Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Signac, Paul pōl sēnyäkˈ [key], 1863–1935, French neoimpressionist painter. First influenced by Monet, he was later associated with Seurat in developing the divisionist technique. Interested in ...

(Encyclopedia) stibnite stĭbˈnīt [key], antimony sulfide, Sb2S3, a mineral, silvery gray in color, with a metallic luster. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic system. Found in many parts of the world, it is the m...

(Encyclopedia) Tobey, Mark, 1890–1976, American painter, b. Centerville, Wis. An avid traveler, Tobey visited China and Japan in 1934. He then developed his celebrated “white writing,” in which he attempted to...

(Encyclopedia) topography təpŏgˈrəfē [key], description or representation of the features and configuration of land surfaces. Topographic maps use symbols and coloring, with particular attention given to the sh...

(Encyclopedia) Rayleigh, John William Strutt, 3d Baron rāˈlē [key], 1842–1919, English physicist. He was professor at Cambridge (1879–84) and at the Royal Institution (1887–1905), and chancellor of Cambridg...

(Encyclopedia) sperm oil, liquid wax obtained from the sperm whale, or cachalot, and related marine mammals. It flows readily, is clear, and varies in color from pale yellow to brownish yellow. Chemically it is not ...

(Encyclopedia) Gutiérrez Nájera, Manuel mänwĕlˈ go͞otyārˈrās näˈhārä [key], 1859–95, Mexican poet and journalist. One of the precursors of modernismo, he founded the literary periodical Revista Azul. ...

(Encyclopedia) dye, any substance, natural or synthetic, used to color various materials, especially textiles, leather, and food. Natural dyes are so called because they are obtained from plants (e.g., alizarin, cat...

(Encyclopedia) lignite lĭgˈnīt [key] or brown coal, carbonaceous fuel intermediate between coal and peat, brown or yellowish in color and woody in texture. It contains more moisture than coal and tends to dry and...

(Encyclopedia) Müller, Johannes Peter mŭlˈər [key], 1801–58, German physiologist and anatomist. From 1833 until the end of his career he was professor at Berlin. He was famed as a teacher; for his extensive r...