Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

336 results found

Masai

(Encyclopedia)Masai or Maasai mäsīˈ [key], a largely nomadic pastoral people of E Africa, chiefly in Kenya and Tanzania. Cattle and sheep form the basis of the economy that they have maintained in resistance to ...

ammonium nitrate

(Encyclopedia)ammonium nitrate, chemical compound, NH4NO3, that exists as colorless, rhombohedral crystals at room temperature but changes to monoclinic crystals when heated above 32℃. It is extremely soluble in ...

Fela

(Encyclopedia)Fela (Fela Anikulapo Kuti), 1938–97, Nigerian musician and political activist, b. Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, studied Trinity College of Music, London. He was the originator of Afrobeat,...

Soddy, Frederick

(Encyclopedia)Soddy, Frederick sŏdˈē [key], 1877–1956, English chemist. He worked under Lord Rutherford at McGill Univ. and with Sir William Ramsay at the Univ. of London. After serving (1910–14) as lecturer...

alanine

(Encyclopedia)CE5 alanine ălˈənēnˌ [key], organic compound, one of the 20 amino acids commonly found in animal proteins. Only the l-stereoisomer participates in the biosynthesis of proteins (see stereochemi...

alloy

(Encyclopedia)alloy ălˈoi, əloiˈ [key] [O. Fr.,=combine], substance with metallic properties that consists of a metal fused with one or more metals or nonmetals. Alloys may be a homogeneous solid solution, a he...

acid anhydride

(Encyclopedia)acid anhydride ănhīˈdrīd, –drəd [key], chemical compound that reacts with water to form an acid (see acids and bases). Anhydrides of inorganic acids are usually oxides of nonmetallic elements. ...

mercurous chloride

(Encyclopedia)mercurous chloride, mercury (I) chloride, or calomel, chemical compound, Hg2Cl2, a white crystalline powder, very slightly soluble in water. It was once used medicinally as a purgative, cathartic, li...

saccharin

(Encyclopedia)saccharin săkˈərĭn [key], C7H5NSO3, white, crystalline, aromatic compound. It was discovered accidentally by I. Remsen and C. Fahlberg in 1879. Pure saccharin tastes several hundred times as sweet...

Pyinmana

(Encyclopedia)Pyinmana pyĭnˈmänäˌ [key], town and township (1983 pop. 52,962), Naypyidaw union territory, S central Myanmar, 55 mi (89 km) NNW of Toungoo. Pyinmana is located on the Yangon–Mandalay railroad ...