August Ferdinand Möbius
Möbius, August Ferdinand (1790–1868), German mathematician and astronomer who developed the field of topology, which derived from his work in geometry.
21st Century Webster's Family Encyclopedia - Mississippian to Mud hen
Eduard Mörike
Mörike, Eduard (1804–75), German lyric poet.
Rudolf Ludwig Mössbauer
Mössbauer, Rudolf Ludwig (1929– ), German physicist.
Mississippi
Mississippi, state in the Deep South region of the United States; bordered by Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the south and west, and Arkansas to the west. Mississippi has 2 main land regions. The Mississippi Alluvial Plain, often called “the Delta,” lies on the state's western edge along the Mississippi River. Its ric…
Mississippi River
Mississippi River, chief river of the North American continent and the longest river in the United States, flowing about 2,350 mi (3,780 km) south from Lake Itasca in northwestern Minnesota to its enormous delta at the Gulf of Mexico, below New Orleans. Called the “father of waters” by Native Americans, the Mississippi drains an area of about 1.25 million sq mi (3,237,500 sq km). Wit…
Mississippian
Mississippian See: Mound Builders.
Missoula
Missoula (pop. 33,388), large city in western Montana known for its wood products.
Missouri
Missouri, state in central United States, considered part of the Midwest; bordered by Iowa to the north; the Mississippi River and Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee to the east; Arkansas to the south, and Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska to the west. Missouri's 4 land regions reflect a unique blending of North, South, East, and West. The state's southeastern corner is part of the rich …
Missouri Compromise
Missouri Compromise, package of measures adopted by the U.S.
Missouri River
Missouri River, second-longest river in the United States (about 2,500 mi/4,023 km) and chief tributary of the Mississippi, with which it forms the world's third-largest river system.
Mistletoe
Mistletoe, any of many species of evergreen parasitic plants of the family Loranthaceae with small, inconspicuous flowers.
Frédéric Mistral
Mistral, Frédéric (1830–1914), French poet.
Gabriela Mistral
Mistral, Gabriela (Lucila Godoy Alcayaga; 1889–1957), Chilean poet, educator, and diplomat awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1945.
Mitanni
Mitanni, kingdom that flourished in northern Mesopotamia (now southeastern Turkey) from about 1500 B.C.
Billy Mitchell
Mitchell, Billy (1879–1936), U.S. army officer and aviator.
John Newton Mitchell
Mitchell, John Newton (1913–88), U.S. attorney general (1969–72) and convicted Watergate felon.
Margaret Mitchell
Mitchell, Margaret (1900–49), U.S. writer.
Maria Mitchell
Mitchell, Maria (1818–89), U.S. astronomer who discovered a comet in 1847.
Wesley Clair Mitchell
Mitchell, Wesley Clair (1874–1948), U.S. economist and educator.
Mite
Mite, tiny arachnid, a relative of the spider with a rounded body and four pairs of legs.
Mithra
Mithra, ancient Indo-Iranian sun-god, one of the ethical lords, or gods, of Zoroastrianism.
Mithridates VI
Mithridates VI (132 B.C–63 B.C.), king of ancient Pontus, on the Black Sea, who fought three wars against the Roman state.
François Maurice Mitterrand
Mitterrand, François Maurice (1916–96), French politician, president of the republic from 1981–95.
Tom Mix
Mix, Tom (1880–1940), U.S. film actor and director whose popular westerns featured spectacular photography and daring horseriding.
Moabite stone
Moabite stone, ancient, black-basalt stone containing writing in Hebrew-Phoenician characters.
Mobile
Mobile (pop. 476,923), city in southwestern Alabama, on Mobile Bay, and connected by a deepwater channel to the Gulf of Mexico.
Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko (1930–97), president of the Republic of Zaïre (formerly the Belgian Congo) from 1966–97.
Moccasin flower
Moccasin flower See: Lady's-slipper.
Moccasin snake
Moccasin snake See: Water moccasin.
Mock orange
Mock orange, or syringa, small garden bush belonging to the saxifrage family and known for its clusters of tiny, light-colored, often-fragrant flowers.
Mockingbird
Mockingbird, any of several species of birds of the family Mimidae native to the Americas, with long tails, short rounded wings and well-developed legs.
Model Parliament
Model Parliament, English parliament set up in 1295 by King Edward I.
Amedeo Modigliani
Modigliani, Amedeo (1884–1920), Italian painter and sculptor best known for his nudes and portraits, works characterized by elegant elongated forms.
Modoc
Modoc, Native Americans who occupied parts of what is now California and Oregon.
Moffat Tunnel
Moffat Tunnel, U.S. railroad tunnel, one of the longest, running for over 6 mi (9.7 km) through James Peak, Colo.
Mogadishu
Mogadishu, or Mogadiscio (pop. 1,000,000), capital and major port city of the Somali Democratic Republic, located on the Indian Ocean.
Mogul Empire
Mogul Empire, Muslim empire in northern India (1526–1857), founded by Babur, who invaded India from Afghanistan.
Mohammad
Mohammad See: Muhammad.
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (1919–80), shah of Iran (1941–79).
Mohawk River
Mohawk River, chief tributary of the Hudson River.
Mohawks
Mohawks, Native American tribe, of what is now New York State, one of the five tribes of the Iroquois League, which had a highly developed culture that flourished through the 17th and 18th century.
Mohegan
Mohegan, North American Indian tribe of the Eastern Woodlands.
Mohican
Mohican See: Mahican; Mohegan.
László Moholy-Nagy
Moholy-Nagy, László (1895–1946), Hungarian painter, designer, and member of the German Constructivist school.
Mohorovicic discontinuity
Mohorovicic discontinuity, or Moho, seismic boundary of the earth originally regarded as separating the crust and mantle, evidenced by rapid increase in the velocity of seismic waves.
Moisture
Moisture See: Humidity; Weather.
Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert, barren area of mountains and desert valley in southeastern California.
Molar
Molar See: Teeth.
Mold
Mold, general name for a number of filamentous fungi that produce powdery or fluffy growths on fabrics, foods, and decaying plant or animal remains.
Moldova
Moldova, Republic in Eastern Europe, between Romania in the south and the Ukraine in the north. The capital is Chisinau. Moldova lies between the Prut River and the Dnestr River. Almost everywhere in Moldova, the soil consists of fertile black soil. The climate is continental, in the south it is slightly more moderate. In the deciduous forests wolves can still be found. Moldavians constitute 65&#x…
Mole
Mole, any of various small burrowing insect-eating mammals of the family Talpidae native to the Northern Hemisphere.
Mole
Mole, in chemistry, a quantity of particles equal to Avogadro's number, or 6.02252 × 1023.
Mole
Mole, in dermatology, pigmented spot or nevus in the skin, consisting of a localized group of special cells containing melanin.
Molecular biology
Molecular biology, study of the structure and function of the molecules that make up living organisms.
Molecular weight
Molecular weight, sum of the atomic weights of all the atoms in a molecule, expressed in atomic mass units.
Molecule
Molecule, smallest particle of a chemical compound that retains all the chemical properties of that compound.
Molière
Molière (1622–73), French playwright of high comedy and farce, also known for his skills as an actor and director.
Mollusk
Mollusk, any of many soft-bodied invertebrate animals (phyllum Mollusca), typically having a shell into which the body can withdraw.
Molly Maguires
Molly Maguires, secret society of Irish-Americans in the Pennsylvania coal-mining area, 1862–75.
Ferenc Molnár
Molnár, Ferenc (1878–1952), Hungarian author and playwright.
Moloch
Moloch, or Molech, Canaanite god of fire, to whom children were sacrificed, identified in the Old Testament as a god of the Ammonites.
Molokai
Molokai See: Hawaii.
Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov
Molotov, Vyacheslav Mikhailovich (1890–1986), Soviet diplomat and politician.
Molting
Molting, shedding of the skin, fur, or feathers by an animal.
Helmuth Karl Bernhard von Moltke
Moltke, Helmuth Karl Bernhard von (1801–91), Prussian and, later, German chief of staff (1858–88).
Molybdenum
Molybdenum, chemical element, symbol Mo; for physical constants see Periodic Table.
Mombasa
Mombasa (pop. 425,600), large port city in Kenya, on the Indian Ocean, an international center of shipping and industry.
Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa See: Da Vinci, Leonardo.
Monaco
Monaco, independent principality on the Mediterranean near the French-Italian border, about 370 acres (150 hectares) in area.
Monarchy
Monarchy, form of government in which sovereignty is vested in one person, usually for life.
Monasticism
Monasticism, religious way of life, usually communal and celibate, generally involving withdrawal from worldly concerns.
Monazite
Monazite, yellow to brown mineral containing phosphates of the rare earth elements cerium, lanthanum, and neodymium.
Viscount Monck
Monck, Viscount (1819–94), Irish-born governor general of British North America (1861–67) and first governor general of the Dominion of Canada (1867–68).
Moncton
Moncton (pop. 55,500), city in New Brunswick and the center of distribution and transportation for the Maritime Provinces of Canada.
Walter Mondale
Mondale, Walter (1928– ), 41st U.S. vice president (1977–81),under Jimmy Carter.
Piet Mondrian
Mondrian, Piet (1872–1944), Dutch painter and theorist, a founder of the Stijl movement.
Monera
Monera, group of primitive one-celled organisms that have no nucleus.
Claude Monet
Monet, Claude (1840–1926), French painter, leading exponent of impressionism, a term coined after his picture Impression, Sunrise (1872).
Monetarism
Monetarism, theoretical position in economics, chiefly associated with the work of Milton Friedman of the University of Chicago.
Money
The monetary system of the United States during most of the 19th century was based on bimetallism, which meant that both gold and silver were legal money. With the passing of the Gold Standard Act of 1900, the dollar was defined only in terms of gold. The Gold Reserve Act of 1934 reduced this dependence on gold, and in 1971 the nation went off the gold standard altogether. The nation's mone…
Mongol Empire
Mongol Empire, empire founded in the early 13th century by Genghis Khan (1167?–1227). Superb horseriders and archers, the Mongols of Central Asia were united into a well-disciplined, highly mobile army that conquered northern China by 1215 and then swept west through the Middle East and southern Russia, establishing a vast empire with its capital at Karakorum, in Mongolia. After Genghis Kha…
Mongolia
Mongolia, area in east central Asia divided into Outer Mongolia, or the Mongolian People's Republic, and Inner Mongolia, or the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. Mongolia as a whole is bordered by Russia to the north and by China to the south, east, and west. The land is largely a steppe plateau with an average elevation of 3,000 ft/914 m. The Hentiyn, Sayan, and other mountain ran…
Mongolism
Mongolism See: Down's syndrome.
Mongoose
Mongoose, small carnivorous mammal with a reputation for killing snakes and stealing eggs.
Monitor
Monitor, any of a family of mostly tropical lizards of the Eastern Hemisphere that includes the world's largest, the 10-ft (3-m) Komodo dragon, of Indonesia.
Monitor and Merrimack
Monitor and Merrimack, pioneer ironclad warships that fought the world's first battle between iron-armored vessels, at Hampton Roads, Va., on Mar. 9, 1862, during the U.S.
Thelonious Monk
Monk, Thelonious (1917–82), U.S. composer, pianist, bandleader, and one of the innovators of modern jazz in the 1940s.
Monkey
Monkey, any of several primates, suborder Anthropoidea.
Monkey bread
Monkey bread See: Baobab.
Monkey flower
Monkey flower, name of large group of herbs and shrubs (genus Mimulus) in the figwort family.
Duke of Monmouth
Monmouth, Duke of (1649–85), illegitimate son of King Charles II of England.
Jean Monnet
Monnet, Jean (1888–1979), French economist and politician, known as the architect of a united Western Europe.
Monongahela River
Monongahela River, river formed in West Virginia by the junction of the West Fork and Tygart rivers in Marion County.
Mononucleosis
Mononucleosis, also called infectious mononucleosis or glandular fever, infectious disease commonly affecting adolescents and young adults.
Monopoly
Monopoly, economic term describing significant control or ownership of a product or service (and thereby its price) because of command of the product's supply, legal privilege, or concerted action. There are different kinds of monopoly. Patents and copyrights are legal monopolies granted by a government to individuals or companies. A nationalized industry or service, such as the U.S. Postal…
Monotheism
Monotheism, belief in one God, contrasted with polytheism, pantheism, or atheism.
Monroe Doctrine
Monroe Doctrine, declaration of U.S. policy toward the newly independent states of Latin America, issued by President James Monroe on Dec. 2, 1823.
James Monroe
Monroe, James (1758–1831), fifth president of the United States. Monroe held office during the “Era of Good Feeling,” a period marked by the absence of party conflict and by exceptional national growth. Monroe entered the College of William and Mary at age 16, but left after 2 years to fight in the American Revolution. In 1780 he began to study law under the direction of Thoma…
Marilyn Monroe
Monroe, Marilyn (Norma Jean Baker; 1926–62), U.S. movie star who became world famous as a sex symbol.
Monrovia
Monrovia (pop. 425,000), capital city of Liberia, in West Africa, on Bushrod Island.
Monsoon
Monsoon, wind system in which the prevailing wind direction reverses in the course of the seasons, occurring where large temperature (hence pressure) differences arise between oceans and large land masses.
Mont Saint Michel
Mont Saint Michel, rocky isle off the northwestern French coast.
Montagnais
Montagnais, tribe of people that dwelled in Canada's Labrador Peninsula.
Michel Eyquem de Montaigne
Montaigne, Michel Eyquem de (1533–92), French writer, generally regarded as the originator of the personal essay.
Eugenio Montale
Montale, Eugenio (1896–1981), Italian poet and literary critic.
Montana
Montana, state in the northwestern United States in the Rocky Mountain region; bordered by Canada to the north, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and Idaho to the south and west. Montana’s two main land regions are separated by the Continental Divide, which marks the division between streams flowing west toward the Pacific and those flowing east toward …
Marquis de Montcalm
Montcalm, Marquis de (1712–59), French general, military commander in Canada from 1756 during the French and Indian Wars.
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo (pop. 13,100), town in Monaco, on the Mediterranean coast.
Monte Cristo
Monte Cristo, small Italian island.
Montenegro
Montenegro, smallest of the two constituent republics of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Monterey
Monterey (pop. 27,558), city in northern California on the Pacific coast, situated about 120 mi (193 km) south of San Francisco.
Montesquieu
Montesquieu (Charles de Secondat; 1689–1755), French political philosopher.
Maria Montessori
Montessori, Maria (1870–1952), Italian psychiatrist and educator.
Claudio Monteverdi
Monteverdi, Claudio (1567–1643), Italian composer.
Montevideo
Montevideo (pop. 1,247,900), capital and largest city of Uruguay, located in the south on the Rio de la Plata.
Montezuma
Montezuma, or Moctezuma, name of two Aztec rulers of Mexico before the Spanish conquest.
Simon de Montfort
Montfort, Simon de (1208?–65), Anglo-French leader who mounted a revolt against King Henry III.
Joseph Michel Montgolfier
Montgolfier, Joseph Michel (1740–1810) and Jacques Étienne (1745–99), French brothers noted for their invention of the first manned aircraft, the first practical hot-air balloon, which they flew in 1783.
Montgomery
Montgomery (pop. 194,000), capital of Alabama.
Bernard Law Montgomery
Montgomery, Bernard Law (1887–1976), British field marshal who defeated the Germans by Gen.
Monticello
Monticello, 640-acre (260-hectare) estate planned by Thomas Jefferson in Virginia, just outside Charlottesville.
Montpelier
Montpelier (pop. 8,241), capital of Vermont.
Montreal
Montreal (officially Montréal; pop. 3,127,200), city in southern Quebec, Canada, located on the island of Montréal at the confluence of the St.
Montserrat
Montserrat, Leeward Island in the West Indies, situated southeast of Puerto Rico.
Helen Wills Moody
Moody, Helen Wills See: Wills, Helen Newington.
Moon
Moon, natural satellite of the earth. The moon is 2,160 mi (3,476 km) in diameter, or about one-fourth the size of the earth, and has a smaller mass than the earth. It would take 82 moons to tip the scales against the earth. The moon is about 239,000 mi (384,623 km) from earth. The moon takes just under a calendar month, or 27.322 days, to orbit the earth. In fact, the word “month” i…
Moonflower
Moonflower, flowering climbing plant (Ipomaea bona-nox or Calonyction aculeatum) in the morning glory family.
Moor hen
Moor hen See: Gallinule.
Clement Clarke Moore
Moore, Clement Clarke (1779–1863), U.S. educator and poet.
Douglas Stuart Moore
Moore, Douglas Stuart (1893–1969), U.S. composer and teacher.
George Augustus Moore
Moore, George Augustus (1852–1933), Irish writer.
Henry Moore
Moore, Henry (1898–1986), English sculptor.
Marianne Moore
Moore, Marianne (1887–1972), U.S. poet, winner of the 1952 Pulitzer Prize for her Collected Poems.
Moorish art
Moorish art See: Islamic art.
Moors
Moors, North African nomadic people who adopted Islam and became ethnically fused with the Arabs during the expansion of Islam in the 7th century.
Moose
Moose, large, long-legged mammal (genus Alces) of the deer family, native to cold climates.
Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw (pop. 35,100), city in Canada, located in southern Saskatchewan, at the point where Thunder Creek and Moose Jaw River meet.
Moose River
Moose River, in northeastern Ontario, Canada.
Juan Rafael Mora
Mora, Juan Rafael (1814–1860), president of Costa Rica (1849–59).
Moral Majority
Moral Majority, strictly, the U.S. religious-political organization headed by the Rev.
Morality play
Morality play, form of drama popular at the end of the Middle Ages, from about the 14th to the 16th century.
Moravia
Moravia, eastern region of the Czech Republic, bounded on the west by the Bohemian highlands and on the east by the Carpathian Mountains.
Moravian Church
Moravian Church, Protestant church, also known as the Unitas Fratrum (Unity of Brethren), formed in 1457 by Bohemian followers of Jan Hus.
Moray
Moray See: Eel.
Saint Thomas More
More, Saint Thomas (1478–1535), English statesman, writer, and saint who was executed for his refusal to take the oath of supremacy recognizing Henry VIII as head of the English church.
Giovanni Battista Morgagni
Morgagni, Giovanni Battista (1682–1771), anatomist, the first person to make the study of diseases a science.
Morgan
Morgan, U.S. banking family famous for its immense financial power and its philanthropic activities.
John Hunt Morgan
Morgan, John Hunt (1825–64), Confederate general in the U.S.
Morgan's Raiders
Morgan's Raiders See: Morgan, John Hunt.
Sir Henry Morgan
Morgan, Sir Henry (1635–88), English adventurer and leader of the West Indies buccaneers.
Thomas Hunt Morgan
Morgan, Thomas Hunt (1866–1945), U.S. biologist who, through his experiments with the fruit fly Drosophila, established the relation between genes and chromosomes and thus the mechanism of heredity.
Henry Morgenthau Jr.
Morgenthau, Henry, Jr. (1891–1967), U.S. secretary of the treasury (1934–45).
Samuel Eliot Morison
Morison, Samuel Eliot (1887–1976), U.S. historian and Harvard professor who wrote the official 15-volume history of the U.S.
Berthe Morisot
Morisot, Berthe (1841–95), French impressionist painter.
Thomas Morley
Morley, Thomas (1557?–1603?), English composer noted for his madrigals.
Mormon cricket
Mormon cricket, insect (Anabrus simplex) belonging to the family of grasshoppers and katydids.
Mormons
Mormons, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith. Mormons accept Smith as having miraculously found and translated a divinely inspired record of the early history and religion of America, the Book of Mormon. With Smith's own writings and the Bible, this forms the Mormon scriptures. The Mormons' attempts to settle in Ohio and Missour…
Morning-glory
Morning-glory, common name for herbs, shrubs, and small trees of the family Convolvulaceae.
Morning star
Morning star See: Evening star.
Morocco
Morocco, kingdom in northwest Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea on the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Algeria and Western Sahara. Morocco occupies an area of c. 177,117 sq mi (458,730 sq km). In the north and east of the coastal plain, the ridges of the Rif Mountains form an arc from Ceuta to Melilla, 2 ports under Spanish suzerainty. South of the Rif, the Atlas Mountains extend sou…
Morpheus
Morpheus, in Greek mythology, one of the many offspring of Hypnos (Somnus), god of sleep.
Morphine
Morphine, addictive opium derivative used as a narcotic painkiller.
Gouverneur Morris
Morris, Gouverneur (1752–1816), U.S. politician responsible for planning the U.S. decimal coinage system.
Lewis Morris
Morris, Lewis (1726–98), U.S. patriot and signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Robert Morris
Morris, Robert (1734–1806), U.S. financier who funded the American Revolution and signed the Declaration of Independence.
William Morris
Morris, William (1834–96), English artist, poet, and designer.
Toni Morrison
Morrison, Toni (Chloe Anthony Wofford; 1931– ), U.S. novelist.
Morse code
Morse code, telegraphic signal system devised (1838) by Samuel Morse for use in transmitting messages.
Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Morse, Samuel Finley Breese (1791–1872), U.S. inventor of an electric telegraph and portrait painter.
John Morton
Morton, John (1724–77), U.S. patriot and signer of the Declaration of Independence.
William Thomas Green Morton
Morton, William Thomas Green (1819–68), U.S. dentist who pioneered the use of diethyl ether as an anesthetic (1844–46).
John Singleton Mosby
Mosby, John Singleton (1833–1916), Confederate U.S.
Moscow
Moscow (Russian: Moshva; pop. 8,801,000), capital of the Russian Federation and capital of the former USSR, on both banks of the Moskva River. It is Russia's largest city, and its political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and communications center. Some leading industries are chemicals, textiles, wood products, and a wide range of heavy machinery, including aircraft and automobiles. Mosc…
Moscow Art Theater
Moscow Art Theater, influential Russian repertory theater famed for its ensemble acting and its introduction of new techniques in stage realism.
or Mosel River Moselle
Moselle, or Mosel River, tributary of the Rhine River, about 339 mi (545 km) long, arising in northeastern France; it flows into Germany, where it empties into the Rhine at Koblenz.
Moses
Moses (c.13th century B.C.), Hebrew lawgiver and prophet who led the Israelites out of Egypt.
Edwin Corley Moses
Moses, Edwin Corley (1955– ), U.S. track and field athlete in hurdling events.
Grandma Moses
Moses, Grandma (Anna Mary Robertson Moses; 1860–1961), U.S. artist of the primitive style.
Phoebe Ann Moses
Moses, Phoebe Ann See: Oakley, Annie.
Mosque
Mosque, Muslim place of worship.
Mosquitia
Mosquitia See: Mosquito Coast.
Mosquito
Mosquito, any of 35 genera of small insects belonging to the fly order Diptera of the family Culicidae.
Mosquito Coast
Mosquito Coast, coastal landstrip in Nicaragua and Honduras, along the Caribbean Sea.
Mosquito hawk
Mosquito hawk See: Nighthawk.
Moss
Moss, primitive plants related to the liverworts.
Mossbunker
Mossbunker See: Menhaden.
Moth
Moth, insect that, together with the butterfly, makes up the order Lepidoptera.
Mother of Canada
Mother of Canada See: Saint Lawrence River.
Mother Carey's chicken
Mother Carey's chicken See: Petrel.
Mother Goose
Mother Goose, fictitious character who wrote many collections of fairy tales and nursery rhymes.
Mother Jones
Mother Jones See: Jones, Mary Harris.
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa See: Teresa, Mother.
Robert Motherwell
Motherwell, Robert (1915–91), U.S. painter and theoretician, a leading exponent of abstract expressionism.
perpetual Motion
Motion, perpetual See: Perpetual motion machine.
Motion pictures
Motion pictures, the art of interpreting reality and presenting entertainment or information by projecting a series of connected photographs in rapid succession onto a screen. The illusion of motion pictures rests upon the eye's tendency to retain an image for a fraction of a second after that image has been withdrawn. If a series of pictures is prepared showing, in gradual progression, the…
Motmot
Motmot, indigenous forest-bird family of South America.
Motor
Motor See: Electric motor; Engine; Rocket.
Motor car
Motor car See: Automobile.
Motorcycle
Motorcycle, motorized bicycle developed in 1885 by Gottlieb Daimler.
Lucretia Coffin Mott
Mott, Lucretia Coffin (1793–1880), U.S. reformer, pioneer of women's rights.
William Moultrie
Moultrie, William (1730–1805), patriot general during the Revolutionary War.
Mound bird
Mound bird, any of 12 species of birds in the megapode family.
Mound Builders
Mound Builders, in archeology, early native North Americans who built large mounds, primarily in valleys of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and the Great Lakes region.
Mount Aetna
Mount Aetna See: Mount Etna.
Mount Elbrus
Mount Elbrus, highest mountain peak in Europe.
Mount Etna
Mount Etna, active volcano on the eastern coast of Sicily.
Mount Everest
Mount Everest, highest mountain on earth.
Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji, highest mountain in Japan.
Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro See: Kilimanjaro.
Mount McKinley
Mount McKinley, highest mountain in North America, part of Denali National Park.
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus, highest mountain in Greece.
Mount Palomar Observatory
Mount Palomar Observatory See: Palomar Observatory.
Mount Parnassus
Mount Parnassus See: Parnassus.
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier, highest mountain in Washington State; also known as Tacoma, its Native American name.
Mount Royal
Mount Royal See: Montreal.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Mount Rushmore National Memorial, memorial, carved into the northeast side of Mt.
Mount Saint Helens
Mount Saint Helens, active volcano in the Cascade Range of the southwest region of Washington.
Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta, inactive volcano in northern California.
Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai See: Sinai.
Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, restored Georgian home of George Washington (1747–99) on the Potomac River in Virginia, south of Washington, D.C.
Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius, only active volcano on mainland Europe, in southern Italy near Naples.
Mount Washington
Mount Washington, mountain with the highest peak in northeastern United States.
Mount Whitney
Mount Whitney, highest mountain in the United States excluding Alaska.
Mount Wilson Observatory
Mount Wilson Observatory, astronomical observatory located on Mount Wilson 5,710 ft (1,740 m) above sea level, near Los Angeles, California.
Mountain
Mountain, land mass elevated substantially above its surroundings.
Mountain ash
Mountain ash, name for various trees and shrubs of genus Sorbus, rose family, native particularly to high elevations in the Northern Hemisphere.
Mountain beaver
Mountain beaver, or sewellel (Aplodontia rufa), nocturnal, burrowing rodent of western North America.
Mountain goat
Mountain goat See: Chamois; Ibex; Rocky Mountain goat.
Mountain laurel
Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), evergreen shrub or tree in the heath family.
Mountain lion
Mountain lion, also known as catamount, cougar, panther, or puma, member of the cat family that inhabited the United States and Canada prior to settlement.
Mountain men
Mountain men, pioneer fur trappers and traders in the Rocky Mountains in the 1820s and 1830s.
Mountain nestor
Mountain nestor See: Kea.
Mountain sheep
Mountain sheep See: Bighorn.
Mountaineering
Mountaineering, climbing of hills, cliffs, or mountains for exploration or sport. There are two types of climbing: free climbing, in which the climber ascends by using protrusions and cracks in the rocks as holds; and artificial climbing, where ladders and slings are used as aids in climbing difficult places having no natural holds. Mountaineers usually climb in a team, roped together for safety. …
Louis Mountbatten
Mountbatten, Louis (Francis Albert Victor Nicholas, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma; 1900–79), English admiral and politician.
Mounted Police
Mounted Police See: Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Mourning dove
Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura), bird belonging to the pigeon and dove family.
Mouse
Mouse, term applied loosely to many small rodents.
Modest Mousorgski
Mousorgski, Modest See: Mussorgsky, Modest.
Mouth
Mouth, opening through which humans and animals take food.
Movie
Movie See: Motion pictures.
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Moynihan, Daniel Patrick (1927– ), U.S. senator from New York since 1977.
Mozambique
Mozambique, country in southeast Africa, bordered on the north by Tanzania, on the northwest by Malawi and Zambia, on the west by Zimbabwe and South Africa, on the southwest by South Africa and Swaziland, and on the east by the Indian Ocean. The capital is Maputo. Mozambique has an area of 303,075 sq mi (784,964 sq km), mostly fertile low-lying plateau and coastal plain. Of the country's ma…
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756–91), Austrian composer whose brief career produced some of the world's greatest music.
MS
MS See: Multiple sclerosis.
Mswati III
Mswati III (Prince Makhosetive; 1968– ), king of Swaziland since 1986, son of King Sobhuza II, whom he succeeded to become the world's youngest head of state.
Hosni Mubarak
Mubarak, Hosni (1928– ), president of Egypt since 1981.
Muckraker
Muckraker, term coined in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt to journalists specializing in sensational exposés of corrupt businesses and political procedures.
Mucoviscidosis
Mucoviscidosis See: Cystic fibrosis.
Mud hen
Mud hen See: Coot.