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Laplace, Pierre Simon, marquis de

(Encyclopedia)Laplace, Pierre Simon, marquis de pyĕr sēmôNˈ märkēˈ də läpläsˈ [key], 1749–1827, French astronomer and mathematician. At 18 he went to Paris, proved his gift for mathematical analysis to...

Machaut, Guillaume de

(Encyclopedia)Machaut, Guillaume de gēyōmˈ də mäshōˈ [key], c.1300–1377, French poet and composer. Variants of his name include Machault, de Machaudio, and de Mascaudio. He studied theology and took holy o...

Gary, Romain

(Encyclopedia)Gary, Romain rōmăNˈ gĕrēˈ [key], 1914–80, French novelist, b. Vilna (now Vilnius), of Russian parentage, as Romain Kacew. In France after 1928, he fought in World War II and later entered the ...

Duluth, Daniel Greysolon, sieur

(Encyclopedia)Duluth or Du Lhut, Daniel Greysolon, sieur dəlo͞othˈ, Fr. dülütˈ [key], 1636–1710, French explorer in Canada. He went to Canada with his younger brother c.1672. In 1678 he set out on an expedi...

Böll, Heinrich

(Encyclopedia)Böll, Heinrich hīnˈrĭkh böl [key], 1917–85, German novelist, short-story writer, and playwright. Böll presents a critical, antimilitarist view of modern society in a collection of masterful sh...

Christo

(Encyclopedia)Christo krĭsˈtō [key], 1935–2020, Bulgarian-American artist, b. Gabrovo as Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, studied Sofia, Vienna, and Paris. His early experiments in assemblage led to his trademark...

Moroni

(Encyclopedia)Moroni mōrōˈnē [key], town (1990 pop. 23,432), capital of Comoros, on Njazidja (formerly Grande Comore) island, at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel, an arm of the Indian Ocean. Moroni is...

Lys

(Encyclopedia)Lys lēs [key], Du. Leie, river, c.135 mi (220 km) long, rising in the hills of Artois, N France, and flowing northeast, forming the Franco-Belgian border between Armentières and Menen. It continues ...

Gouthière, Pierre

(Encyclopedia)Gouthière, Pierre pyĕr go͞otyĕrˈ [key], 1732?–c.1813, French metalworker. The greatest artist of ornamental bronzes of the period of Louis XVI, he produced a vast number of superb cast and chis...

gin

(Encyclopedia)gin [archaic geneva, from Du. from O.Fr. from Lat.,=juniper], spirituous liquor distilled chiefly from fermented cereals, malted and unmalted, and flavored with juniper berries. It originated in Holla...