Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

204 results found

Weyden, Roger van der

(Encyclopedia)Weyden, Roger van der vän dər vīˈdən [key], c.1400–1464, major early Flemish master, known also as Roger de la Pasture. He is believed to have studied with Robert Campin. His early works also s...

dialect

(Encyclopedia)dialect, variety of a language used by a group of speakers within a particular speech community. Every individual speaks a variety of his language, termed an idiolect. Dialects are groups of idiolects...

Sendak, Maurice Bernard

(Encyclopedia)Sendak, Maurice Bernard, 1928–2012, American writer and illustrator of children's books, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. Largely self-taught, he was widely acclaimed as the 20th-century's most important childrens...

galvanometer

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Galvanometer galvanometer gălˌvənŏmˈətər [key], instrument used to determine the presence, direction, and strength of an electric current in a conductor. All galvanometers are based upo...

Danish literature

(Encyclopedia)Danish literature, the literature of Denmark. By 1900 a lyrical reaction was being led by the poet J. J. Jørgensen; impressionistic themes became important, but were never the sole fruit of Danish ...

Swiss literature

(Encyclopedia)Swiss literature. The literature of Switzerland is written in German, French, Italian, and Romansh, with German predominating. The extensive literature in Romansh dialect (see Rhaeto-Romanic) is littl...

Vermeer, Jan

(Encyclopedia)Vermeer, Jan or Johannes vərmērˈ, Dutch yän vərmārˈ, yōhänˈəs [key], 1632–75, Dutch genre and landscape painter. He was born in Delft, where he spent his entire life. He was also known as...

Stresemann, Gustav

(Encyclopedia)Stresemann, Gustav go͝osˈtäf shtrāˈzəmän [key], 1878–1929, German statesman. A founder (1902) and director (until 1918) of the Association of Saxon Industrialists, Stresemann entered the Reic...

electroencephalography

(Encyclopedia)electroencephalography əlĕkˌtrōĕnsĕfˌəlŏgˈrafē [key], science of recording and analyzing the electrical activity of the brain. Electrodes, placed on or just under the scalp, are linked to a...

Hindenburg, Paul von

(Encyclopedia)Hindenburg, Paul von hĭnˈdənbûrg, Ger. poul fən hĭnˈdənbo͝ork [key], 1847–1934, German field marshal and president (1925–34), b. Poznan (then in Prussia). His full name was Paul Ludwig Ha...