Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Ephron, Nora Louise, 1941–2012, American writer and film director, grad. Wellesley College (B.A., 1962). Witty, tough, self-deprecating, and ironic in all her guises, she was a reporter for the New ...

(Encyclopedia) Montpensier, Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, duchesse de än märēˈ lwēz dôrlāäNˈ düshĕsˈ də mŏpäsyāˈ [key], 1627–93, French princess, called Mademoiselle and La Grande Mademoiselle; da...

(Encyclopedia) pesticide, biological, physical, or chemical agent used to kill plants or animals that are harmful to people; in practice, the term pesticide is often applied only to chemical agents. Various pesticid...

(Encyclopedia) Verhofstadt, Guy Maurice Marie-Louise, 1953–, Belgian political leader, prime minister of Belgium (1999–2008). A lawyer and member of the Flemish Party for Freedom and Progress (PVV; from 1991 the...

(Encyclopedia) Épinay, Louise Florence Pétronille (de Tardieu d'Esclavelles) La Live d' lwēz flôräNsˈ pātrōnēˈyə də tärdyöˈ dāklävĕlˈ lä lēv dāpēnāˈ [key], 1726–83, French woman of letters...

(Encyclopedia) Albee, Edward ălˈbē [key], 1928–2016, American playwright, one of the leading dramatists of his generation, b. Washington, D.C., as Edward Harvey. His most characteristic work constitutes an absu...

(Encyclopedia) Laurence, Margaret (Jean Margaret Laurence), 1926–87, Canadian novelist, b. Manitoba. She lived in Somaliland, Ghana, and England and many of her early works had an African setting. Laurence was par...

(Encyclopedia) Taos tous [key], town (1990 pop. 4,065), alt. c.7,000 ft (2,130 m), seat of Taos co., N N.Mex., between the Rio Grande and the Sangre de Cristo Mts.; founded c.1615, inc. 1934. In an area of pueblos a...

(Encyclopedia) Bilhah bĭlˈhə [key], in the Bible. 1 Rachel's maid and Jacob's concubine. 2 City of Simeon, of unknown location. It also appears as Baalah and Balah. ...

(Encyclopedia) Craigavon, James Craig, 1st Viscount krāgăvˈən [key], 1871–1940, Irish statesman. He worked with Edward Carson in rousing the Protestants of Ulster against Home Rule in the crisis preceding Worl...