Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Academy

(Encyclopedia)Academy, school founded by Plato near Athens c.387 b.c. It took its name from the garden (named for the hero Academus) in which it was located. Plato's followers met there for nine centuries until, al...

Colorado Springs

(Encyclopedia)Colorado Springs, city (2020 pop. 478,961), seat of El Paso co., central Colo., on Monument and Fountain creeks, at the foot of Pikes Peak; inc. ...

United States

(Encyclopedia)CE5 CE5 CE5 United States, officially United States of America, republic (2015 est. pop. 319,929,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third l...

force

(Encyclopedia)force, commonly, a “push” or “pull,” more properly defined in physics as a quantity that changes the motion, size, or shape of a body. Force is a vector quantity, having both magnitude and dir...

Defense, United States Department of

(Encyclopedia)Defense, United States Department of, executive department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to nationa...

Mexico, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Mexico, city (1990 pop. 11,290), seat of Audrain co., central Mo., in a farm area; inc. 1857. Prefabricated homes, firebrick, trailers, and ceramic tile are manufactured, and there are livestock marke...

compressed air

(Encyclopedia)compressed air, air whose volume has been decreased by the application of pressure. Air is compressed by various devices, including the simple hand pump and the reciprocating, rotary, centrifugal, and...

air navigation

(Encyclopedia)air navigation, science and technology of determining the position of an aircraft with respect to the surface of the earth and accurately maintaining a desired course (see navigation). Basic to air ...

Saco, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Saco sôˈkō [key], city (1990 pop. 15,181), York co., SW Maine, on the Saco River; settled 1631, inc. as Pepperellboro 1762; name changed to Saco 1805; inc. as a city 1867. Saco is named for the Saw...

Thames , river, United States

(Encyclopedia)Thames thāmz [key], river, c.15 mi (25 km) long, formed by the confluence of the Yantic and Shetucket rivers at Norwich, E Conn., and flowing south to Long Island Sound at New London. Primarily a tid...

Browse by Subject