- Bjoerndalen, Ole Einar (Norwegian biathlete)
Ole Einar Bjørndalen is a former biathlete whose 14 Olympic Games medals are the most for any male Winter Olympian. The Norwegian-born Bjørndalen is widely considered the greatest biathlete of all time. Bjørndalen, the youngest of five children, grew up on a farm in Simostranda, Norway, where he
- Bjørgen, Marit (Norwegian skier)
Marit Bjørgen is a Norwegian cross-country skier who was the greatest female athlete in the sport and who was also the most-decorated Winter Olympian in history; her record 15 medals included 8 golds. Bjørgen grew up on a farm in Rognes, Norway, and took the typical route of a young Norwegian by
- Bjørgvin (Norway)
Bergen, city and port, southwestern Norway. The principal port and business section is on a peninsula projecting into By Fjord, bounded to the north by the inlet and harbour of Vågen (for small ships) and on the south by Pudde Bay (for larger vessels) and the Store Lungegårds Lake. Originally
- Björk (Icelandic musician)
Björk is an Icelandic singer-songwriter and actress best known for her avant-garde solo work covering a wide variety of music styles. Integrating electronic and organic sounds, her music frequently explores the relationship between nature and technology. The daughter of environmental activist
- Björketorp Stone (monument, Blekinge, Sweden)
Björketorp Stone, well-preserved 7th-century monument in Blekinge, Sweden. More than 12 feet (3 1 2 metres) high, it bears a runic inscription, the exact interpretation of which has been much debated. The inscription is magical in nature and is obviously intended to protect a grave. One possible
- Björling, Gunnar (Finnish author)
Finnish literature: Lyric poetry: Gunnar Björling, the Dadaist of Finland, expressed his philosophical idea of the relativity and incompleteness of everything in elliptic poems with highly idiosyncratic grammar and broken syntax. Both Diktonius and Björling turned later to more-serene nature poetry. Rabbe Enckell was a key theoretician of the…
- Björling, Johan Jonaton (Swedish singer)
Jussi Björling was a Swedish tenor, admired for the musicianship of his performances, particularly in the Italian and French repertory. At the age of six Björling began singing under the guidance of his father, who then took him and his two brothers on tours in Scandinavia and the United States as
- Björling, Jussi (Swedish singer)
Jussi Björling was a Swedish tenor, admired for the musicianship of his performances, particularly in the Italian and French repertory. At the age of six Björling began singing under the guidance of his father, who then took him and his two brothers on tours in Scandinavia and the United States as
- Bjørndalen, Ole Einar (Norwegian biathlete)
Ole Einar Bjørndalen is a former biathlete whose 14 Olympic Games medals are the most for any male Winter Olympian. The Norwegian-born Bjørndalen is widely considered the greatest biathlete of all time. Bjørndalen, the youngest of five children, grew up on a farm in Simostranda, Norway, where he
- Bjørneboe, Jens (Norwegian author)
Jens Bjørneboe was a Norwegian novelist, dramatist, essayist, and poet whose work was generally inspired by a sense of outrage at the misuse of power in the modern world. At the beginning of the 21st century, he was considered to be one of Norway’s more significant postwar writers. Bjørneboe began
- Bjørneboe, Jens Ingvald (Norwegian author)
Jens Bjørneboe was a Norwegian novelist, dramatist, essayist, and poet whose work was generally inspired by a sense of outrage at the misuse of power in the modern world. At the beginning of the 21st century, he was considered to be one of Norway’s more significant postwar writers. Bjørneboe began
- Björneborg (Finland)
Pori, city, southwestern Finland. It lies along the Kokemäen River near the Gulf of Bothnia, north-northwest of Turku. Originally settled in the 12th century farther up the Kokemäen and chartered as Ulvila in 1365, it was moved to its present site in 1558. It was destroyed by fire in the 16th and
- Bjørnson, Bjørnstjerne Martinius (Norwegian author)
Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was a poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, editor, public speaker, theatre director, and one of the most prominent public figures in the Norway of his day. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1903 and is generally known, together with Henrik Ibsen,
- Björnsson, Sveinn (president of Iceland)
Sveinn Björnsson was a statesman and diplomat who from 1944 to 1952 served as the first president of the Republic of Iceland. Björnsson was a lawyer at the Supreme Court after 1907 and became a member of the Reykjavík town council in 1912, acting as its president (1918–20). A member of the Althingi
- Björnstrand, Gunnar (Swedish actor)
Gunnar Björnstrand was a motion-picture actor. Though born to an acting family, Björnstrand attempted other careers before returning to his father’s profession. After playing a bit part in Falske millionären (1931; False Millionaire), he studied acting at the Royal Dramatic Theatre School.
- BJP (political party, India)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), pro-Hindu political party of postindependence India. The party has enjoyed broad support among members of the higher castes and in northern India. It has attempted to attract support from lower castes, particularly through the appointment of several lower-caste members
- BJS (Indian political organization)
Bharatiya Janata Party: Origin and establishment: …traces its roots to the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS; Indian People’s Association), which was established in 1951 as the political wing of the pro-Hindu group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS; “National Volunteers Corps”) by Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. The BJS advocated the rebuilding of India in accordance with Hindu culture and called…
- BJT (political party, Thailand)
Anutin Charnvirakul: Early political career: …by financing and supporting the Bhumjaithai Party (BJT; “Thai Pride Party”). When the ban was lifted in 2012, he joined the BJT and assumed its leadership that October. Under Anutin, the party repositioned itself as a pragmatic, conservative-populist party, promoting decentralization and development policies that appealed both to business interests…
- BJT (electronics)
semiconductor device: Bipolar transistors: This type of transistor is one of the most important of the semiconductor devices. It is a bipolar device in that both electrons and holes are involved in the conduction process. The bipolar transistor delivers a change in output current in response to…
- BJU (university, Greenville, South Carolina, United States)
Bob Jones University (BJU), private, coeducational, institution of higher learning in Greenville, South Carolina. A nondenominational Protestant liberal arts university, it emphasizes fundamentalist Christian values in its programs. It was established in 1927 by the evangelist Bob Jones, Sr., and
- Bjurstedt, Molla (Norwegian athlete)
Molla Mallory was a Norwegian-born U.S. tennis player who was the only woman to win the U.S. singles championship eight times. She defeated Suzanne Lenglen of France for the U.S. title in 1921, the only loss in Lenglen’s amateur career. Mallory was known for her endurance and baseline game, relying
- BJYM (politicial organization, India)
Rajnath Singh: Early rise in politics: …of the BJP’s youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM; Indian People’s Youth Movement). In 1986 he became the BJYM’s national general secretary, and in 1988 he was appointed as the organization’s national president.
- Bk (chemical element)
berkelium (Bk), synthetic chemical element of the actinoid series of the periodic table, atomic number 97. Not occurring in nature, berkelium (as the isotope berkelium-243) was discovered in December 1949 by American chemists Stanley G. Thompson, Albert Ghiorso, and Glenn T. Seaborg at the
- Bka’-’gyur (Buddhist literature)
Bka’-’gyur, the collection of Tibetan Buddhist sacred literature representing the “Word of the Buddha”—as distinct from the Bstan-’gyur (“Translation of Teachings”), or collection of commentaries and miscellaneous works. This body of canonical literature contains more than 1,000 works, most of them
- Bka’-brgyud-pa (Buddhist sect)
Bka’-brgyud-pa, Buddhist sect in Tibet. Its members are followers of the 11th-century teacher Mar-pa, who distinguished himself as a translator of Buddhist texts while continuing to live the life of a householder. Mar-pa studied in India under the master yogi (spiritual adept, or ascetic) Naropa.
- Bka’-gdams gces-bsdus (Buddhist literature)
Buddhism: The Bka’-gdams-pa and Dge-lugs-pa: The school produced the Bka’-gdams gces-bsdus (Tibetan: “Collection of the Sayings of the Bka’-gdams-pa Saints”), which preserves the poetic utterances of the founder’s disciples. The central practice of the school was the purification of the mind, which required the elimination of intellectual and moral blemishes in order to obtain…
- Bka’-gdams-pa (Buddhist sect)
Atīśa: …the basis of the Tibetan Bka’-gdams-pa (“Those Bound by Command”) sect of Buddhism, founded by his disciple ’Brom-ston.
- Bkah-hgyur (Buddhist literature)
Bka’-’gyur, the collection of Tibetan Buddhist sacred literature representing the “Word of the Buddha”—as distinct from the Bstan-’gyur (“Translation of Teachings”), or collection of commentaries and miscellaneous works. This body of canonical literature contains more than 1,000 works, most of them
- BKP (political party, Bulgaria)
Bulgaria: Communist uprising: The Bulgarian communists, who had declared their neutrality when the coup occurred, were chastised by Moscow and directed to prepare an armed revolt against the Tsankov regime. The communists’ September Uprising was ruthlessly suppressed and provided Tsankov with a pretext for outlawing the Bulgarian Communist Party…
- BL (library, United Kingdom)
British Library, national library of Great Britain, formed by the British Library Act (1972) and organized by July 1, 1973. For much of the 20th century its holdings were divided among the British Museum library (with some 12 million volumes) and several other buildings, but in 1997–98 a new
- BL capacitor (electronics)
capacitor dielectric and piezoelectric ceramics: Barrier-layer capacitors: Two other strategies to produce ceramic materials with high dielectric constants involve surface barrier layers or grain-boundary barrier layers; these are referred to as barrier-layer (BL) capacitors. In each case conductive films or grain cores are formed by donor doping or reduction firing…
- BL Limited (British company)
British Leyland Motor Corporation, Ltd., historic British automotive corporation. It was formed through the 1968 merger of British Motor Holdings Ltd. and Leyland Motor Corp. Ltd. to create the entities known as British Leyland Motor Corporation, Ltd. (1968–75), and British Leyland Limited
- BL PLC (British company)
British Leyland Motor Corporation, Ltd., historic British automotive corporation. It was formed through the 1968 merger of British Motor Holdings Ltd. and Leyland Motor Corp. Ltd. to create the entities known as British Leyland Motor Corporation, Ltd. (1968–75), and British Leyland Limited
- bla-ma (Tibetan Buddhism)
lama, in Tibetan Buddhism, a spiritual leader. Originally used to translate “guru” (Sanskrit: “venerable one”) and thus applicable only to heads of monasteries or great teachers, the term is now extended out of courtesy to any respected monk or priest. The common Western usage of “lamaism” and
- Blaberidae (insect family)
cockroach: Family Blaberidae: …inch) long when mature, Known for its giant cockroaches, Blaberidae is a large family of large cockroaches. The most famous of these is the Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa), one of the most sizeable of all cockroach species. Reaching 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 inches) in…
- Blaberus craniifer (insect)
hydrocarbon: Sources and occurrence: The so-called aggregation pheromone whereby Blaberus craniifer cockroaches attract others of the same species is a 1:1 mixture of the volatile but relatively high-boiling liquid alkanes undecane, CH3(CH2)9CH3, and tetradecane, CH3(CH2)12CH3. Hentriacontane, CH3(CH2)29CH3, is a solid alkane present to the extent of 8–9 percent in
- Blaby (district, England, United Kingdom)
Blaby, district, county of Leicestershire, south-central England. It covers the southern and western suburbs of the city of Leicester, in an arc around the city boundary from southeast to northwest, and extends southwest across a mostly rural area almost to the county boundary with Warwickshire to
- Blacas onyx cameo (art)
Western sculpture: Sculpture in the applied arts: …great imperial cameos are the Blacas onyx, portraying Augustus in the guise of Jupiter; the Gemma Augustea, a sardonyx (an onyx with parallel layers of sard) in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, and the Grand Camée de France, a sardonyx in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, which were probably carved under
- Blache, Paul Vidal de la (French geographer)
Paul Vidal de La Blache was a French geographer who had a profound influence on the development of modern geography. Vidal studied history and geography at the École Normale Supérieure, in Paris, and taught there from 1877 until he became professor of geography at the Sorbonne (1898–1918). Vidal’s
- Blacher, Boris (German composer)
Boris Blacher was a German composer who was best known for his instrumental music but was also noted for operas and ballets. Of German-Baltic descent, Blacher studied music in Irkutsk (Siberia) and Harbin, China, before going to Berlin in 1922. There he studied and taught before falling out of
- blacherniotissa (type of Madonna)
Madonna: Madonna in early Christian and Byzantine art: …her left arm; and the blacherniotissa (from the Church of the Blachernes, which contains the icon that is its prototype), which emphasizes her role as intercessor, showing her alone in an orant, or prayer posture, with the Child pictured in a medallion on her breast. The Virgin also figured prominently…
- Black (film by Bhansali [2005])
Amitabh Bachchan: Return to stardom: …more National Film Awards for Black (2005), which was inspired by Helen Keller’s life story, and the drama Paa (2009), in which he played a boy who suffers from an aging disease similar to progeria. He is the only Indian star to have won the National Film Award for best…
- black (color)
black, in physics, what is perceived with the human eye when light is absent or when all wavelengths in the visible spectrum are absorbed. Like white, but unlike the colours of the spectrum or most mixtures of them, black lacks hue, so it is considered an achromatic colour. Black and white are the
- Black Legion (film by Mayo [1937])
Archie Mayo: Films of the 1930s: Mayo and Bogart reteamed for Black Legion (1937), a bold indictment of the Ku Klux Klan and its offshoots. Bogart had arguably his best role of the decade as a factory worker who joins a hate group that targets immigrants and minorities. Mayo’s success continued with It’s Love I’m After…
- Black 47 (film by Daly [2018])
Jim Broadbent: …English lord in the movie Black 47 and an earl in the TV movie King Lear (both 2018), a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s play. In 2020 he appeared in the family comedy Dolittle and portrayed a priest in the TV miniseries Black Narcissus, an adaptation of a novel by Rumer…
- black acts (1919, India)
Rowlatt Act, set of legislative measures enacted in 1919 by the British colonial government to clamp down on nationalist movements in India. It allowed certain political cases to be tried without juries and suspects to be detained without a trial. The act was met with widespread opposition across
- Black Adam (film by Collet-Serra [2022])
Henry Cavill: Sherlock Holmes and other roles from the 2020s: …a cameo as Superman in Black Adam, renewing speculation that he was planning a return to the role five years after Justice League. Cavill confirmed the rumors in the fall, but a couple of months later he wrote on Instagram that the studio had decided to go in a different…
- black alder (plant)
alder: Major species: The European alder (A. glutinosa), sometimes known as black alder for its dark bark and cones, is widespread throughout Eurasia and is cultivated in several varieties in North America. The name black alder is also applied to winterberry (Ilex verticillata), an unrelated holly.
- Black Alliance for Educational Options (American organization)
Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), organization launched in 2000 to advocate for initiatives including private school vouchers, charter schools, tuition tax credits, and public school choice and to build support for those initiatives among African Americans. The groundwork for the Black
- Black Alternatives Conference (United States history [1980])
The Black Alternatives Conference, often called the “Fairmont Conference,” was a symposium on African American conservative thought held at San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel in December 1980. It was organized by the economist Thomas Sowell and the activist Henry Lucas and was financed by the Institute
- Black and Blue (novel by Rankin)
Ian Rankin: …eighth novel in the series, Black and Blue, became Rankin’s first international best seller. Inspired by the case of an unidentified serial killer thought to have operated in Glasgow in the 1960s, the work was the basis of the first episode of the Rankin-penned Rebus, a 14-part television program based…
- Black and Blue (American musical)
Nicholas Brothers: Television and later work: …his choreography in the musical Black and Blue (performed 1989–91). In 1994 both brothers were honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- Black and Blue (novel by Quindlen)
Anna Quindlen: Novels: Quindlen’s later novels include Black and Blue (1998), an unflinching look at domestic violence; Blessings (2002), which centers on an abandoned baby; Rise and Shine (2006), an examination of the relationship between two sisters; Still Life with Breadcrumbs (2014), a love story featuring a sexagenarian heroine; Miller’s Valley
- black and gold angelfish (fish)
angelfish: …the better-known species are the black and gold angelfish (Centropyge bicolor) of the Indo-Pacific; the French angelfish, Pomacanthus paru (or P. arcuatus), a black and yellow species of the Atlantic; and the queen angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris), a blue and yellow fish of the Atlantic.
- Black and Tan (British police)
Black and Tan, name given to British recruits enrolled in the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) from January 1920 to July 1921. Their colloquial name derived from the makeshift uniforms they were issued because of a shortage of RIC uniforms—green police tunics and khaki military trousers, which
- black and tan coonhound (breed of dog)
coonhound: The black and tan coonhound was bred in the United States from strains of bloodhound and black and tan foxhound. It is a short-haired, bloodhoundlike dog standing 23 to 27 inches (58 to 68.5 cm) and having a glossy black-and-tan coat. It has the general appearance…
- Black and White America (album by Kravitz)
Lenny Kravitz: Career: Later albums include Baptism (2004), Black and White America (2011), Strut (2014), and Raise Vibration (2018). Collectively, his studio albums have sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. His 12th album, Blue Electric Light, wasreleased in 2024.
- black and white cobra (snake)
forest cobra, (Naja melanoleuca), large, agile, venomous snake of the cobra family (Elapidae), native to humid forests throughout western and central Africa. The forest cobra has a calm temperament, and few bites to humans are reported, though such bites can be lethal if left untreated. In 2018
- black and white warbler (bird)
wood warbler: The black-and-white warbler (Mniotilta varia), common east of the Rockies, is streaked and has creeperlike habits. A large tropical genus is Basileuterus; the 22 species are typified by the golden-crowned warbler (B. culicivorus), which is found from Mexico to Argentina.
- Black Army (Hungarian history)
Hungary: János Hunyadi and Matthias Corvinus: …“Black John” Haugwitz, as the Black Army), which he kept as part of the royal banderium for use against enemies, at home and abroad.
- Black Arrow: A Tale of the Two Roses, The (novel by Stevenson)
Robert Louis Stevenson: Romantic novels of Robert Louis Stevenson: …called Penny Whistles), and began The Black Arrow: A Tale of the Two Roses (1888), a historical adventure tale deliberately written in anachronistic language.
- Black Arts movement
Black Arts movement, period of artistic and literary development among Black Americans in the 1960s and early ’70s. The movement encompassed literature, music, theater, music, and the visual arts. Based on the cultural politics of Black nationalism, which were developed into a set of theories
- Black Arts Repertory Theatre (theater, New York City, New York, United States)
Amiri Baraka: There he founded the Black Arts Repertory Theatre, which staged many of his works prior to its closure in the late 1960s. In 1968 he adopted the name Amiri Baraka, and his writings became more divisive, prompting some to applaud his courage and others to deplore sentiments that could…
- black ash (residue)
chemical industry: The Leblanc process: …limestone and coal to produce black ash, which contained the desired sodium carbonate, mixed with calcium sulfide and some unreacted coal. Solution of the sodium carbonate in water removed it from the black ash, and the solution was then crystallized. From this operation derives the expression soda ash that is…
- black ash (tree)
ash: Major species: The black ash (F. nigra) of eastern North America, the blue ash (F. quadrangulata) of the Midwest, and the Oregon ash (F. latifolia) of the Pacific Northwest furnish wood of comparable quality that is used for furniture, interior paneling, and barrels, among other purposes. The Mexican…
- Black Athena: The Afroasiatic Roots of Classical Civilization (work by Bernal)
Afrocentrism: Criticism of Afrocentrism: …forth in a controversial book, Black Athena: The Afroasiatic Roots of Classical Civilization, 2 vol. (1987–91), by white historian Martin Bernal. Since that time, Afrocentrism has encountered significant opposition from mainstream scholars who charge it with historical inaccuracy, scholarly ineptitude, and racism. In her book Not Out of Africa: How…
- Black Bag (film by Soderbergh [2025])
Steven Soderbergh: Later credits: Soderbergh then made the spy-drama Black Bag (2025), which featured Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as married intelligence agents.
- black Baird’s beaked whale (mammal)
bottlenose whale: bairdii), and the kurotsuchikujira (the black Baird’s beaked whale, B. minimus) are commonly called giant bottlenose whales. (A genetic study of the gray and black forms of Baird’s beaked whale performed in 2016 revealed that the darker form was distinct enough from the gray form to be considered…
- Black Ball Lines (American shipping company)
ship: Shipping in the 19th century: The Black Ball Lines’ nine-year average as of 1825 was 23 days from Liverpool to New York City. Twenty years later Atlantic ships had doubled in size and were not credited as a success unless they had made at least a single east-bound dash of 14…
- Black Bart (American robber)
Black Bart was a California hooded robber believed to have held up some 28 stagecoaches from 1875 to 1883. Twice he left verse for the occasion, signed “Black Bart,” the more famous being: “I’ve labored long and hard for bread/ For honor and for riches/ But on my corns too long you’ve tred/ You
- Black Bartholomew (English history)
Congregationalism: England: “Black Bartholomew”—St. Bartholomew’s Day, August 24, 1662, when some 2,000 Protestant ministers who denied the authority of the Church of England were ejected from their posts—was a great turning point in the history of English Dissent. Although Nonconformists were subjected to severe persecution, John Owen…
- Black Barty (Welsh pirate)
Bartholomew Roberts was a pirate captain of a succession of ships—the “Royal Rover,” “Fortune,” “Royal Fortune,” and “Good Fortune”—who burned and plundered ships from the coasts of West Africa to the coasts of Brazil and the Caribbean and as far north as Newfoundland. His conquests are said to
- black basaltes (pottery)
basaltes ware, hard black vitreous stoneware, named after the volcanic rock basalt and manufactured by Josiah Wedgwood at Etruria, Staffordshire, Eng., from about 1768. Wedgwood’s black basaltes ware was an improvement on the stained earthenware known as “Egyptian black” made by other Staffordshire
- black bass (fish)
black bass, any of about six species of elongated freshwater fishes that constitute the genus Micropterus of the sunfish family, Centrarchidae (order Perciformes). Black basses are found in eastern North America. Two of them, the largemouth and smallmouth basses (M. salmoides and M. dolomieu), have
- Black Bazaar (novel by Mabanckou)
Alain Mabanckou: Novels: …novels include Black Bazar (2009; Black Bazaar), an exposé of the differences between the several nationalities of the dark-skinned denizens of Paris; and the murder mystery Tais-toi et meurs (2012; “Shut Up and Die”).
- Black Bazar (novel by Mabanckou)
Alain Mabanckou: Novels: …novels include Black Bazar (2009; Black Bazaar), an exposé of the differences between the several nationalities of the dark-skinned denizens of Paris; and the murder mystery Tais-toi et meurs (2012; “Shut Up and Die”).
- black bear (mammal)
black bear, (Ursus americanus), the most common bear (family Ursidae), found in the forests of North America, including parts of northern Mexico. The American black bear consists of only one species and 16 subspecies. Its colour varies, however, even among members of the same litter. White markings
- Black Bear (film by Levine [2020])
Aubrey Plaza: Emily the Criminal and The White Lotus: …starred in the comedy-drama thriller Black Bear, about a filmmaker looking for inspiration who travels to a remote lake house and manipulates the couple hosting her. In 2020 Plaza appeared in a supporting role alongside Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis in Clea DuVall’s Happiest Season, a comedy about two women…
- Black Beauty (work by Sewell)
Black Beauty, the only novel by Anna Sewell and the first major animal story in children’s literature. The author wrote it “to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses”; it was published in 1877, shortly before Sewell’s death. Black Beauty, a handsome well-born, well-bred
- Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse (work by Sewell)
Black Beauty, the only novel by Anna Sewell and the first major animal story in children’s literature. The author wrote it “to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses”; it was published in 1877, shortly before Sewell’s death. Black Beauty, a handsome well-born, well-bred
- Black Beech and Honeydew (autobiography by Marsh)
Ngaio Marsh: Her autobiography, Black Beech and Honeydew, was published in 1965 (rev. ed. 1981).
- Black Belt (region, United States)
Black Belt, physical region in Alabama and Mississippi, U.S., so named for its soil. The Black Belt is a fertile plain, generally 25–30 miles (40–50 km) wide and stretching approximately 300 miles (480 km) across central Alabama and northeastern Mississippi. A region of dark, calcareous soils, it
- black bile (ancient physiology)
humour: … (yellow bile), and melancholy (black bile); the variant mixtures of these humours in different persons determined their “complexions,” or “temperaments,” their physical and mental qualities, and their dispositions. The ideal person had the ideally proportioned mixture of the four; a predominance of one produced a person who was sanguine…
- black birch (tree)
sweet birch, (Betula lenta), North American ornamental and timber tree in the family Betulaceae. Usually about 18 metres (60 feet) tall, the tree may reach 24 metres (79 feet) or more in the southern Appalachians; on poor soil it may be stunted and shrublike. See also birch. The smooth, shiny,
- black birch (tree)
river birch, (Betula nigra), ornamental tree of the family Betulaceae, found on river and stream banks in the eastern one-third of the United States. Because the lower trunk becomes very dark with age, the tree is sometimes called black birch, a name more properly applied to sweet birch (Betula
- black birch (tree, Betula occidentalis)
birch: Major species: Water birch (B. occidentalis), a shrubby tree native to moist sites along the western coast of North America, has nonpeeling dark red bark; it grows in clusters, with all stems rising from a common root system. It is sometimes called red birch, black birch, or…
- black blizzard
dust: …conspicuous as dust devils and dust storms, which can impair normal visibility and make breathing difficult. Inorganic components of dust include small bits of rock, salts, and pollutants, such as insecticides and fumes given off by heavy metals such as copper, iron, and
- black body (physics)
blackbody, in physics, a surface that absorbs all radiant energy falling on it. The term arises because incident visible light will be absorbed rather than reflected, and therefore the surface will appear black. The concept of such a perfect absorber of energy is extremely useful in the study of
- Black Bone Yi (people)
Yi: The Black Bone Yi, the ruling group, were apparently descended from a people that originated in northwest China. The far more numerous White Bone Yi and the Jianu (“Family Slaves”) were formerly subjugated or enslaved by the Black Bones. The subjugation of the White Bones and…
- Black Book (film by Verhoeven [2006])
Paul Verhoeven: …his next movie, Zwartboek (2006; Black Book), another story of the Dutch resistance in Nazi-occupied Netherlands. The drama—which he wrote with Gerard Soeteman, a frequent collaborator—was a triumph. After the minor comedy Steekspel (2012; Tricked), Verhoeven won widespread praise and a nomination for the top prize at the Cannes film…
- Black Book of Carmarthen (collection of poetry)
Celtic literature: The Middle Ages: …of poetry preserved in the Black Book of Carmarthen (c. 1250) were parts of soliloquies or dialogues from other lost sagas. Examples are a conversation between Arthur and the doorkeeper Glewlwyd Mightygrasp; a monologue of Ysgolan the Cleric; verses in praise of Geraint, son of Erbin; and a fragment of…
- Black Book of Clanranald (work by MacMhuirich)
Celtic literature: The 17th century: The first two were the Black Book of Clanranald and the Red Book of Clanranald, written by members of the MacMhuirich family, who were latterly hereditary bards to the MacDonalds of Clanranald. They were probably written for the most part in the 17th century but contained poems by earlier representatives…
- Black Book, The (novel by Pamuk)
Orhan Pamuk: Works: …translated, included Kara kitap (1990; The Black Book), a dense depiction of Istanbul, and the mysteries Yeni hayat (1996; The New Life) and Benim adım kırmızı (1998; My Name Is Red).
- black bottom (dance)
black bottom, jazz dance combining shoulder and hip movements, danced by African Americans in the U.S. South as early as 1907. In a modified version it became a national craze after its appearance in a 1926 Broadway musical. The black bottom exhibited a number of features derived from the
- Black Box (sculpture by Smith [1962])
Tony Smith: …sculpture truly made from steel, Black Box (1962), was executed by a commercial fabricator. Smith’s often monumental sculptures, which he called “presences,” were based on geometric principles and simplicity of form, fundamental characteristics of Minimalist art. Smith was inspired by the works of James Joyce, Walt Whitman, Henry David Thoreau,…
- Black Box (novel by Oz)
Amos Oz: …the Wind), Kufsah sheḥora (1987; Black Box), and Matsav ha-shelishi (1991; The Third State). Oto ha-yam (1999; The Same Sea) is a novel in verse. The memoir Sipur ʿal ahavah ve-ḥoshekh (2002; A Tale of Love and Darkness) drew wide critical acclaim. Temunot me-hạye ha-kefar (2009; Scenes from Village Life)…
- black box (recording instrument)
flight recorder, instrument that records the performance and condition of an aircraft in flight. Governmental regulatory agencies require these devices on commercial aircraft to make possible the analysis of crashes or other unusual occurrences. Flight recorders actually consist of two functional
- Black Box (American television series)
Ali Wong: Career: …in the medical drama series Black Box (2014).
- Black Boy (work by Wright)
Black Boy, autobiography by Richard Wright, published in 1945 and considered to be one of his finest works. The book is sometimes considered a fictionalized autobiography or an autobiographical novel because of its use of novelistic techniques. Black Boy describes vividly Wright’s often harsh
- black brane (physics)
brane: …whose quantization defines string theory; black branes, which are solutions to Einstein’s equations that resemble black holes but are extended in some dimensions rather than spherical; and D-branes, which have the distinctive property that fundamental strings can end on them with the strings’ end points stuck to the brane.