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Schwechat ... scorpionfly

Schwechat: town, Niederosterreich Bundesland (federal state), northeastern Austria. It lies on the west bank of the Danube River near the mouth of the Schwechat River, just southeast of Vienna. The site ...
Schwedt: city, Brandenburg Land (state), eastern Germany. It lies along the Westoder River, southwest of Szczecin (German: Stettin), Poland, about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Berlin. Mentioned ...
Schweigaard, A.M.: Norwegian jurist and economic reformer who helped bring about Norway's change to a capitalist economy.
Schweinfurt: city, Bavaria Land (state), central Germany. It lies along the canalized Main River, northeast of Wurzburg. First mentioned in 791, the city was the seat of a margrave in the ...
Schweinfurth, Georg August: German botanist and traveler who explored the region of the upper Nile River basin known as the Bahr al Ghazal and discovered the Uele River, a tributary of the Congo.
Schweitzer, Albert: Alsatian-German theologian, philosopher, organist, and mission doctor in equatorial Africa, who received the 1952 Nobel Prize for Peace for his efforts in behalf of "the Brotherhood of Nations."
Schwenckfeld, Kaspar: German theologian, writer, and preacher who led the Protestant Reformation in Silesia. He founded the movement called Reformation by the Middle Way, and he established societies that in the United ...
Schwerin: city, capital of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania Land (state), northern Germany. It lies on the southwestern shore of Schweriner Lake, southwest of Rostock. Originally a Wendish settlement first mentioned ...
Schwimmer, Rosika: Hungarian-born feminist and pacifist whose national and international activism brought her both persecution and worldwide accolades.
Schwind, Moritz von: Austrian-born German painter who was a leading early Romantic portrayer of an idealized Austria and Germany-of knights, castles, and the provincial charm of his own time.
Schwingen: (German: "swinging"), form of wrestling native to Switzerland and the Tirolese valleys. Wrestlers wear Schwinghosen (wrestling breeches) with strong belts on which holds are taken. Lifting and tripping are common, ...
Schwinger, Julian Seymour: American physicist and joint winner, with Richard P. Feynman and Tomonaga Shin'ichiro, of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1965 for his work in formulating quantum electrodynamics and thus reconciling ...
Schwitters, Kurt: German Dada artist and poet, best known for his collages and relief constructions.
Schwyz: capital of Schwyz canton, central Switzerland, at the foot of the Grosser Mythen (6,230 feet [1,899 m]), just east of Luzern and 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Brunnen, its ...
Schwyz: canton, central Switzerland, traversed by the valleys of the Muota and the Sihl. More than three-quarters of the canton is reckoned as productive (forests covering about 92 square miles [238 ...
Sciacca: town, Agrigento provincia, southern Sicily, Italy, northwest of Agrigento. On the site of the Roman Thermae Selinuntinae, it has been, from antiquity, a health resort with hot sulfur springs. The ...
Sciascia, Leonardo: Italian writer noted for his metaphysical examinations of political corruption and arbitrary power.
sciatic nerve: largest and thickest nerve of the human body that is the principal continuation of all the roots of the sacral plexus. It emerges from the spinal cord in the lumbar ...
sciatica: pain along the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down the legs. Sciatica often develops following an unusual movement or exertion that places a strain on the lumbar ...
Scicli: town, southeastern Sicily, Italy. It lies south of Ragusa city. Scicli flourished under the Saracens and Normans but later declined and was heavily damaged by the earthquake of 1693. It ...
Scidmore, Eliza Ruhamah: American travel writer and photographer whose books and magazine articles often featured her perspective on travel and culture in Asia. She is perhaps best known as the person responsible for ...
science: any system of knowledge that is concerned with the physical world and its phenomena and that entails unbiased observations and systematic experimentation. In general, a science involves a pursuit of ...
Science and Industry, Museum of: science museum established in Chicago, Ill., in 1926 by the philanthropist-founder Julius Rosenwald. He had seen the Deutsches Museum in Munich and wished to have a museum of the same ...
science fiction: a form of fiction that deals principally with the impact of actual or imagined science upon society or individuals. The term science fiction was popularized, if not invented, in the ...
Science Museum: museum that is the headquarters of Britain's National Museum of Science and Industry and is one of the greatest museums of science and technology in the world. It is located ...
science, history of: the history of science from its beginnings in prehistoric times to the 20th century.
Science, Museum of: major American museum of science and technology, founded in 1830 in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Boston Society of Natural History. The society moved to permanent quarters in 1864, when it ...
science, philosophy of: the study, from a philosophical perspective, of the elements of scientific inquiry and of their validity.
Sciences, Academy of: highest scientific society and principal coordinating body for research in natural and social sciences, technology, and production in Russia. The organization was established in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1724. Membership ...
Sciences, Academy of: French scientific society established in 1666 by Jean-Baptiste Colbert to formalize the periodic private meetings in Paris that began about 1662 among a group that included Rene Descartes, Blaise Pascal, ...
Scientific American: American monthly magazine interpreting scientific developments to lay readers, the most highly regarded of its genre. It was founded in New York City in 1845 by Rufus Porter, a New ...
scientific theory: systematic ideational structure of broad scope, conceived by the human imagination, that encompasses a family of empirical (experiential) laws regarding regularities existing in objects and events, both observed and posited. ...
Scientology: international movement that emerged in the 1950s in response to the thought of Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (b. March 13, 1911, Tilden, Nebraska, U.S., -d. January 24, 1986, San Luis ...
Scillitan Martyrs: 12 North African Christians from Scilla (or Scillium) in Numidia who were tried in Carthage under the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. The Acts of their martyrdom is the earliest authentic ...
Scilly, Isles of: group of about 50 small islands and many more islets lying southwest of Cornwall, England, 25-36 miles (40-58 km) off Land's End. Administratively, the islands are a distinct unit within ...
scimitar-babbler: any of about 12 species of songbirds of the babbler family Timaliidae (order Passeriformes), which have long, curved bills used for uncovering insects in ground litter. Scimitar-babblers are 18 to ...
scintillation counter: radiation detector that is triggered by a flash of light (or scintillation) produced when ionizing radiation traverses certain solid or liquid substances (phosphors), among which are thallium-activated sodium iodide, zinc ...
Scioto River: river rising in Auglaize county, west-central Ohio, U.S., and flowing southeast and past Columbus, Circleville, and Chillicothe, joining the Ohio River at Portsmouth after a course of 237 miles (381 ...
Scipio Africanus the Elder: Roman general noted for his victory over the Carthaginian leader Hannibal in the great Battle of Zama (202 BC), ending the Second Punic War. For his victory he won the ...
Scipio Africanus The Younger: Roman general famed both for his exploits during the Third Punic War (149-146 BC) and for his subjugation of Spain (134-133 BC). He received the name Africanus and a "triumph" ...
Scipio, Publius Cornelius: Roman general, consul in 218 BC and later proconsul, during the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage.
Scirophoria: in Greek religion, annual Athenian festival held at threshing time on the 12th of Skirophorion (roughly, June/July). Under the cover of a large white umbrella, which symbolized the protection of ...
scissors: cutting instrument consisting of a pair of opposed metal blades that meet and cut when the handles at their ends are brought together. The term shears sometimes denotes large-size scissors. ...
scissors chair: chair supported by two crossed and curved supports either at the sides or at the back and front. Because of its basic simplicity, it is one of the oldest forms ...
sclerenchyma: any of various kinds of hard, woody cells that serve the function of support in plants. Mature sclerenchyma cells are dead cells that have heavily thickened walls containing lignin. Such ...
scleritis: inflammation of the sclera, the white of the eye. The inflammation is of unknown cause but is thought to arise from infection, rheumatoid disease, gout, or disorders of menstruation. It ...
scleroderma: a chronic disease of the skin that also can affect the blood vessels and various internal organs. Scleroderma is characterized by excessive deposition of collagen-the principal supportive protein of the ...
sclerophyll: type of vegetation characterized by hard, leathery, evergreen foliage that is specially adapted to prevent moisture loss. Broad-leaved sclerophyll vegetation, including species such as holly (Ilex), is known as Mediterranean ...
scleroprotein: any of several fibrous proteins of cells and tissues once thought to be insoluble but now known to be dissolved by dilute solutions of acids such as citric and acetic.
sclerotin: a dark-brown biological pigment formed by an enzyme-catalyzed tanning of protein. Sclerotin is found in the cuticle (external covering) and egg cases of insects, the body shell (carapace) of certain ...
sclerotium: a persistent, vegetative, resting spore of certain fungi (e.g., Botrytis, Sclerotium). It consists of a hard, dense, compact mycelium (mass of filaments that make up the body of a typical ...
Scofield, Paul: English actor noted for his powerful performances in Shakespearean and other stage roles.
scolecite: mineral closely related to natrolite (q.v.), a member of the zeolite family.
scoliosis: lateral deviation of the spine. Scoliosis is a type of spinal curvature (q.v.).
sconce: wooden or metal bracket affixed to a wall and designed to hold candles, lamps, or other types of illumination. One of the earliest forms of lighting fixtures for domestic and ...
scone: quick bread of British origin and worldwide fame, made with leavened barley flour or oatmeal that is rolled into a round shape and cut into quarters before baking on a ...
Scone: town, eastern New South Wales, Australia, in the upper Hunter River valley. Gazetted in 1837 as the village of Invermein, it was renamed for Scone, Scot., and was proclaimed a ...
Scone: village, Perth and Kinross council area, historic county of Perthshire, Scotland. It lies near the River Tay just north of Perth. Old Scone was traditionally the capital of a Pictish ...
Scone, Stone of: stone that for centuries was associated with the crowning of Scottish kings and then, in 1296, was taken to England and later placed under the Coronation Chair. The stone, weighing ...
scop: an Anglo-Saxon minstrel, usually attached to a particular royal court, although scops also traveled to various courts to recite their poetry. In addition to being an entertainer who composed and ...
Scopas: Greek sculptor and architect of the late classical period who was ranked by ancient writers with Praxiteles and Lysippus as one of the three major sculptors of the second half ...
Scopes Trial: (July 10-21, 1925, Dayton, Tennessee, U.S.), highly publicized trial (known as the "Monkey Trial") of a Dayton, Tennessee, high-school teacher, John T. Scopes, charged with violating state law by teaching ...
scopolamine: alkaloid drug obtained from a number of plants of the family Solenaceae, including nightshade, henbane, and jimsonweed. Scopolamine is an effective remedy for motion sickness, probably because of its ability ...
scops owl: any Old World owl of the genus Otus, differentiated from the New World species, which are called screech owls. See screech owl.
scorch: symptom of plant disease in which tissue is "burned" because of unfavourable conditions or infection by bacteria or fungi. Unfavourable conditions include hot, dry wind in full sun, an imbalance ...
Scordisci: Celtic tribe that invaded Greece during the first part of the 3rd century BC, finally settling east of Sirmium at the junction of the Savus and the Danube rivers. They ...
score: notation, in manuscript or printed form, of a musical work, probably so called from the vertical scoring lines that connect successive related staves. A score may contain the single part ...
Scorel, Jan van: Dutch Humanist, architect, engineer, and painter who established the painting style of the Italian Renaissance in Holland, just as his teacher Jan Gossaert did in Brussels.
Scoresby Sund: deep inlet of the Greenland Sea, which gives its name to the town of Scoresbysund. Scoresby Sund penetrates eastern Greenland for 70 mi (110 km). Numerous fjords (the longest 130 ...
Scoresby, William: English explorer, scientist, and clergyman who pioneered in the scientific study of the Arctic and contributed to the knowledge of terrestrial magnetism.
scoria: heavy, dark-coloured, glassy, pyroclastic igneous rock that contains many vesicles (bubblelike cavities). Foamlike scoria, in which the bubbles are very thin shells of solidified basaltic magma, occurs as a product ...
scorodite: mineral in the variscite group, hydrated iron arsenate (FeAsO₄·2H₂O). It forms pale leek-green or grayish green to liver-brown aggregates of crystals, or pale green to pale grayish or brownish green ...
scorpaeniform: any member of the order Scorpaeniformes, a group of bony fishes that includes the sea robins, sculpins, and numerous other forms. They are characterized by a plate of bone running ...
scorpion: any of 1,400 elongated arachnid species characterized by a segmented curved tail tipped with a venomous stinger at the rear of the body and a pair of grasping pincers at ...
scorpion fish: any of the numerous bottom-living marine fish of the family Scorpaenidae, especially those of the genus Scorpaena, widely distributed in temperate and tropical waters. Sometimes also called rockfish, or stonefish, ...
scorpionfly: (order Mecoptera), any of several species of insects characterized by chewing mouthparts at the tip of an elongated beak; long, many-segmented, threadlike antennae; and two pairs of membranous, net-veined wings ...