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dating, radioactive
dating, radioactive (radiometric dating) Any of several methods using radioactive decay to assess the ages of archaeological remains, fossils and rocks. The specimens must contain a very long-lived radioisotope of known half-life (time taken for one half of its nuclei to decay), which, with a measu...
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Treaty of Amiens
Treaty of Amiens 1802, peace treaty signed by France, Spain, and the Batavian Republic on the one hand and Great Britain on the other. It is generally regarded as marking the end of the French Revolutionary Wars and setting the stage for the Napoleonic Wars (see Napoleon I ). By its terms Engl...
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Tamworth
Tamworth city (1991 pop. 63,260) and district, Staffordshire, W central England. Its products include clothing, textiles, and aluminum ware. An amusement park and zoo are nearby. Tamworth was burned by the Danes in the 9th cent. and rebuilt by Queen Æthelflæd in the 10th cent. The Churc...
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ectoderm
ectoderm layer of cells that covers the surface of an animal embryo after the process of gastrulation has occurred. This outer layer, together with the endoderm , or inner layer, is present in all early embryos. In the development of animals of the phyla Porifera , Ctenophora , and Cnidaria , t...
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Gallipoli Peninsula
Gallipoli Peninsula Lat. Chersonesus Thracica, narrow peninsula, c.50 mi (80 km) long, W Turkey, extending southwestward between the Aegean Sea and the Dardanelles . The port of Gallipoli gives it its name. It was the scene of the Gallipoli campaign of 1915 and was (1920-36) part of the demili...
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British North America Act
British North America Act law passed by the British Parliament in 1867 that provided for the unification of the Canadian provinces into the dominion of Canada. Until 1982 the act also functioned as the constitution of Canada. The act enumerated the powers of the provincial legislatures and gave the...
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sidewinder
sidewinder common name for a rattlesnake , Crotalus cerastes, found in the deserts of the SW United States. This 2-ft (60-cm), pale yellow and pink snake is named for its curious method of locomotion. It throws out successive loops at oblique angles, which gives it the appearance of moving sidew...
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hyperinsulinism
hyperinsulinism presence in the system of an above-normal amount of insulin , the substance secreted by the pancreas and needed by the body to utilize sugar. An increased amount of insulin in the body results in below-normal amounts of sugar in the system, giving rise to such symptoms as headach...
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Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy
Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy , 1883-1945, Russian writer. He was distantly related to Leo Tolstoy. Of aristocratic origin, he opposed the Bolsheviks in 1917 and emigrated to Western Europe. He returned in 1923 and accepted the Soviet regime, becoming one of its most popular writers. A master storyte...
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philanthropy
philanthropy the spirit of active goodwill toward others as demonstrated in efforts to promote their welfare. The term is often used interchangeably with charity. Every year vast sums of money are collected for invaluable philanthropic purposes, and an increasing number of people participate in t...
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