Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Ariana or Aryana both: ârēāˈnə, –ăˈnə [key], general name for the eastern provinces of the ancient Persian Empire. It was used to mean the regions S of the Oxus (modern Amu Darya) River; the...

(Encyclopedia) Sultan Husayn so͝oltänˈ ho͞osānˈ [key], d. 1729, Safavid shah of Persia (1694–1722). A weak and superstitious man, Shah Sultan Husayn was surrounded by astrologers and fanatics and was able to...

(Encyclopedia) taffeta, cloth, originally silk but now also made of synthetic fibers, supposed to have originated in Persia. The name, derived from Persian, means “twisted woven.” Taffeta is in the same class an...

(Encyclopedia) Griboyedov, Aleksandr Sergeyevich əlyĭksänˈdər sĭrgāˈəvĭch grēbəyĕˈdəf [key], 1795–1829, Russian playwright and diplomat. His fame rests upon his finest play, Wit Works Woe (1825; tr....

(Encyclopedia) Grotefend, Georg Friedrich gāˈôrkh frēˈdrĭkh grōˈtəfĕnt [key], 1775–1853, German archaeologist and philologist. He specialized in Latin and Italian and wrote works on the Umbrian and Oscan...

(Encyclopedia) air forces, those portions of a nation's military organization employing heavier-than-air aircraft for reconnaissance, support of ground troops, aerial combat, and bombing of enemy lines of communicat...

(Encyclopedia) Lake Jackson, city (1990 pop. 22,776), Brazoria co., SE Tex., on a branch of the Brazos River, near the Gulf of Mexico; founded 1941. It is a trading and shipping center for the many dairy and fruit f...

(Encyclopedia) Fly, largest river of the island of New Guinea, c.650 mi (1,050 km) long, rising in the Star Mts. and flowing generally SE through Papua New Guinea to the Gulf of Papua. The Fly is navigable for steam...

(Encyclopedia) pipe, hollow structure, usually cylindrical, for conducting materials. It is used primarily to convey liquids, gases, or solids suspended in a liquid, e.g., a slurry. It is also used as a conduit for ...

(Encyclopedia) spice, aromatic vegetable product used as a flavoring or condiment. The term was formerly applied also to pungent or aromatic foods (e.g., gingerbread and currants), to ingredients of incense or perfu...