(Encyclopedia) Hope, Bob, 1903–2003, American comedian, b. London as Leslie Townes Hope; he came to the United States at the age of five. Famous for his “ski-jump” nose, topical humor, superb timing…
(Encyclopedia) Domesday BookDomesday Bookd&oomacr;mzˈdā [key], record of a general census of England made (1085–86) by order of William I (William the Conqueror). The survey ascertained the…
(Encyclopedia) draft, in banking, order by one party to another party to pay a stated sum to the person or firm in whose favor the draft is made. It is similar in form to the ordinary bank check.…
(Encyclopedia) echo sounder, an older instrumentation system for indirectly determining ocean floor depth. Echo sounding is based on the principle that water is an excellent medium for the…
(Encyclopedia) Habré, HissèneHabré, Hissènehēsĕnˈ häbrāˈ [key], 1942–, Chadian political leader, president of Chad (1982–90). He studied political science in Paris during the late 1960s and,…
(Encyclopedia) kidnapping, in law, the taking away of a person by force, threat, or deceit, with intent to cause him to be detained against his will. Kidnapping may be done for ransom or for…
(Encyclopedia) steering system, in automobiles, steering wheel, gears, linkages, and other components used to control the direction of a vehicle's motion. Because of friction between the front tires…
(Encyclopedia) supply-side economics, economic theory that concentrates on influencing the supply of labor and goods as a path to economic health, rather than approaching the issue through such…
(Encyclopedia) synchrotron radiation, in physics, electromagnetic radiation emitted by high-speed electrons spiraling along the lines of force of a magnetic field (see magnetism). Depending on the…
(Encyclopedia) bastard, person born out of wedlock whose legal status is illegitimacy. In civil law countries and in about half the states of the United States, the union of the parents in marriage…
