Toy dog, classification used by breeders and kennel clubs to designate very small breeds of dogs kept as pets. Some are selectively bred diminutive forms of larger breeds and others are natura...

Hoffman, Dustin, 1937–, American actor, b. Los Angeles. Not glamorous in the manner of earlier stars, Hoffman began on Broadway, but gained widespread popularity with his first major film, The...

Couperin, François, 1668–1733, French harpsichordist and composer, called le Grand to distinguish him from the other musicians in his family. His harpsichord music, in its charm, delicacy, and...

Wallpaper was used in Europe in the 16th and 17th cent. as an inexpensive substitute for costly hangings. The French developed marbled papers, introduced from the East via Italy and used at fi...

Schumann, Robert Alexander, 1810–56, German composer. Both as a composer and as a highly articulate music critic he was a leader of the romantic movement. He studied theory with Heinrich Dorn ...