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Tsai Ing-wen

(Encyclopedia)Tsai Ing-wen tsī ēng-wŭn [key], 1956–, Taiwanese political leader, president of Taiwan (2016–), b. Pingtung, grad. National Taiwan Univ. (LL.B., 1978), Cornell (LL.M., 1980), London School of E...

Wylie, Elinor (Hoyt)

(Encyclopedia)Wylie, Elinor (Hoyt), 1885–1928, American poet and novelist, b. Somerville, N.J. She was famous during her life almost as much for her ethereal beauty and personality as for her melodious, sensuous ...

Yale, Elihu

(Encyclopedia)Yale, Elihu, 1649–1721, English merchant, an early benefactor of Yale Univ., b. Boston. The family moved to England c.1652, and Yale was educated in London. He went to Madras (now Chennai) in the se...

Biron, Ernst Johann von

(Encyclopedia)Biron or Biren, Ernst Johann von ĕrnst yōhänˈ fən bēˈrôn, bēˈrən [key], 1690–1772, duke of Courland (1737–43, 1763–69), favorite of Czarina Anna of Russia. A Baltic nobleman, he rose ...

Yung-lo

(Encyclopedia)Yung-lo yo͞ong-lô [key], 1359–1424, reign title of the 3d emperor (1403–24) of the Chinese Ming dynasty, whose personal name was Chu Ti. He rose to power in N China after being delegated by his ...

weight lifting

(Encyclopedia)weight lifting, international sport, also a training technique for athletes in other sports. From the earliest times men have lifted weights as a test of strength. Long popular as a competitive sport ...

Rajputana

(Encyclopedia)Rajputana räjˌpo͝otäˈnə [key], historic region, NW India; roughly coextensive with the modern Indian state of Rajasthan. The name means “land of the Rajputs.” Rajput tribal power rose here b...

Rayonnant style

(Encyclopedia)Rayonnant style rāˈənănt [key], the middle period (c.1240–1350) of French Gothic architecture, so termed from the characteristic radiating tracery of the rose window. In this period many of the ...

Ali Pasha

(Encyclopedia)Ali Pasha älēˈ päshäˈ [key], 1744?–1822, Turkish pasha [military governor] of Yannina (now Ioánnina, Greece), a province of the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). He was called the Arslan [lion] of Yan...

Eco, Umberto

(Encyclopedia)Eco, Umberto əmbĕrˈtō ĕcō [key], 1932–2016, Italian novelist, essayist, and semiotics scholar. His first novel, the best-selling Il nome della rosa (1980; tr. The Name of the Rose, 1983, film ...

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