Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Runyon, Damon

(Encyclopedia)Runyon, Damon (Alfred Damon Runyon), 1884–1946, American short story writer and journalist, b. Manhattan, Kans. He is best known for his humorous stories—written in a picturesque, slangy journalis...

Sandusky, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Sandusky səndŭsˈkē, săn– [key], industrial city (1990 pop. 26,764), seat of Erie co., N central Ohio, a port of entry on Sandusky Bay of Lake Erie; inc. 1824. Its natural harbor has coal-loadin...

archil

(Encyclopedia)archil ôrˈ– [key], blue, red, or purple dye extracted from several species of lichen, also called orchella weeds, found in various parts of the world. Commercial archil is either a powder (called ...

Pendleton

(Encyclopedia)Pendleton, city (1990 pop. 15,126), seat of Umatilla co., NE Oreg., on the Umatilla River, in the foothills of the Blue Mts.; founded 1869 on the old Oregon Trail, inc. 1889. A distribution and trade ...

Copenhagen ware

(Encyclopedia)Copenhagen ware, several types of pottery, both underglaze and overglaze, produced in Copenhagen since c.1760. At that time a Frenchman, Louis Fournier, made soft-paste chinaware in the French style. ...

Caño Cristales

(Encyclopedia)Caño Cristales, river, c.62 mi (100 km) long, central Colombia, rising in Serranía de la Macarena National Park and flowing SE to the Guayabero River. Also known as the “River of Five Colors” or...

waterleaf

(Encyclopedia)waterleaf, common name for the Hydrophyllaceae, a family of herbs and some shrubs, widely distributed but especially abundant in W and SW North America. Best known in the United States are the waterle...

Price, Sterling

(Encyclopedia)Price, Sterling, 1809–67, Confederate general in the American Civil War, b. Prince Edward co., Va. After moving to Missouri, he practiced law and entered politics. He served in Congress (1844–46),...

Ewing, William Maurice

(Encyclopedia)Ewing, William Maurice, 1906–74, American oceanographer and geologist, b. Lackney, Tex., grad. Rice Institute, now Rice Univ. (B.S., 1926; M.A., 1927; Ph.D., 1931). He taught physics and geology at ...

patina

(Encyclopedia)patina pătˈənə [key], coating of carbonate of copper on articles of copper or bronze, formed after long exposure to a moist atmosphere or burial in the earth. Although commonly green, patina varie...
 

Browse by Subject