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Possible definitions for ryk

rye
Cereal grass (Secale cereale) and its edible grain, used to make rye bread and rye whiskey, as livestock feed, and as a pasture plant. Native to SW Asia, today it is grown extensively in Europe, Asia, and N. America, mainly where climate and soil are relatively unfavorable for other cereals and as a winter crop where temperatures are too cool for winter wheat. Rye thrives at high altitudes and is the most winter-hardy of all small grains. It is high in carbohydrates and provides small quantities of protein, potassium, and B vitamins. Only rye and wheat have the necessary qualities to make a loaf of bread, but rye lacks the elasticity of wheat and thus is frequently blended with wheat flour. The tough fibrous straw of rye is used for animal bedding, thatching, mattresses, hats, and paper. Rye may be grown as a green manure crop.


Akkad
Ancient region, central Iraq. Akkad was the N division of ancient Babylonia (Sumer was the S division). Its name was taken from the city of Agade, founded by the conqueror Sargon c.2300 BC. Sargon and Naram-Sin united the city-states in the region and extended the empire to much of Mesopotamia, incl. Sumer, Elam, and the upper Tigris. The empire waned in the 22nd cent. BC. Under the kings of Akkad, their Semitic language, Akkadian, became a literary language, and great art was fostered.


ankh
Ancient Egyptian hieroglyph signifying life, consisting of a cross surmounted by a loop. In tomb inscriptions, gods and pharaohs are often pictured holding the ankh, which forms part of the hieroglyph for concepts such as health and happiness. It is used as a cross in the Coptic Orthodox Church.


Aryan
Prehistoric people that settled in Iran and N India. In the 19th cent. there arose a notion, propagated by the Comte de Gobineau and later by his disciple H. S. Chamberlain, of an "Aryan race": people who spoke Indo-European, especially Germanic, languages and lived in N Europe. These Aryans were considered to be superior to all other races. Though repudiated by numerous scholars, incl. F. Boas, the notion was seized on by A. Hitler and made the basis of the Nazi policy of exterminating Jews, Gypsies, and other "non-Aryans." See also racism.


Askja
Caldera, Iceland. The largest crater in the Dyngjufjö l volcanic massif, Askja lies 20 mi (32 km) north of Vatnajö kull, Iceland's largest ice field. Its rugged peaks, up to 4,954 ft (1,510 m), encircle a lake of 4.25 sq mi (11 sq km) that occupies the caldera. The volcano erupted in 1875 and again in 1961.


auk
In general, any of 22 species of diving birds (family Alcidae), especially the little auk and the razorbill, or razor-billed auk. Auks are 6-16 in. (15-40 cm) long, with short wings and legs and webbed feet. They occur only in Arctic, subarctic, and temperate regions (with a few species south to Baja California). Auks nest colonially on cliff ledges or in rock ...

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