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Ribot, Théodule
(Encyclopedia)Ribot, Théodule rēbōˈ [key], 1839–1916, French psychologist. He was professor of experimental psychology at the Sorbonne and later at the Collège de France. His many works include Heredity: A P...pun
(Encyclopedia)pun, use of words, usually humorous, based on (a) the several meanings of one word, (b) a similarity of meaning between words that are pronounced the same, or (c) the difference in meanings between tw...Oberlin College
(Encyclopedia)Oberlin College, at Oberlin, Ohio; coeducational; opened 1833 as Oberlin Collegiate Institute, became Oberlin College in 1850. It includes a college of arts and sciences and a well-known conservatory ...figure
(Encyclopedia)figure, in music, short melodic or rhythmic pattern, the smallest grouping of notes that will produce a single distinct impression. In this sense figure is synonymous with motive. In music before the ...blackjack
(Encyclopedia)blackjack, one of the world's most widely played gambling card games; also known as twenty-one or vingt-et-un. Despite contesting claims between the French and Italians, its origins are unknown. Each ...Torbay
(Encyclopedia)Torbay, borough and unitary authority (1991 pop. 54,430), SW England. The borough comprises the towns of Torquay, Paignton, and Brixham. On Tor Bay is a noted tourist resort area, known as the “Engl...Moore's Law
(Encyclopedia)Moore's Law, a projection of semiconductor manufacturing trends made by Gordon E. Moore, cofounder of the Intel Corp., in a 1965 magazine article. He observed that the number of transistors per square...melting point
(Encyclopedia)melting point, temperature at which a substance changes its state from solid to liquid. Under standard atmospheric pressure different pure crystalline solids will each melt at a different specific tem...artesian well
(Encyclopedia)artesian well, deep drilled well through which water is forced upward under pressure. The water in an artesian well flows from an aquifer, which is a layer of very porous rock or sediment, usually san...hostage
(Encyclopedia)hostage, person held by another as a guarantee that certain actions or promises will or will not be carried out. During periods of internal turmoil, insurgents often seize hostages; recent examples in...Browse by Subject
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