, zigzag, irregular motion exhibited by minute particles of matter when suspended in a fluid. The effect has been observed in all types of colloidal suspensions (see colloid...

(Encyclopedia) emperor [Lat. imperator=one holding supreme power, especially applied to generals], the sovereign head of an empire. In the Roman republic the term imperator referred to the chief military commander a...

(Encyclopedia) farming, in the history of taxation, collection of taxes through private contractors. Usually, the tax farmer paid a lump sum to the public treasury; the difference between that sum and the sum actual...

(Encyclopedia) Day, Stockwell, 1950–, Canadian political leader, b. Barrie, Ontario. He grew up in Montreal, attended (1970–71) the Univ. of Victoria, and held such jobs as auctioneer, deckhand, lumberjack, cont...