limes Vle-mas\ plural limites Latin "path" In ancient Rome, a strip of open land along which troops advanced into unfriendly territory. It came to mean a Roman military road, fortified with watchtowers and forts. An example of this construction was the continuous system of fortifica¬ tions and barriers extending 345 mi (555 km) along the Roman frontier in Germany and Raetia. Hadrian's Wall also served as a limes. Though not impenetrable, the limites allowed the Romans to control communications along frontiers and deterred raiding parties. In the eastern and southern empire, limites were often used to guard caravan routes.
limestone Sedimentary rock composed mainly of calcium carbonate (CaC0 3 ), usually in the form of calcite and, less commonly, aragonite. It may contain considerable amounts of magnesium carbonate (dolomite) as well. Most limestones have a granular texture; in many cases, the grains are tiny fragments of fossil animal shells. Much knowledge of the Earth’s history has been derived from the study of fossils embedded in limestone and other carbonate rocks. Limestone is used as a soil conditioner, in the manufacture of glass, and in agriculture. Ornamental varieties are used for flooring, exterior and interior facings of buildings, and monuments.
Limfjorden Vlem-.fyor-donN Strait across northern Jutland, Denmark, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat. It is 110 mi (180 km) long and is actually a series of fjords dotted with islands. In 1825 the North Sea broke through the western part, and the Thybor0n Kanal was cut to keep the outlet open.
limit Mathematical concept based on the idea of closeness, used mainly in studying the behaviour of functions close to values at which they are undefined. For example, the function \/x is not defined at x = 0. For posi¬ tive values of x, as x is chosen closer and closer to 0, the value of l/x begins to grow rapidly, approaching infinity as a limit. This interplay of action and reaction as the independent variable moves closer to a given value is the essence of the idea of a limit. Limits provide the means of defining the derivative and integral of a function.
limitations, statute of Legislative act restricting the time within which legal proceedings may be brought, usually to a fixed period after the occurrence of the events that gave rise to the cause of action. Such statutes are enacted to protect persons against claims made after evidence has been lost, memories have faded, or witnesses have disappeared. The periods prescribed for different actions in different jurisdictions vary con¬ siderably.
limited liability Condition under which the loss that an owner (share¬ holder) of a business may incur is limited to the capital invested in the business and does not extend to personal assets. The forerunners of limited-liability companies were limited partnerships, which were com¬ mon in Europe and the U.S. in the 18th and early 19th centuries. In lim¬ ited partnerships, one partner is entirely liable for losses and the other partners are liable only for the amounts they invested in the business. After the Joint-Stock Companies Act (1844) in England made incorporation easier, joint-stock companies with limited liability for all members became widespread. The development of the limited-liability company was crucial to the rise of large-scale industry in the late 19th and 20th centuries, since it enabled businesses to mobilize capital from a variety of investors who were unwilling to risk their entire personal fortunes in their investments. See also RISK.
limited obligation bond See revenue bond
limnology \lim-'na-l3-je\ Subdiscipline of hydrology that concerns the study of fresh waters, specifically lakes and ponds (both natural and man¬ made), including their biological, physical, and chemical aspects. Frangois-Alphonse Forel (1841-1912) established the field with his stud¬ ies of Lake Geneva. Limnology traditionally is closely related to hydro¬ biology, which is concerned with the application of the principles and methods of physics, chemistry, geology, and geography to ecological problems.
Limoges \le-'mozh\ painted enamel Enamel work made in Limo¬ ges, France, generally considered the finest painted enamel ware produced in Europe in the 16th century. The earliest examples show religious scenes in the late Gothic style, but Italian Renaissance motifs appeared c. 1520. Painting in grisaille was later introduced. By the late 16th century the quality of the enamel ware had degenerated. See also Leonard Limosin.
Limoges ware Porcelain, largely service ware, produced in Limoges, France, from the 18th century. Faience of undistinguished quality was pro¬ duced there from 1736, but the manufacture of hard-paste, or true, por¬ celain dates only from 1771. In 1784 the factory was acquired as an adjunct of the royal factory at Sevres (see Sevres porcelain), and the deco¬ rations of the two wares became similar. After 1858 Limoges became a mass exporter of porcelain to the U.S. under the name Haviland.
Limon Ui-'monV, Jose (Arcadio) (b. Jan. 12, 1908, Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mex.—d. Dec. 2, 1972, Flemington, N.J., U.S.) Mexican-born U.S. mod¬ em dancer, choreographer, and founder-director of the Jose Limon Dance Company. At age seven he moved to the U.S., where he later studied with
rantifolia), widely grown in tropi-
Lime (Citrus aurantifolia).
GRANT HEILMAN PHOTOGRAPHY
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1116 I limonite ► Lincoln
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Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman and danced with their company (193CM-0). He established his own company in 1947, with Humphrey as artistic director. His choreography conveyed modern-dance expression within a well-defined structure, as exemplified by works such as The Moor’s Pavane (1949) and Missa Brevis (1958). The company toured worldwide during Limon’s life and remained active after his death.
MARTHA SWOPE
limonite \ , li-mo- l nit\ One of the major iron minerals, a hydrous ferric oxide of variable composition. Often brown and earthy, it is formed by alteration of other iron minerals, such as the hydration of hematite or the oxidation and hydration of sider- ITE Or PYRITE.
Limosin \le-mo-'za n \, Leonard or Leonard Limousin Vle-mti- 'za n \ (b. c. 1505, Limoges, Fr.—d. c.
1577, Limoges) French painter. The most accomplished member of a prominent Limoges family of enam- elers, he is known for the revealing realism of the portraits he painted on Limoges ware. His earliest authen¬ ticated work is his Passion of the Lord (1532), a series of 18 enamel plaques after prints by Albrecht DOrer. He was later influenced by the Ital¬ ian Mannerists who worked at Fontainebleau for Francis I, whom Limosin served as court painter. He was also an accomplished painter in oils.
Limousin \,li-m3-'zen,\ French \ l le-mo-'ze n \ Historical and government region, central France. Covering 6,541 sq mi (16,942 sq km), the mod¬ ern administrative region of Limousin (pop., 1999: 710,939) is roughly coextensive with the region when it held provincial status. The capital is Limoges (pop., 1999: 133,960). Originally inhabited by the ancient Gal¬ lic tribe of Lemovices, the region was conquered by Rome c. 50 bc. Under the Carolingians, it was part of Aquitaine. On Eleanor of Aquitaine’s mar¬ riage to King Henry II of England in 1152, it passed to English control. Subsequently fought over by England and France, it was finally annexed to the French crown under the French king Henry IV.
limpet Vlim-patN Any of various species of snails that have a flattened shell. Most marine species (subclass Prosobranchia) cling to rocks near shore. A common U.S. species is the Atlantic plate limpet ( Acmaea testu- dinalis) of cold waters. Keyhole lim¬ pets have a slit or hole at the apex of the shell. Some limpets (subclass Pulmonata) live in brackish water and freshwater. See also mollusk.