jumping spider: Physical description: …and females of the species Phintella vittata are able to detect ultraviolet light from the UVB band (315–280 nm) and have specialized surfaces on their bodies to reflect it. The reflection of UVB radiation by males during courtship has been shown to enhance their ability to attract females. Peacock spiders…

Bangkok National Museum, art gallery and archaeological museum housed in the former Royal Palace (built in 1782) and devoted to the major arts of Thailand. Established by King Mongkut (Rama IV) in 1851 to house his private antiques collections and opened to the public by Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in

Pittsburgh: The contemporary city: Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (1893), which covers 15 acres (6 hectares), is noted for its extensive greenhouses. The city’s zoo, in the northeastern Highland Park neighbourhood, includes an aquarium. Two new sports venues opened in 2001 on the north bank of the Allegheny opposite…

Louis de Buade, comte de Frontenac: The attacking forces, led by Sir William Phips, were repulsed at Quebec by the French under Frontenac, who distinguished himself by his prudent tactics.

Louis de Buade, comte de Frontenac: The attacking forces, led by Sir William Phips, were repulsed at Quebec by the French under Frontenac, who distinguished himself by his prudent tactics.

phishing, act of sending e-mail that purports to be from a reputable source, such as the recipient’s bank or credit card provider, and that seeks to acquire personal or financial information. The name derives from the idea of “fishing” for information. In phishing, typically a fraudulent e-mail

Phitsanulok, town, north-central Thailand. Phitsanulok lies along the Nan River and the Bangkok–Chiengmai railroad. It is also served by an airport and by a major highway to Sukhothai (west) and Khon Kaen (east). The commercial centre in the southern part of town deals in rice, cotton, and tobacco.

Phitsanulok, town, north-central Thailand. Phitsanulok lies along the Nan River and the Bangkok–Chiengmai railroad. It is also served by an airport and by a major highway to Sukhothai (west) and Khon Kaen (east). The commercial centre in the southern part of town deals in rice, cotton, and tobacco.

sphinx, mythological creature with a lion’s body and a human head, an important image in Egyptian and Greek art and legend. The word sphinx was derived by Greek grammarians from the verb sphingein (“to bind” or “to squeeze”), but the etymology is not related to the legend and is dubious. Hesiod,

Hablot Knight Browne was a British artist, preeminent as an interpreter and illustrator of Dickens’ characters. Browne was early apprenticed to the engraver William Finden, in whose studio his only artistic education was obtained. At the age of 19 he abandoned engraving in favour of other artistic

Khmer literature: French influence: …in Kambujasuriya in 1943, and Phka srabon (“The Faded Flower”) by Nou Hach, first serialized in the weekly newspaper Kambuja in 1947. In the former a hardworking but lowly gem miner wins the hand of the mine owner’s daughter after proving his courage and integrity, in part by saving her…

phlebitis, inflammation of the wall of a vein. Phlebitis may result from the infection of tissues adjacent to the vein, or it may result from trauma or from a surgical operation or childbirth. A long period of bed rest and an attendant lack of blood circulation may also cause phlebitis. Varicose

tunicate: Annotated classification: Order Phlebobranchia Gills with longitudinal vessels and bars, without folds; gonads on one side, near digestive tract. Subclass Pleurogona Gonads and digestive tract by side of gill. Order Stolidobranchia Gill with longitudinal vessels, folded.

phlebothrombosis, formation of a blood clot in a vein that is not inflamed. Inactivity, such as bed rest during convalescence, can lead to the condition, which frequently progresses to thrombophlebitis (q.v.), in which the clot adherent to the wall of the vein is accompanied by inflammation of the

sand fly, any insect of the family Phlebotomidae (sometimes considered part of the family Psychodidae) of the order Diptera. The aquatic larvae live in the intertidal zone of coastal beaches, in mud, or in wet organic debris. Sand flies are of considerable medical importance: around the

insect: Medical significance: …carried by the sand fly Phlebotomus. Sleeping sickness in humans and a group of cattle diseases that are widespread in Africa and known as nagana are caused by protozoan trypanosomes transmitted by the bites of tsetse flies (Glossina). Under nonsanitary conditions the common

pappataci fever, acute infectious febrile disease caused by a phlebovirus (family Bunyaviridae) and producing temporary incapacitation, marked initially by abdominal symptoms, severe frontal headache, chills, fever, and joint and muscle pain. It is transmitted to humans by the bloodsucking female

pappataci fever: …bloodsucking female sand fly (notably Phlebotomus papatasi, P. perniciosus, and P. perfiliewi) and is prevalent in the moist subtropical countries of the Eastern Hemisphere, particularly around the Mediterranean Sea, in the Middle East, and in parts of India.

bloodletting: Bloodletting in the modern world: Today, the word phlebotomy refers to the drawing of blood for use in diagnosis or for transfusions in conventional medicine. Phlebotomy is, arguably, a form of bloodletting—and sometimes the words are considered effectively synonymous—but the modern-day practice has nothing to do with the traditional purposes and techniques of…

undersea exploration: Exploration of the seafloor and the Earth’s crust: …of coring device, the lightweight Phleger corer, takes samples only of the upper layer of the ocean bottom to a depth of about one metre. Deeper cores are taken by the piston corer. In this device, a closely fitted piston attached to the end of the lowering cable is installed…

humour: …four cardinal humours were blood, phlegm, choler (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…

milk leg, inflammation of the femoral vein, the principal vein of the thigh, with formation of a clot that blocks the channel of the vein. The condition may occur shortly after childbirth, or it may result from the use of oral contraceptives. Other predisposing factors are aging, malignancy, and

humour: …was sanguine (Latin sanguis, “blood”), phlegmatic, choleric, or melancholic. Each complexion had specific characteristics, and the words carried much weight that they have since lost: e.g., the choleric man was not only quick to anger but also yellow-faced, lean, hairy, proud, ambitious, revengeful, and shrewd. By extension, “humour” in the…

timothy: Alpine, or mountain, timothy (Phleum alpinum) is about half as tall, with short, thick panicles. It occurs in wet places from Greenland to Alaska, and at high altitudes in many other parts of North America and Europe.

timothy, (Phleum pratense), perennial grass of the family Poaceae. Timothy is native to most of mainland Europe and is widely cultivated as a hay and a pasture grass in North America and the United Kingdom. The plant is named after American farmer Timothy Hanson, who promoted its use outside New

Jeanne-Marie Roland was the wife of Jean-Marie Roland, who directed her husband’s political career during the French Revolution, greatly influencing the policies of the moderate Girondin faction of bourgeois revolutionaries. Jeanne-Marie Phlipon was the daughter of a Paris engraver. Brilliant and

Jeanne-Marie Roland was the wife of Jean-Marie Roland, who directed her husband’s political career during the French Revolution, greatly influencing the policies of the moderate Girondin faction of bourgeois revolutionaries. Jeanne-Marie Phlipon was the daughter of a Paris engraver. Brilliant and

phloem, plant vascular tissue that conducts foods made in the leaves during photosynthesis to all other parts of the plant. Phloem is composed of various specialized cells called sieve elements, phloem fibres, and phloem parenchyma cells. Together with xylem (tissue that conducts water and minerals

bast fiber, soft woody fiber obtained from stems of dicotyledonous plants (flowering plants with net-veined leaves) and used for textiles and cordage. Such fibers, usually characterized by fineness and flexibility, are also known as “soft” fibers, distinguishing them from the coarser, less flexible

phloem: Phloem parenchyma cells, called transfer cells and border parenchyma cells, are located near the finest branches and terminations of sieve tubes in leaf veinlets, where they also function in the transport of foods. Companion cells, or albuminous cells in non-flowering vascular plants, are another specialized…

cloud rat: Giant cloud rats belong to the genus Phloeomys (two species), whereas bushy-tailed cloud rats are classified in the genus Crateromys (four species).

cloud rat: Giant cloud rats: It is easily distinguished from P. cumingi, which has short, dark brown fur. P. cumingi lives in southern Luzon and on the offshore island of Catanduanes. Both species are found from lowlands to mountains, where they nest in hollow trees and feed on tender young leaves. One young per year…

cloud rat: Giant cloud rats: Phloeomys pallidus, found in northern Luzon, has long, dense, soft fur of cream or pale gray interrupted by black or brown markings. It is easily distinguished from P. cumingi, which has short, dark brown fur. P. cumingi lives in southern Luzon and on the offshore…

phlogiston, in early chemical theory, hypothetical principle of fire, of which every combustible substance was in part composed. In this view, the phenomena of burning, now called oxidation, was caused by the liberation of phlogiston, with the dephlogisticated substance left as an ash or residue.

phlogopite, basic aluminosilicate of potassium, magnesium, and iron that is a member of the common mica group. Varieties that contain only small amounts of iron are economically important as electrical insulators. Phlogopite occurs typically as a metamorphic product (e.g., in crystalline

Coleoptera: Annotated classification: Family Phloiophilidae Rare; 1 species in Britain. Family Phycosecidae Few species; examples Phycosecis, Alfieriella; in Australia, Asia, Africa. Family Trogossitidae (bark-gnawing beetles) About 500 species,

Lamiaceae: Major genera and species: …100 species of the genus Phlomis is Jerusalem sage (P. tuberosa), which rises to almost 2 metres (6.5 feet) and has clusters of purple flowers. It is native to Eurasia and is naturalized in North America. One of the 40 species of the African genus Leonotis, klip dagga, or lion’s…

Lamiaceae: Major genera and species: …of the genus Phlomis is Jerusalem sage (P. tuberosa), which rises to almost 2 metres (6.5 feet) and has clusters of purple flowers. It is native to Eurasia and is naturalized in North America. One of the 40 species of the African genus Leonotis, klip dagga, or lion’s ear (L.…

Flórina, city and dímos (municipality), West Macedonia (Modern Greek: Dytikí Makedonía) periféreia (region), northwestern Greece. Originally a Byzantine foundation, it later passed to Ottoman control; by the 18th century, its population was chiefly Turkish and Albanian. In the 19th century, Flórina

phlox, (genus Phlox), genus of about 65 species of plants belonging to the family Polemoniaceae, admired both in gardens and in the wild for their clustered heads of flowers. All species but one from northeastern Asia are native to North America. Phlox plants are herbaceous and can be annuals or

phlox, (genus Phlox), genus of about 65 species of plants belonging to the family Polemoniaceae, admired both in gardens and in the wild for their clustered heads of flowers. All species but one from northeastern Asia are native to North America. Phlox plants are herbaceous and can be annuals or

phlox: Major species: Blue phlox (P. divaricata) is a spring-flowering woodland perennial growing up to 45 cm (1.5 feet) with blue to white flower clusters. Perennial phlox (P. pilosa), about the same height, bears red-purple flowers on hairy plants in summer in upland woods and prairies of central…

phlox: Major species: Annual phlox (P. drummondii) is a 45-cm (1.5-foot) branching plant with usually reddish purple blooms. It has given rise to many cultivated forms with petals of two colours and starlike shape. Blue phlox (P. divaricata) is a spring-flowering woodland perennial growing up to 45 cm…

Polemoniaceae, the phlox family of plants, comprising about 18 genera and some 385 species of flowering plants in the order Ericales. Members of the family are mostly in North America but also found in temperate parts of western South America and Eurasia. They include many popular garden

phlox: Major species: Summer phlox, also called fall phlox (Phlox paniculata), sometimes reaches more than 1.5 metres (5 feet) in height on straight stiff stems topped by reddish purple to white fragrant large flat flower heads. It grows in rich moist soils. Annual phlox (P. drummondii) is a…

phlox: Major species: Perennial phlox (P. pilosa), about the same height, bears red-purple flowers on hairy plants in summer in upland woods and prairies of central North America.

phlox: Major species: Moss pink, or creeping phlox (P. subulata), a low evergreen mat covered in early spring with blue, purple, pink, or white massed blooms, is native to sandy soil and rocky ledges in eastern North America. Moss pink is often grown as a garden perennial, creeping…

phlyakes, farces adopted from Greek Middle Comedy plays and especially popular in southern Italy in the 4th and 3rd centuries bce. Known principally from vase paintings, these burlesques of tragedy, myth, and daily life were given literary form in the works of Rhinthon, Sciras, and Sopater, and

theatre: Stage design: …own distinctive type of stage—the phlyakes stage. Comedies in Italy were mimes, usually parodies of well-known tragedies, and the actors were called phlyakes, or jesters. They used temporary stage buildings of three main forms. One was the primitive low stage, a rough platform with a wooden floor on three or…

phlyakes, farces adopted from Greek Middle Comedy plays and especially popular in southern Italy in the 4th and 3rd centuries bce. Known principally from vase paintings, these burlesques of tragedy, myth, and daily life were given literary form in the works of Rhinthon, Sciras, and Sopater, and

Angkor: History: …hill in the area, the Phnom Bakheng. In a similar manner, the central structure of each temple reflected the position of Mount Meru. The outer walls of each temple recalled the mountains that were believed to ring the edge of the cosmos, or world. The vast system of reservoirs, canals,…

Phnom Penh, capital and chief city of Cambodia. It lies at the confluence of the Basăk (Bassac), Sab, and Mekong river systems, in the south-central part of the country. Phnom Penh was founded in 1434 to succeed Angkor Thom as the capital of the Khmer nation but was abandoned several times before

Mnong language, a language of the Bahnaric branch of the Mon-Khmer family, itself part of the Austroasiatic stock. The terms Mnong and Phnong cover a large group of closely related dialects spoken in the highlands of southern Vietnam and southeastern Cambodia. Speakers of different varieties of

Phnom Penh, capital and chief city of Cambodia. It lies at the confluence of the Basăk (Bassac), Sab, and Mekong river systems, in the south-central part of the country. Phnom Penh was founded in 1434 to succeed Angkor Thom as the capital of the Khmer nation but was abandoned several times before

pho, Vietnamese dish made with broth, noodles, and meat. The most common protein found in pho is beef, usually thinly sliced. Beef tendon or tripe is sometimes used. Pho can be made with chicken, fish, pork, or tofu as well. The broth is usually bolstered by a series of spices, such as star anise,

Karen languages: …(including Pwo and Sgaw); only Pwo and Sgaw of the southern group have written forms.

Tibet: Administration and culture under the Manchu: …seventh incarnation was overshadowed by Pho-lha, a lay nobleman appointed ruler by the Manchu. The eighth was diffident and retiring. But after the Pho-lha family’s regime, Dge-lugs-pa clerics resumed power and held onto it through a series of monk regents for about 145 years.

Phoberomys, extinct rodent genus, the largest rodent ever to have lived, that belongs to the infraorder Caviomorpha, a group restricted to South America that also includes living guinea pigs, capybaras, and chinchillas. Phoberomys has been recovered from several sites dating to the Late Miocene

Hypnos: …who brought dreams of men; Icelus, who brought dreams of animals; and Phantasus, who brought dreams of inanimate things.

slug caterpillar moth: Major genera and species: One genus, the hag moths (Phobetron), derives its name from the larva’s fleshy appendages, which are covered with brown stinging hairs resembling disheveled or tousled hair. When the caterpillar spins its cocoon the appendages are transferred to the outside of the cocoon, where they serve for protection and…

phobia, an extreme, irrational fear of a specific object or situation. A phobia is classified as a type of anxiety disorder, since anxiety is the chief symptom experienced by the sufferer. Phobias are thought to be learned emotional responses. It is generally held that phobias occur when fear

phobia, an extreme, irrational fear of a specific object or situation. A phobia is classified as a type of anxiety disorder, since anxiety is the chief symptom experienced by the sufferer. Phobias are thought to be learned emotional responses. It is generally held that phobias occur when fear

Ares: …and his sons (by Aphrodite) Phobos and Deimos (Panic and Rout). Also associated with him were two lesser war deities: Enyalius, who is virtually identical with Ares himself, and Enyo, a female counterpart.

Mars: Spacecraft exploration: …launched a pair of spacecraft, Phobos 1 and 2, to orbit Mars and make slow flyby observations of its two satellites. Phobos 1 failed during the yearlong flight, but Phobos 2 reached Mars in early 1989 and returned several days of observations of both the planet and Phobos before malfunctioning.

Phobos, the inner and larger of Mars’s two moons. It was discovered telescopically with its companion moon, Deimos, by the American astronomer Asaph Hall in 1877. Phobos is a small irregular rocky object with a crater-scarred, grooved surface. Hall named the moons for Phobos, the personification of

Phobos-Grunt, Russian spacecraft that was designed to land on the Martian moon Phobos and bring some of its soil back to Earth. It launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Zenit-2 launch vehicle on November 9, 2011. However, Phobos-Grunt (Russian for “Phobos soil”) did not fire

Heinrich von Kleist: …Adam Müller, published the periodical Phöbus, which lasted only a few months. While he was in prison his adaptation of Molière’s Amphitryon (published 1807) attracted some attention, and in 1808 he published Penthesilia, a tragic drama about the passionate love of the queen of the Amazons for Achilles. Although this…

harp seal, (Pagophilus, or Phoca, groenlandica), medium-sized, grayish earless seal possessing a black harp-shaped or saddle-shaped marking on its back. Harp seals are found on or near ice floes from the Kara Sea of Russia west to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada. The harp seal is both the

ringed seal, (Pusa, or Phoca, hispida), nonmigratory, earless seal (family Phocidae) of North Polar seas and a few freshwater lakes in Europe and on Baffin Island. Named for the characteristic pale rings on its grayish or yellowish coat, the ringed seal grows to about 1.5 m (5 feet) in length and

Baikal seal, (Pusa sibirica), species of small earless seals that inhabits the waters and coastline areas of Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia. It also occurs in some of the rivers that feed the lake, such as the Angara River, which serves the city of Irkutsk. The Baikal seal is the only living seal

harbour seal, (Phoca vitulina), nonmigratory, earless seal (family Phocidae) found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The harbour seal is whitish or grayish at birth and as an adult is generally gray with black spots. The adult male may attain a length and weight of about 1.8 m (6 feet) and 130 kg

Phocaea, ancient Ionian city on the northern promontory of the Gulf of Smyrna, Anatolia (now the Gulf of İzmir, Turkey). It was the mother city of several Greek colonies. The Phocaeans arrived in Anatolia perhaps as late as the 10th century bce and, lacking arable land, established colonies in the

porpoise: …known of these is the harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena, a shy cetacean that generally avoids boats and rarely leaps above the water. It is found throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere and is hunted in some regions. During the Middle Ages this animal was considered a royal delicacy. The other…

sea lion: The New Zealand, or Hooker’s, sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) inhabits only New Zealand. Males are 2.0–2.5 metres in length, females 1.5–2.0 metres. Their weight is slightly less than that of Australian sea lions.

Phocas was a centurion of modest origin, probably from Thrace, who became the late Roman, or Byzantine, emperor in 602. Following an army rebellion against the emperor Maurice in 602, Phocas was sent to Constantinople as spokesman. There he took advantage of revolts in the capital to get himself

Nicephorus II Phocas: Early life.: …Phocas was the son of Bardas Phocas, an important Byzantine general in Anatolia, on the borders of the empire. He quickly embraced a military career of arms and as a young patrician distinguished himself at his father’s side in a war against the Ḥamdānid Arabs in the East. In 954–955…

Nicephorus II Phocas: Rise to power.: …and influenced by his brother Leo Phocas, whose self-interested machinations (he was accused of speculating on the price of wheat) stirred up the discontent of the people of Constantinople, Nicephorus gradually became taciturn and suspicious even of his best advisers, who, one after another, were removed from office. As emperor,…

carnivore: (sea lions and fur seals), Phocidae (true, or earless, seals), and Odobenidae (the walrus). These aquatic families are referred to as pinnipeds.

Phocion was an Athenian statesman and general, virtual ruler of Athens between 322 and 318. Formidable in the defense of his city, he nevertheless urged Athens to accommodate itself to the Macedonian Empire. Phocion was a pupil of Plato and in later life a close friend of the Platonic philosopher

Phocis, district of ancient central Greece, extending northward from the Gulf of Corinth (Modern Greek: Korinthiakós) over the range of Mount Parnassus (Parnassós) to the Locrian Mountains, which formed the northern frontier. In the fertile Cephissus River valley, between the two mountain ranges,

porpoise: The spectacled porpoise (P. dioptrica) is named for the patchlike pigmentation pattern around its eyes and is distributed throughout the southern Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans.

porpoise: …known of these is the harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena, a shy cetacean that generally avoids boats and rarely leaps above the water. It is found throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere and is hunted in some regions. During the Middle Ages this animal was considered a royal delicacy. The other…

vaquita, (Phocoena sinus), species of nonmigratory marine mammal known for being the smallest member of the porpoise family, Phocoenidae, and the most endangered marine mammal species on Earth. Most researchers acknowledge that the vaquita population is made up of roughly 10 individuals; however,

porpoise: Burmeister’s porpoise (P. spinipinnis) has blunt tubercles on its dorsal fin and lives off the coasts of eastern and western South America. The spectacled porpoise (P. dioptrica) is named for the patchlike pigmentation pattern around its eyes and is distributed throughout the southern Indian, Atlantic,…

porpoise, (family Phocoenidae), specifically, any of seven species of toothed whales distinguishable from dolphins by their more compact build, generally smaller size (maximum length about 2 metres, or 6.6 feet), and curved blunt snout with spatulate rather than conical teeth. In North America the

porpoise: The Dall porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli) is the largest porpoise and the only member of its genus. Active and gregarious, it often rides the bow waves of ships. The Dall porpoise is black with a large white patch on each side of the body. It is usually…

porpoise: True’s porpoise (P. dalli truei) is considered by some authorities to be a separate subspecies and is distinguished from the Dall porpoise by its absence of the striking white body patches. It is found only near Japan.

porpoise: True’s porpoise (P. dalli truei) is considered by some authorities to be a separate subspecies and is distinguished from the Dall porpoise by its absence of the striking white body patches. It is found only near Japan.

agenesis: …or both hands or feet), phocomelia (normal hands and feet but absence of the long bones), and amelia (complete absence of one or more limbs).

agenesis: …or both hands or feet), phocomelia (normal hands and feet but absence of the long bones), and amelia (complete absence of one or more limbs).

Phocus, in Greek mythology, the son of Aeacus, king of Aegina, and the Nereid Psamathe, who had assumed the likeness of a seal (Greek: phoce) in trying to escape Aeacus’s embraces. Peleus and Telamon, Aeacus’s legitimate sons, resented Phocus’s superior athletic prowess. The mythography Bibliotheca

Phocylides was a Greek gnomic poet (i.e., writer of pithy moral aphorisms) from Miletus, on the coast of Asia Minor. He is mentioned by the orator Isocrates as the author of “admonitions” (hypothēkai), of which a few fragments have survived by quotation. Almost all of the aphorisms are in

bay owl, (Phodilus badius), uncommon and atypical Asian owl classified with the barn owls (family Tytonidae). It has a heart-shaped facial disk, which has two earlike extensions that aid sound reception. The bay owl lives in Southeast Asia and is entirely nocturnal and retiring. The Congo bay owl

hamster: Dwarf desert hamsters (genus Phodopus) are the smallest, with a body 5 to 10 cm (about 2 to 4 inches) long. The largest is the common hamster (Cricetus cricetus), measuring up to 34 cm long, not including a short tail of up to 6 cm.

hamster: The Dzhungarian hamster (Phodopus sungorus) and the striped dwarf hamster (Cricetulus barabensis) have a dark stripe down the middle of the back. Dwarf desert hamsters (genus Phodopus) are the smallest, with a body 5 to 10 cm (about 2 to 4 inches) long. The largest is…

procellariiform: Distribution: …two Midway species and the short-tailed albatross (Diomedea albatrus) nest well north of the equatorial doldrums. The latter was brought close to extinction by plume hunters and by a volcanic eruption at its nesting island of Torishima. There were enough immature birds at sea at the time to allow a…

albatross: The laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis), with a wingspread to about 200 cm, has a white body and dark upper wing surfaces. Its distribution is about the same as the black-footed albatross.

Phoebe, in Greek mythology, a Titan, daughter of Uranus (Sky) and Gaea (Earth). By the Titan Coeus she was the mother of Leto and grandmother of Apollo and Artemis. She was also the mother of Asteria and Hecate. The family relationships were described by Hesiod (Theogony). Her epithet was

phoebe, (genus Sayornis), any of three species of New World birds in the genus Sayornis of the family Tyrannidae (order Passeriformes). Phoebes are found from northern Alaska south to the mountains of northern Argentina. All phoebes have the habit of twitching their tails when perching. In North

Phoebe, midsize irregular moon of Saturn, discovered by the American astronomer William Henry Pickering in 1899 on photographic plates and named for a Titan in Greek mythology. Roughly spherical and about 210 km (130 miles) in diameter, Phoebe has a mean distance from Saturn of about 12,952,000 km