Indian philosophy: The linguistic philosophies: Bhartrihari and Mandana-Mishra: …also uses the doctrine of sphota (“that from which the meaning bursts forth”). Most Indian philosophical schools were concerned with the problem of what precisely is the bearer of the meaning of a word or a sentence. If the letters are evanescent and if, as one hears the sounds produced…

George Sphrantzes was a Byzantine historian and diplomat who wrote a chronicle covering the years 1413–77. Sphrantzes rose to high office in the service of Manuel II and the later Palaeologan rulers, both in Constantinople and in the Peloponnese. In 1451 he was great logothete (chancellor) in

George Sphrantzes was a Byzantine historian and diplomat who wrote a chronicle covering the years 1413–77. Sphrantzes rose to high office in the service of Manuel II and the later Palaeologan rulers, both in Constantinople and in the Peloponnese. In 1451 he was great logothete (chancellor) in

Étienne-Jules Marey: …French physiologist who invented the sphygmograph, an instrument for recording graphically the features of the pulse and variations in blood pressure. His basic instrument, with modifications, is still used today.

sphygmomanometer, instrument for measuring blood pressure. It consists of an inflatable rubber cuff, which is wrapped around the upper arm and is connected to an apparatus that records pressure, usually in terms of the height of a column of mercury or on a dial (an aneroid manometer). An arterial

sphynx cat, Breed of hairless domestic cat, founded on two spontaneous mutations in shorthaired cats. The first occurred in 1975 when Jezabelle, a stray, produced a hairless female kitten, Epidermis, followed by another the next year. The second occurred in 1978, when a male and two female hairless

perciform: Danger to human life: …have been attacked by the barracuda (Sphyraena), which is a voracious fish reaching nearly 2 metres (6 feet) in length. Perciforms possessing venom glands are also considered dangerous fishes. The dorsal spine of the weever fishes (Trachinidae) has a grooved structure containing a venom gland; in addition, there is also…

barracuda, any of about 20 species of predacious fishes of the family Sphyraenidae (order Perciformes). Barracudas are found in all warm and tropical regions; some also range into more temperate areas. Swift and powerful, they are slender in form, with small scales, two well-separated dorsal fins,

sapsucker, either of two species of North American woodpeckers of the family Picidae (order Piciformes), noted for drilling holes in neat close rows through the bark of trees to obtain sap and insects. They also catch insects in midair. The yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), about 20 cm

sapsucker: The other species, Williamson’s sapsucker (S. thyroideus), is found in high pine forests of the western United States but is uncommon throughout its range.

sapsucker: The yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), about 20 cm (8 inches) long, breeds in northern regions (south in mountains) and migrates as far as the West Indies and Central America; red-breasted and red-naped races occur west of the Rocky Mountains. Both sexes of varius have bold head-markings.…

hammerhead shark: … vary in size; the small scalloped bonnethead (S. corona) measures only 90 cm (35 inches) long, whereas the great hammerhead (S. mokarran) grows to over 6.1 metres (20 feet) in length. Although they are considered one of the most recently evolved groups of sharks, sphyrnids are known to date back…

hammerhead shark: Some species, such as the scalloped hammerhead (S. lewini) and smooth hammerhead (S. zygaena), form large schools that may be segregated by sex or age.

hammerhead shark: …(35 inches) long, whereas the great hammerhead (S. mokarran) grows to over 6.1 metres (20 feet) in length. Although they are considered one of the most recently evolved groups of sharks, sphyrnids are known to date back in the fossil record to at least the early Miocene Epoch (about 23…

hammerhead shark: One species of bonnethead shark, S. tiburo, is omnivorous, because it eats seagrass. In contrast, larger hammerhead sharks possess sizable bladelike teeth and often prey on larger fishes, squid, small sharks, and stingrays. In fact, the great hammerhead specializes in hunting and eating large stingrays, and some members…

hammerhead shark: lewini) and smooth hammerhead (S. zygaena), form large schools that may be segregated by sex or age.

hammerhead shark, (family Sphyrnidae), any of 10 shark species belonging to the genera Sphyrna (9 species) and Eusphyrna (1 species), which are characterized by a flattened hammer- or shovel-shaped head, or cephalofoil. Hammerhead sharks, or sphyrnids, are perhaps the most distinctive and unique of

hammerhead shark, (family Sphyrnidae), any of 10 shark species belonging to the genera Sphyrna (9 species) and Eusphyrna (1 species), which are characterized by a flattened hammer- or shovel-shaped head, or cephalofoil. Hammerhead sharks, or sphyrnids, are perhaps the most distinctive and unique of

Elena Ferrante: Other work: …La spiaggia di notte (2007; The Beach at Night), about a doll that is forgotten on the shore.

Spica, brightest star in the zodiacal constellation Virgo and one of the 15 brightest in the entire sky, having an apparent visual magnitude of 1.04. It is a bluish star; spectroscopic examination reveals Spica to be a binary with a four-day period, its two components being of the first and third

Ore Mountains: …at the northeastern end and Špičák (3,658 feet [1,115 metres]) at the southwestern end. The name of this range rightly suggests the tradition of mineral wealth, worked by generations of small groups of craftsmen (gold and silver, lead and copper, tungsten [wolfram], and pitchblende).

integrated circuit: Analog design: …California, Berkeley, during the 1970s, SPICE (Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis), and various proprietary models designed for use with it are ubiquitous in engineering courses and in industry for analog circuit design. SPICE has equations for transistors, capacitors, resistors, and other components, as well as for lengths of wires…

spice and herb, parts of various plants cultivated for their aromatic, pungent, or otherwise desirable substances. Spices and herbs consist of rhizomes, bulbs, barks, flower buds, stigmas, fruits, seeds, and leaves. They are commonly divided into the categories of spices, spice seeds, and herbs.

mannikin: …in southern Asia are the nutmeg mannikin (L. punctulata), also called spice finch or spotted munia, and the striated mannikin (L. striata), also called white-backed munia. The former is established in Hawaii, where it is called ricebird. A domestic strain of the latter is called Bengal finch.

Spice Girls, British pop group whose infectious dance songs dominated the global charts in the late 1990s. They cultivated a playful sex appeal under the banner of “Girl Power” to create a feminist alternative to the boy bands of the day. The band’s members were Ginger Spice (byname of Geraldine

Moluccas, Indonesian islands of the Malay Archipelago, lying between the islands of Celebes to the west and New Guinea to the east. The Philippines, the Philippine Sea, and the Pacific Ocean are to the north; the Arafura Sea and the island of Timor are to the south. The islands comprise the two

East Indies, the islands that extend in a wide belt along both sides of the Equator for more than 3,800 miles (6,100 km) between the Asian mainland to the north and west and Australia to the south. Historically, the term East Indies is loosely applied to any of three contexts. The most restrictive

spice and herb, parts of various plants cultivated for their aromatic, pungent, or otherwise desirable substances. Spices and herbs consist of rhizomes, bulbs, barks, flower buds, stigmas, fruits, seeds, and leaves. They are commonly divided into the categories of spices, spice seeds, and herbs.

spice trade, the cultivation, preparation, transport, and merchandising of spices and herbs, an enterprise of ancient origins and great cultural and economic significance. Seasonings such as cinnamon, cassia, cardamom, ginger, and turmeric were important items of commerce in the earliest evolution

Spice Girls: …second full-length album, Spiceworld, accompanied Spice World: The Movie in late 1997. While the film was greeted with a harsh critical reception, fans filled the theatres and made it a minor box-office success.

Grenada, island country of the West Indies. It is the southernmost island of the north-south arc of the Lesser Antilles, lying in the eastern Caribbean Sea about 100 miles (160 km) north of the coast of Venezuela. Oval in shape, the island is approximately 21 miles (34 km) long and 12 miles (19 km)

saturniid moth: Major species: The promethea moth (Callosamia promethea)—also called spicebush moth because the larvae feed on spicebush, sassafras, lilac, and related plants is a common North American saturniid moth. The female moth is maroon in color, and the male is dark brown. The cocoon, formed inside a leaf, is…

spicebush, (Lindera benzoin), deciduous, dense shrub of the laurel family (Lauraceae), native to eastern North America. It occurs most often in damp woods and grows about 1.5–6 m (about 5–20 feet) tall. The alternate leaves are rather oblong, but wedge-shaped near the base, and 8–13 cm (3–5 inches)

saturniid moth: Major species: The promethea moth (Callosamia promethea)—also called spicebush moth because the larvae feed on spicebush, sassafras, lilac, and related plants is a common North American saturniid moth. The female moth is maroon in color, and the male is dark brown. The cocoon, formed inside a leaf, is…

Melissa McCarthy: Roles from the late 2010s: In 2017 McCarthy impersonated Sean Spicer, then White House press secretary for Pres. Donald Trump, in a series of skits on Saturday Night Live, including an episode in which she was the host. For that appearance, McCarthy received an Emmy Award as best guest actress in a comedy series.…

Spice Girls: The group’s second full-length album, Spiceworld, accompanied Spice World: The Movie in late 1997. While the film was greeted with a harsh critical reception, fans filled the theatres and made it a minor box-office success.

spicule, a jet of dense gas ejected from the Sun’s chromosphere. Spicules occur at the edges of the chromospheric network, where magnetic fields are stronger. They extend up to 10,000 km (6,000 miles) and, although they fall back to the Sun, are thought to contribute to the solar wind by feeding

mollusk: External features: …minute, spinelike, hard bodies (spicules), or both (aplacophoran level). The chitons (class Polyplacophora) develop a series of eight articulating plates or valves often surrounded by a girdle of cuticle with spicules; in all other mollusks, the mantle secretes an initially homogeneous shell. The mantle and shell are laterally compressed…

fungus: Annotated classification: Order Spiculogloeales Parasitic or saprotrophic; spinulose to granulose auricularoid basidia; include jelly fungi; example genera include Mycogloea and Spiculogloea. Class Microbotryomycetes Pathogenic in plants, some are mycoparasitic; includes some yeasts; contains 4 orders. Order

Jerry Sloan was an American professional basketball player and coach who was one of the best defensive guards and hard-nosed rebounders in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a Chicago Bull and who became the first coach to win 1,000 games with a single team, the Utah Jazz.

David Cronenberg: Rabid, The Fly, and Crash: … adventure that he wrote, and Spider (2002), a harrowing look into the mind of a schizophrenic man (played by Ralph Fiennes).

Joachim Frank: …also devised a software system, SPIDER, that was able to perform this image analysis.

CAPTCHA: …programs, known as bots and spiders, from gaining access to websites. A CAPTCHA, which may consist of letters, numbers, or images, is distorted in some manner to prevent recognition by computers but not so distorted that a human with normal vision cannot identify the code and retype it.

Fay Weldon: …works included the radio plays Spider (1973) and Polaris (1978) and the stage plays Words of Advice (1974) and Action Replay (1979).

spider, (order Araneida or Araneae), any of more than 46,700 species of arachnids that differ from insects in having eight legs rather than six and in having the body divided into two parts rather than three. The use of silk is highly developed among spiders. Spider behaviour and appearance are

spider beetle, any member of about 500 species of insects sometimes considered a part of the family Anobiidae (order Coleoptera) and sometimes placed in their own family, Ptinidae. These spider-shaped beetles have a globular body, long thin legs, and no wings. They range in colour from reddish

conch: Spider conchs, with prongs on the lip, belong to the genus Lambis.

spider crab, any species of the decapod family Majidae (or Maiidae; class Crustacea). Spider crabs, which have thick, rather rounded bodies and long, spindly legs, are generally slow-moving and sluggish. Most are scavengers, especially of dead flesh. Majids, a widely distributed marine group, are

spider hunter, any of several sunbird species. See

Ben Kingsley: …Red Sea Diving Resort and Spider in the Web.

red spider, any of the plant-feeding mites of the family Tetranychidae (subclass Acari). Red spiders are a common pest on houseplants and agriculturally important plants, including the foliage and fruit of orchard trees. The life cycle of the red spider from egg to adult takes about three weeks.

spider monkey, (genus Ateles), large, extremely agile monkey that lives in forests from southern Mexico through Central and South America to Brazil. In spite of its thumbless hands, this lanky potbellied primate can move swiftly through the trees, using its long tail as a fifth limb. The seven

spider orchid, any of the orchids in the genera Brassia and Caladenia (family Orchidaceae). While Brassia species and hybrids are commonly cultivated for their unusual and attractive flowers, Caladenia species are difficult to grow and require symbiotic fungi to flourish. The flowers of both genera

spider plant, (Chlorophytum comosum), African plant of the asparagus family (Asparagaceae) commonly grown as an ornamental houseplant. The most popular varieties feature long grassy green-and-white-striped leaves. Periodically a flower stem emerges, and tiny white flowers—not always produced—are

silk, animal fibre produced by certain insects and arachnids as building material for cocoons and webs, some of which can be used to make fine fabrics. In commercial use, silk is almost entirely limited to filaments from the cocoons of domesticated silkworms (caterpillars of several moth species

spider wasp, (family Pompilidae), any of about 5,000 species of large, parasitoid wasps that paralyze spiders to feed their larval young. They are distributed throughout most of the world. About 40 species occur in Great Britain, and more than 300 species are found in North America. Although they

spider: …instead weave silk snares, or webs, to capture prey. Webs are instinctively constructed and effectively trap flying insects. Many spiders inject venom into their prey to kill it quickly, whereas others first use silk wrappings to immobilize their victims.

scorpion: Food and feeding: …known specialist scorpion is the Australian spiral burrow, or spider-hunting, scorpion (Isometroides vescus), which feeds solely on burrowing spiders.

pirate spider, any member of the family Mimetidae (order Araneida), noted for its habit of eating other spiders. The approximately 100 species are distributed worldwide. They are characterized by a row of sharp bristles on the first pair of legs. Pirate spiders do not build nests or webs. They move

Spider-Man: Spider-Man in film and onstage: …prevented its production, Sony brought Spider-Man to the big screen in May 2002 with Tobey Maguire as the masked hero and Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane. Critics adored the film, and it eventually earned more than $800 million worldwide. Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007) proved equally successful. Director…

Todd McFarlane: His first Spider-Man, released in June 1990, sold an unprecedented 2.5 million copies. While Spider-Man held its top ranking, McFarlane and Marvel argued over promotion and control. In August 1991 McFarlane left Marvel to form his own company. He and his wife moved to Portland, Oregon, with…

Spider-Man, comic-book character who was the original everyman superhero. In Spider-Man’s first story, in Marvel Comics’ Amazing Fantasy, no. 15 (1962), American teenager Peter Parker, a poor sickly orphan, is bitten by a radioactive spider. As a result of the bite, he gains superhuman strength,

Michael Chabon: …draft of the script for Spider-Man 2 and collaborating on the script for John Carter (2012), adapted from an Edgar Rice Burroughs novel.

Spider-Man: Spider-Man in film and onstage: Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007) proved equally successful. Director Sam Raimi, who helmed the trilogy, bowed out after the third film.

Spider-Man: Spider-Man in film and onstage: A sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, was released in 2023, and a third installment in the series is in the works.

Samuel L. Jackson: …Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).

Robert Downey, Jr.: Iron Man series and Oppenheimer: …America: Civil War (2016), and Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). In 2020 he starred in the family comedy Dolittle, which was based on the character created by Hugh Lofting.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, American animated superhero film released in 2018 that was acclaimed for its bold and inventive animation as well as its character-driven storytelling. The film was a commercial and critical success, grossing nearly $400 million worldwide and winning the Academy

Spider-Man: Spider-Man in film and onstage: …Far from Home (2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).

Spider-Man: Spider-Man in film and onstage: …was somewhat less auspicious, as Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark was plagued with problems. U2 members Bono and the Edge wrote the music and lyrics, and the original show was directed by Julie Taymor, who had overseen the spectacularly successful Broadway production of Disney’s The Lion King. Exasperated by the…

spiderflower, any of about 275 species of plants constituting the genus Cleome of the family Cleomaceae, mostly tropical annual herbs with a pungent odour. The popular cultivated spiderflower (C. hasslerana), with dark pink flowers fading almost to white by noon, is native to sandy thickets and

Joan Plowright: Film and TV: …voice of Miss Plushbottom, and The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008). She later had a cameo in the thriller Knife Edge (2009), which was her last feature film. She subsequently retired from acting because of macular degeneration, which ultimately led to a loss of eyesight.

spiderwort, (genus Tradescantia), genus of about 75 species of erect to trailing weak-stemmed herbs in the family Commelinaceae. The plants are native to the Americas. Spiderworts are of extremely easy culture, taking root readily from cuttings, and thus are very popular indoor plants. Some are

Commelinales, the spiderwort and pickerelweed order of flowering plants, comprising more than 800 species of mostly tropical and subtropical herbs in five families: Commelinaceae, Pontederiaceae, Haemodoraceae, Philydraceae, and Hanguanaceae. Commelinaceae, or the spiderwort family, is the largest

Spider-Man, comic-book character who was the original everyman superhero. In Spider-Man’s first story, in Marvel Comics’ Amazing Fantasy, no. 15 (1962), American teenager Peter Parker, a poor sickly orphan, is bitten by a radioactive spider. As a result of the bite, he gains superhuman strength,

Spiegel affair, scandal in 1962, involving the weekly newsmagazine Der Spiegel and the West German government, that erupted after the magazine published an article about the country’s defense forces, evoking a harsh response from the federal authorities—particularly from Defense Minister Franz

Spiegel affair, scandal in 1962, involving the weekly newsmagazine Der Spiegel and the West German government, that erupted after the magazine published an article about the country’s defense forces, evoking a harsh response from the federal authorities—particularly from Defense Minister Franz

Spiegel im Spiegel, composition by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt that exemplifies a style he invented and termed tintinnabuli, in which simple fragments of sound recur, like the ringing of bells. Composed in 1978 for violin and piano and premiered in that year by violinist Vladimir Spivakov, to whom

Jacob Cats: …most famous emblem book is Spiegel van den ouden ende nieuwen tijdt (1632; “Mirror of Old and New Times”), many quotations from which have become household sayings. It is written in a more homely style than his earlier works, in popular rather than classical Dutch. Two other works—Houwelyk (1625; “Marriage”)…

Spike Jonze is an American director and producer known for his visually arresting and innovative music videos and films. Jonze grew up in Maryland. He moved to Los Angeles in 1987 after graduating from high school. An ardent BMX biker, he soon became an assistant editor and later photographer for

Lion Feuchtwanger: …he founded a literary journal, Der Spiegel. His first historical novel was Die hässliche Herzogin (1923; The Ugly Duchess), about Margaret Maultasch, duchess of Tirol. His finest novel, Jud Süss (1925; also published as Jew Süss and Power), set in 18th-century Germany, revealed a depth of psychological analysis that remained…

Der Spiegel, weekly newsmagazine, preeminent in Germany and one of the most widely circulated in Europe, published in Hamburg since 1947. It was founded in 1946 as Diese Woche (“This Week”). The magazine is renowned for its aggressive, vigorous, and well-written exposés of government malpractice

stereotaxic surgery: …were pioneered by American neurologists Ernst A. Spiegel and Henry T. Wycis. Since then, a number of modifications and refinements have been made to stereotaxic devices, procedures, and atlases, and these advances have significantly improved the utility of stereotaxy.

Henric Laurenszoon Spieghel was a poet of the northern Dutch Renaissance whose highly individual spiritual beliefs set him apart from his contemporaries. In Spieghel’s greatest work, Hertspiegel (1614; “Heart-Mirror”), a long, often allegorical poem written in hexametres, he set out his

Sam Spiegel was an Austrian-born American motion-picture producer who was known as a titan of Hollywood. He was unaffiliated with any major studio and had a reputation as an irascible perfectionist. Three of his movies received an Academy Award for best picture. Spiegel studied at the University of

Sam Spiegel was an Austrian-born American motion-picture producer who was known as a titan of Hollywood. He was unaffiliated with any major studio and had a reputation as an irascible perfectionist. Three of his movies received an Academy Award for best picture. Spiegel studied at the University of

Art Spiegelman is an American author and illustrator whose Holocaust narratives Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History (1986) and Maus II: A Survivor’s Tale: And Here My Troubles Began (1991) helped to establish comic storytelling as a sophisticated adult literary medium. Spiegelman

calligraphy: Writing manuals and copybooks (16th to 18th century): In Jan van den Velde’s Spieghel der Schrijfkonste (Rotterdam, 1605; “Mirror of the Art of Writing”), flourishing seems to be as important as the letters themselves. Made with the same pen as the writing and in a single uninterrupted line, the flourishes in Velde’s Spieghel range from variations on spirals…

Jacob van Maerlant: …finally, his most important work, Spieghel Historiael, an adaptation with additions of his own of Vincent de Beauvais’s Speculum Historiale, begun about 1282 and completed after his death by Philippe Utenbroeke and Lodewijk van Velthem. These moralizing rhymed encyclopaedic works were written to satisfy the rising class of commoners who…

Henric Laurenszoon Spieghel was a poet of the northern Dutch Renaissance whose highly individual spiritual beliefs set him apart from his contemporaries. In Spieghel’s greatest work, Hertspiegel (1614; “Heart-Mirror”), a long, often allegorical poem written in hexametres, he set out his

Steven Spielberg is an American motion-picture director and producer whose diverse films—which ranged from science-fiction fare, including such classics as Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), to historical dramas, notably Schindler’s List (1993) and

Steven Spielberg is an American motion-picture director and producer whose diverse films—which ranged from science-fiction fare, including such classics as Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), to historical dramas, notably Schindler’s List (1993) and

Friedrich von Spielhagen was a popular writer whose works are considered representative of the social novel in Germany. After studying at the Universities of Berlin, Bonn, and Greifswald, Spielhagen was a teacher in a Gymnasium (high school) at Leipzig, but after 1854 he became entirely involved

Spielmann, wandering entertainer of the European Middle Ages who performed at fairs, markets, and castles. The Spielleute included singers, mimics, and sword swallowers. Also among them were the storytellers credited with keeping alive the native Germanic vernacular legends at a time when nearly

Spielmann, wandering entertainer of the European Middle Ages who performed at fairs, markets, and castles. The Spielleute included singers, mimics, and sword swallowers. Also among them were the storytellers credited with keeping alive the native Germanic vernacular legends at a time when nearly

Batten disease, rare and fatal neurodegenerative disease that begins in childhood. The disease is named for British physician Frederick Batten, who in 1903 described the cerebral degeneration and macular changes characteristic of the condition. Batten disease is among the most commonly occurring of

Michael Frayn: You Know (1992), Headlong (1999), Spies (2002), and Skios (2012). My Father’s Fortune (2010) was a memoir.

Reba McEntire: Acting and later music: …voice to the animated film Spies in Disguise.

Haymarket Affair: Amid the panic, August Spies and seven other anarchists were convicted of murder on the grounds that they had conspired with or aided an unknown assailant. Many of the so-called “Chicago Eight,” however, were not even present at the May 4 event, and their alleged involvement was never…

Southeast Asian arts: Bali: …artist Rudolf Bonnet founded the Pita Maha (“Great Shining”) cooperative. Bonnet, in particular, guided and developed artists, introducing them to new materials, encouraging new subject matter, and promoting their works in the West. The Pita Maha was the catalyst for the establishment of a number of painters’ groups, such as…