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Revillagigedo Islands

(Encyclopedia)Revillagigedo Islands or Revillagigedo Archipelago rāvēˈyähēhāˈᵺō [key], volcanic island group in the Pacific Ocean, c.450 mi (720 km) W of Colima state and S of Baja California, Mexico. The...

rheumatism

(Encyclopedia)rheumatism ro͞oˈmətĭzəm [key], general term for a number of disorders that cause inflammation and pain in muscles, bones, joints, or nerves. In common usage arthritis, bursitis, neuritis, and gou...

Seignobos, Charles

(Encyclopedia)Seignobos, Charles shärlˈ sānyōbōˈ [key], 1854–1942, French historian. He taught at the Univ. of Paris and wrote many works on French and European history and civilization, some being contribu...

Shammai, in Judaism

(Encyclopedia)Shammai shäˈmī [key], c.50 b.c.–c.a.d. 30, Jewish sage known for his opposition to the liberal teachings of Hillel. He and his school interpreted the Law extremely rigorously, emphasizing deed ra...

compurgation

(Encyclopedia)compurgation kŏmˌpərgāˈshən [key], in medieval law, a complete defense. A defendant could establish his innocence or nonliability by taking an oath and by getting a required number of persons to...

Cleland, John

(Encyclopedia)Cleland, John, 1709–87, English novelist. His Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (1750), commonly known as Fanny Hill, was an immediate popular success; the novel's notoriety led to a number of official...

Akan

(Encyclopedia)Akan əkänˈ, äkˈən [key], people of W Africa, primarily in Ghana, where they number over 7.5 million, Côte d'Ivoire, and Togo. They speak languages of the Twi branch of the Kwa subfamily. Althou...

Deutscher, Isaac

(Encyclopedia)Deutscher, Isaac doiˈchər [key], 1907–67, English writer, b. Poland. Editor (1926–32) of the Communist press in Poland, he was expelled from the party for his anti-Stalinist views. During World ...

Dogon

(Encyclopedia)Dogon dōgänˈ [key], African people who live on the bend of the Niger River in the Republic of Mali in West Africa. A patrilineal, sedentary agricultural people, they number over 360,000. They depen...

fatigue, in engineering

(Encyclopedia)fatigue, in engineering, microscopic cracking of materials, especially metals, after repeated applications of stress. Fissures may be formed within pieces of metal during their manufacture when, while...