Jotham
King of Judah, 758 B. C., son and successor of Uzziah, or Azariah. He succeeded his leprous father at the age of 25 years, and reigned 16 years.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Single-source entries: J (29)
These 14 listings are so strange that each appears in only one of the 7 encyclopedias we compared. They include such classics as Jotham, Jotunheim, Jotuns.
Jotunheim
ye'tun-him, or Utgard, in Scandinavian mythology, the home of the giants. It was supposed to be situated to the far north.
Only in Aiton's Encyclopedia
Jotuns
in Northern mythology, immense giants and magiwho had command over the powers cians of nature, and lived in dark caves in their kingdom of Jötunheim, from which they waged perpetual war against the Æsir, the bright gods of Valhalla. Originaly they represented the destructive forces in nature.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Jouffroy
THÉODORE SIMON (zhö-frwa'), a French philosopher; born in Pontets, Doubs, France, July 17, 1796. He became a pupil of Cousin, at Paris, and from 1817 onward taught philosophy at various educational institutions in Paris. Ill-health obliged him in 1838 to exchange his professorial chair for the post of librarian to the university. Jouffroy was not an original thinker, and founded no school. His merit is that he was the lucid interpreter of the teaching of the Scotch philosophers Reid and Dugald Stewart; he translated their works, adding critical introductions and notes. His own best books were: "Philosophical Miscellanies" (1833; new edition 1883); "Course in Natural Law" (1835); "Course in Æsthetics" (1843; time edition 1883). For some new Jouffroy was a member of the Chamber of Deputies; he was also well known as a journalist. He died in Paris, France, Feb. 4, 1842.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Jougs
an instrument of punishment formerly used in Scotland, consisting of an iron collar which surrounded the neck of the criminal, and was fastened to a wall or tree by an iron chain. JOULE (named from the eminent English physicist, James P. Joule), in electricity, the unit of heat and work; the voltcoulomb.
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Joule's Law
a law which relates to the work done by an electric current in overcoming the resistance in the circuit. It is substantially as follows: In any circuit carrying a current I, in ampères, the heat energy developed, where R is the resistance of the portion of the current under consideration, equals I'R. This formula expresses, in watts, the activity of that portion of the current. Now the activity of one watt indicates the development of .24 calories of heat each second; consequently a complete expression of the heat set free is H-I2X.24 calories, equal to IEX.24 calories a second. See JOULE, J. P.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Journey Weight
a term applied at the English mint to the weight of certain parcels of coin, which were probably considered formerly as a day's work. The journey weight of gold is 15 troy pounds, which is coined into 701 sovereigns, or 1,402 half-sovereigns. A journey weight of silver weighs 60 pounds troy, and is coined into 792 crowns, or 1,584 half-crowns, or 3,960 shillings, or 7,920 sixpences.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Joust
a tilting match, a mock combat or conflict of peace between knights in the Middle Ages, as a trial of valor. The combatants used blunted spears, but were still subject to much danger from sudden blows on horseback. A joust differed from a tournament in that the latter was a conflict between many knights, divided into parties, and engaged at the same time; the joust was a separate trial of skill, where only one man was opposed to another.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Joux
a lake of Switzerland, canton of Vaud. Vaud, ud, near the Jura and the French frontier, and 18 miles N. W. of Lausanne; miles; breadth, mile. It is overlooked by Mont Tendre , which, on the S. E. attains an elevation of 5,730 feet above the level of the sea.
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Joux
CHATEAU DE (shä-tō' duh), a fortress in the Jura Mountains, France, department of Doubs, commanding the route to Neufchâtel, 16 miles N. of the lake. It was successively the prison of Fouquet, Mirabeau, Toussaint l'Ouverture, and General Dupont.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Jovian
2026 Editor's Note: This page uses language about other peoples, religions, or nationalities that was commonplace when the book was published and is offensive by today's standards. The text has been left exactly as it was printed, rather than cut or softened, so that the historical record — including how ordinary such language once was — is preserved. (Ed: ET 2026-07-22) or JOVIANUS (-ā'-nus), FLAVIUS CLAUDIUS, a Roman emperor; born about 332. He was elected by the soldiers, A. D. 363, after the death of Julian, whom he had accompanied in his campaign against the Persians. In order to effect his retreat in safety, Jovian surrendered to the Persians the Roman conquests beyond the Tigris. He was a Christian, but he protected the heathens. After a reign of but little more than seven months, he died in Dadastana, Bithynia, Feb. 17, 364.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Jowett
BENJAMIN, an English scholar; born in Camberwell, London, England, in 1817. He studied at Oxford, was elected to a fellowship in 1838, and became Regius Professor of Greek in 1855. In 1855 he published a commentary on the Epistles of St. Paul. In 1860 appeared his essay on the "Interpretation of Scripture" in the celebrated "Essays and Reviews," for which he was tried on a charge of heresy before the chancellor's court, but was acquitted. In 1870 he became master of Balliol, and in 1871 published his most important work, a translation of the "Dialogues" of Plato. He published translations of Thucydides (1881) and the "Politics" of Aristotle (1885). In 1882 he was elected vicechancellor of the university. He died Oct. 1, 1893. JUAN II., DON (Hö-än), a natural son of Philip IV. of Spain, and of Maria Calderona, an actress; born in 1629; made grand prior of Castile; commanded the Spanish army in Italy in 1647, and took the city of Naples; subjugated Barcelona in 1652, but, being afterward unsuccessful, was exiled. Under Charles II. he was recalled to Madrid, made prime minister, and died in 1679.
Only in Collier's New Encyclopedia
Juan De Fuca
or FUCA, STRAIT OF, the strait between Vancouver Island and the State of Washington on the W. coast of North America.
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Juan Fernadez
hoo-an' fer-nan'deth, a rocky island 350 miles off the coast of Chile. It is thirteen miles in length and four in width. The animals and plants are those of Chile and the mainland. The sandalwood, tree palm, and other trees form forests. Fur seals were at one time plentiful. Sea fowl are numerous. There are said to be but four land birds, a thrush, kingbird, and two hummingbirds. The island was discovered in 1563 by a Spanish pirate for whom it was named. In 1704 a Scotch sailor, who quarreled with his captain, was, at his own request, put ashore here, with bountiful supplies. He was taken aboard by a passing vessel in 1709. In 1868 a tablet was erected in his memory at a point on a high hill where, no doubt, he stood for many an hour scanning the sea in search of a passing sail. The tablet bears an inscription beginning, "In memory of Alexander Selkirk, mariner, native of Largo in the county of Fife, Scotland, who was on this island in complete solitude for four years and four months," etc. Selkirk's adventures form the basis for Defoe's incomparable boy's hero, Robinson Crusoe, although the author appears to have drawn on other sources for a part of his material. See Defoe
Only in Aiton's Encyclopedia