World Wide Web (WWW) or Web Leading information-exchange service of the Internet. It was created by Tim Berners-Lee and his colleagues at CERN and introduced to the world in 1991. The Web gives users access to a vast array of documents that are connected to each other by means of hypertext or hyperlinks. A hypertext document with its corresponding text and hyperlinks is written in HTML and is assigned an on-line address, or URL. The Web operates within the Internet’s basic client-server archi¬ tecture. Individual HTML files with unique electronic addresses are called Web pages, and a collection of Web pages and related files (such as graphics files, scripted programs, and other resources) sharing a set of similar addresses (see domain name) is called a Web site. The main or intro¬ ductory page of a Web site is usually called the site’s home page. Users may access any page by typing in the appropriate address, search for pages related to a topic of interest by using a search engine, or move quickly between pages by clicking on hyperlinks incorporated into them. Though introduced in 1991, the Web did not become truly popular until the intro¬ duction of Mosaic, a browser with a graphical interface, in 1993. Subse¬ quently, browsers produced by Netscape and Microsoft have become predominant.
World Wildlife Fund or World Wide Fund for Nature Larg¬ est privately supported international conservation organization in the world. Founded in 1961 by a small group of European scientists, natu¬ ralists, and business and political leaders, including Peter Markham Scott, the organization raises funds and channels them to other conservation groups. It directs its efforts toward protecting endangered environments such as coral reefs, saving endangered species, and addressing global threats such as pollution. It has helped establish and manage parks and reserves, and was instrumental in saving the giant panda (whose image it uses as its symbol) and other endangered species.
world's fair Specially constructed attraction showcasing the science, technology, and culture of participating countries and enterprises. World fairs have often featured outstanding architectural designs and introduced significant inventions. The first was held in England in 1756; more than 300 have been held since. The most notable include the 1851 Crystal Pal¬ ace Exhibition (London), the 1876 U.S. International Centennial Exposi¬ tion (Philadelphia), the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition (Chicago), the 1901 Pan-American Exposition (Buffalo, N.Y.), the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, the 1910 Brussels World’s Fair, the 1933-34 Century of Progress (Chicago), the 1939-40 Golden Gate Exposition (San Fran¬ cisco), the 1939^40 New York World’s Fair, the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair, the 1967 Montreal Exposition, and the 1998 World Expo¬ sition (Lisbon).
worm Any of thousands of species of unrelated invertebrate animals that typically have a soft, slender, elongated body with no appendages. The major phyla are Platyhelminthes (flatworms), Annelida (annelids, or seg¬ mented worms), Nemertea (ribbon worms), Acanthocephala (spiny- headed worms), and Aschelminthes (nematodes and others). There are several minor phyla. Length ranges from microscopic (e.g., some aschel- minths) to more than 100 ft (30 m) (some ribbon worms). Worms are found worldwide on land and in water. They may be parasitic or free- living and are important as soil conditioners, parasites, and a link in the food chain in all ecosystems. See also fluke, pinworm, polychaete, rotifer,
TAPEWORM, TUBE WORM.
Worm ley Conference (Feb. 26, 1877) Meeting to resolve the dis¬ puted U.S. presidential election of 1876 between Samuel Tilden and Ruth¬ erford B. Hayes. Leaders of the Democratic and Republican parties met at Wormley’s Hotel in Washington, D.C., to reach a compromise that would forestall the Democrats’ protest of the Electoral Commission’s decision to award the disputed electoral votes from three Southern states to Hayes, enabling him to defeat Tilden 185 to 184. In return for the Democrats’ acquiescence in the decision, Republicans promised to withdraw troops from the South, end Reconstruction and Northern interference in South¬ ern politics, and vote for railroad construction and other internal improve¬ ments in the South. The compromise satisfied the Southern Democrats, and Hayes was declared the winner on March 2, 1877.
Worms Worms,\ English VwormzV Concordat of (1122) Compro¬ mise between Pope Calixtus II and Emperor Henry V (r. 1106-25) to settle the Investiture Controversy, reached at Worms, Germany. It marked the end of the first phase of conflict between Rome and what was becoming the Holy Roman Empire and made a clear distinction between the spiritual side of a prelate’s office and his position as a landed magnate and vassal of the crown. Bishops and abbots were to be chosen by the clergy, but the emperor was to decide contested elections. Those selected were to be invested first with the powers and privileges of their office as vassal (granted by the emperor) and then with their ecclesiastical powers and lands (granted by church authority).
Worms, Diet of Meeting of the Diet (assembly) of the Holy Roman Empire at Worms, Ger., in 1521, where Martin Luther defended the prin¬ ciples of the Reformation. Luther had already been excommunicated by Pope Leo X, but Emperor Charles V granted him safe conduct to a hearing at the Diet. On April 17, 1521, Luther refused to recant his views. Dis¬ order broke out, the emperor adjourned the proceedings, and Luther was obliged to go into hiding. In May the Diet issued the Edict of Worms, declaring Luther an outlaw and a heretic and banning his writings.
worsted Vwus-tod, ‘wor-stodV Wool yarn made of long-staple fibres that have been combed to remove unwanted short fibres and make them lie parallel. In the spinning operation, which gives the necessary twist to hold the fibres together, worsted yams are more tightly twisted than are the bulkier woolen yams. The soft, heavy yam is strong and durable and is often used for sweaters. Worsteds are also used for fine dress fabrics and suit material.
Worth, Charles Frederick (b. Oct. 13, 1825, Bourne, Lincolnshire, Eng.—d. March 10, 1895, Paris,
France) British-born French fashion designer. In 1845 he left England, where he had been a bookkeeper, and worked in a Paris dress accessories shop. In 1858 he opened his own ladies’ tailor shop and soon gained the patronage of the empress Eugenie.
He was a pioneer of the “fashion show” (the preparation and showing of a collection), the first man to become prominent in the field of fashion, and the first designer to cre¬ ate dresses intended to be copied and distributed throughout the world. He became the dictator of Paris fashion and was especially noted for his elegant Second Empire gowns. He invented the bustle, which became standard in women’s fashion in the 1870s and ’80s.
Charles Frederick Worth, detail of an engraving
BBC HULTON PICTURE LIBRARY
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
2080 I Wotan ► Wren
Wotan See Odin
Wouk \'wok\, Herman (b. May 27, 1915, New York, N.Y., U.S.) U.S. novelist. His experience serving aboard a destroyer-minesweeper in World War II provided material for The Caine Mutiny (1951, Pulitzer Prize; film, 1954), a drama of naval tradition that presented the unforgettable char¬ acter Captain Queeg. The Winds of War (1971) and War and Remembrance (1978) together represent a two-volume novel of the war. His other nov¬ els include Marjorie Morningstar (1955) and The Glory (1994).
wound or trauma Break in any body tissue due to external action (including surgery). It may be closed (blunt trauma) or open (penetrating trauma). Blood vessels, nerves, muscles, bones, joints, and internal organs may be damaged. A closed wound can be caused by impact, twisting, bending, or deceleration (as in a car crash). It can range from a minor bruise or sprain to a skull fracture with brain damage or a spinal-cord injury with paralysis. In an open wound, foreign matter such as bacteria, dirt, and clothing fragments entering through broken skin or mucous membrane may result in infection. Other factors affecting severity include depth, surface area, degree of tearing, and structures damaged. Minor wounds need only first aid. For others, after examination and perhaps diagnostic imaging and exploratory surgery, treatment may include fluid replacement or drainage, sterilization and antibiotics, tetanus antitoxin, and repair of damaged structures. A closed wound may need to be opened or an open one sutured closed. See also burn, coagulation, crush injury, DISLOCATION, SCAR.