Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Beulah

(Encyclopedia)Beulah byo͞oˈlə [key] [Heb.,=married, used of a woman], in the Bible, allegorical name for Israel. ...

Abishag

(Encyclopedia)Abishag ăbˈəshăg [key], in the Bible, Shunammite woman, David's attendant in his old age and the indirect cause of Adonijah's murder. ...

Moore, Mary Tyler

(Encyclopedia)Moore, Mary Tyler, 1936–2017, American actress, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. Although she began her career as a dancer, Moore's success blossomed with her roles on television, first in small parts on various s...

Jack the Ripper

(Encyclopedia)Jack the Ripper, name given to an unidentified late-19th-century murderer in London, England; also known as the Whitechapel Murderer and Leather Apron. From Aug. to Nov., 1888, he was responsible for ...

Behbahani, Simin

(Encyclopedia)Behbahani, Simin, 1927–2014, Iranian poet and political activist, b. Tehran as Siminbar Khalili. The daughter of intellectuals, she studied law at the Univ. of Tehran, then worked as a teacher of sc...

pseudocyesis

(Encyclopedia)pseudocyesis so͞oˌdōsīēˈsĭs [key], imaginary pregnancy in women usually resulting from a strong desire or need for motherhood. In the absence of conception, the menstrual periods nevertheless c...

conservatism

(Encyclopedia)conservatism, in politics, the desire to maintain, or conserve, the existing order. Conservatives value the wisdom of the past and are generally opposed to widespread reform. Modern political conserva...

Kelley, William Darrah

(Encyclopedia)Kelley, William Darrah dârˈə [key], 1814–90, American legislator, b. Philadelphia. He was admitted (1841) to the bar and served (1847–56) as judge of the court of common pleas for Philadelphia....

Dáil Éireann

(Encyclopedia)Dáil Éireann dôl āˈrôn, dīl ârˈən [key] [Irish,=diet of Ireland], the popular representative body of the Oireachtas, or National Parliament, of the Republic of Ireland. The second, smaller c...

Browse by Subject