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barn

(Encyclopedia)barn, abbr. b, in physics, unit of nuclear cross section, i.e., the effective target presented by a nucleus for collisions leading to nuclear reactions; it is equal to 10−24 square centimeters. The ...

Rzeszów

(Encyclopedia)Rzeszów zhĕˈsho͞of [key], city (1992 est. pop. 156,000), capital of Podkarpackie prov., SE Poland. It is a railway junction and an important industrial center, whose major industries produce metal...

Otranto

(Encyclopedia)Otranto ôˈträntō [key], town (1991 pop. 5,114), in Apulia, extreme S Italy, on the Strait of Otranto, which links the Adriatic and Ionian seas. It is a small fishing port and a seaside resort. Ori...

Coppola, Sophia Carmina

(Encyclopedia) Coppola, Sophia Carmina, , 1971- , American director, screenwriter, and actress, b. New York City. The youngest child of director Francis Ford Coppola ...

Chisholm, Shirley Anita St. Hill

(Encyclopedia)Chisholm, Shirley Anita St. Hill chĭzˈəm [key], 1924–2005, U.S. congresswoman (1969–83), b. Brooklyn, N.Y. An expert on early childhood education, she worked (1959–64) as a consultant to the ...

Changsha

(Encyclopedia)Changsha chängˈshäˈ [key], city (1994 est. pop. 1,198,100), capital of Hunan prov., S China, on the Xiang River. The name, which means “long sandbank,” is derived from an island in the river. ...

altimeter

(Encyclopedia)altimeter ăltĭmˈĭtər, ălˈtĭmēˌtər [key], device for measuring altitude. The most common type is an aneroid barometer calibrated to show the drop in atmospheric pressure in terms of linear e...

fiduciary

(Encyclopedia)fiduciary fĭdo͞oˈshēĕˌrē [key], in law, a person who is obliged to discharge faithfully a responsibility of trust toward another. Among the common fiduciary relationships are guardian to ward, ...

Idrisids

(Encyclopedia)Idrisids ĭdˈrĭsĭdzˌ [key], two historic Muslim families. 1 An Arab Shiite dynasty of Morocco (788–974), founded by Idris I, a descendant of caliph Ali. It was the first Shiite dynasty in the hi...

Huxley, Thomas Henry

(Encyclopedia)Huxley, Thomas Henry, 1825–95, English biologist and educator, grad. Charing Cross Hospital, 1845. Huxley gave up his own biological research to become an influential scientific publicist and was th...