| | - autotypist
- (from the article "word processing") The precursor of the modern word-processing system was developed in 1936. This device consisted of a kind of automatic typewriter, called an autotypist, that could store and reproduce simple documents. The autotypist used punched paper tape for its storage medium. In 1964 researchers at International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) produced ...
- autovalve lightning arrester
- (from the article "Slepian, Joseph") Slepian's work led to improvements in such electronic devices as lighting arresters, circuit breakers, high-voltage fuses, and rectifiers. He invented the autovalve lightning arrester, a device for the protection of large power-distribution systems, and he studied the effect of thunderstorms on electric-power transmission and distribution circuits. He proposed new theories ...
- autoxidation
- (from the article "ether") Autoxidation is the spontaneous oxidation of a compound in air. In the presence of oxygen, ethers slowly autoxidize to form hydroperoxides and dialkyl peroxides. If concentrated or heated, these peroxides may explode. To prevent such explosions, ethers should be obtained in small quantities, kept in tightly sealed containers, and used ...
- Autry, Gene
- American entertainer (b. Sept. 29, 1907, Tioga, Texas--d. Oct. 2, 1998, North Hollywood, Calif.), gained fame in motion pictures as the first American singing cowboy and used his earnings to amass a fortune in a business empire that comprised hotels, oil wells, broadcasting stations, a cattle ranch, a flying school, ... [2 Related Articles]
- autumn
- season of the year between summer and winter during which temperatures gradually decrease. It is often called fall in the United States because leaves fall from the trees at that time. Autumn is usually defined in the Northern Hemisphere as the period between the autumnal equinox (day and night equal ... [5 Related Articles]
- Autumn Harvest Uprising
- (from the article "Hunan") ...and Liu Shaoqi (Liu Shao-ch'i), chairman of the People's Republic (1959-68)-were from Hunan. Mao was largely responsible for encouraging the peasants and miners to make the abortive Autumn Harvest Uprising of 1927. He subsequently held the Communist forces together in the Ching-kang Mountains, where they withstood repeated attacks by the ...
- autumn ladies' tresses
- (from the article "ladies' tresses") ...have a spiral cluster of small whitish flowers borne at the top of a spike. Some species bloom in autumn, such as nodding ladies' tresses, or autumn tresses (S. cernua), in North America and autumn ladies' tresses (S. spiralis) in Europe. Slender ladies' tresses (S. gracilis) of North America has ...
- Autumn Statement
- (from the article "government budget") ...The U.K. budget consists of a number of different documents, with only limited attempts being made to relate one to another. A sketchy report of the government's intentions is given in an Autumn Statement, usually published in November, and detailed expenditure plans are provided in February or March in a ...
- autumnal equinox
- (from the article "harvest moon") the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox (about September 23). Near the time of the autumnal equinox, the angle of the moon's orbit relative to the Earth's horizon is at its minimum, causing the full moon to rise above the horizon much faster than usual. Since the difference of the ...
- Autun
- town, Saone-et-Loire departement, Bourgogne (Burgundy) region, central France, on the Arroux River, southwest of Dijon. Augustodunum (Autun) succeeded Bibracte as the Gallic oppidum (fortified town) and was an important Roman city renowned for its schools of rhetoric. Much of the Roman ... [1 Related Articles]
- Autun, Council of
- (from the article "Investiture Controversy") ...eventually banned completely the investiture of ecclesiastics by all laymen, including kings. The prohibition was first promulgated in September 1077 in France by the papal legate Hugh of Die at the Council of Autun. At a council in Rome in November 1078 Gregory himself announced that clerics were not to ...
- autunite
- phosphate mineral, hydrated calcium and uranium phosphate [Ca(UO2)2 (PO4)2·10-12H2O], that is an ore of uranium. It forms translucent to transparent, yellow to pale-green crystals, scaly masses, or crusts in hydrothermal veins and pegmatites, where it occurs as an alteration product of uraninite. It has been found in Cornwall, Eng.; Katanga, ...
- Auvera, Johann Wolfgang van der
- (from the article "Western sculpture") Until his death Johann Wolfgang van der Auvera was the most powerful personality in the field of sculpture in the area, but later Ferdinand Dietz at Bamberg pursued an increasingly individual Rococo style that often parodied the growing taste for Neoclassicism. Prussian Rococo sculpture was less distinguished, though the decorations ...
- Auvergne
- administrative region and historical region of France encompassing the central departements of Allier, Puy-de-Dome, Cantal, and Haute-Loire. Auvergne is bounded by the regions of Centre and Burgundy (Bourgogne) to the north, Rhone-Alpes to the east, Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrenees to the south, ... [4 Related Articles]
- Auwers, Arthur von
- German astronomer known for his star catalogs.
- aux deux crayons
- (from the article "chalk drawing") ...late Renaissance as a medium in its own right for finished drawings. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Peter Paul Rubens and other artists often combined black and white chalk, a technique known as aux deux crayons. As developed by Rococo artists such as Antoine Watteau and Francois Boucher, the ...
- aux trois crayons
- (from the article "chalk drawing") ...or pastels. The devices employed in the 18th century to achieve this subtlety of effect included the use of coloured paper; combining red, black, and white chalk (a technique known as aux trois crayons); and manipulating the medium to create an effect of mass rather than of line. In the ...
- Aux/IAA
- (from the article "Life Sciences") ...Leyser from the University of York, Eng., reported that auxin binds to a protein complex called SCFTIR1 and that, once bound, the complex acts to target a specific set of proteins, called Aux/IAAs, for degradation. Since Aux/IAA proteins normally repress the transcription of growth-related genes, auxin effectively induces transcription and ...
- Auxerre
- town, capital of Yonne departement, Bourgogne (Burgundy) region, central France, on the Yonne River. The town, which flourished in pre-Roman and Roman days, became the seat of a bishop and a civitas (provincial capital) in the 3rd century. It was united ...
- auxerrois
- (from the article "Alsace") ...has a rich, highly intensive agriculture characterized by small farms. This is particularly true of the vineyards that dominate the foothills of the Vosges. Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Sylvaner, Auxerrois, and Pinot Blanc are among the notable white wines produced. Colmar is the principal centre of the wine-growing region, whose vineyards extend ...
- auxiliary
- in grammar, a helping element, especially a verb or verbal, that adds meaning to the basic meaning of the main verb or verbal in a sentence or verbal phrase. Auxiliaries can convey information about tense, mood, person, and number. An auxiliary verb occurs with a main verb or verbal that ... [1 Related Articles]
- auxiliary condition
- (from the article "parabolic equation") ...the temperature at the ends of the rod is changing must also be known. These additional conditions are called initial values and boundary values, respectively, and together are sometimes called auxiliary conditions.
- auxiliary discharge converter
- (from the article "thermionic power converter") In an auxiliary discharge converter, an inert gas is used between the electrodes (e.g., neon, argon, or xenon). Positive ions are produced by applying voltage to a third electrode. The principal advantage of the auxiliary discharge converter-so called because of its spark-plug-type configuration-is that it can operate at a relatively ...
- auxiliary hypothesis
- (from the article "applied logic") ...are both true, regardless of what one may choose to put in place of q. But even when a stronger mode of implication is invoked, such as strict implication or its cognates, the problem of auxiliary hypotheses (soon to be explained) would still remain.
- auxiliary of negation
- (from the article "Uralic languages") Negative sentences in Early Uralic were indicated by means of a marker known as an auxiliary of negation, which preceded the main verb and was marked with suffixes that agreed with the subject and perhaps tense. This is best reflected in the Finnic, Samoyedic, and Yukaghir languages-e.g., Finnish mene-n 'I ...
- auxiliary sailboat
- (from the article "motorboat") ...types of small naval craft can also be regarded motorboats. Hydroplanes are motorboats built to skim over the surface with only a minimum of the hull in contact with the water at high speeds. An auxiliary sailboat is basically designed as a sailing craft but is powered with an internal-combustion ...
- auxiliary storage
- (from the article "computer memory") Auxiliary memory units are among computer peripheral equipment. They trade slower access rates for greater storage capacity and data stability. Auxiliary memory holds programs and data for future use, and, because it is nonvolatile (like ROM), it is used to store inactive programs and to archive data. Early forms of ...
- auxiliary supply ship
- (from the article "logistics") ...Ships must be repaired, overhauled, and resupplied with ammunition and food; and, an ancient requirement, the crews must be given shore leave. Within limits, these needs can be filled by specialized auxiliary ships either accompanying naval forces at sea or stationed at predetermined rendezvous points. Naval operations in World War ...
- auxiliary view
- (from the article "drafting") Figure 8 illustrates another basic principle of descriptive geometry that facilitates the discussion of auxiliary views:
- auxin
- any of a group of hormones that regulate plant growth, particularly by stimulating cell elongation in stems and inhibiting it in roots. For example, auxins influence the growth of stems toward light (phototropism) and against the force of gravity (geotropism). Auxins also play a role in cell division and differentiation, ... [12 Related Articles]
- auxochrome
- (from the article "dye") ...&singlehorzbond;C&doublehorzbond;O), which he called chromophores, and polar groups (e.g., &singlehorzbond;NH 2, &singlehorzbond;OH), which he named auxochromes. These ideas remain valid, although they have been broadened by better recognition of the role of specific structural features. He had also claimed that auxochromes impart dyeing...
- auxospore
- (from the article "algae") ...small diploid cells undergo meiosis, and among pennate (thin, elliptical) diatoms the resulting haploid gametes fuse into a zygote, which grows quite large and forms a special kind of cell called an auxospore. The auxospore divides, forming two large, vegetative cells, and in this manner the larger size is renewed. ...
- Auyuittuq National Park Reserve
- (from the article "Principal national parks of the world") ...church established missions early in the 20th century at many settlements, including Pangnirtung (Panniqtuuq), on the northern shore of the sound. Now primarily a trading post and gateway to Auyuittuq National Park Reserve (8,394 square miles [21,470 square km]), Pangnirtung has a medical centre and hospital, a weather and radio ...
- Av
- (from the article "Jewish calendar") ...are ordered according to religious usage and are: Nisan (Abib [March-April of the Western Gregorian calendar]), Iyyar (Ziv [April-May]), Sivan (May-June), Tammuz (June-July), Av (July-August), Elul (August-September), Tishri (Ethanim [September-October]), Heshvan, or Marheshvan (Bul [October-November]), Kislev...
place in Jewish religious yearJewish ...
- av bet din
- (from the article "sanhedrin") ...the Lishkat La-Gazit ("Chamber of the Hewn Stones") in the Jerusalem Temple and that was presided over by two officials (zugot, or "pair"), the nasi and the av bet din. It was a religious legislative body "whence the law [Halakha] goes out to all Israel." Politically, it could appoint the ...
- Ava
- ancient capital of central Myanmar (Burma), on the left bank of the Irrawaddy River at the Myitnge confluence. It is linked by a road and rail bridge, 5,894 feet (1,796 m) long, to the town of Sagaing; this is the only place where the Irrawaddy is bridged. Its name is ... [6 Related Articles]
- avacchedakata
- (from the article "Indian philosophy") A central concept in the Navya-Nyaya logical apparatus is that of "limiterness" (avacchedakata), which has many different uses. If a mountain possesses fire in one region and not in another, it can be said, in the Navya-Nyaya language, "The mountain, as limited by the region r, possesses fire, but as ...
- Avadana
- legendary material centring on the Buddha's explanations of events by a person's worthy deeds in a previous life. The Pali cognate of the term is Apadana. Avadana designates both the class of such stories scattered within the Vinaya Pitaka ("Basket of Discipline") and separate collections based upon them. Among the ... [1 Related Articles]
- avadavat
- (species Amandava, or Estrilda, amandava), plump, 8-centimetre- (3-inch-) long bird of the waxbill (q.v.) group (order Passeriformes), a popular cage bird. The avadavat is abundant in marshes and meadows of southern Asia (introduced in Hawaii). The male, in breeding plumage, is bright red with brown mottling and white speckling, hence ...
- Avadh
- (from the article "India") The biggest of these exercises concerned the Mughal successor state of Avadh in northern India, which had been in treaty relationship with the company since 1765. This rich state had fallen into disorder under the listless though cultured rule of Asaf al-Dawlah; on his death in 1797 a succession dispute ...
- avahi
- long-legged arboreal lemur of Madagascar. Avahis have short arms, a short muzzle, and a round head with small ears hidden in woolly fur. Nocturnal and vegetarian, they live in small groups in both rainforests and patches of dry forests, typically clinging vertically to the trees. Groups consist of a male, ...
- Avahi cleesei
- (from the article "avahi") ...avahi (A. unicolor) lacks these facial markings. An additional species from the Bemaraha district was described scientifically only in 2005 and was named A. cleesei after the British comedian and conservation supporter John Cleese. These three western species all have very small distributions and are in danger ...
- availability theory of credit
- (from the article "government economic policy") In the United States, a contributing factor in the revival of monetary policy was a theoretical reformulation that took place among monetary and banking experts. This was the so-called availability theory of credit; it held that monetary policy had its effect on spending not only directly through interest rates but ...
- avalanche
- a mass of material moving rapidly down a slope. An avalanche is typically triggered when material on a slope breaks loose from its surroundings; this material then quickly collects and carries additional material down the slope. There are various kinds of avalanches, including rock avalanches (which consist of large segments ... [5 Related Articles]
- avalanche effect
- in physics, a sudden increase in the flow of an electrical current through a nonconducting or semiconducting solid when a sufficiently strong electrical force is applied. The ability of most nonmetallic solids to carry an ordinary electrical current is limited by the scarcity of electrons free to move in the ...
- avalanche photodiode
- (from the article "telecommunications media") The two most common kinds of optoelectronic receivers for optical links are the positive-intrinsic-negative (PIN) photodiode and the avalanche photodiode (APD). These optical receivers extract the baseband signal from a modulated optical carrier signal by converting incident optical power into electric current. The PIN photodiode has low gain but very ...
- Avaloirs, Mont des
- (from the article "Armorican Massif") ...episode) of the Carboniferous Period (which occurred from 360 to 286 million years ago) have been largely worn down by erosion, and elevations rarely exceed 1,300 feet (400 m). The mountain of Avaloirs in Mayenne reaches an elevation of 1,368 feet (417 m) and is the highest point in the ...
- Avalokitesvara
- the bodhisattva ("Buddha-to-be") of infinite compassion and mercy, possibly the most popular of all Buddhist deities, beloved throughout the Buddhist world. He supremely exemplifies the bodhisattva's resolve to postpone his own Buddhahood until he has helped every being on earth achieve emancipation. [11 Related Articles]
- Avalon
- island to which Britain's legendary king Arthur was conveyed for the healing of his wounds after his final battle. It is first mentioned in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia regum Britanniae (c. 1136), while the same author's Vita Merlini (c. 1150) described it as "the island of apples ['Insula pomorum'], called ...
- Avalon Ballroom
- (from the article "San Francisco ballrooms") The Avalon Ballroom, the Fillmore Auditorium, Fillmore West, and Winterland: these four venues ushered in the modern era of rock show presentation and grew out of the hippie counterculture of San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district. The first multiband rock show was held at the Ark in Sausalito in 1965 and proved ...
- Avalon Peninsula
- peninsula in southeastern Newfoundland, Canada; it is joined to the main part of the island by a 4-mi- (6-km-) wide isthmus between Placentia and Trinity bays and extends for about 110 mi with a maximum width of 60 mi. Its high point is about 1,000 ft (300 m) on the ... [1 Related Articles]
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