Minoan civilization, Bronze Age civilization of Crete that flourished from about 3000 bce to about 1100 bce. Its name derives from Minos, either a dynastic title or the name of a particular ruler of Crete who has a place in Greek legend. A brief treatment of Minoan civilization follows. For full

Minobe Tatsukichi was a legal expert who reinterpreted the position of the imperial institution within the Japanese constitution as that of an “organ of state.” This view of the emperor, who until that time had been considered the divine embodiment of the state, greatly altered Japanese political

Kylie Minogue is an Australian singer who in the late 1980s became a pop superstar in Australia and Europe and who continued to enjoy success into the 21st century. Minogue, who had been acting since she was a child, first garnered fame in Australia and Great Britain for her role (1986–88) on the

Kylie Minogue is an Australian singer who in the late 1980s became a pop superstar in Australia and Europe and who continued to enjoy success into the 21st century. Minogue, who had been acting since she was a child, first garnered fame in Australia and Great Britain for her role (1986–88) on the

Chris Froome: …for the South African Team Konica Minolta. In 2008 he joined the South African-sponsored cycling Team Barloworld and competed in the Tour de France, finishing 84th. He came to the attention of British coach Rod Ellingworth, who was impressed by his climbing skills and willing to overlook his inexperience and…

Minomura Rizaemon was a Japanese businessman responsible for making the house of Mitsui the largest of the zaibatsu (“financial clique”) that dominated the economic life of Japan throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Under Minomura’s leadership, Mitsui became one of the few financial giants

minor, person below the legal age of majority or adulthood. The age of majority varies in different countries, and even in different jurisdictions within a country. It also differs with the type of activity concerned, such as marrying, purchasing alcohol, or driving an automobile. Twenty-one years

tarot: …known as trumps, and the minor arcana, which has 56 cards.

ellipse: …from the foci, is the minor axis. A line drawn through either focus parallel to the minor axis is a latus rectum (literally, “straight side”).

renal system: Internal configuration: …12 smaller cuplike cavities, the minor calyxes, into which the renal papillae project. The renal pelvis serves as the initial reservoir for urine, which flows into the sinus through the urinary collecting tubules, small tubes that open into the sinus at the papillae.

renal system: Internal configuration: …12 smaller cuplike cavities, the minor calyxes, into which the renal papillae project. The renal pelvis serves as the initial reservoir for urine, which flows into the sinus through the urinary collecting tubules, small tubes that open into the sinus at the papillae.

renal system: Internal configuration: …12 smaller cuplike cavities, the minor calyxes, into which the renal papillae project. The renal pelvis serves as the initial reservoir for urine, which flows into the sinus through the urinary collecting tubules, small tubes that open into the sinus at the papillae.

persistent depressive disorder, mental disorder characterized by symptoms of depression that are present for two or more years. Although captured by different names and diagnoses throughout history, persistent depressive disorder was first recognized as such in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and

Liu Bei: …is usually known as the Shu- (“Minor”) Han to distinguish it from the Han proper. As one of the heroes of the 14th-century Chinese historical novel Sanguozhi Yanyi (Romance of the Three Kingdoms), Liu has been celebrated and romanticized in Chinese history. The dynasty that he founded, however, never expanded…

baseball: The minor leagues: The minor leagues formed an association in 1901 to deal with the problems resulting from the lack of agreement on contract ownership, salaries, territoriality, and other issues. The current structure was created when the major leagues reached their agreement in 1903, and the…

asteroid, any of a host of small bodies, about 1,000 km (600 miles) or less in diameter, that orbit the Sun primarily between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in a nearly flat ring called the asteroid belt. It is because of their small size and large numbers relative to the major planets that

history of logic: Syllogisms: …it occurs is called the minor premise. This way of describing major and minor terms conforms to Aristotle’s actual practice and was proposed as a definition by the 6th-century Greek commentator John Philoponus. But in one passage Aristotle put it differently: the minor term is said to be “included” in…

fallacy: Formal fallacies: …fallacy of illicit major (or minor) premise, which violates the rules for “distribution.” (A term is said to be distributed when reference is made to all members of the class. For example, in “Some crows are not friendly,” reference is made to all friendly things but not to all crows.)…

The Twelve, book of the Hebrew Bible that contains the books of 12 minor prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. In most versions of the Christian Old Testament, each of these 12 is treated as a separate book (e.g., the Book of

Socinian: …leader in the previously established Minor Reformed Church (Polish Brethren). Socinus succeeded in converting this movement to his own theological system, and for 50 years after his arrival the Minor Church had a brilliant life in Poland, with about 300 congregations at its height. The movement’s intellectual centre was at…

Rogation Days: …on April 25 and the Minor Rogations (Minor Litany) on the three days before the feast of the Ascension (40th day after Easter).

history of Europe: Ecclesiastical organization: …move in stages through the minor orders: acolyte, exorcist, lector, and doorkeeper. At the highest of minor orders the candidate could still leave the clergy. Many clerics in minor orders served in the administration of secular and ecclesiastical institutions. They also sometimes caused trouble in secular society, since even they…

minor scale, in Western music, seven stepwise pitches that form an octave arranged in one of three possible sequences, all having in common a half step (or semitone) between the second and third notes. Minor scales are classified as natural, harmonic, or melodic. Western music is based on a

tactics: Evolution of the term: …been attempts to distinguish between minor tactics, the art of fighting individuals or small units, and grand tactics, a term coined about 1780 by the French military author Jacques-Antoine-Hippolyte de Guibert to describe the conduct of major battles. However, this distinction seems to have been lost recently, and the concept…

history of logic: Syllogisms: …the conclusion is called the minor term and the premise in which it occurs is called the minor premise. This way of describing major and minor terms conforms to Aristotle’s actual practice and was proposed as a definition by the 6th-century Greek commentator John Philoponus. But in one passage Aristotle…

hardcore punk: Hardcore scenes across the U.S.: , Minor Threat began performing and soon released a song called “Straight Edge” (1981) that is credited with coining the term for the punk movement of the same name, which promotes a drug-and-alcohol-free lifestyle. Many straight edge followers also eschew “promiscuous” sex, caffeine, and eating meat…

antianxiety drug, any drug that relieves symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety is a state of pervasive apprehension that may be triggered by specific environmental or personal factors. Anxiety states are generally combined with emotions such as fear, anger, or depression. A person with anxiety may complain

triad: …perfect fifth, it is a minor triad. These are defined as consonant triads. If the third is major and the fifth is augmented, the triad is called an augmented triad; if the third is minor and the fifth is diminished, the triad is a diminished triad. Augmented and diminished triads…

Minor v. Happersett, U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court ruled unanimously in 1874 that the right of suffrage was not protected by the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The case was brought on appeal by Virginia Minor, an officer of the National Woman Suffrage Association, and

Virginia Louisa Minor was an American activist who was a tireless and shrewd campaigner for woman suffrage. Little is known of Minor’s early life. In 1843 she married Francis Minor, a distant cousin and a lawyer, and they settled in St. Louis the following year. At the outbreak of the Civil War she

Minorca, island of the Balearic Islands provincia (province) and comunidad autónoma (autonomous community), Spain. It is the second largest of the Balearic Islands and lies in the western Mediterranean Sea. Most of the island’s area of 258 square miles (668 square km) is dry, monotonous tableland

In 1756, an Anglo-French conflict called the French and Indian War, which began in North America without a declaration of war, spread to Europe and became part of the Seven Years’ War.The Battle of Minorca, in the Balearic Islands off Spain, was the first sea battle. France’s victory at Minorca on

Polenta Family: The family’s ascendancy began with Guido da Polenta (d. 1310), known as Guido Minore, or Guido the Old, who led the Guelf, or pro-papal, faction in Ravenna against the Ghibelline, or pro-emperor, faction. Ravenna, traditionally Ghibelline, had fallen to the Guelfs in 1239. When the emperor Frederick II reconquered the…

Manresa, city, Barcelona provincia (province), in the comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) of Catalonia, northeastern Spain. It lies along the Cardoner River. The city—which probably originated as Minorisa, the Roman capital of Jacetani—was important during the Middle Ages. Three bridges span

T.E. Lawrence: Major literary works: Minorities (1971) reproduced an anthology of more than 100 poems Lawrence had collected in a notebook over many years, each possessing a crucial and revealing association with something in his life.

ethnic conflict: Types of ethnic groups: …ethnic groups in 1986, and it developed six types for categorizing the groups: ethnonationalists, indigenous peoples, ethnoclasses, communal contenders, religious sects, and national minorities.

minority, a culturally, ethnically, or racially distinct group that coexists with but is subordinate to a more dominant group. As the term is used in the social sciences, this subordinacy is the chief defining characteristic of a minority group. As such, minority status does not necessarily

chess: Steinitz and the theory of equilibrium: …Nelson Pillsbury, popularized the “minority attack,” in which the player with fewer queenside pawns advances them in certain positions in order to weaken his opponent’s pawns.

semiconductor device: The p-n junction: …p side; these are termed minority carriers. On the n side the electrons are the majority carriers, while the holes are the minority carriers. Near the junction is a region having no free-charge carriers. This region, called the depletion layer, behaves as an insulator.

minority carrier injection, in electronics, a process taking place at the boundary between p-type and n-type semiconductor materials, used in some types of transistors. Each semiconductor material contains two types of freely moving charges: electrons (negative charges) and holes (positive

elementary education: …the United States was whether black and Hispanic children of the inner cities did indeed have equal educational opportunity so long as they were cut off, both in and out of school, from association with those more prosperous segments of the population that enjoyed the fruits of high-quality education owing…

United States: The legislative branch: …majority floor leader and the minority floor leader. The floor leaders are assisted by party whips, who are responsible for maintaining contact between the leadership and the members of the House. Bills introduced by members in the House of Representatives are received by standing committees, which can amend, expedite, delay,…

minority, a culturally, ethnically, or racially distinct group that coexists with but is subordinate to a more dominant group. As the term is used in the social sciences, this subordinacy is the chief defining characteristic of a minority group. As such, minority status does not necessarily

Kristin Hunter Lattany: …in 1955 with her script Minority of One, about school integration; fearing controversy, the network rewrote the story to show a French-speaking immigrant entering an all-white school.

Philip K. Dick: …“The Minority Report” (filmed as Minority Report [2002]), and A Scanner Darkly (1977; film 2006). The Man in the High Castle was loosely adapted as a serial drama (2015–19) that was streamed online by Amazon.com.

accounting: Consolidated statements: The equity of these minority shareholders in the subsidiary companies is shown separately on the balance sheet. For example, if Any Company, Inc., had minority shareholders in one or more subsidiaries, the owners’ equity section of its December 31, 20__, balance sheet might appear as follows:

minor, person below the legal age of majority or adulthood. The age of majority varies in different countries, and even in different jurisdictions within a country. It also differs with the type of activity concerned, such as marrying, purchasing alcohol, or driving an automobile. Twenty-one years

Minos, legendary ruler of Crete; he was the son of Zeus, the king of the gods, and of Europa, a Phoenician princess and personification of the continent of Europe. Minos obtained the Cretan throne by the aid of the Greek god Poseidon, and from Knossos (or Gortyn) he gained control over the Aegean

Western architecture: Minoan Crete: The immensely important Palace of Minos at Knossos, excavated and reconstructed early in the 20th century by Sir Arthur Evans, offers evidence of unbroken architectural and artistic development from Neolithic beginnings, culminating in a brilliant display of building activity during the third phase of the Middle Minoan period…

Minnie Miñoso was a Cuban professional baseball player known for his speed and baserunning ability and who was the first Black major league star from Latin America. Miñoso began his career playing on teams in the Cuban sugar-mills league, and in 1945 he joined the Negro leagues’ New York Cubans. In

Minnie Miñoso was a Cuban professional baseball player known for his speed and baserunning ability and who was the first Black major league star from Latin America. Miñoso began his career playing on teams in the Cuban sugar-mills league, and in 1945 he joined the Negro leagues’ New York Cubans. In

Minot, city, seat (1888) of Ward county, north-central North Dakota, U.S. It lies on the Souris River (also called the Mouse River), about 50 miles (80 km) south of the Canadian border and about 100 miles (160 km) northwest of Bismarck. It was settled in 1886 as a tent town for construction of the

Minot: It is the seat of Minot State University (established 1913) and the site of the annual North Dakota State Fair. Cultural attractions include an art museum and several music and theatre groups. Minot’s international airport houses a museum displaying military and civilian aircraft. The city also has a railroad museum…

Cohasset: …in April 1851; the present Minot’s Ledge Lighthouse has been maintained since 1860. According to the 11th edition (1911) of Encyclopædia Britannica:

George Richards Minot was an American physician who received (with George Whipple and William Murphy) the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1934 for the introduction of a raw-liver diet in the treatment of pernicious anemia, which was previously an invariably fatal disease. Minot received

Laurence Minot was an English author of 11 battle songs, preserved in an early 15th-century manuscript, first published by the antiquarian Joseph Ritson in 1795 as Poems on Interesting Events in the Reign of King Edward III. Minot’s poems were evidently written contemporaneously with the events

Bret Easton Ellis: Literary stardom: Ellis’s debut came at a time when many publishers were beginning to court fresh new voices. Ellis quickly became associated with a group of fellow young writers whom the…

Minotaur, in Greek mythology, a fabulous monster of Crete that had the body of a man and the head of a bull. It was the offspring of Pasiphae, the wife of Minos, and a snow-white bull sent to Minos by the god Poseidon for sacrifice. Minos, instead of sacrificing it, kept it alive; Poseidon as a

Minotaur, in Greek mythology, a fabulous monster of Crete that had the body of a man and the head of a bull. It was the offspring of Pasiphae, the wife of Minos, and a snow-white bull sent to Minos by the god Poseidon for sacrifice. Minos, instead of sacrificing it, kept it alive; Poseidon as a

Katina Paxinou: …second husband, the Greek actor-producer Alexis Minotis, she produced revivals of classic plays in ancient outdoor Greek theatres and translated modern plays into Greek, most notably those of the American playwright Eugene O’Neill.

Commission on Presidential Debates: …Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Newton Minow. Both studies concluded that presidential debates needed to be institutionalized and that a new entity, with the sole purpose of sponsoring general election presidential debates, should be formed. The recommendations included having the two parties start the commission as a way of ensuring…

minoxidil, medication that is used to treat both high blood pressure (hypertension) and baldness. Minoxidil is one of a class of medications known as antihypertensive vasodilators. As a hair loss treatment, it is marketed under the brand name Rogaine. In the 1950s the Upjohn Company developed

Minseitō, prominent pre-World War II Japanese political party that first came to power in 1929 and then vied with the more conservative Rikken Seiyūkai (q.v.; “Friends of Constitutional Government”) for Cabinet control during the next 11 years. Formed in 1927 by the merger of the former Kenseikai

Democratic Socialist Party, former Japanese political party that was formed in 1960 by moderate socialists who had broken away from the Japan Socialist Party the year before because of its alleged Marxist dogmatism and its definition of itself as a “class” party. The party traditionally was

Democratic Socialist Party, former Japanese political party that was formed in 1960 by moderate socialists who had broken away from the Japan Socialist Party the year before because of its alleged Marxist dogmatism and its definition of itself as a “class” party. The party traditionally was

Minsk, voblasts (province), central Belarus. It extends from the rolling, morainic hills of the Belarusian Ridge in the northwest across the Byarezina plain, which slopes gently to the southeast. The natural vegetation is dense forest of pine, spruce, oak, and birch, and alder in wetter areas, but

Minsk, city, capital of Belarus, and administrative centre of Minsk oblast (region). The city lies along the Svisloch River. First mentioned in 1067, it became the seat of a principality in 1101. Minsk passed to Lithuania in the 14th century and later to Poland and was regained by Russia in the

Minsk, voblasts (province), central Belarus. It extends from the rolling, morainic hills of the Belarusian Ridge in the northwest across the Byarezina plain, which slopes gently to the southeast. The natural vegetation is dense forest of pine, spruce, oak, and birch, and alder in wetter areas, but

Marvin Minsky was an American mathematician and computer scientist, one of the most famous practitioners of the science of artificial intelligence (AI). Minsky won the 1969 A.M. Turing Award, the highest honour in computer science, for his pioneering work in AI. Following service in the U.S. Navy

Marvin Minsky was an American mathematician and computer scientist, one of the most famous practitioners of the science of artificial intelligence (AI). Minsky won the 1969 A.M. Turing Award, the highest honour in computer science, for his pioneering work in AI. Following service in the U.S. Navy

minstrel, (from Latin ministerium, “service”), between the 12th and 17th centuries, a professional entertainer of any kind, including jugglers, acrobats, and storytellers; more specifically, a secular musician, usually an instrumentalist. In some contexts, minstrel more particularly denoted a

minstrel show, an American theatrical form, popular from the early 19th to the early 20th century, that was founded on the comic enactment of racial stereotypes. The tradition reached its zenith between 1850 and 1870. Although the form gradually disappeared from the professional theatres and became

James Beattie: …and essayist, whose once-popular poem The Minstrel was one of the earliest works of the Romantic movement.

minstrel show, an American theatrical form, popular from the early 19th to the early 20th century, that was founded on the comic enactment of racial stereotypes. The tradition reached its zenith between 1850 and 1870. Although the form gradually disappeared from the professional theatres and became

ballad revival: …collections, including Sir Walter Scott’s Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border (1802), had great impact and provided the English Romantic poets with an alternative to outworn Neoclassical models as a source of inspiration. The impact was not reciprocal; literary ballads had no effect on the art or production of oral balladry,…

Paris: The Institute of France: Almost next door is the Mint (Hôtel des Monnaies). In this sober late 18th-century building, visitors may tour a museum of coins and medals.

mint, (genus Mentha), genus of 25 species of fragrant herbs of the mint family (Lamiaceae). Native to Eurasia, North America, southern Africa, and Australia, mints are widely distributed throughout the temperate areas of the world and have naturalized in many places. A number of species,

mint, in economics, a place where coins are made according to exact compositions, weights, dimensions, and tolerances, usually specified by law. The first state mint was probably established by the Lydians, an Anatolian people, in the 7th century bc. The Greeks of the Aegean Islands soon followed

mint: Related species: …Australian genus Prostanthera are called mint bushes.

menthol, terpene alcohol with a strong minty, cooling odour and taste. It is obtained from peppermint oil or is produced synthetically by hydrogenation of thymol. Menthol is used medicinally in ointments, cough drops, and nasal inhalers. It is also used as flavouring in foods, cigarettes, liqueurs,

Lamiaceae, the mint family of flowering plants, with 236 genera and more than 7,000 species, the largest family of the order Lamiales. Lamiaceae is distributed nearly worldwide, and many species are cultivated for their fragrant leaves and attractive flowers. The family is particularly important to

Kentucky Derby: Traditions: …traditions are the drinking of mint juleps (an iced cocktail consisting of bourbon, mint, and sugar), the wearing of ornate hats by female spectators, and the raucous partying that takes place in the track’s infield. The popular Derby nickname “Run for the Roses,” coined by sports columnist Bill Corum in…

Lamiales, mint order of flowering plants, including 24 families, 1,059 genera, and about 23,755 species. The main families in the order are Lamiaceae, Verbenaceae, Plantaginaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Orobanchaceae, Acanthaceae, Gesneriaceae, Bignoniaceae, Oleaceae, Pedaliaceae, and the small

T.E. Lawrence: Major literary works: …Royal Air Force recruit training, The Mint (published 1955), which in its explicitness horrified Whitehall officialdom and which in his lifetime never went beyond circulation in typescript to his friends. In it he balanced scenes of contentment with air force life with scenes of splenetic rage at the desecration of…

mintadi, steatite (soapstone) figure from Angola. According to Italian documents, mintadi figures were brought to the Museo Preistorico Etnografico Luigi Pigorini (Luigi Pigorini Prehistoric Ethnographic Museum) in Rome by missionaries from Africa in the 17th century. Traditional mintadi, similar

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…

Marvin Hagler: …took the world title from Alan Minter with a third-round knockout. Hagler went on to defend the title 12 times from 1981 through 1986. On April 15, 1985, in one of his finest bouts, he pummeled Thomas Hearns, dispatching him in three rounds.

Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st earl of Minto was the governor-general of India (1807–13) who successfully restrained the French in the East Indies. Gilbert and his brother Hugh studied in Paris under the supervision of the philosopher David Hume, then secretary to the British embassy.

Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st earl of Minto was the governor-general of India (1807–13) who successfully restrained the French in the East Indies. Gilbert and his brother Hugh studied in Paris under the supervision of the philosopher David Hume, then secretary to the British embassy.

Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st earl of Minto was the governor-general of India (1807–13) who successfully restrained the French in the East Indies. Gilbert and his brother Hugh studied in Paris under the supervision of the philosopher David Hume, then secretary to the British embassy.

Gilbert John Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th earl of Minto was the governor general of Canada (1898–1905) and viceroy of India (1905–10); in India he and his colleague John Morley sponsored the Morley–Minto Reforms Act (1909). The act moderately increased Indian representation in government but was

Gilbert John Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th earl of Minto was the governor general of Canada (1898–1905) and viceroy of India (1905–10); in India he and his colleague John Morley sponsored the Morley–Minto Reforms Act (1909). The act moderately increased Indian representation in government but was

Dom Mintoff was a leader of Malta’s Labor Party, who served two terms as prime minister (1955–58; 1971–84) and held a seat in parliament from 1947 to 1998. Mintoff was educated at the University of Malta in science and civil engineering (B.S., 1937). He was awarded a Rhodes scholarship and

Dom Mintoff was a leader of Malta’s Labor Party, who served two terms as prime minister (1955–58; 1971–84) and held a seat in parliament from 1947 to 1998. Mintoff was educated at the University of Malta in science and civil engineering (B.S., 1937). He was awarded a Rhodes scholarship and

Minton ware, cream-coloured and blue-printed earthenware maiolica, bone china, and Parian porcelain produced at a factory founded in 1793 in Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, Eng., by Thomas Minton, who popularized the famous so-called Willow pattern. In the 1820s he started production of bone

Sherman Minton was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1949–56). Minton was the son of John Evan Minton, a farmer, and Emma Lyvers Minton. He attended Indiana University, where he graduated in 1915 at the top of his class in the law college. The following year he earned

Minton ware: , by Thomas Minton, who popularized the famous so-called Willow pattern. In the 1820s he started production of bone china; this early Minton is regarded as comparable to French Sèvres, by which it was greatly influenced.

volleyball, game played by two teams, usually of six players on a side, in which the players use their hands to bat a ball back and forth over a high net, trying to make the ball touch the court within the opponents’ playing area before it can be returned. To prevent this a player on the opposing

adhocracy: The Canadian author Henry Mintzberg more fully elaborated adhocracy as a type in 1979, arguing for its status as an important addition to the well-known forms, such as the simple structure, the professional bureaucracy, and the divisionalized form of organization.

Marcus Minucius Felix was one of the earliest Christian Apologists to write in Latin. A Roman lawyer, he wrote the Octavius, a dialogue on Providence and Christianity in general, between the skeptic pagan Caecilius Natalis and the Christian Octavius Januarius, Minucius’ friend. Written for educated