- delocalization (chemistry)
chemical bonding: Molecular orbitals of polyatomic species: That is, they are delocalized orbitals, and electrons that occupy them are delocalized over several atoms (here, as many as six atoms, as in the 1a orbital).
- delomorphous cell (biology)
parietal cell, in biology, one of the cells that are the source of the hydrochloric acid and most of the water in the stomach juices. The cells are located in glands in the lining of the fundus, the part of the stomach that bulges above the entrance from the esophagus, and in the body, or principal
- Delon, Alain (French actor)
Alain Delon was a French film actor whose striking good looks helped make him one of the principal male stars of the French cinema in the 1960s and ’70s. Delon had an unsettled childhood and was a rebellious student. After a brief apprenticeship as a butcher, he enlisted as a French marine and in
- Delon, Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel (French actor)
Alain Delon was a French film actor whose striking good looks helped make him one of the principal male stars of the French cinema in the 1960s and ’70s. Delon had an unsettled childhood and was a rebellious student. After a brief apprenticeship as a butcher, he enlisted as a French marine and in
- Deloney, Thomas (English writer)
Thomas Deloney was a writer of ballads, pamphlets, and prose stories that form the earliest English popular fiction. By trade a silk weaver, probably of Norwich, Deloney wrote topical ballads and, through his pamphlets, took part in religious controversy. He was proscribed in London for alleged
- Delonix regia (plant)
royal poinciana, (Delonix regia), strikingly beautiful flowering tree of the pea family (Fabaceae). It is native to Madagascar, and it has been widely planted in frost-free regions for its large scarlet to orange flowers and its shade. It is a rapid grower, attaining a height of 6 to 12 metres (20
- DeLorean DMC-12 (automobile)
DeLorean DMC-12, an innovative sports car, produced from 1981 to 1983, with gull-wing doors and stainless-steel body panels. It should have been the commercial coup of the century, leading to massive worldwide sales, but interest waned sharply in just a couple of years. The cause for the failure of
- DeLorean Motor Company (American company)
DeLorean DMC-12: …the successor, he founded the DeLorean Motor Company in 1975 and, basing his design on a Porsche that never went into production, developed the futuristic DMC-12 for the U.S. market.
- DeLorean, John Zachary (American automobile manufacturer and entrepreneur)
DeLorean DMC-12: Although skilled entrepreneur John Zachary DeLorean had honed his engineering and management skills in the cut-throat world of American auto manufacture, notably when developing the iconic Pontiac Firebird and GTO “muscle cars.” When his employer, General Motors, showed reluctance to finance the successor, he founded the DeLorean Motor…
- Deloria, Ella Cara (Sioux scholar, ethnographer, writer, and translator)
Ella Cara Deloria was a Dakota Sioux scholar, ethnographer, writer, and translator who was a critically important recorder of Sioux culture and languages at a time when the traditional culture was in danger of being lost. Both Deloria’s parents were of mixed Euro-American and Yankton Sioux descent.
- Delorme, Marion (French courtesan)
Marion Delorme was a celebrated French courtesan. She was the daughter of Jean de Lon, Sieur de Lorme, and became the lover of the poet and freethinker Jacques Vallée, Sieur des Barreaux. She soon left him, however, for Louis XIII’s young favourite, the Marquis de Cinq-Mars, whom she almost
- Delorme, Philibert (French architect)
Philibert Delorme was one of the great Renaissance architects of the 16th century and, possibly, the first French architect to possess some measure of the universal outlook of the Italian masters but without merely imitating them. Mindful that French architectural requirements differed from
- Delors, Jacques (French politician)
Jacques Delors was a French statesman who served as president of the European Commission, the executive body of the European Community (EC; ultimately succeeded by the European Union [EU]), from 1985 to 1995. The son of a courier at the Banque de France, Delors himself joined the bank in 1945,
- Delors, Jacques Lucien Jean (French politician)
Jacques Delors was a French statesman who served as president of the European Commission, the executive body of the European Community (EC; ultimately succeeded by the European Union [EU]), from 1985 to 1995. The son of a courier at the Banque de France, Delors himself joined the bank in 1945,
- Delos (island, Greece)
Delos, island, one of the smallest of the Cyclades (Modern Greek: Kykládes), Greece, an ancient centre of religious, political, and commercial life in the Aegean Sea. Now largely uninhabited, it is a rugged granite mass about 1.3 square miles (3.4 square km) in area. Also called Lesser Delos, it
- Delphi (ancient city, Greece)
Delphi, ancient town and seat of the most important Greek temple and oracle of Apollo. It lay in the territory of Phocis on the steep lower slope of Mount Parnassus, about 6 miles (10 km) from the Gulf of Corinth. Delphi is now a major archaeological site with well-preserved ruins. It was
- Delphic Amphictyony (ancient Greece)
amphictyony: The most important was the Amphictyonic League (Delphic Amphictyony). Originally composed of 12 tribes dwelling around Thermopylae, the league was centred first on the shrine of Demeter and later became associated with the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Member states sent two kinds of deputies (pylagorai and hieromnēmones) to a…
- Delphic oracle (Greek institution)
Delphic oracle, most famous ancient oracle, believed to deliver prophecies from the Greek god Apollo. She was based in his temple at Delphi, located on the slopes of Mt. Parnassus above the Corinthian Gulf. The oracle, who at first was called Pytho (the original name of Delphi) and later Pythia,
- Delphic Stepterion (Greek festival)
Apollo: …most curious was the octennial Delphic Stepterion, in which a boy reenacted the slaying of the Python and was temporarily banished to the Vale of Tempe.
- Delphikos lógos (work by Sikelianós)
Angelos Sikelianós: …Greek Easter”), culminating in the Delphikós lógos (1927; “Delphic Utterance”). In the last, Greek tradition and the national historic and religious symbols are given a mystic turn and a universal significance.
- Delphin Classics (edition of the Latin classics)
Delphin Classics, an edition of the Latin classics prepared in the reign of Louis XIV of France. The series was supervised by Pierre-Daniel Huet from 1670 to 1680, when he was working with Jacques Bossuet, tutor to Louis XIV’s son, the dauphin Louis. The name of the series was derived from a Latin
- Delphinapterus leucas (whale)
beluga, (Delphinapterus leucas), a small, toothed whale found mainly in the coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas but also in rivers and deep offshore waters. It is an extremely vocal cetacean and thus has also been referred to as the “canary of the sea.” This whale can also
- Delphine (novel by Staël-Holstein)
Germaine de Staël: Literary theories: Her two novels, Delphine (1802) and Corinne (1807), to some extent illustrate her literary theories, the former being strongly sociological in outlook, while the latter shows the clash between Nordic and southern mentalities.
- Delphinidae (mammal family)
dolphin: Paleontology and classification: Family Delphinidae (oceanic, or marine, dolphins) 37 species in 17 genera found worldwide, some of which occasionally venture into fresh water. Genus Lagenorhynchus (white-sided and white-beaked dolphins) 6 species found in subpolar to temperate waters of the Northern Hemisphere and polar to temperate waters of the…
- Delphinium (plant)
larkspur, (genus Delphinium), genus of about 365 species of herbaceous plants of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), many of which are grown for the floral industry and as ornamentals for their showy flower stalks. The plants are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere and in certain montane
- Delphinium ajacis (plant)
larkspur: …genus Consolida) include the common rocket larkspur (Delphinium ajacis or C. ajacis) and its varieties, which grow up to 60 cm (2 feet) tall and have bright blue, pink, or white flowers on branching stalks. Perennial larkspurs—which tend toward blue flowers but vary to pink, white, red, and yellow—include a…
- Delphinus (constellation)
Delphinus, small constellation in the northern sky at about 21 hours right ascension and 10° north in declination. The brightest star in Delphinus is Rotanev, with a magnitude of 3.63. The four brightest stars form a diamond-shaped asterism called “Job’s Coffin.” In Greek mythology there are two
- Delphinus delphis (mammal)
dolphin: …widely recognized species are the common and bottlenose dolphins (Delphinus delphis and Tursiops truncatus, respectively). The bottlenose, characterized by a “built-in smile” formed by the curvature of its mouth, has become a familiar performer in oceanariums. It has also become the subject of scientific studies because of its intelligence and…
- Delpy, Julie (French American actress, director, and screenwriter)
Richard Linklater: First films: Dazed and Confused and Before Sunrise: …which two strangers (played by Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke) meet on a train in Europe and spend one night together in Vienna discussing love and the vagaries of human nature. Linklater then directed a pair of forgettable studio productions (SubUrbia [1996] and The Newton Boys [1998]) before returning to…
- Delray (Florida, United States)
Delray Beach, city, Palm Beach county, southeastern Florida, U.S. It lies along the Atlantic Ocean about 20 miles (30 km) south of West Palm Beach. Settlers from Michigan arrived in 1894 and began farming. Soon after, Japanese settlers arrived and founded the Yamato Colony, where they grew
- Delray Beach (Florida, United States)
Delray Beach, city, Palm Beach county, southeastern Florida, U.S. It lies along the Atlantic Ocean about 20 miles (30 km) south of West Palm Beach. Settlers from Michigan arrived in 1894 and began farming. Soon after, Japanese settlers arrived and founded the Yamato Colony, where they grew
- Delrin (chemical compound)
major industrial polymers: Polyacetal: Also called polyoxymethylene (POM) or simply acetal, polyacetal has the simplest structure of all the polyethers. It is manufactured in a solution process by anionic or cationic chain-growth polymerization of formaldehyde (H2C=O), a reaction analogous to vinyl polymerization. By itself, the polymer is unstable…
- Delsarte, François (French singer and teacher)
acting: Diderot’s Paradox of Acting: …of the 19th-century French teacher François Delsarte, whose influence was widespread not only in France but also in the United States. Delsarte became dissatisfied with routine acting techniques. He observed their mechanical and stultifying character and realized that under the stress of natural instinct or emotion, the body assumes appropriate…
- Delsberg (Switzerland)
Delémont, capital of Jura canton, northwestern Switzerland, situated in a wide valley at the confluence of the Sorne and Birse rivers. First mentioned in historical records in 727, Delémont was annexed by the prince-bishops of Basel in the 11th century for use as a summer residence. Seized by
- Delsberg Valley (region, Switzerland)
Jura Mountains: … and Mount Tendre; but the Delsberg Valley and the north-facing corridor of the Ergolz River (Liestal) receive less than 40 inches (1,000 mm). The climate is of the maritime-continental transitional type: it is rawer on the Jura heights, milder in the protected valleys and on the south-facing slopes. Pools of…
- Delsemme, Armand H. (American astronomer)
comet: The modern era: …was aided by Belgian astronomer Armand Delsemme, who carefully calculated the rate of water ice sublimation as a function of a comet’s distance from the Sun.
- Delta (cell surface molecule)
cell: The process of differentiation: …another cell surface molecule called Delta that can bind to and activate Notch on adjacent cells. Activation of Notch initiates a cascade of intracellular events that results in suppression of Delta production and suppression of neuronal differentiation. This means that the neuroepithelium generates only a few cells with high expression…
- Delta (Soviet submarine class)
submarine: Strategic submarines: …followed a decade later by Delta-class vessels fitted with 16 SS-N-18 missiles. Each SS-N-18 had a range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km). In 1982 the Soviet Union began to deploy its Typhoon class; at an estimated surface of 25,000 tons and a length of 170 metres (560 feet), these…
- Delta (Utah, United States)
Delta, city, Millard county, west-central Utah, U.S. Delta is one of the few Utah towns to have been founded in the 20th century with little involvement from the Mormon church, which tightly controlled settlement in the region. Originally an agricultural cooperative called Melville, founded in
- Delta (album by Mumford & Sons)
Mumford & Sons: Delta (2018) continued in that vein but was more experimental.
- delta (river system component)
delta, low-lying plain that is composed of stream-borne sediments deposited by a river at its mouth. A brief treatment of deltas follows. For full treatment, see river: Deltas. One of the first texts to describe deltas was History, written during the 5th century bce by Greek historian Herodotus. In
- Delta (launch vehicle)
Delta, series of American launch vehicles, originally based on the Thor intermediate-range ballistic missile, that have been in service since the early 1960s. The Delta launch vehicles have been built by the McDonnell Douglas Corporation and, since 1997, by the Boeing Company. The first version,
- Delta (British Columbia, Canada)
Delta, district municipality, southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is situated in the southern Vancouver metropolitan area, between the Fraser River delta and Boundary Bay (an arm of the Strait of Georgia). Though its northern section is primarily residential, much of its area is devoted to
- Delta (state, Nigeria)
Delta, state, southern Nigeria. It is bounded by Edo state to the north, Anambra state to the east, Rivers state to the southeast, Bayelsa state to the south, the Bight of Benin of the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and Ondo state to the northwest. On the east and south the state is bounded by the
- delta agent (infectious agent)
hepatitis: Hepatitis D: Infection with hepatitis D virus (HDV), also called the delta agent, can occur only in association with HBV infection, because HDV requires HBV to replicate. Infection with HDV may occur at the same time infection with HBV occurs, or HDV may infect a person already infected with…
- Delta Air Corporation (American company)
Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) is an American airline incorporated on December 31, 1930, as Delta Air Corporation; it adopted its current name in 1945. It began as a crop-dusting enterprise in the southern U.S. and Mexico before expanding after 1934 to carry passengers and cargo, first within the
- Delta Air Lines, Inc. (American company)
Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) is an American airline incorporated on December 31, 1930, as Delta Air Corporation; it adopted its current name in 1945. It began as a crop-dusting enterprise in the southern U.S. and Mexico before expanding after 1934 to carry passengers and cargo, first within the
- Delta Amacuro (state, Venezuela)
Delta Amacuro, estado (state), northeastern Venezuela. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the northeast, Guyana on the southeast, and the Venezuelan states of Bolívar on the south and Monagas on the west. The state consists of one of the largest swampy deltas in the world, through which the 26
- Delta Autumn (story by Faulkner)
Go Down, Moses: In “Delta Autumn,” Ike, at age 79, is forced to confront his role in perpetuating the exploitation of his own black relatives. In the final story, “Go Down, Moses,” Faulkner focuses not on inner family struggles but on the entire community.
- Delta blues (music)
Mississippi Delta blues, regional style of early 20th-century American folk music, centred in the Delta region of northwestern Mississippi. The pioneers of the style played a key role in developing the market for traditional blues recordings in the 1920s and ’30s, while the subsequent generation of
- Delta Blues Museum (museum, Clarksdale, Mississippi, United States)
Clarksdale: …Hooker and Muddy Waters; the Delta Blues Museum is located there, and the Sunflower River Blues Festival is held in the city each August. Other annual events include the Delta Jubilee in June and the Tennessee Williams Festival in October. Coahoma Community College opened in 1949 in Clarksdale. Inc. 1882.…
- delta bond
chemical bonding: Metal cluster compounds: The new feature is the δ bond, which is formed by the face-to-face overlap of two parallel d orbitals and has a distinctly different symmetry with respect to the internuclear axis than the other two types of bond. A quadruple bond therefore consists of a σ bond, two π bonds,…
- delta cell (anatomy)
human digestive system: Production and secretion of peptides: For example, delta (D) cells, which produce a hormone known as somatostatin, are dispersed throughout the whole gastrointestinal tract. Somatostatin has inhibiting effects on the production of acid in the stomach, the motor activity of the intestine, and the release of digestive enzymes from the pancreas. These…
- Delta Cephei (star)
Delta Cephei, prototype star of the class of Cepheid variables, in the constellation Cepheus. Its apparent visual magnitude at minimum is 4.34 and at maximum 3.51, changing in a regular cycle of about five days and nine hours. Its variations in brightness were discovered in 1784 by the English
- delta connection (electronics)
electric generator: Phases: …c′ to a—to form a delta connection. The output can then be transmitted using only three conductors connected to the three junction points. Other advantages of the three-phase system will become evident in the discussion of electric motors below.
- Delta Dagger (aircraft)
military aircraft: Supersonic flight: Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, an all-weather interceptor that was the first operational “pure” delta fighter without a separate horizontal stabilizer. Other aircraft included the Grumman F11F Tigercat, the first supersonic carrier-based fighter; the North American F-100 Super Sabre; the Dassault Mystère B-2; the Saab 35, with…
- Delta Force (United States special missions military unit)
Delta Force, tier-one special missions unit within the U.S. armed forces. It has also been referred to as the Combat Applications Group (CAG), Army Compartmented Elements (ACE), Task Force Green, and simply “the Unit,” as well as a host of cover names. Delta Force is primarily devoted to
- Delta Ibibio (people)
Ibibio: (Enyong), Southern (Eket), Delta (Andoni-Ibeno), Western (Anang), and Eastern (the Ibibio proper).
- delta iron (mining)
iron: Occurrence, uses, and properties: Delta iron, characterized by a body-centred cubic crystal structure, is stable above a temperature of 1,390 °C (2,534 °F). Below this temperature there is a transition to gamma iron, which has a face-centred cubic (or cubic close-packed) structure and is paramagnetic (capable of being only…
- delta kite (aircraft)
kite: Kite structure: …flat, bowed, box, sled, and delta require a rigid framework fitted with a sail material, as does the compound, which is formed by integrating two or more of the above types to form one kite. A radical departure in design, the parafoil, a soft airplane-wing shape with no rigid members,…
- Delta of Venus: Erotica (work by Nin)
Anaïs Nin: …further divided by the posthumous Delta of Venus: Erotica (1977) and later collections of previously unpublished erotic stories written on commission during the financially lean years of the early 1940s. Her other works of fiction included a collection of short stories, Under a Glass Bell (1944); the novels House of…
- Delta Orionis (star)
astronomical map: Star names and designations: …rijl al-Jawzah, “Leg of Orion,” Mintaka, the “Belt,” and Saiph, the “Sword,” all follow the Ptolemaic figure; Betelgeuse, from yad al-Jawzah, is an alternative non-Ptolemaic description meaning “hand of Orion”; and Bellatrix, meaning “Female Warrior,” either is a free Latin translation of an independent Arabic title, al-najid, “the conqueror,” or…
- delta oscillation (physiology)
electroencephalography: …irregular slow waves known as delta waves arise from the vicinity of a localized area of brain damage.
- Delta Plan (engineering project, Netherlands)
Delta Works, in the southwestern Netherlands, a giant flood-control project that closed off the Rhine, Meuse [Maas], and Schelde estuaries with dikes linking the islands of Walcheren, Noord-Beveland, Schouwen, Goeree, and Voorne and created what amounts to several freshwater lakes that are free of
- Delta Project (engineering project, Netherlands)
Delta Works, in the southwestern Netherlands, a giant flood-control project that closed off the Rhine, Meuse [Maas], and Schelde estuaries with dikes linking the islands of Walcheren, Noord-Beveland, Schouwen, Goeree, and Voorne and created what amounts to several freshwater lakes that are free of
- delta ray (physics)
delta ray, in physics, any atomic electron that has acquired sufficient energy by recoiling from a charged particle passing through matter to force, in turn, some dozens of electrons out of other atoms along its own trajectory. The charged particle giving rise to delta rays generally is relatively
- delta state (physics)
subatomic particle: Quarks and antiquarks: …have been given the name delta, or Δ. The deltas have spins of 3 2 , and the up and down quarks combine in four possible configurations—uuu, uud, udd, and ddd—where u and d stand for up and down. The charges of these Δ states are +2e,
- Delta variant (virus variant)
Scott Morrison: Fortress Australia, the stroll out, and the 2022 election: …2021 of the highly transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus quickly revealed the vulnerability of “Fortress Australia,” and Morrison shifted strategies, refocusing the government’s prevention efforts to vaccination, the slow pace of which (mocked as a “stroll out”) became the object of increasing criticism. In July Morrison presented a four-phase…
- delta wave (physiology)
electroencephalography: …irregular slow waves known as delta waves arise from the vicinity of a localized area of brain damage.
- Delta Wedding (novel by Welty)
Delta Wedding, novel by Eudora Welty, published in 1946. It was Welty’s first full-length novel, presenting a comprehensive and insightful portrait of a Southern plantation family in 1923. Set in the context of the wedding of one of the daughters, the novel explores the relationships between
- delta wing (aeronautics)
airplane: Wing types: Delta wings are formed in the shape of the Greek letter delta (Δ); they are triangular wings lying at roughly a right angle to the fuselage. The supersonic Concorde featured delta wings.
- Delta Works (engineering project, Netherlands)
Delta Works, in the southwestern Netherlands, a giant flood-control project that closed off the Rhine, Meuse [Maas], and Schelde estuaries with dikes linking the islands of Walcheren, Noord-Beveland, Schouwen, Goeree, and Voorne and created what amounts to several freshwater lakes that are free of
- Delta, the (region, Mississippi, United States)
Mississippi: Relief and soils: …the great fertile crescent called the Delta is the old floodplain of the Yazoo and Mississippi rivers, comprising some 6,250 square miles (16,200 square km) of black alluvial soil several feet deep. Once subject to disastrous floods, the land is now protected by levee and reservoir systems.
- delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (chemical compound)
delta-8-THC, naturally occurring chemical compound found in cannabis plants, namely the species Cannabis indica and C. sativa, which are sources of hemp and marijuana. Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is chemically related to delta-9-THC, which is the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis
- delta-8-THC (chemical compound)
delta-8-THC, naturally occurring chemical compound found in cannabis plants, namely the species Cannabis indica and C. sativa, which are sources of hemp and marijuana. Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is chemically related to delta-9-THC, which is the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis
- delta-9-THC (drug)
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), active constituent of marijuana and hashish that was first isolated from the Indian hemp plant (Cannabis sativa) and synthesized in 1965. For the effects of the drug, see
- delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase (gene)
lead poisoning: Susceptibility and treatment: …in a gene known as ALAD (delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase) results in the production of an enzyme called ALAD2, which has an abnormally high binding affinity for lead. Both the normal enzyme, known as ALAD1, and the variant enzyme function in heme biosynthesis and therefore play an underlying role in the formation…
- delta-wave (physiology)
electroencephalography: …irregular slow waves known as delta waves arise from the vicinity of a localized area of brain damage.
- Deltadromeus agilis (dinosaur)
Paul Sereno: …in 1996, discovered the predator Deltadromeus agilis while excavating Cretaceous sediments. The theropod was determined to be among the swiftest dinosaurs yet discovered on the basis of its delicate, narrow frame. The expedition also brought to light the relatively complete skull of a specimen of Carcharodontosaurus saharicus. Carcharodontosaurus had been…
- Deltatheridium (fossil mammal genus)
Deltatheridium, a genus of extinct mammals found as fossils in rocks from Upper Cretaceous times (about 100–65.5 million years ago) of Asia and, questionably, North America. Deltatheridium was a small insectivorous mammal about the size of a small rat. It is now recognized to be a metatherian, a
- Deltawerken (engineering project, Netherlands)
Delta Works, in the southwestern Netherlands, a giant flood-control project that closed off the Rhine, Meuse [Maas], and Schelde estuaries with dikes linking the islands of Walcheren, Noord-Beveland, Schouwen, Goeree, and Voorne and created what amounts to several freshwater lakes that are free of
- Deltcheva, Elitza (scientist)
Emmanuelle Charpentier: With the assistance of Elitza Deltcheva, who had been a graduate student in Charpentier’s laboratory in Vienna, Charpentier showed how the CRISPR system could cut and modify DNA at specific locations in the genome. In particular, Deltcheva provided evidence that tracrRNA and CRISPR RNA interact to guide Cas9 to…
- deltoid (anatomy)
deltoideus muscle, large, triangular muscle that covers the shoulder and serves mainly to raise the arm laterally. The deltoid, as it is commonly known, originates on the outer front third of the clavicle (collarbone) and the lower margin of the spine of the scapula (shoulder blade). Its fibres
- deltoideus muscle (anatomy)
deltoideus muscle, large, triangular muscle that covers the shoulder and serves mainly to raise the arm laterally. The deltoid, as it is commonly known, originates on the outer front third of the clavicle (collarbone) and the lower margin of the spine of the scapula (shoulder blade). Its fibres
- Deluc, Jean André (Swiss-British geologist and meteorologist)
Jean André Deluc was a Swiss-born British geologist and meteorologist whose theoretical work was influential on 19th-century writing about meteorology. Deluc was educated in mathematics and the natural sciences. He engaged in business, and on his business travels around Europe he collected mineral
- Delucia, Felice (American gangster)
Paul Ricca was a Chicago gangster who was considered “the brains” behind the operations of Al Capone and Capone’s successors, Frank Nitti and Tony Accardo. He was the Chicago representative in the formation of the national crime syndicate in 1934, led by Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, and other New
- deluge myth (mythology)
flood myth, any of numerous mythologies in which a flood destroys a typically disobedient original population. Myths of a great flood (the Deluge) are widespread over Eurasia and America. The flood, with a few exceptions, is an expiation by the water, after which a new type of world is created. The
- Deluge, The (painting by Allston)
Western painting: United States: “The Deluge” (1804; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City) is a typical macabre invention, with bodies in a raging tempest swept ashore to where wolves and serpents lurk. On his return to the United States, however, his work assumed a quieter, more pensive aspect.…
- delusion (psychology)
delusion, in psychology, a rigid system of beliefs with which a person is preoccupied and to which the person firmly holds, despite the logical absurdity of the beliefs and a lack of supporting evidence. Delusions are symptomatic of such mental disorders as paranoia, schizophrenia, and major
- Delvalle, Eric Arturo (president of Panama)
Panama: Ethnic groups: …Western Hemisphere’s first Jewish president, Eric Arturo Delvalle (del Valle), who served in the 1980s.
- Delvaux, Paul (Belgian painter)
Paul Delvaux was a Belgian Surrealist painter and printmaker whose canvases typically portray transfixed nudes and skeletons in mysterious settings. From 1920 to 1924 Delvaux studied architecture and painting at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. His early work was influenced by
- Delvigne, Henri-Gustave (French officer and inventor)
Henri-Gustave Delvigne was a French army officer and inventor who designed innovative rifles and helped introduce the cylindrical bullet. Delvigne joined the French army as a youth and attained the rank of captain of the royal guard. In 1826 he introduced the Delvigne rifle, the powder chamber of
- dema deity (New Guinean mythology)
dema deity, any of several mythical ancestral beings of the Marind-anim of southern New Guinea, the centre of a body of mythology called the dema deity complex. The decisive act in dema myths is the slaying of a dema (ancestral) deity by the ancestral tribe. This act brings about the transition
- Demades (Athenian statesman)
Demades was an Athenian orator and diplomat who rose from humble origins to a leading place in politics through his vigorous speeches and shrewd ability to fathom popular opinion. Demades opposed Demosthenes’ attempt to arouse the Athenians against Philip II of Macedonia, but he fought against the
- demagnetization (physics)
magnet: Magnetization process: Demagnetization and magnetic anisotropy. As far as domain rotation is concerned, there are two important factors to be considered, demagnetization and magnetic anisotropy (exhibition of different magnetic properties when measured along axes in different directions). The first of these concerns the shape of a magnetized…
- Demain j’aurai vingt ans (memoir by Mabanckou)
Alain Mabanckou: Nonfiction and translations: …Demain j’aurai vingt ans (2010; Tomorrow I’ll Be Twenty, a finalist for the Man Booker Prize), written in the voice of the author at 10; and Lumières de Pointe-Noire (2013; The Lights of Pointe-Noire), described by one critic as “a dazzling meditation on homecoming and belonging.” Le Sanglot de l’homme…
- Demak (historical kingdom, Indonesia)
Indonesia: Muslims in Java: …of the Islamic sultanate of Demak in the first half of the 16th century to rule over a great Javanese kingdom. Especially as their harbours grew richer and their dynasties older and more confident, the coastal princes came to see themselves not only as Muslim leaders but as Javanese royalty.…
- Deman, Esther Boise Van (American archaeologist)
Esther Boise Van Deman was an American archaeologist and the first woman to specialize in Roman field archaeology. She established lasting criteria for the dating of ancient constructions, which advanced the serious study of Roman architecture. Van Deman earned bachelor’s (1891) and master’s (1892)
- Deman, Ralph Henry Van (United States general)
Ralph Van Deman was an American intelligence officer, called “the father of American military intelligence.” Van Deman followed an eclectic educational course before settling on a military career: he took a degree from Harvard, studied law for a year, and then took a medical degree (1893). He
- demand (economics)
supply and demand, in economics, relationship between the quantity of a commodity that producers wish to sell at various prices and the quantity that consumers wish to buy. It is the main model of price determination used in economic theory. The price of a commodity is determined by the interaction