Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Clonmel

(Encyclopedia)Clonmel klŏnmĕlˈ [key], town, administrative center of South Riding, Co. Tipperary, S Repu...

Inge, William

(Encyclopedia)Inge, William ĭnj [key], 1913–73, American playwright, b. Independence, Kans., grad. Univ. of Kansas, 1935. He was a teacher and newspaper critic before he won recognition as a dramatist. Inge's pl...

Harz

(Encyclopedia)Harz härts [key], mountain range, northern Germany, extending c.60 mi (100 km) between the Elbe and Leine rivers. The rugged mountains were once densely forested. They culminate in Brocken peak (3,74...

Gooch, Sir William

(Encyclopedia)Gooch, Sir William go͞och [key], 1681–1751, colonial governor of Virginia (1727–49), b. Yarmouth, England. He came to Virginia after distinguished service with the British army. Nominally, Gooch ...

Megarian school

(Encyclopedia)Megarian school, Greek school of philosophy at Mégara from late 5th cent. to early 3d cent. b.c. Influenced by the Eleatic school and by Socrates, it was known for its interest in logic and for argum...

Oldcastle, Sir John

(Encyclopedia)Oldcastle, Sir John, 1378?–1417, English leader of Lollardry. He married the heiress of Lord Cobham in 1408 and was known as “the good Lord Cobham.” Under the rule of Henry IV he performed valua...

Paul the Deacon

(Encyclopedia)Paul the Deacon, c.725–799?, Lombard historian. He received a good education, probably at Pavia, and he learned Latin thoroughly and some Greek. He lived at Monte Cassino and at Charlemagne's court....

lightning rod

(Encyclopedia)lightning rod, a rod made of materials, especially metals, that are good conductors of electricity, which is mounted on top of a building or other structure and attached to the ground by a cable. By v...

Cavendish, Thomas

(Encyclopedia)Cavendish, Thomas, 1560–92, English navigator. He commanded a ship in the flotilla under Sir Richard Grenville sent (1585) by Sir Walter Raleigh to establish the first colony in Virginia. In 1586, i...

white alder

(Encyclopedia)white alder, deciduous shrub or small tree (Clethra alnifolia) native to the Appalachians, named for the resemblance of its leaves to those of the unrelated true alders. It is cultivated as an ornamen...