Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

111 results found

Loki

(Encyclopedia)Loki lōˈkē [key], Norse giant (or deity) who personified evil. He hated the gods of Asgard and continually sought to overthrow them. His worst exploit was the murder of Balder, for which he was pun...

Stuart, Alexander, earl of Buchan

(Encyclopedia)Stuart or Stewart, Alexander, earl of Buchan bŭkhˈan, bŭkˈ– [key], 1343?–1405?, Scottish nobleman; fourth son of Robert II. He held various offices under the crown and was made lord of Badenoc...

Fox, river, United States

(Encyclopedia)Fox, river, 176 mi (283 km) long, rising in S central Wis. and flowing SW to within 1.5 mi (2.4 km) of Portage, Wis., on the Wisconsin River, then NE through Lake Winnebago into Green Bay, an arm of L...

Manasseh ben Israel

(Encyclopedia)Manasseh ben Israel, 1604–57, Jewish scholar and communal leader, b. Portugal. Early in his life he settled in Amsterdam, where he became a rabbi and started (1627) the first Hebrew press there. He ...

Magdalen Islands

(Encyclopedia)Magdalen Islands ēl-də-lä-mädlĕnˈ [key], group of nine main islands and numerous islets (1991 pop. 13,991), Que., Canada, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence N of Prince Edward Island. They were discove...

Binet, Alfred

(Encyclopedia)Binet, Alfred älfrĕdˈ bēnāˈ [key], 1857–1911, French psychologist. From 1894 he was director of the psychology laboratory at the Sorbonne. He is known for his research and innovation in testin...

Eichendorff, Joseph, Freiherr von

(Encyclopedia)Eichendorff, Joseph, Freiherr von yōˈzĕf frīˈhĕr fən īˈkhəndôrf [key], 1788–1857, German poet, a leader of the late romantics. He studied law, volunteered in Lützow's corps in the Napole...

Ernst, Richard Robert

(Encyclopedia)Ernst, Richard Robert 1933–2021, Swiss chemist, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich; B.S., 1956, Ph.D., 1962). He worked as a res...

Mars, in Roman religion and mythology

(Encyclopedia)Mars, in Roman religion and mythology, god of war. In early Roman times he was a god of agriculture, but in later religion (when he was identified with the Greek Ares) he was primarily associated with...

Ulfilas

(Encyclopedia)Ulfilas wo͝olˈfĭlə [key] [Gothic,=little wolf], c.311–383, Gothic bishop, translator of the Bible into Gothic. He was converted to Christianity at Constantinople and was consecrated bishop (341)...

Browse by Subject