See Also: Tien Shan(encyclopedia)
Herbal medicine (botanical medicine, herbology, phytomedicine)(health)
tien (as used in expressions)(encyclopedia)
Tien Giang(tourism)
Tan Tien - Martial Arts(gambling)
Tien Giang hotels(tourism)
shan(1)(dictionary)
shan't(dictionary)
shan(2)(dictionary)
Mao Shan(encyclopedia)

alabaster (medicine) and Tien Shan (sh)


alabaster (medicine)


alabaster


1. <chemical> A compact variety or sulphate of lime, or gypsum, of fine texture, and usually white and translucent, but sometimes yellow, red, or gray. It is carved into vases, mantel ornaments, etc. A hard, compact variety of carbonate of lime, somewhat translucent, or of banded shades of colour; stalagmite. The name is used in this sense by Pliny. It is sometimes distinguished as oriental alabaster.

2. A box or vessel for holding odouriferous ointments, etc.; so called from the stone of which it was originally made.

Origin: L. Alabaster, Gr, said to be derived fr. Alabastron, the name of a town in Egypt, near which it was common: cf. OF. Alabastre, F. Albatre.

Source: Websters Dictionary


Tien Shan (sh)




Chinese Tian Shan or T'ien Shan ("Celestial Mountains")

Mountain chain, Central Asia.

Lying mainly in Kyrgyzstan and northwestern China (Xinjiang autonomous region), its ranges and valleys stretch for about 1,500 mi (2,500 km) in an east-west direction. Its highest point is Victory Peak (Pik Pobeda) in Kyrgyzstan, which reaches 24,406 ft (7,439 m); the peak was discovered in 1943 by a Soviet expedition. Most of the area's population lives in the Fergana Valley of Uzbekistan.