(Encyclopedia) Ledyard, WilliamLedyard, Williamlĕdˈyərd [key], 1738–81, American Revolutionary officer, b. Groton, Conn. In 1781, as commander of Fort Griswold (near Groton), he refused to surrender…
(Encyclopedia) Harvey, William Henry, 1811–66, Irish botanist. An authority on algae, he wrote A Manual of the British Algae (1841), Phycologia Britannica (4 vol., 1846–51), and Phycologia Australica…
(Encyclopedia) Haavelmo, TrygveHaavelmo, Trygvetrügˈvə hävelmō [key], 1911–99, Norwegian economist. In the 1940s, he was a pioneer in the field of econometrics, using mathematics and statistics in…
(Encyclopedia) ShrewsburyShrewsburyshr&oomacr;zˈbərē [key], town (1990 pop. 24,146), Worcester co., central Mass.; inc. 1727. Plastics, furniture, candy, fire alarm systems, and textiles are…
(Encyclopedia) PeeblesshirePeeblesshirepēˈbəlz-shĭr [key] or PeeblesPeeblespēˈbəlz [key], former county, SE Scotland. Under the Local Government Act of 1973, Peeblesshire became (1975) part of the…
(Encyclopedia) ProteusProteusprōˈtēəs, –ty&oomacr;s [key], in Greek mythology, prophetic old man of the sea who tended the seals of Poseidon. He could change himself into any shape he pleased,…
(Encyclopedia) terrace, a level field built on top of a hillslope into the floor of a deep valley to improve cultivation of crops. Terracing uses the runoff from the hill to increase soil…
(Encyclopedia) Menshikov, Aleksandr Danilovich, PrinceMenshikov, Aleksandr Danilovich, Princeəlyĭksänˈdər dənyēˈləvĭch mĕnˈshĭkəf [key], 1672?–1729, Russian field marshal and statesman. Of lowly…
(Encyclopedia) marquetrymarquetrymärˈkətrē [key], branch of cabinetwork in which a decorative surface of wood or other substance is glued to an object on a single plane. Unlike inlaying, in which the…
(Encyclopedia) decathlondecathlondĭkăthˈlŏn [key], in modern Olympic games, a contest for men held over two days and composed of 10 track-and-field events. It consists of the long jump; the high jump…
