Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) associative law, in mathematics, law holding that for a given operation combining three quantities, two at a time, the initial pairing is arbitrary; e.g., using the operation of addition, the numbers ...

(Encyclopedia) Brittany spaniel, breed of medium-sized sporting dog whose origins may be traced back hundreds of years to France and Spain. It stands about 19 in. (48.3 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs between 30...

(Encyclopedia) bronchitis brŏnkīˈtĭs [key], inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bronchial tubes. It can be caused by viral or bacterial infections or by allergic reactions to irritants such as tobacco smo...

(Encyclopedia) devaluation, decreasing the value of one nation's currency relative to gold or the currencies of other nations. It is usually undertaken as a means of correcting a deficit in the balance of payments. ...

(Encyclopedia) black widow, poisonous spider of the genus Latrodectus, found throughout North and South America and common in the SW United States. The name derives from the fact that the female, like those of many ...

(Encyclopedia) borzoi bôrˈzoi [key], breed of tall, swift hound developed in Russia in the early 17th cent., also called Russian wolfhound. It stands from 26 to 31 in. (66–81.2 cm) high at the shoulder and weigh...

(Encyclopedia) airmail, transport of mail by airplanes. Demonstration flights that showed the feasibility of carrying mail by air were made in Great Britain and in the United States in 1911. In the United States, af...

(Encyclopedia) chemical analysis, the study of the chemical composition and structure of substances. More broadly, it may be considered the corpus of all techniques whereby any exact chemical information is obtained...

(Encyclopedia) abscess, localized inflammation associated with tissue necrosis. Abscesses are characterized by inflamation, which is due to the accumulation of pus in the local tissues, and often painful...

(Encyclopedia) imitation, in music, a device of counterpoint wherein a phrase or motive is employed successively in more than one voice. The imitation may be exact, the same intervals being repeated at the same or d...