date palm, (Phoenix dactylifera), tree of the palm family (Arecaceae) cultivated for its sweet edible fruits. The date palm has been prized from remotest antiquity and may have originated in what is now Iraq. The fruit has been the staple food and chief source of wealth in the irrigable deserts of

glassware: After the War of 1812: …in 1824 to found the Phoenix Glass Works in South Boston, which survived until 1870. One particular device usually associated with the Boston manufactories of this period is the guilloche, or chain, employed in the decoration of a large variety of tableware.

Japanese art: Amidism: …to Amidist faith is the Phoenix Hall (Hōōdō) at the Byōdō Temple in Uji, located on the Uji River to the southeast of Kyōto. Originally used as a villa by the Fujiwara family, this summer retreat was converted to a temple by Fujiwara Yorimichi in 1053. The architecture of the…

Phoenixville: Other forges, including Lewis Wernwag’s Phoenix Iron Works (1812), which gave the borough its name, were established. In 1856 John Griffen, superintendent of the Phoenix Iron Works, turned out the first Griffen gun (a light cannon), later used by the Union army during the American Civil War.

Phoenix Islands, group of coral atolls, part of Kiribati, in the west-central Pacific Ocean, 1,650 miles (2,650 km) southwest of Hawaii. The group comprises Rawaki (Phoenix), Manra (Sydney), McKean, Nikumaroro (Gardner), Birnie, Orona (Hull), Kanton (Canton), and Enderbury atolls. They have a total

Phoenix Mercury, American professional basketball team based in Phoenix that plays in the Western Conference of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team has won three WNBA championships (2007, 2009, and 2014). The Mercury began play in 1997 as one of the original eight WNBA

Phoenix: Municipal services: …and Papago parks and the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, a 6,000-acre (2,400-hectare) natural park in a desert-foothills setting. The 17,000-acre (6,900-hectare) South Mountain Park, one of the largest city parks in the country, lies on the south side of the city.

Lope de Vega was an outstanding dramatist of the Spanish Golden Age, author of as many as 1,800 plays and several hundred shorter dramatic pieces, of which 431 plays and 50 shorter pieces are extant. Lope de Vega was the second son and third child of Francisca Fernandez Flores and Félix de Vega, an

Dublin: City layout: Dublin’s Phoenix Park is Europe’s largest enclosed urban park. It is roughly ovoid in shape, with a land perimeter of 7 miles (11 km), and is situated on the north bank of the Liffey, about 2 miles (3 km) west of the city centre. In September…

Phoenix Park murders, (May 6, 1882), an assassination in Dublin that involved the stabbing of the British chief secretary of Ireland, Lord Frederick Cavendish, and his under secretary, T.H. Burke. The chief secretary had arrived in Dublin only that day and was walking in the city’s Phoenix Park in

palm: Ecology: …and is important in dispersing Phoenix reclinata, Borassus aethiopum, and species of Hyphaene. Shrikes feed on fruits of the date palm, and in northeastern Queensland, Australia, the cassowary ingests fruits and disperses seeds of several rainforest palms (Calamus and Linospadix). The black bear (Ursus americanus) disperses

houseplant: Trees: The pygmy date (Phoenix roebelenii), a compact palm with gracefully arching, dark-green leaves, is an excellent houseplant if kept warm and moist.

Phoenix Suns, American professional basketball team based in Phoenix. Established in 1968, the Suns play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and have won three Western Conference titles (1976, 1993, and 2021). The Suns’ first seasons were moderately successful, and the team showcased the

palm: Economic importance: …flabellifer), the wild date (Phoenix sylvestris), the toddy palm (Caryota urens), the nipa palm, and the gebang and talipot palms (Corypha elata and C. umbraculifera). Wine is made from species of the raffia palm in Africa and from the gru gru palm (Acrocomia) and the coquito palm (Jubaea

Phoenix: Cultural life: …plants, and the 125-acre (51-hectare) Phoenix Zoo, which opened in 1962. Founded by appliance magnate Robert E. Maytag, the zoo is the largest privately owned nonprofit zoo in the country, although it receives some funding and support from the city. It participates in scientific research on the ecology of the…

Joaquin Phoenix is an American actor who is regarded as one of the most talented actors of his generation, known for completely immersing himself in the characters he played. At the time of his birth, Phoenix’s parents were missionaries in a millenarian Christian religious cult called the Children

Joaquin Phoenix is an American actor who is regarded as one of the most talented actors of his generation, known for completely immersing himself in the characters he played. At the time of his birth, Phoenix’s parents were missionaries in a millenarian Christian religious cult called the Children

extraterrestrial intelligence: Radio searches: One such search was Project Phoenix, which began in 1995 and ended in 2004. Phoenix scrutinized approximately 1,000 nearby star systems (within 150 light-years of Earth), most of which were similar in size and brightness to the Sun. The search was conducted on several radio telescopes, including the 305-metre…

River Phoenix was an American actor best known for his starring roles in the films Stand by Me (1986), Running on Empty (1988), and My Own Private Idaho (1991). Despite his relatively short career, many of his peers consider him to be one of the best actors of his generation. His younger brother,

The Cockpit, private playhouse located in Drury Lane, London. Built in 1609 for cockfighting, the small, tiered building was converted into a theatre in 1616 by Christopher Beeston. The following year, however, it was burned down by rioters. The theatre was rebuilt in 1618 and given the name the

University of Phoenix, for-profit institution of higher learning based in Phoenix, Arizona, that offers classes primarily online. One of the largest universities of its kind in the United States, it spurred the rise of for-profit postsecondary schools in the late 1990s. It is owned by Apollo

Phoenixville, borough (town), Chester county, southeastern Pennsylvania, U.S., on the Schuylkill River between French and Pickering creeks, 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Philadelphia. The site was originally settled in 1720 by the Reverend Francis Buckwalter, a German refugee, and the town was

Mont-aux-Sources, mountain plateau and plateau summit, in the Drakensberg range, at the juncture of KwaZulu/Natal and Free State provinces in South Africa and by Lesotho. Explored in 1836 by two French Protestant missionaries, the summit was named Mont-aux-Sources (“Mountain of Sources”) because it

Phoenician Women, minor drama by Euripides, performed about 409 bce. The play is set at Thebes and concerns the battle between the two sons of Oedipus over control of the city. When Eteocles refuses to yield power, Polyneices brings an army to attack the city. The two brothers eventually kill each

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

piddock, any of the marine bivalve mollusks of the family Pholadidae (Adesmoidea). Worldwide in distribution, they are especially adapted for boring into rock, shells, peat, hard clay, or mud. Most species occur in the intertidal zone, a few in deeper water. One end of each of the two valves is

bivalve: Annotated classification: Order Pholadomyoida Shell more or less equivalve but of widely divergent form; shell comprises aragonitic prisms and nacre or homogeneous structures; typically isomyarian; ctenidia eulamellibranch and plicate but many deepwater species are septibranch; extensive mantle fusions, reduced foot and pedal gape; siphons of variable length; shallow-water…

piddock: Pholas chiloensis, found on the Pacific coast of South America, is eaten locally.

piddock: Pholas dactylus, which bores into gneiss—a very hard rock—is luminescent. At one time it was highly esteemed in Europe as food. Pholas chiloensis, found on the Pacific coast of South America, is eaten locally.

spider: Annotated classification: Family Pholcidae (daddy longlegs spiders) About 960 species worldwide. Similar to the nonspiders called daddy longlegs of the order Opiliones. Tarsi of legs with many false articulations; no tracheae; web loose and tangled; Pholcus of Europe and America. Family Amaurobiidae 680 species common

spider: Annotated classification: Family Pholcidae (daddy longlegs spiders) About 960 species worldwide. Similar to the nonspiders called daddy longlegs of the order Opiliones. Tarsi of legs with many false articulations; no tracheae; web loose and tangled; Pholcus of Europe and America. Family Amaurobiidae 680 species common

gunnel, any of the long, eellike fishes of the family Pholidae (order Perciformes). Gunnels have a long, spiny dorsal fin running the length of the body and pelvic fins that, if present, are very small. About eight species are found in the northern regions of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They

perciform: Annotated classification: Family Pholidichthyidae (convict-blennies) Very elongated, striped eel-like fish; reclusive, living under excavations; move sand and gravel in mouths. 1 genus (Pholidichthys), 2 species; marine; in tropics, Indonesia and the Philippines; size up to 30 cm (12 inches); poorly known; relationships in doubt. Family Chiasmodontidae (swallowers)

fish: Actinopterygii: ray-finned fishes: …evolutionary line leads to the Pholidophoriformes, which gave rise to modern bony fishes, or teleosts.

fish: Actinopterygii: ray-finned fishes: …evolutionary line leads to the Pholidophoriformes, which gave rise to modern bony fishes, or teleosts.

Agaricales: Other families and genera: Pholiota (family Strophariaceae) is found almost exclusively on wood. Some species are known to cause heartwood rot in trees. The cap and stalk of P. squarrosa, an edible mushroom, are covered with dense dry scales.

gunnel: …species Pholis gunnellus, known as rock gunnel, butterfish (after its slipperiness), or rock eel, is a common European and eastern North American form. It is usually brownish with darker markings and up to about 30 cm (12 inches) long.

Lennooideae: sonorae) and desert Christmas tree (P. arenarium). The succulent underground stems of sand food were used as food by Native Americans in what is now Arizona.

Lennooideae: … occur in southwestern North America: sand food (P. sonorae) and desert Christmas tree (P. arenarium). The succulent underground stems of sand food were used as food by Native Americans in what is now Arizona.

Centaur object: …of the second known representative, Pholus, in 1992, hundreds of Centaur objects, or Centaurs, have been reported, and astronomers have speculated that thousands more may exist.

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

phon, unit of loudness level. The loudness level of a sound is a subjective, rather than an objective, measure. To measure loudness, the volume of a 1,000-hertz reference tone is adjusted until it is perceived by listeners to be equally as loud as the sound being measured. The loudness level, in

acoustics: Amplifying, recording, and reproducing: …mechanical sound-recording device called the phonautograph by Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville. The first device that could actually record and play back sounds was developed by the American inventor Thomas Alva Edison in 1877. Edison’s phonograph employed grooves of varying depth in a cylindrical sheet of foil, but a spiral groove…

linguistics: Phonology: …sounds considered as units of phonetic analysis in this article are called phones, and, following the normal convention, are represented by enclosing the appropriate alphabetic symbol in square brackets. Thus, [p] will refer to a p sound (i.e., what is described more technically as a voiceless, bilabial stop); and [pit]…

telephone, an instrument designed for the simultaneous transmission and reception of the human voice. The telephone is inexpensive, is simple to operate, and offers its users an immediate, personal type of communication that cannot be obtained through any other medium. As a result, it has become

Forest Whitaker: …police captain in the thriller Phone Booth (2002). He won an Academy Award for best actor in a leading role for his portrayal of the charismatic and brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland (2006). Whitaker was nominated for an Emmy Award for his extended guest…

Jean Negulesco: Millionaire and Three Coins: Better received was the suspenseful Phone Call from a Stranger (1952), which follows a plane crash survivor as he visits the families of those who were killed; Bette Davis, Shelley Winters, Michael Rennie, and Gary Merrill headed a strong cast. After the historical adventure Lydia Bailey (1952), Negulesco made Lure…

phreaking, fraudulent manipulation of telephone signaling in order to make free phone calls. Phreaking involved reverse engineering the specific tones used by phone companies to route long distance calls. By emulating those tones, “phreaks” could make free calls around the world. Phreaking largely

electronic eavesdropping: …of electronic eavesdropping has been wiretapping, which monitors telephonic and telegraphic communication. It is legally prohibited in virtually all jurisdictions for commercial or private purposes.

phoneme, in linguistics, smallest unit of speech distinguishing one word (or word element) from another, as the element p in “tap,” which separates that word from “tab,” “tag,” and “tan.” A phoneme may have more than one variant, called an allophone (q.v.), which functions as a single sound; for

alphabet: Theories of the origin of the alphabet: …to explain the origin of alphabetic writing, and, since Classical times, the problem has been a matter of serious study. The Greeks and Romans considered five different peoples as the possible inventors of the alphabet—the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Assyrians, Cretans, and Hebrews. Among modern theories are some that are not very…

phonemics, in linguistics, the study of the phonemes and phonemic system of a language. For linguists who analyze phonological systems wholly in terms of the phoneme, phonemics is coextensive with phonology

alphabet: Theories of the origin of the alphabet: …to explain the origin of alphabetic writing, and, since Classical times, the problem has been a matter of serious study. The Greeks and Romans considered five different peoples as the possible inventors of the alphabet—the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Assyrians, Cretans, and Hebrews. Among modern theories are some that are not very…

cuneiform: Origin and character of cuneiform: …word writing to a partial phonetic script. Thus, for example, the picture of a hand came to stand not only for Sumerian šu (“hand”) but also for the phonetic syllable šu in any required context. Sumerian words were largely monosyllabic, so the signs generally denoted syllables, and the resulting mixture…

phonetic transcription, representation of discrete units of speech sound through symbols. Over the years, multiple writing systems and computer symbol sets have been developed for this purpose. The most common is perhaps the International Phonetic Alphabet. Most modern languages have standard

toponymy: Phonetic transfer is the most common means of place-name transfer between languages. This involves the spoken transfer of a place-name from one language to another. Little or no knowledge of the language from which the place-name originated is required. A person will listen to the…

phonetics, the study of speech sounds and their physiological production and acoustic qualities. It deals with the configurations of the vocal tract used to produce speech sounds (articulatory phonetics), the acoustic properties of speech sounds (acoustic phonetics), and the manner of combining

wandering spider: The Brazilian wandering spiders, Phoneutria fera and P. nigriventer, are sometimes also referred to as banana spiders because they are frequently found on banana leaves. They have an aggressive defense posture, in which they raise their front legs straight up into the air. Phoneutria are venomous,…

wandering spider: >Phoneutria fera and P. nigriventer, are sometimes also referred to as banana spiders because they are frequently found on banana leaves. They have an aggressive defense posture, in which they raise their front legs straight up into the air. Phoneutria are venomous, and their venom…

wandering spider: wandering spiders, Phoneutria fera and P. nigriventer, are sometimes also referred to as banana spiders because they are frequently found on banana leaves. They have an aggressive defense posture, in which they raise their front legs straight up into the air. Phoneutria are venomous, and their venom is toxic to…

computer graphics: Shading and texturing: In Phong shading each pixel takes into account any texture and all light sources. It generally gives more realistic results but is somewhat slower.

speech disorder: Development of speech correction: …voice pathology as logopedics and phoniatrics with its medical orientation subsequently reached many other civilized nations, notably in Japan and on the South American continent. The national organizations in most of these areas are now represented in the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics, which was founded in Vienna in…

phonics, Method of reading instruction that breaks language down into its simplest components. Children learn the sounds of individual letters first, then the sounds of letters in combination and in simple words. Simple reading exercises with a controlled vocabulary reinforce the process.

phonocardiography, diagnostic technique that creates a graphic record, or phonocardiogram, of the sounds and murmurs produced by the contracting heart, including its valves and associated great vessels. The phonocardiogram is obtained either with a chest microphone or with a miniature sensor in the

phonocardiography, diagnostic technique that creates a graphic record, or phonocardiogram, of the sounds and murmurs produced by the contracting heart, including its valves and associated great vessels. The phonocardiogram is obtained either with a chest microphone or with a miniature sensor in the

Phonofilm, system used in the 1920s to provide sound synchronized with motion pictures. A sound track was photographically recorded on the film by a beam of light modulated by the sound waves. The sound was reproduced during projection by directing a beam of light through the sound track onto a

Egyptian language: Writing: … system was both logographic and phonetic. Logographic signs represent words, and phonetic signs represent one to three consonants (vowels not being of concern). Phonetic signs are used without regard for their original meaning. Thus, because the logograph for ‘house’ also signifies the sound pr, it is used to write the…

phonograph, instrument for reproducing sounds by means of the vibration of a stylus, or needle, following a groove on a rotating disc. A phonograph disc, or record, stores a replica of sound waves as a series of undulations in a sinuous groove inscribed on its rotating surface by the stylus. When

sound recording: The phonograph disc: A monaural phonograph record makes use of a spiral 90° V-shaped groove impressed into a plastic disc. As the record revolves at 33 1 3 rotations per minute, a tiny “needle,” or stylus, simultaneously moves along the groove and vibrates back and forth parallel to the surface…

sound recording: The phonograph disc: A monaural phonograph record makes use of a spiral 90° V-shaped groove impressed into a plastic disc. As the record revolves at 33 1 3 rotations per minute, a tiny “needle,” or stylus, simultaneously moves along the groove and vibrates back and forth parallel to the surface…

phonolite, any member of a group of extrusive igneous rocks (lavas) that are rich in nepheline and potash feldspar. The typical phonolite is a fine-grained, compact igneous rock that splits into thin, tough plates which make a ringing sound when struck by a hammer, hence the rock’s name. The most

Dravidian languages: Proto-Dravidian sound changes: Several sound changes are found in all Dravidian languages in all subgroups. To be so widely distributed, these changes must have been prevalent in the parent language itself.

linguistics: Morphology: …them is determined by the phonological structure of the preceding morph. Thus the choice is phonologically conditioned.

memory: Patterns of acquisition in working memory: …supported by two systems: the phonological loop, which processes aural information, and the visuospatial sketch pad, which processes visual and spatial information. When information is acquired aurally, the brain encodes the information according to the way it sounds. A person who hears a spoken telephone number and retains the information…

Dravidian languages: Proto-Dravidian sound changes: Several sound changes are found in all Dravidian languages in all subgroups. To be so widely distributed, these changes must have been prevalent in the parent language itself.

phonology, study of the sound patterns that occur within languages. Some linguists include phonetics, the study of the production and description of speech sounds, within the study of phonology. Diachronic (historical) phonology examines and constructs theories about the changes and modifications

phonon, in condensed-matter physics, a unit of vibrational energy that arises from oscillating atoms within a crystal. Any solid crystal, such as ordinary table salt (sodium chloride), consists of atoms bound into a specific repeating three-dimensional spatial pattern called a lattice. Because the

sound reception, response of an organism’s aural mechanism, the ear, to a specific form of energy change, or sound waves. Sound waves can be transmitted through gases, liquids, or solids, but the hearing function of each species is particularly (though not exclusively) sensitive to stimuli from one

Phony War, (1939–40) a name for the early months of World War II, marked by no major hostilities. The term was coined by journalists to derisively describe the six-month period (October 1939–March 1940) during which no land operations were undertaken by the Allies or the Germans after the German

bird-of-paradise: The trumpetbird (Phonygammus keraudrenii) is 25 to 32 cm (10 to 12.5 inches) long and has head tufts as well as pointed neck feathers. It is named for the male’s loud call. Others having special names include sicklebills and standardwings.

plant disease: Mistletoe: …three important types: American (Phorodendron species), European (Viscum album), and dwarf (Arceuthobium species). All produce sticky seeds spread by birds. American mistletoe, restricted to the Americas, is best known for its ornamental and sentimental uses at Christmastime. The leafy, bushy evergreen masses, up to one metre or more in…

mistletoe: …American counterpart, the Eastern, or oak, mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum), also parasitizes many deciduous trees, including oaks.

phorate, generically, a powerful pesticide effective against insects, mites, and nematodes. It is a systemic insecticide that acts by inhibiting cholinesterases, enzymes involved in transmitting nerve impulses. Chemically, it is an organophosphate, O,O-diethyl S-(ethylthio)methyl

aulos: …the Greeks often tied a phorbeia (Latin: capistrum), or leather strap, across the cheeks for additional support. During the Classical period auloi were equal in length, but this was not often true in later versions. Classical writers make few clear references to technical details for modern scholars to determine further…

phoresy, transportation of one organism by another, more mobile one. The term is not applied to a parasitic relationship, but minute parasites may use this means of transport to colonize new hosts. For example, feather lice accomplish phoresy by clinging to the body hairs of blood-sucking

humpbacked fly, (family Phoridae), any of numerous species of tiny, dark-coloured flies with humped backs that are in the fly order, Diptera, and can be found around decaying vegetation. Larvae may be scavengers, parasites, or commensals in ant and termite nests. Some species have reduced or no

Terence: …the plots of Hecyra and Phormio derives from the Greek models of those plays by Apollodorus of Carystus of the 3rd century bc. Nevertheless, in some important particulars he reveals himself as something more than a translator. First, he shows both originality and skill in the incorporation of material from…

Phormion was a brilliant Athenian admiral who won several engagements before and during the Peloponnesian War. Phormion was one of the generals leading reinforcements to the Athenian siege of Samos in 440. He assisted the Acarnanians and Amphilochians against Ambracia, which resulted in an alliance

phormium, (species Phormium tenax), a plant of the day lily family, Hemerocallidaceae, and its fibre, belonging to the leaf fibre group. The plant is native to New Zealand, where the fibre, sometimes called New Zealand “hemp,” or “flax,” has been used since ancient times for cordage, fabrics, and

phormium, (species Phormium tenax), a plant of the day lily family, Hemerocallidaceae, and its fibre, belonging to the leaf fibre group. The plant is native to New Zealand, where the fibre, sometimes called New Zealand “hemp,” or “flax,” has been used since ancient times for cordage, fabrics, and

horseshoe worm, phylum name Phoronida, a small group (about 12 species) of wormlike marine invertebrates that live in tubes secreted by special glands. These protective tubes become encrusted with shells or are buried in sand. Horseshoe worms, or phoronids, either are solitary or occur in groups of

horseshoe worm, phylum name Phoronida, a small group (about 12 species) of wormlike marine invertebrates that live in tubes secreted by special glands. These protective tubes become encrusted with shells or are buried in sand. Horseshoe worms, or phoronids, either are solitary or occur in groups of

Diatryma: …characterized by the unrelated genus Phorusrhacos, common during the Miocene Epoch (between 7,000,000 and 26,000,000 years ago). It was about 1 12 metres (5 feet) in height and also had weakly developed wings, strong legs, a large head, and a powerful beak.

Diatryma: …characterized by the unrelated genus Phorusrhacos, common during the Miocene Epoch (between 7,000,000 and 26,000,000 years ago). It was about 1 12 metres (5 feet) in height and also had weakly developed wings, strong legs, a large head, and a powerful beak.

hymn: …the Greek “Phos hilarion” (“Go, Gladsome Light,” translated by the 19th-century American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow). Hymnody developed systematically, however, only after the emperor Constantine legalized Christianity (313 ce), and it flourished earliest in Syria, where the practice was possibly taken over from the singing by gnostics and Manichaeans…

phosgene, a colourless, chemically reactive, highly toxic gas having an odour like that of musty hay, used in making organic chemicals, dyestuffs, polycarbonate resins, and isocyanates for making polyurethane resins. It first came into prominence during World War I, when it was used, either alone

muscle: Energy stores: …the reactions of compounds called phosphagens. All of these compounds contain phosphorus in a chemical unit called a phosphoryl group, which they transfer to ADP to produce ATP (these compounds are also referred to as high-energy phosphates).

muscle: Initiation of contraction: Phosphatases are enzymes in the muscle cell that cleave the phosphate group from the myosin light chain.

sugar: Clarification and decolorization: …syrup is clarified either by phosphatation, in which phosphoric acid and lime are added to form calcium phosphates, which are removed by surface scraping in a flotation clarifier, or by carbonatation, in which carbon dioxide gas and lime form calcium carbonate, which is filtered off. Colour precipitants are added to…

phosphate, any of numerous chemical compounds related to phosphoric acid (H3PO4). One group of these derivatives is composed of salts containing the phosphate ion (PO43−), the hydrogen phosphate ion (HPO42−), or the dihydrogen phosphate ion (H2PO4−), and positively charged ions such as those of