baking: Dividing: In the weight-based method, a cylindrical rope of dough is continuously extruded through an orifice at a fixed rate and is cut off by a knife-edged rotor at fixed intervals. Since the dough is of consistent density, the cut pieces are of uniform weight. Like the pocket-cut…

mean: …a more general average, the weighted arithmetic mean. If each number (x) is assigned a corresponding positive weight (w), the weighted arithmetic mean is defined as the sum of their products (wx) divided by the sum of their weights. In this case,

filling: …filling is a sizing, or weighting, substance added to yarn or fabric to fill in open spaces or increase weight.

weightlessness, condition experienced while in free-fall, in which the effect of gravity is canceled by the inertial (e.g., centrifugal) force resulting from orbital flight. The term zero gravity is often used to describe such a condition. Excluding spaceflight, true weightlessness can be

weightlifting, sport in which barbells are lifted competitively or as an exercise. For other activities using weights but distinct from weightlifting, see weight training, bodybuilding, and powerlifting. Weightlifting has a lengthy history. For many prehistoric tribes, the traditional test of

weights and measures, the standard or agreed upon units for expressing the amount of some quantity, such as capacity, volume, length, area, number, and weight. See measurement system and list of weights and

measurement system: The English system: The Weights and Measures Act of 1824 sought to clear away some of the medieval tangle. A single gallon was decreed, defined as the volume occupied by

International System of Units: Adopted by the 11th General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) in 1960, it is abbreviated SI in all languages.

Helene Weigel was an Austrian actress and stage director who, with her husband, Bertolt Brecht, in 1949 established the Berliner Ensemble theatre group in what was then East Berlin. Weigel was born into an assimilated Jewish family during the last decades of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. With the

Weihai, port city, eastern Shandong sheng (province), eastern China. It lies on the north coast of the Shandong Peninsula. Until the 14th century Weihai was no more than a minor fishing village, but in 1398, as part of the coastal defense policy against the raids of Japanese pirates, it became a

Weihai, port city, eastern Shandong sheng (province), eastern China. It lies on the north coast of the Shandong Peninsula. Until the 14th century Weihai was no more than a minor fishing village, but in 1398, as part of the coastal defense policy against the raids of Japanese pirates, it became a

Mount Everest: Extraordinary feats: …the first blind person, American Erik Weihenmayer, summited Everest; he was an experienced climber who had already scaled peaks such as Mount McKinley (Denali) in Alaska and Kilimanjaro in eastern Africa before his climb of Everest.

Christmas, Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus. The English term Christmas (“mass on Christ’s day”) is of fairly recent origin. The earlier term Yule may have derived from the Germanic jōl or the Anglo-Saxon geōl, which referred to the feast of the winter solstice. The corresponding

Friedrich Schleiermacher: Halle and Berlin: In Die Weihnachtsfeier (1805; Christmas Celebration), written in the style of a Platonic dialogue, Schleiermacher adopted the definition of religion he later incorporated into Der christliche Glaube. Instead of speaking of religion as “feeling and intuition,” he now called it simply “feeling”—namely, the immediate feeling that God lives and…

leptospirosis: …of the illness known as Weil disease or icteric (associated with jaundice) leptospirosis, the infected person turns yellow as a result of the destruction of red blood cells and liver disease. The death rate is approximately 30 percent of the severely ill and jaundiced patients.

leptospirosis: …of the illness known as Weil disease or icteric (associated with jaundice) leptospirosis, the infected person turns yellow as a result of the destruction of red blood cells and liver disease. The death rate is approximately 30 percent of the severely ill and jaundiced patients.

André Weil was a French mathematician who was one of the most influential figures in mathematics during the 20th century, particularly in number theory and algebraic geometry. André was the brother of the philosopher and mystic Simone Weil. He studied at the École Normale Supérieure (now part of

Andrew Weil is an American physician and popularizer of alternative and integrative medicine. Weil was the only child of parents who owned a millinery supply store. As a child, he developed a strong interest in plants, which he said he inherited from his mother and grandmother. After graduating

Andrew Weil is an American physician and popularizer of alternative and integrative medicine. Weil was the only child of parents who owned a millinery supply store. As a child, he developed a strong interest in plants, which he said he inherited from his mother and grandmother. After graduating

The Brill Building: Assembly-Line Pop: …Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, and Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman were to rock and roll what Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart and George and Ira Gershwin were to Tin Pan Alley. The difference was that the writers of Brill Building pop understood…

Kurt Weill was a German-born American composer who created a revolutionary kind of opera of sharp social satire in collaboration with the writer Bertolt Brecht. Weill studied privately with Albert Bing and at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Berlin with Engelbert Humperdinck. He gained some

Simone Weil was a French mystic, social philosopher, and activist in the French Resistance during World War II, whose posthumously published works had particular influence on French and English social thought. Intellectually precocious, Weil also expressed social awareness at an early age. At five

Berthe Weill was a French art dealer who championed the avant-garde and introduced to Paris many of the most transformative artists of the first half of the 20th century, including Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Weill was born in Paris, the fifth of seven children in a large Jewish family of

Berthe Weill was a French art dealer who championed the avant-garde and introduced to Paris many of the most transformative artists of the first half of the 20th century, including Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Weill was born in Paris, the fifth of seven children in a large Jewish family of

Kurt Weill was a German-born American composer who created a revolutionary kind of opera of sharp social satire in collaboration with the writer Bertolt Brecht. Weill studied privately with Albert Bing and at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Berlin with Engelbert Humperdinck. He gained some

Kurt Weill was a German-born American composer who created a revolutionary kind of opera of sharp social satire in collaboration with the writer Bertolt Brecht. Weill studied privately with Albert Bing and at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Berlin with Engelbert Humperdinck. He gained some

Sanford I. Weill is an American financier and philanthropist whose company, Travelers Group, merged with Citicorp to form Citigroup in 1998—the largest merger in history at the time. Weill was born to Polish immigrants and was the first in his family to earn a college degree, graduating from

Sanford I. Weill is an American financier and philanthropist whose company, Travelers Group, merged with Citicorp to form Citigroup in 1998—the largest merger in history at the time. Weill was born to Polish immigrants and was the first in his family to earn a college degree, graduating from

Weimar, city, Thuringia Land (state), eastern Germany. Weimar lies along the Ilm River, just east of Erfurt. First mentioned in documents in 975 as Wimare, it was declared a town in 1254 and was chartered in 1348. Ruled by the counts of Weimar-Orlamünde from 1247 to 1372, it then passed to the

German literature: Weimar Classicism: Goethe and Schiller: It took Goethe more than 10 years to adapt himself to life at the court. After a two-year sojourn in Italy from 1786 to 1788, he published his first Neoclassical work, the drama Iphigenie auf Tauris (1779–87; Iphigenie in Tauris),…

Friedrich Ebert: …Democrats had formed the so-called Black–Red–Gold (Weimar) coalition, named after the colours of the flag of the liberal revolution of 1848.

Weimar Republic: The Weimar constitution: The national assembly met in Weimar on February 6, 1919. Ebert’s opening speech underlined the breach with the past and urged the Allies not to cripple the young republic by the demands imposed on it. On February 11 the assembly elected Ebert president of…

Germany: The Weimar Renaissance: Amid the political and economic turmoil of the early 1920s, Germany’s cultural and intellectual life was flowering. The so-called Weimar Renaissance brought the fulfillment of the Modernist revolution, which in the late 19th century had begun to transform the European aesthetic sensibility. The…

Weimar Republic, the government of Germany from 1919 to 1933, so called because the assembly that adopted its constitution met at Weimar from February 6 to August 11, 1919. The abdication of Emperor William II on November 9, 1918, marked the end of the German Empire. That day Maximilian, prince of

Weimaraner, sporting dog breed developed in the early 19th century by German nobles of the court of Weimar. First used to hunt big game, the dog was later trained as a bird dog and retriever. Breed data The Weimaraner is a graceful dog with hanging ears; blue, gray, or amber eyes; and a distinctive

Newport Folk Festival: Founded by music producer George Wein, his business partner Albert Grossman, and several singer-songwriters, the Newport Folk Festival, first staged in 1959, had the aim of showcasing the diversity of American folk music, from rural traditions to urban popular styles. The bill of the inaugural event included professional folk…

Wolverine: …for Marvel Comics by writer Len Wein and artist John Romita, Sr. Wolverine—who possesses razor-sharp claws, the ability to rapidly heal virtually any injury, and a skeleton reinforced with an indestructible metal—made his first full appearance in The Incredible Hulk no. 181 (1974).

Big Science: …Oak Ridge National Laboratory director Alvin Weinberg. The article described Big Science as part of the new political economy of science produced by World War II, during which the U.S. government sponsored gigantic research efforts such as the Manhattan Project, the American atomic bomb program, and the Radiation Laboratory, a…

George Weinberg was an American psychotherapist who coined the term homophobia to describe the extreme aversion to being in the presence of gay men or women that he observed among some of his colleagues. Weinberg earned (1951) a master’s degree in English from New York University. He studied

George Weinberg was an American psychotherapist who coined the term homophobia to describe the extreme aversion to being in the presence of gay men or women that he observed among some of his colleagues. Weinberg earned (1951) a master’s degree in English from New York University. He studied

Linda Nochlin was an American feminist art historian whose 1971 article “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” led to new research into forgotten and underappreciated women artists throughout history and, more broadly, raised consciousness among scholars regarding the way history is analyzed

Conan O’Brien: Late Night and The Tonight Show: …a hip band, led by Max Weinberg (drummer for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band), playing in the background—but O’Brien was as irreverent and silly as Letterman. His material was aimed squarely at the 18- to 34-year-old market, mixing in such recurring comedy bits as “Audience Hygiene,” “Classic Films Dubbed by…

Abscam: …1978, when the FBI enlisted Melvin Weinberg, a con artist who had previously worked as a bureau informant, to aid in the recovery of stolen paintings. Weinberg, who was facing a three-year prison term after having been convicted of running a fraudulent real-estate scheme, saw his sentence reduced to probation…

Steven Weinberg was an American nuclear physicist who in 1979 shared the Nobel Prize for Physics with Sheldon Lee Glashow and Abdus Salam for work in formulating the electroweak theory, which explains the unity of electromagnetism with the weak nuclear force. Weinberg and Glashow were members of

G.H. Hardy: …concurrently with the German physician Wilhelm Weinberg, what is now known as the Hardy-Weinberg law. The law resolved the controversy over what proportions of dominant and recessive genetic traits would be propagated in a large mixed population. Although Hardy attached little importance to the law, it became central to the…

electroweak theory, in physics, the theory that describes both the electromagnetic force and the weak force. Superficially, these forces appear quite different. The weak force acts only across distances smaller than the atomic nucleus, while the electromagnetic force can extend for great distances

Jaromir Weinberger was a Czech composer known mainly for his opera Švanda Dudák (Shvanda the Bagpiper). Weinberger studied at the Prague Conservatory and with Max Reger in Leipzig, later working with the Slovak National Theatre. In 1939 he settled in the United States. His opera Švanda Dudák, first

Karlsruhe: Friedrich Weinbrenner gave it its essential character by erecting many buildings in Neoclassical style, including the town hall and the Evangelical and Roman Catholic churches. The city sustained severe damage in World War II, but many noteworthy buildings have been restored.

Rh blood group system: …1940 by Karl Landsteiner and A.S. Weiner. Since that time a number of distinct Rh antigens have been identified, but the first and most common one, called RhD, causes the most severe immune reaction and is the primary determinant of the Rh trait.

United States Presidential Election of 2016: General election campaign: …on a laptop owned by Anthony Weiner, a disgraced former congressman married to top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Comey’s letter was sent over the objections of top Justice Department officials. Two days before election day, Comey declared that the e-mails did not change the investigation’s conclusions and again closed the…

Lawrence Weiner was an American conceptual artist best known for his text-based installations and radical definitions of art. He is considered a central figure in the foundation of the conceptual art movement of the 1960s. Weiner grew up in the South Bronx and attended New York public schools. He

Chicago Seven: …(MOBE); and John Froines and Lee Weiner, who were alleged to have made stink bombs—were tried on charges of criminal conspiracy and incitement to riot.

Leó Weiner was a composer in the tradition of Brahms and Mendelssohn. He was a coach at the Budapest Comic Opera and won the Franz Josef Jubilee Prize, a travelling fellowship that took him to Vienna, Berlin, Leipzig, and Paris. From 1908 to 1949, he was a professor at the Budapest Academy. As a

Matthew Weiner is an American writer and producer who was the creator, a cowriter, and an executive producer of the television series Mad Men (2007–15). Weiner moved to Los Angeles with his family at age nine. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1987 and received a master’s degree from the

Astrud Gilberto was a Brazilian singer who became a star overnight with the international hit “The Girl from Ipanema.” The single propelled the bossa nova movement—a musical style that combines Brazilian samba rhythms and jazz—to the international stage. Gilberto was born Astrud Evangelina Weinert,

Felix Weingartner, edler von Munzberg was an Austrian symphonic and operatic conductor and composer, best-known for his interpretations of the works of Ludwig van Beethoven and Richard Wagner. Weingartner first studied composition at Graz. Beginning as a student of philosophy at the University of

Felix Weingartner, edler von Munzberg was an Austrian symphonic and operatic conductor and composer, best-known for his interpretations of the works of Ludwig van Beethoven and Richard Wagner. Weingartner first studied composition at Graz. Beginning as a student of philosophy at the University of

Josef Weinheber was an Austrian poet noted for his technical mastery. Weinheber’s parents died when he was a child, and he spent six unhappy years in an orphanage before an aunt took him to live with her. For many years he worked in the postal service. Weinheber’s early books, Von beiden Ufern

Otto Weininger was an Austrian philosopher whose single work, Geschlecht und Charakter (1903; Sex and Character), served as a sourcebook for anti-Semitic propagandists. The son of a prosperous Jewish artisan, Weininger became a Christian the day he received his Ph.D. degree from the University of

Harvey Weinstein: Weinstein Company: …Miramax Films to form the Weinstein Company. Its early notable releases included Grindhouse (2007), which consisted of two feature-length films directed by Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror) and Tarantino (Death Proof); I’m Not There (2007), an unconventional biopic of Bob Dylan; and The Great Debaters (2007), a drama—directed by and starring

Garry Kasparov is a Soviet-born chess master who became the world chess champion in 1985. Kasparov was the youngest world chess champion (at 22 years of age) and the first world chess champion to be defeated by a supercomputer in a competitive match. (Read Garry Kasparov’s Britannica essay on chess

Garry Kasparov is a Soviet-born chess master who became the world chess champion in 1985. Kasparov was the youngest world chess champion (at 22 years of age) and the first world chess champion to be defeated by a supercomputer in a competitive match. (Read Garry Kasparov’s Britannica essay on chess

Harvey Weinstein is a former film producer who became a powerful figure in Hollywood as the cofounder and cochairman of Miramax Films (1979–2005) and later the Weinstein Company (2005–17). However, his career ended following numerous allegations of sexual harassment and assault, several of which

Nathanael West was an American writer best known for satiric novels of the 1930s. Of middle-class Jewish immigrant parentage, he attended high school in New York City and graduated from Brown University in 1924. During a 15-month stay in Paris, he completed his first novel, The Dream Life of Balso

Harold Brodkey was an American novelist and short-story writer whose near-autobiographical fiction avoids plot, instead concentrating upon careful, close description of feeling. Brodkey attended Harvard University (B.A., 1952) and soon began publishing short stories in literary magazines. His first

Bell Sound: Al Weintraub opened Bell Sound in the early 1950s on West 87th Street, and when he moved closer to the midtown action (to 46th Street and 8th Avenue) in 1954, Bell became New York City’s busiest independent studio. Recording sessions in the city were closely…

Weipa, Aboriginal community and mining town, northern Queensland, Australia, on the northwestern coast of Cape York Peninsula. It lies on Albatross Bay at the estuaries of the Hey, Embley, and Mission rivers, facing the Gulf of Carpentaria. In 1802 the explorer Matthew Flinders noted the red cliffs

go, board game for two players. Of East Asian origin, it is popular in China, Korea, and especially Japan, the country with which it is most closely identified. Go, probably the world’s oldest board game, is thought to have originated in China some 4,000 years ago. According to some sources, this

weir, any control or barrier placed in an open channel to permit measurement of water discharge. The latter may be computed from a formula expressing the discharge in terms of crest length of the weir, depth of flow above the weir, weir geometry, and other factors. A variety of weirs have been used

commercial fishing: Traps: …the big wooden corrals, or weirs, and the large pound nets. The oldest type may be the Italian tonnara, used in the Mediterranean for tuna from the Bosporus to the Atlantic. Very large pound nets are also used by the Japanese on the Pacific coast, by the Danes and their…

Weir of Hermiston, fragment of an uncompleted novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, published posthumously in 1896. Stevenson used the novel in part as an effort to understand his youthful quarrel with his own father. Rich in psychological characterizations, with masterful dialogue and a beautiful prose

Weir of Hermiston, fragment of an uncompleted novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, published posthumously in 1896. Stevenson used the novel in part as an effort to understand his youthful quarrel with his own father. Rich in psychological characterizations, with masterful dialogue and a beautiful prose

John Perry Barlow: …where he became friends with Bob Weir, future guitarist for the Grateful Dead. He then studied at Wesleyan University, graduating with a degree in comparative religion in 1969. In 1971 Barlow began writing lyrics for the Grateful Dead, and with Weir he later penned such songs as “Cassidy” and “Mexicali…

National Intergroup, Inc.: …was formed in 1929 by Ernest T. Weir (1875–1957) through an amalgamation of Weirton Steel Company, Great Lakes Steel Corporation, and Hanna Iron Ore Company; the company controlled not only steel mills but also iron-ore mines and coalfields. National Steel was consistently one of the most profitable steel companies throughout…

the Ten: John Henry Twachtman, J. Alden Weir, Thomas W. Dewing, Joseph De Camp, Frank W. Benson, Willard Leroy Metcalf, Edmund Tarbell, Robert Reid, and E.E. Simmons. When Twachtman died in 1902, William Merritt Chase replaced him.

Hanyu Yuzuru: …himself after Plushchenko and American Johnny Weir, eventually mastered such difficult elements as the Biellmann spin (he was one of the relatively few male skaters who performed the move) and the quadruple jump. At the end of 2009, Hanyu won the gold medal at the Junior Grand Prix final in…

opera: United Kingdom: …Scottish, are Thea Musgrave and Judith Weir. Both wrote several notable semioperatic works as well as full-length operas. The latter include, by Musgrave, Mary, Queen of Scots (1977; libretto by herself, after a play by Amalia Elguera) and A Christmas Carol (1979; libretto by herself, after the book by Charles…

Peter Weir is an Australian film director and screenwriter known for intelligent emotional dramas that frequently explore the relationship between characters and their social environment. He contributed to a renaissance in Australian filmmaking and directed a string of acclaimed Hollywood movies.

Peter Weir is an Australian film director and screenwriter known for intelligent emotional dramas that frequently explore the relationship between characters and their social environment. He contributed to a renaissance in Australian filmmaking and directed a string of acclaimed Hollywood movies.

O Canada: …were written in 1908 by Robert Stanley Weir (1856–1926), a lawyer and recorder of Montreal.

tort: Protection of honour, reputation, and privacy: …according to English legal scholar Tony Weir’s A Casebook on Tort (1974), it may well be that its defects arise

Robert Downey, Jr.: Early life and first films: …movies, including the cult hit Weird Science (1985), led to a stint (1985–86) on the television comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live.

Weird Sisters, the creatures who prophesy the destinies of the main characters in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The term Weird Sisters was first used by Scots writers as a sobriquet for the Fates of Greek and Roman mythology. Through its appearance in Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles, the expression passed

Jules-Amédée Barbey d’Aurevilly: Les Diaboliques (1874; Weird Women), a collection of six short stories, is often considered his masterpiece.

Quinta Brunson: Other projects: …Oprah Winfrey in the movie Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022), guest starred on the reboot of the TV series Party Down (2023), and appeared as Martha Magdalene in the sequel (2023) to the movie History of the World (1981). She married boyfriend Kevin Jay Anik in 2021.

Iggy and the Stooges: …than three decades to record The Weirdness (2007). While the album met with disappointing reviews, the supporting world tour presented the classic Stooges to a new generation of fans. Following the 2009 death of Ron Asheton, guitarist James Williamson, who had played a key role on Raw Power, rejoined the…

R. Crumb: …published the black-and-white illustrated anthology Weirdo (1981), which featured himself as the main character in a collection of self-flagellating “confessional” tales. In 1991 Crumb moved to the south of France, from which vantage point he contributed illustrated articles to such mainstream publications as The New Yorker and devoted his spare…

Alan Garner: His first book, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen: A Tale of Alderley (1960), is a fantasy tale in which twins Colin and Susan must contend with supernatural forces after discovering that they possess a magical gem. It is set in Alderley Edge in Garner’s native Cheshire. He released a…

Weirton, city, Brooke and Hancock counties, in the northern panhandle of West Virginia, U.S., on the Ohio River (bridged just south to Steubenville, Ohio). The area, originally settled during the American Revolution, has a long history of iron making. In the 1790s Peter Tarr built a crude furnace

Paul Muni was an American stage, film, and television actor acclaimed for his portrayals of noted historical figures. Weisenfreund was born to a family of Polish Jewish actors, and he began appearing onstage with his parents while still a young child. After the family’s immigration to the United

biblical literature: Psalms: Artur Weiser, a German scholar, sought the cultic milieu of the Hebrew psalms especially in an annual feast of covenant renewal, which was uniquely Israelite.

Johann Conrad Weiser was a North American colonial Indian agent, musician, evangelist, and public official. Weiser migrated to New York with his father in 1710, and the family moved to Schoharie, N.Y., four years later. Conrad lived briefly among the neighbouring Iroquois before starting his own

Hugo Weisgall was a Czech-born American composer and educator, whose operas have been praised for their literary quality, their psychological drama, and their unique vocal style. Born into a musical family that had produced several generations of composers and cantors, Weisgall immigrated with his

Hugo Weisgall was a Czech-born American composer and educator, whose operas have been praised for their literary quality, their psychological drama, and their unique vocal style. Born into a musical family that had produced several generations of composers and cantors, Weisgall immigrated with his

illuminati: The Bavarian illuminati: …on May Day 1776 by Adam Weishaupt, professor of canon law at Ingolstadt and a former Jesuit. The members of this secret society called themselves “Perfectibilists.” Their founder’s aim was to replace Christianity with a religion of reason, as later did the revolutionaries of France and the 19th-century positivist

Fa-hsiang, school of Chinese Buddhism derived from the Indian Yogācāra school. See

Aquaman: …featuring Aquaman was written by Mort Weisinger, who likely created the character, and illustrated by Paul Norris. Weisinger, a former science fiction editor, is better known as the creator of Superman. Norris’s career included updating the look of DC’s Sandman series and working with Hanna-Barbera, drawing such figures as Yogi…

Frank Gehry: Growing recognition and Guggenheim Museum Bilbao: … (1994) in Paris; and the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum (1993) at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

August Weismann was a German biologist and one of the founders of the science of genetics. He is best known for his opposition to the doctrine of the inheritance of acquired traits and for his “germ plasm” theory, the forerunner of DNA theory. From early boyhood, when he made expeditions into the

August Weismann was a German biologist and one of the founders of the science of genetics. He is best known for his opposition to the doctrine of the inheritance of acquired traits and for his “germ plasm” theory, the forerunner of DNA theory. From early boyhood, when he made expeditions into the