Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

engrossing

(Encyclopedia)engrossing, in English law, practice of acquiring a monopoly of goods in order to sell them at an inflated price. The offense was ordinarily limited to monopolies of foods. Related practices were fore...

futures market

(Encyclopedia)futures market, a commodity exchange where contracts for the future delivery of grain, livestock, and precious metals are bought and sold. Speculation in futures serves to protect both the developers ...

Fletcher, Thomas Clement

(Encyclopedia)Fletcher, Thomas Clement, 1827–99, governor of Missouri (1865–69), b. Herculaneum, Mo. A Democrat opposed to slavery, he became a Republican in 1856 and supported Lincoln for the presidential nomi...

Jephthah

(Encyclopedia)Jephthah jĕfˈthə [key], in the Book of Judges, a Hebrew raider, son of Gilead and a judge of Israel. He vowed if victorious over the Ammonites to sacrifice the first of his household to meet him on...

exchange

(Encyclopedia)exchange, mutual transfer of goods, money, services, or their equivalents; also the marketplace where such transfer occurs, such as a stock exchange or a commodity exchange (see commodity market). In ...

Harney, William Selby

(Encyclopedia)Harney, William Selby, 1800–1889, American general, b. Haysboro, near Nashville, Tenn. He entered the army in 1818 and gained a colonel's rank in the Florida campaigns against Native Americans. Rank...

rationing

(Encyclopedia)rationing, allotment of scarce supplies, usually by governmental decree, to provide equitable distribution. It may be employed also to conserve economic resources and to reinforce price and production...

Henry IV, king of England

(Encyclopedia)Henry IV, 1367–1413, king of England (1399–1413), eldest son of John of Gaunt and grandson of Edward III; called Henry of Bolingbroke. He founded the Lancastrian dynasty. The new king was immed...

Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray, 1st duke of

(Encyclopedia)Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray, 1st duke of, c.1366–1399, English nobleman. He was created earl of Nottingham in 1383, and in 1385 he was made earl marshal of England for life. He joined Thomas of Woodstoc...

Rivers, Richard Woodville, 1st Earl

(Encyclopedia)Rivers, Richard Woodville, 1st Earl, d. 1469, English nobleman. He was knighted (1426) by Henry VI and acquired wealth and power by marrying (c.1436) Jacquetta of Luxemburg, widow of John of Lancaster...