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Hilda, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Hilda, Saint, 614–80, English abbess of Whitby, princess of Northumbria. She became a Christian at the age of 13 and a nun at 33. About 647 she set out for a convent in France, but was recalled by S...

Charpak, Georges

(Encyclopedia)Charpak, Georges zhôrzh shärpäkˈ [key], 1924–2010, French physicist, b. Dąbrowica, Poland (now Dubrovytsia, Ukraine), Ph.D Collège de France, 1954. Affiliated with CERN (1959–91), Charpak wo...

chattel

(Encyclopedia)chattel chătˈəl [key], in law, any property other than a freehold estate in land (see tenure). A chattel is treated as personal property rather than real property regardless of whether it is movabl...

polyester

(Encyclopedia)polyester, synthetic fiber, produced by the polymerization of the product formed when an alcohol and organic acid react. The outstanding characteristic of polyesters is their ability to resist wrinkli...

polystyrene

(Encyclopedia)polystyrene pŏlˌēstīˈrēn [key], widely used plastic; it is a polymer of styrene. Polystyrene is a colorless, transparent thermoplastic that softens slightly above 100℃ (212℉) and becomes a v...

Van de Graaff, Robert Jemison

(Encyclopedia)Van de Graaff, Robert Jemison văn də gräf [key], 1901–67, American physicist, b. Tuscaloosa, Ala., grad. Univ. of Alabama (B.S., 1922), Ph.D. Oxford, 1928. He was research associate at Massachuse...

Brookhaven National Laboratory

(Encyclopedia)Brookhaven National Laboratory, scientific research center, at Upton (town of Brookhaven), Long Island, N.Y. It was founded in 1947 by Associated Universities, a management corporation sponsored by ni...

carnauba

(Encyclopedia)carnauba kärnôˈbə, –nouˈ– [key], wax obtained from the wax palm, or carnauba (Copernicia cerifera), of Brazil. It is secreted by the leaves, apparently in defense against the hot winds and dr...

praseodymium

(Encyclopedia)praseodymium prāˌzēōdĭmˈēəm, –sēō– [key] [Gr., =green twin], metallic chemical element; symbol Pr; at. no. 59; at. wt. 140.90765; m.p. 931℃; b.p. 3,512℃; sp. gr. about 6.8; valence +...

Hare, Robert

(Encyclopedia)Hare, Robert, 1781–1858, American chemist, b. Philadelphia. He was professor of chemistry (1819–47) at the medical college of the Univ. of Pennsylvania. Hare made important contributions to early ...