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Smollett, Tobias George

(Encyclopedia)Smollett, Tobias George smŏlˈĭt [key], 1721–71, Scottish novelist. After studying at Glasgow he came to London in 1739. Failing to get his tragedy The Regicide produced, he shipped as a surgeon's...

Corelli, Franco

(Encyclopedia)Corelli, Franco kōrĕlˈlē [key], 1921–2003, Italian tenor. He made his operatic debut at Spoleto in 1952 as Don José in Bizet's Carmen and debuted with the Metropolitan Opera in 1961, singing M...

Herrera, Fernando de

(Encyclopedia)Herrera, Fernando de fārnänˈdō ᵺā ārāˈrä [key], 1534–97, Spanish poet. One of the outstanding poets of the 16th cent. and the leader of the Seville school, he earned the name Herrera el D...

abbreviation

(Encyclopedia)abbreviation, in writing, arbitrary shortening of a word, usually by cutting off letters from the end, as in U.S. and Gen. (General). Contraction serves the same purpose but is understood ...

Pedersen, Charles John

(Encyclopedia)Pedersen, Charles John, 1904–89, American chemist, b. Busan, Korea, M.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1927. After finishing his studies, Pedersen began work as a research chemist for the D...

Pinza, Ezio

(Encyclopedia)Pinza, Ezio ātsˈyō pēnˈtsä [key], 1892–1957, Italian bass, b. Rome, studied at the Bologna Conservatory. After military service (1915–19), he resumed his operatic career in Rome, later singi...

Zorrilla y Moral, José

(Encyclopedia)Zorrilla y Moral, José hōsāˈ thôrēˈlyä ē mōrälˈ [key], 1817–93, Spanish poet and dramatist. His works and life epitomized the brief period of Spanish romanticism. One of the most honored...

mandolin

(Encyclopedia)mandolin mănˌdəlĭnˈ, mănˈdəlĭnˌ [key], musical instrument of the lute family, with a half-pear-shaped body, a fretted neck, and a variable number of strings, plucked with the fingers or with...

Kulikovo, battle of

(Encyclopedia)Kulikovo, battle of ko͞olyĭkôˈvə [key], 1380, victory of Grand Duke Dmitri Donskoi of Moscow over Khan Mamai of the Golden Horde. The battle was fought on a plain by the Don near the present vill...

Vierge, Daniel Urrabieta

(Encyclopedia)Vierge, Daniel Urrabieta dänyĕlˈ o͞oräbyāˈtä vyārˈhā [key], 1851–1904, Spanish illustrator. He went to Paris before 1870 and won recognition for his drawings of scenes of the Commune of P...