Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) border terrier, breed of hardy, medium-sized terrier developed in the Border districts of N England in the 18th and 19th cent. It stands about 12 in. (30 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 131�...

(Encyclopedia) Afghan hound ăfˈgăn [key], breed of tall, swift hound originating about 5,000 years ago in ancient Egypt. Its modern ancestors were perfected in the northern part of Afghanistan and introduced into...

(Encyclopedia) checkers, game for two players, known in England as draughts. It is played on a square board, divided into 64 alternately colored—usually red and black or white and black—square spaces, identical ...

(Encyclopedia) chernozem chĕrˈnəzĕmˌ [key] or black earth, variety of soil rich in organic matter in the form of humus. It is generally a modified type of loess. True chernozem is black in color, but there are ...

(Encyclopedia) clematis klĕmˈətĭs, kləmătˈĭs [key], any plant of the large genus Clematis (sometimes subdivided into three or four genera), widely distributed herbs or vines of the family Ranunculaceae (butt...

(Encyclopedia) cocker spaniel, breed of small sporting dog developed from English cocker spaniels brought to the United States in the 1880s. It stands from 14 to 15 in. (35.6–38.1 cm) high at the shoulder and weig...

(Encyclopedia) Hoppner, John, 1758–1810, English portrait painter. He was a protégé of George III, whose illegitimate son he was rumored to be. He imitated, without total success, the style of Sir Joshua Reynold...

(Encyclopedia) Cotman, John Sell kŏtˈmən [key], 1782–1842, English landscape painter and etcher. He was a leading representative of the Norwich school. Cotman studied in London and in 1806 settled in Norwich wh...

(Encyclopedia) cretinism krēˈtənĭzˌəm [key], condition produced in infants and children due to lack of thyroid hormone. It usually results from a congenital defect (e.g., absence of the thyroid, presence of on...

(Encyclopedia) curassow kyûrˈəsōˌ [key], common name for the largest members of an order of game birds called pigeon-toed fowls, which includes the white-crested guan and the rufous-bellied chachalaca, Ortalis ...