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 Talk Talk - Communication terms
Category: General technical and industrial
Date & country: 28/05/2010, UK
Words: 18630


gas laws
Physical laws concerning the behaviour of gases. They include Boyle's law and Charles's law, which are concerned with the relationships between the pressure (P), temperature (T), and volume (V) of an ideal (hypothetical) gas. These two laws can be combined to give the general or universal gas law, which may be expressed as: PV&...

García Lorca, Federico
Spanish poet. See Lorca, Federico García

Gabrieli, Giovanni
Italian composer. He succeeded his uncle Andrea Gabrieli (c. 1533–1585) as organist of St Mark's Cathedral, Venice. His sacred and secular works include numerous madrigals, motets, and the antiphonal Sacrae Symphoniae (1597), sacred canzoni and sonatas for brass choirs, strings, and organ

Gabon
Country in central Africa, bounded north by Cameroon, east and south by the Congo, west by the Atlantic Ocean, and northwest by Equatorial Guinea. Government The 1991 constitution provides for a French-style executive president elected by universal suffrage for a seven-year term, renewable without limit. The legislature has two chambers:...

Gambia, The
Country in west Africa, bounded north, east, and south by Senegal and west by the Atlantic Ocean. Government The Gambia is an independent republic within the Commonwealth, with a presidential political executive. Prior to a 1994 military coup, it had one Africa's oldest and most stable multiparty democracies. But its 1970 constitution was suspe...

Gaddafi
Alternative form of Khaddhafi, Libyan leader

Gaulle, Charles de
French politician, see Charles de Gaulle

gal
Symbol for gallon, galileo

GATT
Acronym for General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

Gavaskar, Sunil Manohar
Indian cricketer. Between 1971 and 1987 he scored a record 10,122 Test runs in a record 125 matches (including 106 consecutive Tests). Career highlights Test cricket (1971–87) appearances: 125; runs: 10,122; average: 51.12; not out: 16; 100s: 34; best: 236 not out (v. West Indies 1983); catches&#...

Gadsden Purchase
In US history, the purchase of approximately 77,700 sq km/30,000 sq mi in what is now New Mexico and Arizona by the USA in 1853. The land was bought from Mexico for $10 million in a treaty, negotiated by James Gadsden (1788–1858) of South Carolina, to construct a transcontinental railway route, the Southern Pacific, completed in the 18...

Gaia hypothesis
Theory that the Earth's living and nonliving systems form an inseparable whole that is regulated and kept adapted for life by living organisms themselves. The planet therefore functions as a single organism, or a giant cell. The hypothesis was elaborated by British scientist James Lovelock and first published in 1968

ganglion
(biology) Solid cluster of nervous tissue containing many cell bodies and synapses, usually enclosed in a tissue sheath; found in invertebrates and vertebrates. In many invertebrates, the central nervous system consists mainly of ganglia connected by nerve cords. The ganglia in the head (c...

Galahad
In Arthurian legend, one of the knights of the Round Table. His virtue allowed him to succeed in the quest for the Holy Grail, and he died in ecstasy, having seen its mystery. He was the son of Lancelot of the Lake and Elaine, daughter of the Fisher King, whom Lancelot believed to be his beloved Guinevere. Galahad first appeared in the 13th-cen...

Gautama
Family name of the historical Buddha, Siddartha Gautama

Gawain
In Arthurian legend, one of the knights of the Round Table who participated in the quest for the Holy Grail. He is the hero of the 14th-century epic poem Sir Gawayne and the Greene Knight

gamma-ray astronomy
Study of celestial objects that emit gamma rays (energetic photons with very short wavelengths). Much of the radiation detected comes from collisions between hydrogen gas and cosmic rays in our Galaxy. Some sources have been identified, including the Crab Nebula and the Vela pulsar (the most powerful gamma-ray source detected). Gamma rays from ...

García Perez, Alan Gabriel Ludwig
Peruvian politician and president 1985–90 and from 2006; leader of the moderate, reformist left-wing American Popular Revolutionary Alliance party (APRA; Aprista Party). In 1995 he inherited an ailing economy and was forced to trim his socialist programme (which had sought to nationalize banks). His government was marked by scandal...

gauss
Centimetre-gram-second (c.g.s.) unit of magnetic induction or magnetic flux density, replaced by the SI unit, the tesla, but still commonly used. It is equal to one line of magnetic flux per square centimetre. The Earth's magnetic field is about 0.5 Gs, and changes to it over time are measured in gammas (one gamma equ...

Galapagos Islands
Group of 12 large and several hundred smaller islands in the Pacific lying 800 km/500 mi off the coast of Ecuador, of which they form a province; area 7,800 sq km/3,000 sq mi; population (2001) 18,600. This island group, of volcanic origin, includes the six main islands of San Cristóbal (where the capital of the same name is si...

Gallo, Robert Charles
US scientist credited with identifying the virus responsible for AIDS. Gallo discovered the virus, now known as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), in 1984; the French scientist Luc Montagnier of the Pasteur Institute, Paris, discovered the virus, independently, in 1983. The sample in which Gallo discovered the virus was supplied by Montagnier,...

Garbo, Greta
Swedish-born US film actor. She went to the USA in 1925, and her captivating beauty and leading role in Flesh and the Devil (1927) made her one of Hollywood's greatest stars. Her later films include Mata Hari (1931), Grand Hotel (1932), Queen Christina (1933),
Garland, Judy
US singer and actor. Her compelling intensity combined with an appealing vulnerability on stage made her one of the most enduring and popular actors in the USA. Her films include The Wizard of Oz (1939; featuring her trademark song `Over the Rainbow`), Babes in Arms (1939), and Meet Me in...

gamma radiation
Very high-frequency, high-energy electromagnetic radiation, similar in nature to X-rays but of shorter wavelength, emitted by the nuclei of radioactive substances during decay or by the interactions of high-energy electrons with matter. Cosmic gamma rays have been identified as coming from pulsars, radio galaxies, and quasars, altho...

gauge boson
Any of the particles that carry the four fundamental forces of nature (see forces, fundamental). Gauge bosons are elementary particles that cannot be subdivided, and include the photon, the graviton, the gluons, and the W+, W-, and Z particles

gain
In electronics, the ratio of the amplitude of the output signal produced by an amplifier to that of the input signal. In a voltage amplifier the voltage gain is the ratio of the output voltage to the input voltage; in an inverting operational amplifier (op-amp) it is equal to the ratio of the resistance of the feedback resistor to that of t...

gas exchange
Click images to enlargeMovement of gases between an organism and the atmosphere, principally oxygen and carbon dioxide. All aerobic organisms (most animals and plants) take in oxygen in order to burn food and manufacture ATP (adenosine triphosphate, which provides the energy for all cell reactions). The resultant oxidatio...

gaullism
Political philosophy deriving from the views of Charles de Gaulle but not necessarily confined to Gaullist parties, or even to France. Its basic tenets are the creation and preservation of a strongly centralized state and an unwillingness to enter into international obligations at the expense of national interests. President Chirac's Rally for ...

Ganda
Member of the majority ethnic group in Uganda; the Baganda also live in Kenya. Traditionally farmers, the Ganda are a Bantu people, many of whom now work in cities. Most are Christians. Their language, Luganda, belongs to the Niger-Congo language family and has about 3 million speakers. Until the 19th century, the Ganda formed an independen...

Gaultier, Jean-Paul
French fashion designer. After working for French designer Pierre Cardin from 1970, he launched his first collection in 1978, designing clothes that went against fashion trends, inspired by London's street style. Humorous and showy, his clothes are among the most influential in the French ready-to-wear market. He designed the costumes f...

gastrolith
Stone that was once part of the digestive system of a dinosaur or other extinct animal. Rock fragments were swallowed to assist in the grinding process in the dinosaur digestive tract, much as some birds now swallow grit and pebbles to grind food in their crop. Once the animal has decayed, smooth round stones remain – often the only clue to th...

Gamsakhurdia, Zviad
Georgian politician, president 1990–92. He was a fervent nationalist and an active anticommunist. After nationalist success in parliamentary elections when Georgia achieved independence in 1991, he was elected head of state by a huge margin. His increasingly dictatorial style of government and his hostile attitude to non-ethnic Georgians l...

Gallic Wars
Series of military campaigns 58–51 BC in which Julius Caesar, as proconsul of Gaul, annexed Transalpine Gaul (the territory that formed the geographical basis of modern-day France). His final victory over the Gauls led by Vercingetorix 52 BC left him in control of the land area from the Rhine to the Pyrenees and from the Alps to the Atlant...

Gagauz
Member of a people of whom 153,000 (90%) live in southern Moldova. Orthodox Christians, they have always been distinct from the Turks, although their language is related. Their origin is unclear, although many migrated to Russia in the late 18th and early 19th centuries as a result of the Russo-Turkish wars and the Turkish oppression of Chr...

gay rights movement
Political activity by homosexuals in pursuit of equal rights and an end to discrimination. Strongly active since the 1960s, the gay rights movement also seeks to educate the public about gay issues, promote tolerance of gay relationships and lifestyles, and encourage pride and solidarity among homosexuals. Local organizations began working for gay ...

Gates, Bill
US computer entrepreneur. He co-founded Microsoft Corporation in 1975, with school friend and fellow entrepreneur Paul Allen, and succeeded in converting a passion for computers into a globally dominant software business. Gates and Allen adapted a version of BASIC, an early computer language, and licensed the operating system MS-DOS to IBM ...

Gauteng
Province of the Republic of South Africa from 1994, known as Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging before 1995, and historically part of the Transvaal; area 18,760 sq km/7,243 sq mi; population (2000 est) 7,780,600. It lies on the Highveld plateau at an average elevation of 1,740 m/5,710 ft, and the Vaal River and Magaliesberg ...

gall midge
Minute and fragile long-legged flies, with longish hairy antennae. The larvae are small maggots, ranging in colour from white or yellow, to orange and bright red, that feed on developing fruits which become deformed and decay, and frequently produce galls on plants. Some forms live within galls formed by other insects, such as beetles, or other...

gall wasp
Small (only a few millimetres long), dark-coloured insect with a compressed abdomen. Most gall wasps form galls, though a few live within the galls formed by other species; these are called inquilines. Others feed on gall-formers and inquilines. Classification Gall wasps are in the family Cynipidae, order Hymenoptera, class Insecta, phy...

gamelan
Percussion ensemble of 15 to 20 players using mainly tuned knobbed gongs and keyed metallophones found in Indonesia (especially Java and Bali) and Malaysia. Most modern gamelan are tuned to a five-note or seven-note system. Gamelan music is performed as an accompaniment for dance and theatre

Gaelic football
See football, Gaelic

Gayatri mantra
In Hindu worship, one of the most popular prayers, or mantras. A mantra is a short phrase repeated by the worshipper to still their mind and help them to focus on God

gabai
In Judaism, a person who helps to organize the running of a synagogue service; one or more gabai may be involved. Duties include welcoming visitors, ensuring that everyone has a siddur (prayer book), organizing the seating arrangements, and choosing the congregants who will open the ark or read from the Torah. The gabai will also ensure that th...

gale
Strong wind, usually between force seven and ten on the Beaufort scale (measuring 45–90 km/28–56 mi per hour)

GCHQ
Centre of the British government's electronic surveillance operations, in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. It monitors broadcasts of various kinds from all over the world. It was established after World War I, and was successful in breaking the German Enigma code in 1940. .BTXT: In addition there are six listening stations: Bude, Cornwall&#...

GCE
Abbreviation for General Certificate of Education, in the UK, the public examination formerly taken at the age of 16 at Ordinary level (O level) and still taken at 18 at Advanced level (A level). The GCE O-level examination, aimed at the top 20% of the ability range, was superseded in 1988 by the General Certificate of Secondary Education (...

GCSE
Abbreviation for General Certificate of Secondary Education, in the UK, from 1988, the examination for 16-year-old pupils, superseding both GCE O level and CSE, and offering qualifications for up to 60% of school leavers in any particular subject. The GCSE includes more practical and course work than O level, although course work was re...

GDP
Abbreviation for gross domestic product

Gdansk
Polish port on a branch of the Vistula and on the Gulf of Gdansk; population (2003 est) 456,700; urban agglomeration 867,200. One of Poland's chief Baltic Sea ports, it is a leading industrial and communications centre with one of the world's largest shipyards. It has important machinery, chemical, mechanical-engineering, and me...

geranium
Any of a group of plants either having divided leaves and white, pink, or purple flowers (geraniums), or having a hairy stem, and white, pink, red, or black-purple flowers (pelargoniums). Some geraniums are also called cranesbill. (Genera Geranium and Pelargonium, family Geraniaceae.)

geostationary orbit
Circular path 35,900 km/22,300 mi above the Earth's Equator on which a satellite takes 24 hours, moving from west to east, to complete an orbit, thus appearing to hang stationary over one place on the Earth's surface. Geostationary orbits are used particularly for communications satellites and weather satellites. Their use for communica...

Gemini
Prominent zodiacal constellation in the northern hemisphere represented as the twins Castor and Pollux. Its brightest star is Pollux; Castor is a system of six stars. The Sun passes through Gemini from late June to late July. Each December, the Geminid meteors are seen, their trails giving the appearance of radiating from Gemini. In astrology, ...

germanium
Brittle, grey-white, weakly metallic (metalloid) element, atomic number 32, relative atomic mass 72.6. It belongs to the silicon group, and has chemical and physical properties between those of silicon and tin. Germanium is a semiconductor material and is used in the manufacture of transistors and integrated circuits. The oxide is transparent t...

gelignite
Type of dynamite

Gentileschi, Artemisia
Italian painter. She trained under Agostino Tassi (c. 1580–1644) and her father Orazio Gentileschi, though her work is more melodramatic than his. Active in England 1638–39, Florence, and Rome, she settled in Naples from about 1630, working in a heavily Caravaggesque style. She focused on macabre and grisly subjects pop...

gecko
Click images to enlargeAny lizard of the family Gekkonidae. Geckos are common worldwide in warm climates, and have large heads and short, stout bodies. Many have no eyelids. They are able to climb vertically and walk upside down on smooth surfaces in their search for flies, spiders, and other prey. There are about 850 kno...

gene
Basic unit of inherited material, encoded by a strand of DNA and transcribed into RNA. In higher organisms, genes are located on the chromosomes. A gene consistently affects a particular character in an individual – for example, the gene for eye colour. Also termed a Mendelian gene, after Austrian biologist Gregor Mendel, it occurs at a partic...

germ
Colloquial term for a micro-organism that causes disease, such as certain bacteria and viruses. Formerly, it was also used to mean something capable of developing into a complete organism (such as a fertilized egg, or the embryo of a seed). VTXT: Contributor added the following 072006, but not currently in database.. See also germ line

gene pool
Total sum of alleles (variants of genes) possessed by all the members of a given population or species alive at a particular time

genotype
Particular set of alleles (variants of genes) possessed by a given organism. The term is usually used in conjunction with phenotype, which is the product of the genotype and all environmental effects

genetic code
Way in which instructions for building proteins, the basic structural molecules of living matter, are `written` in the genetic material DNA. This relationship between the sequence of bases (the subunits in a DNA molecule) and the sequence of amino acids (the subunits of a protein molecule) is the basis of heredity. The code employs codons...

genetics
Branch of biology concerned with the study of heredity and variation – inheritance. It aims to explain how characteristics of living organisms are passed on from one generation to the next. The science of genetics is based on the work of Austrian biologist Gregor Mendel whose experiments with th...

genome
Full complement of genes carried by a single (haploid) set of chromosomes. The term may be applied to the genetic information carried by an individual or to the range of genes found in a given species. The human genome is made up of around 3 billion basepairs, most of which were reported in draft genome sequences obtained in 2003 by the Human Genom...

genus
Group of one or more species with many characteristics in common. Thus all doglike species (including dogs, wolves, and jackals) belong to the genus Canis (Latin `dog`). Species of the same genus are thought to be descended from a common ancestor species. Related genera are grouped into families. Humans belong to the ge...

genetic engineering
All-inclusive term that describes the deliberate manipulation of genetic material by biochemical techniques. It is often achieved by the introduction of new DNA, usually by means of a virus or plasmid. This can be for pure research, gene therapy, or to breed functionally specific plants, animals,...

gerbil
Any of numerous rodents with elongated back legs, good at hopping or jumping. Gerbils range from mouse- to rat-size, and have hairy tails. Many of the 13 genera live in dry, sandy, or sparsely vegetated areas of Africa and Asia. (Family Cricetidae.) The Mongolian jird or gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) is a popular pet

genet
Any of several small, nocturnal, carnivorous mammals belonging to the mongoose and civet family. Most species live in Africa, but the common genet G. genetta is also found in Europe and the Middle East. It is about 50 cm/1.6 ft long with a 45 cm/1.5 ft tail, weighs up to 2 kg/4.4 lb, with the male slightly larger than...

germination
In botany, the initial stages of growth in a seed, spore, or pollen grain. Seeds germinate when they are exposed to favourable external conditions of moisture, light, and temperature, and when any factors causing dormancy have been removed. The process begins with the uptake of water by the seed. The...

gestation
In all mammals except the monotremes (platypus and spiny anteaters), the period from the time of implantation of the embryo in the uterus to birth. This period varies among species; in humans it is about 266 days, in elephants 18–22 months, in cats about 60 days, and in some species of marsupial (such as opossum) as short as 12 days

geometry
Click images to enlargeBranch of mathematics concerned with the properties of space, usually in terms of plane (two-dimensional, or 2D) and solid (three-dimensional, or 3D) figures. The subject is usually divided into pure geometry, which embraces roughly the plane and solid geometry dealt with in Greek mathematic...

geology
Science of the Earth, its origin, composition, structure, and history. It is divided into several branches, inlcuding mineralogy (the minerals of Earth), petrology (rocks), stratigraphy (the deposition of successive beds of sedimentary rocks), palaeontology (fossils) and tectonics (the deformation and movement of the Earth's crust), geophysics ...

geography
Study of the Earth's surface; its topography, climate, and physical conditions, and how these factors affect people and society. It is usually divided into physical geography, dealing with landforms and climates, and human geography, dealing with the distribution and activities of peoples on Earth. History Early preclassical geographers con...

geochemistry
Science of chemistry as it applies to geology. It deals with the relative and absolute abundances of the chemical elements and their isotopes in the Earth, and also with the chemical changes that accompany geologic processes

Germanic languages
Branch of the Indo-European language family, divided into East Germanic (Gothic, now extinct), North Germanic (Danish, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish), and West Germanic (Afrikaans, Dutch, English, Flemish, Frisian, German, Yiddish). The Germanic languages differ from the other Indo-European languages most prominently in the consona...

German language
Member of the Germanic group of the Indo-European language family, the national language of Germany and Austria, and an official language of Switzerland. There are many spoken varieties of German, including High German (Hochdeutsch) and Low German (Plattdeutsch). `High` and `Low` refer t...

Gettysburg
Site of one of the decisive battles of the American Civil War: a Confederate defeat by Union forces 1–3 July 1863, at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 80 km/50 mi northwest of Baltimore. The site is now a national cemetery, at the dedication of which President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on 19 November 1863, a speech in w...

Gethsemane
Site of the garden where Judas Iscariot, according to the New Testament, betrayed Jesus. It is on the Mount of Olives, in east Jerusalem. When Jerusalem was divided between Israel and Jordan in 1948, Gethsemane fell within Jordanian territory

Gestapo
(Contraction of Geheime Staatspolizei) Nazi Germany's secret police, formed in 1933, and under the direction of Heinrich Himmler from 1934. The Gestapo was created by Field Marshal Hermann Goering to replace the political police and was transferred to the control of Himmler's SS in 1934, unde...

German measles
Mild, communicable virus disease, usually caught by children. It is marked by a sore throat, pinkish rash, and slight fever, and has an incubation period of two to three weeks. If a woman contracts it in the first three months of pregnancy, it may cause serious damage to the unborn child

Germanicus Caesar
Roman general. He was the adopted son of the emperor Tiberius and married the emperor Augustus' granddaughter Agrippina. Although he refused the suggestion of his troops that he claim the throne on the death of Augustus, his military victories in Germany made Tiberius jealous. Sent to the Middle East, he died near Antioch, possibly murdered at ...

geothermal energy
Click images to enlargeEnergy extracted for heating and electricity generation from natural steam, hot water, or hot dry rocks in the Earth's crust. It is a form of renewable energy. Water is pumped down through an injection well where it passes through joints in the hot rocks. It rises to the surface through a recove...

Georgia
(state) State in southeastern USA bordered to the northeast by South Carolina, to the north by North Carolina and Tennessee, to the west by Alabama, and to the south by Florida; area 149,976 sq km/57,906 sq mi; population ...

George Town
(Malaysia) Chief port of the Federation of Malaysia, and capital of Penang state, on the island of Penang; population (2000 est) 180,600. Its sheltered harbour has made it a port of call between India and China, and by the late 20th century the port was handling most of the exports of the ...

Genova
Italian form of Genoa, a city in Italy

Georgetown
(Guyana) Capital and main port of Guyana, situated on the east bank of the Demerara River at its mouth on the Atlantic coast; population (2002 est) 225,800. There are food processing and shrimp fishing industries. Principal exports include sugar, bauxite, rice, and diamonds. History The se...

Genoa
(city) Historic city in northwest Italy, capital of Liguria, on the Gulf of Genoa, 400 km/249 mi northwest of Rome; population (2001 est) 603,600. It is Italy's largest port, with a major container port facility at Voltri, 10 km/6 mi to the west. An outlet for the Po Valley and...

Geneva, Lake
Largest of the central European lakes, between the Alps and the Jura mountains on the Swiss-French border; area 580 sq km/225 sq mi. The main part of the lake (about 347 sq km/134 sq mi) lies in western Switzerland; the remainder is French. It is in the shape of a crescent 72 km/45 mi long and 13 km/8 mi wide; it has...

genetic disease
Any disorder caused at least partly by defective genes or chromosomes. In humans there are some 3,000 genetic diseases, including cystic fibrosis, Down's syndrome, haemophilia, Huntington's chorea, some forms of anaemia, spina bifida, and Tay-Sachs disease

Gemayel, Amin
Lebanese politician, a Maronite Christian; president 1982–88. He succeeded his brother, president-elect Bechir Gemayel (1947–1982), on his assassination on 14 September 1982. The Lebanese parliament was unable to agree on a successor when his term expired, so separate governments were formed under rival Christian and Muslim leader...

Gemara
In Judaism, part of the Talmud, a compilation of ancient Jewish law. It comprises legal discussions on the Mishnah (earlier rabbinical commentary on the law) which were made in the schools of Palestine and Babylon from the 3rd and 4th centuries. The various interpretations were written down and collected together as the Gemara, and embodied in the ...

Gelderland
Province of the east Netherlands, bounded on the southeast by Germany, on the southwest by the River Maas, and on the northwest by the Ijsselmeer; area 5,020 sq km/1,938 sq mi; population (2003 est) 1,968,000. The capital is Arnhem; other main cities are Apeldoorn, Nijmegen, and Ede. Textiles, electrical goods, and paper are produce...

geyser
Click images to enlargeNatural spring that intermittently discharges an explosive column of steam and hot water into the air due to the build-up of steam in underground chambers. One of the most remarkable geysers is Old Faithful, in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. Geysers also occur in New Zealand and Icelan...

Geronimo
Chief of the Chiricahua Apache Indians and war leader. From 1875 to 1885, he fought US federal troops, as well as settlers encroaching on tribal reservations in the Southwest, especially in southeastern Arizona and New Mexico. After surrendering to General George Crook March 1886, and agreeing to go ...

German art
Painting and sculpture in the Germanic north of Europe from the 8th century AD to the present. This includes Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The Gothic style is represented by a wealth of woodcarvings and paintings for churches. Influences came from first the Low Countries and then Renaissance Italy, shown in the work of such painters as Albrech...

George, St
Patron saint of England. The story of St George rescuing a woman by slaying a dragon, evidently derived from the Greek Perseus legend, first appears in the 6th century. The cult of St George was introduced into Western Europe by the Crusaders. His feast day is 23 April. He is said to have been martyred at Lydda in Palestine in 303, probably under t...

Gentili, Alberico
Italian jurist. He practised law in Italy but having adopted Protestantism was compelled to flee to England, where he lectured on Roman law in Oxford. His publications, such as De Jure Belli/On the Law of War (1598), made him the first true international law writer and scholar

genre
Particular kind of work within an art form, differentiated by its structure, content, or style. For instance, the novel is a literary genre and the historical novel is a genre of the novel. The Western is a genre of film, and the symphonic poem is a musical genre. In the visual arts, genre refers to paintings that depict common incidents in the liv...

Genghis Khan
Mongol conqueror, ruler of all Mongol peoples from 1206. He conquered the empires of northern China 1211–15 and Khwarazm 1219–21, and invaded northern India in 1221, while his lieutenants advanced as far as the Crimea. When he died, his empire ranged from the Yellow Sea to the Black Sea;...

Geneva Convention
International agreement of 1864 regulating the treatment of those wounded in war, and later extended to cover the types of weapons allowed, the treatment of prisoners and the sick, and the protection of civilians in wartime. The rules were revised at conventions held in 1906, 1929, and 1949, and by the 1977 Additional Protocols

Geneva
(city) City in Switzerland, capital of Geneva canton, on the southwestern shore of Lake Geneva; population (2003 est) 178,900. It is a point of convergence of natural routes and is a cultural, financial, and administrative centre....