Decameron, The
The. See Boccaccio
Only in Aiton's Encyclopedia
Single-source entries: D (25)
These 12 listings are so strange that each appears in only one of the 7 encyclopedias we compared. They include such classics as Decapolis, Decarbonize, Decazes.
Decapolis
a country Palestine, which in contains 10 principal cities , on both sides of the Jordan. According to Pliny, they were Scythopolis, Philadelphia, Raphanæ, Gadara, Hippos, Dios, Pella, Gerasa, Canatha, and Damascus. Josephus inserts Otopos instead of Canatha.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Decarbonize
To deprive any substance of its carbon. This word is synonymous with decarburize, and means to take the carbon from--as decarbonizing steel or iron. See DECARBONIZING PROCESSES.
Only in The Encyclopedia of Founding
Decatur (City and county-seat of Macon)
a city and county-seat of Macon co., Ill.; on the Sangamon river, and the Wabash, the Illinois Central, and the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton railroads ; 173 miles S. W. of Chicago. Decatur is in the midst of the famous Illinois corn belt, and is the trade center of several counties. It has railroad car shops, iron works, flour mills, planing mills, and manufactories of farming implements, carriages, engines, boilers, water works equipment, electric light fixtures and soda fountains, and linseed oil. There are many churches, National and other banks, several newspapers, a library, James Millikin University, (1910) 31,140; (1920) 43,818. Pop. a hospital, parks, etc.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Decatur (STEPHEN an American officer)
STEPHEN, an American officer naval ; born in Sinnepuxent, Md., Jan. 5, 1779. He was of French descent, and obtained a midshipman's warrant in 1798. He saw some service against the French, and was commissioned lieutenant in the following year; and at the close of the French war in 1801 he was one of the 36 officers of that rank retained in the reduced strength of the navy. In the war with Tripoli ( 1801-1805), his brilliant achievement of boarding and burning the captured "Philadelphia" in the harbor of Tripoli, and then escaping under the fire of 141 guns, Nelson pronounced "the most daring act of the age." For this he received his commission as captain in 1804; in 1810 he was appointed commodore. In the war with England in 1812 he captured the frigate " Macedonian," obliged to surrender, after a resistance but in 1814 hẹ was STEPHEN DECATUR that cost him a fourth of his crew, to four British frigates. In 1815 he chastised the Algerines for their piracy, and obtained indemnities from the Bey of Tunis and the Pasha of Tripoli. He was appointed a Navy Commissioner in 1816, and was killed in a duel by Commodore James Barron, near Bladensburg, Md ., March 22, 1820.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Decatur (Town and county-seat of De)
town and county-seat of De Kalb co., Ga.; on the Georgia railroad; 6 miles E. of Atlanta. It is a noted summer and winter resort on account of its fine climate; is the seat of the Agnes Scott Institute for Young Ladies , and has newspapers, electric lights, and railway to Atlanta, and a National bank. A battle was for here, July 20 , 1864, between a portion of fought Sherman's army, under General Thomas, and the Confederates under General Hood, the latter retreating at nightfall. The Union loss was 1,500 in killed and wounded. The Confederate loss was estimated by General Sherman at not less than 5,000. Pop. (1910) 2,466; (1920) 6,150.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Decazes
ELIE, DUKE, French in St. Martin de Laye, Gironde, an advominister, born Sept. 28, 1780, cate in Libourne; became in 1805 judge in the Seine Tribunal, and in 1806 was called by King Louis to the Hague, Holland. Later he returned to France and was adviser for Bonaparte's mother, and in the Supreme Cou Court of the French Empire. When Bonaparte fell he turned his allegiance to the Bourbons. He became the Prefect of Police for Paris, and in 1815 Minister of Police in the Cabinet, and was made Count. He married the rich heiress of Sainte-Aulaire and was made at that time Duke of Glücksbjerg by the King of Denmark. He turned Louis XVIII. into more liberal courses and was the active member of Dessoles' moderate-Liberal Ministry of 1918, having himself the Ministry of the Interior. The ultraroyalists accused him of complicity in the murder of the Duke de Berry, and forced his dismissal in 1820. The' The King made him Duke, however, and he retired to found the great coal and iron works of Decazeville. He died Oct. 24, 1860.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Decebalus
the name of several Dacian kings, or perhaps a general title of honor borne by ther One of them distinguished himself by his opposition to the Roman arms during the reigns of Domitian and Trajan. He entered the province of Mesia, defeated and killed Appius Sabinus, the Roman governor, and captured many important towns and fortresses. Domitian agreed to pay him a yearly tribute, which was continued by Nerva, but refused by Trajan, who subdued Dacia, and Decebalus, to escape falling into the hands of the victors, committed suicide.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Decemvir
one of a body of 10 magistrates, in whom was vested the sole government of Rome for a period of two years, from 449 B. C. to 447 b. c. The brutal and licentious conduct of one of the number, Appius Claudius, caused their downfall in the latter year.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Decemvirs
de-sem'vers, in Roman history, ten men appointed to systematize or codify the laws of the city. About 302 B. C. they presented their report. It was engraved on tablets of bronze erected in the Roman forum that all might read. A year later two additional tablets were added. The laws thus published are known as the Twelve Tables. School boys learned them by heart. The significance of the work of the decemvirs lies in the fact that their appointment and the publicity of the code were demanded by the common people, that all might know what the laws were, and be secure from prosecution under little known or forgotten enactments. Written laws are a safeguard against tryanny. See Code ; Sibyls
Only in Aiton's Encyclopedia
Deception Island
a volcanic island belonging to the South Shetland group in the Antarctic Ocean, directly S. of Cape Horn. Amid its ice-covered rocks lies a crater-lake, five miles in circumference, surrounded by hot springs. DECHENITE (named after the German geologist, Von Dechen), De a red or yellow greasy mineral, occurring massive, botryoidal, nodular, stalactitic, and at times slightly columnar. Found in Germany.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Deciduous Trees
those which annually lose and renew their leaves. In cold and temperate countries the fall of the leaf in autumn, and the restoration of verdure to the woods in spring, are among the most familiar phenomena of nature. The greater part of the trees and shrubs of temperate regions are deciduous; but within the tropics the forest retains always its luxuriance of foliage, except in countries where the dry season is extremely marked. Trees not deciduous are called evergreen.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia