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games, theory of

(Encyclopedia)games, theory of, group of mathematical theories first developed by John Von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern. A game consists of a set of rules governing a competitive situation in which from two to n i...

speech, freedom of

(Encyclopedia)speech, freedom of, liberty to speak and otherwise express oneself and one's opinions. Like freedom of the press (see press, freedom of the), which pertains to the publication of speech, freedom of sp...

Dean, Forest of

(Encyclopedia)Dean, Forest of, ancient royal forest (c.30,000 acres/12,141 hectares), Gloucestershire, W England, between the Severn estuary and the gorges of the Wye River. It was the first (1938) of the National ...

attar of roses

(Encyclopedia)attar of roses ătˈər, ăˈtär [key], or rose oil, fragrant essential oil obtained from roses and used in making perfume. It is one of the most valuable of the volatile oils. Rose water is water in...

Cincinnati, University of

(Encyclopedia)Cincinnati, University of, at Cincinnati; coeducational; founded 1819 as Cincinnati College, incorporated 1870 as a municipal university, opened 1873, affiliated with the state university system 1968....

Robert of Gloucester

(Encyclopedia)Robert of Gloucester glŏsˈtər [key], fl. 1260–1300, English chronicler. Possibly a monk of Gloucester, he is known only from the vernacular metrical chronicle of English history that bears his na...

Concert of Europe

(Encyclopedia)Concert of Europe, term used in the 19th cent. to designate a loose agreement by the major European powers to act together on European questions of common interest. The concert emerged after the Congr...

Zürich, Lake of

(Encyclopedia)Zürich, Lake of, Ger. Zürichsee, narrow, elongated lake, 34 sq mi (88 sq km), 25 mi (40 km) long, N Switzerland. It has a maximum depth of c.470 ft (140 m). The lake is connected to the Lake of Wall...

Purbeck, Isle of

(Encyclopedia)Purbeck, Isle of, peninsula, c.12 mi (20 km) long and c.8 mi (13 km) wide, Dorset, S England, between Poole Harbour and the English Channel. St. Albans Head is the most southerly point of the rocky sh...

Eden, Garden of

(Encyclopedia)Eden, Garden of, in the Bible, first home to humankind. In it were the trees of life and of the knowledge of good and evil. Having eaten the forbidden fruit of the latter tree, Adam and Eve were banis...