Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

referendum

(Encyclopedia)referendum, referral of proposed laws or constitutional amendments to the electorate for final approval. This direct form of legislation, along with the initiative, was known in Greece and other early...

Baron, Salo Wittmayer

(Encyclopedia)Baron, Salo Wittmayer säˈlō vĭtˈmīər bärônˈ [key], 1895–1989, Jewish historian and educator, b. Galicia. He was taken as a child to Vienna, where he later studied at the university, earnin...

Batlle Ibáñez, Jorge Luis

(Encyclopedia)Batlle Ibáñez, Jorge Luis, 1927–2016, Uruguayan political leader, lawyer, and journalist, president of Uruguay (2000–2005). He was a member of the Colorado party, founded by his great uncle, Jos...

circumcision

(Encyclopedia)circumcision sûrˌkəmsĭzhˈən [key], operation to remove the foreskin covering the glans of the penis. It dates back to prehistoric times and was widespread throughout the Middle East as a religio...

Bethe, Hans Albrecht

(Encyclopedia)Bethe, Hans Albrecht bāˈtə [key], 1906–2005, American physicist, b. Strassburg, Germany (now Strasbourg, France), educated at Frankfurt and Munich universities. Fleeing Nazi Germany in 1933, he c...

postal service

(Encyclopedia)postal service, arrangements made by a government for the transmission of letters, packages, and periodicals, and for related services. Early courier systems for government use were organized in the P...

legitimation

(Encyclopedia)legitimation, act of giving the status of legitimacy to a child whose parents were not married at the time the child was born. This is generally accomplished by the subsequent marriage of the parents....

yawl

(Encyclopedia)yawl, sailing vessel, usually fore-and-aft rigged, with a large mainmast forward. It carries a mainsail and jibs and a much smaller mizzenmast abaft the rudder post. In the United States yawls are in ...

Oxford sheep

(Encyclopedia)Oxford sheep, relatively large-bodied, hornless breed developed in England using crosses between Hampshire and Cotswold sheep. The breed was selected for size and productivity. It has not had widespre...

classical swine fever

(Encyclopedia)classical swine fever or hog cholera, acute, highly infectious viral disease of swine, historically perhaps the most serious disease of swine in North America. It is characterized by dullness and list...
 

Browse by Subject