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Christmasberry

(Encyclopedia)Christmasberry or toyon tōˈyən [key], evergreen tree or shrub (Photinia arbutifolia) of the family Rosaceae (rose family), found on the Pacific coast of North America. Its white flowers are followe...

Laughton, Charles

(Encyclopedia)Laughton, Charles, 1899–1962, Anglo-American actor, b. Scarborough, England. A large, versatile character actor, Laughton was successful both in films and on the stage. In The Private Life of Henry ...

Elks, Benevolent and Protective Order of

(Encyclopedia)Elks, Benevolent and Protective Order of, fraternal and charitable society founded (1868) in New York City. Through the Elks National Foundation, located in Chicago, the group carries on a broad-rangi...

Monument Valley

(Encyclopedia)Monument Valley, scenic arid region, c.2,000 sq mi (5,000 sq km), SE Utah and NE Ariz. Located in the Navajo Indian Reservation, Monument Valley is not a true valley but an area of monolithlike buttes...

teff

(Encyclopedia)teff, annual plant, Eragrostis tef, of the grass family (Poaceoe), whose seeds are a staple grain in Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is a gluten-free cereal grain, high in iron, protein, calcium, vitamin C, ...

wallflower

(Encyclopedia)wallflower, Mediterranean perennial (Cheiranthus cheiri) of the family Cruciferae (or Brassicaceae; mustard family), particularly popular in Europe, where it flourishes on old walls. An old-fashioned ...

waxwing

(Encyclopedia)waxwing, any of three species of perching songbirds of the Northern Hemisphere. Waxwings have crests (raised only in alarm) and sleek brownish-gray plumage with flecks of red pigment resembling sealin...

vireo

(Encyclopedia)vireo, small, migratory songbird of the New World. Some species nest in the United States, but the majority are tropical. Vireos (also called greenlets) range from 4 to 6 1/2 in. (10.2–16.5 cm) in l...

Vittorini, Elio

(Encyclopedia)Vittorini, Elio ĕˈlyō vēt-tōrēˈnē [key], 1908–66, Italian novelist, b. Syracuse, Sicily. Between 1934 and 1941 Vittorini translated the works of D. H. Lawrence, Poe, Faulkner, Hemingway, T. ...

bearberry

(Encyclopedia)bearberry, any plant of the northern and alpine genus Arctostaphylos of the family Ericaceae (heath family), especially A. uvaursi, a trailing evergreen sometimes cultivated as a ground cover. The sma...
 

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