covering-law model Model of explanation according to which to explain an event by reference to another event necessarily presupposes an appeal to laws or general propositions correlating events of the type to be explained (explananda) with events of the type cited as its causes or con¬ ditions (explanantia). It is rooted in David Hume’s doctrine that, when two events are said to be causally related, all that is meant is that they instan¬ tiate certain regularities of succession that have been repeatedly observed to hold between such events in the past. This doctrine was given more rigorous expression by the logical positivist Carl Hempel (1905-1997).
coverture Vko-var-.churV In law, the inclusion of a woman in the legal person of her husband upon marriage. Because of coverture, married
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women formerly lacked the legal capacity to hold their own property or to contract on their own behalf (see contract); similarly, a husband’s tax payments or jury duty “covered” his wife as well. Aspects of coverture survived well into the 20th century; the term is still used in law when dividing jointly held property in divorce proceedings.
coving or cove Concave molding or deeply arched section of a wall surface. The curve typically describes a quarter-circle and serves to con¬ nect walls and ceiling (cove ceiling). The arched sections may be used to conceal light fixtures for dramatic effect, hence the term cove lighting. Coving can also refer to the curved soffit connecting the top of an exte¬ rior wall to a projecting eave.
cow In animal husbandry, the mature female of domesticated cattle. The name is also applied to the mature female of various, usually large, ani¬ mals (e.g., elephant, whale, or moose), or, more broadly, to any domestic bovine animal (see bovid) regardless of gender or age.
Coward, Sir Noel (Peirce) (b. Dec. 16, 1899, Teddington, near Lon¬ don, Eng.—d. March 26, 1973, St. Mary, Jam.) British playwright, actor, and songwriter. An actor from age 12, he wrote light comedies between engagements, but it was a serious drama. The Vortex (1924), that estab¬ lished his reputation. His classic comedies came later: Hay Fever (1925), Private Lives (1930), Design for Living (1933), Present Laughter (1939), and Blithe Spirit (1941) presented sophisticated characters in a worldly milieu. He often wrote for and performed with his close friend Gertrude Lawrence. His most popular musical play was Bitter Sweet (1929). He wrote the poignant film Brief Encounter (1945), and he acted in the film versions of many of his plays. He also wrote short stories, novels, and numerous songs, including “Mad Dogs and Englishmen.”
cowbird Any of six passerine species related to New World blackbirds (family Icteridae) that exhibit brood parasitism. Cowbirds lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, usually one to each host nest. Young cowbirds, which displace nestlings or outcompete them for food, may grow larger than the foster parents. In parts of North America, the brown-headed cowbird ( Molothrus ater) parasitizes the nests of more than 200 other bird species; others use the nests of only one or two kinds of oriole. Cowbirds forage on the ground, often associating with cattle in order to catch insects stirred up by the cows’ hooves. The male of most species is a uniform glossy black, the female grayish brown.
cowboy Horseman skilled at handling cattle in the U.S. West. From c. 1820, cowboys were employed in small numbers on Texas ranches, where they had learned the skills of the vaquero (Spanish: “cowboy”). After the Civil War, their numbers rapidly multiplied as cattle raising evolved into a lucrative industry throughout the western territories. Cowboys rounded up and branded the cattle, kept watch over the herd, and drove those ready for market to railroad towns. As the agricultural frontier moved west, the open range was transformed into farms, and by 1890 cowboys had been forced to settle on ranches. The romance of their image lived on in U.S. folklore and through movies and television.
Cowell, Henry (Dixon) (b. March 11, 1897, Menlo Park, Calif., U.S.—d. Dec. 10, 1965, Shady, N.Y.) U.S. avant-garde composer. He began early to experiment with techniques such as tone clusters and direct manipulation of piano strings. Five tours of Europe as composer-pianist (1923-33) expanded his reputation. He coinvented the Rhythmicon, an instrument for producing several conflicting rhythms simultaneously. Immensely prolific, he wrote nearly 1,000 pieces, including 19 completed symphonies, hundreds of piano works, and many ballets. In 1927 he founded the journal New Music. His book New Musical Resources (1930) presented his compositional ideas. He was one of the most important innovators in the history of American music.
Cowley, Abraham (b. 1618, London—d. July 28, 1667, Chertsey, Eng.) British poet and essayist. He was a fellow at the University of Cam¬ bridge but was ejected for his political opinions during the English Civil Wars; he joined the queen’s court, performing Royalist missions until 1656. In his poetic works—which include The Mistress (1647, 1656), the unfinished epic Davideis (1656), and Pindarique Odes (1656), in which he adapted the Pindaric ode to English verse—he used grossly elaborate, fanciful, poetic language that was more decorative than expressive. In his retirement he wrote sober, reflective essays.
Cowley, Malcolm (b. Aug. 24, 1898, Belsano, Pa., U.S.—d. March 27, 1989, New Milford, Conn.) U.S. literary critic and social historian. He was educated at Harvard and in France. As literary editor of the New
Republic (1929-44), he took part in many Depression-era literary and political battles, usually on the leftist side. He revived the reputation of William Faulkner with The Portable Faulkner (1946). His books include Exile’s Return (1934), a history of expatriate American writers; The Lit¬ erary Situation (1954), on the role of writers in society; and the collec¬ tions Think Back on Us (1967) and A Many-Windowed House (1970).
cowpea or black-eyed pea Any of the cultivated forms of the annual legume Vigna unguiculata. The plants are believed to be native to India and the Middle East but in early times were cultivated in China. The compound leaves have three leaflets. The white, purple, or pale-yellow flowers usually grow in twos or threes at the ends of long stalks. The pods are long and cylindrical. In the southern U.S. the cowpea is grown exten¬ sively as a hay crop, as a cover or green-manure crop, or for the edible BEANS.
Cowper \'ku-p3r\, William (b. Nov. 26, 1731, Great Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire, Eng.—d. April 25,
1800, East Dereham, Norfolk) Brit¬ ish poet. Throughout his life he was plagued by recurring mental instabil¬ ity and religious doubt. Olney Hymns (1779; with John Newton), a book of devotional verse, includes hymns that are still favourites in Protestant England. The Task( 1785), a long dis¬ cursive poem written “to recommend rural ease,” was an immediate suc¬ cess. He also wrote many melodious, even humorous, shorter lyrics, and he is considered one of the best letter writers in English. His work, often about everyday rural life, brought a new directness and humanitarianism to 18th-century nature poetry, fore¬ shadowing Romanticism.
cowrie Any of several marine snails (genus Cypraea ) found chiefly in coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans. Its humped, thick shell is beautifully coloured (often speckled) and glossy. That of the 4-in. (10-cm) golden cowrie was tra¬ ditionally worn by royalty on Pacific islands. The money cowrie, a 1-in.
(2.5-cm) yellow species, has served as currency in Africa and elsewhere.
cowslip Any of several flowering plants, including (chiefly in British usage) the wild primrose ( Primula veris) and (in U.S. usage) the marsh MARIGOLD (Caltha palustris). P veris, once so abundant that it was used freely to make cowslip wine, is now much less common. Both P. veris and C. palustris are used in herbal remedies.