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Book of Common Prayer
Book of Common Prayer title given to the service book used in the Church of England and in other churches of the Anglican Communion. The first complete English Book of Common Prayer was produced, mainly by Thomas Cranmer, in 1549 under Edward VI. Essentially it was a selection and translation from ...
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silicone
silicone polymer in which atoms of silicon and oxygen alternate in a chain; various organic radicals, such as the methyl group, CH 3 , are bound to the silicon atoms. Silicones, which are unusually stable at extreme temperatures (both high and low), may occur as liquids, rubbers, resins, or greas...
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nuclear disarmament
nuclear disarmament the reduction and limitation of the various nuclear weapons in the military forces of the world's nations. The atomic bombs dropped (1945) on Japan by the United States in World War II demonstrated the overwhelming destructive potential of nuclear weapons and the threat to h...
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Bolivia
Bolivia , officially Republic of Bolivia, republic (2005 est. pop. 8,858,000), 424,162 sq mi (1,098,581 sq km), W South America. One of the two inland countries of South America, Bolivia is shut in from the Pacific in the W by Chile and Peru; in the E and N it borders on Brazil, in the SE on Paragua...
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botulism
botulism , acute poisoning resulting from ingestion of food containing toxins produced by the bacillus Clostridium botulinum. The bacterium can grow only in an anaerobic atmosphere, such as that found in canned foods. Consequently, botulism is almost always caused by preserved foods that have been...
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cystic fibrosis
cystic fibrosis , inherited disorder of the exocrine glands (see gland ), affecting children and young people; median survival is 25 years in females and 30 years in males. It is caused by a genetic abnormality in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene that results in the disruption...
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referendum
referendum referral of proposed laws or constitutional amendments to the electorate for final approval. This direct form of legislation, along with the initiative , was known in Greece and other early democracies. Today, these legislative devices are widely used in certain countries, most notably ...
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Edward Bruce
Edward Bruce d. 1318, Scottish king of Ireland, brother of Robert I of Scotland. He aided his brother in the war for independence from England and in 1315 was declared heir to Robert's throne. With Robert's approval he then invaded Ulster, to which he had some hereditary claim. He was crowned kin...
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Saint Joseph of Arimathea
Saint Joseph of Arimathea , in the New Testament, wealthy man, probably a member of the Sanhedrin, who gave the body of Jesus a decent burial. The Christian Church has always honored him. The stories connecting him with the Holy Grail and with the founding of Glastonbury are probably literary fi...
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Beatrice Lillie
Beatrice Lillie (Lady Peel), 1898-1989, British comedienne, b. Toronto, Ont. as Constance Munston. Lillie first performed in London in 1914 and in New York in 1924. She won an international reputation for her sophisticated wit, use of parody, and vivacity. She appeared in revues, on radio, and in t...
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