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tragacanth

(Encyclopedia)tragacanth trăgˈəkănth [key] or gum tragacanth, gummy exudation from the leguminous shrub Astragalus gummifer and related pulse family plants of SE Europe and W Asia. It is obtained through incisi...

Rages

(Encyclopedia)Rages rāˈjē [key], ancient and medieval city of Persia, located on the site of modern-day Ray, N Iran, a suburb of Tehran. Rages is mentioned in the Avesta and in the inscriptions at Behistun. Beca...

harem

(Encyclopedia)harem hârˈəm [key] [Arabic], term applied to women's apartments in a Muslim household. In the ancient Arab world women enjoyed a certain amount of freedom. However, with the advent of Islam, the ve...

Mahmud of Ghazna

(Encyclopedia)Mahmud of Ghazna mämo͞odˈ, gŭzˈna [key], 971?–1030, Afghan emperor and conqueror. He defeated (c.999) his elder brother to gain control of Khorasan (in Iran) and of Afghanistan. In his raids ag...

Kerman

(Encyclopedia)Kerman kĕrmänˈ [key], city (1991 pop. 311,643), capital of Kerman prov., E central Iran. It is noted for making and exporting carpets. Cotton textiles and goats-wool shawls are also manufactured. K...

Khorasan

(Encyclopedia)Khorasan ko͝orˌəsänˈ [key], region and former province (1991 pop. 6,013,200), c.125,000 sq mi (323,750 sq km), NE Iran. Mashhad is the chief city; other cities include Sabzevar, Bojnurd, and Neys...

plateau

(Encyclopedia)plateau, elevated, level or nearly level portion of the earth's surface, larger in summit area than a mountain and bounded on at least one side by steep slopes, occurring on land or in oceans. Some pl...

Trump, Donald John

(Encyclopedia)Trump, Donald John, 1946–, 45th President of the United States (2017–21), b. New York City. Prior to his election as president in 2016, Trump was a ...

dulcimer

(Encyclopedia)dulcimer dŭlˈsĭmər [key], stringed musical instrument. It is a wooden box with strings stretched over it that are struck with small mallets. The number of strings may vary. The dulcimer is related...

Cohen, William Sebastian

(Encyclopedia)Cohen, William Sebastian, 1940–, American politician, b. Bangor, Maine. He attended Bowdoin College (B.A., 1962) and Boston Univ. (LL.B., 1965). A Republican, he was elected to the House of Represen...