Columbia Encyclopedia
Search results
500 results found
small arms
(Encyclopedia)small arms, firearms designed primarily to be carried and fired by one person and, generally, held in the hands, as distinguished from heavy arms, or artillery. Automatic small arms were develope...brittlestar
(Encyclopedia)brittlestar, common name for echinoderms belonging to the class Ophiuroidea. The name is derived from their habit of breaking off arms as a means of defense. New arms are easily regenerated. They are ...rifle
(Encyclopedia)rifle: see small arms.pistol
(Encyclopedia)pistol: see small arms.shotgun
(Encyclopedia)shotgun: see small arms.revolver
(Encyclopedia)revolver: see small arms.musket
(Encyclopedia)musket: see small arms.machine gun
(Encyclopedia)machine gun: see small arms.semaphore
(Encyclopedia) CE5 Positions of a railroad semaphore: (A) clear, (B) caution, (C) stop semaphore sĕmˈəfôrˌ [key], device for the visible transmission of messages. The marine semaphore, used by day between s...grenade
(Encyclopedia)grenade grĭnādˈ [key], small bomb either thrown by hand or shot from a modified rifle or a grenade launcher. It may be filled with gas or chemicals but more often holds an explosive charge that fra...Browse by Subject
- Earth and the Environment +-
- History +-
- Literature and the Arts +-
- Medicine +-
- People +-
- Philosophy and Religion +-
-
Places
+-
- Africa
- Asia
- Australia and Oceania
- Britain, Ireland, France, and the Low Countries
- Commonwealth of Independent States and the Baltic Nations
- Germany, Scandinavia, and Central Europe
- Latin America and the Caribbean
- Oceans, Continents, and Polar Regions
- Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and the Balkans
- United States, Canada, and Greenland
- Plants and Animals +-
- Science and Technology +-
- Social Sciences and the Law +-
- Sports and Everyday Life +-