(Encyclopedia) Phinehas or PhineesPhineesboth: fĭnˈēəs [key], in the Bible. 1 Grandson of Aaron. His prompt punishment of two flagrant sinners made his name a symbol of holy, zealous indignation. 2…
(Encyclopedia) Thomas, Seth, 1785–1859, American clock manufacturer, b. Wolcott, Conn. In 1812 he sold his partnership in a clock business established by Eli Terry and set up a factory to make metal-…
(Encyclopedia) anti-hero, principal character of a modern literary or dramatic work who lacks the attributes of the traditional protagonist or hero. The anti-hero's lack of courage, honesty, or grace…
writerBorn: 1964Birthplace: Columbia, MD Voted one of the 20 Best American Writers under 40 by The New Yorker in 1999, Chabon has been compared to Nabokov, Philip Roth and Don DeLillo. In 1988, at…
GUNDERSON, Steven Craig, a Representative from Wisconsin; born in Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Wis., May 10, 1951; attended the public schools in Pleasantville and Whitehall, Wis.; B.A.,…
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(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…
(Encyclopedia) Ohlin, BertilOhlin, Bertilbĕrˈtĭl ōˈlĭn [key], 1899–1979, Swedish economist, b. Klippan. A professor at several Swedish universities, he wrote the influential Interregional and…
(Encyclopedia) Individual Retirement Account (IRA), tax-sheltered retirement plan, originally created (1974) to assist individuals not covered by company pensions. Under the U.S. tax law of 1981, IRA…
(Encyclopedia) black humor, in literature, drama, and film, grotesque or morbid humor used to express the absurdity, insensitivity, paradox, and cruelty of the modern world. Ordinary characters or…
