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tallow
(Encyclopedia) tallow, solid fat extracted from the tissues and fatty deposits of animals, especially from suet (the fat of cattle and sheep). Pure tallow is white, odorless and tasteless; it…poltergeist
(Encyclopedia) poltergeistpoltergeistpōlˈtərgīst [key] [Ger.,=knocking ghost], in spiritism, certain phenomena, such as rapping, movement of furniture, and breaking of crockery, for which there is no…spectrophotometer
(Encyclopedia) spectrophotometer, instrument for measuring and comparing the intensities of common spectral lines in the spectra of two different sources of light. See photometry; spectroscope;…spiderwort
(Encyclopedia) spiderwort, common name for some members of the Commelinaceae, a family of tropical and subtropical succulent herbs found especially in Africa and the Americas. Species of the…spinel
(Encyclopedia) spinel, magnesium aluminum oxide, MgAl2O4, a mineral crystallizing in the isometric system, usually as octahedrons. It occurs as an accessory mineral in basic igneous rocks, in…sorrel tree
(Encyclopedia) sorrel tree, common name for a variety of plants, including the Australian hibiscus, Hibiscus heterophyllus, of the mallow family. The staggerbush, Lyoma mariana, and the sourwood,…safety valve
(Encyclopedia) safety valve, device attached to a boiler or other vessel for automatically relieving the pressure of steam before it becomes great enough to cause bursting. The common spring-loaded…crow, in zoology
(Encyclopedia) crow, partially migratory black bird, genus Corvus, of the same family as the raven, the magpie, the jay, and the rook and the jackdaw of Europe. The American, or common, crow, C.…crucifixion
(Encyclopedia) crucifixion, hanging on a cross, in ancient times a method of capital punishment. It was practiced widely in the Middle East but not by the Greeks. The Romans, who may have borrowed it…cormorant
(Encyclopedia) cormorantcormorantkôrˈmərənt [key], common name for large aquatic birds, related to the gannet and the pelican, and found chiefly in temperate and tropical regions, usually on the sea…Trending
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