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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...

rifle

(Encyclopedia)rifle: see small arms.

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...

shooting

(Encyclopedia)shooting, firing with rifle, shotgun, pistol, or revolver at stationary or moving targets. The term shooting is also used in Great Britain to mean small-game hunting. In the 19th cent. the sport of ri...

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 ...

Oreopithecus

(Encyclopedia)Oreopithecus ôrˌēōpĭthˈəkəs, –pĭthēˈkəs [key], extinct genus of apes whose fossils have been found in E Africa and Italy. It is best known through specimens preserved in coal deposits. I...

evolution

(Encyclopedia) CE5 Plant and animal evolution [Modified from Alfred Gunderson in Brooklyn Botanic Garden Leaflets, Ser. 18, No. 4 (1930); used by permission.] evolution, concept that embodies the belief that ex...

galaxy

(Encyclopedia) CE5 Hubble classification of galaxies: Elliptical galaxies (E) are classified according to the degree of flattening of the ellipse. Spiral galaxies (S) and barred spiral galaxies (SB) are classifie...

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...

Simcoe, Lake

(Encyclopedia)Simcoe, Lake, 539 sq mi (1,396 sq km), S Ont., Canada, between Georgian Bay and Lake Ontario. Cook Bay, Kempenfelt Bay, and Lake Couchiching are arms of the lake. Lake Simcoe drains N through the Seve...
 

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