Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

fiberglass

(Encyclopedia)fiberglass, thread made from glass. It is made by forcing molten glass through a kind of sieve, thereby spinning it into threads. Fiberglass is strong, durable, and impervious to many caustics and to ...

Arras, Treaty of

(Encyclopedia)Arras, Treaty of. 1 Treaty of 1435, between King Charles VII of France and Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy. Through it, France and Burgundy became reconciled. Philip deserted his English allies and r...

Lalique, René

(Encyclopedia)Lalique, René rənāˈ lälēkˈ [key], 1860–1945, French jewelery designer and glassmaker whose works are landmarks of arts nouveau and deco, b. Ay; apprenticed to Parisian goldsmith Louis Aucoq a...

Saisset, Bernard

(Encyclopedia)Saisset, Bernard bĕrnärˈ sĕsāˈ [key], d. 1314, French churchman. In 1295 he became bishop of Pamiers (near Foix, S France). He was sent (1301) by Pope Boniface VIII as papal legate to King Phili...

Tiffany, Louis Comfort

(Encyclopedia)Tiffany, Louis Comfort, 1848–1933, American artist, decorative designer, and art patron, b. New York City; son of Charles Lewis Tiffany. He studied painting with Inness and in Paris and painted oils...

fiber optics

(Encyclopedia)fiber optics, transmission of digitized messages or information by light pulses along hair-thin glass or plastic fibers. Each fiber is surrounded by a cladding having a high index of refractance so th...

Antigonus III

(Encyclopedia)Antigonus III (Antigonus Doson) dōˈsŏn, –sən [key], d. 221 b.c., king of Macedon. On the death of Demetrius II he became regent for Demetrius' son Philip (Philip V). He married the widow of Deme...

Church, Benjamin

(Encyclopedia)Church, Benjamin, 1639–1718, New England colonial soldier in King Philip's War, b. Plymouth, Mass. He took a leading part in the Great Swamp Fight (Dec., 1675), W of Kingston, R.I., and finally hunt...

Boniface VIII

(Encyclopedia)Boniface VIII, 1235–1303, pope (1294–1303), an Italian (b. Anagni) named Benedetto Caetani; successor of St. Celestine V. As a cardinal he was independent of the factions in the papal court, and h...

Charles II, king of Spain, Naples, and Sicily

(Encyclopedia)Charles II, 1661–1700, king of Spain, Naples, and Sicily (1665–1700), son and successor of Philip IV. The last of the Spanish Hapsburgs, he was physically crippled and mentally retarded. His mothe...