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blowgun

(Encyclopedia)blowgun, hollow tube from which a dart or an arrow is blown by a person's breath. The arrow was usually tipped with a poison, such as curare, which would stun or kill the struck prey. Blowguns were wi...

loris

(Encyclopedia)loris, name for slow-moving, nocturnal, arboreal primates of the family Lorisidae, found Africa and Asia. True lorises, found in India, Sri Lanka, and SE Asia, have round heads, large round eyes, and ...

Mari, ancient city, Mesopotamia

(Encyclopedia)Mari mäˈrē [key], ancient city of Mesopotamia (modern Syria). It is on the middle Euphrates, south of its junction with the Habor (Khabur). The site was discovered by chance in the early 1930s by A...

chikungunya

(Encyclopedia)chikungunya chĭkən-go͞onˈyä [key], viral disease transmitted by the bite of an infected female Aedes mosquito. Symptoms appear after an incubation period of four to eight days and include sudden ...

ginkgo

(Encyclopedia)ginkgo gĭngˈkō [key] or maidenhair tree, tall, slender, picturesque deciduous tree (Ginkgo biloba) with fan-shaped leaves. The ginkgo is native to E China, where it was revered by Buddhist monks an...

naproxen

(Encyclopedia)naproxen and naproxen sodium, potent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) used to alleviate the minor pain of arthritis, menstruation, headaches, and the like, and to reduce fever. Along with ...

Malachi

(Encyclopedia)Malachi măˈləkī, –kē [key], book of the Bible, the last book in the order of the Authorized Version and 12th of the books of the Minor Prophets. Its title Malachi is taken from the opening vers...

Thou, Jacques Auguste de

(Encyclopedia)Thou, Jacques Auguste de zhäk ôgüstˈ də to͞o [key], 1553–1617, French historian and magistrate. As a member of the Parlement of Paris, Thou rendered outstanding service to Henry IV. The first ...

Banerjea, Sir Surendranath

(Encyclopedia)Banerjea, Sir Surendranath so͝orĕnˈdrənät bäˈnərjē [key], 1848–1926, Indian nationalist. One of the first Indians to join the Indian civil service, he was dismissed (1874) for a minor error...

Scriabin, Aleksandr Nikolayevich

(Encyclopedia)Scriabin, Aleksandr Nikolayevich əlyĭksänˈdər nyēkəlīˈəvĭch skrēäbēnˈ, skrēäˈbĭn [key], 1872–1915, Russian composer and pianist. The name is sometimes spelled Skriabin or Skryabin...