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spell

(Encyclopedia)spell, word, formula, or incantation believed to have magical powers. The spell can be used for evil or good ends; if evil, it is a technique of sorcery. Many authorities believe that the spell was th...

mombin

(Encyclopedia)mombin mōmˈbēn [key], any tree of the tropical genus Spondias of the family Anacardiaceae (sumac family). The plum-shaped fruits, 1 to 2.5 in. (2.54–6.38 cm) long, are much eaten in the tropics. ...

multinational corporation

(Encyclopedia)multinational corporation, business enterprise with manufacturing, sales, or service subsidiaries in one or more foreign countries, also known as a transnational or international corporation. These co...

nastic movement

(Encyclopedia)nastic movement, in botany, the movement of plant parts in response either to certain external stimuli or to internal growth stimuli. Nastic movements, which are generally slow, can be observed by tim...

raft

(Encyclopedia)raft, floating platform of wood, cork, or air-inflated rubber for conveying goods or people. Originally, several logs, bound together by vines, strips of animal skin, and later rope, formed a flat sur...

chantey

(Encyclopedia)chantey or shanty both: shănˈtē [key], work song with marked rhythm, particularly one sung by a group of sailors while hoisting sail or anchor or pushing the capstan. Often it has solo stanzas sung...

pageant

(Encyclopedia)pageant, modern dramatic spectacle or procession celebrating a special occasion or an event in the history of a locality. In medieval times the word pageant had meant the wagon or the movable stage on...

flat foot

(Encyclopedia)flat foot, condition of the human foot in which the entire sole rests on the ground when the person is standing. When the foot muscles are weakened or the ligaments are strained and stretched, the arc...

forgery, in criminal law

(Encyclopedia)forgery, in criminal law, willful fabrication or alteration of a written document with the intent to injure the interests of another in a fraudulent manner. The crime may be committed even though the ...

Hitchcock, Lambert

(Encyclopedia)Hitchcock, Lambert, 1795–1852, American chairmaker, b. Cheshire, Conn. In 1818 in Barkhamsted, Conn., Hitchcock established a factory whose employees came to number about 100. The village that the f...