(Encyclopedia) KyffhäuserKyffhäuserkĭfˈhoizər [key], forested mountain, c.1,550 ft (470 m), Saxony-Anhalt, central Germany. It is crowned by the two ruined castles of Rothenburg (7th cent.) and…
(Encyclopedia) Pollonarrua or PolonnaruwaPolonnaruwaboth: pŏlˌənər&oomacr;ˈə [key], ruined ancient city, NE Sri Lanka. Pollonarrua, beautifully situated on a lake, was once the most splendid city…
(Encyclopedia) turquoise, hydrous phosphate of aluminum and copper, Al2(OH)3PO4·H2O+Cu, used as a gem. It occurs rarely in crystal form, but is usually cryptocrystalline. Turquoise is opaque and has…
(Encyclopedia) sod house, house with walls made of strips of sod laid horizontally in courses like bricks. Sod houses were common in the frontier days on the western plains of the United States,…
(Encyclopedia) Solovetski or Solovetsky IslandsSolovetski or Solovetsky Islandssələvyĕtˈskē [key], archipelago, c.150 sq mi (390 sq km), N European Russia, in the White Sea at the entrance of Onega…
(Encyclopedia) Bedford. 1 City (2020 pop. 13,068), seat of Lawrence co., S Ind.; inc. 1889. Bedford limestone, quarried there and shipped all over the…
(Encyclopedia) tendril, slender, sensitive structure of many climbing plants that by a response to contact (see auxin) supports the plant. Tendrils are modified stems, leaves, or leaf parts or roots…
(Encyclopedia) actaactaăkˈtə [key], official texts of ancient Rome, written or carved on stone or metal. Usually acta were texts made public, although publication was sometimes restricted. Acta were…
(Encyclopedia) breakwater, offshore structure to protect a harbor from wave energy or deflect currents. When it also serves as a pier, it is called a quay; when covered by a roadway it is called a…
