Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Rehan, Ada

(Encyclopedia)Rehan, Ada rēˈən [key], 1860–1916, American actress, b. Ireland. Her original name was Crehan. Rehan came to the United States when she was five. From 1879 to 1899 she was a member of Augustin Da...

Seaver, Tom

(Encyclopedia)Seaver, Tom (George Thomas Seaver), 1944–2020, American baseball pitcher and sportscaster, b. Fresno, Calif. During his career (1967–86), he won a total of 311 games for the New York Mets, Cincinn...

barograph

(Encyclopedia)barograph, instrument used to make a continuous recording of atmospheric pressure. The pressure-sensitive element, a partially evacuated metal cylinder, is linked to a pen arm in such a way that the v...

Viète, François

(Encyclopedia)Viète or Vieta, François fräNswäˈ vyĕt, vyātäˈ, vīēˈtə [key], 1540–1603, French mathematician. As a founder of modern algebra, he introduced the use of letters as algebraic symbols and ...

Cornwall, Barry

(Encyclopedia)Cornwall, Barry, pseud. of Bryan Waller Procter, 1787–1874, English author. His sentimental songs were much in vogue during his lifetime. Included among Cornwall's longer works are Dramatic Scenes (...

Chiclayo

(Encyclopedia)Chiclayo chēkläˈyō [key], city, capital of Lambayeque dept., NW Peru. On the coastal desert ...

Chilon

(Encyclopedia)Chilon kīˈlŏn [key], 6th cent. b.c., one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece. He was a Spartan and brought greater strictness to Spartan training. As an ephor (c.556 b.c.) he strengthened the power of ...

chord, in music

(Encyclopedia)chord, in music, two or more simultaneously sounding pitches. In tonal music the fundamental chord is called the triad. It consists of three pitches, two a perfect fifth apart and a third pitch a majo...

Cibber, Caius Gabriel

(Encyclopedia)Cibber or Cibert, Caius Gabriel both: sĭbˈər [key], 1630–1700, Danish-English sculptor. Cibber was appointed carver to the king's closet for his services to William III of England. He worked for ...

Chamberlin, Edward

(Encyclopedia)Chamberlin, Edward, 1866–1967, American economist, b. LaConner, Wash. He taught economics at Harvard (1937–67) and made significant contributions to microeconomics, particularly on competition the...