Definitions
KA

Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca

(1774) Pact signed after the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–74, in Küçük Kaynarca (now Kaynardzha), Bulg., ending undisputed Ottoman control of the Black Sea. The treaty extended the Russian frontier to the southern Bug River and allowed Russia to navigate freely in Ottoman waters through the Bosporus Strait and the Dardanelles. Most far-reaching was a religious stipulation allowing Russia to represent Eastern Orthodox Christians in several regions, which Russia later interpreted as the right to intervene to protect Eastern Orthodox Christians anywhere in the Ottoman Empire.

Learn more about Küçük Kaynarca, Treaty of with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(1774) Pact signed after the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–74, in Küçük Kaynarca (now Kaynardzha), Bulg., ending undisputed Ottoman control of the Black Sea. The treaty extended the Russian frontier to the southern Bug River and allowed Russia to navigate freely in Ottoman waters through the Bosporus Strait and the Dardanelles. Most far-reaching was a religious stipulation allowing Russia to represent Eastern Orthodox Christians in several regions, which Russia later interpreted as the right to intervene to protect Eastern Orthodox Christians anywhere in the Ottoman Empire.

Learn more about Küçük Kaynarca, Treaty of with a free trial on Britannica.com.

or Carinthia

State (pop., 2004 est.: 559,078), southern Austria. Bordered by Italy and Slovenia, it occupies an area of 3,682 sq mi (9,536 sq km) and has its capital at Klagenfurt. Originally inhabited by Celts, it became part of the Roman province of Noricum. Made a separate duchy in 976, it was a crown land of the Habsburgs in 1335. After World War I, parts were claimed by Yugoslavia and Italy.

Learn more about Kärnten with a free trial on Britannica.com.

or Kanishka

(flourished 1st century AD) Greatest king of the Kushān dynasty that ruled over the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, Afghanistan, and possibly regions north of Kashmir in Central Asia. He is thought to have taken the throne between AD 78 and 144 and to have ruled for 23 years. Kanissubdotka is noted for having convened a Buddhist council that marked the beginnings of Mahayana Buddhism. He was a tolerant king who honoured the Zoroastrian, Greek, and Brahmanic deities as well as Buddha. During his reign, trade with the Roman Empire increased significantly, and contact between him and the Chinese in Central Asia may have inspired the transmission of Buddhism to China.

Learn more about Kanissubdotka with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Most sacred Muslim shrine, located near the centre of the Great Mosque in Mecca. All Muslims face toward it in their daily prayers. The cube-shaped structure, made of gray stone and marble, has its corners roughly oriented to the points of the compass; the interior contains only pillars and silver and gold lamps. Pilgrims to Mecca walk around the Kaaynbah seven times and on its eastern side touch the Black Stone of Mecca, which may date from the pre-Islamic religion of the Arabs. Tradition holds that the Kaaynbah was built by Abraham and Ishmael. In 630 Muhammad purged the place of its pagan idols and rededicated it to Islam.

Learn more about Kaaynbah with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born June 3, 1899, Budapest, Hung.—died June 13, 1972, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.) Hungarian-born U.S. physicist and physiologist. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1947 and taught at Harvard University in 1947–66. He discovered that sound vibrations travel along a membrane in the cochlea in waves, peaking at different places, where nerve receptors determine pitch and loudness. His research resulted in greatly expanded understanding of the hearing process, partly through instrumentation Békésy had helped design, and the differentiation of forms of deafness, which permitted the selection of proper treatment. He received a 1961 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.

Learn more about Békésy, Georg von with a free trial on Britannica.com.

The KA-BAR is a 12-inch fighting and utility Bowie knife used by the United States Marine Corps and United States Navy in World War II. A typical KA-BAR knife has a 7" clip-point blade. It is made of 1095 carbon steel and features a leather-washer or synthetic handle made of Kraton (a substitute for rubber, non-slip grip).

History

The knife was originally designed as a hunting knife in 1898, and would have been considered unremarkable at that time. In 1942, soon after the United States' entry into World War II, American soldiers experienced the problematic nature of "US 1917/1918" stilettos and "Mark I" daggers that they were issued initially and, realizing the need for knives suited to trench warfare, the KA-BAR design was chosen from a catalog of hunting gear. The Marines bought a great many knives of myriad designs from a large number of suppliers during the war, but it was the KA-BAR that was most common and popular. It was chosen for continued purchase and issue after the war was over. The final shape was decided upon by the Marine Corps. The changes included a slightly longer blade for combat use, introduction of a small fuller to make the blade lighter, and the pinned pommel and stacked leather handle as standard. In addition, the blade, guard, and pommel were all finished in a non-reflective matte black or grey phosphate finish instead of the brightly polished steel of the original.

Millions were made in the Second World War by KA-BAR, Ontario, and several other knife companies. The knife is inexpensive, easy to replace, and adequate for most tasks. KA-BAR knives have been made by different companies including: KA-BAR, Camillus Cutlery, Case Knives, and Ontario Knife Company. The knife saw service even as a diving knife in the Second World War, though the model in use at the time disintegrated rapidly in salt water. The various forms of this knife are still very popular with hunters, fishermen, hikers, outdoorsmen, and the US Military.

Manufacturing

The KA-BAR company was founded in 1897 as Tidioute Cutlery Company. Following its financial collapse and take-over it was renamed the Union Cutlery Company. KA-BAR was initially a trademark but in 1952 the company renamed itself KA-BAR Cutlery Inc. The headquarters are currently located in Olean, New York. The Alcas Corporation, parent company of Cutco, acquired the company in 1996.

As to its name,

Service

Today, KA-BAR makes Army and Navy versions as well. They are virtually identical to the Marine version except for different initials at the bottom of the blade and different symbols on the sheath. Marines today often give the blades, guards and pommels of their knives a few coats of non-reflective matte black spray paint to reduce reflected light and give them a little more protection against salt-water corrosion. Its moderate carbon and low chromium steel mixture allows the blade to hold an edge very well. In combat, the knife has seen service opening cans, digging trenches, cutting wood and roots, and hand to hand combat. In 1995, the design was updated with a tool steel blade, synthetic handle, and synthetic sheath marketed as "The Next Generation".

References

External links

Search another word or see KAon Dictionary | Thesaurus |Spanish
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature