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suttee

(Encyclopedia)suttee sŭˌtēˈ, sŭˈtēˌ [key] [Skt. sati=faithful wife], former Indian funeral practice in which the widow immolated herself on her husband's funeral pyre. The practice of killing a favorite wif...

harem

(Encyclopedia)harem hârˈəm [key] [Arabic], term applied to women's apartments in a Muslim household. In the ancient Arab world women enjoyed a certain amount of freedom. However, with the advent of Islam, the ve...

trench warfare

(Encyclopedia)trench warfare. Although trenches were used in ancient and medieval warfare, in the American Civil War, and in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–5), they did not become important until World War I. The i...

epicureanism

(Encyclopedia)epicureanism ĕpˌĭkyo͝orēˈənĭzˌəm [key], philosophy that follows the teachings of Epicurus, who held that pleasure is the end of all morality and that real pleasure is attained through a life...

Qina

(Encyclopedia)Qina kĕnˈə [key], town (1986 pop. 119,917), capital of Qina governorate, E central Egypt, on the Nile River. Sugarcane and grains are grown nearby, and pottery is made in the town. Qina was built o...

Podgorica

(Encyclopedia)Podgorica pōdˈgōrētsä [key], city (2011 pop. 185,937), capital and largest city of Montenegro, SE Montenegro, at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers. A commercial center, it has indu...

sphinx

(Encyclopedia)sphinx sfĭngks [key], mythical beast of ancient Egypt, frequently symbolizing the pharaoh as an incarnation of the sun god Ra. The sphinx was represented in sculpture usually in a recumbent position ...

Latakia

(Encyclopedia)Latakia or Lattakia both: lătəkēˈə, lätə– [key], city (1995 est. pop. 320,100), capital of Latakia governorate, W Syria, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is Syria's leading port, exporting bitume...

Saint-Nazaire

(Encyclopedia)Saint-Nazaire săN-näzĕrˈ [key], city (1990 pop. 66,087), Loire-Atlantique dept., W France, at the mouth of the Loire River on the Bay of Biscay. Saint-Nazaire is an important seaport (mainly for t...

Renault, Mary

(Encyclopedia)Renault, Mary, pseud. of Mary Challens, 1905–83, English novelist, b. London. After receiving her nursing degree in 1936, she emigrated to South Africa. She was best-known for her historical novels ...