Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Archimedes' screw, a simple mechanical device believed to have been invented by Archimedes in the 3d cent. b.c. It consists of a cylinder inside of which a continuous screw, extending the length of th...

(Encyclopedia) Kirksville, city (1990 pop. 17,152), seat of Adair co., N Mo.; inc. 1857. A processing, trade, and shipping center for a farm area (corn, soybeans, sheep, cattle, hogs), Kirksville also has light manu...

(Encyclopedia) Sikelianos, Angelos sēkelēäˈnōs [key], 1884–1951, Greek poet and playwright. One of Greece's most important 20th-century lyric poets, he emphasized national history, religious symbolism, and un...

(Encyclopedia) Suffolk sheep, relatively large breed, developed in England, well-known for its high quality meat. Considered to be a recent introduction to the United States, the breed has many desirable qualities a...

(Encyclopedia) Tortosa tōrtōˈsə [key], city (1990 pop. 29,970), Tarragona prov., NE Spain, in Catalonia, on the Ebro (Ebre) River. It has a fishing industry and light manufacturing, producing cement, clothing, a...

(Encyclopedia) belles-lettres bĕl-lĕˈtrə [key] [from the French for literature, literally “fine letters”], literature that is appreciated for the beauty, artistry, and originality of its style and tone rathe...

(Encyclopedia) Trípolis trēˈpôlĭs [key], town (1991 pop. 22,463), capital of Arcadia prefecture, S Greece, in the Peloponnesus. It is a transportation and agricultural center and a summer resort. A variety of l...

(Encyclopedia) Banbury bănˈbərē [key], town, Oxfordshire, central England, on the Cherwell River. Light ...

(Encyclopedia) Taylor, Bert Leston, 1866–1921, American newspaper columnist, b. Goshen, Mass. He worked for a number of newspapers before establishing his column, “A Line o' Type or Two,” signed B. L. T., ...

(Encyclopedia) terrarium, a miniature garden in an artificial environment, in which small plants and animals may be kept as ornament or for educational purposes. Fish bowls, small fish tanks, large bottles, and carb...