Encyclopædia Britannica Australia -

Encyclopedias since 1768

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Fischer von Erlach, Johann Bernhard ... Fiske, John

Fischer von Erlach, Johann Bernhard: Austrian architect, sculptor, and architectural historian whose Baroque style, a synthesis of classical, Renaissance, and southern Baroque elements, shaped the tastes of the Habsburg empire. Fischer's works include the Dreifaltigkeitskirche (1694-1702) and the Kollegienkirche (1696-1707), both in Salzburg, and the ...
Fischer, Bobby: American chess master who became the youngest grandmaster in history when he received the title in 1958. His youthful intemperance and brilliant playing drew the attention of the American public to the game of chess, particularly when he won the ...
Fischer, Edmond H.: American biochemist who was the corecipient with Edwin G. Krebs of the 1992 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries concerning reversible phosphorylation, a biochemical mechanism that governs the activities of cell proteins.
Fischer, Emil: German chemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1902 in recognition of his investigations of the sugar and purine groups of substances.
Fischer, Ernst Otto: German theoretical chemist and educator who received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1973 for his identification of a completely new way in which metals and organic substances can combine. He shared the prize with Geoffrey Wilkinson of Great Britain.
Fischer, Hans: German biochemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1930 for research into the constitution of hemin, the red blood pigment, and chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants.
Fischer, Johann Michael: German architect, one of the most creative and prolific designers of late Baroque and Rococo churches in southern Germany.
Fischer, Kuno: German philosopher and educator who founded neo-Kantian thought with his System der Logik und Metaphysik (1852; "A System of Logic and Metaphysics").
Fischer, Ludwig: German operatic bass, famed for his vocal range of two and a half octaves.
Fischer-Dieskau, Dietrich: German operatic baritone and preeminent lieder singer, distinguished for his lyrical voice, commanding presence, and superb artistry.
Fischer-Tropsch reaction: conversion of so-called synthesis gas, composed mainly of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, to hydrocarbons through the influence of elevated temperatures and normal or elevated pressures in the presence of a catalyst of magnetic iron oxide.
Fischhof, Adolf: Austrian political theorist, one of the principal leaders of the Viennese revolution of 1848.
fiscus: the Roman emperor's treasury (where money was stored in baskets), as opposed to the public treasury (aerarium). It drew money primarily from revenues of the imperial provinces, forfeited property, and the produce of unclaimed lands.
fish: any of a variety of cold-blooded vertebrate animals (phylum Chordata) found in the fresh and salt waters of the world. Living species range from the primitive, jawless lampreys and hagfishes through the cartilaginous sharks, skates, and rays to the abundant ...
fish louse: any member of the crustacean subclass Branchiura, a group of parasites of migratory marine and freshwater fishes. Of the approximately 120 known species, most belong to the genus Argulus. The fish louse has a very distinctive oval-shaped, flattened body formed ...
fish meal: coarsely ground powder made from the cooked flesh of fish. Though formerly important as a fertilizer, fish meal is now primarily used in animal feed-especially for poultry, swine, mink, farm-raised fish, and pets. Certain species of oily fish, such as ...
fish oil: fatty oil from the bodies of fishes, used in the manufacture of many products, such as margarine, cooking oil, cosmetics, caulking compounds, paints, industrial coatings, lubricants, water repellents, soaps, and candles. It is also used in the tanning of leather, ...
fish owl: any of several species of owls of the family Strigidae (order Strigiformes). They live near water and eat fish as well as small mammals and birds. The several Asian species are of the genus Ketupa; the several African species are ...
fish poisoning: illness in humans resulting from the eating of varieties of poisonous fishes.
fish processing: preparation of seafood and freshwater fish for human consumption.
Fish River: stream in southern Namibia. It rises in Namaqualand and flows south across the Great Namaqualand plateau, where it cuts a spectacular gorge 1,000 to 2,300 feet (300 to 700 m) deep, to empty into the Orange River. It is about ...
fish sauce: in Southeast Asian cookery, a liquid seasoning prepared by fermenting freshwater or saltwater fish with salt in large vats. After a few months time, the resulting brownish, protein-rich liquid is drawn off and bottled. It is sometimes allowed to mature ...
Fish, Hamilton: U.S. secretary of state (1869-77) who skillfully promoted the peaceful arbitration of explosive situations with Great Britain and Latin America.
Fish, Stanley: American literary critic who is particularly associated with reader-response criticism, according to which the meaning of a text is created, rather than discovered, by the reader.
fish-finder: in commercial fishing, high-frequency sonar device for locating schools of fish. It transmits sound waves downward and receives echoes from the bottom of the sea, or from intervening schools of fish, also indicating distance from ship to fish. Two different ...
Fishburne, Laurence: American actor noted for the intensity of his performances. In 1992 he won a Tony Award for his work in August Wilson's play Two Trains Running, and in 1993 he won an Emmy Award for his guest ...
fisher: rare North American carnivore of northern forests, trapped for its valuable brownish black fur (especially fine in the female). It is a member of the weasel family (Mustelidae). The fisher has a weasellike body, bushy tail, tapered muzzle, and low, ...
Fisher, Alan: British labour leader, general secretary of the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) who improved pay for workers in local government, sanitation and sewage, and the National Health Service.
Fisher, Andrew: three-time Labor prime minister of Australia (1908-09, 1910-13, 1914-15) who sponsored important legislation in the fields of social welfare, economic development, labour relations, and defense.
Fisher, Bud: American cartoonist and creator of the comic strip "Mutt and Jeff."
Fisher, Clara: Anglo-American actress whose personality and performances inspired an enormous following in the United States.
Fisher, Dorothy Canfield: prolific American author of novels, short stories, children's books, educational works, and memoirs.
Fisher, Herbert Albert Laurens: British historian, educator, government official, and author who was an influential representative of the historical liberalism of his time.
Fisher, Irving: American economist best known for his work in the field of capital theory. He also contributed to the development of modern monetary theory.
Fisher, John Arbuthnot Fisher, 1st Baron: British admiral and first sea lord whose reforms between 1904 and 1910 ensured the dominance of the Royal Navy during World War I.
Fisher, M.F.K.: American writer whose compelling style, wit, and interest in the gastronomical made her one of the major American writers on the subject of food. In her 15 celebrated books, Fisher created a new genre: the food essay. Seeing food as ...
Fisher, Morris: American rifle shooter who won five Olympic gold medals during the 1920s.
Fisher, Saint John: English humanist, martyr, and prelate, who, devoted to the pope and to the Roman Catholic church, resisted King Henry VIII of England by refusing to recognize royal supremacy and the abolition of papal jurisdiction over the English church.
Fisher, Sir Ronald Aylmer: British statistician and geneticist who pioneered the application of statistical procedures to the design of scientific experiments.
fisherman's ring: the pope's signet ring; it shows St. Peter as a fisherman and has the reigning pope's name inscribed around the border. Used since the 13th century as a seal for private letters and since the 15th century for papal briefs, ...
fishery: harvesting of fish, shellfish, and sea mammals as a commercial enterprise, or the location or season of commercial fishing. Fisheries range from small family operations relying on traditional fishing methods to large corporations using large fleets and the most advanced ...
fishhook cactus: any hook-spined species of the family Cactaceae, especially small cacti of the genus Mammillaria but also including Ancistrocactus, Sclerocactus, and Ferocactus (see barrel cactus).
fishing: the sport of catching fish, freshwater or saltwater, typically with rod, line, and hook. Like hunting, fishing originated as a means of providing food for survival. Fishing as a sport, however, is of considerable antiquity. An Egyptian angling scene of ...
fishing cat: (species Felis viverrina), tropical cat of the family Felidae, found in India and Southeast Asia. The coat of the fishing cat is pale gray to deep brownish gray and marked with dark spots and streaks. The adult animal stands about ...
Fisk University: private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. One of the most notable historically black colleges, it is affiliated with the United Church of Christ. It offers undergraduate degree programs in business administration; humanities and fine arts, including ...
Fisk, James: flamboyant American financier, known as the "Barnum of Wall Street," who joined Jay Gould in securities manipulations and railroad raiding.
Fisk, Wilbur: American educator and Methodist clergyman, principal founder of Wesleyan Academy and Wesleyan University in Connecticut.
Fiske, Bradley Allen: U.S. naval officer and inventor whose new instruments greatly improved the efficiency and effectiveness of late 19th-century warships
Fiske, Fidelia: American missionary to Persia who worked with considerable success to improve women's education and health in and around Orumiyeh (Urmia), in present-day Iran.
Fiske, Harrison Grey: American playwright and theatrical manager who with his wife, Minnie Maddern Fiske, produced some of the most significant plays of the emerging realist drama, particularly those of Henrik Ibsen.
Fiske, John: American historian and philosopher who popularized European evolutionary theory in the United States.