(Encyclopedia) act of God, in law, an accident caused by the operation of extraordinary natural force. The effect of ordinary natural causes (e.g., that rain will leak through a defective roof) may…
(Encyclopedia) Fourth of July,&sp;Independence Day, or July Fourth, U.S. holiday, commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The Second Continental Congress approved the…
(Encyclopedia) Japan, Sea of, or East Sea, enclosed arm of the Pacific Ocean, c.405,000 sq mi (1,048,950 sq km), located between Japan and the Asian mainland, connecting with the East China Sea, the…
(Encyclopedia) strength of materials, measurement in engineering of the capacity of metal, wood, concrete, and other materials to withstand stress and strain. Stress is the internal force exerted by…
(Encyclopedia) Aristarchus of SamosAristarchus of Samosărˌĭstärˈkəs, [key]Aristarchus of Samosărˌĭstärˈkəs, sāˈmŏs [key], fl. c.310 b.c.–c.230 b.c., Greek astronomer and mathematician of the…
(Encyclopedia) cloth of gold, fabric woven wholly or partly of gold threads. From remote times gold has been used as material for weaving either alone or with other fibers. In India tapestries were…
(Encyclopedia) Paris, University of, at Paris, France; founded 12th cent., confirmed 1215 by papal bull. The most famous of its colleges was the Sorbonne, which opened in 1253 and gained academic and…
(Encyclopedia) part of speech, in traditional English grammar, any one of about eight major classes of words, based on the parts of speech of ancient Greek and Latin. The parts of speech are noun,…
(Encyclopedia) Adana, Plain ofAdana, Plain ofäˈdänäˌ [key], fertile region along the Mediterranean coast, S central Turkey. It has a subtropical climate and receives rainfall mainly during the autumn…
(Encyclopedia) Trevisa, John ofTrevisa, John oftrəvēˈsə [key], c.1326–c.1402, English writer. He was the vicar of Berkeley. In 1387 he translated into English Ranulph Higden's Polychronicon, a…
