Lautrec, Henri de Toulouse- See Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
lava Molten rock originating as magma in the Earth’s mantle that pours out onto the Earth’s surface through volcanic vents (see volcano) at tem¬ peratures of about 1,300-2,200 °F (700-1,200 °C). Mafic lavas, such as basalt, form flows known by the Hawaiian names pahoehoe and aa. Pahoehoe is smooth and gently undulating; the lava moves through natu¬ ral pipes known as lava tubes. Aa is very rough, covered with a layer of loose, irregular fragments called clinker, and flows in open channels. Lava that starts out as pahoehoe may turn into aa as it cools. Lavas of interme¬ diate composition form a block lava flow, which also has a top consisting largely of loose rubble, but the fragments are fairly regular in shape, mostly polygons with relatively smooth sides. See also bomb; nuee ardente.
Lava Beds National Monument Region, northern California, U.S. It features recent lava flows and related volcanic formations, including deep chasms, chimneys, and cinder cones that rise to 300 ft (90 m) in height. The main battle sites of the Modoc Indian war (1872-73) are located within the monument, which occupies an area of 72 sq mi (186 sq km). It was dedicated as a national monument in 1925.
Laval \b-'val\ City (pop., 2001: 343,005), southern Quebec, Canada. It occupies the whole of Jesus Island, 20 mi (32 km) long and 8 mi (12 km) wide, and is located north of Montreal. First settled in 1681, it was granted to the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1699 and named for Frangois de Laval, the first Roman Catholic Canadian bishop. Development of Jesus Island’s Montreal suburbs began after 1945; in 1965 they were merged to form Laval. Development has been rapid with the opening of industrial parks there.
Laval \la-'val\, Carl Gustaf Patrik de (b. May 9, 1845, Blasenborg, Swed.—d. Feb. 2, 1913, Stockholm) Swedish scientist, engineer, and inventor. Laval built his first impulse steam turbine in 1882. Further advances followed, including a reversible turbine for marine use. A Laval reaction turbine attained a speed of 42,000 revolutions per minute. By 1896 he was operating a complete power plant using an initial steam pressure of 3,400 lbs per sq in. He invented and developed the divergent nozzle to deliver steam to the turbine blades. His flexible shaft and double¬ helical gear formed the foundation for most subsequent steam turbine development.
Laval \la-'val\, Pierre (b. June 28, 1883, Chateldon, France—d. Oct. 15, 1945, Paris) French politician. A member of the Chamber of Depu¬ ties (1914-19, 1924-27) and later the Senate (from 1927), he also held a number of cabinet posts, and, as France’s premier (1931-32, 1935-36), he developed the widely denounced Hoare-Laval Pact. In 1940, as min¬ ister of state in Philippe Petain’s government (see Vichy France), he began negotiations with the Germans on his own initiative, which aroused sus¬ picion. Petain soon dismissed him, but in 1942 he returned as head of the government. He agreed to provide French labourers for German indus¬ tries and announced in a speech that he desired a German victory. In 1945 he was tried and executed as a traitor to France.
Laval University French-language university in Quebec city, Quebec, Canada. Its predecessor institution, the Seminary of Quebec (founded 1663), is considered Canada’s first institution of higher learning. The seminary was granted a university charter in 1852 and reorganized in 1970. Today the university has undergraduate and graduate degree pro¬ grams in numerous fields.
lavender Any of about 20 species of evergreen shrubs that make up the genus Lavandula in the mint family, the leaves and flowers of which con¬
tain scented oil glands. The spikes of flowers are purple, less commonly pink or white. Native to the Mediter¬ ranean, lavender is cultivated widely.
Several species yield essential oil for fine perfumes and cosmetics. The narrow fragrant leaves and flowers are dried for use in sachets and pot¬ pourris. Lavender is widely used in aromatherapy for its clean, fresh scent.
Laver, Rod(ney George) (b.
Aug. 9, 1938, Rockhampton,
Queen., Austl.) Australian tennis player. He joined Australia’s Davis Cup team when he was 18 years old and remained on the squad until 1962. Nicknamed “Rocket,” he became the second male player (after Don Budge) to win the grand slam (1962) and the first to repeat the feat (1969). He turned professional in 1963 and in 1971 became the first tennis player to surpass $1 million in career prize money.
Lavoisier \b-'vwa-ze-,a\, Antoine (-Laurent) (b. Aug. 26, 1743, Paris, France—d. May 8, 1794, Paris) French chemist, regarded as the father of modern chemistry. His work on combustion, oxidation (see oxidation-reduction), and GASes (especially those in air) overthrew the phlo¬ giston doctrine, which held that a component of matter (phlogiston) was given off by a substance in the process of combustion. That theory had held sway for a century. He formulated the principle of the conservation of mass (i.e., that the weights of the reactants must add up to the weights of the products) in chemical reactions, clarified the distinction between ele¬ ments and compounds, and was instrumental in devising the modern sys¬ tem of chemical nomenclature (naming oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon). He was among the first to use quantitative procedures in chemical inves¬ tigations, and his experimental ingenuity, exact methods, and cogent rea¬ soning, along with the resultant discoveries, revolutionized chemistry. He also worked on physical problems, especially heat, and on fermentation, respiration, and animals. Independently wealthy, he had a simultaneous career as a public servant of remarkable versatility in areas including finance, economics, agriculture, education, and social welfare. A reformer and political liberal, he was active in the French Revolution but came under increasing attack from extremists and was guillotined.
Lavrovsky \lav-Tof-ske\, Leonid (Mikhaylovich) (b. June 18, 1905, St. Petersburg, Russia—d. Nov. 26, 1967, Paris, Fr.) Russian dancer, choreographer, teacher, and Bolshoi Ballet director. He studied ballet in St. Petersburg until 1922 and soon was dancing leading roles with the Kirov Ballet, of which he became artistic director in 1938. During 1944-56 and 1960-64 he was chief choreographer of the Bolshoi Ballet, and he became director of its school in 1964. His choreographic work, which began in 1930, included Fadetta (1934), Romeo and Juliet (1940), Giselle (1944), The Stone Flower (1954), and Night City (1961).
law Discipline and profession concerned with the customs, practices, and rules of conduct that are recognized as binding by the community. Enforcement of the body of rules is through a controlling authority, such as a group of elders, a regent, a court, or a judiciary. Comparative law is the study of the differences, similarities, and interrelationships of differ¬ ent systems of law. Important areas in the study and practice of law include administrative law, antitrust law, business law, constitutional law, criminal LAW, environmental law, family law, health law, immigration law, intellectual property law, international law, labour law, maritime law, pro¬ cedural law, property law, public interest law, tax law, trusts and estates, and torts. See also Anglo-Saxon law; canon law; civil law; common law; equity; Germanic law; Indian law; Islamic law (SharI^h); Israeli law; Japa¬ nese law; jurisprudence; military law; Roman law; Scottish law; Soviet law.
Law, (Andrew) Bonar (b. Sept. 16, 1858, Kingston, N.B., Can.—d. Oct. 30, 1923, London, Eng.) Prime minister of Britain (1922-23), the first born in a British overseas possession. Reared in Scotland, he was elected to the House of Commons in 1900 and became leader of the Con¬ servative Party in 1911. He served as colonial secretary (1915-16) and as chancellor of the Exchequer (1916-18), and he was leader of the House of Commons (1916-21). After David Lloyd George’s resignation in 1922, Law formed a Conservative government as prime minister, but he resigned seven months later because of ill health.