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nastic movement

(Encyclopedia)nastic movement, in botany, the movement of plant parts in response either to certain external stimuli or to internal growth stimuli. Nastic movements, which are generally slow, can be observed by tim...

Lagash

(Encyclopedia)Lagash shĭrpo͝orˈlə [key], ancient city of Sumer, S Mesopotamia, now located at Telloh, SE Iraq. Lagash was flourishing by c.2400 b.c., but traces of habitation go back at least to the 4th millenn...

Macià, Francesc

(Encyclopedia)Macià, Francesc fränsāskˈ məsēäˈ [key], 1859–1933, Spanish politician, Catalan nationalist leader. An army officer, he joined the separatist movement in Catalonia and was elected to the Cort...

Komorowski, Bronisław

(Encyclopedia)Komorowski, Bronisław, 1952–, Polish political leader, grad. Warsaw Univ. (1977). In his youth he joined the prodemocracy movement and was arrested several times; he was interned briefly in the ear...

K'ung Hsiang-hsi

(Encyclopedia)K'ung Hsiang-hsi ko͝ong shyäng-shē [key], 1881–1967, Chinese banker and political leader, educated at Oberlin and at Yale. He deemed himself a direct descendant of Confucius in the 75th generatio...

Saigo, Takamori

(Encyclopedia)Saigo, Takamori täkäˈmōrē sīˈgō [key], 1828–77, Japanese soldier and statesman noted for his obstinate conservatism. He was an early opponent of the Tokugawa shogunate. He was exiled (1859�...

Thurloe, John

(Encyclopedia)Thurloe, John, 1616–68, English politician. A lawyer, he became (1652) secretary to the council of state of the Commonwealth. He was given charge of the intelligence department (1653), which include...

Roger I

(Encyclopedia)Roger I (Roger Guiscard), c.1031–1101, Norman conqueror of Sicily; son of Tancred de Hauteville (see Normans). He went to Italy in 1058 to join his brother, Robert Guiscard, in conquering Apulia and...

Semipalatinsk Test Site

(Encyclopedia)Semipalatinsk Test Site, Soviet nuclear testing site, c.6,950 sq mi (18,000 sq km), NE Kazakhstan, near the city of Kurchatov and some 90 mi (150 km) W of Semey (formerly Semipalatinsk). Between 1949 ...

Alesius, Alexander

(Encyclopedia)Alesius, Ales, or Aless, Alexander əlēˈshəs, əlĕsˈ [key], 1500–1565, Scottish Protestant theologian. As canon of the collegiate church at St. Andrews he tried to reclaim Patrick Hamilton from...