Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Grierson, Sir George Abraham

(Encyclopedia)Grierson, Sir George Abraham grĭrˈsən [key], 1851–1941, Irish philologist. Besides writing grammars of many modern Indian vernaculars, Grierson directed the compilation of the great Linguistic Su...

Geryon

(Encyclopedia)Geryon jĕrˈēən, jərĭˈən [key], in Greek mythology, three-bodied monster who, with his dog Orthrus, watched over a great herd of cattle. He and Orthrus were killed by Hercules when, as his 10th...

Jordan, river, United States

(Encyclopedia)Jordan, river, 60 mi (97 km) long, draining Utah Lake N into Great Salt Lake, N central Utah; it passes through Salt Lake City. Fed by numerous streams flowing off the Wasatch Range, the Jordan is use...

Apraksin, Feodor Matveyevich

(Encyclopedia)Apraksin, Feodor Matveyevich fyôˈdər mətvyāˈəvĭch əpräkˈsyĭn [key], 1671–1728, Russian admiral. He helped Peter I (Peter the Great) create the Russian navy and won several naval battles ...

Nubian Desert

(Encyclopedia)Nubian Desert, eastern region of the Sahara Desert, c.157,000 sq mi (407,000 sq km), NE Republic of Sudan, NE Africa, between the Nile and the Red Sea. The arid region, largely a sandstone plateau, ha...

Pee Dee

(Encyclopedia)Pee Dee or Great Pee Dee, river, c.435 mi (700 km) long, rising in the Blue Ridge, W N.C., and flowing NE then SE to Winyah Bay, S.C. It is called the Yadkin until it is joined by the Uharie River W o...

Mary, 1867–1953, queen consort of George V of England

(Encyclopedia)Mary, 1867–1953, queen consort of George V of England. Daughter of the duke of Teck and great-granddaughter of George III, she was engaged first to George's elder brother, the duke of Clarence, who ...

Souris

(Encyclopedia)Souris so͝orˈĭs [key], river, c.450 mi (720 km) long, rising in S Sask., Canada, and flowing southeast with a great loop into N.Dak. (passing Minot), then N and NE to the Assiniboine River in SW Ma...

Woking

(Encyclopedia)Woking wōˈkĭng [key], district (1991 pop. 84,000), Surrey, SE England. Woking is primarily a residential suburb of London. There are printing, rubber, and packing industries. Of interest is a mosqu...

Bréal, Michel Jules Alfred

(Encyclopedia)Bréal, Michel Jules Alfred mēshĕlˈ zhül älfrĕdˈ brāälˈ [key], 1832–1915, French philologist. He is best known for his Essai de semantique (1897), which gave great impetus to scientific in...