21st Century Webster's Family Encyclopedia - Lyon, Mary to Manu

21st Century Webster's Family Encyclopedia

Mary Lyon

Lyon, Mary (1797–1849), U.S. educator.

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Lyre

Lyre, musical stringed instrument.

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Lyrebird

Lyrebird, either of 2 species of Australian birds (genus Menura) of the family menuridae.

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Lysander

Lysander (?–395 B.C.), naval commander of Sparta.

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Lysias

Lysias (459?–380 B.C.), ancient Greek orator and speech writer.

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Lysippus

Lysippus (380s?–306 B.C.), sculptor of ancient Greece.

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Lysippus

Lysippus (380s?–306 B.C.), sculptor of ancient Greece.

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M

M, 13th letter of the English alphabet, corresponds with the 13th Semitic letter mem, represented by a zigzag, wavelike form that scholars relate to the Hebrew mayim (water).

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Lorin Maazel

Maazel, Lorin (1930– ), U.S. conductor.

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Macadam

Macadam, road-building system devised by the Scots engineer John Loudon McAdam (1756–1836).

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Macadamia nut

Macadamia nut, edible seed from the macadamia tree (Macadamia terrifolia), a member of the protea family.

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Macao

Macao, or Macau, Portuguese overseas province in southeastern China, on the western side of the Pearl River Estuary, at the head of which is Canton.

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Macaque

Macaque, several species (genus Macaca) of the Old World monkey family.

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Douglas MacArthur

MacArthur, Douglas (1880–1964), U.S. general and hero of World War II. He commanded the 42nd (Rainbow) Division in World War I and was superintendent of West Point (1919–22). In 1930 he became chief of staff of the U.S. Army, the youngest man ever to hold the post, and was promoted to general. He retired from the army in 1937, but was recalled in 1941 as commander of U.S. Army forces…

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Macau

Macau See: Macao.

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Macaw

Macaw, any of several colorful, long-tailed parrots of the genus Ara.

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Macbeth

Macbeth (d. 1057), king of Scotland, formerly chief of the province of Moray.

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Judah Maccabee

Maccabee, Judah See: Judah Maccabee.

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Books of Maccabees

Maccabees, Books of, 2 books of the Old Testament Apocrypha that tell the story of the Maccabees, or Hasmoneans, Jewish rulers of the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. who fought for the independence of Judea from Syria.

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Hugh MacDiarmid

MacDiarmid, Hugh (Christopher Murray Grieve; 1892–1978), Scottish poet.

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J.E.H. MacDonald

MacDonald, J.E.H. (1873–1932), English-born Canadian landscape painter.

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James Ramsay MacDonald

MacDonald, James Ramsay (1866–1937), English statesman who led Britain's first Labour Party government.

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Sir John Alexander Macdonald

Macdonald, Sir John Alexander (1815–91), Canadian statesman, first prime minister of the Dominion of Canada.

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Thomas Macdonough

Macdonough, Thomas (1783–1825), U.S. naval officer who defeated the British at the decisive Battle of Pittsburgh (1814) on Lake Champlain, N.Y., during the War of 1812.

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Macedonia

Macedonia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, until 1991 afederal republic of the Yugoslav Federation, in the South-east of Europe. In the north it borders on Servia (Yugoslavia), in the east on Bulgaria, in the south on Greece, and in the west on Albania. The capital is Skopje. Macedonia is very mountainous. It is struck by earthquakes on a regular basis. The climate is largely continental. A…

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Ernst Mach

Mach, Ernst (1838–1916), Austrian physicist and philosopher.

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Mach number

Mach number See: Mach, Ernst.

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Guillaume de Machaut

Machaut, Guillaume de (1300–77), French poet and composer.

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Niccolò Machiavelli

Machiavelli, Niccolò (1469–1527), Florentine politician and political theorist.

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Machine Age

Machine Age See: Industrial Revolution.

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Machine gun

Machine gun, military small arm capable of rapid fire.

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Machine tool

Machine tool, nonportable, power-driven tool used industrially for working metal components to tolerances far finer than those obtainable manually. The fundamental processes used are cutting and grinding, individual machines being designed for boring, broaching, drilling, milling, planing, and sawing. Essentially a machine tool consists of a jig to hold both the cutting tool and the workpiece and …

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Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu, ancient (16th-century) Inca fortress city in Peru, about 50 mi (80 km) northwest of Cusco.

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Charles Macintosh

Macintosh, Charles (1766–1843), British chemist and inventor.

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Connie Mack

Mack, Connie (Cornelius McGillicuddy; 1862–1956), U.S. baseball manager and owner.

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Mackay

Mackay, last name of father John William (1831–1902) and son Clarence Hungerford (1874–1938), both U.S. businesspeople.

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Alexander Mackenzie

Mackenzie, Alexander (1822–92), Canadian politician.

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Mackenzie River

Mackenzie River, in northwestern Canada, flowing from Great Slave Lake to the Arctic Ocean.

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Roderick Mackenzie

Mackenzie, Roderick (1760?–1844), Canadian politician and pioneer Commander of Fort Chipewyan (1789–93), he built it with his cousin, Sir Alexander Mackenzie, after they had trailblazed their way west to this northeastern point in Alberta.

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Sir Alexander Mackenzie

Mackenzie, Sir Alexander (1764–1820), Canadian fur trader and explorer.

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William Lyon Mackenzie

Mackenzie, William Lyon (1795–1861), Canadian journalist and politician.

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Mackerel

Mackerel, commercially important food fish of the family Scombridae.

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Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island, Northern Michigan island in the Straits of Mackinac.

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Straits of Mackinac

Mackinac, Straits of, channel separating the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of northern Michigan.

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Archibald MacLeish

MacLeish, Archibald (1892–1982), U.S. poet and playwright.

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Harold Macmillan

Macmillan, Harold (1894–1986), British politician.

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Macon

Macon (pop. 281,103), city in central Georgia, on the Ocmulgee River; seat of Bibb County.

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Macramé

Macramé, art form based on knotting techniques.

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Madagascar

Madagascar, formerly Malagasy Republic, since 1975 the Republic of Madagascar, republic in the Indian Ocean comprising the large island of Madagascar and several small islands. Separated from the southeast African mainland by the Mozambique Channel, Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island. It has rugged central highlands and fertile low-lying coastal plains. The highlands have sever…

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Madder

Madder, tropical and subtropical trees, shrubs, and herbs of the family Rubiaceae, native to northern South America.

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Madeira Islands

Madeira Islands, archipelago, 308 sq mi (789 sq km), owned by Portugal, in the Atlantic Ocean about 350 mi (560 km) west of Morocco.

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Madeira River

Madeira River, largest tributary of the Amazon River.

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Madison

Madison (pop. 176,000), state capital of Wisconsin, seat of Dane County, in south-central Wisconsin.

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Dolley Payne Madison

Madison, Dolley Payne (1768–1849), wife of President James Madison.

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James Madison

Madison, James (1751–1836), 4th president of the United States. Madison, called “the father of the Constitution,” was a penetrating political thinker who guided the deliberations of the Constitutional Convention. He was not a successful war president, but his last years in office inaugurated an “era of good feelings” and unprecedented economic growth. Madison, bo…

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Madonna

Madonna (Madonna Louise Ciccone; 1958– ), U.S. rock and roll performer.

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Madonna and Child

Madonna and Child, among the most important art subjects of Christian religion.

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Madras

Madras (pop. 3,841,000), large coastal city in southeastern India.

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Madrid

Madrid (pop. 3,000,000), city, capital of Spain and of Madrid province, on the Manzanares River in New Castile.

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Madrigal

Madrigal, poetic part song for 2 or more voices singing separate melodies.

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Madroña

Madroña, shrub or tree (Arbutus menziesii) in the heath family.

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Gaius Maecenas

Maecenas, Gaius (70?–8 B.C.), Roman statesman famous as the patron of Horace, Vergil, and Propertius.

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Maenads

Maenads, in Greek and Roman mythology, female devotees of Dionysus or Bacchus.

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Maurice Maeterlinck

Maeterlinck, Maurice (1862–1949), prolific Belgian poet and playwright influenced by French symbolists.

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Maffei galaxies

Maffei galaxies, 2 galaxies near the Milky Way, discovered behind cosmic dust clouds through the use of a special infrared-sensitive telescope and photographic system by Italian astronomer Paolo Maffei (1968).

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Paolo Maffei

Maffei, Paolo See: Maffei galaxies.

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Mafia

Mafia, name given in the 19th century to Sicilian secret criminal societies who sought justice outside of the established legal system and dominated the peasantry through terrorism (e.g., the vendetta).

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Magdalene

Magdalene See: Mary Magdalene.

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Ferdinand Magellan

Magellan, Ferdinand (c.1480–1521), Portuguese navigator who commanded the first expedition to sail around the world.

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Strait of Magellan

Magellan, Strait of, north of Cape Horn, separating mainland South America from Tierra del Fuego; about 330 mi (530 km) long and 2.5–15 mi (4–24 km) wide.

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Magellanic Clouds

Magellanic Clouds, 2 irregular galaxies nearest the Milky Way, visible in the far southern sky.

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Maggot

Maggot, the soft-bodied larva of a winged insect, e.g., a fly.

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Magi

Magi, hereditary members of the priestly class of the ancient Persian Empire.

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Magic

Magic, prescientific belief that an individual, by use of a ritual or spoken formula, may achieve superhuman powers.

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Maginot Line

Maginot Line, massive French fortifications system, built 1930–34 between the Swiss and Belgian borders.

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Magma

Magma, molten material formed in the upper mantle, or crust, of the earth, composed of a mixture of various complex silicates in which are dissolved various gaseous materials, including water.

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Magna Carta

Magna Carta, or Magna Charta (Latin, “great charter”), major British constitutional charter forced on King John I by a baronial alliance at Runnymede (1215).

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Magnesia

Magnesia, chemical compound (MgO), also called magnesium oxide.

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Magnesium

Magnesium, chemical element, symbol Mg; for physical constants see Periodic Table.

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Magnetic equator

Magnetic equator, also called the aclinic line, imaginary line around the earth where the magnetic pull of the 2 poles is equal.

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Magnetic pole

Magnetic pole See: North Pole; South Pole.

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Magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), technique which produces images of tissues inside the body and allows physicians to identify abnormal tissue without surgery.

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Magnetic storm

Magnetic storm, temporary, violent agitation in the earth's magnetic field caused by the solar wind—a stream of positively charged atoms and negatively charged electrons that flow from the sun.

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Magnetism

Magnetism, name for a force that occurs naturally in certain substances and can be transferred to or induced in others. The basic properties of magnetism are its complementary forces of attraction and repulsion and its capacity to align itself on a roughly north-south axis. These properties occur naturally in magnetite and, in the form of the lodestone, were observed and exploited to some degree i…

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Magneto

Magneto, small electric generator that produces pulses of electricity.

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Magnetohydrodynamics

Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), method of generating electricity by passing a high-velocity stream of plasma (gas at very high temperature) across a magnetic field. As the stream moves through the magnetic field, it has an electric current generated in it. The principle is the same as that of the electric generator, except that in magnetohydrodynamics the plasma stream rather than a coil of wire acts …

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Magnetometer

Magnetometer, instrument that surveys the strength of a magnetic field and registers its results through electronic voltage.

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Magnitude

Magnitude, measure of a celestial object's brightness.

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Magnolia

Magnolia, any of the evergreen or deciduous trees or shrubs (genus Magnolia) from the family Magnoliaceae, often with showy flowers, found chiefly in temperate zones.

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Magnolia State

Magnolia State See: Mississippi.

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Magpie

Magpie, long-tailed bird of the crow and jay family (especially genus Pica).

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René Magritte

Magritte, René (1898–1967), Belgian surrealist painter.

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Maguey

Maguey, plant in the agave family.

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Magyars

Magyars, dominant people of Hungary and their language (from the Finno-Ugric language group).

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Mah-jongg

Mah-jongg, game of Chinese origin played with a set of 136 standard domino-like tiles and several additional tiles, usually by 4 players.

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Mahabharata

Mahabharata, Sanskrit epic poem ascribed to the sage Vyasa, comprising some 110,000 32-syllable couplets, probably written before 500 B.C. though with many later passages in 18 books.

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Alfred Thayer Mahan

Mahan, Alfred Thayer (1840–1914), U.S. naval officer and historian.

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Mahatma

Mahatma See: Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand.

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Mahdi

Mahdi (Arabic, “the guided one”), the prophet or savior who Muslims believe will bring peace and justice to the world.

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Naguib Mahfouz

Mahfouz, Naguib, or Mahfuz, Nagib (1911– ), Egyptian novelist, playwright, and screenwriter.

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Mahican

Mahican, Native American group of tribes of the Eastern Woodlands.

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Gustav Mahler

Mahler, Gustav (1860–1911), Austrian composer and conductor.

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Mahogany

Mahogany, chiefly tropical trees and shrubs, family Meliaceae, whose scented, termite-resistant hardwood is used extensively for furniture.

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Mahomet

Mahomet See: Muhammad.

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Mahratta

Mahratta, or Maratha, central Indian Hindu warrior people.

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Maidu

Maidu, Native Americans who lived mainly in the Sacramento Valley and the Sierra Nevada, Calif.

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Mail

Mail See: Postal Service, U.S.

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Norman Mailer

Mailer, Norman (1923– ), U.S. novelist and journalist.

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Aristide Maillol

Maillol, Aristide (1861–1944), French sculptor.

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Moses Maimonides

Maimonides, Moses (Solomon ben Maimon; 1135–1204), medieval rabbi, physician, and Jewish philosopher.

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Maine

Maine, largest New England state in the northeasternmost United States; bordered by Canada to the northwest, north, and east, by the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and by New Hampshire to the southwest. During the Ice Age, Maine was covered by glaciers that pushed down the coastline, creating offshore islands. The moving ice rounded the mountains and left hundreds of lakes and ponds. Today, forests …

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Maine

Maine, U.S. battleship, sent to protect U.S. citizens and property in Cuba.

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Mainstreaming

Mainstreaming See: Special education.

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Marquise de Maintenon

Maintenon, Marquise de (1635–1719), second wife of Louis XIV of France.

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Mainz

Mainz (pop. 189,400), city in west-central Germany.

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Frederic William Maitland

Maitland, Frederic William (1850–1906), English jurist and legal historian.

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Maize

Maize See: Corn.

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Major

Major See: Rank, military.

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John Major

Major, John (1943– ), former British Prime Minister from the Conservative Party who succeeded Margaret Thatcher in 1990.

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Major leagues

Major leagues See: Baseball.

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Majorca

Majorca, or Mallorca, largest of the Balearic Islands of Spain, in the west Mediterranean.

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Makarios III

Makarios III (Michael Christodoulos Mouskos; 1913–77), archbishop of the Cypriot Orthodox Church from 1950, and president of independent Cyprus (1960–77).

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Mako shark

Mako shark See: Shark.

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Malé

Malé (pop. 55,100), port and capital city of the Republic of Maldives, or Mal dive Islands, in the Indian Ocean.

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Malabo

Malabo (pop. 33,000), capital city of Equatorial Guinea.

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Strait of Malacca

Malacca, Strait of, important sea passage that links the South China Sea and Indian Ocean.

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Book of Malachi

Malachi, Book of, Old Testament book, 39th and last in Authorized Version, 12th of the Minor Prophets.

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Malachite

Malachite, CU2CO3(OH)2, green, translucent mineral containing crystals of hydrated copper carbonate.

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Malamute

Malamute See: Alaskan malamute.

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Malaria

Malaria, infectious parasitic disease causing fever, violent chills, enlargement of the spleen, and occasionally jaundice and anemia.

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Malawi

Malawi, republic of east Africa lying west and south of Lake Malawi, and bordered by Tanzania to the north, Mozambique to the east and south, and Zambia to the west. Malawi has a area of about 45,747 sq mi (118,484 sq km), controls much of lakes Malawi and Chiuta, and includes Malambe, Chilwa, and several other large lakes. The lakes are part of the great Rift Valley, which crosses the region from…

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Malay Archipelago

Malay Archipelago (East Indies), the world's largest group of islands, off the coast of southeastern Asia, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

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Malay Peninsula

Malay Peninsula, southernmost peninsula in Asia, comprising western Malaysia and southern Thailand.

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Malayo-Polynesian languages

Malayo-Polynesian languages, or Austroenesian languages, family of some 500 languages found throughout the Central and South Pacific, especially in Malaysia and the Indonesian islands.

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Malaysia

Malaysia, Federation of Malaysia, independent federation in Southeast Asia, comprising West Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula and East Malaysia, formed by Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo. East Malaysia is separated from the Malay Peninsula for a distance of about 400 mi (644 km) by the South China Sea. West Malaysia is bordered by Thailand to the north, Singapore to the south, the South Ch…

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Malcolm X

Malcolm X (Malcolm Little; 1925–65), U.S. black militant leader.

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Maldives

Maldives, officially Republic of Maldives, formerly Maldive Islands, republic, a series of coral atolls (115 sq mi/298 sq km) in the northern Indian Ocean, about 420 mi (675 km) southwest of Sri Lanka. They comprise some 2,000 islands, of which about 200 are inhabited. The official religion is Islam and the language, Dhivehi. Malé, the capital, is the largest island. The chief industries ar…

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Male

Male See: Reproduction.

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Malemute

Malemute See: Alaskan malamute.

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Kasimir Malevich

Malevich, Kasimir (1878–1935), Russian painter, a pioneer of abstract art.

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François de Malherbe

Malherbe, François de (1555–1628), French poet; court poet to Henry IV and Louis XIII.

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Mali

Mali, officially Republic of Mali, West Africa's largest country (478,764 sq mi/1,240,000 sq km), Mali is bordered by Senegal, Guinea, and Mauritania (west), Niger (east and southeast), Algeria (north), and Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast (south). The land in the south, fed by the Niger and Senegal rivers, supports the chief cash crops of peanuts and cotton and subsistence crops of rice, mille…

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Mali Empire

Mali Empire, one of the great Sudanese empires of West Africa.

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Malinke

Malinke See: Mandingo.

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Bronislaw Malinowski

Malinowski, Bronislaw (1884–1942), Polish-born English anthropologist, founder of social anthropology.

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Mallard

Mallard, wild duck of the family Anatidae.

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Stéphane Mallarmé

Mallarmé, Stéphane (1842–98), French poet, forefather of the symbolists.

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Mallorca

Mallorca See: Majorca.

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Stephen Russell Mallory

Mallory, Stephen Russell (1813?–73), both U.S. and Confederate politician.

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Mallow

Mallow, shrub and herb of the family Malvaceae, usually with showy flowers and disk-shaped fruits.

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Malnutrition

Malnutrition, shortage of vital nutrients. Malnutrition may be partial or total and may be the result of poor eating habits, as often occurs among the aged, or due to the unavailability or lack of food caused by disasters such as famine, drought, or war. Malnutrition may also be symptomatic of a gastrointestinal disorder, a malfunctioning of one of the body's major organs, or it may even be…

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Malocclusion

Malocclusion See: Orthodontics.

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Sir Thomas Malory

Malory, Sir Thomas (?–1471), English author who wrote La Morte d'Arthur.

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Marcello Malpighi

Malpighi, Marcello (1628–94), Italian physician and botanist who made significant advances in the understanding of human anatomy.

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André Malraux

Malraux, André (1901–76), French author and political activist.

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Malt

Malt, product made from any cereal grain by steeping it in water, allowing it to germinate, and then drying it.

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Malta

Malta, officially Republic of Malta, republic in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sicily, made up of the islands of Malta, Gozo, Comino, and some uninhabited islets, for a total area of 122 sq mi (316 sq km). The capital and chief port is Valletta. The islands are chiefly layers of limestone, with a thin topsoil, and reach their greatest height (827 ft/252 m) near Dingli, on Malta. Their fertile slo…

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Malta fever

Malta fever See: Brucellosis.

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Maltese

Maltese, breed of toy dog.

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Thomas Robert Malthus

Malthus, Thomas Robert (1766–1834), English economist, sociologist, and pioneer in the study of the population problem.

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Maltose

Maltose, malt sugar; a disaccharide sugar produced by the action of diastase on starch and yielding glucose with the enzyme maltase.

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Mamba

Mamba, any of 4 or 5 species of snakes in the cobra family.

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Mamelukes

Mamelukes, group of ruling warriors in Egypt.

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David Mamet

Mamet, David (1947– ), U.S. playwright.

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Mammal

Mammal, warm-blooded animal best distinguished by the possession of milk glands for feeding its young. Hair is a feature of mammals, although some, like the whales, have little or none. All mammals, except monotremes like the platypus, bear their young alive. Other shared characteristics are a lower jaw formed from 1 bone, 3 small bones in the middle ear, a neck of 7 vertebrae (even in giraffes), …

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Mammary glands

Mammary glands, special glands present in mammals, situated ventrally in pairs, modified in females to produce and secrete milk to nourish offspring.

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Mammoth

Mammoth, any of several extinct, prehistoric elephants (genus Mammuthus) found in North America and Eurasia.

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Mammoth Cave

Mammoth Cave, limestone cavern about 85 mi (137 km) southwest of Louisville, Ky., containing a series of vast subterranean chambers.

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Man

Man See: Human being.

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Isle of Man

Man, Isle of, island, 227 sq mi (588 sq km) in the Irish Sea off the northwestern coast of Great Britain; the capital is Douglas.

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Man o' War

Man o' War, U.S. racehorse.

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Man Ray

Man Ray See: Ray, Man.

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Man-of-war bird

Man-of-war bird See: Frigatebird.

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Management and Office of Budget

Management and Budget, Office of (OMB), U.S. government office that helps the president prepare the federal budget and formulate fiscal programs.

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Managua

Managua (pop. 682,000), capital city of Nicaragua, located on the southern shore of Lake Managua.

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Manakin

Manakin, bird in the family Pipridae.

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Manama

Manama (pop. 137,000), also known as al-Manamah, capital city of Bahrain.

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Manatee

Manatee, large, aquatic, herbivorous mammal of tropical and subtropical Atlantic coasts and large rivers.

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Manchester

Manchester (pop. 434,600), city in northwest England, on the Irwell, Irk, and Medlock rivers.

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Manchester

Manchester (pop. 90,936), city in southern New Hampshire, on the Merrimack River, settled in 1722.

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Manchester School

Manchester School, group of English businessmen and members of Parliament (1820–60), mostly from Manchester, who advocated worldwide free trade.

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Manchineel

Manchineel, or poison guava tree (Hippomane mancinella), native to tropical regions of the United States.

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Manchuria

Manchuria, region of northeastern China comprising Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces and part of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region; c.600,000 sq mi (1,554,000 sq km). Manchuria is bordered by the Russia, North Korea, and Mongolia. It is an important agricultural and industrial area. Historically, Manchuria was the home of the Manchus. Chinese settlement in the area increased steadily…

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Manchus

Manchus, a Manchurian people descended from the Jurchen tribe of the Tungus.

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Mandalay

Mandalay (pop. 533,000), city in central Myanmar (Burma), on the Irrawaddy River.

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Mandan

Mandan, Native American Plains tribe of the upper Missouri valley.

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Mandarin

Mandarin, important civil servant or military official in imperial China.

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Nelson Mandela

Mandela, Nelson (1918– ), South African political leader and a major figure in the black protest movement against the racial segregation policies (known as apartheid) of the white-dominated South African government. Son of a tribal chief of the Transkei territory, he became a lawyer in 1942 and joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944. He gained prominence as a leader of the black…

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Winnie Mandela

Mandela, Winnie (Winifred Nomzamo Madikileza; 1936?– ), anti-apartheid activist in the Republic of South Africa, wife of Nelson Mandela.

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Bernard Mandeville

Mandeville, Bernard (c.1670–1733), Dutch-born English philosopher and satirist.

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Mandingo

Mandingo, West African ethnic group, descendants of the founders of the Mali Empire, (fl. 1240–1500).

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Mandolin

Mandolin, instrument of the lute family.

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Mandrake

Mandrake, herbaceous perennial plant (Mandragora officinarum) of the nightshade family, with purplish or white flowers, a thin stalk, and a forked root resembling the human form.

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Mandrill

Mandrill, colorful monkey (Mandrillus sphinx) of central West Africa.

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Edouard Manet

Manet, Edouard (1832–83), French painter.

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Manganese

Manganese, chemical element, symbol Mn; for physical constants see Periodic Table.

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Mange

Mange, disease of the skin that affects domestic and farm animals.

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Mango

Mango, tropical evergreen tree (Mangifera indica) of the sumac family, and its fruit, originally from eastern Asia.

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Mangosteen

Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), tropical tree of the garcinia family, native to Southeast Asia; also, the fruit of that tree.

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Mangrove

Mangrove, evergreen tree (genus Rhizophora) native to tropical and subtropical coasts, estuaries, and swamps.

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Manhattan

Manhattan, one of the 5 boroughs of New York City, consisting mainly of Manhattan Island, bounded by the East River, the Harlem River, the Hudson River, and New York Bay. Peter Minuit originally bought the island from a Native American tribe, the Manhattan, for $24 worth of beads and cloth in 1626 and called it New Amsterdam. The commercial and financial center of New York City, Manhattan i…

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Manhattan Project

Manhattan Project, wartime project begun in 1942 to develop nuclear weapons.

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Mani

Mani See: Manichaeism.

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Mania

Mania See: Mental illness.

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Manic-depressive disorder

Manic-depressive disorder, or bipolar disorder, mental illness characterized either as mania (excitement, irrational judgment, increase in activity) or depression (lethargy, feelings of worthlessness, guilt), and, in some cases, alternating between mania and depression.

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Manichaeism

Manichaeism, or Manichaeanism, religion founded by Mani (C.A.D. 216–76), a Persian sage who claimed to be the Paraclete (intercessor) promised by Christ.

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Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny, phrase coined in 1845 that implied divine sanction for the United States “to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our multiplying millions.” The concept was used to justify most U.S. territorial gains, especially during the Spanish-American War.

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Manila

Manila (pop. 1,600,000), city (founded 1571) on Manila Bay, capital of the Philippines (before 1948 and after 1976).

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Manila hemp

Manila hemp See: Abaca.

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Manioc

Manioc See: Cassava.

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Manitoba

Manitoba, sixth largest province in Canada and easternmost of the Prairie Provinces. Manitoba is bordered by Ontario and Hudson Bay on the east, Saskatchewan on the west, Minnesota and North Dakota to the south, and the Northwest Territories to the north. The province has an area of 251,000 sq mi/650,090 sq km including 39,225 sq mi/101,593 sq km of inland waterways. There are some 100,000 lakes i…

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Lake Manitoba

Manitoba, Lake See: Lake Manitoba.

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University of Manitoba

Manitoba, University of, major educational institution of Manitoba, in western Canada.

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Manitoulin Islands

Manitoulin Islands, chain of islands situated northwest of Georgian Bay and separated from the northern shore of Lake Huron by the North Channel.

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Horace Mann

Mann, Horace (1796–1859), U.S. educator, lawyer, and politician.

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Thomas Mann

Mann, Thomas (1875–1955), German writer, winner of the 1929 Nobel Prize for literature.

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Mannerism

Mannerism, artistic and architectural style (c.1520–1600) developed in Bologna, Florence, and Rome as a reaction to the classical principles of the Renaissance.

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Mannheim

Mannheim (pop. 312,000), city in southwestern Germany, one of Europe's major inland ports.

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Manometer

Manometer, instrument for measuring the pressure of gases and vapors, especially those too low to be measured by a pressure gauge.

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Manorialism

Manorialism, socio-economic system of Europe in the early Middle Ages.

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Mansa Musa

Mansa Musa (?–1337?), ruler of the Mali Empire (1312–37?).

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Katherine Mansfield

Mansfield, Katherine (Kathleen Beauchamp; 1888–1923), New Zealand-born English writer.

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Paul Manship

Manship, Paul (1885–1966), U.S. sculptor best known for his interpretations of classical mythological subjects, among which is his statue Prometheus (1934) at Rockefeller Center, New York City.

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Manslaughter

Manslaughter, in U.S. criminal law, unlawful but unpremeditated killing of another human being.

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Manta ray

Manta ray See: Ray.

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Andrea Mantegna

Mantegna, Andrea (1431–1506), Italian painter and engraver.

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Mantid

Mantid, or praying mantis, large predatory insect of the Mantidae family (or order Mantodea).

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Mickey Mantle

Mantle, Mickey (1931– ), U.S. baseball player.

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Mantra

Mantra, in Hinduism and Buddhism, sacred utterance believed to possess supernatural power.

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Manu

Manu, in Hindu mythology, the lawgiver.

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