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Blount, James Henderson

(Encyclopedia)Blount, James Henderson blŭnt [key], 1837–1903, American public official, b. Jones co., Ga. U.S. Representative from Georgia (1873–93), he was chosen by President Cleveland as a special commissio...

Holstein-Friesian cattle

(Encyclopedia)Holstein-Friesian cattle hōlˈstēn-frēˈzhən, –stīn– [key], breed of dairy cattle originated in N Holland and Friesland. Commonly called Holsteins in the United States, these large cattle wit...

Gibson, Bob

(Encyclopedia)Gibson, Bob (Pack Robert Gibson), 1935–2020, American baseball player, b. Omaha, Nebr. Gibson, a right-hander with a reputation for being both intense and intimidating, was one of baseball's most do...

fleece

(Encyclopedia)fleece, mat of wool formed by shearing a sheep in one continuous operation. The average fleece weighs from 5 to 10 lb (2.3–4.5 kg); in highbred wool sheep such as the American Merinos a ram's fleece...

Iberian Peninsula

(Encyclopedia)Iberian Peninsula, c.230,400 sq mi (596,740 sq km), SW Europe, separated from the rest of Europe by the Pyrenees. Comprising Spain and Portugal, it is washed on the N and W by the Atlantic Ocean and o...

dwarf tree

(Encyclopedia)dwarf tree, in horticultural practice, a tree artificially kept to a smaller size than is normal for average members of the species. This is usually accomplished either by limiting its root space and ...

albedo

(Encyclopedia)albedo ălbēˈdō [key], reflectivity of the surface of a planet, moon, asteroid, or other celestial body that does not shine by its own light. Albedo is measured as the fraction of incident light th...

Parkfield

(Encyclopedia)Parkfield, uninc. town (2000 pop. 37), Monterey co., Calif., among rolling hills in the Coast Ranges. A mining center for mercury and coal in the early 1900s, when the town had 900 inhabitants, Parkfi...

thirst

(Encyclopedia)thirst, sensation indicating the body's need for water. Dry or salty food and dry, dusty air may induce such a sensation by depleting moisture in the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat. Relief t...

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke

(Encyclopedia)Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, case decided in 1978 by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court held in a closely divided decision that race could be one of the factors considered in choos...