(Encyclopedia) flamingo, common name for a large pink or red wading bird, similar to the related heron, stork, and spoonbill but with a longer neck, webbed feet, and a unique down-bent bill.…
(Encyclopedia) Holstein, Friedrich vonHolstein, Friedrich vonfrēˈdrĭkh fən hôlˈshtīn [key], 1837–1909, German diplomat. After the Congress of Berlin (1878) he became a powerful figure in shaping…
(Encyclopedia) hydrogen sulfide, chemical compound, H2S, a colorless, extremely poisonous gas that has a very disagreeable odor, much like that of rotten eggs. It is slightly soluble in water and is…
(Encyclopedia) Leyner, Mark, 1956–, American writer, b. Jersey City, N.J. His hyperliterate postmodernist short stories, collected in I Smell Esther Williams (1983), My Cousin, My Gastroenterologist…
(Encyclopedia) Losey, JosephLosey, Josephlōˈzē [key], 1909–84, American film director, b. La Crosse, Wis. Among his Hollywood works, many of which dealt with social issues, are The Boy With Green…
(Encyclopedia) mannamannamănˈə [key], in the Bible, edible substance provided by God for the people of Israel in the wilderness. In the Book of Exodus it is compared to coriander seed and described…
(Encyclopedia) Ramathaim-zophimRamathaim-zophimrămˌəthāˈĭm-zōˈfĭm [key], in the Bible, birthplace of Samuel, usually called Ramah and later Ramathaim. It has been variously identified with Ramah (4…
(Encyclopedia) polybrominated biphenyl or PBB, any of a group of organic compounds used as a fire retardant. In 1973 several thousand pounds of PBB were accidentally mixed with livestock feed that…
(Encyclopedia) Pando, José ManuelPando, José Manuelhōsāˈ mänwĕlˈ pänˈdō [key], 1848?–1917, Bolivian statesman, president of Bolivia (1899–1904). He earned military fame in the War of the Pacific, and…
(Encyclopedia) Agre, Peter Courtland, 1949–, American molecular biologist, b. Northfield, Minn., M.D. Johns Hopkins, 1974. From 1981 to 2005, Agre taught at Johns Hopkins in the departments of…
