- basic set (music)
12-tone music: …to be known as its basic set, its 12-tone row, or its 12-tone series, all of which terms are synonymous. The basic set for Schoenberg’s Wind Quintet (1924) is E♭–G–A–B–C♯–C–B♭–D–E–F♯–A♭–F; for his String Quartet No. 4 (1936) it is D–C♯–A–B♭–F–E♭–E–C–A♭–G–F♯–B.
- basic solar motion (astronomy)
Milky Way Galaxy: Solar motion solutions: The term basic solar motion has been used by some astronomers to define the motion of the Sun relative to stars moving in its neighbourhood in perfectly circular orbits around the galactic centre. The basic solar motion differs from the standard solar motion because of the noncircular…
- Basic stock analysis for beginners
When investors hear the term “stock analysis,” they might picture an MBA at an investment bank, working 100-hour weeks poring over quantitative data. The good news is, these days, you don’t need a degree in finance to analyze a stock. And much of the data you’ll need is available for free on any
- Basic Telecommunications Agreement (international trade)
tariff: Tariff reduction and the growth of international trade: …Information Technology Agreement (ITA) and Basic Telecommunications Agreement (BTA) reduced the tariffs on computer and telecommunications products and some intangible goods considered to be drivers of the developing knowledge-based economy. The rapid growth of the Internet and electronic commerce (e-commerce) represented some of the most challenging new issues in the…
- Basic Training (documentary film by Wiseman [1971])
Frederick Wiseman: …(Hospital [1970]), military training (Basic Training [1971]), a juvenile court (Juvenile Court [1973]), animal experimentation (Primate [1974]), a city welfare office (Welfare [1975]), an exclusive department store (The Store [1983]), an intensive-care hospital ward (Near Death [1989]), and a public
- Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel, The (play by Rabe)
American literature: The Off-Broadway ascendancy: David Rabe’s The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel (1971) and Sticks and Bones (1972) satirized America’s militaristic nationalism and cultural shallowness. David Mamet won a New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for American Buffalo (1976). In plays such as Glengarry Glen Ross (1984), he
- Basic Treaty (1972)
Germany: Ostpolitik and reconciliation, 1969–89: …and East Germany concluded the Basic Treaty, which regularized the relations of the two German states. By its terms each side recognized, and agreed to respect, the other’s authority and independence. Each foreswore any title to represent the other internationally, which meant West Germany’s abandonment of its long-standing claim to…
- Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (United States military program)
Navy SEAL: Training and deployment: …enter an extremely rigorous six-month Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training program, often said to be the toughest in the U.S. military. There they undergo constant physical and mental conditioning and are trained in a host of skills, including basic water competency and swimming, underwater combat, weapons and demolitions, and navigating…
- Basic Vocabulary (work by Ogden)
C.K. Ogden: His Basic Vocabulary (1930) and Basic English (1930) were followed by The System of Basic English (1934). General interest in Basic English did not develop until after 1943, however, when Winston Churchill, with the support of Franklin D. Roosevelt, appointed a committee to study the extension…
- basicity (chemistry)
oxide: Metal oxides: In general, basicity increases down a group (e.g., in the alkaline earth oxides, BeO < MgO < CaO < SrO < BaO). Acidity increases with increasing oxidation number of the element. For example, of the five oxides of manganese, MnO (in which manganese has an oxidation state…
- Basics of margin calls: An unpleasant flip side of using leverage
A margin call is the kind of call no investor or trader wants to get. When you invest or trade in a margin account, you borrow money to buy or sell stocks, futures contracts, or other assets. If the market moves against you past a certain point, your broker will call on you to cough up additional
- basidia (biology)
basidium, in fungi (kingdom Fungi), the organ in the members of the phylum Basidiomycota (q.v.) that bears sexually reproduced bodies called basidiospores. The basidium serves as the site of karyogamy and meiosis, functions by which sex cells fuse, exchange nuclear material, and divide to reproduce
- basidiocarp (sporophore)
basidiocarp, in fungi, a large sporophore, or fruiting body, in which sexually produced spores are formed on the surface of club-shaped structures (basidia). Basidiocarps are found among the members of the phylum Basidiomycota (q.v.), with the exception of the rust and smut fungi. The largest
- basidioma (sporophore)
basidiocarp, in fungi, a large sporophore, or fruiting body, in which sexually produced spores are formed on the surface of club-shaped structures (basidia). Basidiocarps are found among the members of the phylum Basidiomycota (q.v.), with the exception of the rust and smut fungi. The largest
- Basidiomycetes (class of fungi)
poison: Mycotoxins: …mostly members of the class Basidiomycetes, although some Ascomycetes, such as the poisonous false morel (Gyromitra esculenta), may attain a size as large as some of the mushrooms.
- Basidiomycota (phylum of fungi)
Basidiomycota, large and diverse phylum of fungi (kingdom Fungi) that includes jelly and shelf fungi; mushrooms, puffballs, and stinkhorns; certain yeasts; and the rusts and smuts. Basidiomycota are typically filamentous fungi composed of hyphae. Most species reproduce sexually with a club-shaped
- basidium (biology)
basidium, in fungi (kingdom Fungi), the organ in the members of the phylum Basidiomycota (q.v.) that bears sexually reproduced bodies called basidiospores. The basidium serves as the site of karyogamy and meiosis, functions by which sex cells fuse, exchange nuclear material, and divide to reproduce
- Basie, Count (American musician)
Count Basie was an American jazz musician noted for his spare, economical piano style and for his leadership of influential and widely heralded big bands. Basie studied music with his mother and was later influenced by the Harlem pianists James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, receiving informal
- Basie, William (American musician)
Count Basie was an American jazz musician noted for his spare, economical piano style and for his leadership of influential and widely heralded big bands. Basie studied music with his mother and was later influenced by the Harlem pianists James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, receiving informal
- Basil (prince of Moldavia)
Basil was an ambitious and enterprising prince of Moldavia (1634–53) who introduced the first written laws and printing press to his principality. Albanian in origin, Basil acceded to the throne of Moldavia in the spring of 1634. He intrigued throughout his reign to acquire the Walachian throne as
- Basil (novel by Collins)
Wilkie Collins: …Fall of Rome (1850) and Basil (1852), a highly coloured tale of seduction and vengeance with a contemporary middle-class setting and passages of uncompromising realism. In 1851 he began an association with Dickens that exerted a formative influence on his career. Their admiration was mutual. Under Dickens’ influence, Collins developed…
- Basil (film by Bharadwaj [1998])
Jared Leto: Early life and career: …as in the period romance Basil (1998), which he followed up with the slasher movie Urban Legend (1998). He also appeared in Terrence Malick’s star-packed war drama The Thin Red Line (1998). Leto played club regular Angel Face in the cult classic Fight Club (1999) and had major roles in…
- basil (herb)
basil, (Ocimum basilicum), annual herb of the mint family (Lamiaceae), grown for its aromatic leaves. Basil is likely native to India and is widely grown as a kitchen herb. The leaves are used fresh or dried to flavour meats, fish, salads, and sauces; basil tea is a stimulant. Basil leaves are
- Basil Bulgaroctonus (Byzantine emperor)
Basil II was a Byzantine emperor (976–1025), who extended imperial rule in the Balkans (notably Bulgaria), Mesopotamia, Georgia, and Armenia and increased his domestic authority by attacking the powerful landed interests of the military aristocracy and of the church. The reign of Basil II, widely
- Basil I (patriarch of Constantinople)
Anthony III Studite: …Anthony became private secretary to Basil I, patriarch of Constantinople. In the struggle for the papal throne waged by Pope Benedict VII (reigned 974–983) and the antipope Boniface VII, who was suspected of having executed the previous pope, Benedict VI, Basil supported the claims of the legitimately elected Benedict VII.…
- Basil I (Byzantine emperor)
Basil I was the Byzantine emperor (867–886), who founded the Macedonian dynasty and formulated the Greek legal code that later became known as the Basilica. Basil came of a peasant family that had settled in Macedonia, perhaps of Armenian origin. He was a handsome and physically powerful man who
- Basil II (Byzantine emperor)
Basil II was a Byzantine emperor (976–1025), who extended imperial rule in the Balkans (notably Bulgaria), Mesopotamia, Georgia, and Armenia and increased his domestic authority by attacking the powerful landed interests of the military aristocracy and of the church. The reign of Basil II, widely
- Basil Of Ancyra (Greek theologian and bishop)
Basil Of Ancyra was a Greek theologian and bishop of Ancyra (now Ankara, Tur.) whose attempt to mediate a controversy in the Eastern Church was rejected by the heretical faction and brought about his exile. Basil, a physician, was nominated bishop in 336 by the Semi-Arian party (see Semi-Arianism).
- Basil of Caesarea (bishop of Caesarea)
St. Basil the Great ; Western feast day January 2; Eastern feast day January 1) was an early Church Father who defended the orthodox faith against the Arian heresy. As bishop of Caesarea, he wrote several works on monasticism, theology, and canon law. He was declared a saint soon after his death.
- Basil the Chamberlain (Byzantine official)
Basil the Chamberlain was a eunuch minister of the Byzantine Macedonian dynasty. After the death of the emperor John I, Basil the Chamberlain controlled the throne for his two grandnephews and co-emperors Constantine and Basil II. After engineering his uncle’s downfall, Basil II was finally able to
- Basil the Great, St. (bishop of Caesarea)
St. Basil the Great ; Western feast day January 2; Eastern feast day January 1) was an early Church Father who defended the orthodox faith against the Arian heresy. As bishop of Caesarea, he wrote several works on monasticism, theology, and canon law. He was declared a saint soon after his death.
- Basil the Macedonian (Byzantine emperor)
Basil I was the Byzantine emperor (867–886), who founded the Macedonian dynasty and formulated the Greek legal code that later became known as the Basilica. Basil came of a peasant family that had settled in Macedonia, perhaps of Armenian origin. He was a handsome and physically powerful man who
- Basil the Physician (Bogomil leader)
Nicholas III: …as heretical the Bogomil leader Basil the Physician and his adherents, an exclusive sect originating in Bulgaria and teaching a form of religious dualism that held that the devil created the material world. In 1118 the emperor Alexius had Basil burned at the stake, the only example of this in…
- Basil the Wolf (prince of Moldavia)
Basil was an ambitious and enterprising prince of Moldavia (1634–53) who introduced the first written laws and printing press to his principality. Albanian in origin, Basil acceded to the throne of Moldavia in the spring of 1634. He intrigued throughout his reign to acquire the Walachian throne as
- Basil, Colonel W. de (Soviet ballet director)
Colonel W. de Basil was a Russian impresario who in 1932 became codirector with René Blum of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. He lost the celebrated premier danseur Léonide Massine and several other dancers to Blum, who, with a U.S. sponsoring agency (World Art), reorganized the Ballet Russe de
- Basil, Liturgy of Saint (Christianity)
Liturgy of Saint Basil, a eucharistic service used by Eastern Orthodox and Eastern-rite Catholic churches 10 times during the year: January 1 (the feast of St. Basil), the first five Sundays in Lent, Holy Thursday, Holy Saturday, Christmas Eve, and the Eve of the Epiphany (unless Christmas or the
- Basil, Rule of St. (work of Saint Basil)
monasticism: Cenobitic: …austerities of the Desert Fathers, St. Basil’s rule was strict but not severe. Its asceticism was dedicated to the service of God, which was to be pursued through community life and obedience. Liturgical prayer and manual and mental work were obligatory. The Rule of St. Basil also enjoined or implied…
- Basilan (island, Philippines)
Basilan, island and city, southern Philippines, in the Celebes Sea. Basilan island lies 5 miles (8 km) off the southern tip of the Zamboanga Peninsula of Mindanao, across the Basilan Strait. It is the largest and northernmost island of the Sulu Archipelago. Most of the island consists of rugged or
- Basilan City (Philippines)
Basilan: The chief settlement is Isabela (also called Basilan City), and other towns include Lamitan, in the north of the island, and Maluso, in the west. The island was one of the centres of the 1972 Muslim rebellion in southern Mindanao.
- basilar artery (anatomy)
human cardiovascular system: The aorta and its principal branches: …the brain to form the basilar artery, which in turn divides into the posterior cerebral arteries. The blood supply to the brain is derived mainly from vessels that may be considered as branches of the circle of Willis, which is made up of the two vertebral and the two internal…
- basilar membrane (anatomy)
senses: Mechanical senses: …long membrane, known as the basilar membrane, which is tuned in such a way that high tones vibrate the region near the base and low tones vibrate the region near the apex. Sitting on the basilar membrane is the organ of Corti, an array of hair cells with stereocilia that…
- basilar papilla (anatomy)
human ear: Structure of the cochlea: …the basilar membrane is the organ of Corti, which contains the hair cells that give rise to nerve signals in response to sound vibrations. The side of the triangle is formed by two tissues that line the bony wall of the cochlea: the stria vascularis, which lines the outer wall…
- Basilarchia archippus (butterfly)
brush-footed butterfly: The viceroy (Basilarchia archippus or Limenitis archippus) is known for its mimetic relationship with the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). The two species resemble one another in their coloration, and both are distasteful to predators. Viceroy larvae feed on willow, aspen, and poplar foliage and retain in…
- Basildon (England, United Kingdom)
Basildon, new town, Basildon district, administrative and historic county of Essex, southeastern England. Basildon new town was established in 1949. It was one of eight established 20 to 30 miles (32 to 48 km) from central London to help alleviate the city’s acute post-World War II housing
- Basildon (district, England, United Kingdom)
Basildon, district, administrative and historic county of Essex, England. It occupies the southern part of the county, about 25 miles (40 km) east of central London. After World War I many Londoners settled in the Billericay area of Essex. The district includes Billericay and Wickford as well as
- Basildon, John (English calligrapher)
calligraphy: Writing manuals and copybooks (16th to 18th century): …master, Jean de Beauchesne, and John Baildon (or Basildon), about whom nothing further is known. Divers Sortes of Hands has characteristics of both writing manuals and copybooks: it includes instructions on how to make ink, cut a quill for writing, hold the pen (illustrated), and sit at a writing desk.…
- Basile Peak (mountain, Equatorial Guinea)
Bioko: …with its highest point being Santa Isabel Peak (9,869 feet [3,008 meters]). Malabo, Equatorial Guinea’s capital and chief port, stands on the island near a crater breached by the sea.
- Basile, Giambattista (Italian author)
Giambattista Basile was a Neapolitan soldier, public official, poet, and short-story writer whose Lo cunto de li cunti, 50 zestful tales written in Neapolitan, was one of the earliest such collections based on folktales and served as an important source both for the later fairy-tale writers Charles
- Basile, Mathieu (French socialist)
Jules Guesde was an organizer and early leader of the Marxist wing of the French labour movement. Guesde began his career as a radical journalist and in 1877 founded one of the first modern Socialist weeklies, L’Égalité. He consulted with Karl Marx and Paul Lafargue (a son-in-law of Marx) in 1880
- basilect (linguistics)
African American English: …which a vernacular loses its basilectal, or “creole,” features under the influence of the language from which it inherited most of its vocabulary. The basilect is the variety that is the most divergent from the local standard speech.) The consensus among linguists is that Ebonics is an American English dialect…
- basileis (ancient Greek official)
archon: …the kingship survived in the basileus, who, as chief religious officer, presided over the Areopagus (aristocratic council) when it sat as a homicide court. Lastly there were six thesmotetai (“determiners of custom”), who dealt with miscellaneous judicial problems.
- basileus (ancient Greek official)
archon: …the kingship survived in the basileus, who, as chief religious officer, presided over the Areopagus (aristocratic council) when it sat as a homicide court. Lastly there were six thesmotetai (“determiners of custom”), who dealt with miscellaneous judicial problems.
- Basileuterus (bird genus)
wood warbler: A large tropical genus is Basileuterus; the 22 species are typified by the golden-crowned warbler (B. culicivorus), which is found from Mexico to Argentina.
- Basilian (Byzantine rite monasticism)
Basilian, member of any of several Christian monastic communities that follow the Rule of St. Basil. (The Basilians is also the name of a Latin-rite congregation founded in France in 1822 and later active mainly in Canada, its members devoting themselves to the education of youth.) St. Basil,
- Basilian (Latin-rite monasticism)
Basilian: (The Basilians is also the name of a Latin-rite congregation founded in France in 1822 and later active mainly in Canada, its members devoting themselves to the education of youth.)
- Basilian Order of Aleppo (religious order)
Basilian: (5) The Basilian Order of Aleppo separated from the preceding group in 1829 and was approved by the Vatican in 1832, with headquarters in Lebanon.
- basilic vein (anatomy)
human cardiovascular system: Superior vena cava and its tributaries: …of the forearm, and the basilic vein, running up the ulnar side of the forearm and receiving blood from the hand, forearm, and arm. The deep veins of the forearm include the radial veins, continuations of deep anastomosing veins of the hand and wrist, and the ulnar veins, both veins…
- Basilica (town hall, Vicenza, Italy)
Andrea Palladio: Visits to Rome and work in Vicenza: …known since then as the Basilica, and in 1548 these plans were accepted, though much earlier designs, drawn in 1534 by the Mannerist architect and painter Giulio Romano and by several other distinguished architects, had been previously rejected. This was his first major public commission, and the work, which was…
- basilica (architecture)
basilica, in the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches, a canonical title of honour given to church buildings that are distinguished either by their antiquity or by their role as international centres of worship because of their association with a major saint, an important historical event,
- Basilica (Byzantine law)
Basilica, (from Greek basilikos, “imperial”), 9th-century Byzantine code of law initiated by the emperor Basil I and completed after the accession of his son Leo VI the Wise. The Justinian code of the 6th century, augmented by later imperial ordinances, had been the chief law source for the Roman
- Basilica Aemilia (ancient building, Rome, Italy)
Rome: The Forum of Rome: …Forum already stood the shop-fronted Basilica Aemilia (179 bce).
- Basilica Cathedral (cathedral, San José, Uruguay)
San José: The city’s Basilica Cathedral, built in 1857–74 in the Baroque style, has an imposing clock tower. Pop. (2004) 36,339.
- Basilica Cistern (cistern, Istanbul, Turkey)
Western architecture: The early Byzantine period (330–726): In some, like the great Basilica Cistern near Hagia Sophia called by the Turks the Yerebatan (Underground) Palace, old material was reused; in others, like the even more impressive Binbirdirek (Thousand and One Columns) cistern, new columns of unusually tall and slender proportions and new capitals of cubic form were…
- Basilica Constantiniana (church, Rome, Italy)
Basilica of St. John Lateran, the highest-ranking and oldest among the great papal basilicas of Rome as well as the oldest public church in Rome, having been consecrated in 324 CE by Pope Sylvester I. Though it is outside Vatican City proper, it nonetheless belongs to the Holy See. St. John Lateran
- Basilica di San Marco (cathedral, Venice, Italy)
San Marco Basilica, church in Venice that was begun in its original form in 829 (consecrated in 832) as an ecclesiastical structure to house and honour the remains of St. Mark that had been brought from Alexandria. St. Mark thereupon replaced St. Theodore as the patron saint of Venice, and his
- Basilica Eudoxiana (church, Rome, Italy)
Rome: San Pietro in Vincoli: Originally the Basilica Eudoxiana, San Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter in Chains) minor basilica was built in 432–440 with money from the empress Eudoxia for the veneration of the chains of the apostle Peter’s Jerusalem imprisonment. Later his Roman chains were…
- Basilica of Bom Jesus (church, Velha Goa, India)
Basilica of Bom Jesus, Roman Catholic church in the abandoned city of Old Goa, Goa state, India. Built between 1594 and 1605, it is regarded as an outstanding example of Renaissance Baroque and Portuguese colonial architecture. The basilica is also known for housing the remains of the missionary
- Basilica of St. John Lateran (church, Rome, Italy)
Basilica of St. John Lateran, the highest-ranking and oldest among the great papal basilicas of Rome as well as the oldest public church in Rome, having been consecrated in 324 CE by Pope Sylvester I. Though it is outside Vatican City proper, it nonetheless belongs to the Holy See. St. John Lateran
- Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore (church, Rome, Italy)
Santa Maria Maggiore, one of four papal basilicas in Rome and the largest of the Marian churches (dedicated to the Virgin Mary) in the city. Founded in 432 ce, the basilica houses what is believed to be a relic of the manger in which the infant Jesus was laid in Bethlehem as well as the Marian icon
- Basilica Porcia (ancient building, Rome, Italy)
Rome: The Forum of Rome: …by fire, along with the Basilica Porcia (184 bce, the first of the basilicas), Julius Caesar built a new and greatly enlarged one that encroached on the open space of the Comitium. For the assembly, he built a meeting hall in the Campus Martius, outside the valley altogether. He built…
- Basilica Ulpia (building, Rome, Italy)
Western architecture: Types of public buildings: The Basilica Ulpia in Trajan’s Forum was similar in plan but had at either end semicircular halls (apses), which served as law courts. The fourth and greatest of the basilicas was that begun by Maxentius (306–312 ce) and finished by Constantine about 313 ce. This huge…
- Basilicata (region, Italy)
Basilicata, region, southern Italy, along the Golfo di Taranto (Gulf of Taranto), consisting of the provinces of Potenza and Matera. Bounded by the regions of Puglia (north and east), Calabria (south), and Campania (west), Basilicata is roughly divided into a western mountainous section, dominated
- Basilide (emperor of Ethiopia)
Fasilides was an Ethiopian emperor from 1632 to 1667, who ended a period of contact between his country and Europe, initiating a policy of isolation that lasted for more than two centuries. Fasilides succeeded to the throne on the abdication of Susenyos (1632), who had permitted an increase of
- Basilides (Syrian philosopher)
Basilides was a scholar and teacher, who founded a school of Gnosticism known as the Basilidians. He probably was a pupil of Menander in Antioch, and he was teaching in Alexandria at the time of the Roman emperors Hadrian and Antonius Pius. Clement of Alexandria, a Christian theologian of the 3rd
- Basilikon Doron (work by James I)
James I: …of Free Monarchies (1598) and Basilikon Doron (1599), in which he expounded his own views on the divine right of kings. The 1616 edition of The Political Works of James I was edited by Charles Howard McIlwain (1918). The Poems of James VI of Scotland (2 vol.) was edited by…
- Basilikon Doron; or, His Majesties Instructions to His Dearest Sonne, Henry the Prince (work by James I)
James I: …of Free Monarchies (1598) and Basilikon Doron (1599), in which he expounded his own views on the divine right of kings. The 1616 edition of The Political Works of James I was edited by Charles Howard McIlwain (1918). The Poems of James VI of Scotland (2 vol.) was edited by…
- Basilio, Carmen (American boxer)
Carmen Basilio was an American professional boxer, world welterweight and middleweight champion. (Read Gene Tunney’s 1929 Britannica essay on boxing.) After serving in the Marine Corps, Basilio became a professional boxer in 1948. Only in the sixth year of his professional career did he finally
- Basilios (Ethiopian religious leader)
Basilios was a religious leader who, on Jan. 14, 1951, became the first Ethiopian bishop to be consecrated abuna, or primate, of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. From the 4th century, the Ethiopian Church was headed by Egyptian abunas appointed by the Alexandrian patriarch of the Coptic Church. As
- basiliscus (lizard)
basilisk, (genus Basiliscus), any of four species of forest lizards of tropical North and South America belonging to the family Iguanidae. The name is applied because of a resemblance to the legendary monster called basilisk (see cockatrice). The body is slender and compressed from side to side,
- Basiliscus (emperor of Rome)
Basiliscus was an usurping Eastern Roman emperor from 475 to 476. He was the brother of Verina, wife of the Eastern emperor Leo I (ruled 457–474). In 468 Basiliscus was given supreme command of a vast Eastern Roman force that sought to expel the Vandals from Africa. When his incompetent leadership
- basilisk (mythological creature)
cockatrice, in the legends of Hellenistic and Roman times, a small serpent, possibly the Egyptian cobra, known as a basilikos (“kinglet”) and credited with powers of destroying all animal and vegetable life by its mere look or breath. Only the weasel, which secreted a venom deadly to the
- basilisk (weapon)
military technology: Terminology and classification: The term basilisk, the name of a mythical dragonlike beast of withering gaze and flaming breath, was applied to early “long” cannon capable of firing cast-iron projectiles, but, early cannon terminology being anything but consistent, any particularly large and powerful cannon might be called a basilisk.
- basilisk (snake)
Mexican west coast rattlesnake, (Crotalus basiliscus), large, stout, highly venomous pit viper (subfamily Crotalinae, family Viperidae) of dry coastal lands and cactus forests from southern Sonora to Oaxaca in western Mexico. The Mexican west coast rattlesnake is not normally an aggressive snake,
- basilisk (lizard)
basilisk, (genus Basiliscus), any of four species of forest lizards of tropical North and South America belonging to the family Iguanidae. The name is applied because of a resemblance to the legendary monster called basilisk (see cockatrice). The body is slender and compressed from side to side,
- Basilius the Great, Saint (bishop of Caesarea)
St. Basil the Great ; Western feast day January 2; Eastern feast day January 1) was an early Church Father who defended the orthodox faith against the Arian heresy. As bishop of Caesarea, he wrote several works on monasticism, theology, and canon law. He was declared a saint soon after his death.
- Basilos (Ethiopian religious leader)
Basilios was a religious leader who, on Jan. 14, 1951, became the first Ethiopian bishop to be consecrated abuna, or primate, of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. From the 4th century, the Ethiopian Church was headed by Egyptian abunas appointed by the Alexandrian patriarch of the Coptic Church. As
- basilosaurid (fossil mammal)
basilosaurid, any member of the family Basilosauridae, an early group of whales that lived from the middle Eocene to the late Oligocene Epoch (about 41 million to 23 million years ago). Basilosaurids occurred worldwide during most of their history, and important fossils have been recovered in Egypt
- Basilosauridae (fossil mammal)
basilosaurid, any member of the family Basilosauridae, an early group of whales that lived from the middle Eocene to the late Oligocene Epoch (about 41 million to 23 million years ago). Basilosaurids occurred worldwide during most of their history, and important fossils have been recovered in Egypt
- Basilosaurinae (fossil mammal subfamily)
basilosaurid: …separated into four subfamilies: Dorudontinae, Basilosaurinae, Kekenodontinae, and Stromeriinae. The earliest dorudontines were the earliest basilosaurids, with long skulls and relatively short bodies. Basilosaurines are the archetypal basilosaurids, with elongated vertebrae and long tails. The kekenodontines consist of the single genus Kekenodon, which was only poorly known and is the…
- Basilosaurus (fossil mammal genus)
Basilosaurus, extinct genus of primitive whales of the family Basilosauridae (suborder Archaeoceti) found in Middle and Late Eocene rocks in North America and northern Africa (the Eocene Epoch lasted from 55.8 million to 33.9 million years ago). Basilosaurus had primitive dentition and skull
- basin (bowl)
metalwork: Europe from the Middle Ages: Basins were also needed for washing one’s hands; they are often mentioned in medieval documents, where they are referred to as bacina, pelves, or pelvicula. The majority of these bowls—which date from the 12th and 13th centuries—have been found in the cultural area that extends…
- basin (extraterrestrial crater)
Mercury: Basin and surrounding region: The ramparts of the Caloris impact basin span a diameter of about 1,550 km (960 miles). Its interior is occupied by smooth plains that are extensively ridged and fractured in a prominent radial and concentric pattern. The largest ridges are a…
- basin (landform)
basin, in geology, a broad shallow trough or syncline, a structure in the bedrock, not to be confused with a physiographic river basin, although the two may coincide. Some of the better-known geological basins are the southern Michigan basin of gently downwarped Paleozoic rocks; the Wind River and
- Basin and Range Province (region, United States)
Basin and Range Province, arid physiographic province occupying much of the western and southwestern part of the United States. The region comprises almost all of Nevada, the western half of Utah, southeastern California, and the southern part of Arizona and extends into northwestern Mexico. The
- basin system (irrigation)
history of technology: Irrigation: …early learned the technique of basin irrigation, ponding back the floodwater for as long as possible after the river had receded, so that enriched soil could bring forth a harvest before the floods of the following season. In the Tigris-Euphrates valley the irrigation problem was more complex, because the floods…
- Basin, Thomas (French bishop and historian)
Thomas Basin was a French bishop and historian. After studying liberal arts at Paris and law at Pavia and Leuven (Louvain), Basin took part in the Council of Basel before returning to teach canon law at Caen. In 1447 he became bishop of Lisieux. After the French recovery of Normandy from the
- basin-beater
metalwork: Germany and the Low Countries: …those known as “basin-beaters” (Beckenschläger), who were first referred to as such in 1373. They made bowls and dishes with various types of relief decoration on the bottom. In the late Gothic period, religious themes were very popular for this decoration and were more common than secular images. During…
- basinet (headgear)
helmet: …the skullcap developed into the basinet, with pieces added to protect the neck and with a movable visor for the face. By 1500 several highly sophisticated types of helmets were in use, employing hinges or pivots to permit the piece to be put on over the head and then fitted…
- Basinger, Kim (American actress)
Kim Basinger is an American actress whose blond good looks and comedic skills made her a top movie star in the 1980s. Basinger took dance lessons as a young child, and at the age of 16 she began competing in beauty contests. At a national pageant in New York City, she was seen by a modeling agent
- Basingstoke (England, United Kingdom)
Basingstoke and Deane: …includes the market town of Basingstoke, the administrative centre.