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Sprague, Frank Julian
(Encyclopedia)Sprague, Frank Julian sprāg [key], 1857–1934, American electrical engineer, b. Milford, Conn., grad. Annapolis, 1878. He was an assistant to Thomas Edison in 1883 and independently created a superi...Ixion
(Encyclopedia)Ixion ĭkˈsēən [key], in Greek mythology, king of the Lapithes. Ixion murdered his father-in-law to avoid paying a price for his bride. When no one on earth would purify him, Zeus took Ixion to Oly...gyroscope
(Encyclopedia) CE5 Three-frame gyroscope gyroscope jīˈrəskōpˌ [key], symmetrical mass, usually a wheel, mounted so that it can spin about an axis in any direction. When spinning, the gyroscope has special p...rake
(Encyclopedia)rake, farm implement consisting of a row of straight or curved teeth of metal or wood attached to a bar or frame. It is used for gathering hay or grain into piles; for clearing fields, lawns, and yard...Patkul, Johann Reinhold von
(Encyclopedia)Patkul, Johann Reinhold von yōˈhän rīnˈhôlt fən pätˈko͝ol [key], 1660–1707, Livonian nobleman. He incurred the wrath of Charles XI of Sweden by championing the rights of the Livonian gentr...Heron of Alexandria
(Encyclopedia)Heron of Alexandria hērˈŏn [key] or Hero, mathematician and inventor. The dates of his birth and death are unknown; conjecture places them between the 2d cent. b.c. and the 3d cent. a.d. He is beli...roller skating
(Encyclopedia)roller skating, gliding on a hard, smooth, durable surface on skates with rollers or wheels, in recent years has become a popular adult sport. Skates mounted on wooden rollers date from the 1860s, and...seaplane
(Encyclopedia)seaplane, airplane designed to take off from and alight on water. The two most common types are the floatplane, whose fuselage is supported by struts attached to two or more pontoon floats, and the fl...Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth
(Encyclopedia)Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth ko͞oˈblər-rôsˈ [key], 1926–2004, American psychiatrist, b. Switzerland. After studying medicine at the Univ. of Zürich (M.D. 1957), Kübler-Ross became a pioneer in the...hurdy-gurdy
(Encyclopedia) CE5 Hurdy-gurdy hurdy-gurdy, musical instrument with three strings that are caused to vibrate by a wooden wheel turned by a crank. Stopping is accomplished by keys that usually affect only the str...Browse by Subject
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