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Neutrality Act
Neutrality Act law passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Aug., 1935. It was designed to keep the United States out of a possible European war by banning shipment of war materiel to belligerents at the discretion of the President and by forbidding U.S. citi...
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caravel
caravel or carvel , three-masted sailing vessel, generally square-rigged with the aftermast lateen-rigged. It had a roundish hull with a high bow and stern. The term "carvel-built" (see boat ) was derived from its method of construction. A change from bulkier ships to caravels, with their s...
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generator
generator in electricity, machine used to change mechanical energy into electrical energy. It operates on the principle of electromagnetic induction , discovered (1831) by Michael Faraday. When a conductor passes through a magnetic field, a voltage is induced across the ends of the conductor. The ...
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Melaka
Melaka or Malacca , state (1991 pop. 504,502), 640 sq mi (1,658 sq km), Malaysia, S Malay Peninsula, on the Strait of Malacca. Formerly one of the Straits Settlements , it was constituted a state of Malaya in 1957 (see Malaysia ). Nearly half the population are Malay; about two fifths are Chin...
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sloop
sloop fore-and-aft-rigged, single-masted sailing vessel with a single headsail jib. A sloop differs from a cutter in that it has a jibstay—a support leading from the bow to the masthead on which the jib is set. A sloop of war was a small warship, variously rigged as a barque, brig, briganti...
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Aulis
Aulis , small port of ancient Greece, in Boeotia, E central Greece. From there the Greek fleet sailed against Troy after the sacrifice of Iphigenia . Its ancient temple of Artemis is in ruins.
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banking
banking primarily the business of dealing in money and instruments of credit. Banks were traditionally differentiated from other financial institutions by their principal functions of accepting deposits—subject to withdrawal or transfer by check—and of making loans.
Types of Banks...
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savings and loan association
savings and loan association type of financial institution that was originally created to accept savings from private investors and to provide home mortgage services for the public.
The first U.S. savings and loan association was founded in 1831. In 1932, the Federal Home Loan Bank System was ...
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leveraged buyout
leveraged buyout the takeover of a company, financed by borrowed funds. Often, the target company's assets are used as security for the loans acquired to finance the purchase. The acquiring company or group then repays the loans from the target company's profits or by selling its assets. Many lever...
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Cheng Ho
Cheng Ho or Zheng He , 1371-c.1433, admiral, diplomat, and explorer during China's Ming dynasty. At 10 he was captured by Chinese troops in Yunnan, castrated, and sent into the army. He rose in the ranks, became an officer, and in 1404 was named Grand Eunuch by Emperor Yung-lo . The following...
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