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soma

(Encyclopedia)soma sōˈmə [key], psychotropic plant, the juice of which was sometimes drunk as part of the Vedic sacrifice (see Veda). Many hymns in the Rig-Veda are in praise of soma. In the late Vedic period su...

Strype, John

(Encyclopedia)Strype, John strīp [key], 1643–1737, English ecclesiastical historian and biographer. A graduate of Cambridge, he took holy orders. Much of his early life was spent in collecting old charters, lett...

Whiteman, Paul

(Encyclopedia)Whiteman, Paul, 1891–1967, American conductor, b. Denver. Whiteman played viola in the Denver Symphony Orchestra and in 1915 joined the San Francisco Symphony. During World War I he was an army band...

Zorrilla y Moral, José

(Encyclopedia)Zorrilla y Moral, José hōsāˈ thôrēˈlyä ē mōrälˈ [key], 1817–93, Spanish poet and dramatist. His works and life epitomized the brief period of Spanish romanticism. One of the most honored...

Paleozoic era

(Encyclopedia)Paleozoic era pāˌlēəzōˈĭk [key], a major division (era) of geologic time (see Geologic Timescale, tablegeologic timescale, table) occurring between 570 to 240 million years ago. It is subdivide...

Sanskrit literature

(Encyclopedia)Sanskrit literature, literary works written in Sanskrit constituting the main body of the classical literature of India. Nearly all Sanskrit literature, except that dealing with grammar and philosop...

Landseer, Sir Edwin Henry

(Encyclopedia)Landseer, Sir Edwin Henry lănˈsēr [key], 1802–73, English animal painter. The best known of all animal painters, he is especially remembered for his sentimental, humanized paintings of dogs. He w...

Meryon, Charles

(Encyclopedia)Meryon, Charles shärl mĕryôNˈ [key], 1821–68, French etcher. His short life was saddened by poverty and neglect and complicated by recurring forms of mental aberration. Prevented by color blindn...

Maiden Castle

(Encyclopedia)Maiden Castle, prehistoric fortress, Dorset, S England, near Dorchester. The finest earthwork in the British Isles, c.120 acres (50 hectares) in area, is there. Two sets of large-scale excavations at ...

Konyukhov, Fedor Filippovich

(Encyclopedia)Konyukhov, Fedor Filippovich, 1951–, Russian adventurer and explorer, b. Chkalove, Ukraine. After attending nautical schools in Odessa and Leningrad, he became a marine engineer and navigator and se...