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Worcester, Noah

(Encyclopedia)Worcester, Noah wo͝osˈtər [key], 1758–1837, American Congregational clergyman, b. Hollis, N.H. He was pastor (1787–1810) at Thornton, N.H. From 1813 to 1818 he was the first editor of the Chris...

An Najaf

(Encyclopedia)An Najaf än näˈjäf [key], city (2020 pop. 874,000), S central Iraq, on a lake near the Euphrates River. The city, one of Shi'a Islam's holiest, is also called Mashad A...

Abdul Razak

(Encyclopedia)Abdul Razak, äbˈdo͝ol räˈzäk [key], 1922–76, prime minister of Malaysia (1970–76). Elected to the national legislature in 1959, he was deputy prime minister and minister of defense from 195...

International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War

(Encyclopedia)International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), worldwide organization of medical groups dedicated to eliminating nuclear weapons and preventing nuclear war, est. 1980. Based in Ca...

World Wildlife Fund

(Encyclopedia)World Wildlife Fund (WWF), international organization formed to raise money for conservation projects, est. 1961. The international organization, believing that its name no longer reflected the scope ...

starling

(Encyclopedia)starling, any of a group of originally Old World birds that have become distributed worldwide. Starlings were released in New York City in 1890; since then the common, or European, starling (Sturnus v...

Gabriel

(Encyclopedia)Gabriel gāˈbrēəl [key], archangel, the divine herald. In the Bible he appears to Daniel (twice), to Zacharias, and to the Virgin Mary in the Annunciation (Dan. 8.16; 9.21; Luke 1.19,26,27). Christ...

Islamabad

(Encyclopedia)Islamabad ĭsˌləməbädˈ, ĭslămˈ– [key], city and capital territory (2017 provisional pop. 2,006,572), capital of Pakistan, NE Pakistan, just NE of Rawalpindi, the former interim capital. Cons...

angel

(Encyclopedia)angel ānˈjəl [key], [Gr.,=messenger], bodiless, immortal spirit, limited in knowledge and power, accepted in the traditional belief of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and other religions. Angels a...

Houellebecq, Michel

(Encyclopedia)Houellebecq, Michel mēshĕlˈ wĕlˈbĕk [key], b. 1958– or 1956–, French author, perhaps France's best-known contemporary novelist, b. Réunion as Michel Thomas. A literary pessimist and master ...