(Encyclopedia) prefabrication, in architectural construction, a technique whereby large units of a building are produced in factories to be assembled, ready-made, on the building site. The technique…
(Encyclopedia) Hariri (Abu Muhammad al-Kasim al-Hariri)Haririhärēˈrē [key], 1054–1122, Arab writer of Basra. His principal work is one of the most popular of Arabic books. It is called Makamat […
A History of Pay Inequity in the U.S. June 10, 1963: John F. Kennedy signs the Equal Pay Act into law. Almost four decades later, men's and women's salaries have yet to reach…
(Encyclopedia) Verne, JulesVerne, Julesvûrn; zhül vĕrn [key], 1828–1905, French novelist, originator of modern science fiction. After completing his studies at the Nantes lycée, he went to Paris to…
(Encyclopedia) German silver, name for various alloys of copper, zinc, and nickel, sometimes also containing lead and tin. They were originally named for their silver-white color, but use of the term…
(Encyclopedia) CaereCaeresēˈrē [key], ancient city of Etruria, c.30 mi (50 km) N of Rome, Italy, at the site of the modern Cerveteri. Although a few miles from the sea, it had ports at Alsium (near…
(Encyclopedia) librettolibrettoləbrĕtˈō [key] [Ital.,=little book], the text of an opera or an oratorio. Although a play usually emphasizes an integrated plot, a libretto is most often a loose plot…
(Encyclopedia) KrakówKrakówkrăˈkou, Pol. kräˈk&oomacr;f [key], Ger. Krakau, city (1994 est. pop. 751,500), capital of Małopolskie prov., S Poland, on the Vistula. A river port and industrial…
(Encyclopedia) Belgian sheepdog, sometimes called Groenendael, breed of sturdy working dog developed from a wide assortment of sheepherding dogs in Belgium in the early 20th cent. It stands from 22…
(Encyclopedia) Malacca, Strait ofMalacca, Strait ofməläkˈə [key], c.500 mi (800 km) long and from c.30 to 200 mi (50–320 km) wide, between Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. Linking the Indian Ocean…
