Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

evening star

(Encyclopedia)evening star or morning star, planet that becomes visible in the western sky shortly after sunset or in the eastern sky shortly before sunrise. It can usually be seen in twilight, when it is too light...

Tucker, Abraham

(Encyclopedia)Tucker, Abraham, 1705–74, English philosopher, b. London. He studied law at Merton College, Oxford, and later devoted himself to independent study. He advanced the ethical view that each man seeks h...

Praed, Winthrop Mackworth

(Encyclopedia)Praed, Winthrop Mackworth prād [key], 1802–39, English poet and essayist. A Conservative member of Parliament (1830–32, 1834–39) and an accomplished political satirist, he is best remembered fo...

Easthampton

(Encyclopedia)Easthampton ēst-hămpˈtən [key], town (2020 pop. 16,211), Hampshire co., W Mass.; inc. 1809. It is ...

Kangding

(Encyclopedia)Kangding or Kangting both: kängˈdĭngˈ [key], city (1990 pop. 98,960), W Sichuan prov., China, in the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Region. It is a transportation center on the main road from Chengdu to...

Snell, Willebrord

(Encyclopedia)Snell or Snellius, Willebrord vĭlˈəbrôrt snĕl, snĕlēəs [key], 1591–1626, Dutch mathematician. He is generally credited with the discovery (1621) of the law of the refraction of light. In 161...

Batavia, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Batavia bətāˈvēə [key], city (2020 pop. 15,600), seat of Genesee co., W N.Y.; inc. 1915. It ...

Caerphilly

(Encyclopedia)Caerphilly kīrfĭlˈē, kär– [key], Welsh Caerffili, town and county borough, 108 sq mi (...

Calverley, Charles Stuart

(Encyclopedia)Calverley, Charles Stuart, 1831–84, English poet and translator. Expelled from Oxford for a youthful prank, he earned academic honors at Cambridge. He became famous for the wit and erudition of his ...

Wien, Wilhelm

(Encyclopedia)Wien, Wilhelm vĭlˈhĕlm vēn [key], 1864–1928, German physicist. He was professor at the universities of Giessen (1899), Würzburg (1900–1920), and Munich (from 1920). He received the 1911 Nobel...

Browse by Subject