Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) sex, term used to refer both to the two groups distinguished as males and females, and to the anatomical and physiological characteristics associated with maleness and femaleness. Sex relates to the t...

(Encyclopedia) Gustavus II (Gustavus Adolphus), 1594–1632, king of Sweden (1611–32), son and successor of Charles IX. In military organization and strategy, Gustavus was ahead of his time. While most powers re...

(Encyclopedia) machine, arrangement of moving and stationary mechanical parts used to perform some useful work or to provide transportation. From a historical perspective, many of the first machines were the result ...

(Encyclopedia) international monetary system, rules and procedures by which different national currencies are exchanged for each other in world trade. Such a system is necessary to define a common standard of value ...

(Encyclopedia) Slavic languages, also called Slavonic languages, a subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages. Because the Slavic group of languages seems to be closer to the Baltic group than to any other, ...

(Encyclopedia) rain, precipitation in liquid form. It consists of drops of water falling from clouds; if the drops are very small, they are collectively termed drizzle. Rain plays a key role in the hydrologic, or wa...

(Encyclopedia) Seven Years War, 1756–63, worldwide war fought in Europe, North America, and India between France, Austria, Russia, Saxony, Sweden, and (after 1762) Spain on the one side and Prussia, Great Britain,...

(Encyclopedia) sexually transmitted disease (STD) or venereal disease, term for infections acquired mainly through sexual contact. Five diseases were traditionally known as venereal diseases: gonorrhea, syphilis, an...

(Encyclopedia) Aristotle ărˌĭstŏtˈəl [key], 384–322 b.c., Greek philosopher, b. Stagira. He is sometimes called the Stagirite. After the decline of Rome, Aristotle's work was lost in the West. However, in ...

(Encyclopedia)  CE5 Monaco mŏnˈəkō, mōnäˈkō, Fr. mônäkōˈ [key], officially Principality of Monaco, independent principality (2015 est. pop. 38,000), c.370 acres (150 hectares), on the Mediterranean Sea...