Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Merrick, David

(Encyclopedia)Merrick, David, 1912–2000, American theatrical producer, b. St. Louis, Mo., as David Margulois. Merrick began his remarkably successful series of theatrical productions in 1954 with Fanny, his first...

DMX

(Encyclopedia)DMX,1970-2021, b. Mount Vernon, N.Y., as Earl Simmons. DMX grew up in Yonkers, NY, in the 1980s, in a highly dysfunctional family; abandoned by his fath...

Gram's stain

(Encyclopedia)Gram's stain, laboratory staining technique that distinguishes between two groups of bacteria by the identification of differences in the structure of their cell walls. The Gram stain, named after its...

Rephaiah

(Encyclopedia)Rephaiah rĕfˌāīˈə, rēfāˈyə [key], in the Bible. 1 Descendant of Judah. 2 Chief whose followers defeated the Amalekites. 3 Son of Tola. 4 Repairer of the wall. 5 Descendant of Saul. An altern...

Kohat

(Encyclopedia)Kohat kōˈhät [key], town (1981 pop. 55,832), N Pakistan, on the Kohat Toi River. The town, enclosed by a wall with 14 gates, is noted for its cotton fabrics and lungis. Kohat contains a 19th-centur...

Hanun

(Encyclopedia)Hanun hāˈnən [key], in the Bible. 1 King of Ammon. His insolent reception of David's messengers brought on a disastrous war. He may be the same as Shobi, an Ammonite who was kind to David. 2, 3 Two...

Shemaiah

(Encyclopedia)Shemaiah shĕmˌāīˈə [key], in the Bible. 1 Prophet at the time of Rehoboam. 2 False prophet during the Captivity. 3 False prophet hired to discredit Nehemiah. 4 Descendant of Zerubbabel. 5 Scribe...

May, Philip William

(Encyclopedia)May, Philip William (Phil May), 1864–1903, English pen-and-ink caricaturist, b. Leeds. After living in poverty for many years, he made numerous drawings for the St. Stephen's Review. Phil May's Wint...

Megan's law

(Encyclopedia)Megan's law, in the United States, a state or federal statute that requires the notification of public organizations and private citizens when a convicted sex offender has been released from prison an...

Aub, Max

(Encyclopedia)Aub, Max mäks oup [key], 1903–72, Spanish author, b. Paris. He was educated in Spain where he lived until 1942, when he emigrated to Mexico. His style combines realism with fantasy. He used the Spa...

Browse by Subject