Phoenix (redirected from Pheonix)

Phoenix, harbor, Crete

Phoenix (fē`nĭks), Crete: see Phenice (2.)

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phoenix, in mythology

phoenix, fabulous bird that periodically regenerated itself, used in literature as a symbol of death and resurrection. According to legend, the phoenix lived in Arabia; when it reached the end of its life (500 years), it burned itself on a pyre of flames, and from the ashes a new phoenix arose. As a sacred symbol in Egyptian religion, the phoenix represented the sun, which dies each night and rises again each morning. According to Herodotus the bird was red and golden and resembled an eagle.

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Phoenix, city, United States

Phoenix, city (1990 pop. 983,403), state capital and seat of Maricopa co., S Ariz., on the Salt River; inc. 1881. It is the largest city in Arizona, the hub of the rich agricultural region of the Salt River valley, and an important center for research and development, electronics, telecommunications, semiconductors, and the aerospace industry. Food processing and the production of aircraft parts, electrical appliances, agricultural chemicals, machinery, tools, plastic and wood products, cosmetics, and leather goods remains central to its manufacturing base. Greater Phoenix is a popular resort area, and tourism is also important to the economy.

The city was founded on the site of ancient Native American canals; hence its name, signifying a new town which had risen from the ruins of an old civilization. In 1868, pioneers developed what remained of the Native Americans' irrigation system; water was diverted from the Salt River, and farming began, supplemented by mining and ranching in the surrounding desert and mountains. The completion (1911) of the Roosevelt Dam on the Salt River brought power and abundant water to the community, and opened a new era of farming in the valley.

Phoenix grew as an important trade and distribution center. It boomed during World War II, when three airfields were opened. The phenomenal growth continued after the war; veterans who had been stationed in Phoenix returned to stay, and manufacturing concerns moved there to utilize the large labor supply. The expanding metropolitan area includes the suburbs of Mesa, Scottsdale, Tempe, Glendale, Chandler, and Peoria, all of which are among the fastest-growing cities in the United States.

Among the area's many outstanding parks are the Desert Botanical Gardens, Camelback Mountain, and the nearby South Mountain Park, which has an active gold mine. Also in the area are a number of Native American communities and reservations, national monuments, and state parks. Among its museums are the Heard Museum, with Native American art of the Southwest; the Phoenix Art Museum; the Pioneer Arizona Living History Museum, with pioneer relics; the Pueblo Grande Museum, containing excavations of Native American ruins c.800 years old; and the Arizona Capitol Museum. Other attractions are the Phoenix Zoo, the Arizona Science Center, and the Mystery Castle, built of native rock.

Phoenix is the seat of the Univ. of Phoenix, Arizona State Univ. West, Grand Canyon Univ., and Southwestern College. It has a symphony orchestra, as well as opera and ballet companies. The Phoenix Suns play in the National Basketball Association, the Coyotes in the National Hockey League, and the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League (baseball). The Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League play in nearby Tempe. Several major-league baseball teams have spring-training camps in the area.

Bibliography

See J. E. Buchanan, Phoenix: A Chronological and Documentary History, 1865–1976 (1978); G. W. Johnson Jr., Phoenix (1982); B. Luckingham, Phoenix: The History of a Southwestern Metropolis (1989).

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phoenix

In ancient Egypt and in classical antiquity, a fabulous bird associated with the worship of the sun. The Egyptian phoenix was said to be as large as an eagle, with brilliant scarlet and gold plumage and a melodious cry. Only one phoenix existed at a time, and it lived no less than 500 years. As its end approached, it built a nest of aromatic boughs and spices, set it on fire, and was consumed in the flames. From the pyre was born a new phoenix, which sealed its predecessor's ashes in an egg of myrrh and flew to Heliopolis to deposit them on the altar of the sun god. The phoenix thus symbolized immortality. See also fenghuang.

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Phoenix

City (pop., 2000: 1,321,045), capital of Arizona, U.S. It is located on the Salt River. The river valley was occupied as early as AD 1300 by prehistoric Indians, now known as the Hohokam culture, who disappeared in the early 15th century. A village was founded on the site in 1867 and incorporated as a city in 1881. It became the territorial capital in 1889 and state capital in 1912. There was widespread expansion after World War II, with the population quadrupling between 1950 and 1960. Phoenix occupies a semiarid valley surrounded by mountains and irrigated fields; its economy is based on farming, manufacturing, mining, and tourism.

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phoenix (US), phenix

a legendary Arabian bird said to set fire to itself and rise anew from the ashes every 500 years

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Phoenix

a city in central Arizona, capital city of the state, on the Salt River. Pop.: 1 388 416 (2003 est.)

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Phoenix [′fē·niks]

(astronomy)

A southern constellation; right ascension 1 hour, declination 50°S.

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phoenix

fabulous Arabian bird; sings a dirge, burns itself to ashes, and rises to a new life. [Gk. Myth.: Brewer Dictionary, 699]

See : Birds

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phoenix

in Middle Ages, attribute of chastity personified. [Art: Hall, 246]

See : Chastity

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Phoenix

fabulous bird that consumes itself by fire every five hundred years and rises renewed from the ashes. [Arab Myth.: Brewer Dictionary, 699]

See : Fire

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phoenix

fabled bird, rises from its ashes. [Gk. Legend: Brewer Dictionary, 829; Christian Symbolism: Appleton, 76]

See : Resurrection

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(operating system)

Phoenix - An operating system, built in BCPL on top of IBM MVT and later MVS by Cambridge University Computing Service from 1973 to 1995, which ran on the university central mainframe. All parts of the system were named after birds, including Eagle (the job scheduler, also the nearest pub), Pigeon (the mailer), GCAL (the text processor) and Wren (the command language), leading to Wren Libraries (a local pun). Phoenix was much used by chemists in daytime and by the rest of the university in the evenings, and was only abandoned in favour of Unix in 1995; it is one reason Cambridge made little contribution to Unix until then. Computing Service Phoenix closure memo