Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

East Haven

(Encyclopedia)East Haven, town (2020 pop. 27,923, New Haven co., S Conn., on Long Island Sound, a residential suburb of New Haven, in a farm area; inc. 1785. Light in...

omphalos

(Encyclopedia)omphalos ōmˈfəlŏs [key], in Greek and Roman religion, navel-shaped stone used in the rites of many cults. The most famous omphalos was at Delphi; it was supposed to mark the center of the earth. ...

Aroer

(Encyclopedia)Aroer ărˈōər [key], border town, on the north side of the Arnon River and E of the Dead Sea, the modern Arair (Jordan). Aroer, which changed hands frequently, is mentioned in the Moabite stone. ...

Larvik

(Encyclopedia)Larvik lärˈvēk [key], city (1995 pop. 39,011), Vestfold co., SE Norway, at the head of the Larviksfjord (an arm of the Skagerrak); chartered 1671. It is a shipping and whaling center. Tanum Church,...

brownstone

(Encyclopedia)brownstone, red to brown variety of sandstone. Its unusual color is caused in some instances by the presence of red iron oxide which acts as a cement, binding the sand grains together. Vast thicknesse...

rustication

(Encyclopedia)rustication rŭstĭkāˈshən [key], in building construction, method of creating textures upon masonry wall surfaces, chiefly upon those of stone, by projecting the blocks beyond the surface of the m...

De la Beche, Sir Henry Thomas

(Encyclopedia)De la Beche, Sir Henry Thomas də lä bāsh, dĕləbĕshˈ [key], 1796–1855, English geologist. As a result of his private undertaking to prepare a geological map of England, the British government ...

Favras, Thomas de Mahy, marquis de

(Encyclopedia)Favras, Thomas de Mahy, marquis de tômäˈ də mäēˈ märkēˈ də fävräsˈ [key], 1744–90, French royalist. After the outbreak of the French Revolution, he plotted (1789) with the comte de La ...

Gloucester, Thomas of Woodstock, duke of

(Encyclopedia)Gloucester, Thomas of Woodstock, duke of, 1355–97, English nobleman; youngest son of Edward III. He was betrothed (1374) to Eleanor, heiress of Humphrey de Bohun, earl of Hereford, and became earl o...

Browse by Subject