Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Ames, Nathaniel

(Encyclopedia)Ames, Nathaniel, 1708–64, American almanac maker, b. Bridgewater, Mass. His Astronomical Diary and Almanack, begun in 1725 and issued annually after c.1732 from Dedham, Mass., was highly popular and...

raisin, in botany and cooking

(Encyclopedia)raisin, dried fruit of certain varieties of grapevines bearing grapes with a high content of sugar and solid flesh. Although the fruit is sometimes artificially dehydrated, it is usually sun-dried. Th...

fire

(Encyclopedia)fire, the phenomenon of combustion as seen in light, flame, and heat. One of the basic tools of human culture, its use is extremely ancient, predating the existence of Homo sapiens by several hundred ...

Osiris

(Encyclopedia)Osiris ōsīˈrĭs [key], in Egyptian religion, legendary ruler of predynastic Egypt and god of the underworld. He was the son of the sky goddess Nut and the earth god Geb. The great benefactor of man...

Oceanus

(Encyclopedia)Oceanus ōsēˈənəs [key], in Greek mythology. 1 Circular stream that flows around the edge of the earth. The sun and moon rise from and descend into this stream; it is the source of all rivers. 2 P...

Scheiner, Christoph

(Encyclopedia)Scheiner, Christoph krĭsˈtôf shīnˈər [key], 1579?–1650, German astronomer and mathematician, a Jesuit priest. He taught at Ingolstadt, Rome, and elsewhere and became rector of a Jesuit college...

Selznick, David O.

(Encyclopedia)Selznick, David O., 1902–65, American film producer, b. Pittsburgh. He worked for studios in Hollywood before founding Selznick International Pictures in 1936. Selznick's most famous movie is Gone w...

Daedalus

(Encyclopedia)Daedalus dĕdˈələs [key], in Greek mythology, craftsman and inventor. After killing his apprentice Talos in envy, he fled from Greece to Crete. There, he arranged the liaison between Pasiphaë and ...

Day, John, English printer

(Encyclopedia)Day, John, 1522–84, English printer. At his London shop Day designed and made type for himself, but not for sale. His types included musical notes and the first Anglo-Saxon type. He printed the firs...

De la Rue, Warren

(Encyclopedia)De la Rue, Warren dĕlˈəro͞o, dĕləro͞oˈ [key], 1815–89, British scientist and inventor. Especially noted as an astronomer, he was a pioneer in celestial photography. He adapted the wet-plate ...