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amethyst
(Encyclopedia)amethyst ămˈəthĭst [key] [Gr.,=non-drunkenness], variety of quartz, violet to purple in color, used as a gem. It is the most highly valued of the semiprecious quartzes. It is associated with a num...carnauba
(Encyclopedia)carnauba kärnôˈbə, –nouˈ– [key], wax obtained from the wax palm, or carnauba (Copernicia cerifera), of Brazil. It is secreted by the leaves, apparently in defense against the hot winds and dr...Rio de Janeiro, state, Brazil
(Encyclopedia)Rio de Janeiro rēˈō də zhänāˈrō, Port. rēˈo͝o ᵺĭ zhənĕēˈro͝o [key], state (1996 pop. 13,316,455), 16,568 sq mi (42,911 sq km), SE Brazil, on the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Rio d...Hilliard, Henry Washington
(Encyclopedia)Hilliard, Henry Washington hĭlˈyərd [key], 1808–92, American statesman and diplomat, b. Fayetteville, N.C. After teaching English literature (1831–34) at the Univ. of Alabama, he began to pract...Palmares
(Encyclopedia)Palmares or Quilombo dos Palmares, former autonomous community of villages comprised of fugitive African slaves and indigenous peoples, present-day Pernambuco and Alagoas states, NE Brazil. Its capita...Tiradentes
(Encyclopedia)Tiradentes tērəᵺĕnˈtəs [key], 1748–92, Brazilian patriot. His real name was José Joaquim da Silva Xavier. He gained his nickname, which means “tooth-puller,” working as a healer in his y...Cunha, Euclides da
(Encyclopedia)Cunha, Euclides da āˌo͝oklēˈdĭsh dä ko͞oˈnyə [key], 1866–1909, Brazilian writer. After his military service, Cunha became a civil engineer and a journalist. He wrote several historical wor...quinoa
(Encyclopedia)quinoa kēnwäˈ [key], tall annual herb (Chenopodium quinoa) of the family Chenopodiaceae (goosefoot family), whose seeds have provided a staple food for peoples of the higher Andes since pre-Columbi...Jarvis, Thomas Jordan
(Encyclopedia)Jarvis, Thomas Jordan, 1836–1915, governor of North Carolina (1879–85), b. Jarvisburg, Currituck co., N.C., grad. Randolph-Macon College (B.A., 1860; M.A., 1861). Wounded at Drewry's Bluff (1864) ...Peixoto, Floriano
(Encyclopedia)Peixoto, Floriano flōrēäˈnō pāshōˈtō [key], 1842–95, Brazilian marshal and statesman, president of Brazil (1891–94). He took part in the establishment of the republic and was chosen vice ...Browse by Subject
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