- Wittfogel, Karl (American historian)
hydraulic civilization: Wittfogel, any culture having an agricultural system that is dependent upon large-scale government-managed waterworks—productive (for irrigation) and protective (for flood control). Wittfogel advanced the term in his book Oriental Despotism (1957). He believed that such civilizations—although neither all in the Orient nor characteristic of all…
- Wittgenstein, Ludwig (British philosopher)
Ludwig Wittgenstein was an Austrian-born British philosopher, regarded by many as the greatest philosopher of the 20th century. Wittgenstein’s two major works, Logisch-philosophische Abhandlung (1921; Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, 1922) and Philosophische Untersuchungen (published posthumously in
- Wittgenstein, Ludwig Josef Johann (British philosopher)
Ludwig Wittgenstein was an Austrian-born British philosopher, regarded by many as the greatest philosopher of the 20th century. Wittgenstein’s two major works, Logisch-philosophische Abhandlung (1921; Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, 1922) and Philosophische Untersuchungen (published posthumously in
- Wittgenstein, Paul (Austrian-American musician)
Leon Fleisher: …and Paul Hindemith—were written for Paul Wittgenstein, a gifted pianist who lost his right arm in World War I.) In addition, Fleisher commissioned or inspired new works from William Bolcom, Lukas Foss, Gunter Schuller, and several other notable composers. During his years of affliction, Fleisher sought relief in numerous treatments,…
- Wittig reaction (chemistry)
aldehyde: Addition of carbon nucleophiles: …a carbon nucleophile is the Wittig reaction, in which an aldehyde reacts with a phosphorane (also called a phosphorus ylide), to give a compound containing a carbon-carbon double bond. The result of a Wittig reaction is the replacement of the carbonyl oxygen of an aldehyde by the carbon group bonded…
- Wittig, Georg (German chemist)
Georg Wittig was a German chemist whose studies of organic phosphorus compounds won him a share (with Herbert C. Brown) of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1979. Wittig graduated from the University of Marburg in 1923, received his doctorate there in 1926, and remained as a lecturer in chemistry
- Wittig, Monique (French writer)
Monique Wittig was a French avant-garde novelist and radical feminist whose works include unconventional narratives about utopian nonhierarchical worlds, often devoid of men. Wittig attended the Sorbonne and immigrated to the United States in 1976. Her first novel, L’Opoponax (1964; The Opoponax),
- wittikka (Algonkian mythology)
wendigo, a mythological cannibalistic monster in the spiritual tradition of North American Algonquian-speaking tribes. It is associated with winter and described as either a fearsome beast that stalks and eats humans or as a spirit that possesses humans, causing them to turn into cannibals. There
- Wittingau (Czech Republic)
Třeboň, town, southern Czech Republic, on the main road to Vienna. It lies in the basin of the Lužnice River, which is floored with heavy impermeable clays upon which a good deal of peat has formed. The area has many artificial lakes, and, since the Middle Ages, a freshwater fishing economy has
- Wittingau, Master of (Bohemian artist)
Bohemian school: …1380 and 1390), was the Master of Wittingau (or Master of the Třeboň Altarpiece). His major works are the Wittingau altar Passion scenes, originally painted in about 1380 for the town of Třeboň (German: Wittingau). His style is evolved from that of Theodoricus: in their mystical quality and almost abstract…
- Wittlin, Józef (Polish author)
Józef Wittlin was a Polish novelist, essayist, and poet, an Expressionist noted for his humanist views. Having graduated from a classical gimnazjum in Lwów (now Lviv, Ukraine), Wittlin studied philosophy at the University of Vienna. Mobilized in 1914 in the Austro-Hungarian army as a soldier, he
- Wittstock, Battle of (Thirty Years’ War)
Battle of Wittstock, (Oct. 4, 1636), military engagement of the Thirty Years’ War, the greatest victory of the Swedish general Johan Banér, pupil of Gustavus II Adolphus. The battle took place at a time when the Swedish army in Germany desperately needed a victory to improve the prospects of the
- Wittstock, Charlene Lynette (princess of Monaco)
Princess Charlene is the consort (2011– ) of Albert II, prince of Monaco. She previously was a champion swimmer. When Wittstock was 12 years old, her parents, a sales manager and a swimming instructor, moved her and her two brothers to South Africa. There she began swimming competitively under her
- Witu Islands (islands, Papua New Guinea)
Witu Islands, volcanic island group of the Bismarck Archipelago, eastern Papua New Guinea, southwestern Pacific Ocean. The islands lie 40 miles (65 km) north of New Britain Island in the Bismarck Sea. The group, with a total land area of 45 square miles (117 square km), includes the main islands of
- Witwatersrand (mountain ridge, South Africa)
Witwatersrand, ridge of gold-bearing rock mostly in Gauteng province, South Africa. Its name means “Ridge of White Waters.” The highland, which forms the watershed between the Vaal and Limpopo rivers, is about 62 miles (100 km) long and 23 miles (37 km) wide; its average elevation is about 5,600
- Witwatersrand System (geology)
Witwatersrand System, major division of Precambrian rocks in South Africa (the Precambrian began about 3.8 billion years ago and ended 540 million years ago). The Witwatersrand rocks overlie rocks of the Dominion Reef System, underlie those of the Ventersdorp System, and occur in an east-west band
- Witwatersrand, University of the (university, Johannesburg, South Africa)
Johannesburg: Education: …of higher education include the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa’s premier university. Founded in 1896 as the South African School of Mines, “Wits” today confers degrees in commerce, arts, sciences, architecture, law, education, medicine, and dentistry. Also there is the University of Johannesburg, formed in 2005 when Rand Afrikaans…
- Witwe, J. Lötz (glassmaking firm)
glassware: Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Germany: Lötz’ Witwe of Klášterský Mlýn (Klostermühle), which won a grand prix at the Paris Exhibition of 1900 with this type of glassware.
- Witz und seine Beziehung zum Unbewussten, Der (work by Freud)
Sigmund Freud: Further theoretical development: …seine Beziehung zum Unbewussten (Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious). Invoking the idea of “joke-work” as a process comparable to dreamwork, he also acknowledged the double-sided quality of jokes, at once consciously contrived and unconsciously revealing. Seemingly innocent phenomena like puns or jests are as open to interpretation…
- Witz, Konrad (German painter)
Konrad Witz was a late Gothic Swiss painter who was one of the first European artists to incorporate realistic landscapes into religious paintings. Little is known about Witz’s life or training, but in 1434 he entered the painters’ guild in Basel, where he worked most of his life. The Heilsspiegel
- Witzel, Georg (German theologian)
Christianity: The Reformation: Roman Catholics such as Georg Witzel and George Cassander developed proposals for unity, which all parties rejected. Martin Bucer, celebrated promoter of church unity among the 16th-century leaders, brought Martin Luther and his colleague Philipp Melanchthon into dialogue with the Swiss reformer
- Wivallius, Lars (Swedish poet)
Lars Wivallius was a Swedish poet and adventurer, whose lyrics show a feeling for the beauties of nature new to Swedish poetry in his time. Wivallius studied at Uppsala and in 1625 left Sweden to travel in Germany, France, Italy, and England. Frequently posing as a nobleman, he swindled his way
- Wives and Daughters (novel by Gaskell)
Wives and Daughters, novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, first published serially in The Cornhill Magazine (August 1864–January 1866) and then in book form in 1866; it was unfinished at the time of her death in November 1865. Known as her last, longest, and perhaps finest work, it concerns the interlocking
- Wives Under Suspicion (film by Whale [1938])
James Whale: Films of the later 1930s: …Kiss Before the Mirror as Wives Under Suspicion (1938) was an obvious cost-cutting move, but the remake was inferior to the original. Port of Seven Seas (1938), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s attempt to film French author Maurice Pagnol’s Marseilles trilogy of plays with Wallace Beery and Maureen O’Sullivan, failed in spite of Preston…
- Wiwa v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. (law case)
Alien Tort Claims Act: In a later decision, Wiwa v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. (1995), the Second Circuit permitted Nigerian émigrés in the United States to sue two foreign holding companies for their alleged participation in human rights abuses committed against the Ogoni people of Nigeria by Nigerian government forces. The case also…
- Wiwaxia (fossil animal)
Burgess Shale: …rows of tall dorsal spines; Wiwaxia, an oval creature with two rows of spines down its plated back; and Opabinia, which had five eyes and a long nozzle, have led many scientists to conclude that the Cambrian Period may have produced many unique phyla. However, deposits discovered in China, Greenland,…
- Wixom, Emma (American opera singer)
Emma Nevada was an American opera singer, one of the finest coloratura sopranos of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Emma Wixom grew up in Nevada City, California, and in Austin, Nevada. She graduated from Mills Seminary (now College) in Oakland, California, in 1876. In Vienna on a European
- Wiyot (people)
Wiyot, southernmost of the Northwest Coast Indians of North America, who lived along the lower Mad River, Humboldt Bay, and lower Eel River of what is now California and spoke Wiyot, a Macro-Algonquian language. They were culturally and linguistically related to the Yurok and had some cultural
- Wiz, The (musical)
National Museum of African American History and Culture: …original cast of Broadway musical The Wiz (1975); the metal coffin of Emmett Till; a shawl given to Harriet Tubman by Queen Victoria; guard tower and prison cell (c. 1930–40s) from Louisiana State Penitentiary (“Angola”), the largest maximum security prison in the U.S., with a history of severe brutality against…
- Wiz, The (film by Lumet [1978])
the Supremes: …Blues (1972), Mahogany (1975), and The Wiz (1978) and their soundtrack albums kept Ross in the public eye and ear for most of the 1970s. The Boss (1979), produced by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, and Diana (1980), produced by Chic’s Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, were both hits, but…
- wizard
witchcraft: Sorcery: A sorcerer, magician, or “witch” attempts to influence the surrounding world through occult (i.e., hidden, as opposed to open and observable) means. In Western society until the 14th century, “witchcraft” had more in common with sorcery in other cultures—such as those of India or Africa—than it…
- Wizard Island (cinder cone, Crater Lake, Oregon, United States)
Crater Lake: …caldera floor; one of these, Wizard Island, rises 764 feet (233 metres) above the water. Crater Lake has an average surface elevation of 6,173 feet (1,881 metres) above sea level and an average depth of about 1,500 feet (457 metres). Underwater mapping of the lake in 2000 established a maximum…
- Wizard of Lies, The (television film by Levinson [2017])
Barry Levinson: …doctor who supported physician-assisted suicide; The Wizard of Lies (2017), about Bernie Madoff (Robert De Niro), who operated the largest Ponzi scheme in history; and Paterno (2018), about Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, whose legacy was tarnished by a sex-abuse scandal that occurred during his tenure.
- Wizard of Oz (fictional character)
The Wizard of Oz: Before the Wizard of Oz will grant their wishes, however, he demands that they bring him the Wicked Witch of the West’s broomstick. After battling flying monkeys, they infiltrate her castle, where Dorothy drenches the witch with a bucket of water, causing her to melt into a…
- Wizard of Oz, The (musical)
Tim Rice: For the musical The Wizard of Oz (2011), which was based on the 1939 film, Rice reunited with Lloyd Webber to write several new songs; it was their first major collaboration in more than three decades. Rice’s later credits included the musical From Here to Eternity (2013), which…
- Wizard of Oz, The (novel by Baum)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, children’s book written by L. Frank Baum and first published in 1900. A modern fairy tale with a distinctly American setting, a delightfully levelheaded and assertive heroine, and engaging fantasy characters, the story was enormously popular and became a classic of
- Wizard of Oz, The (film by Fleming and Vidor [1939])
The Wizard of Oz, American musical film, released in 1939, that was based on the book of the same name by L. Frank Baum. Though not an immediate financial or critical success, it became one of the most enduring family films of all time. Deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”
- Wizard of the Crow (novel by Ngugi wa Thiong’o)
Ngugi wa Thiong’o: Mũrogi wa Kagogo (2004; Wizard of the Crow) brings the dual lenses of fantasy and satire to bear upon the legacy of colonialism not only as it is perpetuated by a native dictatorship but also as it is ingrained in an ostensibly decolonized culture itself.
- Wizard of Westwood (American basketball coach)
John Wooden was an American basketball coach who directed teams of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) to 10 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships in 12 seasons (1964–65, 1967–73, and 1975). Several of his UCLA players became professional basketball stars,
- Wizard’s Tears, The (work by Sexton)
Anne Sexton: …the Birthday Present (1971), and The Wizard’s Tears (1975).
- Wizarding World of Harry Potter, The (theme park, Orlando, Florida, United States)
Orlando: The latter features the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, an attraction based on the popular book series by J.K. Rowling. Also in the Greater Orlando area are Sea World of Florida (a marine-animal park) and Wet ’n Wild (a large water park). Loch Haven Park contains art, science, and…
- Wizardry (electronic game)
role-playing video game: Single-player RPGs: ’s Wizardry (1981), both originally for Apple Inc.’s Apple II home computer. Sequels of Wizardry were produced over the next two decades for the Commodore Amiga computer, personal computers running MS-DOS, and the Sega Saturn and Sony Corporation PlayStation home video consoles. Similarly, sequels
- Wizards of Waverly Place (American television series)
Selena Gomez: …of the Disney television series Wizards of Waverly Place (2007–12) and as a pop vocalist.
- WJC (international organization)
World Jewish Congress (WJC), international organization of Jewish communities, Jewish organizations, and individuals founded in Geneva in 1936. The WJC works to strengthen the bonds between Jews and to protect their rights and safety. It also works with governments and other authorities on matters
- WK (launch aircraft)
SpaceShipOne: …SS1, a launch aircraft called White Knight (WK), a hybrid rocket engine system using rubber and liquid nitrous oxide as the fuels, and an avionics suite. Scaled Composites had previously developed dozens of unique composite material aircraft.
- WKC (American organization)
dog show: …in 1877, sponsored by the Westminster Kennel Club. The annual shows sponsored by this kennel club, in New York City, and by the International Kennel Club, in Chicago, are two of the most important dog shows in the United States.
- WLA (United States federal organization)
Women’s Land Army (WLA), U.S. federally established organization that from 1943 to 1947 recruited and trained women to work on farms left untended owing to the labour drain that arose during World War II. By the summer of 1942, American farmers faced a severe labour shortage—since 1940 some six
- WLAC (radio station, Nashville, Tennessee, United States)
WLAC: Nashville’s Late Night R & B Beacon: For many lovers of rock and roll, the station of choice was neither a local outlet nor a national network. It was something in between—WLAC, based in Nashville, Tennessee, which blasted 50,000 watts of varied programming, including plenty of rhythm and blues at night. In…
- WLAC: Nashville’s Late Night R & B Beacon
For many lovers of rock and roll, the station of choice was neither a local outlet nor a national network. It was something in between—WLAC, based in Nashville, Tennessee, which blasted 50,000 watts of varied programming, including plenty of rhythm and blues at night. In response to the contention
- Władysław I (king of Poland)
Władysław I was the king of Poland (1320–33), a ruler who succeeded in bringing together a series of Polish principalities into a kingdom and laying the foundations for a strong Polish nation. Władysław was the son of Casimir I of Kujawy, the ruler of one of the numerous small principalities formed
- Władysław I Herman (Polish prince)
Poland: Collapse and restoration: Under Bolesław’s brother and successor, Władysław I Herman, claims to the royal crown and a more ambitious foreign policy were abandoned. Efforts by the palatine, Sieciech, to maintain centralized power clashed with the ambitions of the rising magnate class. Following a period of internal conflict, Bolesław III (the Wry-Mouthed) emerged…
- Władysław II (king of Bohemia and Hungary)
Vladislas II was the king of Bohemia from 1471 and of Hungary from 1490 who achieved the personal union of his two realms. The eldest son of Casimir IV Jagiełło, king of Poland, Vladislas was elected king of Bohemia in 1471. The early part of his reign was spent in conflict with the Hungarian king
- Władysław II Jagiełło (king of Poland and grand duke of Lithuania)
Władysław II Jagiełło was the grand duke of Lithuania (as Jogaila, 1377–1401) and king of Poland (1386–1434), who joined two states that became the leading power of eastern Europe. He was the founder of Poland’s Jagiellon dynasty. Jogaila (Jagiełło in Polish) was one of the 12 sons of Algirdas
- Władysław II the Exile (Silesian prince)
Wrocław: History: …rule of the Piast prince Władysław II (the Exile). Much of the city south of the Oder River was devastated during the Mongol invasion in 1241. At the invitation of Silesian authorities in the 13th century, many Germans migrated to Wrocław. The city received self-governing rights in 1261, when it…
- Władysław III Warneńczyk (king of Hungary and Poland)
Władysław III Warneńczyk was a Polish king (1434–44) who was also king of Hungary (as Ulászló I; 1440–44) and who attempted unsuccessfully to push the Ottoman Turks out of the Balkans. His reign was overshadowed by the presence of his adviser, Zbigniew Oleśnicki. At the age of 10 he succeeded to
- Władysław IV Vasa (king of Poland)
Władysław IV Vasa was the king of Poland (1632–48), a popular monarch who did much to heal the wounds and solve the problems created by his father, Sigismund III Vasa, an obstinate man and religious bigot who created internal friction in Poland and pursued a series of profitless wars abroad.
- Władysław Łokietek (king of Poland)
Władysław I was the king of Poland (1320–33), a ruler who succeeded in bringing together a series of Polish principalities into a kingdom and laying the foundations for a strong Polish nation. Władysław was the son of Casimir I of Kujawy, the ruler of one of the numerous small principalities formed
- Władysław the Short (king of Poland)
Władysław I was the king of Poland (1320–33), a ruler who succeeded in bringing together a series of Polish principalities into a kingdom and laying the foundations for a strong Polish nation. Władysław was the son of Casimir I of Kujawy, the ruler of one of the numerous small principalities formed
- Włocławek (Poland)
Włocławek, city, Kujawsko-Pomorskie województwo (province), north-central Poland, on the Vistula River. Włocławek was the seat of the Kujavian bishops during the 11th century, becoming one of the earliest developed towns in Wielkopolska (Great Poland); it was incorporated in 1256. The astronomer
- Włodkowic, Paweł (Polish theologian)
Poland: The rule of Jagiełło: …and rector of Kraków University Paweł Włodkowic (Paulus Vladimiri) denounced the Knights’ policy of conversion by the sword and maintained that the pagans also had their rights. Similarly, the Poles were sympathetic to Jan Hus of Bohemia, who was condemned as a heretic by the council, and lent discreet support…
- WLS (radio station, Chicago, Illinois, United States)
Gene Autry: …Barn Dance radio program on WLS in Chicago, which made him nationally popular. In his film debut he sang a song in the Ken Maynard vehicle In Old Santa Fe (1934), and it launched his career as a cowboy actor. His first starring role was in the peculiar sci-fi western…
- WLSR (international organization)
Magnus Hirschfeld: In 1928 Hirschfeld founded the World League for Sexual Reform (WLSR), which had its roots in an early conference that he had organized in 1921, the First International Conference for Sexual Reform on a Scientific Basis. The WSLR called for reform of sex legislations, the right to contraception and sex…
- WM formation (sports)
football: Strategy and tactics: …London’s Arsenal club, created the WM formation, featuring five defenders and five attackers: three backs and two halves in defensive roles, and two inside forwards assisting the three attacking forwards. Chapman’s system withdrew the midfield center-half into defense in response to the 1925 offside rule change and often involved effective…
- Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company (American company)
William Wrigley, Jr.: …chewing gum, and established the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. His company became one of the biggest advertisers in the United States. By 1925, when Wrigley turned the company presidency over to his son, Philip, and became chairman of the board, the Wrigley company had factories in the United States, Canada,…
- WMA (international organization)
medical association: …largest such organization is the World Medical Association, which has more than 60 member associations. It was founded in 1947.
- WMAP (United States satellite)
Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), a U.S. satellite launched in 2001 that mapped irregularities in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The CMB was discovered in 1964 when German American physicist Arno Penzias and American astronomer Robert Wilson determined that noise in a microwave
- WMC
World Methodist Council (WMC), cooperative organization of Methodist churches that provides a means for consultation and cooperation on an international level. It maintains various committees that are concerned with doctrine, evangelism, education, lay activities, youth, publications, and social
- WMD (weaponry)
weapon of mass destruction (WMD), weapon with the capacity to inflict death and destruction on such a massive scale and so indiscriminately that its very presence in the hands of a hostile power can be considered a grievous threat. Modern weapons of mass destruction are either nuclear, biological,
- WMD Civil Support Team (United States military)
chemical weapon: In civilian defense: …creation of 10 National GuardWMD Civil Support Teams (WMD-CST) within its territory; each team was organized, trained, and equipped to handle chemical emergencies in support of local police, firefighters, medical personnel, and other first responders. In subsequent years, dozens of new WMD-CST were authorized, with plans for eventually certifying…
- WMD-CST (United States military)
chemical weapon: In civilian defense: …creation of 10 National GuardWMD Civil Support Teams (WMD-CST) within its territory; each team was organized, trained, and equipped to handle chemical emergencies in support of local police, firefighters, medical personnel, and other first responders. In subsequent years, dozens of new WMD-CST were authorized, with plans for eventually certifying…
- wMel Wolbachia (bacterium)
dengue: Diagnosis and treatment: …naturally occurring non-disease-causing endosymbiotic wMel Wolbachia bacteria capable of protecting mosquitoes from viral infection. The spread of the maternally inherited bacterium within a population is facilitated by cytoplasmic incompatibility, which prevents the production of viable offspring when uninfected females mate with infected males but permits the survival of bacteria-carrying offspring…
- WMMS
Radio stations, as a rule, reflect and serve the local community. In Cleveland, Ohio, where Alan Freed rocked and ruled in the early 1950s, it was WMMS-FM that came to represent the city in the 1970s. Central to the success of WMMS was deejay Kid Leo (Lawrence J. Travagliante), who ultimately
- WMMS (radio station, Cleveland, Ohio, United States)
WMMS: Radio stations, as a rule, reflect and serve the local community. In Cleveland, Ohio, where Alan Freed rocked and ruled in the early 1950s, it was WMMS-FM that came to represent the city in the 1970s. Central to the success of WMMS was deejay Kid…
- WMO
World Meteorological Organization (WMO), specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) created to promote the establishment of a worldwide meteorological observation system, the application of meteorology to other fields, and the development of national meteorological services in less-developed
- WNBA (American sports organization)
Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), American women’s professional basketball league that began play in 1997. (Read James Naismith’s 1929 Britannica essay on his invention of basketball.) The WNBA was created by the National Basketball Association (NBA) Board of Governors as a women’s
- WNBC (radio station, New York City, New York, United States)
Don Imus: …York City to work for WNBC, where he launched his popular talk show, Imus in the Morning, which galvanized his career and national reputation. Over the next six years, he released three successful record albums based on his show. As his popularity grew, however, so did his dependence on alcohol…
- WndrCo (American company)
Jeffrey Katzenberg: He then established (2017) WndrCo, a media and technology holding company. One of its ventures was Quibi (formerly NewTV), a start-up focusing on short-form videos for mobile devices. The app was launched in April 2020. It struggled, however, and in October it was announced that Quibi was shutting down.
- WNEW (radio station, New York City, New York, United States)
WNEW: Once underground, or free-form, radio proved itself capable of attracting listeners and advertising revenue in significant numbers, radio corporations jumped onto the bandwagon. None was as successful as Metromedia, which owned the West Coast pioneers KSAN in San Francisco and KMET in Los Angeles. The…
- WNEW
Once underground, or free-form, radio proved itself capable of attracting listeners and advertising revenue in significant numbers, radio corporations jumped onto the bandwagon. None was as successful as Metromedia, which owned the West Coast pioneers KSAN in San Francisco and KMET in Los Angeles.
- WNIA (American organization)
Amelia Stone Quinton: …and Bonney had formed the Women’s National Indian Association (WNIA), which with several other Indian rights associations led a comprehensive campaign for Indian policy reform. In 1887 Congress enacted the Dawes General Allotment Act, which granted Indians citizenship and allotments of reservation land to be used for farming.
- WNS (bat disease)
white nose syndrome, disease affecting hibernating bats in North America that is caused by the growth of a white fungus known as Pseudogymnoascus destructans in the skin of the nose and ears and in the membrane covering the wings. White nose syndrome is the first epizootic (epidemic) disease
- WNV (infectious agent)
West Nile virus: Historical distribution: West Nile virus historically was largely confined to Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Russia, India, and Indonesia, where it caused occasional, usually minor, epidemics of denguelike illness or sporadic encephalitis. However, the virus eventually was imported more broadly
- Wo (historical region, Asia)
Japan: Chinese chronicles: …chronicles under the name of Wo (in Japanese, Wa). The Han histories relate that “in the seas off Lelang lie the people of Wo, who are divided into more than 100 states, and who bring tribute at fixed intervals.” Lelang was one of the Han colonies established in the Korean…
- Wo hu cang long (film by Lee [2000])
Yo-Yo Ma: He also played on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), the sound track recording for the movie of the same name, and in 2003 collaborated with Latin American musicians on Obrigado Brazil. Another collaborative effort recorded with progressive bluegrass musicians produced the critically acclaimed The Goat Rodeo Sessions in 2011.…
- Wo’se (ancient city, Egypt)
Thebes, one of the famed cities of antiquity, the capital of the ancient Egyptian empire at its heyday. Thebes lay on either side of the Nile River at approximately 26° N latitude. The modern town of Luxor, or Al-Uqṣur, which occupies part of the site, is 419 miles (675 km) south of Cairo. Ancient
- wo-k’ou (Japanese history)
wakō, any of the groups of marauders who raided the Korean and Chinese coasts between the 13th and 16th centuries. They were often in the pay of various Japanese feudal leaders and were frequently involved in Japan’s civil wars during the early part of this period. In the 14th century Japanese
- woad (plant)
woad, (Isatis tinctoria), biennial or perennial herb in the mustard family (Brassicaceae), formerly grown as a source of the blue dye indigo. A summer-flowering plant native to Eurasia, woad is sometimes cultivated for its attractive flowers and has naturalized in parts of North America, where it
- Wobbler disease (canine disease)
Doberman Pinscher: Care and upkeep: …Doberman is also susceptible to Wobbler syndrome (which causes spinal cord compression and neck pain), von Willebrand disease (vWD, which results in excessive or prolonged bleeding), and hip dysplasia. As with other large breeds prone to hip dysplasia, puppies should be fed a diet for large-breed puppies that slows their…
- Wobblies (labor organization)
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), labour organization founded in Chicago in 1905 by representatives of 43 groups. The IWW opposed the American Federation of Labor’s acceptance of capitalism and its refusal to include unskilled workers in craft unions. Among the founders of the IWW were William
- Wobeser, Hilla (German photographer)
Bernd Becher and Hilla Becher: Hilla studied photography in Potsdam, Germany, worked as an aerial photographer briefly in Hamburg, and moved to Düsseldorf in 1959. The couple met there that year, began collaborating, and married in 1961.
- Woburn (Massachusetts, United States)
Woburn, city, Middlesex county, northeastern Massachusetts, U.S., located just north of Boston. The community, named for Woburn, England, was set off from Charlestown and incorporated as a town in 1642. Aided by construction of the Middlesex Canal (1803), it changed its economic base from
- Woburn Abbey (abbey, Central Bedfordshire, England, United Kingdom)
Woburn Abbey, seat of the dukes of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Eng., with a house that was rebuilt from a medieval Cistercian abbey by Henry Flitcroft (in 1747–61) and Henry Holland (in 1787–88). Its approximately 3,000-acre (1,000-hectare) park is the home of a magnificent collection of rare
- Wodan (Norse deity)
Odin, one of the principal gods in Norse mythology. His exact nature and role, however, are difficult to determine because of the complex picture of him given by the wealth of archaeological and literary sources. The Roman historian Tacitus stated that the Teutons worshiped Mercury; and because
- Wodehouse, P.G. (British author)
P.G. Wodehouse was an English-born comic novelist, short-story writer, lyricist, and playwright, best known as the creator of Jeeves, the supreme “gentleman’s gentleman.” He wrote more than 90 books and more than 20 film scripts and collaborated on more than 30 plays and musical comedies. Wodehouse
- Wodehouse, Sir Pelham Grenville (British author)
P.G. Wodehouse was an English-born comic novelist, short-story writer, lyricist, and playwright, best known as the creator of Jeeves, the supreme “gentleman’s gentleman.” He wrote more than 90 books and more than 20 film scripts and collaborated on more than 30 plays and musical comedies. Wodehouse
- Woden (Norse deity)
Odin, one of the principal gods in Norse mythology. His exact nature and role, however, are difficult to determine because of the complex picture of him given by the wealth of archaeological and literary sources. The Roman historian Tacitus stated that the Teutons worshiped Mercury; and because
- Woden-Weston Creek (district, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia)
Australian Capital Territory: Settlement patterns: …the newer urban districts of Woden–Weston Creek, Belconnen, Tuggeranong, and Gungahlin includes residential suburbs, a major regional centre, and local service centres. These districts were developed according to modern town planning and urban design principles in order to provide services and job opportunities in each urban district close to where…
- Wodenism (modern religion)
Heathenry, a modern Pagan, or Neo-Pagan, religion. Its followers, Heathens, are inspired by the pre-Christian religions of Europe’s linguistically Germanic societies—most commonly those that spoke Old Norse. Heathens have assembled their new religion from a range of historical and archaeological
- Wodeyars (Mysore rulers)
Mysore Palace: …former kingdom of Mysore, the Wadiyar dynasty. The family ruled the area from 1399, when they first lived in a palace at Mysore, and the city became the kingdom’s capital in 1799.
- WoduridaR (legendary Norwegian figure)
Tune Stone: …the runes in memory of WoduridaR. The latter part of the inscription tells how WoduridaR was honoured after his death and that he left three daughters, but no sons or male relatives.