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Monroe, Bill

(Encyclopedia)Monroe, Bill (William Smith Monroe), 1911–96, country singer, musician, and songwriter, often called the “father of bluegrass,” b. Rosine, Ky. A m...

Bluebeard

(Encyclopedia)Bluebeard, nickname of the chevalier Raoul in a story by Charles Perrault. In the story Bluebeard's seventh wife, Fatima, yielding to curiosity, opens a locked door and discovers the slain bodies of h...

Shaw, Run Run

(Encyclopedia)Shaw, Run Run, 1907–2014, Chinese film mogul, best known of the six Shaw brothers who founded an Asian movie empire. In Shanghai, he and his elder brother Runme Shaw made their first film (1924) and...

Meriden

(Encyclopedia)Meriden mĕrˈĭdən [key], city (1990 pop. 59,479), New Haven co., S central Conn.; settled 1661, inc. as a town 1806, as a city 1867, town and city consolidated 1922. Silverware and pewter were made...

Gingrich, Newt

(Encyclopedia)Gingrich, Newt (Newton Leroy Gingrich) gĭngˈgrĭch [key], 1943–, U.S. congressman, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (1995–98), b. Harrisburg, Pa., as Newton Leroy McPherson. A histor...

Cumberland, Richard, 1732–1811, English dramatist

(Encyclopedia)Cumberland, Richard, 1732–1811, English dramatist; great-grandson of the 17th-century philosopher Richard Cumberland. His family connections earned him a clerical position with the British board of ...

Günther, Johann Christian

(Encyclopedia)Günther, Johann Christian günˈtər [key], 1695–1723, German lyric poet. The young Goethe was inspired by the naturalness and vigor of Günther's verse. Among his remembered poems is the drinking...

Abimelech

(Encyclopedia)Abimelech əbĭmˈəlĕk [key], in the Bible. 1 Name or title of a king of Gerar who had various dealings with Abraham and Isaac. 2 See Ahimelech (1.) 3 Son of Gideon. He murdered his 70 brothers, exc...

Nicholson, Sir William

(Encyclopedia)Nicholson, Sir William, 1872–1949, English woodcut artist, illustrator, and painter. The striking contrasts of black and white of his woodcutting technique were used to great effect on posters, on w...

borough-English

(Encyclopedia)borough-English, a custom of inheritance in parts of England whereby land passed typically to the youngest son in preference to his older brothers. Of Anglo-Saxon origin, the custom was abolished by l...