Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers, law enforcement body, part of the Texas department of public safety.
21st Century Webster's Family Encyclopedia - Texas Rangers to Tranquilizer
Textile
Textile, fabric made from natural or synthetic fibers, whether knitted, woven, bonded, or felted.
William Makepeace Thackeray
Thackeray, William Makepeace (1811–63), English novelist, essayist, and illustrator.
Thailand
Thailand, Kingdom of Thailand, formerly Siam, constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia. Thailand is bordered by Myanmar (Burma) to the west and northwest, Laos in the north and east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Malaysia and the Gulf of Siam to the south. The capital is Bangkok. Thailand takes up an area of 198,115 sq mi (513,115 sq km) and is divisible into 3 main areas. The principle region i…
Thalassemia
Thalassemia, inherited blood disorder in which hemoglobin is not adequately produced.
Thales
Thales (625?–546? B.C.), first known Greek philosopher.
Thalidomide
Thalidomide, mild sedative introduced in the late 1950s and withdrawn a few years later when it was found to be responsible for congenital deformities in children born to mothers who took the drug.
Thallium
Thallium, chemical element, symbol Tl; for physical constants see Periodic Table.
Thames River
Thames River, England's chief waterway, winding east from the Cotswolds to its North Sea estuary.
Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving Day, since 1863, an annual U.S. national holiday to give thanks for blessings received during the year.
U Thant
Thant, U (1909–74), Burmese diplomat, United Nations secretary-general (1961–71).
Thar Desert
Thar Desert, also called the Indian Desert, located in northwest India and eastern Pakistan.
Twyla Tharp
Tharp, Twyla (1941– ), U.S. choreographer and dancer.
Margaret Hilda Thatcher
Thatcher, Margaret Hilda (1925– ), English prime minister(1979–90).She entered Parliament in 1959 and served (1970–74) as secretary of state for education and science.
Sylvanus Thayer
Thayer, Sylvanus (1785–1872), U.S.
Theater
The Roman plays of Plautus, Terence, and Seneca were influenced by Greek theater. However, mime and pantomime were the popular theatrical forms in the Roman Empire. After the fall of the Empire, theater was banned by the Church until the 9th century. Medieval drama evolved from musical elaborations of the church service. Eventually these developed into mystery plays and were moved outdoors onto pl…
Theater of the Absurd
Theater of the Absurd, term to describe plays in which traditional values are unable to fulfill emotional and spiritual needs.
Thebes
Thebes, ancient Greek city located on same site as the modern-day Greek city of Thivai.
Thebes
Thebes, southern city in ancient Egypt, located on the Nile River; present-day city of Luxor.
Theism
Theism, philosophical system, as distinguished from deism and pantheism, that professes the existence of a personal, transcendent God who created, preserves, and governs the world.
Themistocles
Themistocles (514?–449? B.C.), incient Greek politician and military strategist of Athens.
Theocracy
Theocracy, government in which power and authority are seen as derived directly from God and rulers are considered either incarnations or representative of divine power.
Theocritus
Theocritus (c.3rd century B.C.), poet of ancient Greece.
Theodoric
Theodoric (A.D. 455?–526), conqueror of Italy, king of Ostrogoths.
Theodosius I
Theodosius I (A.D. 346–395), emperor of Rome.
Theology
Theology, science of religious knowledge; the formal analysis of what is believed by adherents of a religion, making its doctrine coherent, elucidating it logically, and relating it to secular disciplines. Most religions have no well-developed theology. The concept arose in Greek, but its elaboration took place only in Christianity. The early Church Fathers and Doctors formulated doctrine in conte…
Axel HugoTeodor Theorell
Theorell, Axel HugoTeodor (1903–82), Swedish biochemist awarded the 1955 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine for his studies of enzyme action, specifically the roles of enzymes in biological oxidation and reduction processes.
Theorem
Theorem See: Geometry; Pythagorean theorem.
Theosophy
Theosophy (Greek, “divine wisdom”), mystical system of religious philosophy claiming direct insight into the divine nature.
Domenikos Theotokopoulos
Theotokopoulos, Domenikos See: Greco, El.
Therapy
Therapy See: Occupational therapy; Physical therapy; Psychotherapy.
Saint Theresa
Theresa, Saint See: Teresa.
Thermal pollution
Thermal pollution, ecologically harmful warming of rivers, lakes, or oceans.
Thermal springs
Thermal springs See: Hot springs.
Thermocouple
Thermocouple, electric circuit involving two junctions between different metals, or semiconductors.
Thermodynamics
Thermodynamics, division of physics concerned with the interconversion of heat, work, and other forms of energy, and with the states of physical systems. Classical thermodynamics is basic to engineering, parts of geology, metallurgy, and physical chemistry. Building on earlier studies of temperature and heat, Sadi Carnot pioneered the science with his investigations of the cyclic heat engine (1824…
Thermography
Thermography, method to measure the slightest variations in temperature of soft tissue in the body using infrared heat sensors.
Thermometer
Thermometer, instrument for measuring the temperature of a substance or object.
Thermopylae
Thermopylae (Greek, “hot gates”), narrow mountain pass that in ancient Greece led from the north to the south.
Thermosphere
Thermosphere, outermost layer of the earth's atmosphere, at altitudes between approximately 53 mi (85 km) and 300 mi (480 km).
Thermostat
Thermostat, device for maintaining a material or enclosure at a constant temperature by automatically regulating its heat supply, which is cut off if the temperature exceeds and reconnected if it falls below that required.
Theropod
Theropod See: Dinosaur.
Theseus
Theseus, in Greek mythology, son of King Aegeus and princess Aethra, renowned for his heroism.
Thespis
Thespis (c. 6th century B.C.), ancient Greek actor.
Epistles to the Thessalonians
Thessalonians, Epistles to the, books 13 and 14 of the New Testament Bible.
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki See: Salonika.
Thessaly
Thessaly, northeast region of Greece in which Mount Olympus of ancient Greek legend is located.
Thiamine
Thiamine See: Vitamin.
Jacques A.F Thibault
Thibault, Jacques A.F See: France, Anatole.
Louis Adolphe Thiers
Thiers, Louis Adolphe (1797–1877), French author and diplomat.
Nguyen Van Thieu
Thieu, Nguyen Van (1923– ), president of South Vietnam (1967–75).
Thiopental
Thiopental, drug used in general anesthesia.
Third International
Third International See: International, The.
Third Reich
Third Reich See: Germany; Reich.
Third World
Third World, term often applied to the nonaligned (and mostly developing) nations of Africa, Latin America, and Asia as opposed to Western and Eastern (Communist) countries.
Thirty-Nine Articles
Thirty-Nine Articles, doctrine issued by the Church of England to bridge the gap between Roman Catholic and Protestant Reformation groups in 16th-century England.
Thirty Tyrants
Thirty Tyrants, or The Thirty, term used to identify the group of Athenians who ruled Athens after it fell to Sparta (404 B.C.).
Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War, series of European wars (1618–48). Partly a Catholic-Protestant religious conflict, they were also a political and territorial struggle by different European powers, particularly France, against its greatest rivals, the Habsburgs, rulers of the Holy Roman Empire. War began when Bohemian Protestants accused 2 government ministrers of wrongdoing and threw them out a …
Thistle
Thistle, common name for many prickly, herbaceous plants (family Compositae).
Saint Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, Saint See: Aquinas, Saint Thomas.
Thomas à Becket
Thomas à Becket See: Becket, Saint Thomas à.
Dylan Thomas
Thomas, Dylan (1914–53), Welsh poet who first achieved recognition with Eighteen Poems (1934).
George Henry Thomas
Thomas, George Henry (1816–70), U.S.
Isaiah Thomas
Thomas, Isaiah (1749–1831), U.S. printer and publisher.
Thomas à Kempis
Thomas à Kempis (Thomas Hermerken von Kempen; 1380–1471), German religious writer and Augustinian friar at Zwolle in the Netherlands.
Martha Carey Thomas
Thomas, Martha Carey (1857–1935), U.S. leader in higher education and women's suffrage movement.
Norman Mattoon Thomas
Thomas, Norman Mattoon (1884–1968), U.S. socialist leader who ran six times (1928, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944, 1948) for the presidency of the United States as a Socialist Party candidate.
Saint Thomas
Thomas, Saint, one of the 12 apostles, known as “Doubting Thomas” because he would not believe Jesus' resurrection until he put his fingers in Jesus' wounds.
Sir John Sparrow David Thompson
Thompson, Sir John Sparrow David (1844–94), Canadian diplomat and prime minister (1892–94).
Charles Thomson
Thomson, Charles (1729–1824), signer of the Declaration of Independence and secretary of the Continental Congress throughout its existence (1774–89).
Sir Joseph John Thomson
Thomson, Sir Joseph John (1856–1940), British physicist.
Virgil Thomson
Thomson, Virgil (1896–1989), U.S. composer and music critic.
Thor
Thor, in Norse mythology, god of thunder.
Henry David Thoreau
Thoreau, Henry David (1817–62), U.S. writer, naturalist, and abolitionist.
Thorium
Thorium, chemical element, symbol Th; for physical constants see Periodic Table.
Thorn apple
Thorn apple See: Jimsonweed.
Edward Lee Thorndike
Thorndike, Edward Lee (1874–1949), U.S. psychologist best known for devising tests to measure intelligence, learning, and aptitude.
Matthew Thornton
Thornton, Matthew (1714?–1803), signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Jim Thorpe
Thorpe, Jim (James Francis Thorpe; 1888–1953), U.S. athlete.
Thoth
Thoth, Greek name for Djhowtey, an ancient Egyptian moon god who became associated with civilization, learning, and healing.
Thothmes III
Thothmes III See: Thutmose III.
Thousand Islands
Thousand Islands, group of over 1,500 islands—some Canadian, some U.S.—in the St.
Thousand and One Nights
Thousand and One Nights See: Arabian Nights.
Thrace
Thrace, ancient region in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula, southeastern Europe, bordering the Black and Aegean seas.
Thrasher
Thrasher, any of 17 U.S. bird species belonging to the mockingbird family.
Three Mile Island
Three Mile Island, site in the Susquehanna River, near Middletown, Penn., of a nuclear reactor that, on March 28, 1979, began to emit “puffs” of radiation as a result of malfunction of the cooling system, aggravated by problems with the computer monitors and some human error.
Three-mile limit
Three-mile limit See: Territorial waters.
Three Wise Men
Three Wise Men See: Magi.
Thrombosis
Thrombosis, formation of a clot (thrombus) in the heart or blood vessels.
Thrush
Thrush, name for a family (Turdidae) of slender-billed songbirds found in most parts of the world.
Thrush
Thrush, infection due to the fungus Candida albicans.
Thucydides
Thucydides (460?–400 B.C.), historian of ancient Greece.
Thugs
Thugs, members of an Indian religious sect (13th–19th centuries) who murdered and robbed to honor the goddess Kali.
Thulium
Thulium, chemical element, symbol Tm; for physical constants see Periodic Table.
Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay (pop. 112,300), city in Ontario, Canada, on the northwestern shore of Lake Superior.
James Thurber
Thurber, James (1894–1961), U.S. humorist and cartoonist.
(James) Strom Thurmond
Thurmond, (James) Strom (1902– ), U.S. political leader, senator from South Carolina since 1954.
or Thothmes Thutmose III III
Thutmose III, or Thothmes III (d.1450 B.C.), king (c.1490–36 B.C.) of ancient Egypt.
Thyme
Thyme, pungent, aromatic herb (genus Thymus) of the mint family.
Thymus
Thymus, lymphoid organ situated in humans in the chest cavity, behind the breastbone, and extending into the neck.
Thyroid gland
Thyroid gland, ductless two-lobed endocrine gland lying in front of the trachea in the neck.
Tian Shan
Tian Shan, or Tien Shan, major mountain system of central Asia.
Tianjin
Tianjin, or Tientsin (pop. 5,770,000), international port city on the Hai River in northeastern China.
Tiber River
Tiber River, river in central Italy, flowing 252 mi (405.5 km) from the Appenines south through Umbria and Latium and southwest through Rome to the Tyrrhenian Sea near Ostia.
Lake Tiberias
Tiberias, Lake See: Galilee, Sea of.
Tiberius
Tiberius (Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus; 42 B.C.–A.D. 37), Roman emperor, successor of his stepfather, Augustus, upon his death in A.D. 14.
Tibet
Tibet, autonomous region of China in central Asia, bordering Myanmar (Burma), India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim. The capital is Lhasa. Tibet's area is 471,662 sq mi (1,221,600 sq km), and the region averages 15,000 ft (4,570 m) in altitude. Tibet is often called the “Roof of the World.” The tallest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest (29,028 ft/8,848 m above sea level), is in th…
Tick
Tick, name for a group of parasitic arthropods (order Acarina).
Tickseed
Tickseed See: Coreopsis.
Ticonderoga
Ticonderoga, village in northeast New York, near Lake George, site of Fort Ticonderoga, which commanded the route between Canada and the Hudson River valley.
Tide
Tide, periodic rise and fall of land and water on the earth. Tidal motions are primarily exhibited by water: the motion of the land is barely detectable. As the earth-moon system rotates about its center of gravity, which is within the earth, the earth bulges in the direction of the moon, as well as in exactly the opposite direction owing to the moon's gravitational attraction and the centr…
Tien Shan
Tien Shan See: Tian Shan.
Tientsiu
Tientsiu See: Tianjin.
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Tiepolo, Giovanni Battista (1696–1770), most renowned Venetian painter of his time, a capable craftsman, decorator, and artist of vivid, large murals.
Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego (Spanish, “Land of Fire”), several small islands (28,476 sq mi/73,753 sq km) separated from the southern coast of South America by the Strait of Magellan.
Charles Lewis Tiffany
Tiffany, Charles Lewis (1812–1902), U.S. jeweler and retailer.
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Tiffany, Louis Comfort (1848–1933), U.S. artist and designer, a leader of Art Nouveau; son of jeweler Charles Tiffany.
Tiflis
Tiflis See: Tbilisi.
Tiger
Tiger (Panthera tigris), major cat of Asia with distinct races in different parts of that continent.
Tiger lily
Tiger lily (Lilium tigrinum), plant of the lily family originating in eastern Asia and grown widely as a garden flower.
Tiglath-pileser
Tiglath-pileser, rulers of ancient Assyria.
Tigris River
Tigris River, easternmost of the two great rivers of ancient Mesopotamia.
Tijuana
Tijuana (pop. 742,700), city in Mexico, near the U.S. border.
Nikolai Aleksandrovich Tikhonov
Tikhonov, Nikolai Aleksandrovich (1905– ), soviet premier (1980–85).
Bill Tilden
Tilden, Bill (William Tatem Tilden, Jr.; 1893–1953), U.S. tennis player.
Samuel Jones Tilden
Tilden, Samuel Jones (1814–86), U.S. lawyer and politician.
Tilefish
Tilefish, colorful ocean fish belonging to the tilefish family, found along the New England coastline.
Paul Johannes Tillich
Tillich, Paul Johannes (1886–1965), German-born theologian and teacher.
Timbuktu
Timbuktu (pop. 20,500), city in central Mali, in the southern Sahara.
Time
Time, measure of duration, whether past, present, or future; a particular portion or part of duration; period at which any definite event occurred or person lived; prevailing state or circumstances. Absolute time is time considered without relation to bodies or their motions. Relative time is the sensible measure of any portion of duration. Astronomical time is mean solar time reckoned through the…
Timor
Timor, largest and easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands, 400 mi (644 km) northwest of Australia.
Timothy
Timothy (Phleum pratense), perennial coarse grass grown for hay harvesting and animal grazing.
Timothy
Timothy, disciple of the Apostle Paul; also, 2 epistles of the New Testament addressed to Timothy.
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, drums having a calfskin head over a hollow brass or copper hemisphere.
Timur the Lame
Timur the Lame See: Tamerlane.
Tin
Tin, chemical element, symbol Sn; for physical constants see Periodic Table.
Jan Tinbergen
Tinbergen, Jan (1903–94), Dutch economist who in 1969 shared the first Nobel Prize for economic science with Ragnar Frisch for work in developing dynamic models (econometrics).
Nikolas Tinbergen
Tinbergen, Nikolas (1907–88), Dutch ethologist awarded, with Konrad Lorenz and Karl von Frisch, the 1973 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine for their individual, major contributions to the science of animal behavior.
Tinnitus
Tinnitus, sensation of sounds not derived from the outer environment, such as ringing, roars, or banging in the inner ear.
Tintoretto
Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti; 1518–94), Venetian mannerist painter of the Renaissance.
Battle of Tippecanoe
Tippecanoe, Battle of See: Indian wars.
Tipperary
Tipperary (pop. 5,000), town in southern Ireland established in the late 12th century, located on the Ara River.
or Tirana Tiranë
Tiranë, or Tirana (pop. 244,200), capital of Albania, located about 20 mi (32 km) east of the Adriatic Sea.
Tirso de Molina
Tirso de Molina (1584–1648), pen name of Spanish author and playwright, Gabriel Tellez.
Tissue
Tissue, in biology, similar cells grouped together in multicellular animals and plants.
Tissue transplant
Tissue transplant, permanent transfer of tissue or organs from one part of a body to another.
Titanic
Titanic, 46,328-ton British liner that sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage.
Titaniferous ore
Titaniferous ore, blend of minerals rich in the metal titanium.
Titanium
Titanium, chemical element, symbol Ti; for physical constants see Periodic Table.
Titans
Titans, in Greek mythology, offspring of Uranus and Gaea, including Cronus, Hyperion, Iapetus, Oceanus, Coeus, Creus, Theia, Rhea, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Tethys, and Themis, as well as their descendants (e.g., Atlas, Prometheus).
Edward Bradford Titchener
Titchener, Edward Bradford (1867–1927), English-born U.S. psychologist.
Titi
Titi, small tree-dwelling monkey belonging to the New World monkey family Cebidae and found in Brazil's Orinoco River Basin.
Titian
Titian (Tiziano Vecellio; 1487–1576), Venetian painter, leading Renaissance artist.
Titmouse
Titmouse, forest bird of the family Pariclae, found mainly in the Northern Hemisphere.
Josip Broz Tito
Tito, Josip Broz (1892–1980), president of former Yugoslavia (1953–80), founder of the post-World War II republic.
Titus
Titus (Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasianus; A.D.39–81), Roman emperor, successor (79) to his father Vespasian.
Titus
Titus, early Christian follower of St.
TNT
TNT, or trinitrotoluene, [CH3C6H2(NO2)3], pale yellow crystalline solid made by nitration of toluene.
Toad
Toad, name strictly referring only to members of the family Bufonidae, but generally distinguishing warty-skinned, tailless amphibians from smoother-skinned types, which are called frogs.
Toadstool
Toadstool See: Mushroom.
Tobacco
Tobacco, plant of the nightshade family (especially genus Nicotiana); also, the dried and cured leaves of the plant, used for smoking and chewing and as snuff.
Tobago
Tobago See: Trinidad and Tobago.
Mark Tobey
Tobey, Mark (1890–1976), U.S. painter.
Daniel Joseph Tobin
Tobin, Daniel Joseph (1875–1955), Irish-born U.S. labor leader.
James Tobin
Tobin, James (1918– ), U.S. economist.
or Tobias Tobit Book of
Tobit, or Tobias, Book of, in the Apocrypha, account of how Tobias, son of the devout but blinded Jew Tobit (or Tobias), successfully undertook a dangerous journey, helped by the angel Raphael, to exorcise a demon from, and marry, Sara.
Toboganning
Toboganning, sport of riding down snow or ice slopes on a sled or toboggan.
Tocopherol
Tocopherol See: Vitamin.
Alexis de Tocqueville
Tocqueville, Alexis de (1805–59), French historian and writer best known for the 2-volume Democracy in America, written after visiting the United States in the early 1830s.
Mary Todd
Todd, Mary See: Lincoln, Mary Todd.
Tofu
Tofu, or bean curd, soft, white, cheeselike food made by treating soybean milk with coagulants and pressing the curds into cakes.
Toga
Toga, robe worn in ancient Rome.
Togo
Togo, republic in West Africa. Bordered by Ghana on the west, Benin on the east, Burkina Faso on the north, and the Gulf of Guinea on the south, Togo has an area of 21,925 sq mi (56,785 sq km) and is 340 mi (547 km) long and 70 mi (113 km) wide. The capital is the seaport of Lomè. From the central Togo Mountains a grassy plateau slopes east to the Mono River and south to the sandy coastal p…
Hideki Tojo
Tojo, Hideki (1884–1948), Japanese military and political leader.
Tokyo
Tokyo (pop. 7,927,100), capital of Japan. It lies at the head of Tokyo Bay on the southeastern coast of Honshu Island and contains over 10% of Japan's population. Founded in the 12th century as Edo, it became capital of the Tokugawa shoguns in 1603; it was renamed and made imperial capital in 1868. Reconstruction after earthquake and fire (1923) and the air raids of World War II tran…
Toledo
Toledo (pop. 329,300), city in northwestern Ohio, at the mouth of the Maumee River on Lake Erie.
Toledo
Toledo (pop. 62,800), city in central Spain 40 mi (64 km) southwest of Madrid, seat of Toledo province, former Roman and Visgoth capital.
J(ohn) R(onald) R(euel) Tolkien
Tolkien, J(ohn) R(onald) R(euel) (1892–1973), English author and scholar, celebrated for The Hobbit (1937) and the trilogy The Lord of the Rings (1954–56), which present a mythical world of elves and dwarfs, partly based on Anglo-Saxon and Norse folklore.
Aleksei Nikolaevich Tolstoy
Tolstoy, Aleksei Nikolaevich (1882–1945), Russian novelist and playwright, best known for his trilogy The Road to Calvary (1921–40), the novella Nikita's Childhood (1922), and the novel Peter the First (1929–45).
Leo Tolstoy
Tolstoy, Leo (1828–1910), Russian novelist.
Toltec
Toltec, Native American civilization dominant in the central Mexican highlands between the 900s and 1100s.
Toluene
Toluene (C6H5CH3), liquid hydrocarbon related to benzene.
General Tom Thumb
Tom Thumb, General (1838–83), stage name for the U.S. entertainer Charles Sherwood Stratton.
Tomato
Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), herbaceous plant of the nightshade family, native to South America but introduced to Europe in the 16th century and now cultivated worldwide; also, the fruit of the plant.
Tombstone
Tombstone (pop. 1,632), city in southeastern Arizona, founded in 1879 after the discovery of silver veins in the nearby mountains.
Susumu Tonegawa
Tonegawa, Susumu (1939– ), Japanese biologist.
Tonga
Tonga, or Friendly Islands, constitutional monarchy in the South Pacific.
Tongue
Tongue, muscular organ in the floor of the mouth, concerned with the formation of food boluses and self-cleansing of the mouth, taste sensation and voice production.
Tonkin
Tonkin, historic region of Southeast Asia, now comprising most of northern Vietnam.
Tonsil
Tonsil, name for either of two small oval-shaped, fleshy bodies, situated on each side of the back of the throat (palatine tonsils).
Tonsillitis
Tonsillitis, inflammation of the tonsils due to virus or bacteria infection.
Topaz
Topaz, aluminum silicate mineral of composition Al2SiO4(F,OH)2, forming prismatic crystals (orthorhombic) that are variable and unstable in color and valued as gemstones.
Topeka
Topeka (pop. 119,000), state capital of Kansas, located on the Kansas River in the northeastern part of the state.
Topology
Topology, branch of mathematics that studies properties of geometrical figures or abstract spaces that are independent of shape or distance.
Torah
Torah (Hebrew: “law, teaching”), the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible) kept in the ark of every synagogue.
Tornado
Tornado, violent whirlwind cloud of small diameter, extending downward from a convective cloud in a severe thunderstorm, generally funnelshaped.
Toronto
Toronto (pop. 3.893,000), capital of Ontario province and York County, second-largest city in Canada (after Montreal), on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario.
Torpedo
Torpedo, flat, broad fish of the Torpedinidae family, found in tropical and temperate regions of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Torpedo
Torpedo, self-propelled streamlined missile that travels underwater, its explosive warhead detonating when it nears or strikes its target.
Torpedo boat
Torpedo boat See: PT boat.
Tomás de Torquemada
Torquemada, Tomás de (1420–98), Spanish Inquisition leader.
Evangelista Torricelli
Torricelli, Evangelista (1608–47), Italian physicist and mathematician who invented the barometer in 1643.
Torsion balance
Torsion balance, device for measuring the force of a twisting motion.
Torsion bar suspension
Torsion bar suspension, system designed to absorb front-end shock in automobiles.
Tort
Tort (French, “wrong”), in law, a wrongful act against a person or their property for which that person can claim damages as compensation.
Tortoise
Tortoise, name for slow-moving, herbivorous, heavily armored terrestrial reptiles of the family Testudinidae, found in the tropics, subtropics, and warmer temperate regions.
Tory Party
Tory Party, popular name of the Conservative and Unionist Party, one of Britain's two chief parties.
Arturo Toscanini
Toscanini, Arturo (1867–1957), Italian conductor, one of the greatest of his time.
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism, system of government in which the state exercises wide-ranging control over individuals within its jurisdiction.
Totem
Totem, object, animal, or plant toward which a tribe, clan, or other group feels a special affinity, often considering it a mythical ancestor.
Toucan
Toucan, exotic bird of the family Ramphastidae, native to the tropical regions of Latin America.
Touch
Touch, sensory system concerned with surface sensation, found in all external body surfaces including the skin and some mucous membranes.
Touch-me-not
Touch-me-not, wild flower of the balsam family, related to the impatiens.
Toulon
Toulon (pop. 170,200), port city in southeastern France.
Toulouse
Toulouse (pop. 365,900), historically significant city in southwestern France, located on the Garonne River.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri de (1864–1901), French painter and lithographer who portrayed Parisian nightlife.
Sékou Touré
Touré, Sékou (1922–84), president of the Republic of Guinea (1958–84).
Tourette syndrome
Tourette syndrome, disorder of the central nervous system characterized by muscular tics, or twitches, and uncontrollable vocalizing.
Tourmaline
Tourmaline, hard, complex silicate mineral containing such elements as boron, aluminum, and silicon.
Tournament
Tournament, or tourney, series of games; originally a combat between armored knights, usually on horseback.
Tours
Tours (pop. 133,400), city in west-central France along the Loire River.
Toussaint L'Ouverture
Toussaint L'Ouverture (Pierre Dominique Toussaint-Bréda; c.1774–1803), emancipated Haitian slave who led the 1791 slave rebellion on the island of Haiti.
Tower of Babel
Tower of Babel, mythical tower built in the ancient Mesopotamian city of Babylon.
Tower of London
Tower of London, ancient fortress on the Thames River in the eastern part of London.
Town meeting
Town meeting, direct democratic form of local government, mainly inNew England (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont).
Charles Hard Townes
Townes, Charles Hard (1915– ), U.S. physicist awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize for physics, with Nikolai Basov and Aleksander Prokhorov, for independently working out the theory of the maser and, later, the laser.
Francis Everett Townsend
Townsend, Francis Everett (1867–1960), U.S. reformer, author of the Townsend Plan (1933), a share-the-wealth program by which citizens over 60 were to receive $200 a month, the money to be raised by a federal tax.
Willard Saxby Townsend
Townsend, Willard Saxby (1895–1957), one of the first African-American labor leaders.
Toxemia of pregnancy
Toxemia of pregnancy, or preeclampsia, disease caused by bacterial toxins or other toxic substances in the blood, usually referring to a condition that attacks women in the last stages of pregnancy or just after childbirth.
Toxic shock syndrome
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS), rare and sometimes fatal bacterial disease associated with the use of tampons.
Toxic wastes
Toxic wastes See: Hazardous wastes.
Toxin
Toxin, poisonous substance produced by a living organism.
Toy dog
Toy dog, any of several small breeds of dogs kept as pets.
Arnold Joseph Toynbee
Toynbee, Arnold Joseph (1889–1975), English historian.
Trace elements
Trace elements, minerals that make up all human, animal, and plant life.
Trachea
Trachea, conduit by which air reaches the lungs from the pharynx.
Trachoma
Trachoma, chronic conjunctivitis caused by Chlamydia trachomatis.
Track and field
Track and field, athletic sports including running, walking, hurdling, jumping for distance or height, and throwing various objects. The revival of the Olympic Games in 1896 gave international and national competition an enormous boost, and in 1912 the International Amateur Athletes Federation was set up. Distances raced vary from the 50-m sprint to the 5,0000-m run. Hurdlers and steeplechasers ha…
Spencer Tracy
Tracy, Spencer (1900–67), U.S. film actor.
Trade
Trade, buying and selling of commodities. It can take place within a nation (domestic trade) or between nations (foreign or international trade). Trade occurs because the people of a particular community or country do not produce all the goods they need. As a consequence, they must purchase these goods from another community or country. They may in turn sell their products to other communities or …
Trade route
Trade route, land or water route used to transport goods from one area to another.
Trade union
Trade union See: Labor movement.
Trade winds
Trade winds, persistent warm moist winds that blow westward from the high pressure zones at about 30°N and °S latitude toward the doldrums (intertropical convergence zone) at the equator.
Trademark
Trademark, name, symbol, or other device that identifies the product of one company.
Battle of Trafalgar
Trafalgar, Battle of, decisive naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars, fought on Oct. 21, 1805.
Tragedy
Tragedy, form of drama originating in ancient Greece, in which exceptional characters are led, by fate and by the very qualities that make them great, to suffer calamity and often death.
Tragopan
Tragopan, any of 5 species of birds in the pheasant family.
Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears See: Oklahoma.
Trajan
Trajan (A.D. 53–117), Roman emperor responsible for great extensions of the empire and vast building programs.
Tranquilizer
Tranquilizer, any of the agents that induce a state of quietude in anxious or disturbed patients.