Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

331 results found

patina

(Encyclopedia)patina pătˈənə [key], coating of carbonate of copper on articles of copper or bronze, formed after long exposure to a moist atmosphere or burial in the earth. Although commonly green, patina varie...

static

(Encyclopedia)static, term formerly use to describe electrical noise in radio reception, especially noise that originates outside a transmitter and receiver, e.g., in the atmosphere or in human-made devices. In gen...

Tambora

(Encyclopedia)Tambora tämˈbərə [key], active volcano, N Sumbawa, Nusa Tenggara Barat prov., Indonesia, rising to 9,255 ft (2,821 m). The volcano's 1815 eruption was one of the most destructive in historical tim...

sneeze

(Encyclopedia)sneeze, involuntary violent expiration of air through the nose and mouth. It results from stimulation of the nervous system in the nose, causing sudden contraction of the muscles of expiration. The st...

Everdingen, Allart van

(Encyclopedia)Everdingen, Allart van älˈärt vän āˈfərdĭngən [key], 1621–75, Dutch painter and etcher. Although he worked primarily in Haarlem and Amsterdam, the scenery of Sweden and Norway forms the sub...

Elche

(Encyclopedia)Elche ĕlˈchā [key], Valencian Elx, city, Alicante prov., SE Spain, in Valencia. It is surr...

cosmic rays

(Encyclopedia)cosmic rays, charged particles moving at nearly the speed of light reaching the earth from outer space. Primary cosmic rays consist mostly of protons (nuclei of hydrogen atoms), some alpha particles (...

Martin, Homer Dodge

(Encyclopedia)Martin, Homer Dodge, 1836–97, American landscape painter, b. Albany, N.Y. His earlier works are in the style of the Hudson River school, but after his stay in France (1881–86) his work showed the ...

San Germán

(Encyclopedia)San Germán sän hārmänˈ [key], town (1990 pop. 34,962), SW Puerto Rico, in an agricultural area producing coffee, sugar, tobacco, and fruit. The original village was founded in 1511, but it was ea...

Tlemcen

(Encyclopedia)Tlemcen tlĕmsĕnˈ [key], city (1998 pop. 155,162), NW Algeria, capital of Tlemcen prov. Its location on a crossroads between the Mediterranean coast and the Sahara and between Algeria and Morocco ha...