Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

339 results found

in vitro fertilization

(Encyclopedia)in vitro fertilization vēˈtrō, vĭˈtrō [key] (IVF), technique for conception of a human embryo outside the mother's body. Several ova, or eggs, are removed from the mother's body and placed in sp...

Aswan

(Encyclopedia)Aswan or Assuan both: äswänˈ, ăswănˈ [key], city (1986 pop. 190,579), capital of Aswan governorate, S Egypt, on the Nile River at the First Cataract. It is one of the driest cities in the world....

bridge, card game

(Encyclopedia)bridge, card game derived from whist, played with 52 cards by four players in two partnerships. Bridge probably originated in the Middle East in the 19th cent. Auction bridge, one form of the game, ...

tomb

(Encyclopedia)tomb, vault or chamber constructed either partly or entirely above ground as a place of interment. Although it is often used as a synonym for grave, the word is derived from the Greek tymbos [burial g...

communication

(Encyclopedia)communication, transfer of information, such as thoughts and messages, as contrasted with transportation, the transfer of goods and persons (see information theory). The basic forms of communication a...

anarchism

(Encyclopedia)anarchism ănˈərkĭzəm [key] [Gr.,=having no government], theory that equality and justice are to be sought through the abolition of the state and the substitution of free agreements between indivi...

Manchester, city, England

(Encyclopedia)Manchester mănˈchəstər, –chĕsˌtər [key], city and metropolitan borough (1991 pop. 397,400), NW England, a port on the Irwell, Medlock, Irk, and Tib rivers. Manchester remains the center of th...

menopause

(Encyclopedia)menopause klīmăkˈtərĭk, klīˌmăktĕrˈĭk [key], transitional phase in a woman's life when the ovaries stop releasing eggs, ovarian production of estrogen and other hormones tapers off, and men...

water supply

(Encyclopedia)water supply, process or activity by which water is provided for some use, e.g., to a home, factory, or business. The term may also refer to the supply of water provided in this way. In the United Sta...

wood

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Wood A. Cross section of a woody stem B. Enlarged view, showing xylem, phloem, and cambium wood, botanically, the xylem tissue that forms the bulk of the stem of a woody plant. Xylem conducts ...