Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Osborne, Dorothy ŏzˈbərn [key], later Lady Temple, 1627–95, English letter writer. The daughter of a royalist, she became engaged to Sir William Temple against the wishes of her family. Her lette...

(Encyclopedia) Dias, Antônio Gonçalves əntôˈnyo͝o go͝onsälˈvəs dēˈəs [key], 1823–64, Brazilian poet and dramatist. A leading writer of the romantic school, he is noted for his strong nativist feeling ...

(Encyclopedia) Čech, Svatopluk sväˈtôplo͝ok chĕkh [key], 1846–1908, Czech poet and novelist. His strong Pan-Slavism and his love for democracy and freedom won him great popularity. His political enthusiasms ...

(Encyclopedia) Cerar, Miro (Miroslav Cerar, Jr.), 1963–, Slovenian lawyer and political leader, b. Ljubljana. After earning a law doctorate from the Univ. of Ljubljana, he became a professor of constitutional law ...

(Encyclopedia) Abd ar-Rahman III, 891–961, Umayyad emir (912–29) and first caliph (929–61) of Córdoba. When he succeeded to the throne, the Spanish emirate was reduced to Córdoba and its environs and beset w...

(Encyclopedia) fiberglass, thread made from glass. It is made by forcing molten glass through a kind of sieve, thereby spinning it into threads. Fiberglass is strong, durable, and impervious to many caustics and to ...

(Encyclopedia) amide ămˈīd [key], organic compound formed by reaction of an acid chloride, acid anhydride, or ester with an amine. Under strong acidic conditions an amide can be hydrolyzed to yield an amine and a...

(Encyclopedia) wirehaired pointing griffon, breed of medium-sized sporting dog developed in Holland and France in the late 19th cent. It stands about 22 in. (56 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs between 45 and 60 ...

(Encyclopedia) Stella, Joseph, 1877–1946, American painter, b. Italy, emigrated to the United States in 1896. He studied at the Art Students League of New York City with William Chase and later in Italy and Paris....

(Encyclopedia) Sylvester I, Saint, pope (314–35), a Roman; successor of St. Miltiades (St. Melchiades). He was pope under the reign of Emperor Constantine I, who built for him the Lateran and other churches. St. S...