Oxford, Edward de Vere, 17th earl of orig. Edward de Vere
(b. April 12, 1550, Castle Hedingham, Essex, Eng.—d. June 24, 1604, Newington, Middlesex) English lyric poet. A brilliantly gifted linguist and one of the most dashing figures of his time, Oxford was also reckless, hot-tempered, and disastrously spendthrift. He was the patron of an act¬ ing company, Oxford’s Men, and possibly later of the Lord Chamberlain's Men (as hereditary Lord Great Chamberlain of England), as well as of such writers as John Lyly and Edmund Spenser. He wrote highly praised poems and plays in his earlier years, though none of the plays are known to have survived. A 1920 book by J. Thomas Looney made Oxford the
leading candidate, next to William Shakespeare himself, for the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays, a theory supported by the coincidence that Oxford’s literary output apparently ceased just before Shakespeare’s work began to appear. A major difficulty in the Oxfordian theory, however, is his death date (1604), because, according to standard chronology, 14 of Shakespeare’s plays, including many of the most important ones, were apparently written after that time. The debate, however, remained lively into the 21st century.
Oxford, Provisions of (1258) Plan of reform accepted by Henry III of England. On the verge of bankruptcy, Henry asked Parliament for a grant of revenue and agreed in return to a program of reform drafted by a royal commission. Regarded as England’s first written constitution, the Provisions placed the government under the direction of the king and a 15-member baronial council, provided for Parliament to meet three times a year, and reformed local administration. They were annulled by the Dictum of Kenilworth (1266).
Oxford, University of Autonomous university at Oxford, Oxford¬ shire, England. It was founded in the 12th century and modeled on the University of Paris, with initial faculties of theology, law, medicine, and the liberal arts. Of the earliest colleges. University College was founded in 1249, Balliol c. 1263, and Merton in 1264. Early scholars of note include Roger Bacon, John Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, and John Wycliffe. In the Renaissance, Desiderius Erasmus and St. Thomas More helped enhance its already considerable reputation. By then faculties of physical science, political science, and other fields had been added. The first women’s college. Lady Margaret Hall, was established in 1878. There are 32 other colleges and collegial institutions. Oxford houses the Bodlei¬ an Library and the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology. Oxford University Press (1478) is the world’s oldest, largest, and most famous university publisher. Oxford has been associated with many of the great¬ est names in British history.
Oxford English Dictionary, The (OED) Definitive historical dic¬ tionary of the English language. It was conceived by London’s Philologi¬ cal Society in 1857, and sustained editorial work began in 1879 under James Murray. Published in 10 volumes between 1884 and 1928, it first appeared under its current name in 1933. Its definitions are arranged mostly in order of historical occurrence and illustrated with dated quo¬ tations from English-language literature and records. Its second edition was published in 20 volumes in 1989.
Oxford movement or Praetorian movement (1833^45) Move¬ ment within the Church of England that aimed to emphasize the church’s Catholic inheritance as a source of legitimacy and deeper spirituality. Its main intent was to defend the Church of England as a divine institution against the threats of liberal theology, rationalism, and government inter¬ ference. Though some in the movement (notably John Henry Newman and Henry E. Manning) ended up converting to Catholicism, most did not. Their concern for a higher standard of worship influenced not only the Church of England but also other British Protestant sects. The movement was also instrumental in the establishment of Anglican monasteries and convents.
Oxfordshire Vaks-fsrd-.shhA Administrative (pop., 2001: 605,492) and historic county, south-central England. It consists of two upland areas divided by a broad vale. Evidence of inhabitation dates from the Paleo¬ lithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods. Dorchester was an important Roman settlement; subsequent Saxon settlement was concentrated along the Thames River valley. The county saw action during the English Civil Wars. Oxfordshire’s economy is basically agricultural, with sheep farm¬ ing and wool production. Cowley, a suburb of the county seat of Oxford, is the major industrial centre.
oxidation-reduction or redox Any chemical reaction in which elec¬ trons are transferred. Addition of hydrogen or electrons is reduction, and removal of hydrogen or electrons is oxidation (originally applied to com¬ bination with oxygen but now including transfer of hydrogen or electrons). The processes always occur simultaneously: one substance is oxidized by the other, which it reduces. The conditions of the substances before and after are called oxidation states, to which numbers are given and with which calculations can be made. (Valence is a similar but not identical concept.) The chemical equation that describes the electron transfer can be written as two separate half reactions that can in theory be carried out in separate compartments of an electrolytic cell (see electrolysis), with electrons flowing through a wire connecting the two. Strong oxidizing
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1428 I oxide ► Ozma
agents include fluorine, ozone, and oxygen itself; strong reducing agents include alkali metals such as sodium and lithium.
oxide Any of a large and important class of chemical compounds in which oxygen is combined with another element. Metal oxides contain a metal cation and the oxide anion (0 2 _ ); they typically react with water to form bases or with acids to form salts. Oxides of nonmetallic elements are volatile compounds in which a covalent bond joins the oxygen and the nonmetal; they react with water to form acids or with bases to form salts. A few substances (e.g., aluminum, zinc) form amphoteric oxides, which form salts with both acids and bases. Certain organic compounds form oxides in which the oxygen is covalently bonded to an atom of nitrogen (amine oxides), phosphorus (phosphine oxides), or sulfur (sulfoxides) in the organic molecule.
oxide mineral Any naturally occurring inorganic compound with a structure based on close-packed oxygen atoms in which smaller, posi¬ tively charged metal or other ions occur. Oxide minerals are common in all rock types, whether igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic.
Oxus River See Amu Darya
oxygen Gaseous chemical element, chemical symbol O, atomic number 8. It constitutes 21% (by volume) of air and more than 46% (by weight) of Earth’s crust, where it is the most plentiful element. It is a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas, occurring as the diatomic molecule 0 2 . In respi¬ ration, it is taken up by animals and some bacteria (and by plants in the dark), which give off carbon dioxide (C0 2 ). In photosynthesis, green plants assimilate carbon dioxide in the presence of sunlight and give off oxygen. The small amount of oxygen that dissolves in water is essential for the respiration of fish and other aquatic life. Oxygen takes part in combus¬ tion and in corrosion but does not itself burn. It has valence 2 in com¬ pounds; the most important is water. It forms oxides and is part of many other molecules and functional groups, including nitrate, sulfate, phosphate, and carbonate; alcohols, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, and ketones; and per¬ oxides. Obtained for industrial use by distillation of liquefied air, oxygen is used in steelmaking and other metallurgical processes and in the chemi¬ cal industry. Medical uses include respiratory therapy, incubators, and inhaled anesthetics. Oxygen is part of all gas mixtures for manned space¬ craft, scuba divers, workers in closed environments, and hyperbaric cham¬ bers. It is also used in rocket engines as an oxidizer (in liquefied form) and in water and waste treatment processes.