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James, Cyril Lionel Robert

(Encyclopedia)James, C. L. R., 1901–1989, Trinidadian historian, journalist, and communist activist, b. Tunapuna, Trinidad and Tobago. A social theorist, anti-colon...

Walpole, Robert, 1st earl of Orford

(Encyclopedia)Walpole, Robert, 1st earl of Orford, 1676–1745, English statesman. Walpole is usually described as the first prime minister of Great Britain, but he was not a prime minister in the modern sense. A...

shrike

(Encyclopedia)shrike or butcher bird, predatory songbird found in most parts of the world except Australia and South America. The plumage of the European and North American species is mostly gray, black, and white;...

Kerry blue terrier

(Encyclopedia)Kerry blue terrier, breed of large, sturdy terrier perfected in Ireland more than 100 years ago. It stands from 17 to 19 in. (43.2–48.3 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 30 to 40 lb (13.6–1...

Torrey, John

(Encyclopedia)Torrey, John, 1796–1873, American botanist and chemist, b. New York City, M.D. College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1818. He was professor of chemistry (1827–55) at his alma mater and professor of ...

flint, mineral

(Encyclopedia)flint, variety of quartz that commonly occurs in rounded nodules and whose crystal structure is not visible to the naked eye. Flint is dark gray, smoky brown, or black in color; pale gray flint is cal...

brant

(Encyclopedia)brant or brant goose, common name for a species of wild sea goose. The American brant, Branta bernicla, breeds in the Arctic and winters along the Atlantic coast. The head, neck, and tail are black, t...

Weimaraner

(Encyclopedia)Weimaraner vīˈməräˌnər, wīˈmərāˌ– [key], breed of large, muscular sporting dog developed in Germany in the early 19th cent. It stands between 23 and 27 in. (58.4–68.6 cm) high at the sh...

Federal Bureau of Investigation

(Encyclopedia)Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), division of the U.S. Dept. of Justice charged with investigating all violations of federal laws except those assigned to some other federal agency. The FBI has j...

granite

(Encyclopedia)granite, coarse-grained igneous rock of even texture and light color, composed chiefly of quartz and feldspars. It usually contains small quantities of mica or hornblende, and minor accessory minerals...