boron carbide, (B4C), crystalline compound of boron and carbon. It is an extremely hard, synthetically produced material that is used in abrasive and wear-resistant products, in lightweight composite materials, and in control rods for nuclear power generation. With a Mohs hardness between 9 and 10,

boron group element, any of the six chemical elements constituting Group 13 (IIIa) of the periodic table. The elements are boron (B), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), indium (In), thallium (Tl), and nihonium (Nh). They are characterized as a group by having three electrons in the outermost parts of

borane, any of a homologous series of inorganic compounds of boron and hydrogen or their derivatives. The boron hydrides were first systematically synthesized and characterized during the period 1912 to roughly 1937 by the German chemist Alfred Stock. He called them boranes in analogy to the

boron: Properties, occurrence, and uses: …of a technique known as boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for treating patients suffering from brain tumours. For a short time after certain boron compounds are injected into a patient with a brain tumour, the compounds collect preferentially in the tumour; irradiation of the tumour area with thermal neutrons, which…

boron nitride, (chemical formula BN), synthetically produced crystalline compound of boron and nitrogen, an industrial ceramic material of limited but important application, principally in electrical insulators and cutting tools. It is made in two crystallographic forms, hexagonal boron nitride

boron: Compounds: Examples of complex formation between boron trichloride and trimethylamine, as well as between boron trifluoride and fluoride ion, are shown in the following equations:

ether: Complexes of ethers with reagents: Similarly, gaseous boron trifluoride (BF3) is more easily used as its liquid complex with diethyl ether, called BF3 etherate, rather than as the toxic, corrosive gas.

Robert de Boron was a French poet, originally from the village of Boron, near Delle. He was important for his trilogy of poems (Joseph d’Arimathie, Merlin, Perceval). It told the early history of the Grail and linked this independent legend more firmly with Arthurian legend, using the prophetic

radiation measurement: Slow-neutron detectors: In the lithium-6 (6Li) and boron-10 (10B) reactions, the isotopes of interest are present only in limited percentage in the naturally occurring element. To enhance the conversion efficiency of lithium or boron, samples that are enriched in the desired isotope are often used in the fabrication of detectors. Helium-3 (3He)…

boron: Properties, occurrence, and uses: 9 percent) and boron-11 (80.1 percent); slight variations in this proportion produce a range of ±0.003 in the atomic weight. Both nuclei possess nuclear spin (rotation of the atomic nuclei); that of boron-10 has a value of 3 and that of boron-11, 3/2, the values being dictated by…

Sapindales: Distribution and abundance: Boronia (about 100 species) is one of the largest endemic Australian genera. Haplophyllum (about 70 species) occurs from the Mediterranean region to eastern Siberia.

Bororo, South American Indian people found along the upper Paraguay River and its tributaries in the Mato Grosso region of Brazil. They speak a language of the Macro-Ge group, of which there are two dialects: Bororo proper and Otuké. The Bororo have a western and an eastern division. They probably

African dance: Division between the sexes: The Bororo of western Cameroon celebrate the coming of the dry season with a dance for young men and women, and couples pair off at the climax of the performance. Among the Nupe of Nigeria ribald songs and joking insults between the sexes have replaced performances…

quasar: Discovery of quasars: …early 1980s when American astronomer Todd Boroson and Canadian American astronomer John Beverly Oke showed that the fuzzy halos surrounding some quasars are actually starlight from the galaxy hosting the quasar and that these galaxies are at high redshifts.

Ukraine: Soviet Ukraine: …with the accession of the Borotbists, members of the “independist” and non-Bolshevik Ukrainian Communist Party that was formed in 1919. Still, in late 1920, Ukrainians constituted less than 20 percent of the CP(B)U’s membership. Largely alien in nationality and ideologically prepossessed in favour of the proletariat, the Bolsheviks enjoyed scant…

Jean Borotra was a prominent French tennis player of the 1920s. In 1927, as one of the Four Musketeers (the others being René Lacoste, Henri Cochet, and Jacques Brugnon), he helped France win the Davis Cup for the first time. Nicknamed “the Bounding Basque” because of his quick dashes and energetic

Jean Borotra was a prominent French tennis player of the 1920s. In 1927, as one of the Four Musketeers (the others being René Lacoste, Henri Cochet, and Jacques Brugnon), he helped France win the Davis Cup for the first time. Nicknamed “the Bounding Basque” because of his quick dashes and energetic

borough, in Great Britain, incorporated town with special privileges or a district entitled to elect a member of Parliament. The medieval English borough was an urban centre identified by a charter granting privileges, autonomy, and (later) incorporation. As an autonomous corporation, the borough

Southwark, inner borough of London, England. Situated opposite the central City of London, Southwark borough extends south from the River Thames over such areas and historic villages as Rotherhithe, Southwark (including Bankside, a historic district and street along the Thames), Bermondsey,

borough-English, the English form of ultimogeniture, the system of undivided inheritance by which real property passed intact to the youngest son or, failing sons, to the youngest daughter. Ultimogeniture was the customary rule of inheritance among unfree peasants, especially in southeast England.

Borovichi, administrative centre, Borovichi rayon (sector), Novgorod oblast (province), northwestern Russia, on the Msta River. A town since 1770, it has a varied economy. As well as an old handicraft industry, especially hosiery, there are ceramics, paper, and wood-using industries. Borovichi has

Borovichi, administrative centre, Borovichi rayon (sector), Novgorod oblast (province), northwestern Russia, on the Msta River. A town since 1770, it has a varied economy. As well as an old handicraft industry, especially hosiery, there are ceramics, paper, and wood-using industries. Borovichi has

Slovakia: Daily life and social customs: …plum-based slivovica and the juniper-based borovička.

Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky was a Russian artist of Ukrainian background who was the foremost portraitist of the sentimentalist era and a master of ecclesiastic painting. Borovikovsky lived in Ukraine until he was 31 years old, having learned the trade of painting from his father, a Cossack and a

Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky was a Russian artist of Ukrainian background who was the foremost portraitist of the sentimentalist era and a master of ecclesiastic painting. Borovikovsky lived in Ukraine until he was 31 years old, having learned the trade of painting from his father, a Cossack and a

Moscow: The Kremlin of Moscow: …(the Kutafya Tower), and the Borovitskaya Tower—rise from the western wall.

Saint Joseph of Volokolamsk: …prominence at the monastery at Borovsk, a wealthy religious foundation supported by the grand prince of Moscow. In 1477 Joseph was made abbot of Borovsk; however, his ascetical reforms soon met with the disapproval of Prince Ivan III Vasilyevich, who had provided the monastery with luxurious surroundings and whose sons…

Karel Havlíček Borovský was a Czech author and political journalist, a master prose stylist and epigrammatist who reacted against Romanticism and through his writings gave the Czech language a more modern character. A student at Prague, Havlíček first became a tutor in Russia, but in the 1840s he

animation: Animation in Europe: …efforts of Jan Lenica and Walerian Borowczyk foresaw the bleak themes and absurdist trends of the Polish school of the 1960s; such films as Był sobie raz… (1957; Once Upon a Time…), Nagrodzone uczucie (1957; Love Rewarded), and Dom (1958; The House) are surreal, pessimistic, plotless, and characterized by a…

Tadeusz Borowski was a Polish poet and short-story writer noted for his vigorous, desperate search for moral values that might withstand such realities as the horrors of the Nazi occupation. Born into a Polish family in Ukraine, Borowski went to Poland and in 1932 settled in Warsaw. During World

Diego Velázquez: Court painter in Madrid: Velázquez’s painting of Bacchus, The Feast of Bacchus (1628–29; also known as Los borrachos), seems to have been inspired by Titian and Rubens, but his realistic approach to the subject is characteristically Spanish and one that Velázquez was to preserve throughout his life.

relapsing fever: …spiral-shaped bacteria, of the genus Borrelia. The spirochetes are transmitted from one person to another by lice (genus Pediculus) and from animals to humans by soft-bodied ticks of the genus Ornithodoros or by the hard-bodied tick Ixodes scapularis. Epidemics of the disease have occurred during wars,

Lyme disease: related spirochetes (corkscrew-shaped bacteria), including Borrelia burgdorferi in the United States, B. mayonii in the upper Midwestern United States, and B. afzelii and B. garinii in Europe and Asia. The spirochetes are transmitted to the human bloodstream by the bite of various species of ticks. In the northeastern United States,…

spirochete: … and causing relapsing fever (B. recurrentis and others) and Lyme disease (B. burgdorferi) in humans. Spirochaeta are free-living nonpathogenic inhabitants of mud and water, typically thriving in anaerobic (oxygen-deprived) environments. Leptospirosis, caused by Leptospira, is principally a

Vincent gingivitis: …symbiotic microorganisms Bacillus fusiformis and Borrelia vincentii. The chief symptoms are painful, swollen, bleeding gums; small, painful ulcers covering the gums and tooth margins; and characteristic fetid breath. The ulcers may spread to the throat and tonsils. Fever and malaise may also be present. Vincent gingivitis can occur after a…

Sylvester II: Early life and clerical career: …Spain in 967 by Count Borrell of Barcelona and remained there three years. At the monastery of Santa María de Ripoll, which was noted for its fine library, he studied the quadrivium (the higher division of the liberal arts, which includes music, arithmetic, geometry, and astronomy) under Bishop Atto of…

Deep Space 1: …successfully navigated its way past Comet Borrelly, providing excellent views of the ice particles, dust, and gas leaving comets. The spacecraft came within 2,200 km (1,400 miles) of the roughly 8 × 4-km (5 × 2.5-mile) cometary nucleus. It sent back images that showed a rough surface terrain, with rolling…

Borromean Islands, four tiny (about 50 acres [20 hectares]) islands in Lake Maggiore, off Baveno and Stresa, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola provincia, Piemonte (Piedmont) regione, northwestern Italy. Geologic continuations of the Pallanza promontory, the islets are named for the Borromeo family, to whom they

Ludwig Pfyffer: His Golden (or Borromean) League (1586)—the alliance of the seven Catholic cantons for furtherance of religious interests—nearly led to the destruction of the Swiss Confederation and precipitated the division of the canton of Appenzell along religious lines. Pfyffer established close relations with the Holy League of…

St. Charles Borromeo ; canonized 1610; feast day November 4) was a cardinal and archbishop who was one of the most important figures of the Counter-Reformation in Italy. He is the patron saint of bishops, cardinals, seminarians, and spiritual leaders. Borromeo received a doctorate in civil and

academy of art: …painter Federico Zuccari and Cardinal Federico Borromeo. With its emphasis on instruction and exhibition, the Accademia di San Luca was the prototype for the modern academy. Among its functions, much-imitated in later academies, was the sponsorship of lectures given by members of the academy and later published and made available…

Borromean Islands, four tiny (about 50 acres [20 hectares]) islands in Lake Maggiore, off Baveno and Stresa, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola provincia, Piemonte (Piedmont) regione, northwestern Italy. Geologic continuations of the Pallanza promontory, the islets are named for the Borromeo family, to whom they

St. Charles Borromeo ; canonized 1610; feast day November 4) was a cardinal and archbishop who was one of the most important figures of the Counter-Reformation in Italy. He is the patron saint of bishops, cardinals, seminarians, and spiritual leaders. Borromeo received a doctorate in civil and

St. Charles Borromeo ; canonized 1610; feast day November 4) was a cardinal and archbishop who was one of the most important figures of the Counter-Reformation in Italy. He is the patron saint of bishops, cardinals, seminarians, and spiritual leaders. Borromeo received a doctorate in civil and

Francesco Borromini was an Italian architect who was a chief formulator of Baroque architectural style. Borromini (he changed his name from Castelli about 1627) secured a reputation throughout Europe with his striking design for a small church, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane in Rome. He differed

Robert de Boron was a French poet, originally from the village of Boron, near Delle. He was important for his trilogy of poems (Joseph d’Arimathie, Merlin, Perceval). It told the early history of the Grail and linked this independent legend more firmly with Arthurian legend, using the prophetic

George Borrow was an English traveler, linguist, and one of the most imaginative prose writers of the 19th century. Borrow was the son of a professional soldier and led a wandering childhood as his father’s regiment was moved around the British Isles; these peregrinations inspired memorable

George Borrow was an English traveler, linguist, and one of the most imaginative prose writers of the 19th century. Borrow was the son of a professional soldier and led a wandering childhood as his father’s regiment was moved around the British Isles; these peregrinations inspired memorable

Paula Fox: Writing career: Both Borrowed Finery (2001) and The Coldest Winter: A Stringer in Liberated Europe (2005) are memoirs.

Paul Monette: …best known for his autobiographies, Borrowed Time: An AIDS Memoir (1988) and Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story (1992).

Mary Norton: Norton’s most famous book, The Borrowers (1952), featuring the tiny Clock family, earned her a Carnegie Medal (a British award for outstanding fiction for children) and quickly became a children’s classic. The complete miniature universe that Norton created earned her comparison to such imaginative writers as J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S.…

The Borrowers, a race of tiny people in the Borrowers series of novels for children by British author Mary Norton. Secretive and resourceful, the Borrowers live concealed in the houses of full-sized human beings, subsisting on bits of food and cleverly using odds and ends that they “borrow” and

linguistics: Borrowing: Languages borrow words freely from one another. Usually this happens when some new object or institution is developed for which the borrowing language has no word of its own. For example, the large number of words denoting financial institutions and operations borrowed from Italian…

credit, transaction between two parties in which one (the creditor or lender) supplies money, goods, services, or securities in return for a promised future payment by the other (the debtor or borrower). Such transactions normally include the payment of interest to the lender. Credit may be

Family lending—the right way.When you get caught in a money emergency or if a financial opportunity comes along, you need ready cash. But where do you get that money? From the first time you asked your parents for a candy bar at the store to the time they helped you buy your first used car, the

hookah, apparatus used to heat and vaporize tobacco for inhalation. The word hookah is derived from the Hindustani huqqa and the Arabic huqqah, meaning “vase” or “vessel.” The practice of smoking tobacco from a hookah likely originated in India or the Middle East. Today it is used worldwide and is

Roger was a Norman duke of Apulia from 1085 to 1111, son of Robert Guiscard. His succession to his father’s lands and title in 1085 led to a conflict with his half brother Bohemond de Hauteville. (See Bohemond I). Roger was the son of Robert Guiscard by Robert’s second marriage—to Sigelgaita,

Roger was a Norman duke of Apulia from 1085 to 1111, son of Robert Guiscard. His succession to his father’s lands and title in 1085 led to a conflict with his half brother Bohemond de Hauteville. (See Bohemond I). Roger was the son of Robert Guiscard by Robert’s second marriage—to Sigelgaita,

Roger was a Norman duke of Apulia from 1085 to 1111, son of Robert Guiscard. His succession to his father’s lands and title in 1085 led to a conflict with his half brother Bohemond de Hauteville. (See Bohemond I). Roger was the son of Robert Guiscard by Robert’s second marriage—to Sigelgaita,

borscht, beet soup of the Slavic countries. Although borscht is important in Russian and Polish cuisines, Ukraine is frequently cited as its place of origin. Its name is thought to be derived from the Slavic word for the cow parsnip, or common hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium), or from a fermented

Bertrand Piccard: …with Swiss engineer and pilot André Borschberg, Piccard launched Solar Impulse, a project that had the ultimate goal of developing and launching a solar-powered airplane capable of circumnavigating the globe. The first of those planes, Solar Impulse, was completed in 2009, and a major step occurred when the plane, piloted…

borscht, beet soup of the Slavic countries. Although borscht is important in Russian and Polish cuisines, Ukraine is frequently cited as its place of origin. Its name is thought to be derived from the Slavic word for the cow parsnip, or common hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium), or from a fermented

stand-up comedy: Origins: …Jewish comedians of the so-called Borscht Belt developed a brash gag-filled monologue style that played on familiar comic tropes—the bossy mother-in-law, the henpecked husband—exemplified by Henny Youngman’s famous line “Take my wife—please.”

Austria: Finance of Austria: The Vienna Stock Exchange (Wiener Börse), founded in 1771 by Empress Maria Theresa, is one of the oldest such institutions in Europe. Shares of both Austrian and foreign companies are traded there.

Jacoba Of Bavaria: …to three nobles of the Borselen family from Zeeland (1430), Jacoba secretly married one of them—Francis, lord of Zuilen and St. Maartensdijk—probably as part of a plot to overthrow Burgundian sovereignty in Holland. Philip then imprisoned Francis (October 1432) and forced Jacoba to abdicate her countship (1433). She later became…

history of publishing: Germany: …which in 1825 became the Börsenverein der Deutschen Buchhändler, a unique organization of publishers, wholesalers, and retailers. Toward the end of the 18th century, three publishers were outstanding—Georg Joachim Göschen in Leipzig; Johann Friedrich Cotta in Tübingen and Stuttgart; and Johann Friedrich Unger in Berlin, all of whom had a…

borscht, beet soup of the Slavic countries. Although borscht is important in Russian and Polish cuisines, Ukraine is frequently cited as its place of origin. Its name is thought to be derived from the Slavic word for the cow parsnip, or common hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium), or from a fermented

Borsippa, ancient Babylonian city southwest of Babylon in central Iraq. Its patron god was Nabu, and the city’s proximity to the capital, Babylon, helped it to become an important religious centre. Hammurabi (reigned 1792–50 bce) built or rebuilt the Ezida temple at Borsippa, dedicating it to

house of Este: Dukes of Ferrara, Modena, and Reggio: Leonello’s brother and successor, Borso (reigned 1450–71), notwithstanding some military failures, not only maintained his state and increased its aesthetic and cultural prestige but also received from the Holy Roman emperor Frederick III the title of duke of Modena and Reggio (1452) and from Pope Paul II the title…

Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, megye (county), northern Hungary. It is bounded by Slovakia to the north and northwest and by the counties of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg to the east, Hajdú-Bihar to the southeast, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok to the south, and Heves and Nógrád to the southwest. Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén is one

agrarianism: Agrarianism in the early 20th century: …published by the American writer Ralph Borsodi in the 1920s and ’30s. Defending the family farm and decentralization, Bailey and Borsodi each expressed a confidence in technology and expertise, and each maintained a critical attitude toward traditional religion. On the other hand, in the distributist thought of the English writer…

Borstal Boy, autobiographical work by Irish writer Brendan Behan, published in 1958. The book portrays the author’s early rebelliousness, his involvement with the Irish Republican cause, and his subsequent incarceration for two years in an English Borstal, or reformatory, at age 16. Interspersed

Borstal system, English reformatory system designed for youths between 16 and 21, named after an old convict prison at Borstal, Kent. The system was introduced in 1902 but was given its basic form by Sir Alexander Paterson, who became a prison commissioner in 1922. Each institution consists of

bort, one of the varieties of industrial diamond

Genghis Khan: Early struggles: …turn they ravished Temüjin’s wife Börte. Temüjin felt able to appeal to Toghril, khan of the Kereit tribe, with whom Yesügei had had the relationship of anda, or sworn brother, and at that time the most powerful Mongol prince, for help in recovering Börte. He had had the foresight to…

Norway: Political and social change: …government under the leadership of Per Borten. In 1971 the coalition government split, and the DNA again came to power, headed by Trygve Bratteli.

cancer: Immunotherapy: For example, bortozemib, which was approved to treat multiple myeloma and certain lymphomas, interferes with the ability of tumour cells to degrade proteins, thereby causing the accumulation of malfunctioning proteins within the cells. This renders tumour cells more susceptible to death by so-called natural killer cells (a…

borscht, beet soup of the Slavic countries. Although borscht is important in Russian and Polish cuisines, Ukraine is frequently cited as its place of origin. Its name is thought to be derived from the Slavic word for the cow parsnip, or common hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium), or from a fermented

Western architecture: Spain: …but it was a Fleming, Jaime Borty Miliá, who brought Rococo to Spain when he built the west front of the cathedral of Murcia in 1733.

Brian was the high king of Ireland from 1002 to 1014. His fame was so great that the princes descended from him, the O’Briens, subsequently ranked as one of the chief dynastic families of the country. In 976 Brian became king of a small state, later called Dál Cais, and also king of Munster, whose

Boruca, Indians of western Panama and Costa Rica, one of a group known as Talamancan. Their languages are similar and belong to the Chibchan family. The Boruca, of whom comparatively little is known, have much in common with the Bribrí and the well-studied Guaymí

Borūjerd, chief town, Borūjerd shahrestān (county), Lorestān ostān (province), western Iran. Borūjerd is situated 5,500 feet (1,700 metres) above sea level, below high mountains, in a wide, fertile valley. It is a flourishing regional centre on the main highway from the Persian Gulf and Khūzestān

Inger Christensen: …met the poet and critic Poul Borum, who was her mentor and (1959–76) husband. She taught briefly (1963–64) at the College for Arts in Holbæk before devoting herself exclusively to writing.

Gympie: The Borumba Dam (completed 1964), on Yabba Creek, mitigates floods and impounds water for irrigating the area, which yields dairy products, tropical fruits (especially pineapples), vegetables, and beef cattle; there are also state plantations of pine trees. Situated on the Bruce Highway and the main northern…

bōryokudan, any of various Japanese criminal gangs, many of which combined in the 20th century into Mafia-like organizations. The word was embraced by Japanese officials in the late 20th century to serve as a replacement for the term yakuza (“good for nothing”), which had taken on increasingly

Kyiv: Transportation: Boryspil International Airport operates direct flights to many Ukrainian towns and international service to major cities throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. Within Kyiv itself there is efficient subway and rail, bus, streetcar, and trolleybus service.

Dnieper River, river of Europe, the fourth longest after the Volga, Danube, and Ural. It is 1,367 miles (2,200 km) in length and drains an area of about 195,000 square miles (505,000 square km). The Dnieper rises at an elevation of about 720 feet (220 metres) in a small peat bog on the southern

Frank Borzage was an American motion-picture director and producer noted for his romantic transcendentalism and technically impeccable filmmaking. (Read Martin Scorsese’s Britannica essay on film preservation.) Borzage was the son of a master stonemason. He began acting in his teens with a

Borzoi, breed of large hound developed in Russia to pursue wolves. It is descended from the Arabian Greyhound and a collie-like Russian sheepdog. The Borzoi—formerly known as the Russian Wolfhound—is a graceful, strong, and swift dog. It is a member of the sighthound family, which consists of dogs

Valery Borzov is a Soviet athlete who won five Olympic medals, including two gold medals. A master of all aspects of running, with a strong, smooth style, Borzov was the greatest Soviet sprinter. As a graduate student at the Kiev Institute of Physical Culture, Borzov studied films of great

banteng, (species Bos banteng), a species of wild Southeast Asian cattle, family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla), found in hill forests. A shy animal resembling a domestic cow, the banteng attains a shoulder height of about 1.5–1.75 m (60–69 inches). It has a slight ridge on the back, a white rump,

gaur, (Bos gaurus), one of several species of wild cattle, family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla). The gaur lives in small herds in the mountain forests of India, Southeast Asia, and the Malay Peninsula. Larger than any other wild cattle, it attains a shoulder height of 1.8 m (6 feet) or more. It is

gayal, (Bos gaurus frontalis), a subspecies of the gaur and the largest of the wild oxen, subfamily Bovinae (family Bovidae), which is kept and utilized by the hill tribes of Assam and Myanmar (Burma). Smaller than the gaur and with shorter legs, the gayal stands 140–160 cm (55–63 inches) at the

seladang, Malayan wild cattle, a species of gaur

yak, (Bos grunniens), long-haired, short-legged oxlike mammal that was probably domesticated in Tibet but has been introduced wherever there are people at elevations of 4,000–6,000 metres (14,000–20,000 feet), mainly in China but also in Central Asia, Mongolia, and Nepal. Wild yaks are sometimes

Brahman, any of several varieties of cattle originating in India and crossbred in the United States with improved beef breeds, producing the hardy beef animal known as the American Brahman. Similar blending in Latin America resulted in the breed known as Indo-Brazil. Indian cattle were first

yak: Wild yaks are sometimes referred to as a separate species (Bos mutus) to differentiate them from domestic yaks, although they are freely interbred with various kinds of cattle. Wild yaks are larger, the bulls standing up to 2 metres tall at the shoulder and weighing…

aurochs, (Bos primigenius), extinct wild ox of Europe, family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla), from which cattle are probably descended. The aurochs survived in central Poland until 1627. The aurochs was black, stood 1.8 metres (6 feet) high at the shoulder, and had spreading, forward-curving horns.

kouprey, (Bos sauveli), elusive wild ox (tribe Bovini, family Bovidae) of Indochina and one of the world’s most endangered large mammals, if it is not already extinct. Unknown to science until 1937, the kouprey was rare even then: no more than an estimated 2,000 existed in eastern Thailand,

ox, (Bos taurus, or B. taurus primigenius), a domesticated form of the large horned mammals that once moved in herds across North America and Europe (whence they have disappeared) and Asia and Africa, where some still exist in the wild state. South America and Australia have no wild oxen. Oxen are