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Lee Kuan Yew

(Encyclopedia)Lee Kuan Yew lē kwän yo͞o, yü [key], 1923–2015, prime minister of Singapore (1959–90). Educated in England, he obtained a law degree from Cambridge Univ. in 1949 and in 1954 founded the modera...

plain

(Encyclopedia)plain, large area of level or nearly level land. Elevated plains are called plateaus, or tablelands, and very low, wet plains are called swamps. Plains have different names in different climates and c...

plumbing

(Encyclopedia)plumbing, piping systems inside buildings for water supply and sewage. The Romans had a highly developed plumbing system; water was brought to Rome by aqueducts and distributed to homes in lead pipes�...

Calderón Hinojosa, Felipe de Jesús

(Encyclopedia)Calderón Hinojosa, Felipe de Jesús fālēˈpā dā hāso͞osˈ käldārōnˈ ēˌnōhōˈsä [key], 1962–, Mexican politician, president of Mexico (2006–2012). His father, Luis Calderón Vega, h...

burglary

(Encyclopedia)burglary, at common law, the breaking and entering of a dwelling house of another at night with the intent to commit a felony, whether the intent is carried out or not. This definition has been genera...

vinegar

(Encyclopedia)vinegar, sour liquid consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, produced by the action of bacteria on dilute solutions of ethyl alcohol derived from previous yeast fermentation. The coloring and flav...

Western Federation of Miners

(Encyclopedia)Western Federation of Miners (WFM), a radical labor union that organized the miners and smelter workers of the Rocky Mountain states. Created in 1893 by the merger of several local miners' unions, the...

Spartacus party

(Encyclopedia)Spartacus party or Spartacists, radical group of German Socialists, formed c.Mar., 1916, and led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. The name was derived from the pseudonym Spartacus used by Liebkn...

Somare, Sir Michael Thomas

(Encyclopedia)Somare, Sir Michael Thomas sōmäˈrā [key], 1936–2021, Papua New Guinea political leader. He was a ...

temporary worker

(Encyclopedia)temporary worker, an employee, hired through a specialized employment agency, who generally works less than a year on one assignment, regardless of the number of hours worked per week. Temporary worke...