Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Scribe, Augustin Eugène

(Encyclopedia)Scribe, Augustin Eugène ōgüstăNˈ özhĕnˈ skrēb [key], 1791–1861, French dramatist and librettist. He began his prolific and highly successful writing career with vaudeville sketches. One of ...

Saxe, Maurice, comte de

(Encyclopedia)Saxe, Maurice, comte de mōrēsˈ kôNt də säks [key], 1696–1750, marshal of France, one of the greatest generals of his age. He was the illegitimate son of Augustus II of Poland and Saxony and Co...

Dives

(Encyclopedia)Dives dīˈvēz [key] [Lat.,=rich], traditional name of the unnamed rich man of the parable in the Gospel of St. Luke. ...

Lazarus

(Encyclopedia)Lazarus lăzˈərəs [key] [Gr.,=Heb., Eleazar], in the New Testament. 1 Brother of Mary and Martha of Bethany who, after four days in the tomb, was brought back to life by Jesus. 2 Beggar in the para...

Gudbrandsdalen

(Encyclopedia)Gudbrandsdalen go͝odˈbrändsdälˌĕn [key], valley region of Oppland co., S central Norway. It extends c.100 mi (160 km) from the Dovrefjell southeastward to Lillehammer on Mjøsa lake. A rich agri...

olivine

(Encyclopedia)olivine ŏlĭvˈēn [key], an iron-magnesium silicate mineral, (Mg,Fe)2SiO4, crystallizing in the orthorhombic system. It is a common constituent of magnesium-rich, silica-poor igneous rocks; metamorp...

gumbo

(Encyclopedia)gumbo, another name for okra; also applied in the W United States to a rich, black, alkaline alluvial soil, which is soapy or sticky when wet. ...

Unión, La

(Encyclopedia)Unión, La, town (1990 pop. 15,144), Murcia prov., SE Spain. It is a center for the rich lead, silver, iron, manganese, and zinc mines of the vicinity, which have been worked since Carthaginian times....

Brockville

(Encyclopedia)Brockville, city, SE Ont., Canada, on the St. Lawrence River. It is in a rich dairy region. The city's manufactures include telecommunications equipment...

Copperbelt

(Encyclopedia)Copperbelt, mining region, N central Zambia, central Africa. A natural extension of the mineral-rich region of SE Congo, the Copperbelt is one of the richest sources of copper in the world. Cobalt, se...

Browse by Subject