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Crashaw, Richard

(Encyclopedia)Crashaw, Richard krăshˈô [key], 1612?–1649, one of the English metaphysical poets. He was graduated from Cambridge in 1634 and remained there as a fellow at Peterhouse until the Puritan uprising,...

Crittenden Compromise

(Encyclopedia)Crittenden Compromise, in U.S. history, unsuccessful last-minute effort to avert the Civil War. It was proposed in Congress as a constitutional amendment in Dec., 1860, by Sen. John J. Crittenden of K...

chorea

(Encyclopedia)chorea kərēˈə, kō– [key] or St. Vitus's dance, acute disturbance of the central nervous system characterized by involuntary muscular movements of the face and extremities. The disease, known al...

defibrillator

(Encyclopedia)defibrillator, device that delivers an electrical shock to the heart in order to stop certain forms of rapid heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias). The shock changes a fibrillation to an organized r...

Bejaïa

(Encyclopedia)Bejaïa bo͞ozhēˈ [key], city, N Algeria, a port on the Gulf of Bejaïa (an arm of the Medi...

Poulenc, Francis

(Encyclopedia)Poulenc, Francis fräNsēsˈ po͞olăNkˈ [key], 1899–1963, French composer and pianist. He was one of Les Six, a group of French composers who subscribed to the aesthetic ideals of Erik Satie, whos...

Procyon

(Encyclopedia)Procyon prōˈsēŏnˌ [key], brightest star in the constellation Canis Minor; Bayer designation α Canis Minoris; 1992 position R.A. 7h38.9m, Dec.+5°15′. A yellow-white star of spectral class F5 I...

Purim

(Encyclopedia)Purim po͞oˈrĭm [key] [Heb.,=lots], Jewish festival celebrated on the 14th of Adar, the twelfth month in the Jewish calendar (Feb.–March). During leap years it is celebrated in Adar II. According ...

Quintilian

(Encyclopedia)Quintilian (Marcus Fabius Quintilianus) kwĭntĭlˈyən [key], c.a.d. 35–c.a.d. 95, Roman rhetorician, b. Calagurris (now Calahorra), Spain. He taught rhetoric at Rome (Pliny the Younger and possibl...

Dunbar, William, Scottish poet

(Encyclopedia)Dunbar, William, c.1460–c.1520, Scottish poet. After attending the Univ. of St. Andrews he was attached for some time to the Franciscans, probably as a novice. By 1491 he seems to have been connecte...