Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

139 results found

clairvoyance

(Encyclopedia)clairvoyance klârˌvoiˈəns [key], alleged power to perceive, as though visually, objects or persons not discernible through the ordinary sense channels. Clairvoyance may occur in a supposedly norma...

Paxton, Sir Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Paxton, Sir Joseph, 1803–65, English architect, noted for his use of glass and iron in a proto-modern manner. Beginning his career as a gardener and estate manager, he then built two greenhouses at ...

Kent State University

(Encyclopedia)Kent State University, mainly at Kent, Ohio; coeducational; founded 1910 as a normal school, became Kent State College in 1929, gained university status in 1935. The university's academic programs and...

computer terminal

(Encyclopedia)computer terminal, a device that enables a computer to receive or deliver data. Computer terminals vary greatly depending on the format of the data they handle. For example, a simple early terminal co...

chemical bond

(Encyclopedia)chemical bond, mechanism whereby atoms combine to form molecules. There is a chemical bond between two atoms or groups of atoms when the forces acting between them are strong enough to lead to the for...

chronometer

(Encyclopedia)chronometer krənŏmˈətər [key], instrument for keeping highly accurate time, used especially in navigation. Before the advent of radio time signals it was the only device that provided the time ac...

Matanzas, city, Cuba

(Encyclopedia)Matanzas, city (1994 est. pop. 115,000), capital of Matanzas prov., W central Cuba. A port with a large, deep harbor, it exports sugar, fruits, and sisal. Industries in the city include sugar refineri...

semiconductor

(Encyclopedia)CE5 N-type and P-type crystals: In a pure silicon crystal each silicon atom (Si) is surrounded by four valence electrons. In the N-doped semiconductor, illustrated in the left-hand figure, some sil...

galena

(Encyclopedia)galena gəlēˈnə [key] or lead glance, lustrous, blue-gray mineral crystallizing usually in cubes, sometimes in octahedrons. It is the most important ore and the principal source of lead. It consist...

Ohm, Georg Simon

(Encyclopedia)Ohm, Georg Simon gāˈôrkh zēˈmôn ōm [key], 1787–1854, German physicist. He was professor at Munich from 1852. His study of electric current led to his formulation of the law now known as Ohm's...

Browse by Subject