21st Century Webster's Family Encyclopedia - Cretinism to Davis, David

Michel-Guillaume Jean de Crèvecoeur

Crèvecoeur, Michel-Guillaume Jean de (1735–1813), 18th-century French essayist.

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Cretinism

Cretinism, type of dwarfism characterized by mental retardation.

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Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, rare, degenerative disease of the nervous system.

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Crewel

Crewel, type of woolen yarn as well as a form of embroidery crafted from the yarn.

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Crib death

Crib death See: Sudden infant death syndrome.

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Cribbage

Cribbage, card game played with standard deck of cards and a special board with pegs for marking the score.

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Crick, Francis Harry Compton (1916– ), English biologist who shared the 1962 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine with Maurice Wilkins and James Watson, for establishing the function and structure of DNA, the key substance in transmitting hereditary traits.

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Cricket

Cricket, bat and ball game played extensively in Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries.

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Cricket

Cricket, chirping, hopping insect of the Gryllidae family.

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Crime

Crime, violation of rules of behavior as laid down in a code of law.

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Crime laboratory

Crime laboratory, law enforcement investigative facility that examines evidence gathered at a crime scene for clues.

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Crimea

Crimea, peninsula, 10,425 sq mi (25,900 sq km), on the northern side of the Black Sea, part of the Ukraine.

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Crimean War

Crimean War (1853–56), war between Russia and an alliance of England, France, Turkey, and Sardinia.

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Criminal law

Criminal law, that part of the law that defines criminal offenses, establishes procedures for trying accused persons, and fixes penalties for those convicted of criminal offenses. Many offenses once punished as crimes now come under the civil law. These offenses, which usually grow out of carelessness or accidents, are called torts. The penalty is likely to be the payment of damages to the party t…

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Criminology

Criminology, scientific study of the causes of criminal behavior, its development, and its treatment.

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Critical mass

Critical mass, minimum mass of material necessary to maintain a spontaneous fission chain reaction.

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Criticism

Criticism, act of analyzing and evaluating any object or activity, often unfavorably.

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Crittenden Compromise

Crittenden Compromise, proposal sponsored by moderate Southern unionists in 1860 to avert the U.S.

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Cro-Magnon

Cro-Magnon, race of primitive humans (Homo sapiens), indistinguishable biologically from modern human beings.

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Croaker

Croaker, any of a family (Sciaenidae) of medium-sized fish found in shallow tropical and temperate seas.

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Croatia

Croatia, republic on the east coast of the Adriatic Sea, bordered on the north by Slovenia, on the north east by Hungary and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, on the east by Bosnia, and on the south east by Montenegro. Croatia has a diverse landscape, with flat plains, low mountains, a coastline, and several offshore islands. The interior has a continental climate, the coast has a Mediterranean …

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Benedetto Croce

Croce, Benedetto (1866–1952), Italian philosopher and writer.

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Crochet

Crochet (from French croche, “hook”), method of making fabrics, garments, lace, and even rugs, from threads or yarn, using a hook (made of steel, ivory, bone, or wood).

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Davy Crockett

Crockett, Davy (David Crockett; 1786–1836), U.S. frontiersman, representative from Tennessee (1827–31, 1833–35), and folk hero.

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Crocodile

Crocodile, carnivorous reptile (order Crocodilia) found in both fresh and salt water in tropical and subtropical regions.

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Crocodile bird

Crocodile bird (Pluvianus aegyptius), African plover that enters the mouth of a crocodile to feed on leeches and scraps of food.

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Crocus

Crocus, genus of perennial herb of the iris family, originally from Asia and the Mediterranean, usually bearing a solitary blue, yellow, or white flower.

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Croesus

Croesus (d. c.547 B.C.), last king of Lydia (r.560–546 B.C.), and last of the Mermnadae dynasty.

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Samuel Crompton

Crompton, Samuel (1753–1827), English inventor.

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Oliver Cromwell

Cromwell, Oliver (1599–1658), lord protector of England. As a Puritan and member of Parliament (from 1628) Cromwell joined the Puritan opposition to Charles I. During the first civil war he showed a remarkable ability for military strategy and leadership, and organized the Parliamentary forces in the eastern counties. His famous Ironsides regiment (cavalry) was instrumental in the victory o…

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Richard Cromwell

Cromwell, Richard (1626–1712), son of Oliver Cromwell.

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Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex

Cromwell, Thomas, Earl of Essex (1485?–1540), English statesman under Henry VIII.

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A.J. Cronin

Cronin, A.J. (1896–1981), British novelist.

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Walter Leland Cronkite Jr.

Cronkite, Walter Leland, Jr. (1916–), U.S. broadcast journalist.

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Cronus

Cronus, in Greek mythology, king of the Titans and ruler of earth.

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Sir William Crookes

Crookes, Sir William (1832–1919), British scientist and inventor.

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Crookes tube

Crookes tube, tube developed by English scientist Sir William Crookes to demonstrate the properties of cathode rays.

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Cropping system

Cropping system, any of a number of methods of replenishing soil after crops have been harvested.

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Croquet

Croquet, lawn game of French origin (17th century) in which players hit wooden balls with wooden mallets through a series of iron hoops (wickets) stuck in the ground.

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Bing Crosby

Crosby, Bing (Harry Lillis Crosby; 1904–77), U.S. singer and film actor.

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Cross

Cross, cultural symbol, often consisting of an upright and a crosspiece.

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Cross-country

Cross-country, long-distance running sport.

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Cross-eye

Cross-eye See: Strabismus.

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Crossbill

Crossbill, finch (genus Loxia) whose mandibles are so strongly curved that they cross each other.

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Crossbow

Crossbow, medieval weapon consisting of a small, powerful bow fixed transversely on a stock, which is grooved to take the missile.

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Croton

Croton, shrub (genus Codiaeum) of the spurge family.

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Croup

Croup, condition, common in children 6 mos. to 3 years old, due to allergy or virus infection of the larynx and trachea, causing difficulty in breathing and a hoarse cough due to spasm of the larynx.

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Crow

Crow, glossy black bird (family Corvidae), one of the most intelligent of birds, related to ravens, magpies, and jays.

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Crow

Crow, Native American tribe of the Siouan linguistic group, from the North American plains of Montana and Wyoming.

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Crowfoot

Crowfoot (1830–90), Canadian Blackfoot chief who discouraged tribal warfare and advocated peace.

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Crude oil

Crude oil See: Petroleum.

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George Cruikshank

Cruikshank, George (1792–1878), English artist and illustrator famous for his caricatures.

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Cruiser

Cruiser, warship designed for speed and long-range attack, in size between the destroyer and aircraft carrier.

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Crusades

Crusades, under papal authority, wars waged in the Middle Ages (11th–13th centuries) by European Christians against the Muslims to recover the Holy Land, particularly Jerusalem. The initial impetus for the Crusades was a revival of religious fervor, as urged by Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont (1095); however, conquest of territory, the attraction of riches, and the possibility of e…

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Crustacean

Crustacean, invertebrate animal (phylum Arthropoda) with a bilaterally symmetrical segmented body, including crabs, shrimps, lobsters, and barnacles.

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Cryobiology

Cryobiology, the study of the effects of extremely low temperatures on living organisms, generally for the purpose of preserving living material for future use.

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Cryogenics

Cryogenics, or low-temperature physics, science that studies the production, maintenance, and effects of very low temperatures.

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Cryotron

Cryotron, miniature switch used in computers, consisting of a short wire around which is wound a fine control coil, kept at the temperature of liquid helium so that the wire and coil are superconducting.

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Crystal

Crystal, solid substance in which the individual molecules, atoms, or ions are arranged in a geometrical form. Almost all pure substances (chemical elements, compounds, mixtures) can form solid crystals. Substances that do not crystallize are called amorphous. Crystals may be formed from solutions, as salt crystals form when a pool of sea water evaporates in the sun; when liquids solidify, as when…

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Ctenophore

Ctenophore, or comb jelly, marine invertebrate (phylum Ctenophora) having 8 radially arranged combs of ciliated plates (ctenes) on its body used for swimming.

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Cuauhtémoc

Cuauhtémoc (c. 1495–1525), last Aztec emperor of Mexico, nephew and son-in-law of Montezuma.

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Cub Scouts

Cub Scouts See: Boy Scouts.

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Cuba

Cuba (Republic of), tropical island republic in the Caribbean Sea, west of Haiti, east of the Gulf of Mexico, north of Jamaica, and 90 mi (145 km) south of Key West, Fla. Cuba is the largest island in the West Indies, occupying 42,804 sq mi (110,860 sq km), including the Isle of Pines and other offshore islands. The capital is Havana. Cuba has 3 main mountain ranges: the Sierra de los Organos in t…

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Cube and cube root

Cube and cube root, terms in geometry.

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Cubeb

Cubeb, dried, berrylike fruit of a climbing plant (Piper cubeba) of the pepper family.

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Cubism

Cubism, art movement that began c. 1907, Paris, as an intellectual response to the emotional and sensual art of previous times, primarily as represented in painting.

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Cuchulainn

Cuchulainn, great hero of the Ulster cycle of Irish epic mythological literature.

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Cuckoo

Cuckoo, bird of the family Cuculidae, found in the tropics and in temperate regions.

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Cuckoo-shrike

Cuckoo-shrike, any of several species (genus Coracina) of songbirds of the family Campephagidae.

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Cucumber

Cucumber, common garden vegetable (Cucumis sativus) of the gourd family.

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Cuenca

Cuenca (pop. 195,000), city in the Andes Mountains of south central Ecuador.

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Cuernavaca

Cuernavaca (pop. 281,700), capital of the state of Morelos in south central Mexico.

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Paul Cuffe

Cuffe, Paul (1759–1817), U.S. merchant and sea captain, part African American, part Native American, who encouraged the resettlement of freed slaves in Sierra Leone, Africa.

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Cuisenaire method

Cuisenaire method, teaching system by which students are introduced to mathematical concepts by manipulating 10 rods of different colors that vary proportionately in length.

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Countee Cullen

Cullen, Countee See: Harlem Renaissance.

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Cult

Cult, religious worship of a supernatural object or of a representation of it.

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Cultural lag

Cultural lag, term developed in the 1920s by U.S. sociologist William F.

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Cultural Revolution

Cultural Revolution See: China.

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Culture

Culture, in biology, a colony of living microorganisms, such as bacteria or fungi, grown in a prepared medium (a watery solution of chemicals that supplies the microorganisms with nutrients).

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Culture

Culture, term for the general way of life of a human society, including ways of thinking, beliefs, customs, language, technology, art, music, literature, and traditions.

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Cumberland

Cumberland (pop. 101,643), U.S. city in western Maryland, located at Cumberland Narrows.

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Cumberland Gap

Cumberland Gap, mountain pass through the Cumberland Mountains of the Appalachians near the border of Kentucky and Tennessee.

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Cumberland Mountains

Cumberland Mountains, or Cumberland Plateau, part of the Appalachian Mountain Range.

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Cumberland River

Cumberland River, major tributary of the Ohio River, originating in the Cumberland Plateau and flowing 687 mi (1,106 km) before joining it.

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e.e. Cummings

Cummings, e.e. (Edward Estlin Cummings; 1894–1962), U.S. poet whose verse is known for its deliberate violation of grammatical rules, unusual words, and idiosyncratic punctuation and typography.

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Cumulus

Cumulus See: Cloud.

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Sir Samuel Cunard

Cunard, Sir Samuel (1787–1865), British shipowner, founder of the Cunard line.

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Cuneiform

Cuneiform, system of writing developed in the ancient Middle East during the 4th millennium B.C.

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Merce Cunningham

Cunningham, Merce (1919–), U.S. dancer and choreographer noted for his abstract dances incorporating pure, isolated movements without emotional overtones.

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Mario Matthew Cuomo

Cuomo, Mario Matthew (1932–), U.S. politician.

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Cupid

Cupid, or Amor, in Roman mythology, the god of love, the son and companion of Venus, identified with the Greek god, Eros, son of Aphrodite and Ares.

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Cuquenán Falls

Cuquenán Falls, also called Kukenaam, one of the world's highest waterfalls, on the Cuquenán River along the Guyana-Venezuelan border.

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Curaçao

Curaçao, island (178 sq mi/461 sq km) in the West Indies, an autonomous part of the Netherlands.

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Curare

Curare, any of a number of alkaloid plant extracts originally used by South American tribes to make poison arrow tips.

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Curassow

Curassow, large forest-dwelling bird (especially genus Crax) with dark plumage and a crest of curved feathers.

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Curia Regis

Curia Regis, in England, the King's Council, also called King's Court, a medieval council of nobles and church officials who met to advise the king on state issues such as legislation and taxation.

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Curie

Curie, in physics, unit that measures radioactivity.

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Marie Sklodowska Curie

Curie, Marie Sklodowska (1867–1934), Polish-born French physicist and two-time winner of the Nobel Prize (in physics, 1903, and chemistry, 1911).

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Pierre Curie

Curie, Pierre (1859–1906), French physicist, professor at the Sorbonne, and winner, with his wife, Marie, and A.

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Curium

Curium, chemical element, symbol Cm; for physical constants see Periodic Table.

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Curlew

Curlew, migratory wading bird of pastures and marshes (especially genus Numenius), characterized by a long, down-curving bill.

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Curling

Curling, game introduced from Scotland and played in the United States and Canada for over 150 years.

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Curly coated retriever

Curly coated retriever, hunting dog with a black or liver-colored coat of tight curls, which enables it to endure thorny bushes, challenging terrain, and cold-water temperatures when retrieving shot game.

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Currant

Currant, bushy plant (genus Ribes) of temperate regions; also, the fruit of the plant.

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Currency

Currency See: Money.

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Currier Ives

Currier & Ives, establishment of U.S. lithographers who produced over 4,000 popular color prints depicting sports, historic events, and scenes of daily life.

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Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry

Curry, Jabez Lamar Monroe (1825–1903), U.S. educator who promoted the education of both black and white children in the South.

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John Steuart Curry

Curry, John Steuart (1897–1946), U.S. painter best known for his striking portrayals of rural Midwestern life.

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Charles Curtis

Curtis, Charles (1860–1936), vice president of the United States under Herbert Hoover (1929–33).

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Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar Curtis

Curtis, Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar (1850–1933), U.S. founder of a publishing empire.

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Glenn Hammond Curtiss

Curtiss, Glenn Hammond (1873–1930), U.S. pioneer in aviation, who made the first public flight in the United States (1908), opened the first pilots' school (1909), built engines for the first U.S. dirigibles, and built the first planes for the U.S.

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Curzon Line

Curzon Line, boundary between Poland and the Soviet Union, proposed by the Allies in 1919, after World War I.

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Cusco

Cusco, or Cuzco (pop. 225,600), city in the Andes Mountains of southern Peru.

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Cush

Cush See: Kush.

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Harvey Williams Cushing

Cushing, Harvey Williams (1869–1939), U.S. surgeon.

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Cuspid

Cuspid See: Teeth.

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George Armstrong Custer

Custer, George Armstrong (1839–76), controversial U.S. cavalry officer.

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Martha Custis

Custis, Martha See: Washington, Martha Custis.

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Custom

Custom, accepted practice or manner of doing things, established by tradition.

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United States Customs Service

Customs Service, United States, branch of the Department of Treasury responsible for levying and collecting taxes on imported goods.

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Customs union

Customs union, agreement between two or more countries aimed at reducing tariffs to encourage trade.

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Cutlassfish

Cutlassfish, long, silver-colored saltwater fish (Trichiurus lepturus) found in the western Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

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Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish, small cephalopod (family Sepiidae) of Old World coastal waters.

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Cutworm

Cutworm, any of more than 20,000 species of caterpillars of the owlet moth or miller family, with the capacity to destroy field crops and fruit trees.

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Baron Cuvier

Cuvier, Baron (Georges Léopold Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert Cuvier; 1769–1832), French scientist known for his pioneer work in comparative anatomy.

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Cyanides

Cyanides, group of compounds containing the cyanide radical, CN (a carbon atom linked to a nitrogen atom).

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Cyanosis

Cyanosis, bluish discoloration of skin and mucous membranes.

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Cybernetics

Cybernetics, branch of learning that deals with control mechanisms and the transmission of information.

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Cycad

Cycad, tropical plant of the cycas family, one of the most primitive living seed-bearing plants.

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Cyclamen

Cyclamen, genus of cultivated plant of the primrose family native to the Mediterranean.

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Cyclone

Cyclone, closed system of winds revolving around a low-pressure area. The air rotates counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. In the tropics, particularly in the Indian Ocean (where they are sometimes known as typhoons), cyclones bring severe tropical storms with winds of 200–300 mph (320–480 kmph). In temperate regions, where they are mo…

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Cyclops

Cyclops (plural Cyclopes), in Greek mythology, shaggy giant with a single large eye in the center of his forehead.

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Cyclosporine

Cyclosporine, drug used to prevent rejection of tissues and organs in transplant patients.

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Cyclotron

Cyclotron, magnetic resonance particle accelerator.

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Cygnus

Cygnus, the Swan, large constellation visible in the Northern Hemisphere sky.

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Cylinder

Cylinder, 3-dimensional figure consisting of a curved lateral surface and equal parallel ends, or bases.

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Cymbal

Cymbal, percussion instrument of very ancient origin.

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Cynic philosophy

Cynic philosophy, ancient Greek school of philosophy characterized by the unconventional way of life of its adherents.

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Cypress

Cypress, family of cone-bearing trees, including arborvitae, juniper, and cedar.

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Cyprus

Cyprus (Republic of) island republic situated in the northeastern Mediterranean Sea, about 40 mi (60 km) south of Turkey and 60 mi (97 km) west of Syria. Cyprus, 3,572 sq mi (9,251 sqkm) in area, is the Mediterranean's third largest island. The capital is Nicosia. Two main mountain ranges dominate the island: the Kyrenia ridge in northern-central Cyprus and the Troödos Mountains in t…

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Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac

Cyrano de Bergerac, Savinien de (1619–55), French author.

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Saint Cyril of Alexandria

Cyril of Alexandria, Saint (378?–444), Christian theologist and bishop, known primarily for his campaign against Nestorius, the bishop of Constantinople, who denied that the Virgin Mary was the mother of God.

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Cyrus the Great

Cyrus the Great (c.590–529 B.C.), founder of the Persian empire.

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Cyst

Cyst, abnormal, sac-like growth in the body.

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Cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis, CF, or mucoviscidosis, hereditary disease, usually appearing in early childhood, characterized by an abnormality of the exocrine or mucus-screting glands.

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Czech Republic

Czech Republic, independent country in central Europe, bordering Germany on the west and northwest, Poland on the north and northeast, Slovakia on the southeast, and Austria on the south There are 2 main natural and historical regions. (1) Bohemia, in the west, comprises the Bohemian Massif, the Ore Mountains, and the Giant Mountains, which serve as natural boundaries between the republic and neig…

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Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia, former nation in central Europe, consisting of the present Czech Republic and Slovakia. With the disintegration of Austria-Hungary at the end of World War I, the Czechs and Slovaks proclaimed the independent republic of Czechoslovakia (1918), which developed as a Western-style democracy. Seized by Nazi Germany (1938–39), Czechoslovakia came under Russian domination after Wor…

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Czechs

Czechs, Slavic people who settled in Bohemia and Moravia in central Europe in the early Middle Ages and accounted for about two-thirds of Czechoslovakia's population.

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Czechs

Czechs, Slavic people who settled in Bohemia and Moravia in central Europe in the early Middle Ages and accounted for about two-thirds of Czechoslovakia's population.

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Karl Czerny

Czerny, Karl (1791–1857), Austrian musician and teacher.

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Karl Czerny

Czerny, Karl (1791–1857), Austrian musician and teacher.

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D

D, fourth letter of the English alphabet.

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Jacques D'Amboise

D'Amboise, Jacques (1934– ), U.S. dancer and choreographer.

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Gabriele D'Annunzio

D'Annunzio, Gabriele (1863–1938), Italian writer and adventurer, initially famous for his poetry, whose sensuous imagery reflected his own life-style.

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D'Aulaire

D'Aulaire, husband and wife team who wrote and illustrated children's books.

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Vasco Da Gama

Da Gama, Vasco (1469?–1524), sea captain from Portugal, the first to open sea routes for trade between Europe and Asia.

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Da Nang

Da Nang, or Tourane (pop.490,000) large port city in southern Vietnam on the South China Sea.

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Leonardo Da Vinci

Da Vinci, Leonardo (1452–1519), Florentine artist and scientist, whose creative and intellectual talents made him the supreme genius of the Italian Renaissance. One of the greatest painters of the period, he was also an architect, engineer, astronomer, anatomist, botanist, inventor, poet, and musician. Few completed works survive; scholars attribute this to Leonardo's restless moveme…

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