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nitrous oxide

(Encyclopedia)nitrous oxide or nitrogen (I) oxide, chemical compound, N2O, a colorless gas with a sweetish taste and odor. Its density is 1.977 grams per liter at STP. It is soluble in water, alcohol, ether, and ot...

Loewi, Otto

(Encyclopedia)Loewi, Otto lōˈē [key], 1873–1961, American physiologist and pharmacologist, b. Frankfurt, Germany. He was professor of pharmacology (1909–38) at the Univ. of Graz, Austria, until forced into e...

Fischer-Tropsch process

(Encyclopedia)Fischer-Tropsch process fĭshˈər-trōpsh [key], method for the synthesis of hydrocarbons and other aliphatic compounds. Synthesis gas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, is reacted in the pr...

cloud chamber

(Encyclopedia)cloud chamber, device used to detect elementary particles and other ionizing radiation. A cloud chamber consists essentially of a closed container filled with a supersaturated vapor, e.g., water in ai...

gangrene

(Encyclopedia)gangrene, local death of body tissue. Dry gangrene, the most common form, follows a disturbance of the blood supply to the tissues, e.g., in diabetes, arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, or destruction of t...

cult

(Encyclopedia)cult, ritual observances involved in worship of, or communication with, the supernatural or its symbolic representations. A cult includes the totality of ideas, activities, and practices associated wi...

ear

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Ear ear, organ of hearing and equilibrium. The human ear consists of outer, middle, and inner parts. The outer ear is the visible portion; it includes the skin-covered flap of cartilage known ...

Surgut

(Encyclopedia)Surgut so͞orˈgo͞ot [key], city (1989 pop. 248,000), in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region, Siberian Russia, on the Ob river. An oil and gas center as well as a port, it is connected by rail and pip...

stargazer

(Encyclopedia)stargazer, common name for any of several species of marine fishes of the family Uranoscopidae, found in southern waters, and having the mouth, nostrils, and eyes set high in the head. Stargazers lie ...

Kingsville

(Encyclopedia)Kingsville, city (1990 pop. 25,276), seat of Kleberg co., S Tex.; inc. 1911. It is headquarters of the gigantic King Ranch. The city is a processing center for cotton, livestock, vegetables, and dairy...