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Baldwin, James

(Encyclopedia)Baldwin, James, 1924–87, American author, b. New York City. He spent an impoverished boyhood in Harlem, became a Pentecostal preacher at 14, and left the church three years later. He moved to Paris ...

mutation

(Encyclopedia)mutation, in biology, a sudden, random change in a gene, or unit of hereditary material, that can alter an inheritable characteristic. Most mutations are not beneficial, since any change in the delica...

Aurignac

(Encyclopedia)Aurignac ôrēnyäkˈ [key], village (1993 est. pop. 965), Haute-Garonne dept., S France, at the foot of the Pyrenees. Its caves, excavated in 1860, contain relics of prehistoric man of the Aurignacia...

Lenormand, Henri René

(Encyclopedia)Lenormand, Henri René äNrēˈ rənāˈ lənôrmäNˈ [key], 1882–1951, French dramatist. His plays, Freudian in tone and theme and often heavily symbolic, include Les Ratés (1918, tr. The Failure...

Selkirk, town, Canada

(Encyclopedia)Selkirk, town (1991 pop. 9,815), SE Man., Canada, on the Red River. Just S of Lake Winnipeg, it is a port for products from N Manitoba. There are steel mills, foundries, and shipyards in the town. It ...

Proteus, in Greek mythology

(Encyclopedia)Proteus prōˈtēəs, –tyo͞os [key], in Greek mythology, prophetic old man of the sea who tended the seals of Poseidon. He could change himself into any shape he pleased, but if he were nevertheles...

Opie, John

(Encyclopedia)Opie, John, 1761–1807, English portrait and historical painter. Opie showed a remarkable talent as a young man. He became the protégé of the poet John Wolcot, and enjoyed a brief popularity as a f...

Antiphilus

(Encyclopedia)Antiphilus ăntĭfˈĭləs [key], fl. 4th cent. b.c., Greek painter, of Alexandrian origin. Pliny and Quintilian wrote about his paintings of gryllos, a creature part man, part animal or bird. Pliny f...

Ish-bosheth

(Encyclopedia)Ish-bosheth ĭsh-bōˈshĕth, ĭsh-bŏshˈĕth [key], in the Bible, son of Saul, and his would-be successor. An alternate form is Esh-baal. For the relation between the names of this man, see Baal. ...

Eliezer

(Encyclopedia)Eliezer ēlīēˈzər, ĕlīēˈ– [key], in the Bible. 1 Servant of Abraham. 2 Son of Moses. 3 Prophet who rebuked King Jehoshaphat. 4 Priest under David. 5 Chief Reubenite. 6 Messenger of Ezra. 7 M...