Christiern Pedersen was a Danish humanist who was among the first to rediscover Denmark’s national literary and historical heritage and to encourage the development of a vernacular style in Danish literature. Pedersen studied at Greifswald and took orders in 1505. In 1508 he went to Paris and there

Holger Pedersen was a Danish linguist of exceptional accomplishment, especially in comparative Celtic grammar. After receiving his doctorate in 1897, Pedersen proceeded, as professor at the University of Copenhagen, to enrich language science with an enormous number of books and articles of high

Johannes Peder Ejler Pedersen was a Danish Old Testament scholar and Semitic philologist, important for his conception of Israelite culture and modes of thought based on religio-historical and sociological studies. Pedersen matriculated at the University of Copenhagen in 1902 as a student of

Knut Hamsun was a Norwegian novelist, dramatist, poet, and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1920. A leader of the Neoromantic revolt at the turn of the century, he rescued the novel from a tendency toward excessive naturalism. Of peasant origin, Hamsun spent most of his childhood in

athletics: The javelin throw: Terje Pedersen (Norway) broke the 300-foot (91.44-meter) barrier in 1964, and by 1984 Uwe Hohn (East Germany) had thrown a prodigious 104.80 meters (343.8 feet), a throw so great that it influenced a change in the design of the javelin to keep it within the…

Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles hired Doug Pederson as head coach in 2016. Pederson, a former Reid assistant coach, instituted an innovative offense that took the NFL by storm behind the play of breakout quarterback Carson Wentz during the 2017 season. The Eagles won a division title and advanced to the…

pedestal, in Classical architecture, support or base for a column, statue, vase, or obelisk. Such a pedestal may be square, octagonal, or circular. The name is also given to the vertical members that divide the sections of a balustrade. A single pedestal may also support a group of columns, or

Mars: Southern cratered highlands: …the Moon; and rampart and pedestal craters. Hellas, the largest impact basin on Mars, is 8 km (5 miles) deep and about 7,000 km (4,350 miles) across, including the broad elevated ring surrounding the depression. Most of the craters measuring tens to hundreds of kilometers across are highly eroded in…

perched rock, boulder balanced on a pinnacle rock, another boulder, or in some other precarious position. Some perched rocks form in place, as where rainwash (and in some cases wind) has removed fine material from around the boulder. Others may be transported by tectonic forces (involved in

bicycle: Draisiennes, hobby-horses, and other velocipedes: The first two-wheeled rider-propelled machine for which there is indisputable evidence was the draisienne, invented by Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbrun of Germany. In 1817 he rode it for 14 km (9 miles), and the following year he exhibited it…

spring hare: The extinct genus Pedetes lived in Africa during the Early Pliocene Epoch, probably in habitats similar to those occupied by the living species. A much larger version of the spring hare (genus Megapedetes) lived during Miocene times in Asia.

spring hare, (Pedetes capensis), a bipedal grazing rodent indigenous to Africa. About the size of a rabbit, the spring hare more closely resembles a giant jerboa in having a short round head, a thick muscular neck, very large eyes, and long, narrow upright ears. Like jerboas, it has short forelegs

spring hare: …only member of the family Pedetidae, which was recently placed, along with anomalures, in a separate suborder of rodents, Anomaluromorpha. The spring hare’s closest relatives are represented only by fossils. The extinct genus Pedetes lived in Africa during the Early Pliocene Epoch, probably in habitats similar to those occupied by…

Pedi, a Bantu-speaking people inhabiting Limpopo province, South Africa, and constituting the major group of the Northern Sotho ethnolinguistic cluster of peoples, who numbered about 3,700,000 in the late 20th century. Their traditional territory, which is known as Bopedi, is located between the

Pedieos River, river in central and eastern Cyprus. It rises in the Troodos range and flows in a northeasterly direction toward Nicosia, where it takes an easterly turn through the part of the central lowlands called the Mesaoria Plain toward Famagusta Bay. Although the longest (about 60 miles [100

Pediastrum, genus of colonial green algae (family Hydrodictyaceae), comprising part of the freshwater plankton. Pediastrum colonies are disk-shaped and are characterized by peripheral hornlike projections. The number of cells per colony varies (2–128) depending on the species. Young cells are

pedodontics, dental specialty that deals with the care of children’s teeth. The pedodontist is extensively concerned with prevention, which includes instruction in proper diet, use of fluoride, and practice of oral hygiene. The pedodontist’s routine practice deals basically with caries (tooth

pediatrics, medical specialty dealing with the development and care of children and with the diagnosis and treatment of childhood diseases. The first important review of childhood illness, an anonymous European work called The Children’s Practice, dates from the 12th century. The specialized focus

pedicab, three-wheeled vehicle with a hooded carriage body balanced on two of the wheels. The body may be placed in front or in back of the driver, who propels the vehicle by pedaling. Pedicabs are the successors to rickshaws and have been widely used in East and Southeast Asia. The pedicab has

inflorescence: Indeterminate inflorescence.: …a short stalk, called a pedicel. An example of a raceme is found in the snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus).

spider: External features: …by a narrow stalk, the pedicel. The gut, nerve cord, blood vessels, and sometimes the respiratory tubules (tracheae) pass through the narrow pedicel, which allows the body movements necessary during web construction. Among arachnids other than spiders, the tailless whip scorpions (order Amblypygi) have a pedicel but lack spinnerets. Spiders,…

renal system: Glomerular filtration: …by slender cytoplasmic extensions called pedicels (foot processes). These processes are slightly expanded at their point of contact with the basement membrane and are separated from each other by slitlike spaces about 20 to 30 nanometres across. A fine membrane (slit diaphragm) closes the slitlike spaces near the basement membrane.

echinoderm: Asexual reproduction: …lost spines, pincerlike organs called pedicellariae, and small areas of the internal skeleton, or test.

lamp shells: Reproduction: In inarticulate larvae the pedicle, a stalklike organ, develops from a so-called mantle fold along the valve margin; in articulates it develops from the caudal, or hind, region.

lousewort, herbaceous plant of the genus Pedicularis (family Orobanchaceae), which contains about 800 species found throughout the Northern Hemisphere but especially on the mountains of Central and eastern Asia. Louseworts have bilaterally symmetrical flowers, sometimes highly irregular. For

lousewort: For example, the little elephant (P. groenlandica) presents the aspect of head, trunk, and ears of an elephant in its pink flowers, which are 2.5 cm (1 inch) long.

insect bite and sting: Pediculosis is the skin disorder caused by various species of bloodsucking lice that infect the scalp, groin, and body. The lice live on or close to the skin and attach their eggs to the hair or clothing of the host, on which they periodically feed.…

sexually transmitted disease: Pubic lice: Finally, a common infestation is pediculosis pubis. The crab louse, Phthirus pubis, infests the hair of the pubic region, where louse eggs, or nits, are attached to the hairs. After about one week the larvae hatch, and in about two weeks they develop into mature crab lice. The lice attach…

relapsing fever: …to another by lice (genus Pediculus) and from animals to humans by soft-bodied ticks of the genus Ornithodoros or by the hard-bodied tick Ixodes scapularis. Epidemics of the disease have occurred during wars, earthquakes, famines, and floods.

human louse, (Pediculus humanus), a common species of sucking louse in the family Pediculidae (suborder Anoplura, order Phthiraptera) that is found wherever human beings live, feeds on blood, and can be an important carrier of epidemic typhus and other louse-borne human diseases such as trench

human louse: …subspecies, Pediculus humanus capitis, the head louse, and P. humanus humanus, the body louse, or cootie.

human louse: humanus humanus, the body louse, or cootie.

human louse: humanus humanus, the body louse, or cootie.

Pedieos River, river in central and eastern Cyprus. It rises in the Troodos range and flows in a northeasterly direction toward Nicosia, where it takes an easterly turn through the part of the central lowlands called the Mesaoria Plain toward Famagusta Bay. Although the longest (about 60 miles [100

Pedieos River, river in central and eastern Cyprus. It rises in the Troodos range and flows in a northeasterly direction toward Nicosia, where it takes an easterly turn through the part of the central lowlands called the Mesaoria Plain toward Famagusta Bay. Although the longest (about 60 miles [100

pedigree, a record of ancestry or purity of breed. Studbooks (listings of pedigrees for horses, dogs, etc.) and herdbooks (records for cattle, swine, sheep, etc.) are maintained by governmental or private record associations or breed organizations in many countries. In human genetics, pedigree

selection: …and quality is known as pedigree selection. Progeny selection indicates choice of breeding stock on the basis of the performance or testing of their offspring or descendants. Family selection refers to mating of organisms from the same ancestral stock that are not directly related to each other. Pure-line selection involves…

devil’s backbone, (Euphorbia tithymaloides), succulent plant of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), native from Florida to Venezuela. The plant is called devil’s backbone for the zigzag form some varieties exhibit as well as shoe flower. It is also called redbird cactus (despite not being a true

foot washing, a religious rite practiced by the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church on Maundy Thursday of Holy Week (preceding Easter) and by members of some other Christian churches in their worship services. The early Christian church introduced the custom to imitate the humility and selfless

pediment, in architecture, triangular gable forming the end of the roof slope over a portico (the area, with a roof supported by columns, leading to the entrance of a building); or a similar form used decoratively over a doorway or window. The pediment was the crowning feature of the Greek temple

pediment, in geology, any relatively flat surface of bedrock (exposed or veneered with alluvial soil or gravel) that occurs at the base of a mountain or as a plain having no associated mountain. Pediments, sometimes mistaken for groups of merged alluvial fans, are most conspicuous in

algae: Annotated classification: in diatomite deposits; includes Dictyocha, Pedinella, and Pseudopedinella. Class Eustigmatophyceae Mostly small, pale green, and spherical; fewer than 15 species; Eustigmatos and Nannochloropsis. Class Phaeophyceae (

algae: Annotated classification: Order Pedinellales When pigmented, has 6 chloroplasts in a radial arrangement; flagella bases attached almost directly to nucleus; includes Apedinella, Actinomonas, Mesopedinella, Parapedinella, and Pteridomonas. Order Dictyochales (silicoflagellates) Typically with siliceous skeletons like spiny

Noctiluca: …endosymbiosis with the photosynthetic organism Pedinomonas noctilucae. Thousands of these organisms live inside the vacuoles of a single Noctiluca, being so abundant as to impart a green colour to Noctiluca (the so-called green Noctiluca).

plains wanderer: …plains wanderer constitutes the family Pedionomidae (order Gruiformes) but is placed by some authorities in the button quail family (Turnicidae). It inhabits dry grasslands. Unlike other hemipodes, the plains wanderer does not have a crouching posture.

plains wanderer, (species Pedionomus torquatus), Australian bird resembling a tiny quail. It has a mottled reddish brown body and a collar of black spots against a white throat. The plains wanderer constitutes the family Pedionomidae (order Gruiformes) but is placed by some authorities in the

arachnid: Body and appendages: The pedipalps, or palps, which in arachnids function as an organ of touch, constitute the second pair of appendages. In spiders and daddy longlegs the pedipalps are elongated leglike structures, whereas in scorpions they are large chelate, prehensile organs. Among spiders the pedipalps are highly modified…

pediplain, broad, relatively flat rock surface formed by the joining of several pediments. (See pediment.) Pediplains are usually formed in arid or semi-arid climates and may have a thin veneer of sediments. It is postulated that the pediplain may be the last stage of landform evolution, the final

pediplain, broad, relatively flat rock surface formed by the joining of several pediments. (See pediment.) Pediplains are usually formed in arid or semi-arid climates and may have a thin veneer of sediments. It is postulated that the pediplain may be the last stage of landform evolution, the final

Pedieos River, river in central and eastern Cyprus. It rises in the Troodos range and flows in a northeasterly direction toward Nicosia, where it takes an easterly turn through the part of the central lowlands called the Mesaoria Plain toward Famagusta Bay. Although the longest (about 60 miles [100

Land’s End, westernmost peninsula of the county of Cornwall, England. Composed of a granite mass, its tip is the southwesternmost point of England and lies about 870 miles (1,400 km) by road from John o’ Groats, traditionally considered the northernmost point of Great Britain. The popular

China: Soils of China: …Qin Mountains–Huai River line are pedocals (calcareous) and are neutral to alkaline in reaction; those south of this line are pedalfers (leached noncalcareous soils), which are neutral to acid.

pedodontics, dental specialty that deals with the care of children’s teeth. The pedodontist is extensively concerned with prevention, which includes instruction in proper diet, use of fluoride, and practice of oral hygiene. The pedodontist’s routine practice deals basically with caries (tooth

paedogenesis, reproduction by sexually mature larvae, usually without fertilization. The young may be eggs, such as are produced by Miastor, a genus of gall midge flies, or other larval forms, as in the case of some flukes. This form of reproduction is distinct from neotenic reproduction in its

pedology, scientific discipline concerned with all aspects of soils, including their physical and chemical properties, the role of organisms in soil production and in relation to soil character, the description and mapping of soil units, and the origin and formation of soils. Accordingly, pedology

paedomorphosis, retention by an organism of juvenile or even larval traits into later life. There are two aspects of paedomorphosis: acceleration of sexual maturation relative to the rest of development (progenesis) and retardation of bodily development with respect to the onset of reproductive

soil: Pedons and polypedons: Soils are natural elements of weathered landscapes whose properties may vary spatially. For scientific study, however, it is useful to think of soils as unions of modules known as pedons. A pedon is the smallest element of landscape that can be called…

pedophilia, in conventional usage, a psychosexual disorder, generally affecting adults, characterized by sexual interest in prepubescent children or attempts to engage in sexual acts with prepubescent children. The term was used with that meaning in the psychiatric diagnostic literature prior to

pedophilia, in conventional usage, a psychosexual disorder, generally affecting adults, characterized by sexual interest in prepubescent children or attempts to engage in sexual acts with prepubescent children. The term was used with that meaning in the psychiatric diagnostic literature prior to

pedophilia, in conventional usage, a psychosexual disorder, generally affecting adults, characterized by sexual interest in prepubescent children or attempts to engage in sexual acts with prepubescent children. The term was used with that meaning in the psychiatric diagnostic literature prior to

Pedra Furada, Controversial archaeological site, northeastern Brazil. It was thought to contain hearths and stone artifacts as old as 48,000 years, about 35,000 years earlier than the commonly accepted dates for the first human settlement of the Americas. Experts have concluded that the early

Pedro Arias Dávila was a Spanish soldier and colonial administrator who led the first Spanish expedition to found permanent colonies on the American mainland. A soldier in his youth, Arias Dávila served with distinction in wars against the Moors in Granada in the 1490s and in North Africa in

Felipe Pedrell was a Spanish composer and musical scholar who devoted his life to the development of a Spanish school of music founded on both national folk songs and Spanish masterpieces of the past. When Pedrell was a choirboy, his imagination was first fired by contact with early Spanish church

Antoni Gaudí: Life: …notably the facade; and the Casa Milá (1905–10), the several floors of which are structured like clusters of tile lily pads with steel-beam veins. As was so often his practice, he designed the two buildings, in their shapes and surfaces, as metaphors of the mountainous and maritime character of Catalonia.

military technology: Terminology and classification: …category of ordnance was the pedreros, stone-throwing guns with barrels of as little as eight to 10 calibres that were used in siege and naval warfare.

all fours: Cinch: Cinch, also known as pedro, is a variant of all fours that includes partnerships and bidding, two features that favour more-skillful players. This modern version of a 19th-century derivative of all fours is still popular in the southern United States.

St. Peter Claver ; canonized 1888; feast day September 9) was a Jesuit missionary to South America who, in dedicating his life to the aid of enslaved Africans, earned the title of “apostle of the Negroes.” Peter entered the Society of Jesus in 1602 and eight years later was sent to Cartagena, where

Pedro II was the second and last emperor of Brazil (1831–89), whose benevolent and popular reign lasted nearly 60 years. On April 7, 1831, when he was five years old, his father, Pedro I (Pedro, or Peter, IV of Portugal), abdicated in his favor; and for nine years Brazil was governed by a turbulent

Saint Peter of Alcántara ; canonized 1669; feast day October 19) was a Franciscan mystic who founded an austere form of Franciscan life known as the Alcantarines or Discalced (i.e., barefooted) Friars Minor. He is the patron saint of Brazil. Of noble birth, he entered the Franciscan order at

Pêro da Covilhã was an early Portuguese explorer of Africa, who established relations between Portugal and Ethiopia. As a boy, Pêro served the duke of Medina-Sidonia in Sevilla (Seville) for six or seven years, returning to Portugal with the duke’s brother late in 1474 or early in 1475, when he

Italy: The Kingdom of Naples: Pedro de Toledo (viceroy 1532–53) reorganized the Kingdom of Naples and placed it firmly within the Spanish monarchical orbit dominated by Castile. Within the kingdom, he oversaw the eradication of the pro-French barons and attempted to install centralized, absolutist policies. Within the city, he developed…

Peter II was the king of Aragon from 1196 to 1213, the eldest son and successor of Alfonso II. Peter married (1204) Mary, lady of Montpellier, and thus greatly extended Aragonese power in southern France. Despite the violent objections of his subjects, he had himself crowned by Pope Innocent III in

Peter IV was the king of Aragon from January 1336, son of Alfonso IV. Peter was the most cultivated of Spanish 14th-century kings but was also an inveterate political intriguer whose ability to dissemble was notorious. Through his voluminous correspondence, the workings of his mind are far better

Peter was a celebrated king of Castile and Leon from 1350 to 1369, charged by his contemporary enemies with monstrous cruelty but viewed by later writers as a strong executor of justice. He succeeded his father, Alfonso XI, at the age of 15, and John II of France saw the chance to force Castile

Peter IV was the king of Aragon from January 1336, son of Alfonso IV. Peter was the most cultivated of Spanish 14th-century kings but was also an inveterate political intriguer whose ability to dissemble was notorious. Through his voluminous correspondence, the workings of his mind are far better

Peter IV was the king of Aragon from January 1336, son of Alfonso IV. Peter was the most cultivated of Spanish 14th-century kings but was also an inveterate political intriguer whose ability to dissemble was notorious. Through his voluminous correspondence, the workings of his mind are far better

Peter III was the king of Aragon from July 1276, on the death of his father, James I, and king of Sicily (as Peter I) from 1282. In 1262 he had married Constance, heiress of Manfred, the Hohenstaufen king of Sicily; and after the revolt of the Sicilians in 1282 he invaded the island and was

Peter was a celebrated king of Castile and Leon from 1350 to 1369, charged by his contemporary enemies with monstrous cruelty but viewed by later writers as a strong executor of justice. He succeeded his father, Alfonso XI, at the age of 15, and John II of France saw the chance to force Castile

Dominican Republic: Education: The private Pedro Henríquez Ureña National University, located in Santo Domingo, was founded (1966) in part to counter the politicizing of the public university. It received support from the Roman Catholic church, prominent business leaders, and the national and U.S. governments. Apec University (1965) is also located…

John XXI was the pope from 1276 to 1277, and he was one of the most scholarly pontiffs in papal history. Educated at the University of Paris (c.. 1228–35), where he received his master’s degree c. 1240, John taught medicine at the new University of Siena, Italy. In 1272 Pope Gregory X, who made

Pedro I was the founder of the Brazilian empire and first emperor of Brazil, from Dec. 1, 1822, to April 7, 1831, also reckoned as King Pedro (Peter) IV of Portugal. Generally known as Dom Pedro, he was the son of King John VI of Portugal. When Napoleon conquered Portugal in 1807, Pedro accompanied

Pedro II was the second and last emperor of Brazil (1831–89), whose benevolent and popular reign lasted nearly 60 years. On April 7, 1831, when he was five years old, his father, Pedro I (Pedro, or Peter, IV of Portugal), abdicated in his favor; and for nine years Brazil was governed by a turbulent

João Carlos de Saldanha, duke de Saldanha: After the accession of Pedro IV in 1826, Saldanha was responsible for the proclamation in Portugal of Pedro’s constitutional charter. He was created Count de Saldanha in 1827, but he emigrated to London in October of that year, when Pedro’s brother, Dom Miguel, became regent. After the regent was…

Kongo: Pedro IV Agua Rosada Nsamu a Mvemba of Kibangu (reigned 1696–1718) engineered an agreement that recognized the integrity of the territorial bases while rotating kingship among them. During these negotiations, the abandoned capital of Mbanza Kongo (renamed São Salvador in the late 16th century) was…

Pedro Juan Caballero, town, northeastern Paraguay, founded in 1899. It lies in the Amambay Mountains at 2,296 feet (700 m) above sea level, opposite Ponta Pora, Braz. Pedro Juan Caballero is the region’s largest town and principal trade centre. The hinterland is utilized primarily for cattle

Peter Martyr d’Anghiera was a chaplain to the court of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile, and historian of Spanish explorations, who became a member of Emperor Charles V’s Council of the Indies (1518). He collected unidentified documents from the various discoverers,

Peter I was the king of Portugal from 1357 to 1367. The son of Afonso IV and his consort Beatriz of Castile, Peter was married in 1336 to Constanza of Castile; but she died in 1345, and Peter is chiefly remembered for his tragic amour with Inês de Castro (q.v.), whose death he savagely avenged

Peter I was the king of Portugal from 1357 to 1367. The son of Afonso IV and his consort Beatriz of Castile, Peter was married in 1336 to Constanza of Castile; but she died in 1345, and Peter is chiefly remembered for his tragic amour with Inês de Castro (q.v.), whose death he savagely avenged

Juan Rulfo: Pedro Páramo (1955; Eng. trans. Pedro Páramo) examines the physical and moral disintegration of a laconic cacique (boss) and is set in a mythical hell on earth inhabited by the dead, who are haunted by their past transgressions.

Pedro, 1 duque de Coimbra: His son Pedro the Constable, after a long exile in Castile, returned and was offered the crown of Aragon by a party in Barcelona, where he shortly died.

Portuguese literature: Historical chronicles and poetry: Pedro the Constable (the son of Pedro, 1st duke of Coimbra) initiated the fashion of writing in Castilian. As one of the first to adopt the new Castilian trend toward allegory and the cult of Classical antiquity derived from Italy, his influence on his compatriots…

Pedro, 1o duque de Coimbra was the second son of King John I of Portugal, younger brother of King Edward, and uncle of Edward’s son Afonso V, during whose minority he was regent. The second of the “illustrious generation,” comprising the sons of John I and Philippa of Lancaster, Pedro was present

Pedro I was the founder of the Brazilian empire and first emperor of Brazil, from Dec. 1, 1822, to April 7, 1831, also reckoned as King Pedro (Peter) IV of Portugal. Generally known as Dom Pedro, he was the son of King John VI of Portugal. When Napoleon conquered Portugal in 1807, Pedro accompanied

Much Ado About Nothing: …for Claudio’s friend and mentor, Don Pedro. This malicious fiction is soon dispelled, but Claudio seems not to have learned his lesson; he believes Don John a second time, and on a much more serious charge—that Hero is actually sleeping with other men, even on the night before her impending…

Western architecture: Italy: …also the architect of the Pedrocchi Café, Padua (1816–42), which, with its Doric and Gothic exteriors and equally eclectic interiors is a remarkable extravaganza.

Pedrolino, stock character of the Italian commedia dell’arte, a simpleminded and honest servant, usually a young and personable valet. One of the comic servants, or zanni, Pedrolino functioned in the commedia as an unsuccessful lover and a victim of the pranks of his fellow comedians. His costume

Eusebio Pedroza was a Panamanian professional boxer, world featherweight (126 pounds [57 kg]) champion from 1978 to 1985. (Read Gene Tunney’s 1929 Britannica essay on boxing.) At 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 metres), Pedroza was tall for a featherweight. He excelled in late rounds and at times was accused

cnidarian: Locomotion: …by action of their inflatable peduncle (a stalk that attaches to the strata in the lower end and to the polyp body on the higher end). Sea anemones that are attached to firm substrata can creep slowly on their pedal disks or detach altogether, often in response to unfavourable physical…

angiosperm: The receptacle: The peduncle is the stalk of a flower or an inflorescence. When a flower is borne singly, the internode between the receptacle and the bract (the last leaf, often modified and usually smaller than the other leaves) is the peduncle. When the flowers are borne in…

cirripede: Diversity and distribution: Pedunculate barnacles are similar to the sessile barnacles in having the principal part of the body contained within a protective covering, or wall. They differ from acorn barnacles in that the plates do not form a separate wall and operculum and in having the wall…