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cashew

(Encyclopedia)cashew kăshˈo͞o, kəsho͞oˈ [key], tropical American tree (Anacardium occidentale) of the family Anacardiaceae (sumac family), valued chiefly for the cashew nut of commerce. The tree's acrid sap i...

magic, in entertainment

(Encyclopedia)magic, in entertainment, the seeming manipulation and supernatural control of the natural world for the amusement and amazement of an audience. Entertainment magic can be divided into four main catego...

Dodona

(Encyclopedia)Dodona dōdōˈnə [key], in Greek religion, the oldest oracle, in inland Epirus, near modern Janina, sacred to Zeus and Dione. According to Herodotus, an old oak tree there became an oracle when a bl...

Thoth

(Encyclopedia)Thoth thŏth, tōt [key], in Egyptian religion, god of wisdom and magic. A patron of learning and of the arts, he was credited with many inventions, including writing, geometry, and astronomy. Perhaps...

jatropha

(Encyclopedia)jatropha jăˈtrəfə [key], any plant of a widely distributed genus (Japtropha) of perennial herbs, shrubs, and trees in the family Euphorbiaceae (spurge family), native to tropical areas of the West...

souari

(Encyclopedia)souari or swarri nut, name for tropical trees of the genus Caryocar, abundant in N South America. The fatty “nuts,” botanically drupe fruits, somewhat resemble Brazil nuts but are much larger and ...

Frankfort, Henri

(Encyclopedia)Frankfort, Henri äNrēˈ [key], 1897–1954, American archaeologist, b. the Netherlands. He directed the excavations of the Egypt Exploration Society (1925–29) and the Iraq expeditions (1929–37) ...

dice, in games and gambling

(Encyclopedia)dice [plural of die], small cubes used in games. They are usually made of ivory, bone, wood, plastic, or similar materials. The six sides are numbered by dots from 1 to 6, so placed that the sum of th...

Stanhope, Lady Hester Lucy

(Encyclopedia)Stanhope, Lady Hester Lucy, 1776–1839, English traveler. Leaving England in 1810, she traveled in the Levant, adopting Eastern male dress and a religion that was a composite of Christianity and Isla...

walnut

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Black walnut, Juglans nigra walnut, common name for some members of the Juglandaceae, a family of chiefly deciduous, resinous trees characterized by large and aromatic compound leaves. Species...