Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) weathering, collective term for the processes by which rock at or near the earth's surface is disintegrated and decomposed by the action of atmospheric agents, water, and living things. Some of these ...

(Encyclopedia) boycott, concerted economic or social ostracism of an individual, group, or nation to express disapproval or coerce change. The practice was named (1880) after Capt. Charles Cunningham Boycott, an Eng...

(Encyclopedia) Mingus, Charles mĭngˈgəs [key], 1922–79, American jazz musician, b. Nogales, Ariz. Mingus was a bassist, pianist, bandleader, composer, and vocalist. He was one of the most important jazz compose...

(Encyclopedia) Chicago, Judy (Judy Gerowitz Chicago) gĕrˈəwĭtsˌ, shĭkäˈgō, –kôˈ– [key], 1939–, American artist, b. Chicago as Judy Cohen, grad. Univ. of California, Los Angeles (B.A. 1962, M.A. 1964...

(Encyclopedia) Krasznahorkai, Lázló, 1954–, Hungarian writer known for his strange, bleak, obsessive, and surreal novels, short stories, and film scripts. Usually marked by grim rural settings, and often featuri...

(Encyclopedia) Romains, Jules zhül rômăNˈ [key], 1885–1972, French writer, whose original name was Louis Farigoule. A brilliant student of philosophy, he became known as the chief exponent of unanimism, a lite...

(Encyclopedia) Beck, Julian, 1925–85, American theatrical director, actor, and producer, b. New York City. In 1948 he married Judith Malina, 1926–2015, also an American theatrical director, actor, and producer, ...

(Encyclopedia) Hadhramaut or Hadramaut both: hädrəmoutˈ, –môtˈ [key], region, S Arabia, on the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, occupying the southeastern part of Yemen. Historically, the name refers to the ...

(Encyclopedia) Lukashenko, Aleksandr Grigoryevich əlyĭksänˈdər grĭgôrˈyəvĭch lo͞okäshĕnˈkô [key], Belarusian Alyaksandr Ryhoravich Lukashenka, 1954–, Belarusian politician, president of Belarus (199...

(Encyclopedia) Luria, Salvador Edward, 1912–1991, American physician, b. Turin, Italy, M.D., Univ. of Turin, 1935. He conducted research and taught at the Institute of Radium in Paris (1938–40), Columbia (1940�...