helicopter: Principles of flight and operation: …uses the collective and cyclic pitch control (see below) to vary this pitch angle. In a fixed-wing aircraft, the angle of attack (the angle of the wing in relation to the relative wind) is important in determining lift. The same is true in a helicopter, where the angle of attack…

Renata Adler: Like Speedboat, Adler’s second novel, Pitch Dark (1983), is episodic and nonlinear; critical response to both was mixed.

Pitch Lake, natural asphalt deposit at La Brea, on the southwestern coast of Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago, southeastern West Indies. Known to European explorers since the 16th century for its large surface exposure of pure asphalt, the deposit covers some 100 acres (40 hectares) and has a maximum

pitch lake, large surface deposit of natural asphalt, a mixture of heavy oils that is left after the lighter, more volatile components of a crude-oil seepage have evaporated. An example is Guanoco Lake (also known as Bermúdez Lake) in Venezuela, which covers more than 445 hectares (1,100 acres) and

Christina Aguilera: …appeared in such films as Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) and Life of the Party (2018) and voiced the character of Akiko Glitter in The Emoji Movie (2017).

Mike White: Career: …Emoji Movie, and the musical-comedy Pitch Perfect 3 (all 2017), among others. In 2018 he competed in the long-running reality show Survivor, finishing as that season’s runner-up.

pine: Major North American pines: The pitch pine (P. rigida), found from the coast of Massachusetts southwestward throughout the Appalachian region, is a tree 12 to 15 metres (39 to 49 feet) in height with a rugged trunk, occasionally 1 metre (3.3 feet) in diameter. The tree is one of the…

wood: Variation of structure and defects: …and tension wood, shakes, and pitch pockets. Knots are caused by inclusion of dead or living branches. Because branches are indispensable members of a living tree, knots are largely unavoidable, but they can be reduced by silvicultural means, such as spacing of trees and pruning. Spiral grain is the spiral…

pitchblende, amorphous, black, pitchy form of the crystalline uranium oxide mineral uraninite (q.v.); it is one of the primary mineral ores of uranium, containing 50–80 percent of that element. Three chemical elements were first discovered in pitchblende: uranium by the German chemist Martin

roof: …a wide variety of forms—flat, pitched, vaulted, domed, or in combinations—as dictated by technical, economic, or aesthetic considerations.

cobra plant: The plant’s hooded pitcherlike leaves resemble striking cobras and bear purple-red appendages that look similar to a snake’s forked tongue or a set of fangs. Those stalkless hollow leaves spring from the rootstalk and are 40–85 cm (16–33 inches) tall. Insects and other small animals are drawn to…

baseball: Movement and expansion: The earned run averages for pitchers during this era averaged 3.30, and the major league batting average fell as low as .238 in 1968. Several changes in the game were believed to account for the resurgence of pitching; the strike zone was expanded in 1963; managers explored more strategic uses…

sculpture: Carving tools and techniques: …block, a tool called a pitcher is driven into the surface with a heavy iron hammer. The pitcher is a thick, chisel-like tool with a wide beveled edge that breaks rather than cuts the stone. The heavy point then does the main roughing out, followed by the fine point, which…

pitcher plant, any carnivorous plant with pitcher-shaped leaves that form a passive pitfall trap. Old World pitcher plants are members of the family Nepenthaceae (order Caryophyllales), while those of the New World belong to the family Sarraceniaceae (order Ericales). The Western Australian pitcher

stagecraft: Costume of the 18th and 19th centuries: The ingenious designer C. Wilhelm (original name C. Pitcher) translated insects, flowers, birds, and reptiles into dance costumes. The main interest of most designers, however, lay in framing the female figure, and many theatrical costumes were designed to reveal as much as the law permitted.

Molly Pitcher was a heroine of the Battle of Monmouth during the American Revolution. According to legend, at the Battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778), Mary Hays, wife of artilleryman William Hays, carried water to cool both the cannon and the soldiers in her husband’s battery—hence the nickname

Arcade Fire: …reverently by online music magazine Pitchfork, leading to a barrage of mainstream press coverage. Almost immediately it outsold every prior release in Merge’s 15-year history. Additionally, Arcade Fire’s success helped cement Pitchfork’s reputation as an indie rock tastemaker.

Pitchfork Music Festival: Pitchfork Media, a Chicago-based Internet publisher of music news and reviews, curated the Intonation Music Festival in 2005. The following year the company organized its own Pitchfork Music Festival. It was held over two days in July and attracted more than 36,000 fans to hear…

Pitchfork Music Festival, annual summer rock festival, held in Chicago’s Union Park, that focuses primarily on independent artists from the alternative rock, electro-pop, and hip-hop genres. Pitchfork Media, a Chicago-based Internet publisher of music news and reviews, curated the Intonation Music

baseball: Movement and expansion: …came an era of superb pitching that dominated the league for a generation. The earned run averages for pitchers during this era averaged 3.30, and the major league batting average fell as low as .238 in 1968. Several changes in the game were believed to account for the resurgence of…

soap and detergent: Boiling process: The final stage, called pitching and settling, transforms the mass into neat soap and removes dirt and colouring matter. After the strong change, the soap may be given one or more saltwater washes to remove free alkali, or it may be pitched directly. Pitching involves boiling the mass with…

baseball: Pitching: When the manager or pitching coach detects signs of weakening on the part of the pitcher in the game, these bullpen pitchers begin warming up by throwing practice pitches. Since the early 1950s, relief pitching has grown in importance and become more specialized. Typically, one relief pitcher is designated…

baseball: Pitching: …as starting pitchers, or the rotation starters. They take their turn every four or five days, resting in between. The remainder of the staff constitute the bullpen squad or the relief pitchers. When the manager or pitching coach detects signs of weakening on the part of the pitcher in the…

pitchstone, a volcanic glass with a conchoidal fracture (like glass), a resinous lustre, and a variable composition. Its colour may be mottled, streaked, or uniform brown, red, green, gray, or black. It is formed by the rapid cooling of viscous lava or magma. Most pitchstone occurs as dikes or

Kosovo: Daily life and social customs: …with cream and yogurt, and pite, a phyllo pastry with cheese, meat, or vegetable filling. A distinctive dish is llokuma (sometimes translated as “wedding doughnuts”), deep-fried dough puffs eaten with yogurt and garlic or with honey. Baklava is the most common sweet to serve for special occasions.

Mauritius hemp, (Furcraea foetida), plant of the asparagus family (Asparagaceae) and its fibre, belonging to the leaf fibre group. The fibre is made into bagging and other coarse fabrics and is sometimes mixed with other fibres to improve colour in rope. Despite its name, it is not a true hemp. The

Piteşti, city, capital of Argeş judeƫ (county), south-central Romania. It lies 70 miles (110 km) northwest of Bucharest and is situated in the Argeş River valley, there sheltered by surrounding hills. Piteşti developed in the Middle Ages as a trading centre between the mountainous Transylvania

H.H. Holmes: …a scheme with an associate, Ben Pitezel, to defraud an insurance company by faking Pitezel’s death. After Pitezel purchased a $10,000 life insurance policy, he and Mudgett traveled to Colorado, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas, where they committed other acts of fraud (along the way, Mudgett also married).…

André De Toth: …and psychologically disturbing B-movies, notably Pitfall (1948), but was best known to the general public for House of Wax (1953), widely considered the best of the early 3-D films.

angiosperm: Stems: …and that within is the pith. Ground tissue called the interfascicular parenchyma lies between the procambial strands and remains continuous with the cortex and pith. As the vascular tissue grows, xylem and phloem develop, the vascular bundles mature, the single-layered epidermis differentiates as epidermal cells, trichomes, and a few stomata,…

pīṭhā, “seats,” or “benches,” of the Goddess, usually numbered at 108 and associated with the parts of the deity’s body and with the various aspects of her divine female power, or śakti. Many of the 108 pīṭhās have become important pilgrimage sites for members of the Shakti sects of Hinduism. The

pīṭhā, “seats,” or “benches,” of the Goddess, usually numbered at 108 and associated with the parts of the deity’s body and with the various aspects of her divine female power, or śakti. Many of the 108 pīṭhās have become important pilgrimage sites for members of the Shakti sects of Hinduism. The

Marcus Antistius Labeo: …(Epistulae and Responsa), and the Pithana, a collection of definitions and axiomatic legal propositions. He had a special interest in dialectics and language as aids in legal exposition. His progressive outlook and bold innovations are confirmed in surviving fragments of his works and in the abundant citations and annotations of…

Pithecanthropus, former genus name assigned to fossil hominids including Java man (q.v.) and Peking man (q.v.), both now classified as Homo

Java man, extinct hominin (member of the human lineage) known from fossil remains found on the island of Java, Indonesia. A skullcap and femur (thighbone) discovered by the Dutch anatomist and geologist Eugène Dubois in the early 1890s were the first known fossils of the species Homo erectus.

Charles Mingus: …cited extended work is “Pithecanthropus Erectus,” a musical interpretation of human evolution. His volatile personality and opinions were captured in his autobiography, Beneath the Underdog, published in 1971.

Peking man, extinct hominin of the species Homo erectus, known from fossils found at Zhoukoudian near Beijing. Peking man was identified as a member of the human lineage by Davidson Black in 1927 on the basis of a single tooth. Later excavations yielded several skullcaps and mandibles, facial and

saki: …“true” sakis of the genus Pithecia are approximately 30–50 cm (12–20 inches) long, not including the bushy, tapering tail of 25–55 cm (about 10–22 inches). Females generally weigh less than 2 kg (4.4 pounds) and males more than 2 kg. These sakis are covered with long coarse hair that falls…

saki: Several other species, including the monk saki (P. monachus), are grizzled gray with less difference between the sexes. Sakis are active by day (diurnal) and live in monogamous pairs. They feed on fruit, leaves, and especially seeds, which they grind in their powerful jaws. Births are single; the young at…

saki: The male white-faced, or pale-headed, saki (Pithecia pithecia) is black with a whitish face surrounding the dark muzzle, but the female is grizzled gray with a gray face and a white line on either side of the muzzle. Several other species, including the monk saki (P. monachus), are grizzled…

primate: Classification: Family Pitheciidae (sakis, uakaris, and titis) 4 genera, 29 or more South American species. 3 fossil species in 2 genera dating from the Middle Miocene to Holocene. Family Atelidae (spider, woolly,

Philippine eagle, (Pithecophaga jefferyi), large bird of prey inhabiting mountainous rainforests on the Philippine islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao (the last of which supports most of the bird’s population). The species is one of the largest eagles in the world in length and wingspan,

Peter Wentworth: …in the Tower he wrote A Pithie Exhortation to her Majesty for establishing her Successor to the Crown, a famous treatise preserved in the British Museum.

spider crab: Hyas, Sternorhynchus, Pitho, and Lambrus are common on the Atlantic coast of North America. Pacific coast spider crabs include the genera Loxorhynchus, Pugettia, and Epialtus.

Pithom, ancient Egyptian city located near Ismailia in Al-Ismāʿīliyyah muḥāfaẓah (governorate) and mentioned in the Bible (Exodus 1:11) as one of the treasure houses built for the pharaoh by the Hebrews prior to the Exodus. Although Pithom has been identified as Tall al-Maskhūṭah, excavations at

Pithoragarh, town, southern Uttarakhand state, northern India. It lies about 35 miles (55 km) east of Almora, on a ridge of the Himalayan foothills. The surrounding area lies entirely within the Himalayas and is bordered by Nepal to the east and China to the north. Rice, barley, and wheat are

Pierre Pithou was a lawyer and historian who was one of the first French scholars to collect and analyze source material of France’s history. Reared as a Calvinist, Pithou received his lawyer’s robes at Paris (1560) after he had earned recognition by his essays on Roman laws. On the outbreak of the

Hagåtña: …just northeast of Hagåtña, and Piti, to the southwest, have become major business centres at the expense of the capital. Hagåtña usually enjoys a mild climate but is often struck by typhoons. Pop. (2000) 1,122; (2010) 1,051.

Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach who was the first head coach to win a men’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I national championship with two different schools (the University of Kentucky in 1996 and the University of Louisville in 2013). However, his 2013 title

trigonometry table: …period occurred with the German Bartholomeo Pitiscus. It was Pitiscus who coined the word trigonometry, and his Thesaurus Mathematicus (1615) contained tables of sines and cosines calculated at 10′ intervals that were accurate to 15 decimal places. Later, still more accurate tables were constructed with the help of logarithms, invented…

Balearic Islands: …group is known as the Pitiusas and includes the islands of Ibiza (Eivissa) and Formentera. The archipelago is an extension of the sub-Baetic cordillera of peninsular Spain, and the two are linked by a sill near Cape Nao in the province of Alicante. The Balearic Islands autonomous community was established…

Anatolia: The Hittite occupation of Anatolia: …kings of Kussara (Kushshar) named Pitkhanas and Anittas. The city called Kussara has yet to be identified, but the text gives an impressive list of cities that Pitkhanas had conquered, and among them appears the name of Nesa, which his son, Anittas, subsequently adopted as his capital. Also included in…

Pitkin glass: …rests almost entirely on so-called Pitkin flasks, which were much sought by collectors in the 1920s. These flasks, which vary in colour from green to aquamarine and amber, were a kind of pocket bottle molded with a swirl or ribbed pattern. Pitkin flasks made in the Eastern glasshouses are generally…

Pitkin glass, a glassware originating from a glasshouse established by the Pitkin family in East Hartford (now Manchester), Conn., in 1783 and active until c. 1830. The product’s fame rests almost entirely on so-called Pitkin flasks, which were much sought by collectors in the 1920s. These flasks,

Sir David Wilkie: His first important painting, Pitlessie Fair (1804), was a genre picture in the Dutch manner owing much to the works of David Teniers the Younger and Adriaen van Ostade. It set the style that Wilkie was to pursue for the next 20 years, in which he recorded humble rural…

dam: Gates: …drum gates are installed at Pitlochry Dam in Scotland.

keyboard instrument: Stop and key mechanisms: …most usual type is the pitman chest, so called because it contains a type of floating valve called a pitman. This action is commonly known as electropneumatic.

Pitman shorthand, system of rapid writing based on the sounds of words (i.e., the phonetic principle) rather than on conventional spellings. Invented by Sir Isaac Pitman, an English educator, the Pitman shorthand method was first published in 1837 as Stenographic Sound Hand. Pitman’s system

Sir Isaac Pitman was an English educator and inventor of the shorthand system named for him. After clerking in a textile mill, Pitman entered a training college for teachers (1831) and taught in elementary schools for 11 years before opening his own private school in Bath. Earlier he had taken up

Gene Pitney was an American singer and songwriter known for dramatic pop balladry. Pitney first gained success as a songwriter with hits such as “Hello Mary Lou” (recorded by Rick Nelson in 1961) and “He’s a Rebel” (recorded by the Crystals in 1962). In 1961 Pitney began recording his compositions,

Atlantic City: …was first envisioned by physician Jonathan Pitney, who arrived about 1820 and wanted to establish a health resort. He later headed a group that persuaded the Camden and Atlantic Railroad to make the place its eastern terminus. Its success spurred construction of another line, the Narrow Gauge Railroad, in 1877.

Mahlon Pitney was an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court (1912–22). After graduating from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), Pitney studied law with his father and took over his father’s practice when the latter was appointed vice chancellor of New Jersey in

Georges Pitoëff was a Russian-born director and producer, noted for his popularization in France of the works of contemporary foreign playwrights, especially Luigi Pirandello, George Bernard Shaw, Anton Chekhov, Arthur Schnitzler, and Eugene O’Neill. He was a member of the Cartel des Quatre (Group

Sergio Pitol was a Mexican author, whose work drew heavily on his experiences from time spent abroad and probed at length the meaning of identity. He was the recipient of the 2005 Cervantes Prize. Pitol was born into a family of Italian descent. His childhood was a difficult one, marked by his

log: …in use today are the pitometre log and the electronic log. The pitometre uses a pitot tube (see Henri Pitot) projecting through the bottom of the ship. The tube has one forward-facing and two side-facing orifices. When the ship is moving, pressure in the forward-facing tube exceeds the pressure in…

mountaineering: Techniques: …crack in the rock; the piton, which is a metal spike, with an eye or ring in one end, that is hammered into a crack; the bolt, which is a metal rod that is hammered into a hole drilled by the climber and to whose exposed, threaded end a hanger…

Carbet Mountains, volcanic mountain mass on the Caribbean island of Martinique, in the Lesser Antilles. The peaks are about 3.5 miles (6 km) from the west coast, standing between Saint-Pierre and Fort-de-France. They rise to 3,924 feet (1,196 metres) at Lacroix, 3,806 feet (1,160 metres) at Piquet,

pitot tube, instrument for measuring the velocity (speed) of a flowing fluid. Invented by Henri Pitot (1695–1771), it consists of a tube with a short right-angled bend, which is placed vertically in a moving fluid with the mouth of the bent part directed upstream; the pressure, measured with an

Henri Pitot was a French hydraulic engineer and inventor of the pitot tube, which measures flow velocity. Beginning his career as a mathematician and astronomer, Pitot won election to the Academy of Sciences in 1724. He became interested in the problem of flow of water in rivers and canals and

pitri, in Hinduism, any of the spirits of the dead ancestors or of all the dead who have been cremated or buried in accordance with the proper rites. In the Vedas, the sacred scriptures of ancient India, the “fathers” were considered to be immortal like the gods and to share in the sacrifice,

pitri, in Hinduism, any of the spirits of the dead ancestors or of all the dead who have been cremated or buried in accordance with the proper rites. In the Vedas, the sacred scriptures of ancient India, the “fathers” were considered to be immortal like the gods and to share in the sacrifice,

pitri, in Hinduism, any of the spirits of the dead ancestors or of all the dead who have been cremated or buried in accordance with the proper rites. In the Vedas, the sacred scriptures of ancient India, the “fathers” were considered to be immortal like the gods and to share in the sacrifice,

Thomas Mokopu Mofolo: Mofolo’s second novel, Pitseng (1910), is also a Christian fable, but in this case his young hero understands that white people have betrayed the promise of their religion. Mofolo’s third and last book, Chaka (1925), became the classic on which his reputation rests. A historical novel about the…

Ealing: Pitshanger Manor (1770; now a museum) was owned by Sir John Soane in the early 1800s. Hanwell has a railway viaduct built in 1838 by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Regent diamond, a brilliant-cut stone with a slight blue tinge that once was the outstanding gem of the French crown jewels; it was discovered in India in 1701 and weighed 410 carats in rough form. It was purchased by Sir Thomas Pitt, British governor in Madras, who published a letter in the London

Butaritari Atoll, coral atoll of the Gilbert Islands, part of Kiribati, in the west-central Pacific Ocean. Located in the northern Gilberts, it comprises a central lagoon (11 miles [18 km] wide) ringed by islets. The lagoon provides a good deep anchorage with three passages to the open sea. Most of

William Pitt, the Elder was a British statesman, twice virtual prime minister (1756–61, 1766–68), who secured the transformation of his country into an imperial power. Pitt was born in London of a distinguished family. His mother, Lady Harriet Villiers, daughter of Viscount Grandison, belonged to

Government of India Acts: Pitt’s India Act (1784), named for the British prime minister William Pitt the Younger, established the dual system of control by the British government and the East India Company, by which the company retained control of commerce and day-to-day administration but important political matters were reserved…

Government of India Acts: Pitt’s India Act (1784), named for the British prime minister William Pitt the Younger, established the dual system of control by the British government and the East India Company, by which the company retained control of commerce and day-to-day administration but important political matters were reserved…

Brad Pitt is an American actor known for his portrayal of unconventional characters. After gaining attention for his role in Thelma & Louise (1991), Pitt channeled his magnetism as a leading man in such movies as A River Runs Through It (1992) and Legends of the Fall (1994) but avoided being

Thomas Pitt was a British merchant whose involvement in the East India trade brought him into conflict with the British East India Company; later, the company made him governor of Madras, India. Pitt was the grandfather of William Pitt, the Elder, the great 18th-century British statesman. Without

Pittsburgh: History: The British built Fort Pitt (1761) to ensure their dominance at the source of the Ohio. Settlers began arriving after Native American forces led by Ottawa chief Pontiac were defeated in 1763; an agreement subsequently was made between Native American groups and the Penn family, and a boundary…

Harvey Pitt was an American jurist who was associated with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for more than three decades, serving as its chairman in 2001–03. Pitt earned an undergraduate degree from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York in 1965 and a J.D. from St.

Norfolk Island: … (1,047 feet [319 m]) and Mount Pitt (1,043 feet [318 m]). Kingston, in the south, is the main settlement and administrative centre. Area 13 square miles (35 square km). Population (2016) 1,748.

Thomas Pitt was a British merchant whose involvement in the East India trade brought him into conflict with the British East India Company; later, the company made him governor of Madras, India. Pitt was the grandfather of William Pitt, the Elder, the great 18th-century British statesman. Without

Brad Pitt is an American actor known for his portrayal of unconventional characters. After gaining attention for his role in Thelma & Louise (1991), Pitt channeled his magnetism as a leading man in such movies as A River Runs Through It (1992) and Legends of the Fall (1994) but avoided being

William Pitt, the Elder was a British statesman, twice virtual prime minister (1756–61, 1766–68), who secured the transformation of his country into an imperial power. Pitt was born in London of a distinguished family. His mother, Lady Harriet Villiers, daughter of Viscount Grandison, belonged to

William Pitt, the Younger was a British prime minister (1783–1801, 1804–06) during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. He had considerable influence in strengthening the office of the prime minister. William Pitt was the second son of William Pitt, 1st earl of Chatham, a famous statesman

Augustus Henry Lane-Fox Pitt-Rivers was an archaeologist often called the “father of British archaeology,” who stressed the need for total excavation of sites, thorough stratigraphic observation and recording, and prompt and complete publication. Like Sir Flinders Petrie, Pitt-Rivers adopted a

pitta, (family Pittidae), any of about 30 species of exceptionally colourful Old World birds making up genus Pitta (order Passeriformes). Because of their brilliant plumage, they are sometimes called jewelthrushes. All are stub tailed, long legged, and short necked. They have a rather stout bill

pitta, (family Pittidae), any of about 30 species of exceptionally colourful Old World birds making up genus Pitta (order Passeriformes). Because of their brilliant plumage, they are sometimes called jewelthrushes. All are stub tailed, long legged, and short necked. They have a rather stout bill

Siddha medicine: Humoral pathology: These three components—vata, pitta, and kapha (representing air, fire, and water, respectively)—are known as humours, and their inharmonious interaction produces various pathological states.

halloumi: …then served with salad and pita bread, or it is eaten with watermelon on hot summer days. In Lebanon, where it is known as kebab cheese, it is cubed, threaded on skewers, grilled over charcoal, and then sold as a popular street snack. Its taste is salty but mild with…

pitta: The Indian pitta (P. brachyura) is typically colourful, with shimmering blue wing plumage. The blue-winged pitta (P. moluccensis), whose wings are not only blue but also emerald, white, and black, is common from Myanmar (Burma) to Sumatra. The eared pitta (P. phayrei) is less colourful but…

pitta: Gurney’s pitta (P. gurneyi)—a gorgeous 21-cm (8-inch) bird with a blue cap, black mask, yellow collar, black breast, buff wings, and turquoise tail—is today among the rarest birds in the world. Though once not uncommon from peninsular Thailand to the lowland forests of Myanmar, it…

pitta: The blue-winged pitta (P. moluccensis), whose wings are not only blue but also emerald, white, and black, is common from Myanmar (Burma) to Sumatra. The eared pitta (P. phayrei) is less colourful but sports deep chestnut hues and a distinctive set of white pointed head plumes.

pitta: For instance, the fairy pitta (P. nympha) breeds in Japan, Korea, and eastern China but winters much farther south in Borneo.

Pittacus Of Mytilene was a statesman and sage who is known as one of the Seven Wise Men of ancient Greece. He collaborated with the brothers of the poet Alcaeus in the overthrow of the tyrant Melanchrus (612/611?) and distinguished himself as a commander in the war against Athens for Sigium,

glacial landform: Glaciofluvial deposits: …is referred to as a pitted outwash plain.

pitted shell turtle, (species Carettochelys insculpta), any member of a single species in the turtle family Carettochelyidae. The species lives in rivers in southern New Guinea and in a limited region in northern Australia. A combination of characteristics separates C. insculpta from other turtles,