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American Library Association

(Encyclopedia)American Library Association, founded 1876, organization whose purpose is to increase the usefulness of books through the improvement and extension of library services. As the major professional assoc...

hiccup

(Encyclopedia)hiccup or hiccough, involuntary spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm followed by a sharp intake of air, which is abruptly stopped by a sudden, involuntary closing of the glottis (opening between the...

Batlle y Ordóñez, José

(Encyclopedia)Batlle y Ordóñez, José hōsāˈ bätˈyāˈ ē ôrdōˈnyās [key], 1856–1929, president of Uruguay (1903–7, 1911–15). A journalist and the head of the Colorado party, Batlle was a campaigner...

synonym

(Encyclopedia)synonym sĭnˈənĭm [key] [Gr.,=having the same name], word having a meaning that is the same as or very similar to the meaning of another word of the same language. Some are alike in some meanings o...

betel

(Encyclopedia)betel bēˈtəl [key], masticatory made from slices of betel palm seeds (called betel nuts) smeared onto a betel pepper leaf together with other aromatic flavorings and lime paste and rolled up. The b...

vitiligo

(Encyclopedia)vitiligo, condition that causes irregular patches of skin to lose pigment and turn white. The exact cause is unknown, but it occurs when the immune system attacks and destroys melanocytes, the cells t...

Meech Lake Accord

(Encyclopedia)Meech Lake Accord, set of constitutional reforms designed to induce Quebec to accept the Canada Act. The Accord's five basic points, proposed by Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa, include a guarantee of ...

Moreno Valley

(Encyclopedia)Moreno Valley mərēˈnō [key], city (1990 pop. 118,779), Riverside co., S Calif., inc. 1984. In 1990, Moreno Valley was California's fastest-growing city, with a population increase of more than 300...

virtual telescope

(Encyclopedia)virtual telescope, a computerized interferometer (see interference) that merges the images from two or more telescopes to obtain a single, large, enhanced image. The image in each telescope is made fr...

cyclosis

(Encyclopedia)cyclosis sīklōˈsĭs [key], streaming of cytoplasm within a living cell without deformation of the external cell membrane. In some plant cells there is a rapid rotatory cytoplasmic movement, which i...