Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Cantacuzene

(Encyclopedia)Cantacuzene känˈtäko͞ozēˈnô [key], noble Romanian family of Greek origin, tracing its descent from the Byzantine emperor John VI (John Cantacuzene). Under Ottoman rule members of the family wer...

Cayuse

(Encyclopedia)Cayuse kīyo͞osˈ [key], Native North Americans who formerly occupied parts of NE Oregon and SE Washington. They were closely associated with the Nez Percé and spoke a language belonging to the Saha...

Oxfordshire

(Encyclopedia)Oxfordshire or Oxon, county (1991 pop. 553,800), 749 sq mi (1,940 sq km), S central England. The county seat is Oxford. The county comprises five administrative districts: Cherwell, South Oxfordshire,...

Australopithecus

(Encyclopedia)Australopithecus ôstrāˌlōpĭthˈəkəs, –pəthēˈkəs [key], an extinct hominin genus found in Africa between about 4 and 1 million years ago. At least seven species of australopithecines are n...

Condé, French family

(Encyclopedia)Condé kôNdāˈ [key], family name of a cadet branch of the French royal house of Bourbon. The name was first borne by Louis I de Bourbon, prince de Condé, 1530–69, Protestant leader and general. ...

Cresson, Edith

(Encyclopedia)Cresson, Edith ādētˈ krĕsōNˈ [key], 1934–, French politician, b. Edith Campion. After studying at the École des Hautes Études Commerciales, she became a consultant in private industry. Activ...

Chillicothe

(Encyclopedia)Chillicothe chĭlˌĭkŏthˈē [key], city (2020 pop. 22,059), seat of Ross co., S central Ohio, on the ...

inspector general

(Encyclopedia)inspector general, a government official tasked with independently overseeing an agency or department. Inspectors general are utilized by many countries, as well as regional and local governments and ...

independent counsel

(Encyclopedia)independent counsel, in U.S. law, a judicially appointed investigator of charges of misdeeds by high government officials. Originally termed “special prosecutor,” the position was first created by...

Groton

(Encyclopedia)Groton grŏtˈən [key]. <1> Town (2020 pop. 38,411), New London co., SE Conn., includi...