Alice Guy-Blaché: …longer, more elaborate projects, notably Esmeralda (1905), based on Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and La Vie du Christ (1906; “The Life of Christ”). She experimented with cinematic tricks and learned through experience to mask off parts of the film picture, use double exposures, and run film backward…

Esmeralda Affair, incident in Ecuador in 1895 involving the nominal transfer of ownership of the Chilean warship Esmeralda to Ecuador before the vessel was sold to Japan. The Chilean government used this tactic to maintain a facade of neutrality during the first Sino-Japanese War (1894–95). The

Esmeraldas, city, major seaport of northwestern Ecuador. It lies on the Pacific Ocean coast at the mouth of the Esmeraldas River. The city is the chief trading centre for the region’s agricultural and lumbering resources but is only slightly developed industrially. It is the terminus of the

Henry Esmond, fictional character, the protagonist of William Makepeace Thackeray’s novel The History of Henry Esmond, Esq.

Laurence Olivier: …married three times, to actresses Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright. Knighted in 1947, he became the first actor to receive a peerage in 1970, allowing him to sit in the House of Lords. Despite these honors, he retained his essential modesty; whenever asked if he should be addressed…

Pierre Bélain, sieur d’Esnambuc was a French trader who expanded French colonization into the Caribbean and in 1635 established the first colony for the Compagnie des Îles d’Amérique on the island of Martinique, the first permanent French colony in the West Indies. Born in Normandy, Bélain formally

Robert Esnault-Pelterie was a French aviation pioneer who made important contributions to the beginnings of heavier-than-air flight in Europe. After studying engineering at the Sorbonne in Paris, Esnault-Pelterie built his first glider, a very rough copy of the Wright glider of 1902 but constructed

Robert Esnault-Pelterie was a French aviation pioneer who made important contributions to the beginnings of heavier-than-air flight in Europe. After studying engineering at the Sorbonne in Paris, Esnault-Pelterie built his first glider, a very rough copy of the Wright glider of 1902 but constructed

European Southern Observatory (ESO), astrophysical organization founded in 1962. Its activities are financially supported and administered by a consortium of 14 European countries—Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands,

European Space Agency: …technological research centre, (2) the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), located in Darmstadt, Germany, which is concerned with satellite control, monitoring, and data retrieval, (3) the European Space Research Institute (ESRIN), located in Frascati, Italy, which supports the ESA Information Retrieval Service and the Earthnet program, the system by which…

fish: Annotated classification: Order Esociformes (pikes and pickerels) Maxilla toothless, but in gape of mouth; no adipose fin; paired, elongate proethmoids; basibranchial tooth plate in 2 sections; single postcleithrum; cheek and operculum scaled. 2 families, 4 living genera, 10 species. Freshwater, Northern Hemisphere. Late Cretaceous to present. Order

narthex: …the building and bounds the esonarthex, which opens onto the nave. Occasionally the exonarthex does not form an integral part of the main body of the church but consists of a single-storied structure set against it. A spectacular Norman example is the Galilee porch at Durham Cathedral in Durham, Eng.

atresia and stenosis: Esophageal atresia is a disorder in which only part of the esophagus develops and often connects with the trachea. Surgery may repair the defect.

esophageal cancer, disease characterized by the abnormal growth of cells in the esophagus, the muscular tube connecting the oral cavity with the stomach. There are two types of esophageal cancer: squamous cell carcinoma, which develops from epithelial cells lining the esophagus, and adenocarcinoma,

pseudolaryngeal speech, mechanical or esophageal speech that is taught by therapists to persons who have had the larynx, or voice box, surgically removed (laryngectomy). The operation is necessary when cancer (neoplasm) tumours are present on or near the larynx. After surgery, patients learn to

esophagus: …by muscular constrictions known as sphincters; at the anterior, or upper, end is the upper esophageal sphincter, and at the distal, or lower, end is the lower esophageal sphincter.

pseudolaryngeal speech, mechanical or esophageal speech that is taught by therapists to persons who have had the larynx, or voice box, surgically removed (laryngectomy). The operation is necessary when cancer (neoplasm) tumours are present on or near the larynx. After surgery, patients learn to

esophageal cancer: Treatment: …region of the esophagus, an esophagectomy may be done to remove the cancerous portion, along with nearby lymph nodes, and to reconnect the remaining esophagus to the stomach. For cancers of the lower esophagus, it may be necessary to perform an esophagogastrectomy, in which a portion of the esophagus is…

esophageal cancer: Treatment: …be necessary to perform an esophagogastrectomy, in which a portion of the esophagus is removed along with a portion of the stomach. The stomach is then reattached directly to the remaining esophagus, or a segment of the colon is used to link the stomach and esophagus. Both of these surgeries…

esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), diagnostic procedure in which an endoscope is passed through the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum in order to visually examine the tissues for evidence of disease. The flexible fibre-optic endoscope contains special channels, which facilitate biopsy, and usually

esophagus, relatively straight muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. The esophagus can contract or expand to allow for the passage of food. Anatomically, it lies behind the trachea and heart and in front of the spinal column; it passes through the muscular

Kingston, city, seat (1683) of Ulster county, southeastern New York, U.S. It lies on the west bank of the Hudson River (there bridged), at the mouth of Rondout Creek, 54 miles (87 km) south of Albany. A fur-trading post was established on the site about 1615. The first permanent settlement, called

esoteric, the quality of having an inner or secret meaning. This term and its correlative exoteric were first applied in the ancient Greek mysteries to those who were initiated (eso, “within”) and to those who were not (exo, “outside”), respectively. They were then transferred to denote the

Vajrayana, form of Tantric Buddhism that developed in India and neighbouring countries, notably Tibet. Vajrayana, in the history of Buddhism, marks the transition from Mahayana speculative thought to the enactment of Buddhist ideas in individual life. The term vajra (Sanskrit: “thunderbolt,” or

esotericism, a category encompassing a diverse range of religious traditions that are typically included together because of their shared cultural marginality or their focus on imparting teachings to a select group. The concept emerged largely in 19th-century western Europe as a means of

pickerel: The species E. americanus consists of two subspecies: the redfin pickerel (E. americanus americanus) and the grass pickerel (E. americanus vermiculatus). This species reaches a maximum weight of about 0.5 kg (1.1 pounds). See also pike.

pickerel: … consists of two subspecies: the redfin pickerel (E. americanus americanus) and the grass pickerel (E. americanus vermiculatus). This species reaches a maximum weight of about 0.5 kg (1.1 pounds). See also pike.

pickerel: americanus americanus) and the grass pickerel (E. americanus vermiculatus). This species reaches a maximum weight of about 0.5 kg (1.1 pounds). See also pike.

pike: The northern pike (Esox lucius; see photograph) of North America, Europe, and northern Asia has pale, bean-shaped spots on the body and lacks scales on the lower parts of the gill covers. It is a fairly common and prized game fish with a maximum size and…

muskellunge, (species Esox masquinongy), solitary and somewhat uncommon pike valued as a fighting game fish and, to a lesser extent, as a food fish. It inhabits weedy rivers and lakes of the North American Great Lakes region. Largest of the pike family (Esocidae) the muskellunge averages about 9 kg

pickerel: The chain pickerel (Esox niger) grows to about 0.6 metre (2 feet) and a weight of 1.4 to 1.8 kilograms (3 to 4 pounds).

extrasensory perception (ESP), perception that occurs independently of the known sensory processes. Usually included in this category of phenomena are telepathy, or thought transference between persons; clairvoyance, or supernormal awareness of objects or events not necessarily known to others; and

Western architecture: Postmodernism: …vast housing developments, such as Les Espaces d’Abraxas in Marne-la-Vallée, near Paris (1978–83). The gargantuan scale of this columnar architecture of prefabricated concrete pushed the language of Classicism to its limits and beyond.

Bernard d’Espagnat was a French physicist and philosopher whose research into the philosophical foundations of quantum physics addressed the conflict between the realist and instrumentalist views of the results of quantum mechanics—that is, whether they reflect underlying physical reality or are

Eugène Demolder: His L’Espagne en auto (1906; “Spain by Auto”) is one of the earliest narratives of automobile travel.

Régence style: …female bust, called an “espagnolette,” made its appearance as a gently curved ornamental mount for chair and table legs. The commode and writing table, both representing the new, intimate style of life, were introduced during this period.

Bāvand Dynasty: 1006), the Espahbadīyeh (1074–1210), and the Kīnkhvārīyeh (c. 1238–1349).

espalier, tree or other plant that is trained to grow flat against a support (such as a trellis or wall). The term also denotes the trellis or other support on which such trees or plants are trained, as well as the method or technique itself. Espalier was developed in Europe to encourage fruit-tree

river: Drainage patterns: Trellis (or espalier) drainage patterns result from adjustment to tight regional folding in which the folds plunge. Denudation produces a zigzag pattern of outcrops, and adjustment to this pattern produces a stream net in which the trunks are aligned on weak rocks exposed along fold…

Nicolás Guillén: …came the poems collected in España (1937; “Spain”).

Spain, country located in extreme southwestern Europe. It occupies about 85 percent of the Iberian Peninsula, which it shares with its smaller neighbour Portugal. Spain is a storied country of stone castles, snowcapped mountains, vast monuments, and sophisticated cities, all of which have made it a

Pablo Neruda: Communism and poetry: …España en el corazón (1937; Spain in My Heart) to express his feelings of solidarity with them. The book was printed by Republican troops working with improvised presses near the front lines.

Enrique Flórez: …major scholar behind the 51-volume España sagrada (“Sacred Spain”), a monument of 18th-century historiography.

Spain: Finance: The central bank is the Banco de España (Bank of Spain). Having complied with the criteria for convergence, Spain joined the economic and monetary union of the EU in 1998, and the Banco de España became part of the European System of Central Banks. In addition to being the government’s…

Spain, country located in extreme southwestern Europe. It occupies about 85 percent of the Iberian Peninsula, which it shares with its smaller neighbour Portugal. Spain is a storied country of stone castles, snowcapped mountains, vast monuments, and sophisticated cities, all of which have made it a

Spanish language, Romance language (Indo-European family) spoken as a first language by some 360 million people worldwide. In the early 21st century, Mexico had the greatest number of speakers (more than 85 million), followed by Colombia (more than 40 million), Argentina (more than 35 million), the

Pedro Berruguete was the first great Renaissance painter in Spain and the father of Alonso Berruguete, the greatest Spanish sculptor of the 16th century. Berruguete is believed to have studied under Fernando Gallego or Colantonio and to have worked about 1474 at the “studiolo” of Federico da

Española Island, southernmost of the major Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean, about 600 miles (965 km) west of Ecuador. Large seal and albatross colonies live on the island, which has an area of 18 square miles (47 square km), but there are no human

Hispaniola, second largest island of the West Indies, lying within the Greater Antilles, in the Caribbean Sea. It is divided politically into the Republic of Haiti (west) and the Dominican Republic (east). The island’s area is 29,418 square miles (76,192 square km); its greatest length is nearly

Baldomero Espartero, prince de Vergara was a Spanish general and statesman, victor in the First Carlist War, and regent. The son of working-class parents, Espartero entered the army at age 15 and fought with Spanish forces in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars and in the rebellious

esparto, either of two species of gray-green needlegrasses (Stipa tenacissima and Lygeum spartum) in the family Poaceae that are indigenous to southern Spain and northern Africa; the term also denotes the fibre obtained from those grasses. Esparto fibre has great strength and flexibility, and both

esparto, either of two species of gray-green needlegrasses (Stipa tenacissima and Lygeum spartum) in the family Poaceae that are indigenous to southern Spain and northern Africa; the term also denotes the fibre obtained from those grasses. Esparto fibre has great strength and flexibility, and both

Enciclopedia universal ilustrada europeoamericana, encyclopaedia published in Madrid, an outstanding reference work of 70 volumes—published between 1905 and 1933—plus a series of supplements. Spanish and Spanish-American biography and gazetteer information are especially strong. Major

Enciclopedia universal ilustrada europeoamericana: …1955 a miniature edition, entitled Espasa-Calpe: diccionario enciclopédico abreviado, was issued in a sixth edition of seven volumes.

wild cashew, (Anacardium excelsum), tropical forest tree of the cashew family (Anacardiaceae), native to Central and South America. Wild cashew trees are characteristic of both secondary and old growth forests. As its name suggests, the wild cashew is closely related to the domesticated cashew

Cecília Meireles: …reputation with the publication of Espectros (1919; “Ghosts”), a collection of sonnets in the Symbolist tradition.

Alfonso X: Siete partidas was the most important law code. It was based on Roman law and contained discourses on manners and morals and an idea of the king and his people as a corporation—superior to feudal arrangements—with the king as agent of both God and the…

Latin American literature: The earliest literary activity: …of this epic tradition is Espejo de paciencia (1608; “Model of Patience”). Written in Cuba by the Canarian Silvestre de Balboa y Troya de Quesada, it is about the defeat of a French pirate who abducts a local ecclesiastic for ransom, and it reflects anti-Protestant fervour in the Spanish empire.

Sierra Nevada National Park: …carries tourists from Mérida to Espejo (“Mirror”) Peak, which rises to about 15,600 feet (4,750 metres). Skiing and mountain climbing are among the other recreational activities.

Colombia: Plant and animal life: …cushion plants, and the treelike frailejón (Espeletia), a curious-looking hairy-leafed genus of some 50 different species. Fire-resistant and adapted to low temperatures and high humidity, it gives special character to the páramo landscape. The lower páramo, below 12,000 feet (3,650 metres), is a transitional belt in which scattered clumps of…

organosulfur compound: Reactions: Calichimicin (esperamicin) is a highly potent antitumour agent produced by bacteria of the Actinomycetales order and containing a pendant methyl trisulfide component (CH3SSS―). Acting much like a molecular “mouse trap,” cleavage of the sulfur-sulfur bond is thought to trigger a chain of events culminating in…

Manasseh ben Israel: …Lost Tribes of Israel in Esperança de Israel (“Hope of Israel”). To support the settlement of Jews in Protestant England, where their presence had been officially banned since 1290, he dedicated the Latin edition of this work (1650) to the English Parliament.

São Jorge Island: Its central peak, Esperança Peak, rises to 3,455 feet (1,053 metres).

Kermadec Islands: …Macauley, and Curtis islands and l’Esperance Rock and have a total land area of 13 sq mi (34 sq km). Raoul, the largest (11.3 sq mi), has rugged coastal cliffs that rise to Mt. Mumukai (1,723 ft [525 m]). It is heavily wooded and fertile, but its indigenous flora and…

Esperanto, artificial language constructed in 1887 by L.L. Zamenhof, a Polish oculist, and intended for use as an international second language. Zamenhof’s Fundamento de Esperanto, published in 1905, lays down the basic principles of the language’s structure and formation. Esperanto is relatively

L.L. Zamenhof was a Polish physician and oculist who created the most important of the international artificial languages—Esperanto. A Jew whose family spoke Russian and lived in an environment of racial and national conflict on the Polish-Russian borderland, Zamenhof dedicated himself to promoting

Esperanza Spalding: Esperanza, released in 2008, demonstrated her ability to fuse jazz with such world music as Brazilian and Argentine folk music and featured lyrics in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. The record not only was critically acclaimed but also shot up the Billboard jazz album chart, on…

pre-Columbian civilizations: The Maya highlands and Pacific coast: …implanted Teotihuacán culture is called Esperanza. Mexican architects must have accompanied the elite, for Kaminaljuyú structures copy the older prototypes down to the last detail, including the support of the lower moldings around tableros with slate slabs. The abundant volcanic building stone, however, so freely used at Teotihuacán, was not…

Louis-Félix-François Franchet d’Esperey was a marshal of France and one of the most effective French military leaders of World War I. He was responsible for driving Bulgaria out of the war, thereby opening the road to Vienna for the Allies. Trained at Saint-Cyr, d’Esperey served during the prewar

Bandiera brothers: …they founded a secret society, Esperia, devoted to the cause of freeing Italy. In 1843 they began to agitate among their fellow officers and sailors, trying to get them to join a Malta-based revolutionary group, the Legione Italiana, in its plan for stealing a warship and bombarding Messina. The plot…

Spanish literature: Novels and essays: …by his invention of the esperpento style, is expressionistic, involving deliberate distortion and calculated inversion of heroic models and values. “Esperpentic” visions appear in the novels Tirano Banderas (1926; Eng. trans. The Tyrant), La corte de los milagros (1927; “The Court of Miracles”), and Viva mi dueño (1928; “Long Live…

Vilma Espín Guillois was a Cuban revolutionary and women’s rights activist. As the wife of Raúl Castro, the younger brother of longtime Cuban leader Fidel Castro, she was for decades regarded as the unofficial first lady of Cuba and was the most politically powerful woman in the country. Espín

Spanish literature: Novecentismo: Concepción (Concha) Espina, often considered the first Spanish woman writer to earn her living exclusively from her writings, enjoyed tremendous popularity and was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize. Her novels, with their detailed descriptions, most nearly approach the regional novel as epitomized by Pereda;…

Spanish literature: Novecentismo: Concepción (Concha) Espina, often considered the first Spanish woman writer to earn her living exclusively from her writings, enjoyed tremendous popularity and was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize. Her novels, with their detailed descriptions, most nearly approach the regional novel as epitomized by Pereda;…

Andes Mountains: Physiography of the Central Andes: …the high passes of Mount Espinacito (16,000 feet) and Mount Patos (12,825 feet). South of Anconcagua the passes include Pircas (16,960 feet), Bermejo (more than 10,000 feet), and Iglesia (13,400 feet). Farther north the passes are more numerous but higher. The peaks of Mounts Bonete, Ojos del Salado, and

Gran Chaco: Plant life: …transition zone grades into the espinal, a dry forest of spiny, thorny shrubs and low trees. Chaco vegetation is adapted to grow under arid conditions and is highly varied and exceedingly complex. The climax vegetation is called quebrachales, and consists of vast, low hardwood forests where various species of quebracho…

Khaosai Galaxy: He defeated Eusebio Espinal of the Dominican Republic for the World Boxing Association (WBA) junior bantamweight (also known as super flyweight) championship on Nov. 21, 1984, knocking out his opponent in the sixth round. Galaxy retired after his 19th title defense, a 12-round decision (a fight whose…

Pierre Brasseur was a French stage and motion-picture actor. The son of an actress whose maiden name he adopted, Brasseur began his long career on the stage and, by the 1920s, had leading roles in such films as Madame Sans-Gêne (1925) and Le Sexe faible (1933; “The Weak Sex”). Brasseur’s theatrical

Vicente Espinel was a Spanish writer and musician remembered chiefly for his picaresque novel La vida del Escudero Marcos de Obregón (1618; “Life of Squire Marcos of Obregón”), upon which the French novelist Alain-René Lesage based parts of his Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane (1715–35; The

Vicente Espinel was a Spanish writer and musician remembered chiefly for his picaresque novel La vida del Escudero Marcos de Obregón (1618; “Life of Squire Marcos of Obregón”), upon which the French novelist Alain-René Lesage based parts of his Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane (1715–35; The

Espinhaço Mountains, mountain range of Minas Gerais and Bahia states, eastern Brazil. Their peaks reach heights between 3,600 and 6,500 feet (1,100 and 2,000 metres). With the Diamantina Upland of Bahia state, they form the divide between the tributaries of the São Francisco River and the streams

Héctor Espino was a professional baseball player with the Mexican League (an affiliate with U.S. Minor League Baseball). Although virtually unknown in the United States, Espino is considered by many in Mexico to be the greatest native-born hitter of all time and is a national hero in that country.

Benedict de Spinoza was a Dutch Jewish philosopher, one of the foremost exponents of 17th-century Rationalism and one of the early and seminal figures of the Enlightenment. His masterwork is the treatise Ethics (1677). Spinoza’s Portuguese parents were among many Jews who were forcibly converted to

Pedro de Espinosa was a Spanish poet and editor of the anthology Flores de poetas ilustres de España (1605; “Flowers from the Illustrious Poets of Spain”), in which most of the important poets of Spain’s Siglo de Oro (Golden Age; c. 1500–1650) were published. The anthology choices of authors and

Victor Espinoza is a Mexican-born jockey who in 2015 became the oldest jockey to win American Thoroughbred horse racing’s Triple Crown, riding American Pharoah. Espinoza grew up on a farm northeast of Mexico City and worked as a bus driver while he took riding lessons and attended jockey school.

espionage, process of obtaining military, political, commercial, or other secret information by means of spies, secret agents, or illegal monitoring devices. Espionage is sometimes distinguished from the broader category of intelligence gathering by its aggressive nature and its illegality. See

Eugene V. Debs: …charged with violation of the 1917 Espionage Act. He was released from prison by presidential order in 1921; however, his U.S. citizenship, which he lost when he was convicted of sedition in 1918, was restored only posthumously in 1976. Debs’s years of living in harsh prison conditions adversely affected his…

industrial espionage, acquisition of trade secrets from business competitors. A by-product of the technological revolution, industrial espionage is a reaction to the efforts of many businessmen to keep secret their designs, formulas, manufacturing processes, research, and future plans in order to

Spiritism, belief system founded by French author and educator Allan Kardec in the middle of the 19th century that is based on the idea that, alongside physical reality, a spirit world exists, which followers believe can be accessed through mediums. Spiritism maintains that spirits exist separately

Vila Velha, coastal city, east-central Espírito Santo estado (state), eastern Brazil. It lies along Espírito Santo Bay just southeast of Vitória, the state capital, and forms part of the Greater Vitória metropolitan area. Vila Velha was settled in 1535 and was given city status in 1896. Chocolate

Espírito Santo, estado (state) on the east coast of Brazil. It is bounded to the north by the state of Bahia, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the state of Rio de Janeiro, and to the west and north by the state of Minas Gerais. Its area includes the uninhabited offshore islands of

Barretos, city, north-central São Paulo estado (state), Brazil. It lies near the Pardo River at 1,713 feet (522 metres) above sea level. Known at various times as Amaral dos Barretos, Espírito Santo de Barreto, and Espírito Santo dos Barretos, the settlement was given town status and was made the

Barretos, city, north-central São Paulo estado (state), Brazil. It lies near the Pardo River at 1,713 feet (522 metres) above sea level. Known at various times as Amaral dos Barretos, Espírito Santo de Barreto, and Espírito Santo dos Barretos, the settlement was given town status and was made the

Hiram Bingham: …important sites of Vitcos and Espíritu Pampa, a larger ruin that was thoroughly excavated in 1964 by the American archaeologist Gene Savoy, who demonstrated it to be a more likely site for Vilcabamba. Bingham’s publications on South America include Inca Land (1922), Machu Picchu, a Citadel of the Incas (1930),…

Espiritu Santo, largest (1,420 square miles [3,677 square km]) and westernmost island of Vanuatu, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Volcanic in origin, it has a mountain range running along its west coast; Tabwémasana rises to 6,165 feet (1,879 meters), the highest point in Vanuatu. The island is

Limpopo River, river in southeast Africa that rises as the Krokodil (Crocodile) River in the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and flows on a semicircular course first northeast and then east for about 1,100 miles (1,800 km) to the Indian Ocean. From its source the river flows northward to the

Bordeaux: …down the quay is the Esplanade des Quinconces, one of the largest squares in Europe; it contains a monument to the Girondins and huge statues of Montesquieu and Michel de Montaigne (the latter’s tomb is at the university, founded 1441). Bordeaux’s ecclesiastical antiquities include two 15th-century bell towers: that of…

ESPN, Inc.: …leading to the formation of ESPN International five years later. ESPN International broadcast regional sports programs, including cricket in India and association football (soccer) in Latin America, as well as sporting events in the United States. In the 1990s ESPN founded a radio sports network; added cable networks, including ESPN2,…

ESPN, Inc., cable television sports-broadcasting network based in Bristol, Conn. It was launched in 1979 and is one of the largest cable networks in the United States. Its success engendered additional ESPN networks, including an international sports network. New England sports announcer William

André Malraux: Life: His novel L’Espoir (Man’s Hope), based on his experiences in Spain, was published in 1937. A motion-picture version of L’Espoir that Malraux produced and directed in Barcelona in 1938 was not shown in France until after the country’s liberation at the end of World War II.