Egyptian art and architecture: Faience: Quite exceptional is the extraordinary was-scepter (a symbol of divine power) found at Tūkh, near Naqādah. It is dated to the reign of Amenhotep II and originally measured about six and a half feet (two meters) in length.

history of logic: Georg Cantor: …this technique, Dedekind gave in Was sind und was sollen die Zahlen? (1888; “What Are and Should Be the Numbers?”) a precise definition of an infinite set. A set is infinite if and only if the whole set can be put into one-to-one correspondence with a proper part of the…

Juan Guas was an architect, the central figure of the group of Spanish architects who developed the Isabelline (q.v.) style, a combination of medieval structure, Mudéjar (Spanish Muslim) ornament, and Italian spatial design. Considered the finest architect of late 15th-century Spain, he originated

wasabi, (Eutrema japonicum), plant of the mustard family (Brassicaceae) and a pungent paste made of its ground rhizomes. The plant is native to Japan, South Korea, and Sakhalin, Russia, and its cultivation is limited because of its specific growing requirements. Given the high price and limited

wasabi: Wasabi paste: Wasabi paste is spicy and pungent in flavour and is most commonly served with sushi and sashimi. The vapours tend to stimulate the nose more than the taste buds, and its unique taste and smell are due to the formation of volatile compounds known as…

Ardem Patapoutian: …led to the discovery of TRPA1 (the so-called wasabi receptor), which acts as a sensor for noxious stimuli, including cold and pain.

East Asian mathematics: The elaboration of Chinese methods: …Japanese tradition of mathematics, or wasan. Seki founded what became the most important school of mathematics in Japan. (At this time, mathematics was widely practiced in Japan as a leisure activity.) As in other schools, disciples had to keep the school methods secret, and only the best among them knew…

Tertiary Period: Volcanism and orogenesis: These fault zones (particularly the Wasatch Fault in central Utah and the San Andreas zone in California) remain active today and are the source of most of the damaging earthquakes in North America. The Andean mountains were uplifted during the Neogene as a result of subduction of the South Pacific…

Utah: Settlement patterns: The Wasatch Front (often shortened to “the Front”), extending some 105 miles (170 km) north-south from Brigham City to Provo and including Salt Lake City, is the main area of urban and industrial development; more than three-fourths of the state’s total population lives there. Salt Lake…

Wasatch Range, segment of the south-central Rocky Mountains, extending southward for about 250 miles (400 km), from the bend of the Bear River in southeastern Idaho, U.S., to beyond Mount Nebo, near Nephi in north-central Utah. It lies east of the Great Salt Lake and Salt Lake City and includes the

Wasatch-Cache National Forest, popular recreational region of forests and streams in the Stansbury, Monte Cristo, Bear River, Wasatch, and Uinta mountain ranges of northern Utah and southwestern Wyoming, U.S. It adjoins Ashley and Uinta national forests in Utah and Caribou National Forest in Idaho

Regina: The focus of Regina is Wascana Centre, a parklike development around Wascana Lake (an artificial widening of Wascana Creek) that includes some of the most important civic buildings, including the domed Legislative Building, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, the Mackenzie Art Gallery, the Diefenbaker Homestead (home of Canadian Prime Minister John…

Regina: …Centre, a parklike development around Wascana Lake (an artificial widening of Wascana Creek) that includes some of the most important civic buildings, including the domed Legislative Building, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, the Mackenzie Art Gallery, the Diefenbaker Homestead (home of Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, which was moved from Borden…

Wase, town, Plateau state, east-central Nigeria, near the Wase River and at the intersection of roads from Bashar, Langtang, and Shendam. It was founded about 1820 by Hassan, a Fulani official from Bauchi, 85 miles (137 km) north, in an area traditionally inhabited by the Basherawa people and at

Thebes, one of the famed cities of antiquity, the capital of the ancient Egyptian empire at its heyday. Thebes lay on either side of the Nile River at approximately 26° N latitude. The modern town of Luxor, or Al-Uqṣur, which occupies part of the site, is 419 miles (675 km) south of Cairo. Ancient

Waseda University, coeducational institution of higher learning founded in 1882 in Tokyo. The school is private but receives some government financing and is subject to some degree of government control. Originally known as Tokyo Senmon Gakko (College), the institution was renamed Waseda University

directing: Directorial styles: …so that when Suzuki Tadashi’s Waseda company from Tokyo arrived in Europe in 1972, it found itself being compared in its intense physicality to Jerzy Grotowski’s Polish Laboratory Theatre from Wrocław in Poland, though the two companies had been founded independently in the early 1960s.

Waseda University, coeducational institution of higher learning founded in 1882 in Tokyo. The school is private but receives some government financing and is subject to some degree of government control. Originally known as Tokyo Senmon Gakko (College), the institution was renamed Waseda University

Johann Heinrich Waser was the burgomaster (mayor) of Zürich and one of the most prominent Swiss political figures of the mid-17th century. Waser enjoyed an active role as an arbiter among the Protestant cantons and in the confederation Diet, and in 1644 he presided over a tribunal adjudicating an

Arabic literature: Description: …from the outset: description (waṣf). Analysts of the earliest poetry chose to devote particular attention to the ways in which poets depicted animals and other aspects of nature and often indulged in complex patterns of imagery that likened attributes of one animal to those of another. The images of…

arroyo, a dry channel lying in a semiarid or desert area and subject to flash flooding during seasonal or irregular rainstorms. Such transitory streams, rivers, or creeks are noted for their gullying effects and especially for their rapid rates of erosion, transportation, and deposition. There have

wash drawing, artwork in which a fine layer of colour—usually diluted ink, bistre, or watercolour—is spread with a brush over a broad surface evenly enough so that no brush marks are visible in the finished product. Usually the technique is used in conjunction with lines made by a pen or pencil

dye: Standardization tests and identification of dyes: Colourfastness tests are published by the International Organization for Standardization. For identification purposes, the results of systematic reaction sequences and solubility properties permit determination of the class of dye, which, in many cases, may be all that is required. With modern instrumentation, however, a variety…

The Wash, shallow bay of the North Sea, 15 miles (24 km) long and 12 miles (19 km) wide, between the counties of Lincolnshire and Norfolk, England. It once extended as far inland as Peterborough and Cambridge but was largely filled in by silt, brought chiefly by rivers but partly washed in by

nuclear reactor: The Reactor Safety Study of 1972–75: …1975 of a report titled Reactor Safety Study, also known as WASH-1400. The most useful aspect of the study was its delineation of components and accident sequences (scenarios) that were determined to be the most significant contributors to severe accidents.

Washakie was a Shoshone chief who performed extraordinary acts of friendship for white settlers while exhibiting tremendous prowess as a warrior against his people’s tribal enemies. The son of a Umatilla father and Shoshone mother, Washakie left the Umatilla while an adolescent to join his mother’s

Béla Fleck: Collaborations: Fleck joined clawhammer banjo player Abigail Washburn on Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet (2008), a bold experiment that fused American roots music and traditional Chinese folk songs. Fleck and Washburn were later married, and the two frequently performed and recorded together; their duet albums included Béla Fleck & Abigail…

Margaret Floy Washburn was an American psychologist whose work at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie made it a leading institution in undergraduate psychological research and education. Washburn graduated from Vassar College in 1891. She then studied briefly at Columbia University, New York City, where

Carleton Washburne was an American educator noted for his innovations in school programs known as the Winnetka Plan. Washburne attended Chicago schools administered by John Dewey and Francis Parker before earning his bachelor’s degree at Stanford University (1912) and completing a doctorate in

Carleton Washburne was an American educator noted for his innovations in school programs known as the Winnetka Plan. Washburne attended Chicago schools administered by John Dewey and Francis Parker before earning his bachelor’s degree at Stanford University (1912) and completing a doctorate in

Ulysses S. Grant: The Civil War: …general through the influence of Elihu B. Washburne, a U.S. congressman from Galena. On learning this news and recalling his son’s previous failures, his father said, “Be careful, Ulyss, you are a general now—it’s a good job, don’t lose it!” To the contrary, Grant soon gained command of the District…

blood transfusion: Transfusion procedures and blood storage: Washed red cells, to combat allergies that have been induced in frequently transfused patients by other elements in the blood. Platelets, for bleeding caused by platelet deficiency. White blood cells (leukocytes), for low white-cell count in patients with infections. Plasma, for

washer, machine component that is used in conjunction with a screw fastener such as a bolt and nut and that usually serves either to keep the screw from loosening or to distribute the load from the nut or bolt head over a larger area. For load distribution, thin flat rings of soft steel are usual.

washstand, from the beginning of the 19th century until well into the 20th, an essential piece of bedroom furniture. The washstand consisted of a wooden structure of varying shape and complexity intended to accommodate a large basin, a pitcher, a toothbrush jar, and various other toilet

fruit processing: Fruit juice: …processing of fruit juice involves washing, extraction, clarification, and preservation.

waste disposal: …“white goods” such as refrigerators, washing machines, and microwave ovens and “brown goods” such as televisions, radios, computers, and cellular telephones. E-waste differs from traditional municipal waste. Although e-waste contains complex combinations of highly toxic substances (such as lead and

detergent, any of various surfactants (surface-active agents) particularly effective in dislodging foreign matter from soiled surfaces and retaining it in suspension. The term usually denotes a synthetic substance that is not prepared by saponifying fats and oils (as is soap). A brief treatment of

washing soda, sodium carbonate decahydrate, efflorescent crystals used for washing, especially textiles. It is a compound of sodium

Macomb, city, seat (1830) of McDonough county, western Illinois, U.S. It lies along the East Fork La Moine River, about 65 miles (105 km) southwest of Peoria. Settled in 1829 by John Baker, a Baptist minister, and originally called Washington, it was renamed the following year for General Alexander

Henry Miller Shreve: …built to his specifications the Washington, with a flat, shallow hull, a high-pressure steam engine on the main deck instead of in the hold, and a second deck. His round trip in the Washington in 1816 from Pittsburgh to New Orleans and back to Louisville definitely established the Mississippi steamboat…

Washington, city, seat (1781) of Washington county, southwestern Pennsylvania, U.S. It lies 28 miles (45 km) southwest of Pittsburgh. Prior to the American Revolution the area was the centre of a land dispute with Virginia. Pennsylvania’s claim was finally validated by the Virginia constitution of

Washington, city, seat of Beaufort county, eastern North Carolina, U.S., along the Pamlico-Tar estuary just east of Greenville. Founded by Colonel James Bonner in 1771 and originally known as Forks of Tar River, it was one of the first places in the United States to be named (December 7, 1776) for

Washington, county, southwestern Pennsylvania, U.S., bordered by West Virginia to the west, Enlow Fork and Tenmile Creek to the south, and the Monongahela River to the east. It consists of a hilly region on the Allegheny Plateau. The county was created in 1781 and named for George Washington. It

Washington, county, eastern New York state, U.S. It is bordered by Lake George to the northwest, Vermont to the northeast and east (Lake Champlain and the Poultney River constituting the northeastern boundary), and the Hudson River to the west. The lowlands of the Hudson valley and central area

Washington, county, eastern Maine, U.S., bordered to the east by New Brunswick, Canada (the Chiputneticook Lakes, the St. Croix River, and Passamaquoddy Bay constituting the boundary), and to the south by the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of a hill-and-valley region and includes several islands in

Washington, county, northern Maryland, U.S., bounded by Pennsylvania to the north and the Potomac River (which constitutes the border with Virginia and West Virginia) to the south and southwest. The county lies in the Cumberland Valley between the Allegheny (west) and the Blue Ridge (east)

Washington, constituent state of the United States of America. Lying at the northwestern corner of the 48 conterminous states, it is bounded by the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north, the U.S. states of Idaho to the east and Oregon to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Washington, town in Sunderland metropolitan borough, metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, historic county of Durham, northeastern England. It lies along the north side of the River Wear below Chester-le-Street. The site was an area of early coal mining and industrial activity and was associated

Piqua, city, Miami county, western Ohio, U.S., on the Great Miami River, 27 miles (43 km) north of Dayton. The original Shawnee village of Piqua (the name, from a term meaning “man who arose from the ashes,” comes from a local Shawnee clan’s creation story), near present-day Springfield, was

Washington, city, seat (1805) of Wilkes county, northeastern Georgia, U.S., roughly halfway between Athens and Augusta. First settled by the Stephen Heard family from Virginia in 1773, it was laid out in 1780 and was one of the first U.S. communities to be named in honour of George Washington.

Washington, county, central Vermont, U.S. It comprises a piedmont region in the east that rises up into the Green Mountains in the west. The Winooski River rises near the village of Cabot. Its tributaries are the Little, Mad, and Dog rivers and the North, Stevens, and Kingsbury branches. Dominated

Washington, county, southwestern Rhode Island, U.S. It is bordered by Connecticut to the west, Narragansett Bay to the east, and Block Island Sound to the south and includes Block Island south of the mainland. The Pawcatuck River flows through the western portion of the county and defines the

Washington and Lee University, private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Lexington, Virginia, U.S. The university, one of the oldest in the United States, comprises the College, the School of Law, and the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics. It offers undergraduate

Washington State University, public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Pullman, Washington, U.S. It is Washington’s land-grant university under the provisions of the Morrill Act of 1862. Washington State comprises a graduate school, the Intercollegiate College of Nursing (a

Pennsylvania: Education: …College (1787), in Lancaster; and Washington and Jefferson College (1787), in Washington. Carlisle was the site of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School from 1879 to 1918; the facility became the home of the U.S. Army War College in 1951.

Washington and Lee University, private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Lexington, Virginia, U.S. The university, one of the oldest in the United States, comprises the College, the School of Law, and the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics. It offers undergraduate

Montgomery C. Meigs: …substantial contribution, however, was the Washington Aqueduct, which extended 12 miles (19 kilometres) from the Great Falls on the Potomac to a distribution reservoir west of Georgetown. His Cabin John Bridge (1852–60), designed to carry Washington’s main water supply and vehicular traffic, is an engineering masterpiece. Until the 20th century…

Washington Wizards, American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards (then known as the Washington Bullets) made four trips to the National Basketball Association (NBA) finals in the 1970s and won an NBA championship in the 1977–78 season. Founded in 1961 as the Chicago

Washington Capitals, American professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C., that plays in the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Capitals have won two Eastern Conference championships (1998, 2018) and one Stanley Cup (2018). Founded in 1974, the Capitals

Washington National Cathedral, in Washington, D.C., Episcopal cathedral chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1893 and established on Mount St. Alban (the highest point in the city) in 1907. Its cornerstone was laid by President Theodore Roosevelt. Although construction slowed during periods of

Trinity College, private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Hartford, Conn., U.S. It is a nonsectarian liberal arts college that has a historical affiliation with the Episcopal church. It offers B.A. and B.S. degrees in about 35 majors and M.A. and M.S. degrees in five departments.

Pennsylvania: Education: …College (1787), in Lancaster; and Washington and Jefferson College (1787), in Washington. Carlisle was the site of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School from 1879 to 1918; the facility became the home of the U.S. Army War College in 1951.

Kent: Chestertown, the county seat, contains Washington College (founded 1782), one of the oldest colleges in the United States.

Washington and Lee University, private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Lexington, Virginia, U.S. The university, one of the oldest in the United States, comprises the College, the School of Law, and the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics. It offers undergraduate

Ellen Spencer Mussey: …helped establish and incorporate the Washington College of Law in 1898. From 1898 to 1913 Mussey served as dean of the college, which trained large numbers of women, as well as men, for the bar, and she also taught classes in constitutional law, contracts, wills, equity, and other topics.

Washington Commanders, American professional gridiron football team based in Washington, D.C. The Commanders play in the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL) and have won two NFL championships (1937 and 1942) and three Super Bowls (1983, 1988, and 1992). Founded

José Santos Zelaya: The Washington Conference of 1907 ensued, at which all five Central American states signed an agreement pledging to maintain peace among themselves. Zelaya, however, quickly broke the treaty.

broadcasting: International conferences: The Washington Conference of 1927 widened the area of cooperation in respect to radiotelegraph, broadcasting, and the international allocation of wavelengths, or frequencies. It was followed by the Madrid Conference of 1932, which codified the rules and established the official international frequency list. This agreement stabilized…

Washington Conference, (1921–22), international conference called by the United States to limit the naval arms race and to work out security agreements in the Pacific area. Held in Washington, D.C., the conference resulted in the drafting and signing of several major and minor treaty agreements.

Washington Conference, (1921–22), international conference called by the United States to limit the naval arms race and to work out security agreements in the Pacific area. Held in Washington, D.C., the conference resulted in the drafting and signing of several major and minor treaty agreements.

Hans Bethe: Early work: The Washington Conferences on Theoretical Physics were paradigmatic of the meetings organized to assimilate the insights quantum mechanics was giving to many fields, especially atomic and molecular physics and the emerging field of nuclear physics. Bethe attended the 1935 and 1937 Washington Conferences, but he agreed…

Washington Consensus, a set of economic policy recommendations for developing countries, and Latin America in particular, that became popular during the 1980s. The term Washington Consensus usually refers to the level of agreement between the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and U.S.

Washington Crossing State Park, two parks on the Pennsylvania and New Jersey shores of the Delaware River 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Trenton. The parks mark the site where, in a blinding snowstorm on the night of Dec. 25, 1776, General George Washington crossed the river with 2,400 colonial

Larry Rivers: His Washington Crossing the Delaware (1953) was based on the familiar work by a 19th-century American painter, Emanuel Leutze. Though criticized for its banal subject matter and mixture of styles, the painting nonetheless attracted widespread attention. From 1951 to 1957 he made a series of portraits…

Washington Crossing the Delaware, oil painting created by German-American artist Emanuel Leutze in 1851. It is among the best known and most popular paintings of an American historical event. No visitor to the American Wing in New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art could forget seeing

Davenport v. Washington Education Association: …other nonunion members of the Washington Education Association (WEA), the state’s largest teacher union, filed a lawsuit against the WEA, claiming that it had failed to obtain the affirmative authorization required in Section 760; the state of Washington also brought a similar suit against the WEA (Washington v. Washington Education…

Washington Commanders, American professional gridiron football team based in Washington, D.C. The Commanders play in the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL) and have won two NFL championships (1937 and 1942) and three Super Bowls (1983, 1988, and 1992). Founded

Mia Hamm: …also played professionally for the Washington Freedom of the short-lived Women’s United Soccer Association (2001–03). After retiring from competitive play in 2004, she remained involved in the sport. Notably, in 2014 Hamm became a co-owner—along with her husband, former baseball player Nomar Garciaparra, and numerous others—of the Los Angeles Football…

Nancy Lieberman: …Lieberman was chosen by the Washington Generals to play against the Harlem Globetrotters, making her the first woman to participate in a Globetrotters world tour. Approaching the age of 40 but still a talented player, she joined the Phoenix Mercury of the newly formed NBA-sponsored Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA)…

hawthorn: Common species: The Washington hawthorn (C. phaenopyrum) is famous for its red autumn colour and its abundant clusters of orange-red fruits that persist on the twigs well into winter; it is somewhat susceptible to rust but is otherwise a durable and much-used ornamental. Downy, or red, hawthorn (C.…

Eleanor Medill Patterson: …editor and publisher of the Washington Times-Herald.

Teraina Island, coral atoll of the Northern Line Islands, part of Kiribati, in the west-central Pacific Ocean. With a circumference of 9 miles (14 km), it rises to about 10 feet (3 metres) and has a freshwater lake at its eastern end. It was sighted in 1798 by an American trader and explorer,

James Cruze: …in 1932 Cruze scored with Washington Merry-Go-Round, a political drama starring Lee Tracy as an idealistic congressman. He also directed one of the episodes in Paramount’s all-star showcase If I Had a Million (1932). I Cover the Waterfront (1933) was Cruze’s most important pre-Production Code picture; it starred Ben Lyon…

Drew Pearson: , reporter, wrote a book, Washington Merry-Go-Round (1931), a gossipy treatment of the scene in the U.S. capital. He and Allen were fired for writing the irreverent book, but its success brought them an invitation to write a column with the same name for syndication. The column first appeared in…

Washington Monument, obelisk in Washington, D.C., honouring George Washington, the first president of the United States. Constructed of granite faced with Maryland marble, the structure is 55 feet (16.8 metres) square at the base and 554 feet 7 inches (169 metres) high and weighs an estimated

Baltimore: The contemporary city: The Washington Monument (1829), a 178-foot (54-metre) Doric column, was designed by architect Robert Mills, who later designed the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. Hampton National Historic Site, Aberdeen Proving Ground, and Pimlico Race Course (home of the Preakness Stakes) are nearby, as are several state…

Washington Mystics, American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., that plays in the Eastern Conference of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team has won one WNBA championship (2019). The Mystics began play as an expansion team in 1998, one year after the

Washington National Cathedral, in Washington, D.C., Episcopal cathedral chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1893 and established on Mount St. Alban (the highest point in the city) in 1907. Its cornerstone was laid by President Theodore Roosevelt. Although construction slowed during periods of

Washington Nationals, American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C., that plays in the National League (NL). The Nationals have won one World Series and one NL pennant (both 2019). The franchise was based in Montreal and known as the Expos (after Expo 67, the world’s fair held in

Washington Conference, (1921–22), international conference called by the United States to limit the naval arms race and to work out security agreements in the Pacific area. Held in Washington, D.C., the conference resulted in the drafting and signing of several major and minor treaty agreements.

Washington Conference, (1921–22), international conference called by the United States to limit the naval arms race and to work out security agreements in the Pacific area. Held in Washington, D.C., the conference resulted in the drafting and signing of several major and minor treaty agreements.

Central Washington University, public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Ellensburg, Washington, U.S. It is one of six such institutions sponsored by the state of Washington. The university consists of colleges of arts and humanities, business, sciences, and education and professional

John Tyler: Succession to the presidency: …1861 he presided over the Washington Peace Conference, an abortive effort to resolve sectional differences. When the Senate rejected the proposals of the conference, he relinquished all hope of saving the Union and returned to Virginia, where he served as a delegate to the Virginia Secession Convention. Shortly before his…

The Washington Post is a website and newspaper published in Washington, D.C.. With its location in the nation’s capital, The Post has a long tradition of being a watchdog for misdeeds by politicians and government agencies, including its reporting on The Pentagon Papers , the Watergate scandal, and

Washington Commanders, American professional gridiron football team based in Washington, D.C. The Commanders play in the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL) and have won two NFL championships (1937 and 1942) and three Super Bowls (1983, 1988, and 1992). Founded

Texas Rangers, American professional baseball team based in Arlington, Texas, that plays in the American League (AL). The Rangers began play in 1961 as the Washington (D.C.) Senators and have won one World Series title (2023) and three AL pennants (2010, 2011, and 2023). The Senators finished in

Minnesota Twins, American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that plays in the American League (AL). The Twins originally played in Washington, D.C. (1901–60), and were known as the Senators before relocating to Minneapolis in 1961. The franchise has won three World Series

Jennifer Garner: Early roles and marriage to Scott Foley: …film appearances in the drama Washington Square and the comedy Mr. Magoo (both 1997). She was cast in 1998 on the TV series Significant Others and in 1999 on the Party of Five spin-off, Time of Your Life, but both shows were canceled after a few episodes. Garner had a…

Washington Square, short novel by Henry James, published in 1880 and praised for its depiction of the complicated relationship between a stubborn father and his daughter. The novel’s main character, Catherine Sloper, lives with her widowed aunt and her physician father in New York City’s

Greenwich Village: …its centre, is dominated by Washington Arch (1895) and New York University buildings.