cryptographic key, Secret value used by a computer together with a complex algorithm to encrypt and decrypt messages. Since confidential messages might be intercepted during transmission or travel over public networks, they require encryption so that they will be meaningless to third parties in

David M. Key was a lawyer and Confederate Army officer who was appointed U.S. postmaster general by Pres. Rutherford B. Hayes in fulfillment of a campaign pledge made by Hayes during the disputed election of 1876. Admitted to the bar in 1850, Key practiced law in Chattanooga and became active in

David M. Key was a lawyer and Confederate Army officer who was appointed U.S. postmaster general by Pres. Rutherford B. Hayes in fulfillment of a campaign pledge made by Hayes during the disputed election of 1876. Admitted to the bar in 1850, Key practiced law in Chattanooga and became active in

Ellen Key was a Swedish feminist and writer whose advanced ideas on sex, love and marriage, and moral conduct had wide influence; she was called the “Pallas of Sweden.” Key was born the daughter of the landowner and politician Emil Key (1822–92). Family misfortune obliged her to take up teaching in

Ellen Key was a Swedish feminist and writer whose advanced ideas on sex, love and marriage, and moral conduct had wide influence; she was called the “Pallas of Sweden.” Key was born the daughter of the landowner and politician Emil Key (1822–92). Family misfortune obliged her to take up teaching in

Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer, best known as the author of the U.S. national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Key was born into an affluent family on an estate called Terra Rubra. At age 10 he entered St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, from which he graduated in 1796. An

John Key is a New Zealand business executive and politician who was the leader of the New Zealand National Party (2006–16) and prime minister of New Zealand (2008–16). Key was the son of an English father and a Jewish mother, who fled Austria for the United Kingdom in 1939. The couple married in

John Key is a New Zealand business executive and politician who was the leader of the New Zealand National Party (2006–16) and prime minister of New Zealand (2008–16). Key was the son of an English father and a Jewish mother, who fled Austria for the United Kingdom in 1939. The couple married in

Keegan-Michael Key is an American actor, comedian, and screenwriter best known as one half of the comedic duo Key and Peele alongside actor and filmmaker Jordan Peele. Key, who is biracial, was adopted at a young age by an African American father, Michael Key, and a white mother, Patricia Walsh,

Joan Armatrading: …latter of which prevailed on The Key (1983).

Trevor Howard: …Heart of the Matter (1953), The Key (1958), for which he won a British Academy Award, and Sons and Lovers (1960). In his later years he often portrayed a stiff-necked English military officer, notably in Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968), and Gandhi (1982)…

V. O. Key, Jr. was a U.S. political scientist known for his studies of the U.S. political process and for his contributions to the development of a more empirical and behavioral political science. Educated at the University of Texas (B.A., 1929; M.A., 1930) and the University of Chicago (Ph.D.,

V. O. Key, Jr. was a U.S. political scientist known for his studies of the U.S. political process and for his contributions to the development of a more empirical and behavioral political science. Educated at the University of Texas (B.A., 1929; M.A., 1930) and the University of Chicago (Ph.D.,

John Henry Williams: …as the inventor of the key-currency principle that stressed the pivotal role of the dollar in the international monetary system.

chromatography: Retention mechanism: Very specific intermolecular interactions, “lock and key,” are known in biochemistry. Examples include enzyme-protein, antigen-antibody, and hormone-receptor binding. A structural feature of an enzyme will attach to a specific structural feature of a protein. Affinity chromatography exploits this feature by binding a

keyboard instrument: Development of the keyboard: Long before the appearance of the first stringed keyboard instruments in the 14th century, the keyboard was developed and applied to the organ. A keyboard of the kind familiar today—a series of parallel levers hinged or pivoted so that they…

computer: Input devices: Keyboards contain mechanical or electromechanical switches that change the flow of current through the keyboard when depressed. A microprocessor embedded in the keyboard interprets these changes and sends a signal to the computer. In addition to letter and number keys, most keyboards also include “function”…

keyboard instrument, any musical instrument on which different notes can be sounded by pressing a series of keys, push buttons, or parallel levers. In nearly all cases in Western music the keys correspond to consecutive notes in the chromatic scale, and they run from the bass at the left to the

aleatory music: …Cage, and Klavierstück XI (1956; Keyboard Piece XI), by Karlheinz Stockhausen of Germany.

Bae Yong-Jun: …struggling Ottowintech, which he renamed KeyEast. Under his oversight, the entertainment firm became hugely profitable. Backed by such success, Bae shifted his focus from acting to business in the early 2010s.

bugle: …1810 Joseph Halliday patented the key bugle, or Royal Kent bugle, with six brass keys (five closed, one open-standing) fitted to the once-coiled bugle to give it a complete diatonic (seven-note) scale. It became a leading solo instrument in military bands until replaced by the cornet. In France it inspired…

trumpet: …was a vogue for the keyed trumpet, with side holes covered by padded keys.

Roger John Brownlow Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes was a British admiral who planned and directed the World War I raid on the German base at Zeebrugge, Belg., April 22–23, 1918, and thus helped to close the Strait of Dover to German submarines. Keyes entered the Royal Navy in 1885. For bold action during

Alan Keyes is an American diplomat, radio commentator, and politician who was one of the most prominent African American conservatives in the late 20th and the early 21st century. He sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. Keyes received a bachelor’s degree (1972) and a doctorate

Alan Keyes is an American diplomat, radio commentator, and politician who was one of the most prominent African American conservatives in the late 20th and the early 21st century. He sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. Keyes received a bachelor’s degree (1972) and a doctorate

Geoffrey Keyes was a U.S. Army officer who commanded forces in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and Germany during World War II. Keyes was the son of a U.S. Army officer. In 1913 he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned a second lieutenant with the Second Light

Roger John Brownlow Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes was a British admiral who planned and directed the World War I raid on the German base at Zeebrugge, Belg., April 22–23, 1918, and thus helped to close the Strait of Dover to German submarines. Keyes entered the Royal Navy in 1885. For bold action during

gastropod: Classification: …Japan, Australia, and South Africa; keyhole limpets (Fissurellidae) in intertidal rocky areas. Superfamily Patellacea (Docoglossa) Conical-shelled limpets, without slits or holes, found in rocky shallow waters (Acmaeidae and Patellidae). Superfamily Trochacea

laparoscopy, procedure that permits visual examination of the abdominal cavity with an optical instrument called a laparoscope, which is inserted through a small incision made in the abdominal wall. The term comes from the Greek words laparo, meaning “flank,” and skopein, meaning “to examine.” The

Keyishian v. Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York, legal case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled (5–4), on January 23, 1967, that New York state laws requiring educators to sign loyalty oaths and to refrain from “treasonable or seditious speech or acts” were

Keyishian v. Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York: Facts of the case: Harry Keyishian and others were employees of the University of Buffalo (UB), then a private institution in New York; they became state employees in 1962 when UB joined the SUNY system. In accordance with New York law, the plaintiffs were required to sign the “Feinberg…

Islamic arts: Prose works: the mirrors for princes: …Qābūs”) by the Zeyārid prince ʿOnṣor ol-Maʿalī Keykāvūs (died 1098), which presents “a miscellany of Islamic culture in pre-Mongol times.” At the same time, Niẓām al-Mulk (died 1092), the grand vizier of the Seljuqs, composed his Seyāsat-nāmeh (The Book of Government; or, Rules for Kings), a good introduction to the…

John Maynard Keynes was an English economist, journalist, and financier best known for his economic theories (Keynesian economics) on the causes of prolonged unemployment. His most important work, The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money (1935–36), advocated a remedy for economic

John Neville Keynes was a British philosopher and economist who synthesized two poles of economic thought by incorporating inductive and deductive reasoning into his methodology. Keynes was educated at the Universities of London and Cambridge. After graduating from Cambridge (1875), he was a

Richard Darwin Keynes was a British physiologist who was among the first in Britain to trace the movements of sodium and potassium during the transmission of a nerve impulse by using radioactive sodium and potassium. Keynes graduated from the University of Cambridge with a degree in natural science

Keynesian economics, body of ideas set forth by John Maynard Keynes in his General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money (1935–36) and other works, intended to provide a theoretical basis for government full-employment policies. It was the dominant school of macroeconomics and represented the

tonic, in music, the first note (degree) of any diatonic (e.g., major or minor) scale. It is the most important degree of the scale, serving as the focus for both melody and harmony. The term tonic may also refer to the tonic triad, the chord built in thirds from the tonic note (as C–E–G in C

Kekri, in ancient Finnish religion, a feast day marking the end of the agricultural season that also coincided with the time when the cattle were taken in from pasture and settled for a winter’s stay in the barn. Kekri originally fell on Michaelmas, September 29, but was later shifted to November

Alicia Keys: Musical success: The double album Keys appeared in 2021. The following year she released the holiday album Santa Baby.

Florida Keys, island chain, Monroe and Miami-Dade counties, southern Florida, U.S. Composed of coral and limestone, the islands curve southwestward for about 220 miles (355 km) from Virginia Key in the Atlantic Ocean (just south of Miami Beach) to Loggerhead Key of the Dry Tortugas in the Gulf of

John M. Stahl: …then made the big-budget epic The Keys of the Kingdom (1944), which was adapted from the A.J. Cronin novel about a missionary’s event-filled life. Although overlong and perhaps too earnest, the drama was one of the year’s big hits, and it launched Gregory Peck to stardom; for his performance as…

The Keys to the White House are a historically based prediction system that retrospectively has accounted for the popular-vote winners of every U.S. presidential election from 1860 to 1980 and prospectively has forecast the popular-vote winners of the presidential elections thereafter. The Keys are

Keys to the White House: The Keys to the White House are a historically based prediction system that retrospectively has accounted for the popular-vote winners of every U.S. presidential election from 1860 to 1980 and prospectively has forecast the popular-vote winners of the presidential elections thereafter. The Keys are based…

James Spader: …Days in the Valley (1996), Keys to Tulsa (1997), Critical Care (1997), and The Watcher (2000) as well as a guest spot in an episode of Seinfeld. In 2002 he starred with Maggie Gyllenhaal in Secretary, a film based on Mary Gaitskill’s short story from 1988 about a sadomasochistic

Nail down the numbers.Once you’ve decided to buy a car and narrowed down your choices, it’s time to figure out how to pay. Financing a car isn’t as fun as choosing the paint color, but it’s far more essential. Learning how car loans work, figuring out your credit score to buy a car, and determining

Alicia Keys is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress who achieved enormous success in the early 2000s with her blend of R&B and soul music. Her notable songs include “Fallin’” (2001), “No One” (2007) and “Empire State of Mind” (2009), the latter of which was a collaboration with

John Caius was a prominent humanist and physician whose classic account of the English sweating sickness is considered one of the earliest histories of an epidemic. Caius attended Gonville Hall (now Gonville and Caius College) in Cambridge, Eng., where he is believed to have studied the humanities

Keyser, city, seat (1866) of Mineral county, eastern panhandle of West Virginia, U.S. It lies on the North Branch Potomac River, 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Cumberland, Maryland. Settled in 1802, it was known as Paddy’s Town for Patrick McCarthy, who was granted the site. When the Baltimore and

Hendrick de Keyser was the most important Dutch sculptor of his day and an architect whose works formed a transition between the ornamental style of the Dutch Renaissance and the Classicism of the 17th century. Appointed stonemason and sculptor of the city of Amsterdam in 1594, Keyser became

astronomical map: New constellations: 16th–20th century: Then Pieter Dircksz Keyser, a navigator who joined the first Dutch expedition to the East Indies in 1595, added 12 new constellations in the southern skies, named in part after exotic birds such as the toucan, the peacock, and the phoenix.

Thomas de Keyser was a Dutch Baroque painter and architect, best known for his portraiture of leading civic figures in Amsterdam. He was the son of the distinguished architect and sculptor Hendrick de Keyser. De Keyser chiefly excelled as a portrait painter, though he also executed historical and

geochronology: Completion of the Phanerozoic time scale: …Verneuil and the Latvian-born geologist Alexandr Keyserling to study the rock succession of the eastern Russian platform, the area of Russia west of the Ural Mountains. Near the town of Perm, Murchison and Verneuil identified fossiliferous strata containing both Carboniferous and a younger fauna at that time not recognized elsewhere…

Hermann Alexander, Graf von Keyserling was a German social philosopher whose ideas enjoyed considerable popularity after World War I. After studying at several European universities, Keyserling began a world tour in 1911 that provided the material for his best-known work, Das Reisetagebuch eines

arch: …central voussoir is called the keystone. The point from which the arch rises from its vertical supports is known as the spring, or springing line. During construction of an arch, the voussoirs require support from below until the keystone has been set in place; this support usually takes the form…

Biograph Company: …as the director of the Keystone comedies; and the well-known leading men Lionel Barrymore and Owen Moore. Griffith directed Sweet in Judith of Bethulia, the last film he made for Biograph. Filmed in 1913 and released in 1914, it was one of the first full-length feature films. Within several years…

Keystone Kops, an incredibly incompetent police force, dressed in ill-fitting, unkempt uniforms, that appeared regularly in Mack Sennett’s silent-film slapstick farces from about 1912 to the early 1920s. They became enshrined in American film history as genuine folk-art creations whose comic appeal

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, U.S. It is part of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. The university comprises colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Visual and Performing Arts, Business, Education,

Keystone pipeline, petroleum pipeline that stretches 2,687 miles (4,324 km) across Canada and parts of the continental United States and is designed to deliver oil recovered from tar sands in Alberta, Canada, with petroleum terminals in Houston, Texas, and Patoka, Illinois, in the United States.

keystone species, in ecology, a species that has a disproportionately large effect on the communities in which it lives; many are apex predators (meaning without a natural predator or enemy). Such species help to maintain local biodiversity within a community either by controlling populations of

Pennsylvania, constituent state of the United States of America, one of the original 13 American colonies. The state is approximately rectangular in shape and stretches about 300 miles (480 km) from east to west and 150 miles (240 km) from north to south. It is bounded to the north by Lake Erie and

Groupon: Brad Keywell in 2008. Headquarters are in Chicago.

information processing: Information searching and retrieval: …against the database index (key-word searching) and (2) traversing the database with the aid of hypertext or hypermedia links.

Euphrase Kezilahabi was a Tanzanian novelist, poet, and scholar writing in Swahili. Kezilahabi received a B.A. from the University of Dar es Salaam in 1970, taught in various schools throughout his country, and then returned to the university to take graduate work and teach in the department of

Taco Bell: …began a branding partnership with KFC, and in 1997 both became subsidiaries of Tricon Global Restaurants (later Yum! Brands) when it split from PepsiCo. A Chihuahua named Gidget became a popular, if controversial (the dog was accused of being a cultural stereotype), star of Taco Bell’s commercials in the late…

Tom Mboya: …was general secretary of the Kenya Federation of Labour (KFL), an especially important post since no strictly political African national organizations were allowed in Kenya until 1960.

Germany: The private banking sector: …are the Deutsche Bank, the KfW Bankengruppe, and the Commerzbank, though mergers have tended to shrink the number of major banks. Apart from conducting normal banking business, German banks provide financing for private businesses. As a result, the stock exchanges in Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, and other cities are less influential in…

radio: Film-based anthology shows: …up its own radio station, KFWB, in Los Angeles as a means to promote its films and stars; other studios soon followed this example.

kilogram (kg), basic unit of mass in the metric system. A kilogram is very nearly equal (it was originally intended to be exactly equal) to the mass of 1,000 cubic cm of water. The pound is defined as equal to 0.45359237 kg, exactly. As originally defined, the kilogram was represented in the late

Kevin Garnett is an American professional basketball player who was one of the most versatile and dominant players of his time. Garnett played three seasons of high school basketball in South Carolina before transferring to a school in Chicago for his senior year. In 1995 the 6-foot 11-inch

Botswana: Ethnic groups: …besides Tswana, that of the Khalagari (Western Sotho), has become so incorporated as to be almost indistinguishable from the Tswana. Even their name is now usually rendered in the Tswana form as “Kgalagadi.”

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, nature conservation area in the Kalahari. It lies within South Africa and Botswana and occupies an area of 14,668 square miles (37,991 square km), about three-quarters of which is in Botswana. The park was established to protect migratory animal populations that cross

Khama III was a Southern African Tswana (“Bechuana” in older variant orthography) chief of Bechuanaland who allied himself with British colonizers in the area. Khama was converted to Christianity in 1860, and, after more than a decade of dissension between his supporters and those loyal to his

Khama III was a Southern African Tswana (“Bechuana” in older variant orthography) chief of Bechuanaland who allied himself with British colonizers in the area. Khama was converted to Christianity in 1860, and, after more than a decade of dissension between his supporters and those loyal to his

KGB, foreign intelligence and domestic security agency of the Soviet Union. During the Soviet era the KGB’s responsibilities also included the protection of the country’s political leadership, the supervision of border troops, and the general surveillance of the population. Established in 1954, the

Pedi: …and living unit is the kgoro, which is a semicircular residential cluster of dwellings sheltering an extended family that is established around a group of related males but that may also include other people. The important son of a chief often establishes kgoros. The Pedi chief (kgosi) is the overall…

Keorapetse Kgositsile was a South African poet and essayist whose writings focus on Pan-African liberation as the fruit of informed heroism and compassionate humanism. Kgositsile’s verse uniquely combines indigenous South African with black American structural and rhetorical traditions. Kgositsile

Keorapetse Kgositsile was a South African poet and essayist whose writings focus on Pan-African liberation as the fruit of informed heroism and compassionate humanism. Kgositsile’s verse uniquely combines indigenous South African with black American structural and rhetorical traditions. Kgositsile

Tibet, historic region and autonomous region of China that is often called “the roof of the world.” It occupies a vast area of plateaus and mountains in Central Asia, including Mount Everest (Qomolangma [or Zhumulangma] Feng; Tibetan: Chomolungma). It is bordered by the Chinese provinces of Qinghai

Arabic literature: Belles lettres and narrative prose: …generic title of which is khabar (“report”). The first segment in this format consisted of the isnād (“chain of authority”), which used a variety of verbs to register the type of narrative involved and, most significantly, established the level of the report’s veracity by listing the names of transmitters back…

Arabian Desert: Soils: …silts eventually are deposited in khabari, or silt flats.

Amur River: History: …between 1644 and 1646, and Yerofey P. Khabarov (1649–51), for whom Khabarovsk is named. In 1849–55 an expedition led by the Russian naval officer Gennady I. Nevelskoy proved that Sakhalin is an island and that, therefore, the Amur is accessible from the south and not from the north alone, as…

Khabarovsk, city and administrative centre of Khabarovsk kray (territory), far eastern Russia. Khabarovsk lies along the Amur River just below its confluence with the Ussuri. The town was named after the Russian explorer E.P. Khabarov, who made several expeditions to the Amur River basin in the

Khabarovsk, kray (region), far eastern Russia. The kray includes the Yevreyskaya (Jewish) autonomous oblast (province). Its focus is the basin of the lower Amur River, flanked by the Sikhote-Alin mountains (south) and by the complex of mountains (north) dominated by the Bureya Range and a series of

Khabarovsk, city and administrative centre of Khabarovsk kray (territory), far eastern Russia. Khabarovsk lies along the Amur River just below its confluence with the Ussuri. The town was named after the Russian explorer E.P. Khabarov, who made several expeditions to the Amur River basin in the

ancient Egypt: The second Persian period: …during which a Nubian prince, Khabbash, seems to have gained control over Egypt, but Persian domination was reestablished in 335 bce under Darius III Codommanus. It was to last only three years.

Mongolia: The rise of Genghis Khan: …he was the great-grandson of Khabul (Qabul) Khan, who had been the greatest ruler of All the Mongols. Temüüjin inherited a feud against the Juchen-Jin dynasty and another against the Tatars, who had betrayed a collateral ancestor of his to the Juchen. His own father was poisoned by Tatars. He…

Khābūr River, river, an important tributary of the Euphrates River. It rises in the mountains of southeastern Turkey near Diyarbakır and flows southeastward to Al-Ḥasakah, Syria, where it receives its main tributary, the Jaghjagh; it then meanders south to join the Euphrates downstream from Dayr

Khābūr River, river, an important tributary of the Euphrates River. It rises in the mountains of southeastern Turkey near Diyarbakır and flows southeastward to Al-Ḥasakah, Syria, where it receives its main tributary, the Jaghjagh; it then meanders south to join the Euphrates downstream from Dayr

Aram Khachaturian was a Soviet Armenian composer best known for his Piano Concerto (1936) and his ballet Gayane (1942), which includes the popular, rhythmically stirring “Sabre Dance.” Khachaturian was born to an Armenian family, and his first experiences of music were the folk songs of his mother

Aram Khachaturian was a Soviet Armenian composer best known for his Piano Concerto (1936) and his ballet Gayane (1942), which includes the popular, rhythmically stirring “Sabre Dance.” Khachaturian was born to an Armenian family, and his first experiences of music were the folk songs of his mother

Muammar al-Qaddafi was the de facto leader of Libya (1969–2011). Qaddafi had ruled for more than four decades when he was ousted by a revolt in August 2011. After evading capture for several weeks, he was killed by rebel forces in October 2011. The son of an itinerant Bedouin farmer, Qaddafi was

Ganges River: Physiography: …Hindi and Urdu as the khadar, naturally occur in the vicinity of the present channels. The delta’s growth is dominated by tidal processes.

Pakistan: The Indus River plain: …locally as a khaddar or bet), which lies adjacent to a river, is often called “the summer bed of rivers,” as it is inundated almost every rainy season. It is the scene of changing river channels, though protective bunds (levees) have been built at many places on the outer margin…

Ganges River: Physiography: …Hindi and Urdu as the khadar, naturally occur in the vicinity of the present channels. The delta’s growth is dominated by tidal processes.

Khadījah was a merchant who was the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad. Little is known about her apart from the posthumous accounts of Muhammad’s life (sīrah) and teachings (Hadith). Khadījah was born in the 6th century ce to merchants of the Quraysh tribe, which ruled Mecca. The Sīrah of ʿAbd

Khadījah was a merchant who was the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad. Little is known about her apart from the posthumous accounts of Muhammad’s life (sīrah) and teachings (Hadith). Khadījah was born in the 6th century ce to merchants of the Quraysh tribe, which ruled Mecca. The Sīrah of ʿAbd

al-Khiḍr, a legendary Islamic figure endowed with immortal life who became a popular saint, especially among sailors and Sufis (Muslim mystics). The cycle of myths and stories surrounding al-Khiḍr originated in a vague narrative in the Qurʾān (18:60–82) that describes the long and arduous journey

Leo Tolstoy: Fiction after 1880 of Leo Tolstoy: …notably the novella Khadji-Murat (1904; Hadji-Murad), a brilliant narrative about the Caucasus reminiscent of Tolstoy’s earliest fiction.

Aurangabad, city, west-central Maharashtra state, western India. It is situated in a hilly upland region on the Kaum River. The city, originally known as Khadki, was founded by Malik Ambar (ʿAnbar) in 1610. After the fall of the Nizam Shāhī dynasty in 1633, the city came under Mughal rule. It was

Astrakhan, city and administrative centre of Astrakhan oblast (province), southwestern Russia. Astrakhan city is situated in the delta of the Volga River, 60 miles (100 km) from the Caspian Sea. It lies on several islands on the left bank of the main, westernmost channel of the Volga. Astrakhan was