Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (part 58 of 60)
Note: Many botanists divide the Phænogamia primarily into Gymnosperms and Angiosperms, and the latter into Dicotyledons and Monocotyledons. Others consider Pteridophyta and Bryophyta to be separate classes. Thallogens are variously divided by different writers, and the places for diatoms, slime molds, and stoneworts are altogether uncertain. For definitions, see these names in the Vocabulary.
VEGETAL Veg"e*tal, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: A vegetable. [R.] B. Jonson.
VEGETALITY Veg`e*tal"i*ty, n.
1. The quality or state of being vegetal, or vegetable. [R.]
2. (Biol.)
Defn: The quality or state of being vegetal, or exhibiting those physiological phenomena which are common to plants and animals. See Vegetal, a., 2.
VEGETARIAN Veg`e*ta"ri*an, n.
Defn: One who holds that vegetables and fruits are the only proper food for man. Strict vegetarians eat no meat, eggs, or milk.
VEGETARIAN Veg`e*ta"ri*an, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to vegetarianism; as, a vegetarian diet.
VEGETARIANISM Veg`e*ta"ri*an*ism, n.
Defn: The theory or practice of living upon vegetables and fruits.
VEGETATE Veg"e*tate, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Vegetated; p. pr. & vb. n. Vegetating.] Etym: [L. vegetatus, p. p. of vegetare to enliven. See Vegetable.]
1. To grow, as plants, by nutriment imbibed by means of roots and leaves; to start into growth; to sprout; to germinate. See dying vegetables life sustain, See life dissolving vegetate again. Pope.
2. Fig.: To lead a live too low for an animate creature; to do nothing but eat and grow. Cowper. Persons who . . . would have vegetated stupidly in the places where fortune had fixed them. Jeffrey.
3. (Med.)
Defn: To grow exuberantly; to produce fleshy or warty outgrowths; as, a vegetating papule.
VEGETATION Veg`e*ta"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. végétation, L. vegetatio an enlivening. See Vegetable.]
1. The act or process of vegetating, or growing as a plant does; vegetable growth.
2. The sum of vegetable life; vegetables or plants in general; as, luxuriant vegetation.
3. (Med.)
Defn: An exuberant morbid outgrowth upon any part, especially upon the valves of the heart. Vegetation of salts (Old Chem.), a crystalline growth of an arborescent form.
VEGETATIVE Veg"e*ta*tive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. végétatif.]
1. Growing, or having the power of growing, as plants; capable of vegetating.
2. Having the power to produce growth in plants; as, the vegetative properties of soil.
3. (Biol.)
Defn: Having relation to growth or nutrition; partaking of simple growth and enlargement of the systems of nutrition, apart from the sensorial or distinctively animal functions; vegetal. -- Veg"e*ta*tive*ly, adv. -- Veg"e*ta*tive*ness, n.
VEGETE Ve*gete", a. Etym: [L. vegetus. See Vegetable.]
Defn: Lively; active; sprightly; vigorous. [Obs.] Even her body was made airy and vegete. Jer. Taylor.
VEGETISM Veg"e*tism, n.
Defn: Vegetal state or characteristic.
VEGETIVE Veg"e*tive, a. Etym: [See Vegetate, and Vegetative.]
Defn: Having the nature of a plant; vegetable; as, vegetive life. [R.] Tusser.
VEGETIVE Veg"e*tive, n.
Defn: A vegetable. [Obs.] The blest infusions That dwell in vegetives, in metals, stones. Shak.
VEGETO-ANIMAL Veg"e*to-an"i*mal, a. (Biol.)
Defn: Partaking of the nature both of vegetable and animal matter; -- a term sometimes applied to vegetable albumen and gluten, from their resemblance to similar animal products.
VEGETOUS Veg"e*tous, a. Etym: [L. vegetus. See Vegete.]
Defn: Vigorous; lively; active; vegete. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
VEHEMENCE Ve"he*mence, n. Etym: [L. vehementia: cf. F. véhémence.]
1. The quality pr state of being vehement; impetuous force; impetuosity; violence; fury; as, the vehemence.
2. Violent ardor; great heat; animated fervor; as, the vehemence of love, anger, or other passions. I . . . tremble at his vehemence of temper. Addison.
VEHEMENCY Ve"he*men*cy, n.
Defn: Vehemence. [R.] The vehemency of your affection. Shak.
VEHEMENT Ve"he*ment, a. Etym: [L. vehemens, the first part of which is perhaps akin to vehere to carry, and the second mens mind: cf. F. véhément. Cf. Vehicle, and Mental.]
1. Acting with great force; furious; violent; impetuous; forcible; mighty; as, vehement wind; a vehement torrent; a vehement fire or heat.
2. Very ardent; very eager or urgent; very fervent; passionate; as, a vehement affection or passion. "Vehement instigation." Shak. "Vehement desire." Milton.
Syn. -- Furious; violent; raging; impetuous; passionate; ardent; eager; hot; fervid; burning.
VEHEMENTLY Ve"he*ment*ly, adv.
Defn: In a vehement manner.
VEHICLE Ve"hi*cle, n. Etym: [L. vehiculum, fr. vehere to carry; akin to E. way, wain. See Way, n., and cf. Convex, Inveigh, Veil, Vex.]
1. That in or on which any person or thing is, or may be, carried, as a coach, carriage, wagon, cart, car, sleigh, bicycle, etc.; a means of conveyance; specifically, a means of conveyance upon land.
2. That which is used as the instrument of conveyance or communication; as, matter is the vehicle of energy. A simple style forms the best vehicle of thought to a popular assembly. Wirt.
3. (Pharm.)
Defn: A substance in which medicine is taken.
4. (Paint.)
Defn: Any liquid with which a pigment is applied, including whatever gum, wax, or glutinous or adhesive substance is combined with it.
Note: Water is used in fresco and in water-color painting, the colors being consolidated with gum arabic; size is used in distemper painting. In oil painting, the fixed oils of linseed, nut, and poppy, are used; in encaustic, wax is the vehicle. Fairholt.
VEHICLED Ve"hi*cled, a.
Defn: Conveyed in a vehicle; furnished with a vehicle. M. Green.
VEHICULAR Ve*hic"u*lar, a. Etym: [L. vehicularis: cf. F. véhiculaire.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a vehicle; serving as a vehicle; as, a vehicular contrivance.
VEHICULARY Ve*hic"u*la*ry, a.
Defn: Vehicular.
VEHICULATE Ve*hic"u*late, v. t. & i.
Defn: To convey by means of a vehicle; to ride in a vehicle. Carlyle.
VEHICULATION Ve*hic`u*la"tion, n.
Defn: Movement of vehicles.
VEHICULATORY Ve*hic"u*la*to*ry, a.
Defn: Vehicular. Carlyle.
VEHM; VEHME Vehm, Vehme, n.; pl. Vehme (#). [See Vehmgericht.]
Defn: A vehmic court.
VEHMGERICHT Vehm"ge*richt, n.; pl. Vehmgerichte (#). [G. vefm, fehm criminal tribunal + gerichte court, judgment. Cf. Vehmic.]
Defn: A vehmic court.
VEHMIC Veh"mic, a. Etym: [G. vehm, fehm, fehme, a secret tribunal of punishment, MHG. veime, veme: cf. F. vehmique.]
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or designating, certain secret tribunals flourished in Germany from the end of the 12th century to the middle of the 16th, usurping many of the functions of the government which were too weak to maintain law and order, and inspiring dread in all who came within their jurisdiction. Encyc. Brit.
VEIL Veil, n. Etym: [OE. veile, OF. veile, F. voile, L. velum a sail, covering, curtain, veil, probably fr. vehere to bear, carry, and thus originally, that which bears the ship on. See Vehicle, and cf. Reveal.] [Written also vail.]
1. Something hung up, or spread out, to intercept the view, and hide an object; a cover; a curtain; esp., a screen, usually of gauze, crape, or similar diaphnous material, to hide or protect the face. The veil of the temple was rent in twain. Matt. xxvii. 51. She, as a veil down to the slender waist, Her unadornéd golden tresses wore. Milton.
2. A cover; disguise; a mask; a pretense. [I will] pluck the borrowed veil of modesty from the so seeming Mistress Page. Shak.
3. (Bot.) (a) The calyptra of mosses. (b) A membrane connecting the margin of the pileus of a mushroom with the stalk; -- called also velum.
4. (Eccl.)
Defn: A covering for a person or thing; as, a nun's veil; a paten veil; an altar veil.
5. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Same as Velum, 3. To take the veil (Eccl.), to receive or be covered with, a veil, as a nun, in token of retirement from the world; to become a nun.
VEIL Veil, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Veiled; p. pr. & vb. n. Veiling.] Etym: [Cf. OF. veler, F. voiler, L. velarc. See Veil, n.] [Written also vail.]
1. To throw a veil over; to cover with a veil. Her face was veiled; yet to my fancied sight, Love, sweetness, goodness, in her person shined. Milton.
2. Fig.: To invest; to cover; to hide; to conceal. To keep your great pretenses veiled. Shak.
VEILED Veiled, a.
Defn: Covered by, or as by, a veil; hidden. "Words used to convey a veiled meaning." Earle.
VEILED PLATE Veiled plate. (Photog.)
Defn: A fogged plate.
VEILING Veil"ing, n.
Defn: A veil; a thin covering; also, material for making veils.
VEILLESS Veil"less, a.
Defn: Having no veil. Tennyson.
VEIN Vein, n. Etym: [OE. veine, F. veine, L. vena.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: One of the vessels which carry blood, either venous or arterial, to the heart. See Artery, 2.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: One of the similar branches of the framework of a leaf.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the ribs or nervures of the wings of insects. See Venation.
4. (Geol. or Mining)
Defn: A narrow mass of rock intersecting other rocks, and filling inclined or vertical fissures not corresponding with the stratification; a lode; a dike; -- often limited, in the language of miners, to a mineral vein or lode, that is, to a vein which contains useful minerals or ores.
5. A fissure, cleft, or cavity, as in the earth or other substance. "Down to the veins of earth." Milton. Let the glass of the prisms be free from veins. Sir I. Newton.
6. A streak or wave of different color, appearing in wood, and in marble and other stones; variegation.
7. A train of association, thoughts, emotions, or the like; a current; a course. He can open a vein of true and noble thinking. Swift.
8. Peculiar temper or temperament; tendency or turn of mind; a particular disposition or cast of genius; humor; strain; quality; also, manner of speech or action; as, a rich vein of humor; a satirical vein. Shak. Certain discoursing wits which are of the same veins. Bacon. Invoke the Muses, and improve my vein. Waller.
VEIN Vein, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Veined; p. pr. & vb. n. Veining.]
Defn: To form or mark with veins; to fill or cover with veins. Tennyson.
VEINAL Vein"al, a.
Defn: Pertaining to veins; venous. [R.]
VEINED Veined, a.
1. Full of veins; streaked; variegated; as, veined marble. "Veined follies." Ford.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Having fibrovascular threads extending throughout the lamina; as, a veined leaf.
VEINLESS Vein"less, a.
Defn: Having no veins; as, a veinless leaf.
VEINLET Vein"let, n.
Defn: A small vein.
VEINOUS Vein"ous, a.
Defn: Marked with veins; veined; veiny. The excellent old gentleman's nails are long and leaden, and his hands lean and veinous. Dickens.
VEIN QUARTZ Vein quartz.
Defn: Quartz occurring as gangue in a vein.
VEINSTONE Vein"stone`, n.
Defn: The nonmetalliferous mineral or rock material which accompanies the ores in a vein, as quartz, calcite, barite, fluor spar, etc.; -- called also veinstuff.
VEINY Vein"y, a. Etym: [From Vein: cf. F. veiné.]
Defn: Full of veins; veinous; veined; as, veiny marble.
VELAR Ve"lar, a. Etym: [See Velum.]
1. Of or pertaining to a velum; esp. (Anat.) of or pertaining to the soft palate.
2. (Phon.)
Defn: Having the place of articulation on the soft palate; guttural; as, the velar consonants, such as k and hard q.
VELARIUM Ve*la"ri*um, n.; pl. Velaria. Etym: [L., a covering.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The marginal membrane of certain medusæ belonging to the Discophora.
VELATE Ve"late, a. Etym: [L. velatus, p. p. of velare to veil. See Veil.] (Bot.)
Defn: Having a veil; veiled.
VELDT Veldt, n. [D. veld. Cf. Field, n.]
Defn: A region or tract of land; esp., the open field; grass country. [South Africa]
VELDT SORE Veldt sore. (Med.)
Defn: An infective sore mostly on the hands and feet, often contracted in walking on the veldt and apparently due to a specific microörganism.
VELE Vele, n.
Defn: A veil. [Obs.] Spenser.
VELELLA Ve*lel"la, n. Etym: [NL., dim. from L. velum a veil, a sail.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any species of oceanic Siphonophora belonging to the genus Velella.
Note: These creatures are brilliantly colored and float at the surface of the sea. They have an oblong, disklike body, supported by a thin chitinous plate, from which rises a thin diagonal crest which acts as a sail. The feeding and reproductive zooids hang down from the under side of the disk.
VELIFEROUS Ve*lif"er*ous, a. Etym: [L. velifer; velum a sail + ferre to bear.]
Defn: Carrying or bearing sails. [Obs.] "Veliferous chariots." Evelyn.
VELIGER Vel"i*ger, n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. velum a veil + gerere bear.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any larval gastropod or bivalve mollusk in the state when it is furnished with one or two ciliated membranes for swimming.
VELITATION Vel`i*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. velitatio, fr. velitari, velitatus, to skirmish, from veles, -itis, a light-armed soldier.]
Defn: A dispute or contest; a slight contest; a skirmish. [R.] Sir M. Hale. After a short velitation we parted. Evelyn.
VELIVOLANT Ve*liv"o*lant, a. Etym: [L. velivolans; velum a sail + volare to fly.]
Defn: Flying with sails; passing under full sail. [R.]
VELL Vell, n. Etym: [Cf. L. vellus the skin of a sheep with the wool on it, a fleece, a hide or pelt, or E. fell a hide.]
Defn: The salted stomach of a calf, used in making cheese; a rennet bag. [Prov. Eng.]
VELL Vell, v. i. Etym: [Cf. Vell, n.]
Defn: To cut the turf from, as for burning. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
VELLEITY Vel*le"i*ty, n. Etym: [F. velléité (cf. It. velleità), fr. L. velle to will, to be willing.]
Defn: The lowest degree of desire; imperfect or incomplete volition. Locke.
VELLET Vel"let, n.
Defn: Velvet. [Obs.] Spenser.
VELLICATE Vel"li*cate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vellicated; p. pr. & vb. n. Vellicating.] Etym: [L. vellicatus, p. p. of vellicare to twitch, fr. vellere to pluck, pull.]
Defn: To twitch; to cause to twitch convulsively. Convulsions, arising from something vellicating a nerve in its extremity, are not very dangerous. Arbuthnot.
VELLICATE Vel"li*cate, v. i.
Defn: To move spasmodically; to twitch; as, a nerve vellicates.
VELLICATION Vel`li*ca"tion, Etym: [L. vellicatio.]
1. The act of twitching, or of causing to twitch.
2. (Med.)
Defn: A local twitching, or convulsive motion, of a muscular fiber, especially of the face.
VELLICATIVE Vel"li*ca*tive, a.
Defn: Having the power of vellicating, plucking, or twitching; causing vellication.
VELLON Vel*lon", n. Etym: [Sp.]
Defn: A word occurring in the phrase real vellon. See the Note under Its Real.
VELLUM Vel"lum, n. Etym: [OE. velim, F. vélin, fr. L. vitulinus of a calf, fr. vitulus a calf. See Veal.]
Defn: A fine kind of parchment, usually made from calfskin, and rendered clear and white, -- used as for writing upon, and for binding books. Vellum cloth, a fine kind of cotton fabric, made very transparent, and used as a tracing cloth.
VELLUMY Vel"lum*y, a.
Defn: Resembling vellum.
VELOCIMETER Vel`o*cim"e*ter, n. Etym: [L. velox, -ocis, rapid + -meter.]
Defn: An apparatus for measuring speed, as of machinery or vessels, but especially of projectiles.
VELOCIPEDE Ve*loc"i*pede, n. Etym: [L. velox, -ocis, swift + pes, pedis, a foot. See Velocity, and Foot.]
Defn: A light road carriage propelled by the feet of the rider. Originally it was propelled by striking the tips of the toes on the roadway, but commonly now by the action of the feet on a pedal or pedals connected with the axle of one or more of the wheels, and causing their revolution. They are made in many forms, with two, three, or four wheels. See Bicycle, and Tricycle.
VELOCIPEDIST Ve*loc"i*pe`dist, n.
Defn: One who rides on a velocipede.
VELOCITY Ve*loc"i*ty, n.; pl. Velocities. Etym: [L. velocitas, from velox, - ocis, swift, quick; perhaps akin to v to fly (see Volatile): cf. F. vélocité.]
1. Quickness of motion; swiftness; speed; celerity; rapidity; as, the velocity of wind; the velocity of a planet or comet in its orbit or course; the velocity of a cannon ball; the velocity of light.
Note: In such phrases, velocity is more generally used than celerity. We apply celerity to animals; as, a horse or an ostrich runs with celerity; but bodies moving in the air or in ethereal space move with greater or less velocity, not celerity. This usage is arbitrary, and perhaps not universal.
2. (Mech.)
Defn: Rate of motion; the relation of motion to time, measured by the number of units of space passed over by a moving body or point in a unit of time, usually the number of feet passed over in a second. See the Note under Speed. Angular velocity. See under Angular. -- Initial velocity, the velocity of a moving body at starting; especially, the velocity of a projectile as it leaves the mouth of a firearm from which it is discharged. -- Relative velocity, the velocity with which a body approaches or recedes from another body, whether both are moving or only one. -- Uniform velocity, velocity in which the same number of units of space are described in each successive unit of time. -- Variable velocity, velocity in which the space described varies from instant, either increasing or decreasing; -- in the former case called accelerated velocity, in the latter, retarded velocity; the acceleration or retardation itself being also either uniform or variable. -- Virtual velocity. See under Virtual.
Note: In variable velocity, the velocity, strictly, at any given instant, is the rate of motion at that instant, and is expressed by the units of space, which, if the velocity at that instant were continued uniform during a unit of time, would be described in the unit of time; thus, the velocity of a falling body at a given instant is the number of feet which, if the motion which the body has at that instant were continued uniformly for one second, it would pass through in the second. The scientific sense of velocity differs from the popular sense in being applied to all rates of motion, however slow, while the latter implies more or less rapidity or quickness of motion.
Syn. -- Swiftness; celerity; rapidity; fleetness; speed.
VELOURS Ve*lours", n. Etym: [F. See Velure.]
Defn: One of many textile fabrics having a pile like that of velvet.
VELOUTE; SAUCE VELOUTE Ve*lou`té", n., or Sauce velouté. [F. velouté, lit., velvety.] (Cookery)
Defn: A white sauce or stock made by boiling down ham, veal, beef, fowl, bouillon, etc., then adding soup stock, seasoning, vegetables, and thickening, and again boiling and straining.
VELTFARE Velt"fare, n. Etym: [See Fieldfare.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The fieldfare. [Prov. Eng.]
VELUM Ve"lum, n.; pl. Vela. Etym: [L., an awning, a veil. See Veil.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: Curtain or covering; -- applied to various membranous partitions, especially to the soft palate. See under Palate.
2. (Bot.) (a) See Veil, n., 3 (b). (b) A thin membrane surrounding the sporocarps of quillworts Isoetes).
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A veil-like organ or part. Especially: (a) The circular membrane that partially incloses the space beneath the umbrella of hydroid medusæ. (b) A delicate funnel-like membrane around the flagellum of certain Infusoria. See Illust. a of Protozoa.
VELURE Vel"ure, n. Etym: [F. velours, OF. velous, from L. villosus hairy. See Velvet.]
Defn: Velvet. [Obs.] "A woman's crupper of velure." Shak.
VELUTINA Vel`u*ti"na, n. Etym: [NL. See Velvet.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of several species of marine gastropods belonging to Velutina and allied genera.
VELUTINOUS Ve*lu"ti*nous, a. Etym: [It. velluto velvet. See Velvet.] (Bot.)
Defn: Having the surface covered with a fine and dense silky pubescence; velvety; as, a velutinous leaf.
VELVERD Vel"verd, n.
Defn: The veltfare. [Prov. Eng.]
VELVERET Vel`ver*et", n.
Defn: A kind of velvet having cotton back.
VELVET Vel"vet, n. Etym: [OE. velouette, veluet, velwet; cf. OF. velluau, LL. velluetum, vellutum, It. velluto, Sp. velludo; all fr. (assumed) LL. villutus shaggy, fr L. villus shaggy hair; akin to vellus a fleece, and E. wool. See Wool, and cf. Villous.]
1. A silk fabric, having a short, close nap of erect threads. Inferior qualities are made with a silk pile on a cotton or linen back.
2. The soft and highly vascular deciduous skin which envelops and nourishes the antlers of deer during their rapid growth. Cotton velvet, an imitation of velvet, made of cotton. -- Velvet cork, the best kind of cork bark, supple, elastic, and not woody or porous. -- Velvet crab a European crab (Portunus puber). When adult the black carapace is covered with a velvety pile. Called also lady crab, and velvet fiddler. -- Velvet dock (Bot.), the common mullein. -- Velvet duck. (Zoöl.) (a) A large European sea duck, or scoter (Oidemia fusca). The adult male is glossy, velvety black, with a white speculum on each wing, and a white patch behind each eye. (b) The American whitewinged scoter. See Scoter. -- Velvet flower (Bot.), love-lies-bleeding. See under Love. -- Velvet grass (Bot.), a tall grass (Holcus lanatus) with velvety stem and leaves; -- called also soft grass. -- Velvet runner (Zoöl.), the water rail; -- so called from its quiet, stealthy manner of running. [Prov. Eng.] -- Velvet scoter. (Zoöl.) Same as Velvet duck, above. -- Velvet sponge. (Zoöl.) See under Sponge.
VELVET Vel"vet, a.
Defn: Made of velvet; soft and delicate, like velvet; velvety. " The cowslip's velvet head." Milton.
VELVET Vel"vet, v. i.
Defn: To pain velvet. [R.] Peacham.
VELVET Vel"vet, v. t.
Defn: To make like, or cover with, velvet. [R.]
VELVETBREAST Vel"vet*breast`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The goosander. [Local, U. S.]
VELVETEEN Vel`vet*een", n. Etym: [Cf. F. velvetine. See Velvet.]
Defn: A kind of cloth, usually cotton, made in imitation of velvet; cotton velvet.
VELVETING Vel"vet*ing, n.
Defn: The fine shag or nap of velvet; a piece of velvet; velvet goods.
VELVETLEAF Vel"vet*leaf`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A name given to several plants which have soft, velvety leaves, as the Abutilon Avicennæ, the Cissampelos Pareira, and the Lavatera arborea, and even the common mullein.
VELVETY Vel"vet*y, a.
Defn: Made of velvet, or like velvet; soft; smooth; delicate.
VENA Ve"na, n.; pl. Venæ. Etym: [L. See Vein.]
Defn: A vein. Vena cava; pl. Venæ cavæ. Etym: [L., literally, hollow vein.] (Anat.) Any one of the great systemic veins connected directly with the heart.-- Vena contracta. Etym: [L., literally, contracted vein.] (Hydraulics) The contracted portion of a liquid jet at and near the orifice from which it issues. -- Vena portæ; pl. VenÆ portæ. Etym: [L., literally, vein of the entrance.] (Anat.) The portal vein of the liver. See under Portal.
VENADA Ve*na"da, N. Etym: [Cf. Sp. venado a does, stag.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The pudu.
VENAL Ve"nal, a. Etym: [L. vena a vein.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to veins; venous; as, venal blood. [R.]
VENAL Ve"nal, a. Etym: [L. venalis, from venus sale; akin to Gr. vasna: cf. F. vénal.]
Defn: Capable of being bought or obtained for money or other valuable consideration; made matter of trade or barter; held for sale; salable; mercenary; purchasable; hireling; as, venal services. " Paid court to venal beauties." Macaulay. The venal cry and prepared vote of a passive senate. Burke.
Syn. -- Mercenary; hireling; vendible. -- Venal, Mercenary. One is mercenary who is either actually a hireling (as, mercenary soldiers, a mercenary judge, etc.), or is governed by a sordid love of gain; hence, we speak of mercenary motives, a mercenary marriage, etc. Venal goes further, and supposes either an actual purchase, or a readiness to be purchased, which places a person or thing wholly in the power of the purchaser; as, a venal press. Brissot played ingeniously on the latter word in his celebrated saying, " My pen is venal that it may not be mercenary," meaning that he wrote books, and sold them to the publishers, in order to avoid the necessity of being the hireling of any political party. Thus needy wits a vile revenue made, And verse became a mercenary trade. Dryden. This verse be thine, my friend, nor thou refuse This, from no venal or ungrateful muse. Pope.
VENALITY Ve*nal"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. venalitas: cf. F. vénalité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being venal, or purchasable; mercenariness; prostitution of talents, offices, or services, for money or reward; as, the venality of a corrupt court; the venality of an official. Complaints of Roman venality became louder. Milton.
VENALLY Ve"nal*ly, adv.
Defn: In a venal manner.
VENANTES Ve*nan"tes, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. L. venans, p. pr. of venari to hunt.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The hunting spiders, which run after, or leap upon, their prey.
VENARY Ven"a*ry, a. Etym: [LL. venarius, fr. L. venari, p. p. venatus, to hunt.]
Defn: Of or, pertaining to hunting.
VENATIC; VENATICAL Ve*nat"ic, Ve*nat"ic*al, a. Etym: [L. venaticus, fr. venatus hunting, fr. venari, p. p. venatus, to hunt.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to hunting; used in hunting. [R.] " Venatical pleasure." Howell.
VENATICA Ve*nat"i*ca, n.
Defn: See Vinatico.
VENATION Ve*na"tion, n. Etym: [L. vena a vein.]
Defn: The arrangement or system of veins, as in the wing of an insect, or in the leaves of a plant. See Illust. in Appendix.
VENATION Ve*na"tion, n. Etym: [L. venatio, fr. venari, p. p. venatus, to hunt. See Venison.]
Defn: The act or art of hunting, or the state of being hunted. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
VENATORIAL Ven`a*to"ri*al, a. Etym: [L. venatorius.]
Defn: Or or pertaining to hunting; venatic. [R.]
VEND Vend, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vended; p. pr. & vb. n. Vending.] Etym: [F. vendre, L. vendere, from venum dare; venus sale + dare to give. See 2d Venal, Date, time.]
Defn: To transfer to another person for a pecuniary equivalent; to make an object of trade; to dispose of by sale; to sell; as, to vend goods; to vend vegetables.
Note: Vend differs from barter. We vend for money; we barter for commodities. Vend is used chiefly of wares, merchandise, or other small articles, not of lands and tenements.
VEND Vend, n.
1. The act of vending or selling; a sale.
2. The total sales of coal from a colliery. [Eng.]
VENDACE Ven"dace, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A European lake whitefish (Coregonus Willughbii, or C. Vandesius) native of certain lakes in Scotland and England. It is regarded as a delicate food fish. Called also vendis.
VENDEE Vend*ee", n.
Defn: The person to whom a thing is vended, or sold; -- the correlative of vendor.
VENDEMIAIRE Ven`dé`miaire", n. Etym: [F., fr. L. vindemia vintage.]
Defn: The first month of the French republican calendar, dating from September 22, 1792.
Note: This calendar was substituted for the ordinary calendar, dating from the Christian era, by a decree of the National Convention in 1793. The 22d of September, 1792, which had been fixed upon as the day of the foundation of the republic, was also the date of the new calendar. In this calendar, the year, which began at midnight of the day of the autumnal equinox, was divided into twelve months of thirty days, with five additional days for festivals, and every fourth year six. Each month was divided into three decades of ten days each, the week being abolished. The names of the months in their order were, Vendémiaire, Brumaire, Frimaire Nivose, Pluviose, Ventose, Germinal, Floréal, Prairial, Messidor, Thermidor (sometimes called Fervidor), and Fructidor. This calendar was abolished December 31, 1805, and the ordinary one restored January 1, 1806.
VENDER Vend"er, n. Etym: [From Vend: cf. F. vendeur, OF. vendeor. Cf. Vendor.]
Defn: One who vends; one who transfers the exclusive right of possessing a thing, either his own, or that of another as his agent, for a price or pecuniary equivalent; a seller; a vendor.
VENDETTA Ven*det"ta, n. Etym: [It.]
Defn: A blood feud; private revenge for the murder of a kinsman.
VENDIBILITY Vend`i*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being vendible, or salable.
VENDIBLE Vend"i*ble, a. Etym: [L. vendibilis: cf. OF. vendible, F. vendable.]
Defn: Capable of being vended, or sold; that may be sold; salable. The regulating of prices of things vendible. Bacon.
Note: Vendible differs from marketable; the latter signifies proper or fit for market, according to the laws or customs of a place. Vendible has no reference to such legal fitness.
VENDIBLE Vend"i*ble, n.
Defn: Something to be sold, or offered for sale. -- Vend"i*ble*ness, n. -- Vend"i*bly, adv.
VENDITATE Ven"di*tate, v. t. Etym: [See Venditation.]
Defn: To cry up. as if for sale; to blazon. [Obs.] Holland.
VENDITATION Ven`di*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. venditatio, fr. venditare, venditatum, to offer again and again for sale, v. freq. of vendere. See Vend.]
Defn: The act of setting forth ostentatiously; a boastful display. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
VENDITION Ven*di"tion, n. Etym: [L. venditio: cf. F. vendition.]
Defn: The act of vending, or selling; sale.
VENDOR Vend"or , n. Etym: [See Vender.]
Defn: A vender; a seller; the correlative of vendee.
VENDOR'S LIEN Vend"or's lien. (Law)
Defn: An implied lien (that is, one not created by mortgage or other express agreement) given in equity to a vendor of lands for the unpaid purchase money.
VENDS Vends, n. pl. (Ethnol.)
Defn: See Wends.
VENDUE Ven*due", n. Etym: [OF. vendue, from F. vendre, p. p. vendu, vendue, to sell.]
Defn: A public sale of anything, by outcry, to the highest bidder; an auction. [Obsoles.] Vendue master, one who is authorized to sell any property by vendue; an auctioneer. [Obsoles.]
VENEER Ve*neer", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Veneered; p. pr. & vb. n. Veneering.] Etym: [G. furnieren, fourniren, fr. F. fournir to furnish. See Furnish.]
Defn: To overlay or plate with a thin layer of wood or other material for outer finish or decoration; as, to veneer a piece of furniture with mahogany. Used also figuratively. As a rogue in grain Veneered with sanctimonious theory. Tennyson.
VENEER Ve*neer", n. Etym: [Cf. G. furnier or fournier. See Veneer, v. t.]
Defn: A thin leaf or layer of a more valuable or beautiful material for overlaying an inferior one, especially such a thin leaf of wood to be glued to a cheaper wood; hence, external show; gloss; false pretense. Veneer moth (Zoöl.), any moth of the genus Chilo; -- so called because the mottled colors resemble those of veneering.
VENEERING Ve*neer"ing, n.
1. The act or art of one who veneers.
2. Thin wood or other material used as a veneer.
VENEFICAL Ve*nef"ic*al, a. Etym: [L. veneficus.]
Defn: Veneficial. [Obs.] "Venefical instruments." B. Jonson.
VENEFICE Ven"e*fice, n. Etym: [L. veneficium, fr. veneficus poisoning; venenum poison + facere to make: cf. F. vénéfice.]
Defn: The act or practice of poisoning. [Obs.]
VENEFICIAL; VENEFICIOUS Ven`e*fi"cial, Ven`e*fi"cious, a.
Defn: Acting by poison; used in poisoning or in sorcery. [Obs.] "An old veneficious practice." Sir T. Browne. -- Ven`e*fi"cious*ly, adv. [Obs.]
VENEMOUS Ven"e*mous, a.
Defn: Venomous. [Obs.]
VENENATE Ven"e*nate, v. t. Etym: [L. veneatus, p. p. venenare to poison, from venenum poison. Cf. Venom.]
Defn: To poison; to infect with poison. [R.] Harvey.
VENENATE Ven"e*nate, a.
Defn: Poisoned. Woodward.
VENENATION Ven`en*na"tion, n.
1. The act of poisoning.
2. Poison; venom. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
VENENE Ve*nene", a.
Defn: Poisonous; venomous. [Obs.]
VENENOSE Ven"e*nose`, a. Etym: [L. venenosus, fr. venenum poison. Cf. Venomous.]
Defn: Poisonous. [Obs.]
VENERABILITY Ven`er*a*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being venerable; venerableness. Dr. H. More.
VENERABLE Ven"er*a*ble, a. Etym: [L. venerabilis: cf. F. vénérable.]
1. Capable of being venerated; worthy of veneration or reverence; deserving of honor and respect; -- generally implying an advanced age; as, a venerable magistrate; a venerable parent. He was a man of eternal self-sacrifice, and that is always venerable. De Quincey. Venerable men! you have come down to us from a former generation. D. Webster.
2. Rendered sacred by religious or other associations; that should be regarded with awe and treated with reverence; as, the venerable walls of a temple or a church.
Note: This word is employed in the Church of England as a title for an archdeacon. In the Roman Catholic Church, venerable is applied to those who have attained to the lowest of the three recognized degrees of sanctity, but are not among the beatified, nor the canonized. -- Ven"er*a*ble*ness, n. -- Ven"er*a*bly, adv.
VENERACEA Ven`e*ra"ce*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Venus.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: An extensive tribe of bivalve mollusks of which the genus Venus is the type. The shells are usually oval, or somewhat heartshaped, with a conspicuous lunule. See Venus.
VENERATE Ven"er*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Venerated; p. pr. & vb. n. Venerating.] Etym: [L. veneratus, p. p. of venerari to venerate; akin to Venus Venus, Skr. van to like, to wish, and E. winsome. See Winsome.]
Defn: To regard with reverential respect; to honor with mingled respect and awe; to reverence; to revere; as, we venerate parents and elders. And seemed to venerate the sacred shade. Dryden. I do not know a man more to be venerated for uprightness of heart and loftiness of genius. Sir W. Scott.
Syn. -- To reverence; revere; adore; respect.
VENERATION Ven`er*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. veneratio: cf. F. vénération.]
Defn: The act of venerating, or the state of being venerated; the highest degree of respect and reverence; respect mingled with awe; a feeling or sentimental excited by the dignity, wisdom, or superiority of a person, by sacredness of character, by consecration to sacred services, or by hallowed associations. We find a secret awe and veneration for one who moves about us in regular and illustrious course of virtue. Addison.
Syn. -- Awe; reverence; respect. See Reverence.
VENERATOR Ven"er*a`tor, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: One who venerates. Jer. Taylor
VENEREAL Ve*ne"re*al, a. Etym: [L. venereus, venerius, fr. Venus, Veneris, Venus, the goddess of love. See Venerate.]
1. Of or pertaining to venery, or sexual love; relating to sexual intercourse. Into the snare I fell Of fair, fallacious looks, venereal trains, Softened with pleasure and voluptuous life. Milton.
2. (Med.) (a) Arising from sexual intercourse; as, a venereal disease; venereal virus or poison. (b) Adapted to the cure of venereal diseases; as, venereal medicines.
3. Adapted to excite venereal desire; aphrodisiac.
4. Consisting of, or pertaining to, copper, formerly called by chemists Venus. [Obs.] Boyle.
VENEREAL Ve*ne"re*al, n. (Med.)
Defn: The venereal disease; syphilis.
VENEREAN Ve*ne"re*an, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vénérien.]
Defn: Devoted to the offices of Venus, or love; venereal. [Obs.] "I am all venerean in feeling." Chaucer.
VENEREOUS Ve*ne"re*ous, a. Etym: [L. venereus.]
1. Venereal; exciting lust; aphrodisiac. [Obs.]
2. Lustful; lascivious; libidinous. [R.] Derham.
VENEROUS Ven"er*ous, a.
Defn: Venereous. [Obs.] Burton.
VENERY Ven"er*y, n. Etym: [L. Venus, Veneris, the goddess of love.]
Defn: Sexual love; sexual intercourse; coition. Contentment, without the pleasure of lawful venery, is continence; of unlawful, chastity. Grew.
VENERY Ven"er*y, n. Etym: [OE. venerie, F. vénerie, fr. OF. vener to hunt, L. venari. See Venison.]
Defn: The art, act, or practice of hunting; the sports of the chase. "Beasts of venery and fishes." Sir T. Browne. I love hunting and venery. Chaucer.
VENESECTION Ve`ne*sec"tion, n. Etym: [NL. venaesectio; L. vena vein + sectio section.] (Med.)
Defn: The act or operation of opening a vein for letting blood; bloodletting; phlebotomy.
VENETIAN Ve*ne"tian, a. Etym: [Cf. It. Veneziano, L. Venetianus.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to Venice in Italy. Venetian blind, a blind for windows, doors, etc., made of thin slats, either fixed at a certain angle in the shutter, or movable, and in the latter case so disposed as to overlap each other when close, and to show a series of open spaces for the admission of air and light when in other positions. -- Venetian carpet, an inexpensive carpet, used for passages and stairs, having a woolen warp which conceals the weft; the pattern is therefore commonly made up of simple stripes. -- Venetian chalk, a white compact or steatite, used for marking on cloth, etc. -- Venetian door (Arch.), a door having long, narrow windows or panes of glass on the sides. -- Venetian glass, a kind of glass made by the Venetians, for decorative purposes, by the combination of pieces of glass of different colors fused together and wrought into various ornamental patterns. -- Venetian red, a brownish red color, prepared from sulphate of iron; -- called also scarlet ocher. -- Venetian soap. See Castile soap, under Soap. -- Venetian sumac (Bot.), a South European tree (Rhus Cotinus) which yields the yellow dyewood called fustet; -- also called smoke tree. -- Venetian window (Arch.), a window consisting of a main window with an arched head, having on each side a long and narrow window with a square head.
VENETIAN Ve*ne"tian, n.
Defn: A native or inhabitant of Venice.
VENEW Ven"ew, n. Etym: [F. venue, lit., an arrival, from venir, p. p. venu, venue, to come. See Venue.]
Defn: A bout, or turn, as at fencing; a thrust; a hit; a veney. [Obs.] Fuller.
VENEY Ven"ey, n. Etym: [Cf. Venew or Visne.]
Defn: A bout; a thrust; a venew. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl. Three veneys for a dish of stewed prunes. Shak.
VENGE Venge, v. t. Etym: [F. venger. See Vengeance.]
Defn: To avenge; to punish; to revenge. [Obs.] See Avenge, and Revenge. Chaucer. "To venge me, as I may." Shak.
VENGEABLE Venge"a*ble, a.
Defn: Revengeful; deserving revenge. [Obs.] Spenser. -- Venge"a*bly, adv. [Obs.]
VENGEANCE Venge"ance, n. Etym: [F. vengeance, fr. venger to avenge, L. vindicare to lay claim to, defend, avenge, fr. vindex a claimant, defender, avenger, the first part of which is of uncertain origin, and the last part akin to dicere to say. See Diction, and cf. Avenge, Revenge, Vindicate.]
1. Punishment inflicted in return for an injury or an offense; retribution; -- often, in a bad sense, passionate or unrestrained revenge. To me belongeth vengeance and recompense. Deut. xxxii. 35. To execute fierce vengeance on his foes. Milton.
2. Harm; mischief. [Obs.] Shak. What a vengeance, or What the vengeance, what! -- emphatically. [Obs.] "But what a vengeance makes thee fly!" Hudibras. "What the vengeance! Could he not speak 'em fair" Shak. -- With a vengeance, with great violence; as, to strike with a vengeance. [Colloq.]
VENGEANCELY Venge"ance*ly, adv.
Defn: Extremely; excessively. [Obs.] "He loves that vengeancely." Beau. & Fl.
VENGEFUL Venge"ful, a.
Defn: Vindictive; retributive; revengeful. "Vengeful ire." Milton. -- Venge"ful*ly, adv.
VENGEMENT Venge"ment, n. Etym: [OF. vengement.]
Defn: Avengement; penal retribution; vengeance. [Obs.] Spenser.
VENGER Ven"ger, n.
Defn: An avenger. [Obs.] Spenser.
VENIABLE Ve"ni*a*ble, a. Etym: [L. veniabilis, fr. venia forgiveness, pardon.]
Defn: Venial; pardonable. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne. -- Ve"ni*a*bly, adv. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
VENIAL Ve"ni*al, a. Etym: [OF. venial, F. véniel, L. venialis, from venia forgiveness, pardon, grace, favor, kindness; akin to venerari to venerate. See Venerate.]
1. Capable of being forgiven; not heinous; excusable; pardonable; as, a venial fault or transgression. So they do nothing, 't is a venial slip. Shak.
2. Allowed; permitted. [Obs.] "Permitting him the while venial discourse unblamed." Milton. Venial sin (R. C. Theol.), a sin which weakens, but does not wholly destroy, sanctifying grace, as do mortal, or deadly, sins. -- Ve"ni*al*ly, adv. -- Ve"ni*al*ness, n. Bp. Hall.
VENIALITY Ve`ni*al"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being venial; venialness. Jer. Taylor.
VENIN Ven"in, n. [L. venenum poison.] (Physiol. Chem.)
Defn: A toxic substance contained in the venom of poisonous snakes; also, a (supposedly identical) toxic substance obtained by the cleavage of an albumose.
VENIRE FACIAS Ve*ni"re fa"ci*as. Etym: [L., make, or cause, to come.] (Law) (a) A judicial writ or precept directed to the sheriff, requiring him to cause a certain number of qualified persons to appear in court at a specified time, to serve as jurors in said court. (b) A writ in the nature of a summons to cause the party indicted on a penal statute to appear. Called also venire.
VENISON Ven"i*son, n. Etym: [OE. veneison, veneson, venison, OF. veneison, F. venaison, L. venatio hunting, the chase, game, fr. venari, p. p. venatus, to hunt; perhaps akin to OHG. weidin, weidenen, to pasture, to hunt, G. weide pasturage. Cf. Gain to acquire, Venation.]
1. Beasts of the chase. [Obs.] Fabyan.
2. Formerly, the flesh of any of the edible beasts of the chase, also of game birds; now, the flesh of animals of the deer kind exclusively.
VENITE Ve*ni"te, n. Etym: [L., come, imperative 2d person pl. So called from its opening word in the Latin version.] (Eccl.)
Defn: The 95th Psalm, which is said or sung regularly in the public worship of many churches. Also, a musical composition adapted to this Psalm.
VENOM Ven"om, n. Etym: [OE. venim, OF. venim, F. venin, L. veneum. Cf. Venenate.]
1. Matter fatal or injurious to life; poison; particularly, the poisonous, the poisonous matter which certain animals, such as serpents, scorpions, bees, etc., secrete in a state of health, and communicate by thing or stinging. Or hurtful worm with cankered venom bites. Milton.
2. Spite; malice; malignity; evil quality. Chaucer. "The venom of such looks." Shak.
Syn. -- Venom; virus; bane. See Poison.
VENOM Ven"om, v. t. Etym: [OE. venimen, OF. venimer, L. venenare. See Venom, n.]
Defn: To infect with venom; to envenom; to poison. [R.] "Venomed vengeance." Shak.
VENOMOUS Ven"om*ous, a. Etym: [OE. venemous, venimous, F. venimeux, L. venenosus, fr. venenum poison. See Venom, and cf. Venenose.]
1. Full of venom; noxious to animal life; poisonous; as, the bite of a serpent may be venomous.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having a poison gland or glands for the secretion of venom, as certain serpents and insects.
3. Noxious; mischievous; malignant; spiteful; as, a venomous progeny; a venomous writer. Venomous snake (Zoöl.), any serpent which has poison glands and fangs, whether dangerous to man or not. These serpents constitute two tribes, the viperine serpents, or Solenoglypha, and the cobralike serpents, or Proteroglypha. The former have perforated, erectile fangs situated in the front part of the upper jaw, and are without ordinary teeth behind the fangs; the latter have permanently erect and grooved fangs, with ordinary maxillary teeth behind them. -- Ven"om*ous*ly, adv. -- Ven"om*ous*ness, n.
VENOSE Ve*nose", a. Etym: [See Venous.]
Defn: Having numerous or conspicuous veins; veiny; as, a venose frond.
VENOSITY Ve*nos"i*ty, n.
1. The quality or state of being venous.
2. (Med.)
Defn: A condition in which the circulation is retarded, and the entire mass of blood is less oxygenated than it normally is.
VENOUS Ven"ous, a. Etym: [L. venosus, from vena a vein. See Vein.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to a vein or veins; as, the venous circulation of the blood.
2. Contained in the veins, or having the same qualities as if contained in the veins, that is, having a dark bluish color and containing an insufficient amount of oxygen so as no longer to be fit for oxygenating the tissues; -- said of the blood, and opposed to arterial.
3. Marked with veins; veined; as, a venous leaf. Venous leaf (Bot.), a leaf having vessels branching, or variously divided, over its surface. -- Venous hum (Med.), a humming sound, or bruit, heard during auscultation of the veins of the neck in anæmia. -- Venous pulse (Physiol.), the pulse, or rhythmic contraction, sometimes seen in a vein, as in the neck, when there is an obstruction to the passage of blood from the auricles to the ventricles, or when there is an abnormal rigidity in the walls of the greater vessels. There is normally no pulse in a vein.
VENT Vent, n. Etym: [F. vente, fr. L. vendere, -itum, to sell; perh. confused with E. vent an opening. See Vend.]
Defn: Sale; opportunity to sell; market. [Obs.] Shelton. There is no vent for any commodity but of wool. Sir W. Temple.
VENT Vent, v. t.
Defn: To sell; to vend. [Obs.] Therefore did those nations vent such spice. Sir W. Raleigh.
VENT Vent, n. Etym: [Sp. venta a poor inn, sale, market. See Vent sale.]
Defn: A baiting place; an inn. [Obs.]
VENT Vent, v. i. Etym: [Cf. F. venter to blow, vent wind (see Ventilate); but prob influenced by E. vent an opening.]
Defn: To snuff; to breathe or puff out; to snort. [Obs.] Spenser.
VENT Vent, n. Etym: [OE. fent, fente, a slit, F. fente a slit, cleft, fissure, from fendre to split, L. findere; but probably confused with F. vent wind, L. ventus. See Fissure, and cf. Vent to snuff.]
1. A small aperture; a hole or passage for air or any fluid to escape; as, the vent of a cask; the vent of a mold; a volcanic vent. Look, how thy wounds do bleed at many vents. Shak. Long't was doubtful, both so closely pent, Which first should issue from the narrow vent. Pope.
2. Specifically: --(a) (Zoöl.)
Defn: The anal opening of certain invertebrates and fishes; also, the external cloacal opening of reptiles, birds, amphibians, and many fishes. (b) (Gun.) The opening at the breech of a firearm, through which fire is communicated to the powder of the charge; touchhole. (c) (Steam Boilers) Sectional area of the passage for gases divided by the length of the same passage in feet.
3. Fig.: Opportunity of escape or passage from confinement or privacy; outlet.
4. Emission; escape; passage to notice or expression; publication; utterance. Without the vent of words. Milton. Thou didst make tolerable vent of thy travel. Shak. To give vent to, to suffer to escape; to let out; to pour forth; as, to give vent to anger. -- To take vent, to escape; to be made public. [R.] -- Vent feather (Zoöl.), one of the anal, or crissal, feathers of a bird. -- Vent field (Gun.), a flat raised surface around a vent. -- Vent piece. (Gun.) (a) A bush. See 4th Bush, n, 2. (b) A breech block.
VENT Vent, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vented; p. pr. & vb. n. Venting.]
1. To let out at a vent, or small aperture; to give passage or outlet to.
2. To suffer to escape from confinement; to let out; to utter; to pour forth; as, to vent passion or complaint. The queen of heaven did thus her fury vent. Dryden.
3. To utter; to report; to publish. [Obs.] By mixing somewhat true to vent more lies. Milton. Thou hast framed and vented very curious orations. Barrow.
4. To scent, as a hound. [Obs.] Turbervile.
5. To furnish with a vent; to make a vent in; as, to vent. a mold.
VENTAGE Vent"age, n.
Defn: A small hole, as the stop in a flute; a vent. Shak.
VENTAIL Vent"ail, n. Etym: [OF. ventaille, F. ventail. See Ventilate, and cf. Aventail.]
Defn: That part of a helmet which is intended for the admission of air, -- sometimes in the visor. Spenser. Her ventail up so high that he descried Her goodly visage and her beauty's pride. Fairfax.
VENTER Vent"er, n.
Defn: One who vents; one who utters, reports, or publishes. [R.] Barrow.
VENTER Vent"er, n. Etym: [L.]
1. (Anat.) (a) The belly; the abdomen; -- sometimes applied to any large cavity containing viscera. (b) The uterus, or womb. (c) A belly, or protuberant part; a broad surface; as, the venter of a muscle; the venter, or anterior surface, of the scapula.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The lower part of the abdomen in insects.
3. (Rom. & O. E. Law)
Defn: A pregnant woman; a mother; as, A has a son B by one venter, and a daughter C by another venter; children by different venters.
VENTHOLE Vent"hole, n.
Defn: A touchhole; a vent.
VENTIDUCT Ven"ti*duct, n. Etym: [L. ventus wind + ductus a leading, conduit, fr. ducere, ductum, to lead.]
Defn: A passage for wind or air; a passage or pipe for ventilating apartments. Gwilt.
VENTILATE Ven"ti*late, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ventilated; p. pr. & vb. n. Ventilating.] Etym: [L. ventilatus, p. p. of ventilare to toss, brandish in the air, to fan, to winnow, from ventus wind; akin to E. wind. See Wind rushing air.]
1. To open and expose to the free passage of air; to supply with fresh air, and remove impure air from; to air; as, to ventilate a room; to ventilate a cellar; to ventilate a mine.
2. To provide with a vent, or escape, for air, gas, etc.; as, to ventilate a mold, or a water-wheel bucket.
3. To change or renew, as the air of a room. Harvey.
4. To winnow; to fan; as, to ventilate wheat.
5. To sift and examine; to bring out, and subject to penetrating scrutiny; to expose to examination and discussion; as, to ventilate questions of policy. Ayliffe.
6. To give vent; to utter; to make public. Macaulay took occasion to ventilate one of those starling, but not very profound, paradoxes. J. C. Shairp.
VENTILATION Ven`ti*la"tion, n. Etym: [L. ventilatio: cf. F. ventilation.]
1. The act of ventilating, or the state of being ventilated; the art or process of replacing foul air by that which is pure, in any inclosed place, as a house, a church, a mine, etc.; free exposure to air. Insuring, for the laboring man, better ventilation. F. W. Robertson.
2. The act of refrigerating, or cooling; refrigeration; as, ventilation of the blood. [Obs.] Harvey.
3. The act of fanning, or winnowing, for the purpose of separating chaff and dust from the grain.
4. The act of sifting, and bringing out to view or examination; free discussion; public exposure. The ventilation of these points diffused them to the knowledge of the world. Bp. Hall.
5. The act of giving vent or expression. "Ventilation of his thoughts." Sir H. Wotton.
VENTILATIVE Ven"ti*la*tive, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to ventilation; adapted to secure ventilation; ventilating; as, ventilative apparatus.
VENTILATOR Ven"ti*la`tor, n. Etym: [Cf. F. ventilateur, L. ventilator a winnower.]
Defn: A contrivance for effecting ventilation; especially, a contrivance or machine for drawing off or expelling foul or stagnant air from any place or apartment, or for introducing that which is fresh and pure.
VENTOSE Ven*tose", n.
Defn: A ventouse. [Obs.] Holland.
VENTOSE Ven*tose", a. Etym: [L. ventosus windy. See Ventilate.]
Defn: Windy; flatulent. Richardson (Dict.).
VENTOSE Ven`tose", n. Etym: [F. ventôse. See Ventose, a.]
Defn: The sixth month of the calendar adopted by the first French republic. It began February 19, and ended March 20. See Vend.
VENTOSITY Ven*tos"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. ventositas: cf. F. ventosité. See Ventose, n.]
Defn: Quality or state of being ventose; windiness; hence, vainglory; pride. Bacon.
VENTOUSE Ven"touse, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: A cupping glass. [Obs.] Chaucer.
VENTOUSE Ven"touse, v. t. & i.
Defn: To cup; to use a cupping glass. [Obs.] [Written also ventuse.] Chaucer.
VENTRAD Ven"trad, adv. Etym: [L. venter belly + ad to.] (Anat.)
Defn: Toward the ventral side; on the ventral side; ventrally; -- opposed to dorsad.
VENTRAL Ven"tral, a. Etym: [L. ventralis, fr. venter the belly; perhaps akin to G. wanst: cf. F. ventral.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or situated near, the belly, or ventral side, of an animal or of one of its parts; hemal; abdominal; as, the ventral fin of a fish; the ventral root of a spinal nerve; -- opposed to Ant: dorsal.
2. (Bot.) (a) Of or pertaining to that surface of a carpel, petal, etc., which faces toward the center of a flower. (b) Of or pertaining to the lower side or surface of a creeping moss or other low flowerless plant. Opposed to Ant: dorsal. Ventral fins (Zoöl.), the posterior pair of fins of a fish. They are often situated beneath the belly, but sometimes beneath the throat. -- Ventral segment. (Acoustics) See Loop, n., 5.
VENTRICLE Ven"tri*cle, n. Etym: [L. ventriculus the stomach, a ventricle, dim. of venter the belly: cf. F. ventricule. See Ventral.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: A cavity, or one of the cavities, of an organ, as of the larynx or the brain; specifically, the posterior chamber, or one of the two posterior chambers, of the heart, which receives the blood from the auricle and forces it out from the heart. See Heart.
Note: The principal ventricles of the brain are the fourth in the medulla, the third in the midbrain, the first and second, or lateral, ventricles in the cerebral hemispheres, all of which are connected with each other, and the fifth, or pseudoc, situated between the hemispheres, in front of, or above, the fornix, and entirely disconnected with the other cavities. See Brain, and C.
2. The stomach. [Obs.] Whether I will or not, while I live, my heart beats, and my ventricle digests what is in it. Sir M. Hale.
3. Fig.: Any cavity, or hollow place, in which any function may be conceived of as operating. These [ideas] are begot on the ventricle of memory. Shak.
VENTRICOSE; VENTRICOUS Ven"tri*cose`, Ven"tri*cous, a. Etym: [NL. ventricosus, fr. L. venter belly.] (Nat. Hist.)
Defn: Swelling out on one side or unequally; bellied; ventricular; as, a ventricose corolla. Ventricose shell. (Zoöl.) (a) A spiral shell having the body whorls rounded or swollen in the middle. (b) A bivalve shell in which the valves are strongly convex.
VENTRICULAR Ven*tric"u*lar, a. Etym: [Cf. F. ventriculaire.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a ventricle; bellied.
VENTRICULITE Ven*tric"u*lite, n. Etym: [See Ventriculus.] (Paleon.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of siliceous fossil sponges belonging to Ventriculites and allied genera, characteristic of the Cretaceous period.
Note: Many of them were shaped like vases, others like mushrooms. They belong to the hexactinellids, and are allied to the Venus's basket of modern seas.
VENTRICULOUS Ven*tric"u*lous, a. Etym: [L. ventriculosus of the belly.]
Defn: Somewhat distended in the middle; ventricular.
VENTRICULUS Ven*tric"u*lus, n.; pl. Ventriculi. Etym: [L., belly, dim. fr. venter belly.] (Zoöl.) (a) One of the stomachs of certain insects. (b) The body cavity of a sponge.
VENTRILOCUTION Ven`tri*lo*cu"tion, n. Etym: [See Ventriloquous.]
Defn: Ventriloquism.
VENTRILOQUIAL Ven`tri*lo"qui*al, a.
Defn: Ventriloquous.
VENTRILOQUISM Ven*tril"o*quism, n. Etym: [See Ventriloquous.]
Defn: The act, art, or practice of speaking in such a manner that the voice appears to come, not from the person speaking, but from some other source, as from the opposite side of the room, from the cellar, etc.
VENTRILOQUIST Ven*tril"o*quist, n.
Defn: One who practices, or is skilled in, ventriloquism. Ventriloquist monkey (Zoöl.), the onappo; -- so called from the character of its cry.
VENTRILOQUIZE Ven*tril"o*quize, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Ventriloquized; p. pr. & vb. n. Ventriloquizing .]
Defn: To practice ventriloquism; to speak like a ventriloquist.
VENTRILOQUOUS Ven*tril"o*quous, a. Etym: [L. ventriloquus a ventriloquist; venter the belly + loqui, p. p. locutus, to speak. See Ventral, and Loquacious.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a ventriloquist or ventriloquism.
VENTRILOQUY Ven*tril"o*quy, n. Etym: [Cf. F. ventriloquie.]
Defn: Same as Ventriloquism.
VENTRIMESON Ven`tri*mes"on, n. Etym: [NL. See Venter, and Meson.] (Anat.)
Defn: See Meson.
VENTRO- Ven"tro- (. Etym: [L. venter belly.]
Defn: A combining form used in anatomy to indicate connection with, or relation to, the abdomen; also, connection with, relation to, or direction toward, the ventral side; as, ventrolateral; ventro- inguinal.
VENTRO-INGUINAL Ven`tro-in"gui*nal, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Pertaining both to the abdomen and groin, or to the abdomen and inguinal canal; as, ventro-inguinal hernia.
VENTURE Ven"ture, n. Etym: [Aphetic form of OE. aventure. See Adventure.]
1. An undertaking of chance or danger; the risking of something upon an event which can not be foreseen with certainty; a hazard; a risk; a speculation. I, in this venture, double gains pursue. Dryden.
2. An event that is not, or can not be, foreseen; an accident; chance; hap; contingency; luck. Bacon.
3. The thing put to hazard; a stake; a risk; especially, something sent to sea in trade. My ventures are not in one bottom trusted. Shak. At a venture, at hazard; without seeing the end or mark; without foreseeing the issue; at random. A certain man drew a bow at a venture. 1 Kings xxii. 34. A bargain at a venture made. Hudibras.
Note: The phrase at a venture was originally at aventure, that is, at adventure.
VENTURE Ven"ture, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Ventured; p. pr. & vb. n. Venturing.]
1. To hazard one's self; to have the courage or presumption to do, undertake, or say something; to dare. Bunyan.
2. To make a venture; to run a hazard or risk; to take the chances. Who freights a ship to venture on the seas. J. Dryden, Jr. To venture at, or To venture on or upon, to dare to engage in; to attempt without any certainty of success; as, it is rash to venture upon such a project. "When I venture at the comic style." Waller.
VENTURE Ven"ture, v. t.
1. To expose to hazard; to risk; to hazard; as, to venture one's person in a balloon. I am afraid; and yet I'll venture it. Shak.
2. To put or send on a venture or chance; as, to venture a horse to the West Indies.
3. To confide in; to rely on; to trust. [R.] A man would be well enough pleased to buy silks of one whom he would not venture to feel his pulse. Addison.
VENTURER Ven"tur*er, n.
1. One who ventures, or puts to hazard; an adventurer. Beau. & Fl.
2. A strumpet; a prostitute. [R.] J. Webster (1607).
VENTURESOME Ven"ture*some, a.
Defn: Inclined to venture; not loth to run risk or danger; venturous; bold; daring; adventurous; as, a venturesome boy or act. -- Ven"ture*some*ly, adv. -- Ven"ture*some*ness, n.
VENTURINE Ven"tur*ine, n. Etym: [Cf. Aventurine.] (Japanning)
Defn: Gold powder for covering varnished surfaces.
VENTUROUS Ven"tur*ous, a. Etym: [Aphetic form of OE. aventurous. See Adventurous, Venture, n.]
Defn: Daring; bold; hardy; fearless; venturesome; adveturous; as, a venturous soldier. Spenser. This said, he paused not, but with venturous arm He plucked, he tasted. Milton. -- Ven"tur*ous*ly, adv. -- Ven"tur*ous*ness, n.
VENTUSE Ven"tuse, v. t. & i.
Defn: See Ventouse. [Obs.]
VENUE Ven"ue, n. Etym: [F. venue a coming, arrival, fr. venir to come, L. venire; hence, in English, the place whither the jury are summoned to come. See Come, and cf. Venew, Veney.]
1. (Law)
Defn: A neighborhood or near place; the place or county in which anything is alleged to have happened; also, the place where an action is laid. The twelve men who are to try the cause must be of the same venue where the demand is made. Blackstone.
Note: In certain cases, the court has power to change the venue, which is to direct the trial to be had in a different county from that where the venue is laid.
2. A bout; a hit; a turn. See Venew. [R.] To lay a venue (Law), to allege a place.
VENULE Ven"ule, n. Etym: [L. venula, dim. from vena vein.]
Defn: A small vein; a veinlet; specifically (Zoöl.), one of the small branches of the veins of the wings in insects.
VENULOSE Ven"u*lose`, a.
Defn: Full of venules, or small veins.
VENUS Ve"nus, n. Etym: [L. Venus, -eris, the goddess of love, the planet Venus.]
1. (Class. Myth.)
Defn: The goddess of beauty and love, that is, beauty or love deified.
2. (Anat.)
Defn: One of the planets, the second in order from the sun, its orbit lying between that of Mercury and that of the Earth, at a mean distance from the sun of about 67,000,000 miles. Its diameter is 7,700 miles, and its sidereal period 224.7 days. As the morning star, it was called by the ancients Lucifer; as the evening star, Hesperus.
3. (Alchem.)
Defn: The metal copper; -- probably so designated from the ancient use of the metal in making mirrors, a mirror being still the astronomical symbol of the planet Venus. [Archaic]
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of marine bivalve shells of the genus Venus or family Veneridæ. Many of these shells are large, and ornamented with beautiful frills; others are smooth, glossy, and handsomely colored. Some of the larger species, as the round clam, or quahog, are valued for food. Venus's basin (Bot.), the wild teasel; - - so called because the connate leaf bases form a kind of receptacle for water, which was formerly gathered for use in the toilet. Also called Venus's bath. -- Venus's basket (Zoöl.), an elegant, cornucopia-shaped, hexactinellid sponge (Euplectella speciosa) native of the East Indies. It consists of glassy, transparent, siliceous fibers interwoven and soldered together so as to form a firm network, and has long, slender, divergent anchoring fibers at the base by means of which it stands erect in the soft mud at the bottom of the sea. Called also Venus's flower basket, and Venus's purse. -- Venus's comb. (a) (Bot.) Same as Lady's comb. (b) (Zoöl.) A species of Murex (M. tenuispinus). It has a long, tubular canal, with a row of long, slender spines along both of its borders, and rows of similar spines covering the body of the shell. Called also Venus's shell. -- Venus's fan (Zoöl.), a common reticulated, fanshaped gorgonia (Gorgonia flabellum) native of Florida and the West Indies. When fresh the color is purple or yellow, or a mixture of the two. -- Venus's flytrap. (Bot.) See Flytrap, 2. -- Venus's girdle (Zoöl.), a long, flat, ribbonlike, very delicate, transparent and iridescent ctenophore (Cestum Veneris) which swims in the open sea. Its form is due to the enormous development of two spheromeres. See Illust. in Appendix. -- Venus's hair (Bot.), a delicate and graceful fern (Adiantum Capillus-Veneris) having a slender, black and shining stem and branches. -- Venus's hair stone (Min.), quartz penetrated by acicular crystals of rutile. -- Venus's looking-glass (Bot.), an annual plant of the genus Specularia allied to the bellflower; -- also called lady's looking- glass. -- Venus's navelwort (Bot.), any one of several species of Omphalodes, low boraginaceous herbs with small blue or white flowers. -- Venus's pride (Bot.), an old name for Quaker ladies. See under Quaker. -- Venus's purse. (Zoöl.) Same as Venus's basket, above. -- Venus's shell. (Zoöl.) (a) Any species of Cypræa; a cowrie. (b) Same as Venus's comb, above. (c) Same as Venus, 4. -- Venus's slipper. (a) (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Cypripedium. See Lady's slipper. (b) (Zoöl.) Any heteropod shell of the genus Carinaria. See Carinaria.
VENUST Ve*nust", a. Etym: [L. venustus, from Venus the goddess of love.]
Defn: Beautiful. [R.] E. Waterhouse.
VERACIOUS Ve*ra"cious, a. Etym: [L. verax, -acis, fr. verus true. See Very.]
1. Observant of truth; habitually speaking truth; truthful; as, veracious historian. The Spirit is most perfectly and absolutely veracious. Barrow.
2. Characterized by truth; not false; as, a veracious account or narrative. The young, ardent soul that enters on this world with heroic purpose, with veracious insight, will find it a mad one. Carlyle.
VERACIOUSLY Ve*ra"cious*ly, adv.
Defn: In a veracious manner.
VERACITY Ve*rac"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. véracité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being veracious; habitual observance of truth; truthfulness; truth; as, a man of veracity.
VERANDA Ve*ran"da, n. Etym: [A word brought by the English from India; of uncertain origin; cf. Skr. vara, Pg. varanda, Sp. baranda, Malay baranda.] (Arch.)
Defn: An open, roofed gallery or portico, adjoining a dwelling house, forming an out-of-door sitting room. See Loggia. The house was of adobe, low, with a wide veranda on the three sides of the inner court. Mrs. H. H. Jackson.
VERATRALBINE Ver`a*tral"bine, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A yellowish amorphous alkaloid extracted from the rootstock of Veratrum album.
VERATRATE Ve*ra"trate, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A salt of veratric acid.
VERATRIA Ve*ra"tri*a, n. Etym: [NL.] (Chem.)
Defn: Veratrine.
VERATRIC Ve*ra"tric, a. (Chem.)
Defn: Pertaining to, or derived from, plants of the genus Veratrum. Veratric acid (Chem.), an acid occurring, together with veratrine, in the root of white hellebore (Veratrum album), and in sabadilla seed; -- extracted as a white crystalline substance which is related to protocatechuic acid.
VERATRINA Ver`a*tri"na, n. Etym: [NL.] (Chem.)
Defn: Same as Veratrine.
VERATRINE Ve*ra"trine, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vératrine. See Veratrum.] (Chem.)
Defn: A poisonous alkaloid obtained from the root hellebore (Veratrum) and from sabadilla seeds as a white crystalline powder, having an acrid, burning taste. It is sometimes used externally, as in ointments, in the local treatment of neuralgia and rheumatism. Called also veratria, and veratrina.
VERATROL Ve*ra"trol, n. Etym: [Veratric + ol.] (Chem.)
Defn: A liquid hydrocarbon obtained by the decomposition of veratric acid, and constituting the dimethyl ether of pyrocatechin.
VERATRUM Ve*ra"trum, n. Etym: [L. veratrum hellebore.] (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of coarse liliaceous herbs having very poisonous qualities.
Note: Veratrum album of Europe, and Veratrum viride of America, are both called hellebore. They grow in wet land, have large, elliptical, plicate leaves in three vertical ranks, and bear panicles of greenish flowers.
VERB Verb, n. Etym: [F. verbe, L. verbum a word, verb. See Word.]
1. A word; a vocable. [Obs.] South.
2. (Gram.)
Defn: A word which affirms or predicates something of some person or thing; a part of speech expressing being, action, or the suffering of action.
Note: A verb is a word whereby the chief action of the mind [the assertion or the denial of a proposition] finds expression. Earle. Active verb, Auxiliary verb, Neuter verb, etc. See Active, Auxiliary, Neuter, etc.
VERBAL Ver"bal, a. Etym: [F., fr. L. verbalis. See Verb.]
1. Expressed in words, whether spoken or written, but commonly in spoken words; hence, spoken; oral; not written; as, a verbal contract; verbal testimony. Made she no verbal question Shak. We subjoin an engraving . . . which will give the reader a far better notion of the structure than any verbal description could convey to the mind. Mayhew.
2. Consisting in, or having to do with, words only; dealing with words rather than with the ideas intended to be conveyed; as, a verbal critic; a verbal change. And loses, though but verbal, his reward. Milton. Mere verbal refinements, instead of substantial knowledge. Whewell.
3. Having word answering to word; word for word; literal; as, a verbal translation.
4. Abounding with words; verbose. [Obs.] Shak.
5. (Gram.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to a verb; as, a verbal group; derived directly from a verb; as, a verbal noun; used in forming verbs; as, a verbal prefix. Verbal inspiration. See under Inspiration. -- Verbal noun (Gram.), a noun derived directly from a verb or verb stem; a verbal. The term is specifically applied to infinitives, and nouns ending in -ing, esp. to the latter. See Gerund, and -ing, 2. See also, Infinitive mood, under Infinitive.
VERBAL Ver"bal, n. (Gram.)
Defn: A noun derived from a verb.
VERBALISM Ver"bal*ism, n.
Defn: Something expressed verbally; a verbal remark or expression.
VERBALIST Ver"bal*ist, n.
Defn: A literal adherent to, or a minute critic of, words; a literalist.
VERBALITY Ver*bal"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being verbal; mere words; bare literal expression. [R.] "More verbality than matter." Bp. Hall.
VERBALIZATION Ver`bal*i*za"tion, n.
Defn: The act of verbalizing, or the state of being verbalized.
VERBALIZE Ver"bal*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Verbalized; p. pr. & vb. n. Verbalizing.] Etym: [Cf. F. verbaliser.]
Defn: To convert into a verb; to verbify.
VERBALIZE Ver"bal*ize, v. i.
Defn: To be verbose.
VERBALLY Ver"bal*ly, adv.
1. In a verbal manner; orally.
2. Word for word; verbatim. Dryden.
VERBARIAN Ver*ba"ri*an, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to words; verbal. [R.] Coleridge.
VERBARIAN Ver*ba"ri*an, n.
Defn: One who coins words. [R.] Southey gives himself free scope as a verbarian. Fitzed. Hall.
VERBARIUM Ver*ba"ri*um, n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. verbum word.]
Defn: A game in word making. See Logomachy, 2.
VERBATIM Ver*ba"tim, adv. Etym: [LL., fr. L. verbum word.]
Defn: Word for word; in the same words; verbally; as, to tell a story verbatim as another has related it. Verbatim et literatim Etym: [LL.], word for word, and letter for letter.
VERBENA Ver*be"na, n. Etym: [L. See Vervain.] (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of herbaceous plants of which several species are extensively cultivated for the great beauty of their flowers; vervain.
Note: Verbena, or vervain, was used by the Greeks, the Romans, and the Druids, in their sacred rites. Brewer. Essence of verbena, Oil of verbena, a perfume prepared from the lemon verbena; also, a similar perfume properly called grass oil. See Grass oil, under Grass. -- Lemon, or Sweet, verbena, a shrubby verbenaceous plant (Lippia citriodora), with narrow leaves which exhale a pleasant, lemonlike fragrance when crushed.
VERBENACEOUS Ver`be*na"ceous, a. (Bot.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to a natural order (Verbenaceæ) of gamopetalous plants of which Verbena is the type. The order includes also the black and white mangroves, and many plants noted for medicinal use or for beauty of bloom.
VERBENATE Ver"be*nate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Verbenated; p. pr. & vb. n. Verbenating.] Etym: [L. verbenatus crowned with a wreath of sacred boughs. See Verbena.]
Defn: To strew with verbena, or vervain, as in ancient sacrifices and rites.
VERBERATE Ver"ber*ate, v. t. Etym: [L. verberatus, p. p. of verberare to beat, from verber a lash, a whip.]
Defn: To beat; to strike. [Obs.] "The sound . . . rebounds again and verberates the skies." Mir. for Mag.
VERBERATION Ver`ber*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. verberatio: cf. F. verbération.]
1. The act of verberating; a beating or striking. Arbuthnot.
2. The impulse of a body; which causes sound. [R.]
VERBIAGE Ver"bi*age (; 48), n. Etym: [F. verbiage, from OF. verbe a word. See Verb.]
Defn: The use of many words without necessity, or with little sense; a superabundance of words; verbosity; wordiness. Verbiage may indicate observation, but not thinking. W. Irving. This barren verbiage current among men. Tennyson.
VERBIFY Ver"bi*fy, v. t. Etym: [Verb + -fy.]
Defn: To make into a verb; to use as a verb; to verbalize. [R.] Earle.
VERBIGERATE Ver*big"er*ate, v. i. [imp. & p. p. -ated; p. pr. & vb. n. -ating.] [L. verbigerate, -atum, to talk.]
1. To talk; chat. [Obs.]
2. (Med.) To repeat a word or sentence, in speaking or writing, without wishing to do so or in spite of efforts to cease. -- Ver*big`er*a"tion (#), n.
VERBOSE Ver*bose", a. Etym: [L. verbosus, from verbum a word. See Verb.]
Defn: Abounding in words; using or containing more words than are necessary; tedious by a multiplicity of words; prolix; wordy; as, a verbose speaker; a verbose argument. Too verbose in their way of speaking. Ayliffe. -- Ver*bose"ly, adv. -- Ver*bose"ness, n.
VERBOSITY Ver*bos"i*ty n.; pl. Verbosities. Etym: [L. verbositas: cf. F. verbosité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being verbose; the use of more words than are necessary; prolixity; wordiness; verbiage. The worst fault, by far, is the extreme diffuseness and verbosity of his style. Jeffrey.
VERD Verd, n. Etym: [See Vert, Verdant.]
1. (Eng. Forest Law) (a) The privilege of cutting green wood within a forest for fuel. (b) The right of pasturing animals in a forest. Burrill.
2. Greenness; freshness. [Obs.] Nares.
VERDANCY Ver"dan*cy, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being verdant.
VERDANT Ver"dant, a. Etym: [F. verdoyant, p. pr. of verdoyer to be verdant, to grow green, OF. verdoier, verdeier, fr. verd, vert, green, fr. L. viridis green, fr. virere to be green: cf. OF. verdant verdant, L. viridans, p. pr. of viridare to make green. Cf. Farthingale, Verjuice, Vert.]
1. Covered with growing plants or grass; green; fresh; flourishing; as, verdant fields; a verdant lawn. Let the earth Put forth the verdant grass. Milton.
2. Unripe in knowledge or judgment; unsophisticated; raw; green; as, a verdant youth. [Colloq.]
VERD ANTIQUE Verd` an*tique". Etym: [F. vert antique a kind of marble; verd, vert, green + antique ancient: cf. It. verde antico.] (Min.) (a) A mottled-green serpentine marble. (b) A green porphyry called oriental verd antique.
VERDANTLY Ver"dant*ly, adv.
Defn: In a verdant manner.
VERDERER; VERDEROR Ver"der*er, Ver"der*or, n. Etym: [F. verdier, LL. viridarius, fr. L. viridis green.] (Eng. Forest Law)
Defn: An officer who has the charge of the king's forest, to preserve the vert and venison, keep the assizes, view, receive, and enroll attachments and presentments of all manner of trespasses. Blackstone.
VERDICT Ver"dict, n. Etym: [OE. verdit, OF. verdit, veirdit, LL. verdictum, veredictum; L. vere truly (fr. verus true) + dictum a saying, a word, fr. dicere, dictum, to say. See Very, and Dictum.]
1. (Law)
Defn: The answer of a jury given to the court concerning any matter of fact in any cause, civil or criminal, committed to their examination and determination; the finding or decision of a jury on the matter legally submitted to them in the course of the trial of a cause.
Note: The decision of a judge or referee, upon an issue of fact, is not called a verdict, but a finding, or a finding of fact. Abbott.
2. Decision; judgment; opinion pronounced; as, to be condemned by the verdict of the public. These were enormities condemned by the most natural verdict of common humanity. South. Two generations have since confirmed the verdict which was pronounced on that night. Macaulay.
VERDIGRIS Ver"di*gris, n. Etym: [F. vert-de-gris, apparently from verd, vert, green + de of + gris gray, but really a corruption of LL. viride aeris (equivalent to L. aerugo), from L. viridis green + aes, aeris, brass. See Verdant, and 2d Ore.]
1. (Chem.)
Defn: A green poisonous substance used as a pigment and drug, obtained by the action of acetic acid on copper, and consisting essentially of a complex mixture of several basic copper acetates.
2. The green rust formed on copper. [Colloq.]
Note: This rust is a carbonate of copper, and should not be confounded with true verdigris. U. S. Disp. Blue verdigris (Chem.), a verdigris having a blue color, used a pigment, etc. -- Distilled verdigris (Old Chem.), an acid copper acetate; -- so called because the acetic acid used in making it was obtained from distilled vinegar. -- Verdigris green, clear bluish green, the color of verdigris.
VERDIGRIS Ver"di*gris, v. t.
Defn: To cover, or coat, with verdigris. [R.] "An old verdigrised brass bugle." Hawthorne.
VERDIN Ver"din, n. Etym: [Cf. Sp. verdino bright green, F. verdin the yellow-hammer.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small yellow-headed bird (Auriparus flaviceps) of Lower California, allied to the titmice; -- called also goldtit.
VERDINE Ver"dine, n. Etym: [F. verd, vert, green.] (Chem.)
Defn: A commercial name for green aniline dye.
VERDINGALE Ver"din*gale, n.
Defn: See Farthingale. [Spelled also verdingall.] [Obs.]
VERDIT Ver"dit, n.
Defn: Verdict. Chaucer.
VERDITER Ver"di*ter, n. Etym: [F. vert-de-terre, literally, green of earth.] (Chem.) (a) Verdigris. [Obs.] (b) Either one of two pigments (called blue verditer, and green verditer) which are made by treating copper nitrate with calcium carbonate (in the form of lime, whiting, chalk, etc.) They consist of hydrated copper carbonates analogous to the minerals azurite and malachite. Verditer blue, a pale greenish blue color, like that of the pigment verditer.
VERDITURE Ver"di*ture, n. Etym: [Cf. Verditer.]
Defn: The faintest and palest green.
VERDOY Ver"doy, a. Etym: [F. verdoyer to become green. See Verdant.] (Her.)
Defn: Charged with leaves, fruits, flowers, etc.; -- said of a border.
VERDURE Ver"dure, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. viridis green. See Verdant.]
Defn: Green; greenness; freshness of vegetation; as, the verdure of the meadows in June. A wide expanse of living verdure, cultivated gardens, shady groves, fertile cornfields, flowed round it like a sea. Motley.
VERDURED Ver"dured, a.
Defn: Covered with verdure. Poe.
VERDURELESS Ver"dure*less, a.
Defn: Destitute of verdure.
VERDUROUS Ver"dur*ous, a.
Defn: Covered with verdure; clothed with the fresh green of vegetation; verdured; verdant; as, verdurous pastures. Milton.
VERECUND Ver"e*cund, a. Etym: [L. verecundus, fr. vereri to feel awe.]
Defn: Rashful; modest. [Obs.]
VERECUNDIOUS Ver`e*cun"di*ous, a.
Defn: Verecund. [Obs.] "Verecundious generosity." Sir H. Wotton.
VERECUNDITY Ver`e*cun"di*ty, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being verecund; modesty. [Obs.]
VEREIN Ver*ein", n. [G.]
Defn: A union, association, or society; -- used in names of German organizations.
VERETILLUM Ver`e*til"lum, n. Etym: [L., dim. of veretrum the private parts.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of club-shaped, compound Alcyonaria belonging to Veretillum and allied genera, of the tribe Pennatulacea. The whole colony can move about as if it were a simple animal.
VERGALIEN; VERGALOO Ver"ga*lien, Ver"ga*loo, n. Etym: [Cf. Virgouleuse.] (Bot.)
Defn: See Virgalieu.
VERGE Verge, n. Etym: [F. verge, L. virga; perhaps akin to E. wisp.]
1. A rod or staff, carried as an emblem of authority; as, the verge, carried before a dean.
2. The stick or wand with which persons were formerly admitted tenants, they holding it in the hand, and swearing fealty to the lord. Such tenants were called tenants by the verge. [Eng.]
3. (Eng. Law)
Defn: The compass of the court of Marshalsea and the Palace court, within which the lord steward and the marshal of the king's household had special jurisdiction; -- so called from the verge, or staff, which the marshal bore.
4. A virgate; a yardland. [Obs.]
5. A border, limit, or boundary of a space; an edge, margin, or brink of something definite in extent. Even though we go to the extreme verge of possibility to invent a supposition favorable to it, the theory . . . implies an absurdity. J. S. Mill. But on the horizon's verge descried, Hangs, touched with light, one snowy sail. M. Arnold.
6. A circumference; a circle; a ring. The inclusive verge Of golden metal that must round my brow. Shak.
7. (Arch.) (a) The shaft of a column, or a small ornamental shaft. Oxf. Gloss. (b) The edge of the tiling projecting over the gable of a roof. Encyc. Brit.
8. (Horol.)
Defn: The spindle of a watch balance, especially one with pallets, as in the old vertical escapement. See under Escapement.
9. (Hort.) (a) The edge or outside of a bed or border. (b) A slip of grass adjoining gravel walks, and dividing them from the borders in a parterre.
10. The penis.
11. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The external male organ of certain mollusks, worms, etc. See Illustration in Appendix.
Syn. -- Border; edge; rim; brim; margin; brink.
VERGE Verge, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Verged; p. pr. & vb. n. Verging.] Etym: [L. vergere to bend, turn, incline; cf. Skr. v to turn.]
1. To border upon; to tend; to incline; to come near; to approach.
2. To tend downward; to bend; to slope; as, a hill verges to the north. Our soul, from original instinct, vergeth towards him as its center. Barrow. I find myself verging to that period of life which is to be labor and sorrow. Swift.
VERGEBOARD Verge"board`, n. Etym: [Verge + board. Cf. Bargeboard.] (Arch.)
Defn: The ornament of woodwork upon the gable of a house, used extensively in the 15th century. It was generally suspended from the edge of the projecting roof (see Verge, n., 4), and in position parallel to the gable wall. Called also bargeboard.
VERGENCY Ver"gen*cy, n.
1. The act of verging or approaching; tendency; approach. [R.]
2. (Opt.)
Defn: The reciprocal of the focal distance of a lens, used as measure of the divergence or convergence of a pencil of rays. [R.] Humphrey Lloyd.
VERGER Ver"ger, n. Etym: [F. verger, from verge a rod. See 1st Verge.]
Defn: One who carries a verge, or emblem of office. Specifically: -- (a) An attendant upon a dignitary, as on a bishop, a dean, a justice, etc. [Eng.] Strype. (b) The official who takes care of the interior of a church building.
VERGER Ver"ger, n.
Defn: A garden or orchard. [Obs.]
VERGETTE Ver`get`té", a. Etym: [Cf. F. vergeté.]
Defn: Divided by pallets, or pales; paly. W. Berry.
VERGETTE Ver*gette", n. (Her.)
Defn: A small pale.
VERIDICAL Ve*rid"ic*al, a. Etym: [L. veridicus; verus true + dicere to say, tell.]
Defn: Truth-telling; truthful; veracious. [R.] Carlyle.
VERIFIABLE Ver"i*fi`a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being verified; confirmable. Bp. Hall.
VERIFICATION Ver`i*fi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vérification.]
1. The act of verifying, or the state of being verified; confirmation; authentication.
2. (Law) (a) Confirmation by evidence. (b) A formal phrase used in concluding a plea. Verification of an equation (Math.), the operation of testing the equation of a problem, to see whether it expresses truly the conditions of the problem. Davies & Peck. (Math. Dict.)
VERIFICATIVE Ver"i*fi*ca*tive, a.
Defn: Serving to verify; verifying; authenciating; confirming.
VERIFIER Ver"i*fi`er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, verifies.
VERIFY Ver"i*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Verified; p. pr. & vb. n. Verifying.] Etym: [F. vérifier, LL. verificare, from L. verus true + -ficare to make. See Very, and -fy.]
1. To prove to be true or correct; to establish the truth of; to confirm; to substantiate. This is verified by a number of examples. Bacon. So shalt thou best fulfill, best verify. The prophets old, who sung thy endless reign. Milton.
2. To confirm or establish the authenticity of by examination or competent evidence; to authenciate; as, to verify a written statement; to verify an account, a pleading, or the like. To verify our title with their lives. Shak.
3. To maintain; to affirm; to support. [Obs.] Shak.
VERILOQUENT Ve*ril"o*quent, a. Etym: [L. verus true + speaking.]
Defn: Speaking truth; truthful. [Obs.]
VERILY Ver"i*ly, adv. Etym: [From Very.]
Defn: In very truth; beyond doubt or question; in fact; certainly. Bacon. Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the verily thou shalt be fed. Ps. xxxvii. 3.
VERINE Ver"ine, n. Etym: [Contr. from veratrine.] (Chem.)
Defn: An alkaloid obtained as a yellow amorphous substance by the decomposition of veratrine.
VERISIMILAR Ver`i*sim"i*lar, a. Etym: [L. verisimilis; verus true + similis like, similar. See Very, and Similar.]
Defn: Having the appearance of truth; probable; likely. "How verisimilar it looks." Carlyle.
VERISIMILITUDE Ver`i*si*mil"i*tude, n. Etym: [L. verisimilitudo: cf. OF. verisimilitude. See Verisimilar.]
Defn: The quality or state of being verisimilar; the appearance of truth; probability; likelihood. Verisimilitude and opinion are an easy purchase; but true knowledge is dear and difficult. Glanvill. All that gives verisimilitude to a narrative. Sir. W. Scott.
VERISIMILITY Ver`i*si*mil"i*ty, n.
Defn: Verisimilitude. [Obs.] The verisimility or probable truth. Sir T. Browne.
VERISIMILOUS Ver`i*sim"i*lous, a.
Defn: Verisimilar. [Obs.]
VERITABLE Ver"i*ta*ble, a. Etym: [F. véritable. See Verity.]
Defn: Agreeable to truth or to fact; actual; real; true; genuine. "The veritable Deity." Sir W. Hamilton. -- Ver"i*ta*bly, adv.
VERITAS Ver"i*tas, n. Etym: [Cf. F. véritas. See Verity.]
Defn: The Bureau Veritas. See under Bureau.
VERITY Ver"i*ty, n.; pl. Verities. Etym: [F. vérité, L. veritas, fr. verus true. See Very.]
1. The quality or state of being true, or real; consonance of a statement, proposition, or other thing, with fact; truth; reality. "The verity of certain words." Shak. It is a proposition of eternal verity, that none can govern while he is despised. South.
2. That which is true; a true assertion or tenet; a truth; a reality. Mark what I say, which you shall find By every syllable a faithful verity. Shak.
VERJUICE Ver"juice`, n. Etym: [OE. vergeous, F. verjus, that is, the juice of green fruits; verd, vert, green + jus juice. See Verdant, and Juice.]
1. The sour juice of crab apples, of green or unripe grapes, apples, etc.; also, an acid liquor made from such juice.
2. Tartness; sourness, as of disposition.
VERMEIL Ver"meil, n. Etym: [F., vermilion, fr. LL. vermiculus, fr. L. vermiculus a little worm, the coccus Indicus, from vermis a worm. See Worm, and cf. Vermicule.]
1. Vermilion; also, the color of vermilion, a bright, beautiful red. [Poetic & R.] In her cheeks the vermeil red did show Like roses in a bed of lilies shed. Spenser.
2. Silver gilt or gilt bronze.
3. A liquid composition applied to a gilded surface to give luster to the gold. Knight.
VERMEOLOGIST Ver`me*ol"o*gist, n.
Defn: One who treats of vermes, or worms; a helminthologist.
VERMEOLOGY Ver`me*ol"o*gy, n. Etym: [L. vermes worms + -logy.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A discourse or treatise on worms; that part of zoölogy which treats of worms; helminthology. [R.]
VERMES Ver"mes, n. pl. Etym: [L. vermes, pl. of vermis a worm.] (Zoöl.) (a) An extensive artificial division of the animal kingdom, including the parasitic worms, or helminths, together with the nemerteans, annelids, and allied groups. By some writers the branchiopods, the bryzoans, and the tunicates are also included. The name was used in a still wider sense by Linnæus and his followers. (b) A more restricted group, comprising only the helminths and closely allied orders.
VERMETID Ver"me*tid, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any species of vermetus.
VERMETUS Ver*me"tus, n. Etym: [NL., from L. vermis worm.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of many species of marine gastropods belonging to Vermetus and allied genera, of the family Vermetidæ. Their shells are regularly spiral when young, but later in life the whorls become separate, and the shell is often irregularly bent and contorted like a worm tube.
VERMICELLI Ver`mi*cel"li, n. Etym: [It., pl. of vermicello, literally, a little worm, dim. of verme a worm, L. vermis. See Worm, and cf. Vermicule, Vermeil.]
Defn: The flour of a hard and small-grained wheat made into dough, and forced through small cylinders or pipes till it takes a slender, wormlike form, whence the Italian name. When the paste is made in larger tubes, it is called macaroni.
VERMICIDE Ver"mi*cide, n. Etym: [L. vermis a worm + caedere to kill.]
Defn: A medicine which destroys intestinal worms; a worm killer. Pereira.
VERMICIOUS Ver*mi"cious, a. Etym: [L. vermis a worm.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to worms; wormy.
VERMICULAR Ver*mic"u*lar, a. Etym: [L. vermiculus a little worm, dim. of vermis a worm: cf. F. vermiculaire. See Vermicelli.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a worm or worms; resembling a worm; shaped like a worm; especially, resembling the motion or track of a worm; as, the vermicular, or peristaltic, motion of the intestines. See Peristaltic. "A twisted form vermicular." Cowper.
VERMICULATE Ver*mic"u*late, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vermiculated; p. pr. & vb. n. Vermiculating.] Etym: [L. vermiculatus inlaid so as to resemble the tracks of worms, p. p. of vermiculari to be full of worms, vermiculus a little worm. See Vermicular.]
Defn: To form or work, as by inlaying, with irregular lines or impressions resembling the tracks of worms, or appearing as if formed by the motion of worms.
VERMICULATE Ver*mic"u*late, a.
1. Wormlike in shape; covered with wormlike elevations; marked with irregular fine lines of color, or with irregular wavy impressed lines like worm tracks; as, a vermiculate nut.
2. Crawling or creeping like a worm; hence, insinuating; sophistical. "Vermiculate questions." Bacon. "Vermiculate logic." R. Choate.
VERMICULATED Ver*mic"u*la`ted, a.
Defn: Made or marked with irregular wavy lines or impressions; vermiculate. Vermiculated work, or Vermicular work (Arch.), rustic work so wrought as to have the appearance of convoluted worms, or of having been eaten into by, or covered with tracks of, worms. Gwilt.
VERMICULATION Ver*mic`u*la"tion, n. Etym: [L. vermiculatio a being worm-eaten.]
1. The act or operation of moving in the manner of a worm; continuation of motion from one part to another; as, the vermiculation, or peristaltic motion, of the intestines.
2. The act of vermiculating, or forming or inlaying so as to resemble the motion, track, or work of a worm.
3. Penetration by worms; the state of being wormeaten.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A very fine wavy crosswise color marking, or a patch of such markings, as on the feathers of birds.
VERMICULE Ver"mi*cule, n. Etym: [L. vermiculus, dim. of vermis a worm. See Vermicular.]
Defn: A small worm or insect larva; also, a wormlike body. [R.] Derham.
VERMICULITE Ver*mic"u*lite, n. Etym: [L. vermiculus, dim. of vermis worm.] (Min.)
Defn: A group of minerals having, a micaceous structure. They are hydrous silicates, derived generally from the alteration of some kind of mica. So called because the scales, when heated, open out into wormlike forms.
VERMICULOSE; VERMICULOUS Ver*mic"u*lose`, Ver*mic"u*lous, a. Etym: [L. vermiculosus. See Vermicule.]
Defn: Containing, or full of, worms; resembling worms.
VERMIFORM Ver"mi*form, a. Etym: [L. vermis a worm + -form.]
Defn: Resembling a worm in form or motions; vermicular; as, the vermiform process of the cerebellum. Vermiform appendix (Anat.), a slender blind process of the cæcum in man and some other animals; -- called also vermiform appendage, and vermiform process. Small solid bodies, such as grape seeds or cherry stones, sometimes lodge in it, causing serious, or even fatal, inflammation. See Illust. under Digestion.
VERMIFORMIA Ver`mi*for"mi*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A tribe of worms including Phoronis. See Phoronis.
VERMIFUGAL Ver*mif"u*gal, a. Etym: [L. vermis a worm + fugare to drive away, fr. fugere to flee. See Worm, and Fugitive.] (Med.)
Defn: Tending to prevent, destroy, or expel, worms or vermin; anthelmintic.
VERMIFUGE Ver"mi*fuge, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vermifuge. See Vermifugal.] (Med.)
Defn: A medicine or substance that expels worms from animal bodies; an anthelmintic.
VERMIL Ver"mil, n.
Defn: See Vermeil. [Obs.] Spenser.
VERMILINGUIA Ver`mi*lin"gui*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. L. vermis worm + lingua tongue.] [Called also Vermilingues.] (Zoöl.) (a) A tribe of edentates comprising the South American ant-eaters. The tongue is long, slender, exsertile, and very flexible, whence the name. (b) A tribe of Old World lizards which comprises the chameleon. They have long, flexible tongues.
VERMILION Ver*mil"ion, n. Etym: [F. vermillon. See Vermeil.]
1. (Chem.)
Defn: A bright red pigment consisting of mercuric sulphide, obtained either from the mineral cinnabar or artificially. It has a fine red color, and is much used in coloring sealing wax, in printing, etc.
Note: The kermes insect has long been used for dyeing red or scarlet. It was formerly known as the worm dye, vermiculus, or vermiculum, and the cloth was called vermiculatia. Hence came the French vermeil for any red dye, and hence the modern name vermilion, although the substance it denotes is very different from the kermes, being a compound of mercury and sulphur. R. Hunt.
2. Hence, a red color like the pigment; a lively and brilliant red; as, cheeks of vermilion.
VERMILION Ver*mil"ion, v. t.
Defn: To color with vermilion, or as if with vermilion; to dye red; to cover with a delicate red.
VERMILY Ver"mi*ly, n.
Defn: Vermeil. [Obs.] Spenser.
VERMIN Ver"min, n. sing. & pl.; used chiefly as plural. Etym: [OE. vermine, F. vermine, from L. vermis a worm; cf. LL. vermen a worm, L. verminosus full of worms. See Vermicular, Worm.]
1. An animal, in general. [Obs.] Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and vermin, and worms, and fowls. Acts x. 12. (Geneva Bible). This crocodile is a mischievous fourfooted beast, a dangerous vermin, used to both elements. Holland.
2. A noxious or mischievous animal; especially, noxious little animals or insects, collectively, as squirrels, rats, mice, flies, lice, bugs, etc. "Cruel hounds or some foul vermin." Chaucer. Great injuries these vermin, mice and rats, do in the field. Mortimer. They disdain such vermin when the mighty boar of the forest . . . is before them. Burke.
3. Hence, in contempt, noxious human beings. You are my prisoners, base vermin. Hudibras.
VERMINATE Ver"mi*nate, v. i. Etym: [L. verminare to have worms, fr. vermis a worm.]
Defn: To breed vermin.
VERMINATION Ver`mi*na"tion, n. Etym: [L. verminatio the worms, a disease of animals, a crawling, itching pain.]
1. The generation or breeding of vermin. Derham.
2. A griping of the bowels.
VERMINLY Ver"min*ly, a. & adv.
Defn: Resembling vermin; in the manner of vermin. [Obs.] Gauden.
VERMINOUS Ver"min*ous, a. Etym: [L. verminosus, fr. vermis a worm: cf. F. vermineux.]
1. Tending to breed vermin; infested by vermin. Some . . . verminous disposition of the body. Harvey.
2. Caused by, or arising from the presence of, vermin; as, verminous disease.
VERMINOUSLY Ver"min*ous*ly, adv.
Defn: In a verminous manner.
VERMIPAROUS Ver*mip"a*rous, a. Etym: [L. vermis a worm + parere to bring forth.]
Defn: Producing or breeding worms. "Vermiparous animals." Sir T. Browne.
VERMIVOROUS Ver*miv"o*rous, a. Etym: [L. vermis a worm + vorare to devour: cf. F. vermivore.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Devouring worms; feeding on worms; as, vermivorous birds.
VERMUTH Ver"muth, n. Etym: [F. vermout.]
Defn: A liqueur made of white wine, absinthe, and various aromatic drugs, used to excite the appetite. [Written also vermouth.]
VERNACLE Ver"na*cle, n.
Defn: See Veronica, 1. [Obs.]
VERNACULAR Ver*nac"u*lar, a. Etym: [L. vernaculus born in one's house, native, fr. verna a slave born in his master's house, a native, probably akin to Skr. vas to dwell, E. was.]
Defn: Belonging to the country of one's birth; one's own by birth or nature; native; indigenous; -- now used chiefly of language; as, English is our vernacular language. "A vernacular disease." Harvey. His skill the vernacular dialect of the Celtic tongue. Fuller. Which in our vernacular idiom may be thus interpreted. Pope.
VERNACULAR Ver*nac"u*lar, n.
Defn: The vernacular language; one's mother tongue; often, the common forms of expression in a particular locality.
VERNACULARISM Ver*nac"u*lar*ism, n.
Defn: A vernacular idiom.
VERNACULARIZATION Ver*nac"u*lar*i*za"tion, n.
Defn: The act or process of making vernacular, or the state of being made vernacular. Fitzed. Hall.
VERNACULARLY Ver*nac"u*lar*ly, adv.
Defn: In a vernacular manner; in the vernacular. Earle.
VERNACULOUS Ver*nac"u*lous, a. Etym: [L. vernaculus. See Vernacular.]
1. Vernacular. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
2. Etym: [L. vernaculi, pl., buffoons, jesters.]
Defn: Scoffing; scurrilous. [A Latinism. Obs.] "Subject to the petulancy of every vernaculous orator." B. Jonson.
VERNAGE Ver"nage, n. Etym: [It. vernaccia.]
Defn: A kind of sweet wine from Italy. [Obs.] Chaucer.
VERNAL Ver"nal, a. Etym: [L. vernalis, fr. vernus vernal, ver spring; akin to Gr. vasanta, Icel. var, and E. Easter, east.]
1. Of or pertaining to the spring; appearing in the spring; as, vernal bloom.
2. Fig.: Belonging to youth, the spring of life. When after the long vernal day of life. Thomson. And seems it hard thy vernal years Few vernal joys can show Keble.
Vernal equinox (Astron.), the time when the sun crosses the equator when proceeding northward. -- Vernal grass (Bot.), a low, soft grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum), producing in the spring narrow spikelike panicles, and noted for the delicious fragrance which it gives to new-mown hay; -- also called sweet vernal grass. See Illust. in Appendix. -- Vernal signs (Astron.), the signs, Aries, Taurus, and Gemini, in which the sun appears between the vernal equinox and summer solstice.
VERNANT Ver"nant, a. Etym: [L. vernans, p. pr. vernare to flourish, from ver spring.]
Defn: Flourishing, as in spring; vernal. [Obs.] "Vernant flowers." Milton.
VERNATE Ver"nate, v. i. Etym: [See Vernant.]
Defn: To become young again. [Obs.]
VERNATION Ver*na"tion, n. Etym: [F. vernation: cf. L. vernatio the sloughing of the skin of snakes.] (Bot.)
Defn: The arrangement of the leaves within the leaf bud, as regards their folding, coiling, rolling, etc.; prefoliation.
VERNER'S LAW Ver"ner's law. (Philol.)
Defn: A statement, propounded by the Danish philologist Karl Verner in 1875, which explains certain apparent exceptions to Grimm's law by the original position of the accent. Primitive Indo-European k, t, p, became first in Teutonic h, th, f, and appear without further change in old Teutonic, if the accent rested on the preceding syllable; but these sounds became voiced and produced g, d, b, if the accent was originally on a different syllable. Similarly s either remained unchanged, or it became z and later r. Example: Skt. sapta (accent on ultima), Gr. 'e`pta, Gothic sibun (seven). Examples in English are dead by the side of death, to rise and to rear.
VERNICLE Ver"ni*cle, n.
Defn: A Veronica. See Veronica, 1. [Obs.] Piers Plowman. A vernicle had he sowed upon his cap. Chaucer.
VERNICOSE Ver"ni*cose`, a. Etym: [See Varnish.] (Bot.)
Defn: Having a brilliantly polished surface, as some leaves.
VERNIER Ver"ni*er, n. Etym: [So named after the inventor, Pierre Vernier.]
Defn: A short scale made to slide along the divisions of a graduated instrument, as the limb of a sextant, or the scale of a barometer, for indicating parts of divisions. It is so graduated that a certain convenient number of its divisions are just equal to a certain number, either one less or one more, of the divisions of the instrument, so that parts of a division are determined by observing what line on the vernier coincides with a line on the instrument. Vernier calipers, Vernier gauge, a gauge with a graduated bar and a sliding jaw bearing a vernier, used for accurate measurements. -- Vernier compass, a surveyor's compass with a vernier for the accurate adjustment of the zero point in accordance with magnetic variation. -- Vernier transit, a surveyor's transit instrument with a vernier compass.
VERNILE Ver"nile, a. Etym: [L. vernilis servile. See Vernacular.]
Defn: Suiting a salve; servile; obsequious. [R.] The example . . . of vernile scurrility. De Quincey.
VERNILITY Ver*nil"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. vernilitas.]
Defn: Fawning or obsequious behavior; servility. [R.] Bailey.
VERNINE Ver"nine, n. Etym: [Vernal + -ine.] (Chem.)
Defn: An alkaloid extracted from the shoots of the vetch, red clover, etc., as a white crystalline substance.
VERNISH Ver"nish, n. & v.
Defn: Varnish. [Obs.] Chaucer.
VERNONIN Ver"no*nin, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A glucoside extracted from the root of a South African plant of the genus Vernonia, as a deliquescent powder, and used as a mild heart tonic.
VERONESE Ver`o*nese", a. Etym: [It. Veronese.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to Verona, in Italy. -- n. sing. & pl.
Defn: A native of Verona; collectively, the people of Verona.
VERONICA Ve*ron"i*ca, n. Etym: [LL.; -- so called from Veronica, a woman who, according to an old legend, as Christ was carrying the cross, wiped his face with a cloth, which received an impression of his countenance; Veronica is fr. MGr.
1. A portrait or representation of the face of our Savior on the alleged handkerchief of Saint Veronica, preserved at Rome; hence, a representation of this portrait, or any similar representation of the face of the Savior. Formerly called also Vernacle, and Vernicle.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus scrophulariaceous plants; the speedwell. See Speedwell.
Note: Several herbaceous species are common in both Europe and America, most of which have small blue flowers. A few shrubby species from New Zealand are sometimes found in cultivation.
VERRAY Ver"ray, a.
Defn: Very; true. [Obs.] Chaucer.
VERRAYMENT Ver"ray*ment, adv. Etym: [OF. veraiement. See Very.]
Defn: Verily; truly. [Obs.] Chaucer.
VERREL Ver"rel, n.
Defn: See Ferrule. [Obs.]
VERRICULATE Ver*ric"u*late, a. Etym: [L. verriculum a net, seine.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having thickset tufts of parallel hairs, bristles, or branches.
VERRUCA Ver*ru"ca, n.; pl. Verrucæ (#). [L. Cf. Verrugas.]
1. (Med.) A wart.
2. (Zoöl.) A wartlike elevation or roughness.
VERRUCIFORM Ver*ru"ci*form, a. Etym: [L. verruca wart + -form.]
Defn: Shaped like a wart or warts.
VERRUCOSE Ver"ru*cose`, a. Etym: [L. verrucosus, fr. verruca a wart.]
Defn: Covered with wartlike elevations; tuberculate; warty; verrucous; as, a verrucose capsule.
VERRUCOUS Ver"ru*cous, a.
Defn: Verrucose.
VERRUCULOSE Ver*ru"cu*lose`, a. Etym: [L. verrucula, dim. of verruca a wart.]
Defn: Minutely verrucose; as, a verruculose leaf or stalk.
VERRUGAS Ver*ru"gas, n. [Sp., warts. Cf. Verruca.] (Med.)
Defn: An endemic disease occurring in the Andes in Peru, characterized by warty tumors which ulcerate and bleed. It is probably due to a special bacillus, and is often fatal.
VERS Vers, n. sing. & pl.
Defn: A verse or verses. See Verse. [Obs.] "Ten vers or twelve." Chaucer.
VERSABILITY Ver`sa*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being versable. [R.] Sterne
VERSABLE Ver"sa*ble, a. Etym: [L. versabilis: cf. F. versable. See Versatile.]
Defn: Capable of being turned. [R.]
VERSABLENESS Ver"sa*ble*ness, n.
Defn: Versability. [R.]
VERSAL Ver"sal, a.
Defn: Universal. [Obs. or Colloq.] Shak.
VERSANT Ver"sant, a. Etym: [L. versans, p. pr. versare to turn abound frequently, to turn over in the mind, to meditate. See Versatile.]
Defn: Familiar; conversant. [R.] Men not versant with courts of justice. Sydney Smith.
VERSANT Ver"sant, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: The slope of a side of a mountain chain; hence, the general slope of a country; aspect.
VERSATILE Ver"sa*tile, a. Etym: [L. versatilis, fr. versare to turn around, v. freq. of vertere: cf. F. versatile. See Verse.]
1. Capable of being turned round. Harte.
2. Liable to be turned in opinion; changeable; variable; unsteady; inconstant; as versatile disposition.
3. Turning with ease from one thing to another; readily applied to a new task, or to various subjects; many-sided; as, versatile genius; a versatile politician. Conspicuous among the youths of high promise . . . was the quick and versatile [Charles] Montagu. Macaulay.
4. (Nat. Hist.)
Defn: Capable of turning; freely movable; as, a versatile anther, which is fixed at one point to the filament, and hence is very easily turned around; a versatile toe of a bird. -- Ver"sa*tile*ly, adv. -- -- Ver"sa*tile*ness, n.
VERSATILITY Ver`sa*til"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. versatilité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being versatile; versatileness.
VERS DE SOCIETE Vers` de so`cié`té". Etym: [F.]
Defn: See Society verses, under Society.
VERSE Verse, n. Etym: [OE. vers, AS. fers, L. versus a line in writing, and, in poetry, a verse, from vertere, versum, to turn, to turn round; akin to E. worth to become: cf. F. vers. See Worth to become, and cf. Advertise, Averse, Controversy, Convert, Divers, Invert, Obverse, Prose, Suzerain, Vortex.]
1. A line consisting of a certain number of metrical feet (see Foot, n., 9) disposed according to metrical rules.
Note: Verses are of various kinds, as hexameter, pentameter, tetrameter, etc., according to the number of feet in each. A verse of twelve syllables is called an Alexandrine. Two or more verses form a stanza or strophe.
2. Metrical arrangement and language; that which is composed in metrical form; versification; poetry. Such prompt eloquence Flowed from their lips in prose or numerous verse. Milton. Virtue was taught in verse. Prior. Verse embalms virtue. Donne.
3. A short division of any composition. Specifically: -- (a) A stanza; a stave; as, a hymn of four verses.
Note: Although this use of verse is common, it is objectionable, because not always distinguishable from the stricter use in the sense of a line. (b) (Script.) One of the short divisions of the chapters in the Old and New Testaments.
Note: The author of the division of the Old Testament into verses is not ascertained. The New Testament was divided into verses by Robert Stephens [or Estienne], a French printer. This arrangement appeared for the first time in an edition printed at Geneva, in 1551. (c) (Mus.) A portion of an anthem to be performed by a single voice to each part.
4. A piece of poetry. "This verse be thine." Pope. Blank verse, poetry in which the lines do not end in rhymes. -- Heroic verse. See under Heroic.
VERSE Verse, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Versed; p. pr. & vb. n. Versing.]
Defn: To tell in verse, or poetry. [Obs.] Playing on pipes of corn and versing love. Shak.
VERSE Verse, v. i.
Defn: To make verses; to versify. [Obs.] It is not rhyming and versing that maketh a poet. Sir P. Sidney.
VERSED Versed, a. Etym: [Cf. F. versé, L. versatus, p. p. of versari to turn about frequently, to turn over, to be engaged in a thing, passive of versare. See Versant, a.]
Defn: Acquainted or familiar, as the result of experience, study, practice, etc.; skilled; practiced. Deep versed in books and shallow in himself. Milton. Opinions . . . derived from studying the Scriptures, wherein he was versed beyond any person of his age. Southey. These men were versed in the details of business. Macaulay.
VERSED Versed, a. Etym: [L. versus turned, p. p. vertere. See 1st Versed.] (Math.)
Defn: Turned. Versed sine. See under Sine, and Illust. of Functions.
VERSEMAN Verse"man, n.
Defn: Same as Versemonger. Prior.
VERSEMONGER Verse"mon`ger, n.
Defn: A writer of verses; especially, a writer of commonplace poetry; a poetaster; a rhymer; -- used humorously or in contempt.
VERSER Vers"er, n.
Defn: A versifier. B. Jonson.
VERSET Vers"et, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: A verse. [Obs.] Milton.
VERSICLE Ver"si*cle, n. Etym: [L. versiculus, dim. of versus. See Verse.]
Defn: A little verse; especially, a short verse or text said or sung in public worship by the priest or minister, and followed by a response from the people. The psalms were in number fifteen, . . . being digested into versicles. Strype.
VERSICOLOR; VERSICOLORED Ver"si*col`or, Ver"si*col`ored, a. Etym: [L. versicolor; versare to change + color color.]
Defn: Having various colors; changeable in color. "Versicolor, sweet- smelling flowers." Burton.
VERSICULAR Ver*sic"u*lar, a. Etym: [See Versicle.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to verses; designating distinct divisions of a writing.
VERSIFICATION Ver`si*fi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [L. versificatio: cf. F. versification.]
Defn: The act, art, or practice, of versifying, or making verses; the construction of poetry; metrical composition.
VERSIFICATOR Ver"si*fi*ca`tor, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: A versifier. [R.] "The best versificator next Virgil." Dryden.
VERSIFIER Ver"si*fi`er, n.
1. One who versifies, or makes verses; as, not every versifier is a poet. Dryden.
2. One who converts into verse; one who expresses in verse the ideas of another written in prose; as, Dr. Watts was a versifier of the Psalms.
VERSIFY Ver"si*fy, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Versified; p. pr. & vb. n. Versifying.] Etym: [OE. versifien, F. versifier, L. versificare; versus a verse + -ficare to make. See Verse, and -fy.]
Defn: To make verses. I'll versify in spite, and do my best. Dryden.
VERSIFY Ver"si*fy, v. t.
1. To relate or describe in verse; to compose in verse. I'll versify the truth, not poetize. Daniel.
2. To turn into verse; to render into metrical form; as, to versify the Psalms. Chaucer.
VERSION Ver"sion, n. Etym: [F., from L. vertere, versum, to turn, to change, to translate. See Verse.]
1. A change of form, direction, or the like; transformation; conversion; turning. The version of air into water. Bacon.
2. (Med.)
Defn: A condition of the uterus in which its axis is deflected from its normal position without being bent upon itself. See Anteversion, and Retroversion.
3. The act of translating, or rendering, from one language into another language.
4. A translation; that which is rendered from another language; as, the Common, or Authorized, Version of the Scriptures (see under Authorized); the Septuagint Version of the Old Testament.
5. An account or description from a particular point of view, especially as contrasted with another account; as, he gave another version of the affair.
VERSIONIST Ver"sion*ist, n.
Defn: One who makes or favors a version; a translator. [R.]
VERSO Ver"so, n. Etym: [L. versus, p. p. of vertere to turn: cf. F. verso.] (Print.)
Defn: The reverse, or left-hand, page of a book or a folded sheet of paper; -- opposed to recto.
VERSOR Ver"sor, n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. vertere, versus, to turn. See Version.] (Geom.)
Defn: The turning factor of a quaternion.
Note: The change of one vector into another is considered in quaternions as made up of two operations; 1st, the rotation of the first vector so that it shall be parallel to the second; 2d, the change of length so that the first vector shall be equal to the second. That which expresses in amount and kind the first operation is a versor, and is denoted geometrically by a line at right angles to the plane in which the rotation takes place, the length of this line being proportioned to the amount of rotation. That which expresses the second operation is a tensor. The product of the versor and tensor expresses the total operation, and is called a quaternion. See Quaternion. Quadrantal versor. See under Quadrantal.
VERST Verst, n. Etym: [Russ. versta: cf. F. verste.]
Defn: A Russian measure of length containing 3,500 English feet. [Written also werst.]
VERSUAL Ver"su*al, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a verse.
VERSUS Ver"sus, prep. Etym: [L., toward, turned in the direction of, from vertere, versum, to turn. See Verse.]
Defn: Against; as, John Doe versus Richard Roe; -- chiefly used in legal language, and abbreviated to v. or vs.
VERSUTE Ver*sute", a. Etym: [L. versutus, fr. vertere, versum, to turn.]
Defn: Crafty; wily; cunning; artful. [R.]
VERT Vert, n. Etym: [F., green, from L. viridis. See Verdant, and cf. Verd.]
1. (Eng. Forest Law) (a) Everything that grows, and bears a green leaf, within the forest; as, to preserve vert and venison is the duty of the verderer. (b) The right or privilege of cutting growing wood.
2. (Her.)
Defn: The color green, represented in a drawing or engraving by parallel lines sloping downward toward the right.
VERTEBER Ver"te*ber, n.
Defn: A vertebra. [Obs.]
VERTEBRA Ver"te*bra, n.; pl. Vertebræ. Etym: [L. vertebra, fr. vertere to turn, change. See Verse.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: One of the serial segments of the spinal column.
Note: In many fishes the vertebræ are simple cartilaginous disks or short cylinders, but in the higher vertebrates they are composed of many parts, and the vertebræ in different portions of the same column vary very greatly. A well-developed vertebra usually consists of a more or less cylindrical and solid body, or centrum, which is surmounted dorsally by an arch, leaving an opening which forms a part of the canal containing the spinal cord. From this dorsal, or neural, arch spring various processes, or apophyses, which have received special names: a dorsal, or neural, spine, spinous process, or neurapophysis, on the middle of the arch; two anterior and two posterior articular processes, or zygapophyses; and one or two transverse processes on each side. In those vertebræ which bear well- developed ribs, a tubercle near the end of the rib articulates at a tubercular facet on the transverse process (diapophysis), while the end, or head, of the rib articulates at a more ventral capitular facet which is sometimes developed into a second, or ventral, transverse process (parapophysis). In vertebrates with well-developed hind limbs, the spinal column is divided into five regions in each of which the vertebræ are specially designated: those vertebræ in front of, or anterior to, the first vertebra which bears ribs connected with the sternum are cervical; all those which bear ribs and are back of the cervicals are dorsal; the one or more directly supporting the pelvis are sacral and form the sacrum; those between the sacral and dorsal are lumbar; and all those back of the sacral are caudal, or coccygeal. In man there are seven cervical vertebræ, twelve dorsal, five lumbar, five sacral, and usually four, but sometimes five and rarely three, coccygeal.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the central ossicles in each joint of the arms of an ophiuran.
VERTEBRAL Ver"te*bral, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vertébral.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to a vertebræ, or the vertebral column; spinal; rachidian.
2. Vertebrate.
VERTEBRAL Ver"te*bral, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A vertebrate. [R.]
VERTEBRALLY Ver"te*bral*ly, adv. (Anat.)
Defn: At or within a vertebra or vertebræ; -- distinguished from interverterbrally.
VERTEBRARTERIAL Ver`te*brar*te"ri*al, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to a vertebræ and an artery; -- said of the foramina in the transverse processes of cervical vertebræ and of the canal which they form for the vertebral artery and vein.
VERTEBRATA Ver`te*bra"ta, n. pl. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the grand divisions of the animal kingdom, comprising all animals that have a backbone composed of bony or cartilaginous vertebræ, together with Amphioxus in which the backbone is represented by a simple undivided notochord. The Vertebrata always have a dorsal, or neural, cavity above the notochord or backbone, and a ventral, or visceral, cavity below it. The subdivisions or classes of Vertebrata are Mammalia, Aves, Reptilia, Amphibia, Pisces, Marsipobranchia, and Leptocardia.
VERTEBRATE Ver"te*brate, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the Vertebrata.
VERTEBRATE; VERTEBRATED Ver"te*brate, Ver"te*bra`ted, a. Etym: [L. vertebratus.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: Having a backbone, or vertebral column, containing the spinal marrow, as man, quadrupeds, birds, amphibia, and fishes.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Contracted at intervals, so as to resemble the spine in animals. Henslow.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having movable joints resembling vertebræ; -- said of the arms ophiurans.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Vertebrata; -- used only in the form vertebrate.
VERTEBRE Ver"te*bre, n. (Anat.)
Defn: A vertebra. [Obs.]
VERTEBRO- Ver"te*bro-.
Defn: A combining form used in anatomy to indicate connection with, or relation to, a vertebra, vertebræ, or vertebral column; as in vertebrocostal.
VERTEBRO-ILIAC Ver"te*bro-il"i*ac, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Iliolumbar.
VERTEX Ver"tex, n.; pl. Vertexes, L. Vertices. Etym: [L. vertex, -icis, a whirl, top of the head, top, summit, from vertere to turn. See Verse, and cf. Vortex.]
Defn: A turning point; the principal or highest point; top; summit; crown; apex. Specifically: --(a) (Anat.)
Defn: The top, or crown, of the head. (b) (Anat.) The zenith, or the point of the heavens directly overhead. (c) (Math.) The point in any figure opposite to, and farthest from, the base; the terminating point of some particular line or lines in a figure or a curve; the top, or the point opposite the base.
Note: The principal vertex of a conic section is, in the parabola, the vertex of the axis of the curve: in the ellipse, either extremity of either axis, but usually the left-hand vertex of the transverse axis; in the hyperbola, either vertex, but usually the right-hand vertex of the transverse axis. Vertex of a curve (Math.), the point in which the axis of the curve intersects it. -- Vertex of an angle (Math.), the point in which the sides of the angle meet. -- Vertex of a solid, or of a surface of revolution (Math.), the point in which the axis pierces the surface.
VERTICAL Ver"ti*cal, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vertical. See Vertex.]
1. Of or pertaining to the vertex; situated at the vertex, or highest point; directly overhead, or in the zenith; perpendicularly above one. Charity . . . is the vertical top of all religion. Jer. Taylor.
2. Perpendicular to the plane of the horizon; upright; plumb; as, a vertical line. Vertical angle (Astron. & Geod.), an angle measured on a vertical circle, called an angle of elevation, or altitude, when reckoned from the horizon upward, and of depression when downward below the horizon. -- Vertical anthers (Bot.), such anthers as stand erect at the top of the filaments. -- Vertical circle (Astron.), an azimuth circle. See under Azimuth. -- Vertical drill, an drill. See under Upright. -- Vertical fire (Mil.), the fire, as of mortars, at high angles of elevation. -- Vertical leaves (Bot.), leaves which present their edges to the earth and the sky, and their faces to the horizon, as in the Australian species of Eucalyptus. -- Vertical limb, a graduated arc attached to an instrument, as a theodolite, for measuring vertical angles. -- Vertical line. (a) (Dialing) A line perpendicular to the horizon. (b) (Conic Sections) A right line drawn on the vertical plane, and passing through the vertex of the cone. (c) (Surv.) The direction of a plumb line; a line normal to the surface of still water. (d) (Geom., Drawing, etc.) A line parallel to the sides of a page or sheet, in distinction from a horizontal line parallel to the top or bottom. -- Vertical plane. (a) (Conic Sections) A plane passing through the vertex of a cone, and through its axis. (b) (Projections) Any plane which passes through a vertical line. (c) (Persp.) The plane passing through the point of sight, and perpendicular to the ground plane, and also to the picture. -- Vertical sash, a sash sliding up and down. Cf. French sash, under 3d Sash. -- Vertical steam engine, a steam engine having the crank shaft vertically above or below a vertical cylinder.
VERTICAL Ver"ti*cal, n.
1. Vertical position; zenith. [R.]
2. (Math.)
Defn: A vertical line, plane, or circle. Prime vertical, Prime vertical dial. See under Prime, a.
VERTICALITY Ver`ti*cal"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being vertical; verticalness. [R.] The different points of the verticality. Sir T. Browne.
VERTICALLY Ver"ti*cal*ly, adv.
Defn: In a vertical manner, position, or direction; perpendicularly; as, to look down vertically; to raise a thing vertically.
VERTICALNESS Ver"ti*cal*ness, n.
Defn: Quality or state of being vertical.
VERTICIL Ver"ti*cil, n. Etym: [L. verticillus, dim. of vertex a whirl: cf. F. verticille. See Vertex.] (Bot.)
Defn: A circle either of leaves or flowers about a stem at the same node; a whorl. [Written also verticel.]
VERTICILLASTER Ver`ti*cil*las"ter, a. Etym: [NL., fr. L. verticillus a whirl + aster a star.] (Bot.)
Defn: A whorl of flowers apparently of one cluster, but composed of two opposite axillary cymes, as in mint. See Illust. of Whorl.
VERTICILLATE; VERTICILLATED Ver*tic"il*late, Ver*tic"il*la`ted, a. Etym: [See Verticil.] (Bot. & Zoöl.)
Defn: Arranged in a transverse whorl or whorls like the rays of a wheel; as, verticillate leaves of a plant; a verticillate shell.
VERTICILLUS Ver`ti*cil"lus, n. Etym: [L., a whirl.] (Bot.)
Defn: A whorl; a verticil.
VERTICITY Ver*tic"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. verticité. See Vertex.]
Defn: The quality or power of turning; revolution; rotation. [R.] Locke. I hardly believe he hath from elder times unknown the verticity of the loadstone. Sir T. Browne.
VERTICLE Ver"ti*cle, n. Etym: [L. verticula a joint.]
Defn: An axis; hinge; a turning point. E. Waterhouse.
VERTIGINATE Ver*tig"i*nate, a.
Defn: Turned round; giddy. [R.] Coleridge.
VERTIGINOUS Ver*tig"i*nous, a. Etym: [L. vertiginosus, fr. vertigo a whirling around, giddiness: cf. F. vertigineux. See Vertig.]
1. Turning round; whirling; rotary; revolving; as, vertiginous motion. Some vertiginous whirl of fortune. De Quincey.
2. Affected with vertigo; giddy; dizzy. They [the angels] grew vertiginous, and fell from the battlements of heaven. Jer. Taylor. -- Ver*tig"i*nous*ly, adv. -- Ver*tig"i*nous*ness, n.
VERTIGO Ver"ti*go, n; pl. E. Vertigoes, L. Vertigines. Etym: [L., fr. vertere to turn. See Verse.]
1. (Med.)
Defn: Dizziness or swimming of the head; an affection of the head in which objects, though stationary, appear to move in various directions, and the person affected finds it difficult to maintain an erect posture; giddiness. Quian.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of small land snails belonging to the genus Vertigo, having an elongated or conical spiral shell and usually teeth in the aperture.
VERTILINEAR Ver`ti*lin"e*ar, a. Etym: [Vertical + linear.]
Defn: Straight; rectilinear. [R.]
VERTU Ver"tu, n.
1. Virtue; power. See Virtue. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. See Virtu.
VERTUOUS Ver"tu*ous, a.
Defn: Virtuous; powerful. [Obs.] Spenser.
VERUMONTANUM Ver`u*mon*ta"num, n. Etym: [NL.] (Anat.)
Defn: An elevation, or crest, in the wall of the urethra where the seminal ducts enter it.
Note: This is sometimes written veru montanum.
VERVAIN Ver"vain, n. Etym: [OE. verveine, F. verveine, fr. L. verbena, pl. verbenae sacred boughs of laurel, olive, or myrtle, a class of plants; cf. verbenaca vervain. Cf. Verbena.] (Bot.)
Defn: Any plant of the genus Verbena. Vervain mallow (Bot.), a species of mallow (Malva Alcea) with rose-colored flowers.
VERVE Verve, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: Excitement of imagination such as animates a poet, artist, or musician, in composing or performing; rapture; enthusiasm; spirit; energy.
VERVEL Ver"vel, n.
Defn: See Varvel.
VERVET Ver"vet, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A South African monkey (Cercopithecus pygerythrus, or Lelandii). The upper parts are grayish green, finely specked with black. The cheeks and belly are reddish white.
VERY Ver"y, a. [Compar. Verier; superl. Veriest.] Etym: [OE. verai, verray, OF. verai, vrai, F. vrai, (assumed) LL. veracus, for L. verax true, veracious, fr. verus true; akin to OHG. & OS. war, G. wahr, D. waar; perhaps originally, that is or exists, and akin to E. was. Cf. Aver, v. t., Veracious, Verdict, Verity.]
Defn: True; real; actual; veritable. Whether thou be my very son Esau or not. Gen. xxvii. 21. He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends. Prov. xvii. 9. The very essence of truth is plainness and brightness. Milton. I looked on the consideration of public service or public ornament to be real and very justice. Burke.
Note: Very is sometimes used to make the word with which it is connected emphatic, and may then be paraphrased by same, self-same, itself, and the like. "The very hand, the very words." Shak. "The very rats instinctively have quit it." Shak. "Yea, there where very desolation dwells." Milton. Very is used occasionally in the comparative degree, and more frequently in the superlative. "Was not my lord the verier wag of the two" Shak. "The veriest hermit in the nation." Pope. "He had spoken the very truth, and transformed it into the veriest falsehood." Hawthorne. Very Reverend. See the Note under Reverend.
VERY Ver"y, adv.
Defn: In a high degree; to no small extent; exceedingly; excessively; extremely; as, a very great mountain; a very bright sum; a very cold day; the river flows very rapidly; he was very much hurt.
VERY'S NIGHT SIGNALS; VERY NIGHT SIGNALS; VERY'S LIGHT SIGNALS; VERY LIGHT SIGNALS Ver"y's, or Ver"y, night signals . [After Lieut. Samuel W. Very, who invented the system in 1877.] (Naut.)
Defn: A system of signaling in which balls of red and green fire are fired from a pistol, the arrangement in groups denoting numbers having a code significance.
VESBIUM Ves"bi*um, n. Etym: [NL., from L. Vesuvius, contr. Vesbius, Vesuvius.] (Chem.)
Defn: A rare metallic element of which little is known. It is said by Scacchi to have been extracted from a yellowish incrustation from the cracks of a Vesuvian lava erupted in 1631.
VESE Vese, n. Etym: [Cf. Frese, n.]
Defn: Onset; rush; violent draught or wind. [Obs.] Chaucer.
VESICA Ve*si"ca, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: A bladder. Vesica piscis. Etym: [L., dish bladder.] (Eccl. Art) A glory, or aureole, of oval shape, or composed of two arcs of circles usually represented as surrounding a divine personage. More rarely, an oval composed of two arcs not representing a glory; a solid oval, etc.
VESICAL Ves"i*cal, a. Etym: [L. vesica bladder.] (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the bladder. Dunglison.
VESICANT Ves"i*cant, n. Etym: [L. vesica blister: cf. F. vésicant.] (Med.)
Defn: A vesicatory.
VESICATE Ves"i*cate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vesicated; p. pr. & vb. n. Vesicating.] Etym: [See Vesicant.] (Med.)
Defn: To raise little bladders or blisters upon; to inflame and separate the cuticle of; to blister. Wiseman.
VESICATION Ves`i*ca"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vésication.] (Med.)
Defn: The process of vesicating, or of raising blisters.
VESICATORY Ves"i*ca*to*ry, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vésicatoire.] (Med.)
Defn: Tending, or having power, to raise a blister. -- n.
Defn: A blistering application or plaster; a vesicant; an epispastic.
VESICLE Ves"i*cle, n. Etym: [L. vesicula, dim. of vesica a bladder, blister; akin to Skr. vasti bladder: cf. F. vésicule.]
Defn: A bladderlike vessel; a membranous cavity; a cyst; a cell. Specifically: --(a) (Bot.)
Defn: A small bladderlike body in the substance of vegetable, or upon the surface of a leaf. (b) (Med.)
Defn: A small, and more or less circular, elevation of the cuticle, containing a clear watery fluid. (c) (Anat.) A cavity or sac, especially one filled with fluid; as, the umbilical vesicle. (d) (Zoöl.) A small convex hollow prominence on the surface of a shell or a coral. (e) (Geol.) A small cavity, nearly spherical in form, and usually of the size of a pea or smaller, such as are common in some volcanic rocks. They are produced by the liberation of watery vapor in the molten mass.
VESICO- Ves"i*co-.
Defn: A combining form used in anatomy to indicate connection with, or relation to, the bla; as in vesicoprostatic, vesicovaginal.
VESICOPROSTATIC Ves`i*co*pro*stat"ic, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Of a pertaining to the bladder and the prostrate gland.
VESICOUTERINE Ves`i*co*u"ter*ine, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the bladder and the uterus.
VESICOVAGINAL Ves`i*co*vag"i*nal, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the bladder and the vagina.
VESICULA Ve*sic"u*la, n.; pl. Vesiculæ . Etym: [L., dim. of vesica.] (Anat. & Med.)
Defn: A vesicle.
VESICULAR Ve*sic"u*lar, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vésiculaire.]
1. Of or pertaining to vesicles; esp., of or pertaining to the air vesicles, or air cells, of the lungs; as, vesicular breathing, or normal breathing, in which the air enters freely the air vesicles of the lungs.
2. Containing, or composed of, vesicles or vesiclelike structures; covered with vesicles or bladders; vesiculate; as, vesicular coral; vesicular lava; a vesicular leaf.
3. Having the form or structure of a vesicle; as, a vesicular body. Vesicular column (Anat.), a series of nerve cells forming one of the tracts distinguished in the spinal; -- also called the ganglionic column. -- Vesicular emphysema (Med.), emphysema of the lungs, in which the air vesicles are distended and their walls ruptured. -- Vesicular murmur (Med.), the sound, audible on auscultation of the chest, made by the air entering and leaving the air vesicles of the lungs in respiration.
VESICULARIA Ve*sic`u*la"ri*a, n. Etym: [NL. See Vesicle.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of marine Bryozoa belonging to Vesicularia and allied genera. They have delicate tubular cells attached in clusters to slender flexible stems.
VESICULATA Ve*sic`u*la"ta, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Vesicle.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The campanularian medusæ.
VESICULATE Ve*sic"u*late, a.
Defn: Bladdery; full of, or covered with, bladders; vesicular.
VESICULATE Ve*sic"u*late, v. t.
Defn: To form vesicles in, as lava.
VESICULATION Ve*sic`u*la"tion, n. (Geol.)
Defn: The state of containing vesicles, or the process by which vesicles are formed.
VESICULITIS Ve*sic`u*li"tis, n. [NL.; vesicula + -itis.]
Defn: Inflammation of a vesicle.
VESICULOSE; VESICULOUS Ve*sic"u*lose`, Ve*sic"u*lous, a. Etym: [L. vesiculosus: cf. F. vésiculeux.]
Defn: Bladdery; vesicular; vesiculate; composed of vesicles; covered with vesicles; as, a vesiculose shell.
VESPA Ves"pa, n. Etym: [L., wasp.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of Hymenoptera including the common wasps and hornets.
VESPER Ves"per, n. Etym: [L., the evening, the evening star, the west; akin to Gr. west. Cf. Hesperian, Vespers.]
Defn: The evening star; Hesper; Venus, when seen after sunset; hence, the evening. Shak.
VESPER Ves"per, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the evening, or to the service of vespers; as, a vesper hymn; vesper bells. Vesper sparrow, the grass finch. See under Grass.
VESPERAL Ves"per*al, a.
Defn: Vesper; evening. [R.]
VESPERS Ves"pers, n.; pl. Etym: [OF. vespres, F. vêpres, LL. vesperae, fr. L. vespera evening. See Vesper, n.] (R. C. Ch.) (a) One of the little hours of the Breviary. (b) The evening song or service. Sicilian vespers. See under Sicilian, a.
VESPERTILIO Ves`per*til"i*o, n. Etym: [L., a bat.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of bats including some of the common small insectivorous species of North America and Europe.
VESPERTILIONES Ves`per*til`i*o"nes, n. pl. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A tribe of bats including the common insectivorous bats of America and Europe, belonging to Vespertilio and allied genera. They lack a nose membrane.
VESPERTILIONINE Ves`per*til`i*o"nine, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Vespertiliones.
VESPERTINAL Ves"per*ti`nal, a.
Defn: Vespertine. Lowell.
VESPERTINE Ves"per*tine, a. Etym: [L. vespertinus. See Vesper.]
1. Of or pertaining to the evening; happening or being in the evening. Gray.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Blossoming in the evening.
VESPIARY Ves"pi*a*ry, n. Etym: [L. vespa a wasp.]
Defn: A nest, or habitation, of insects of the wasp kind.
VESPILLO Ves*pil"lo, n.; pl. Vespilloes. Etym: [L.] (Rom. Antiq.)
Defn: One who carried out the dead bodies of the poor at night for burial. Like vespilloes or grave makers. Sir T. Browne.
VESSEL Ves"sel, n. Etym: [OF. vessel, veissel, vaissel, vaissiel, F. vascellum, dim. of vasculum, dim. of vas a vessel. Cf. Vascular, Vase.]
1. A hollow or concave utensil for holding anything; a hollow receptacle of any kind, as a hogshead, a barrel, a firkin, a bottle, a kettle, a cup, a bowl, etc. [They drank] out of these noble vessels. Chaucer.
2. A general name for any hollow structure made to float upon the water for purposes of navigation; especially, one that is larger than a common rowboat; as, a war vessel; a passenger vessel. [He] began to build a vessel of huge bulk. Milton.
3. Fig.: A person regarded as receiving or containing something; esp. (Script.), one into whom something is conceived as poured, or in whom something is stored for use; as, vessels of wrath or mercy. He is a chosen vessel unto me. Acts ix. 15. [The serpent] fit vessel, fittest imp of fraud, in whom To enter. Milton.
4. (Anat.)
Defn: Any tube or canal in which the blood or other fluids are contained, secreted, or circulated, as the arteries, veins, lymphatics, etc.
5. (Bot.)
Defn: A continuous tube formed from superposed large cylindrical or prismatic cells (tracheæ), which have lost their intervening partitions, and are usually marked with dots, pits, rings, or spirals by internal deposition of secondary membranes; a duct. Acoustic vessels. See under Acoustic. -- Weaker vessel, a woman; -- now applied humorously. "Giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel." 1 Peter iii. 7. "You are the weaker vessel." Shak.
VESSEL Ves"sel, v. t.
Defn: To put into a vessel. [Obs.] Bacon.
VESSELFUL Ves"sel*ful, n.; pl. Vesselfuls (.
Defn: As much as a vessel will hold; enough to fill a vessel.
VESSES; VESSETS Ves"ses, Ves"sets, n.
Defn: A kind of worsted; also, a worsted cloth. [Prov. Eng.]
VESSICNON; VESSIGNON Ves"sic*non, Ves"sig*non, n. Etym: [F. vessigon, fr. L. vesica a bladder, blister.] (Far.)
Defn: A soft swelling on a horse's leg; a windgall.
VEST Vest, n. Etym: [L. vestis a garment, vesture; akin to Goth. wasti, and E. wear: cf. F. veste. See Wear to carry on the person, and cf. Divest, Invest, Travesty.]
1. An article of clothing covering the person; an outer garment; a vestment; a dress; a vesture; a robe. In state attended by her maiden train, Who bore the vests that holy rites require. Dryden.
2. Any outer covering; array; garb. Not seldom clothed in radiant vest Deceitfully goes forth the morn. Wordsworth.
3. Specifically, a waistcoat, or sleeveless body garment, for men, worn under the coat.
Syn. -- Garment; vesture; dress; robe; vestment; waistcoat. -- Vest, Waistcoat. In England, the original word waistcoat is generally used for the body garment worn over the shirt and immediately under the coat. In the United States this garment is commonly called a vest, and the waistcoat is often improperly given to an under-garment.
VEST Vest, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vested; p. pr. & vb. n. Vesting.] Etym: [Cf. L. vestire, vestitum, OF. vestir, F. vêtir. See Vest, n.]
1. To clothe with, or as with, a vestment, or garment; to dress; to robe; to cover, surround, or encompass closely. Came vested all in white, pure as her mind. Milton. With ether vested, and a purple sky. Dryden.
2. To clothe with authority, power, or the like; to put in possession; to invest; to furnish; to endow; -- followed by with before the thing conferred; as, to vest a court with power to try cases of life and death. Had I been vested with the monarch's power. Prior.
3. To place or give into the possession or discretion of some person or authority; to commit to another; -- with in before the possessor; as, the power of life and death is vested in the king, or in the courts. Empire and dominion was [were] vested in him. Locke.
4. To invest; to put; as, to vest money in goods, land, or houses. [R.]
5. (Law)
Defn: To clothe with possession; as, to vest a person with an estate; also, to give a person an immediate fixed right of present or future enjoyment of; as, an estate is vested in possession. Bouvier.
VEST Vest, v. i.
Defn: To come or descend; to be fixed; to take effect, as a title or right; -- followed by in; as, upon the death of the ancestor, the estate, or the right to the estate, vests in the heir at law.
VESTA Ves"ta, n. Etym: [L. Vesta, akin to Gr. ush to burn (see East), or perhaps to Skr. vas to dwell, and E. was.]
1. (Rom. Myth.)
Defn: One of the great divinities of the ancient Romans, identical with the Greek Hestia. She was a virgin, and the goddess of the hearth; hence, also, of the fire on it, and the family round it.
2. (Astron.)
Defn: An asteroid, or minor planet, discovered by Olbers in 1807.
3. A wax friction match. Simmonds.
VESTAL Ves"tal, a. Etym: [L. Vestalis belonging to Vesta, vestal. See Vesta.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to Vesta, the virgin goddess of the hearth; hence, pure; chaste.
VESTAL Ves"tal, n. Etym: [L. Vestalis (sc. virgo): cf. F. vestale. See Vestal, a.]
1. (Rom. Antiq.)
Defn: A virgin consecrated to Vesta, and to the service of watching the sacred fire, which was to be perpetually kept burning upon her altar.
Note: The Vestals were originally four, but afterward six, in number. Their term of service lasted thirty years, the period of admission being from the sixth to the tenth year of the candidate's age.
2. A virgin; a woman pure and chaste; also, a nun. How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! Pope.
VESTALES Ves*ta"les, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Vestal.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A group of butterflies including those known as virgins, or gossamer-winged butterflies.
VESTED Vest"ed, a.
1. Clothed; robed; wearing vestments. "The vested priest." Milton.
2. (Law)
Defn: Not in a state of contingency or suspension; fixed; as, vested rights; vested interests. Vested legacy (Law), a legacy the right to which commences in præsenti, and does not depend on a contingency; as, a legacy to one to be paid when he attains to twenty-one years of age is a vested legacy, and if the legatee dies before the testator, his representative shall receive it. Blackstone. -- Vested remainder (Law), an estate settled, to remain to a determined person, after the particular estate is spent. Blackstone. Kent.
VESTED SCHOOL Vest"ed school.
Defn: In Ireland, a national school which has been built by the aid of grants from the board of Commissioners of National Education and is secured for educational purposes by leases to the commissioners themselves, or to the commissioners and the trustees.
VESTIARIAN Ves`ti*a"ri*an, a. Etym: [See Vestiary.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a vestiary or vestments.
VESTIARY Ves"ti*a*ry, n. Etym: [L. vestiarium. See Vestry.]
Defn: A wardrobe; a robing room; a vestry. Fuller.
VESTIARY Ves"ti*a*ry, a.
Defn: Pertaining to clothes, or vestments.
VESTIBULAR Ves*tib"u*lar, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a vestibule; like a vestibule.
VESTIBULE Ves"ti*bule, n. Etym: [L. vestibulum, of uncertain origin: cf. F. vestibule.]
Defn: The porch or entrance into a house; a hall or antechamber next the entrance; a lobby; a porch; a hall. Vestibule of the ear. (Anat.) See under Ear. -- Vestibule of the vulva (Anat.), a triangular space between the nymphæ, in which the orifice of the urethra is situated. -- Vestibule train (Railroads), a train of passenger cars having the space between the end doors of adjacent cars inclosed, so as to admit of leaving the doors open to provide for intercommunication between all the cars.
Syn. -- Hall; passage. -- Vestibule, Hall, Passage. A vestibule is a small apartment within the doors of a building. A hall is the first large apartment beyond the vestibule, and, in the United States, is often long and narrow, serving as a passage to the several apartments. In England, the hall is generally square or oblong, and a long, narrow space of entrance is called a passage, not a hall, as in America. Vestibule is often used in a figurative sense to denote a place of entrance. "The citizens of Rome placed the images of their ancestors in the vestibules of their houses." Bolingbroke
VESTIBULED TRAIN Vestibuled train. (Railroad)
Defn: Same as Vestibule train, under Vestibule.
VESTIBULUM Ves*tib"u*lum, n.; pl. Vestibula. Etym: [L., vestibule.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A cavity into which, in certain bryozoans, the esophagus and anus open.
VESTIGATE Ves"ti*gate, v. t. Etym: [L. vestigatus, p. p. of vestigare. See Vestige.]
Defn: To investigate. [Obs.]
VESTIGE Ves"tige, n. Etym: [F., from L. vestigium footprint, trace, sign; the last part (-stigium) is probably akin to E. sty, v. i. Cf. Investigate.]
Defn: The mark of the foot left on the earth; a track or footstep; a trace; a sign; hence, a faint mark or visible sign left by something which is lost, or has perished, or is no longer present; remains; as, the vestiges of ancient magnificence in Palmyra; vestiges of former population. What vestiges of liberty or property have they left Burke. Ridicule has followed the vestiges of Truth, but never usurped her place. Landor.
Syn. -- Trace; mark; sign; token. -- Vestige, Trace. These words agree in marking some indications of the past, but differ to some extent in their use and application. Vestige is used chiefly in a figurative sense, for the remains something long passed away; as, the vestiges of ancient times; vestiges of the creation. A trace is literally something drawn out in a line, and may be used in this its primary sense, or figuratively, to denote a sign or evidence left by something that has passed by, or ceased to exist. Vestige usually supposes some definite object of the past to be left behind; while a trace may be a mere indication that something has been present or is present; as, traces of former population; a trace of poison in a given substance.
VESTIGIAL Ves*tig"i*al, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a vestige or remnant; like a vestige.
VESTING Vest"ing, n.
Defn: Cloth for vests; a vest pattern.
VESTITURE Ves"ti*ture, n. Etym: [See Vesture.]
Defn: In vestiture. [R.]
VESTLET Vest"let, n. Etym: [Dim. of vest.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of several species of actinians belonging to the genus Cerianthus. These animals have a long, smooth body tapering to the base, and two separate circles of tentacles around the mouth. They form a tough, flexible, feltlike tube with a smooth internal lining, in which they dwell, whence the name.
VESTMENT Vest"ment, n. Etym: [OE. vestement, vestiment, OF. vestement, vestiment, F. vêtement, fr. L. vestimentum, fr. vestire to clothe, fr. vestis a garment, clothing. See Vest.]
Defn: A covering or garment; some part of clothing or dress; specifically (Eccl.), any priestly garment. "Royal vestiment." Chaucer. "Priests in holy vestments." Shak. The sculptor could not give vestments suitable to the quality of the persons represented. Dryden.
VESTRY Ves"try, n.; pl. Vestries. Etym: [OE. vestrye, F. vestiaire, L. vestiarium, fr. vestiarius belonging to clothes, fr. vestis a garment. See Vest, n., and cf. Vestiary.]
1. A room appendant to a church, in which sacerdotal vestments and sacred utensils are sometimes kept, and where meetings for worship or parish business are held; a sacristy; -- formerly called revestiary. He said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshipers of Baal. 2 Kings x. 22.
2. (Ch. of Eng.)
Defn: A parochial assembly; an assembly of persons who manage parochial affairs; -- so called because usually held in a vestry.
3. (Prot. Epis. Ch.)
Defn: A body, composed of wardens and vestrymen, chosen annually by a parish to manage its temporal concerns. Metropolitan vestry, in the city of London, and certain specified parishes and places in England, a body composed of householders who pay poor rates. Its duties include the repair of churches, care of highways, the appointment of certain officers, etc. -- Select vestry, a select number of persons chosen in large and populous English parishes to represent and manage the concerns of the parish for one year. Mozley & W. -- Vestry board (Ch. of Eng.), a vestry. See def. 2, above. -- Vestry clerk, an officer chosen by the vestry, who keeps a record of its proceedings; also, in England, one who keeps the parish accounts and books. -- Vestry meeting, the meeting of a vestry or vestry board; also, a meeting of a parish held in a vestry or other place.
VESTRYMAN Ves"try*man, n.; pl. Vestrymen (.
Defn: A member of a vestry; especially (Prot. Epis. Ch.), a member other than a warden. See Vestry.
VESTURE Ves"ture, n. Etym: [OF. vesture, vesteure, F. vêture, LL. vestitura, from L. vestire to clothe, dress. See Vest, v. t., and cf. Vestiture.]
1. A garment or garments; a robe; clothing; dress; apparel; vestment; covering; envelope. Piers Plowman. Approach, and kiss her sacred vesture's hem. Milton. Rocks, precipices, and gulfs, appareled with a vesture of plants. Bentley. There polished chests embroidered vestures graced. Pope.
2. (O. Eng. Law) (a) The corn, grass, underwood, stubble, etc., with which land was covered; as, the vesture of an acre. (b) Seizin; possession.
VESTURED Ves"tured, a.
Defn: Covered with vesture or garments; clothed; enveloped. We be vestured with poor cloth. Ld. Berners.
VESUVIAN Ve*su"vi*an, a. Etym: [Cf. F. Vésuvien, It. Vesuviano.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to Vesuvius, a volcano near Naples.
VESUVIAN Ve*su"vi*an, n. Etym: [G. vesuvian. See Vesuvian, a.] (Min.)
Defn: Vesuvianite.
VESUVIANITE Ve*su"vi*an*ite, n. (Min.)
Defn: A mineral occurring in tetragonal crystals, and also massive, of a brown to green color, rarely sulphur yellow and blue. It is a silicate of alumina and lime with some iron magnesia, and is common at Vesuvius. Also called idocrase.
VESUVINE Ve*su"vine, n.
Defn: A trade name for a brown dyestuff obtained from certain basic azo compounds of benzene; -- called also Bismarck brown, Manchester brown, etc.
VETCH Vetch, n. Etym: [Also fitch; OE. ficche, feche, for veche, OF. veche, vecce, vesche, vesce, F. vesce, fr. L. vicia.] (Bot.)
Defn: Any leguminous plant of the genus Vicia, some species of which are valuable for fodder. The common species is V. sativa.
Note: The name is also applied to many other leguminous plants of different genera; as the chichling vetch, of the genus Lathyrus; the horse vetch, of the genus Hippocrepis; the kidney vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria); the milk vetch, of the genus Astragalus; the licorice vetch, or wild licorice (Abrus precatorius).
VETCHLING Vetch"ling, n. Etym: [Vetch + -ling.] (Bot.)
Defn: Any small leguminous plant of the genus Lathyrus, especially L. Nissolia.
VETCHY Vetch"y, a.
1. Consisting of vetches or of pea straw. "A vetchy bed." Spenser.
2. Abounding with vetches.
VETERAN Vet"er*an, a. Etym: [L. veteranus, from vetus, veteris, old; akin to Gr. vatsara. See Wether.]
Defn: Long exercised in anything, especially in military life and the duties of a soldier; long practiced or experienced; as, a veteran officer or soldier; veteran skill. The insinuating eloquence and delicate flattery of veteran diplomatists and courtiers. Macaulay.
VETERAN Vet"er*an, n. Etym: [L. veteranus (sc. miles): cf. F. vétéran.]
Defn: One who has been long exercised in any service or art, particularly in war; one who has had. Ensigns that pierced the foe's remotest lines, The hardy veteran with tears resigns. Addison.
Note: In the United States, during the civil war, soldiers who had served through one term of enlistment and had reënlisted were specifically designated veterans.
VETERANIZE Vet"er*an*ize, v. i.
Defn: To reënlist for service as a soldier. [U.S.] Gen. W. T. Sherman.
VETERINARIAN Vet`er*i*na"ri*an, n. Etym: [L. veterinarius. See Veterinary.]
Defn: One skilled in the diseases of cattle or domestic animals; a veterinary surgeon.
VETERINARY Vet"er*i*na*ry, a. Etym: [L. veterinarius of or belonging to beasts of burden an draught, fr. veterinus, probably originally, of or pertaining to yearlings: cf. F. vétérinaire. See Veteran, Wether.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to the art of healing or treating the diseases of domestic animals, as oxen, horses, sheep, etc.; as, a veterinary writer or school.
VETIVER Vet"i*ver, n. (Bot.)
Defn: An East Indian grass (Andropogon muricatus); also, its fragrant roots which are much used for making mats and screens. Also called kuskus, and khuskhus. [Sometimes written vetivert, and vitivert.]
VETO Ve"to, n.; pl. Vetoes (. Etym: [L. veto I forbid.]
1. An authoritative prohibition or negative; a forbidding; an interdiction. This contemptuous veto of her husband's on any intimacy with her family. G. Eliot.
2. Specifically: -- (a) A power or right possessed by one department of government to forbid or prohibit the carrying out of projects attempted by another department; especially, in a constitutional government, a power vested in the chief executive to prevent the enactment of measures passed by the legislature. Such a power may be absolute, as in the case of the Tribunes of the People in ancient Rome, or limited, as in the case of the President of the United States. Called also the veto power. (b) The exercise of such authority; an act of prohibition or prevention; as, a veto is probable if the bill passes. (c) A document or message communicating the reasons of the executive for not officially approving a proposed law; -- called also veto message. [U.S.]
Note: Veto is not a term employed in the Federal Constitution, but seems to be of popular use only. Abbott.
VETO Ve"to, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vetoed; p. pr. & vb. n. Vetoing.]
Defn: To prohibit; to negative; also, to refuse assent to, as a legislative bill, and thus prevent its enactment; as, to veto an appropriation bill.
VETOIST Ve"to*ist, n.
Defn: One who uses, or sustains the use of, the veto.
VETTURA Vet*tu"ra, n.; pl. Vetture. Etym: [It. vettura, fr. L. vectura conveyance. Cf. Vecture.]
Defn: An Italian four-wheeled carriage, esp. one let for hire; a hackney coach.
VETTURINO Vet`tu*ri"no, n.; pl. Vetturini. Etym: [It.]
1. One who lets or drives a vettura.
2. A vettura.
VETUST Ve*tust", a. Etym: [L. vetustus old, ancient.]
Defn: Venerable from antiquity; ancient; old. [Obs.]
VEX Vex, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vexed; p. pr. & vb. n. Vexing.] Etym: [F. vexer, L. vexare, vexatum, to vex, originally, to shake, toss, in carrying, v. intens. fr. vehere, vectum, to carry. See Vehicle.]
1. To to White curl the waves, and the vexed ocean roars. Pope.
2. To make angry or annoyed by little provocations; to irritate; to plague; to torment; to harass; to afflict; to trouble; to tease. "I will not vex your souls." Shak. Then thousand torments vex my heart. Prior.
3. To twist; to weave. [R.] Some English wool, vexed in a Belgian loom. Dryden.
Syn. -- See Tease.
VEX Vex, v. i.
Defn: To be irritated; to fret. [R.] Chapman.
VEXATION Vex*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. vexatio: cf. F. vexation.]
1. The act of vexing, or the state of being vexed; agitation; disquiet; trouble; irritation. Passions too violent . . . afford us nothing but vexation and pain. Sir W. Temple. Those who saw him after a defeat looked in vain for any trace of vexation. Macaulay.
2. The cause of trouble or disquiet; affliction. Your children were vexation to your youth. Shak.
3. A harassing by process of law; a vexing or troubling, as by a malicious suit. Bacon.
Syn. -- Chagrin; agitation; mortification; uneasiness; trouble; grief; sorrow; distress. See Chagrin.
VEXATIOUS Vex*a"tious, a. Etym: [See Vexation.]
1. Causing vexation; agitating; afflictive; annoying; as, a vexatious controversy; a vexatious neighbor. "Continual vexatious wars." South.
2. Full or vexation, trouble, or disquiet; disturbed. He leads a vexatious life. Sir K. Digby. Vexatious suit (Law), a suit commenced for the purpose of giving trouble, or without cause. -- Vex*a"tious*ly, adv. -- Vex*a"tious*ness, n.
VEXED Vexed, a.
1. Annoyed; harassed; troubled.
2. Much debated or contested; causing discussion; as, a vexed question.
VEXER Vex"er, n.
Defn: One who vexes or troubles.
VEXIL Vex"il, n.
Defn: A vexillum.
VEXILLAR; VEXILLARY Vex"il*lar, Vex"il*la*ry,Etym: [Cf. F. vexillaire, L. vexillarius a standard bearer.]
1. Of or pertaining to an ensign or standard.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the vexillum, or upper petal of papilionaceous flowers. Vexilary æstivation (Bot.), a mode of æstivation in which one large upper petal folds over, and covers, the other smaller petals, as in most papilionaceous plants.
VEXILLARY Vex"il*la*ry, n. Etym: [L. vexillarius: cf. F. vexillaire.]
Defn: A standard bearer. Tennyson.
VEXILLATION Vex`il*la"tion, n. Etym: [L. vexillatio.] (Rom. Antiq.)
Defn: A company of troops under one vexillum.
VEXILLUM Vex*il"lum, n.; pl. Vexilla. Etym: [L., a standard, a flag.]
1. (Rom. Antiq.) (a) A flag or standard. (b) A company of troops serving under one standard.
2. (Eccl.) (a) A banner. (b) The sign of the cross.
3. (Bot.)
Defn: The upper petal of a papilionaceous flower; the standard.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The rhachis and web of a feather taken together; the vane.
VEXINGLY Vex"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a vexing manner; so as to vex, tease, or irritate. Tatler.
V HOOK V" hook`. (Steam Engine)
Defn: A gab at the end of an eccentric rod, with long jaws, shaped like the letter V.
VIA Vi"a, n. Etym: [L. See Way.]
Defn: A road way. Via Lactea Etym: [L.] (Anat.), the Milky Way, or Galaxy. See Galaxy, 1. -- Via media Etym: [L.] (Theol.), the middle way; -- a name applied to their own position by the Anglican high-churchmen, as being between the Roman Catholic Church and what they term extreme Protestantism.
VIA Vi"a, prep. Etym: [L., ablative of via way. See Way.]
Defn: By the way of; as, to send a letter via Queenstown to London.
VIABILITY Vi`a*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being viable. Specifically: --(a) (Law)
Defn: The capacity of living after birth. Bouvier. (b) The capacity of living, or being distributed, over wide geographical limits; as, the viability of a species.
VIABLE Vi"a*ble, a. Etym: [F., from vie life, L. vita. See Vital.] (Law)
Defn: Capable of living; born alive and with such form and development of organs as to be capable of living; -- said of a newborn, or a prematurely born, infant.
Note: Unless he [an infant] is born viable, he acquires no rights, and can not transmit them to his heirs, and is considered as if he had never been born. Bouvier.
VIADUCT Vi`a*duct, n. Etym: [L. via a way + -duct, as in aqueduct: cf. F. viaduc. See Via, and Aqueduct.]
Defn: A structure of considerable magnitude, usually with arches or supported on trestles, for carrying a road, as a railroad, high above the ground or water; a bridge; especially, one for crossing a valley or a gorge. Cf. Trestlework.
VIAGE Vi"age, n. Etym: [See Voyage.]
Defn: A voyage; a journey. [Obs.] Chaucer. Gower.
VIAL Vi"al, n. Etym: [OE. viole, fiole, F. fiole. See Phial.]
Defn: A small bottle, usually of glass; a little glass vessel with a narrow aperture intended to be closed with a stopper; as, a vial of medicine. [Written also phial.] Take thou this vial, being then in bed, And this distilled liquor thou off. Shak.
VIAL Vi"al, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vialed or Vialled; p. pr. & vb. n. Vialing or Vialling.]
Defn: To put in a vial or vials. "Precious vialed liquors." Milton.
VIAMETER Vi*am"e*ter, n. Etym: [L. via a way + -meter.]
Defn: An odometer; -- called also viatometer.
VIAND Vi"and, n. Etym: [F. viande meat, food, LL. vianda, vivanda, vivenda, properly, things to live on, fr. L. vivere to live; akin to vivus living. See Vivid, and cf. Victualis.]
Defn: An article of food; provisions; food; victuals; -- used chiefly in the plural. Cowper. Viands of various kinds allure the taste. Pope.
VIANDER Vi"and*er, n.
Defn: A feeder; an eater; also, one who provides viands, or food; a host. [Obs.] Holinshed.
VI-APPLE Vi"-ap`ple, n.
Defn: See Otaheite apple.
VIARY Vi"a*ry, a. Etym: [L. viarius, fr. via a way, road.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to roads; happening on roads. [Obs.]
VIATECTURE Vi"a*tec`ture, n. Etym: [L. via way + -tecture, as in architecture.]
Defn: The art of making roads or ways for traveling, including the construction of bridges, canals, viaducts, etc. [R.] R. Park.
VIATIC Vi*at"ic, a. Etym: [L. viaticus, fr. via a way. See Voyage.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a journey or traveling.
VIATICUM Vi*at"i*cum, n. Etym: [L., from viaticus, a. See Viatic.]
1. (Rom. Antiq.)
Defn: An allowance for traveling expenses made to those who were sent into the provinces to exercise any office or perform any service.
2. Provisions for a journey. Davies (Wit's Pilgr.).
3. (R. C. Ch.)
Defn: The communion, or eucharist, when given to persons in danger of death.
VIATOMETER Vi`a*tom"e*ter, n.
Defn: A viameter.
VIBICES Vi*bi"ces, n. pl. Etym: [L., pl. of vibex, -icis, the mark of a blow.] (Med.)
Defn: More or less extensive patches of subcutaneous extravasation of blood.
VIBRACULUM Vi*brac"u*lum, n.; pl. Vibracula. Etym: [NL., dim. from L. vibrare to vibrate.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the movable, slender, spinelike organs or parts with which certain bryozoans are furnished. They are regarded as specially modified zooids, of nearly the same nature as Avicularia.
VIBRANCY Vi"bran*cy, n.
Defn: The state of being vibrant; resonance.
VIBRANT Vi"brant, a. Etym: [L. vibrans, p. pr.: cf. F. vibrant. See Vibrate.]
Defn: Vibrating; tremulous; resonant; as, vibrant drums. Longfellow.
VIBRATE Vi"brate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vibrate; p. pr. & vb. n. Vibrating.] Etym: [L. vibratus, p. p. of vibrare, v. t. & v. i., to snake, brandish, vibrate; akin to Skr. vip to tremble, Icel. veifa to wave, vibrate. See Waive and cf. Whip, v. t.]
1. To brandish; to move to and fro; to swing; as, to vibrate a sword or a staff.
2. To mark or measure by moving to and fro; as, a pendulum vibrating seconds.
3. To affect with vibratory motion; to set in vibration. Breath vocalized, that is, vibrated or undulated, may . . . impress a swift, tremulous motion. Holder. Star to star vibrates light. Tennyson.
VIBRATE Vi"brate, v. i.
1. To move to and fro, or from side to side, as a pendulum, an elastic rod, or a stretched string, when disturbed from its position of rest; to swing; to oscillate.
2. To have the constituent particles move to and fro, with alternate compression and dilation of parts, as the air, or any elastic body; to quiver.
3. To produce an oscillating or quivering effect of sound; as, a whisper vibrates on the ear. Pope.
4. To pass from one state to another; to waver; to fluctuate; as, a man vibrates between two opinions.
VIBRATILE Vi"bra*tile, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vibratile.]
Defn: Adapted to, or used in, vibratory motion; having the power of vibrating; vibratory; as, the vibratile organs of insects.
VIBRATILITY Vi`bra*til"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vibratilité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being vibratile; disposition to vibration or oscillation. Rush.
VIBRATION Vi*bra"tion, n. Etym: [L. vibratio: cf. F. vibration.]
1. The act of vibrating, or the state of being vibrated, or in vibratory motion; quick motion to and fro; oscillation, as of a pendulum or musical string. As a harper lays his open palm Upon his harp, to deaden its vibrations. Longfellow.
2. (Physics)
Defn: A limited reciprocating motion of a particle of an elastic body or medium in alternately opposite directions from its position of equilibrium, when that equilibrium has been disturbed, as when a stretched cord or other body produces musical notes, or particles of air transmit sounds to the ear. The path of the particle may be in a straight line, in a circular arc, or in any curve whatever.
Note: Vibration and oscillation are both used, in mechanics, of the swinging, or rising and falling, motion of a suspended or balanced body; the latter term more appropriately, as signifying such motion produced by gravity, and of any degree of slowness, while the former applies especially to the quick, short motion to and fro which results from elasticity, or the action of molecular forces among the particles of a body when disturbed from their position of rest, as in a spring. Amplitude of vibration, the maximum displacement of a vibrating particle or body from its position of rest. -- Phase of vibration, any part of the path described by a particle or body in making a complete vibration, in distinction from other parts, as while moving from one extreme to the other, or on one side of the line of rest, in distinction from the opposite. Two particles are said to be in the same phase when they are moving in the same direction and with the same velocity, or in corresponding parts of their paths.
VIBRATIUNCLE Vi*bra"ti*un`cle, a. Etym: [Dim. of vibration.]
Defn: A small vibration. [R.] Chambers.
VIBRATIVE Vi"bra*tive, a. Vibrating
Defn: ; vibratory. "A vibrative motion." Sir I. Newton.
VIBRATOR Vi"bra*tor, n. One that vibrates, or causes vibration or oscillation of any kind; specif. (a) (Elec.) (1)
Defn: A trembler, as of an electric bell. (2)
Defn: A vibrating reed for transmitting or receiving pulsating currents in a harmonic telegraph system. (3)
Defn: A device for vibrating the pen of a siphon recorder to diminish frictional resistance on the paper. (4) An oscillator. (b) An ink-distributing roller in a printing machine, having an additional vibratory motion. (a) (Music) A vibrating reed, esp. in a reed organ. (d) (Weaving) Any of various vibrating devices, as one for slackening the warp as a shed opens. (e) An attachment, usually pneumatic, in a molding machine to shake the pattern loose.
VIBRATORY Vi"bra*to*ry, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vibratoire.]
Defn: Consisting in, or causing, vibration, or oscillation; vibrating; as, a vibratory motion; a vibratory power.
VIBRIO Vib"ri*o, n.; pl. E. Vibrios, L. Vibriones. Etym: [NL., fr. L. vibrare to vibrate, to move by undulations.] (Biol.)
Defn: A genus of motile bacteria characterized by short, slightly sinuous filaments and an undulatory motion; also, an individual of this genus.
VIBRISSA Vi*bris"sa, n.; pl. Vibrissæ. Etym: [L. vibrissae, pl., the hairs in the nostrils of man, fr. vibrare to vibrate; -- so called because touching them tickles a person, and causes him to shake his head.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: One of the specialized or tactile hairs which grow about the nostrils, or on other parts of the face, in many animals, as the so- called whiskers of the cat, and the hairs of the nostrils of man.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The bristlelike feathers near the mouth of many birds.
VIBROGRAPH Vi"bro*graph, n. [Vibrate + -graph.]
Defn: An instrument to observe and record vibrations.
VIBROSCOPE Vi"bro*scope, n.
1. An instrument for observing or tracing vibrations.
2. An instrument resembling the phenakistoscope.
VIBURNUM Vi*bur"num, n. Etym: [L., the wayfaring tree.] (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of shrubs having opposite, petiolate leaves and cymose flowers, several species of which are cultivated as ornamental, as the laurestine and the guelder-rose.
VICAR Vic"ar, n. Etym: [OE. vicar, viker, vicair, F. vicaire, fr. L. vicarius. See Vicarious.]
1. One deputed or authorized to perform the functions of another; a substitute in office; a deputy. [R.]
2. (Eng. Eccl. Law)
Defn: The incumbent of an appropriated benefice.
Note: The distinction between a parson [or rector] and vicar is this: The parson has, for the most part, the whole right to the ecclesiastical dues in his parish; but a vicar has generally an appropriator over him, entitled to the best part of the profits, to whom he is in fact perpetual curate with a standing salary. Burrill. Apostolic vicar, or Vicar apostolic. (R. C. Ch.) (a) A bishop to whom the Roman pontiff delegates a portion of his jurisdiction. (b) Any ecclesiastic acting under a papal brief, commissioned to exercise episcopal authority. (c) A titular bishop in a country where there is no episcopal see, or where the succession has been interrupted. -- Vicar forane. Etym: [Cf. LL. foraneus situated outside of the episcopal city, rural. See Vicar, and Foreign.] (R. C. Ch.) A dignitary or parish priest appointed by a bishop to exercise a limited jurisdiction in a particular town or district of a diocese. Addis & Arnold. -- Vicar-general. (a) (Ch. of Eng.) The deputy of the Archbishop of Canterbury or York, in whose court the bishops of the province are confirmed. Encyc. Brit. (b) (R. C. Ch.) An assistant to a bishop in the discharge of his official functions. -- Vicar of Jesus Christ (R. C. Ch.), the pope as representing Christ on earth.
VICARAGE Vic"ar*age (; 48), n.
1. The benefice of a vicar.
2. The house or residence of a vicar.
VICARIAL Vi*ca"ri*al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vicarial.]
1. Of or pertaining to a vicar; as, vicarial tithes.
2. Delegated; vicarious; as, vicarial power.
VICARIAN Vi*ca"ri*an, n.
Defn: A vicar. [Obs.] Marston.
VICARIATE Vi*ca"ri*ate, a.
Defn: Having delegated power, as a vicar; vicarious. Barrow.
VICARIATE Vi*ca"ri*ate, n. Etym: [LL. vicariatus, or F. vicariat.]
Defn: Delegated office or power; vicarship; the office or oversight of a vicar. The vicariate of that part of Germany which is governed by the Saxon laws devolved on the elector of Saxony. Robertson.
VICARIOUS Vi*ca"ri*ous, a. Etym: [L. vicarius, from vicis change, alternation, turn, the position, place, or office of one person as assumed by another; akin to Gr. wechsel a change, and probably also to E. weak. See Weak, and cf. Vice, prep.]
1. Of or pertaining to a vicar, substitute, or deputy; deputed; delegated; as, vicarious power or authority.
2. Acting of suffering for another; as, a vicarious agent or officer. The soul in the body is but a subordinate efficient, and vicarious . . . in the hands of the Almighty. Sir M. Hale.
3. Performed of suffered in the place of another; substituted; as, a vicarious sacrifice; vicarious punishment. The vicarious work of the Great Deliverer. I. Taylor.
4. (Med.)
Defn: Acting as a substitute; -- said of abnormal action which replaces a suppressed normal function; as, vicarious hemorrhage replacing menstruation.
VICARIOUSLY Vi*ca"ri*ous*ly, adv.
Defn: In a vicarious manner.
VICARSHIP Vic"ar*ship, n.
Defn: The office or dignity of a vicar.
VICARY Vic"ar*y, n. Etym: [L. vicarius.]
Defn: A vicar. [Obs.]
VICE Vice, n. Etym: [F., from L. vitium.]
1. A defect; a fault; an error; a blemish; an imperfection; as, the vices of a political constitution; the vices of a horse. Withouten vice of syllable or letter. Chaucer. Mark the vice of the procedure. Sir W. Hamilton.
2. A moral fault or failing; especially, immoral conduct or habit, as in the indulgence of degrading appetites; customary deviation in a single respect, or in general, from a right standard, implying a defect of natural character, or the result of training and habits; a harmful custom; immorality; depravity; wickedness; as, a life of vice; the vice of intemperance. I do confess the vices of my blood. Shak. Ungoverned appetite . . . a brutish vice. Milton. When vice prevails, and impious men bear sway, The post of honor is a private station. Addison.
3. The buffoon of the old English moralities, or moral dramas, having the name sometimes of one vice, sometimes of another, or of Vice itself; -- called also Iniquity.
Note: This character was grotesquely dressed in a cap with ass's ears, and was armed with a dagger of lath: one of his chief employments was to make sport with the Devil, leaping on his back, and belaboring him with the dagger of lath till he made him roar. The Devil, however, always carried him off in the end. Nares. How like you the Vice in the play . . . I would not give a rush for a Vice that has not a wooden dagger to snap at everybody. B. Jonson.
Syn. -- Crime; sin; iniquity; fault. See Crime.
VICE Vice, n. Etym: [See Vise.]
1. (Mech.)
Defn: A kind of instrument for holding work, as in filing. Same as Vise.
2. A tool for drawing lead into cames, or flat grooved rods, for casements. [Written also vise.]
3. A gripe or grasp. [Obs.] Shak.
VICE Vice, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Viced; p. pr. & vb. n. Vicing.]
Defn: To hold or squeeze with a vice, or as if with a vice. Shak. The coachman's hand was viced between his upper and lower thigh. De Quincey.
VICE Vi"ce, prep. Etym: [L., abl. of vicis change, turn. See Vicarious.]
Defn: In the place of; in the stead; as, A. B. was appointed postmaster vice C. D. resigned.
VICE Vice, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vice-. See Vice, prep.]
Defn: Denoting one who in certain cases may assume the office or duties of a superior; designating an officer or an office that is second in rank or authority; as, vice president; vice agent; vice consul, etc. Vice admiral. Etym: [Cf. F. vice-amiral.] (a) An officer holding rank next below an admiral. By the existing laws, the rank of admiral and vice admiral in the United States Navy will cease at the death of the present incumbents. (b) A civil officer, in Great Britain, appointed by the lords commissioners of the admiralty for exercising admiralty jurisdiction within their respective districts. -- Vice admiralty, the office of a vice admiral. -- Vice-admiralty court, a court with admiralty jurisdiction, established by authority of Parliament in British possessions beyond the seas. Abbott. -- Vice chamberlain, an officer in court next in rank to the lord chamberlain. [Eng.] -- Vice chancellor. (a) (Law) An officer next in rank to a chancellor. (b) An officer in a university, chosen to perform certain duties, as the conferring of degrees, in the absence of the chancellor. (c) (R. C. Ch.) The cardinal at the head of the Roman Chancery. -- Vice consul Etym: [cf. F. vice-consul], a subordinate officer, authorized to exercise consular functions in some particular part of a district controlled by a consul. -- Vice king, one who acts in the place of a king; a viceroy. -- Vice legate Etym: [cf. F. vice-légat], a legate second in rank to, or acting in place of, another legate. -- Vice presidency, the office of vice president. -- Vice president Etym: [cf. F. vice-président], an officer next in rank below a president.
VICED Viced, a.
Defn: Vicious; corrupt. [Obs.] Shak.
VICEGERENCY Vice*ge"ren*cy, n.
Defn: The office of a vicegerent. South.
VICEGERENT Vice*ge"rent, a. Etym: [Vice, a + gerent: cf. F. vicegérant.]
Defn: Having or exercising delegated power; acting by substitution, or in the place of another. Milton.
VICEGERENT Vice*ge"rent, a. Etym: [Vice, a. + gerent: cf. F. vicegérant.]
Defn: Having or exercising delegated power; acting by substitution, or in the place of another. Milton.
VICEGERENT Vice*ge"rent, n.
Defn: An officer who is deputed by a superior, or by proper authority, to exercise the powers of another; a lieutenant; a vicar. Bacon. The symbol and vicegerent of the Deity. C. A. Young.
VICEMAN Vice"man, n.; pl. Vicemen (.
Defn: A smith who works at the vice instead of at the anvil.
VICENARY Vic"e*na*ry, a. Etym: [L. vicenarius, fr. viceni twenty each; akin to viginti twenty.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to twenty; consisting of twenty.
VICENNIAL Vi*cen"ni*al, a. Etym: [L. vicennium a period of twenty years; viceni twenty + annus year.]
1. Lasting or comprising twenty years.
2. Happening once in twenty years; as, a vicennial celebration.
VICE-REGAL Vice`-re"gal, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a viceroy or viceroyalty. Macaulay.
VICEROY Vice"roy, n. Etym: [F. vice-roi; pref. vice- in the place of (L. vice) + roi a king, L. rex. See Vice, prep. and Royal.]
1. The governor of a country or province who rules in the name of the sovereign with regal authority, as the king's substitute; as, the viceroy of India.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large and handsome American butterfly (Basilarchia, or Limenitis, archippus). Its wings are orange-red, with black lines along the nervures and a row of white spots along the outer margins. The larvæ feed on willow, poplar, and apple trees.
VICEROYALTY Vice*roy"al*ty, n.
Defn: The dignity, office, or jurisdiction of a viceroy.
VICEROYSHIP Vice"roy*ship, n.
Defn: Viceroyalty.
VICETY Vi"ce*ty, n. Etym: [From Vice a fault.]
Defn: Fault; defect; coarseness. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
VICHY WATER Vi"chy wa`ter.
Defn: A mineral water found at Vichy, France. It is essentially an effervescent solution of sodium, calcium, and magnetism carbonates, with sodium and potassium chlorides; also, by extension, any artificial or natural water resembling in composition the Vichy water proper. Called also, colloquially, Vichy.
VICIATE Vi"ci*ate, v. t.
Defn: See Vitiate. [R.]
VICINAGE Vi"ci*nage (; 48), n. Etym: [OF. veisinage, F. voisinage, from OF. veisin, F. voisin, neighboring, a neighbor, L. vicunus. See Vicinity.]
Defn: The place or places adjoining or near; neighborhood; vicinity; as, a jury must be of the vicinage. "To summon the Protestant gentleman of the vicinage." Macaulay. Civil war had broken up all the usual ties of vicinage and good neighborhood. Sir W. Scott.
VICINAL Vic"i*nal, a. Etym: [L. vicinalis: cf. F. vicinal.]
Defn: Near; vicine. T. Warton. Vicinal planes (Min.), subordinate planes on a crystal, which are very near to the fundamental planes in angles, and sometimes take their place. They have in general very complex symbols.
VICINE Vic"ine, a. Etym: [L. vicinus: cf. F. voisin.]
Defn: Near; neighboring; vicinal. [R.] Glanvill.
VICINE Vic"ine, n. (Chem.)
Defn: An alkaloid ex tracted from the seeds of the vetch (Vicia sativa) as a white crystalline substance.
VICINITY Vi*cin"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. vicinitas, from vicinus neighboring, near, from vicus a row of houses, a village; akin to Gr. v a house, vi to enter, Goth. weihs town: cf. OF. vicinité. Cf. Diocese, Economy, Parish, Vicinage, Wick a village.]
1. The quality or state of being near, or not remote; nearness; propinquity; proximity; as, the value of the estate was increased by the vicinity of two country seats. A vicinity of disposition and relative tempers. Jer. Taylor.
2. That which is near, or not remote; that which is adjacent to anything; adjoining space or country; neighborhood. "The vicinity of the sun." Bentley.
Syn. -- Neighborhood; vicinage. See Neighborhood.
VICIOSITY Vi`ci*os"i*ty, n.
Defn: Vitiosity. [R.]
VICIOUS Vi"cious, a. Etym: [OF. vicious, F. vicieux, fr. L. vitiosus, fr. vitium vice. See Vice a fault.]
1. Characterized by vice or defects; defective; faulty; imperfect. Though I perchance am vicious in my guess. Shak. The title of these lords was vicious in its origin. Burke. A charge against Bentley of vicious reasoning. De Quincey.
2. Addicted to vice; corrupt in principles or conduct; depraved; wicked; as, vicious children; vicious examples; vicious conduct. Who . . . heard this heavy curse, Servant of servants, on his vicious race. Milton.
3. Wanting purity; foul; bad; noxious; as, vicious air, water, etc. Dryden.
4. Not correct or pure; corrupt; as, vicious language; vicious idioms.
5. Not well tamed or broken; given to bad tricks; unruly; refractory; as, a vicious horse.
6. Bitter; spiteful; malignant. [Colloq.]
Syn. -- Corrupt; faulty; wicked; depraved. -- Vi"cious*ly, adv. -- Vi"cious*ness, n.
VICISSITUDE Vi*cis"si*tude, n. Etym: [L. vicissitudo, fr. vicis change, turn: cf. F. vicissitude. See Vicarious.]
1. Regular change or succession from one thing to another; alternation; mutual succession; interchange. God made two great lights . . . To illuminate the earth and rule the day In their vicissitude, and rule the night. Milton.
2. Irregular change; revolution; mutation. This man had, after many vicissitudes of fortune, sunk at last into abject and hopeless poverty. Macaulay.
VICISSITUDINARY Vi*cis`si*tu"di*na*ry, a.
Defn: Subject to vicissitudes. Donne.
VICISSITUDINOUS Vi*cis`si*tu"di*nous, a.
Defn: Full of, or subject to, changes.
VICISSY DUCK Vi*cis"sy duck`. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A West Indian duck, sometimes domesticated.
VICKERS' GUN Vick"ers' gun. (Ordnance)
Defn: One of a system of guns manufactured by the firm of Vickers' Sons, at Sheffield, Eng. now included in Vickers-Maxim guns.
VICKERS-MAXIM AUTOMATIC MACHINE GUN Vick"ers-Max"im automatic machine gun.
Defn: An automatic machine gun in which the mechanism is worked by the recoil, assisted by the pressure of gases from the muzzle, which expand in a gas chamber against a disk attached to the end of the barrel, thus moving the latter to the rear with increased recoil, and against the front wall of the gas chamber, checking the recoil of the system.
VICKERS-MAXIM GUN Vickers-Maxim gun. (Ordnance)
Defn: One of a system of ordnance, including machine, quick-fire, coast, and field guns, of all calibers, manufactured by the combined firms of Vickers' Sons of Sheffield and Maxim of Birmingham and elsewhere, England.
VICONTIEL Vi*con"ti*el, a. Etym: [From OE. vicounte a viscount. See Viscount.] (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the viscount or sheriff of a country. Vicontiel rents. See Vicontiels. -- Vicontiel writs, such writs as were triable in the sheriff, or county, court.
VICONTIELS Vi*con"ti*els, n. pl. Etym: [See Vicontiel.] (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: Things belonging to the sheriff; especially, farms (called also vicontiel rents) for which the sheriff used to pay rent to the king.
VICOUNT Vi"count, n.
Defn: See Viscount.
VICTIM Vic"tim, n. Etym: [L. victima: cf. F. victime.]
1. A living being sacrificed to some deity, or in the performance of a religious rite; a creature immolated, or made an offering of. Led like a victim, to my death I'll go. Dryden.
2. A person or thing destroyed or sacrificed in the pursuit of an object, or in gratification of a passion; as, a victim to jealousy, lust, or ambition.
3. A person or living creature destroyed by, or suffering grievous injury from, another, from fortune or from accident; as, the victim of a defaulter; the victim of a railroad accident.
4. Hence, one who is duped, or cheated; a dupe; a gull. [Colloq.]
VICTIMATE Vic"tim*ate, v. t. Etym: [L. victimatus, p. p. of victimare to sacrifice.]
Defn: To make a victim of; to sacrifice; to immolate. [Obs.] Bullokar.
VICTIMIZE Vic"tim*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Victimized; p. pr. & vb. n. Victimizing.]
Defn: To make a victim of, esp. by deception; to dupe; to cheat.
VICTOR Vic"tor, n. Etym: [L. victor, fr. vincere, victum, to vanquish, to conquer. See Vanquish.]
1. The winner in a contest; one who gets the better of another in any struggle; esp., one who defeats an enemy in battle; a vanquisher; a conqueror; -- often followed by art, rarely by of. In love, the victors from the vanquished fly; They fly that wound, and they pursue that die. Waller.
2. A destroyer. [R. & Poetic] There, victor of his health, of fortune, friends, And fame, this lord of useless thousands ends. Pope.
VICTOR Vic"tor, a.
Defn: Victorious. "The victor Greeks." Pope.
VICTORESS Vic"tor*ess, n.
Defn: A victress. [Obs.] Spenser.
VICTORIA Vic*to"ri*a, n. Etym: [NL.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of aquatic plants named in honor of Queen Victoria. The Victoria regia is a native of Guiana and Brazil. Its large, spreading leaves are often over five feet in diameter, and have a rim from three to five inches high; its immense rose-white flowers sometimes attain a diameter of nearly two feet.
2. A kind of low four-wheeled pleasure carriage, with a calash top, designed for two persons and the driver who occupies a high seat in front.
3. (Astron.)
Defn: An asteroid discovered by Hind in 1850; -- called also Clio. Victoria cross, a bronze Maltese cross, awarded for valor to members of the British army or navy. It was first bestowed in 1857, at the close of the Crimean war. The recipients also have a pension of £10 a year. -- Victoria green. (Chem.) See Emerald green, under Green. -- Victoria lily (Bot.), the Victoria regia. See def. 1, above.
VICTORIA CRAPE Victoria crape.
Defn: A kind of cotton crape.
VICTORIAN Vic*to"ri*an, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the reign of Queen Victoria of England; as, the Victorian poets. Victorian period. See Dionysian period, under Dyonysian.
VICTORINE Vic`tor*ine", n.
Defn: A woman's fur tippet.
VICTORIOUS Vic*to"ri*ous, a. Etym: [L. victoriosus: cf. F. victorieux. See Victory.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to victory, or a victor' being a victor; bringing or causing a victory; conquering; winning; triumphant; as, a victorious general; victorious troops; a victorious day. But I shall rise victorious, and subdue My vanquisher. Milton. Now are our brows bound wind victorious wreaths. Shak. -- Vic*to"ri*ous*ly, adv. -- Vic*to"ri*ous*ness, n.
VICTORIUM Vic*to"ri*um, n. [NL. So named after Victoria, queen of Great Britain.] (Chem.)
Defn: A probable chemical element discovered by Sir William Crookes in 1898. Its nitrate is obtained byy practical decomposition and crystallization of yttrium nitrate. At. wt., about 117.
VICTORY Vic"to*ry, n.; pl. Victories. Etym: [OE. victorie, OF. victorie, victoire, F. victoire, L. victoria. See Victor.]
Defn: The defeat of an enemy in battle, or of an antagonist in any contest; a gaining of the superiority in any struggle or competition; conquest; triumph; -- the opposite of Ant: defeat. Death is swallowed up in victory. 1 Cor. xv. 54. God on our side, doubt not of victory. Shak. Victory may be honorable to the arms, but shameful to the counsels, of a nation. Bolingbroke.
VICTRESS Vic"tress, n. Etym: [Cf. L. victrix.]
Defn: A woman who wins a victory; a female victor.
VICTRICE Vic"trice, n.
Defn: A victress. [R.] B. Jonson.
VICTRIX Vic"trix, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: Victress. C. Bronté.
VICTUAL Vict"ual, n.
1. Food; -- now used chiefly in the plural. See Victuals. 2 Chron. xi. 23. Shak. He was not able to keep that place three days for lack of victual. Knolles. There came a fair-hair'd youth, that in his hand Bare victual for the movers. Tennyson. Short allowance of victual. Longfellow.
2. Grain of any kind. [Scot.] Jamieson.
VICTUAL Vict"ual, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Victualed or Victualled; p. pr. & vb. n. Victualing or Victualling.]
Defn: To supply with provisions for subsistence; to provide with food; to store with sustenance; as, to victual an army; to victual a ship. I must go victual Orleans forthwith. Shak.
VICTUALAGE Vict"ual*age (; 48), n.
Defn: Victuals; food. [R.] "With my cargo of victualage." C. Bronté.
VICTUALER Vict"ual*er, n. Etym: [F. victuailleur.] [Written also victualler.]
1. One who furnishes victuals.
2. One who keeps a house of entertainment; a tavern keeper; an innkeeper. Shak.
3. A vessel employed to carry provisions, usually for military or naval use; a provision use; a provision ship.
4. One who deals in grain; a corn factor. [Scot.] Licensed victualer. See under Licensed.
VICTUALING Vict"ual*ing, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to victuals, or provisions; supplying provisions; as, a victualing ship.
VICTUALS Vict"uals, n. pl. Etym: [OE. vitaille, OF. vitaille, F. victuaille, pl. victuailles, fr. L. victualia, pl. of. victualis belonging to living or nourishment, fr. victus nourishment, from vivere, victum, to live; akin to vivus living. See Vivid.]
Defn: Food for human beings, esp. when it is cooked or prepared for the table; that which supports human life; provisions; sustenance; meat; viands. Then had we plenty of victuals. Jer. xliv. 17.
VICTUS Vic"tus, n. Etym: [L.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Food; diet.
VICUNA; VICUNYA; VICUGNA Vi*cu"ña, Vi*cu"gna, n. Etym: [Sp. vicuña. Cf. Vigonia.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A South American mammal (Auchenia vicunna) native of the elevated plains of the Andes, allied to the llama but smaller. It has a thick coat of very fine reddish brown wool, and long, pendent white hair on the breast and belly. It is hunted for its wool and flesh.
VIDA FINCH Vid"a finch`. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The whidah bird.
VIDAME Vi*dame", n. Etym: [F., fr. LL. vice-dominus, fr. L. vice instead of + dominus master, lord.] (Fr. Feud. Law)
Defn: One of a class of temporal officers who originally represented the bishops, but later erected their offices into fiefs, and became feudal nobles.
VIDE Vi"de,
Defn: imperative sing. of L. videre, to see; -- used to direct attention to something; as, vide supra, see above.
VIDELICET Vi*del"i*cet, adv. Etym: [L., contr. fr. videre licet, literally, it is easy to see, one may or can see.]
Defn: To wit; namely; -- often abbreviated to viz.
VIDETTE Vi*dette", n. (Mil.)
Defn: Same Vedette.
VIDONIA Vi*do"ni*a, n. Etym: [Cf. Pg. vidonho the quality of grapes, Sp. veduño.]
Defn: A dry white wine, of a tart flavor, produced in Teneriffe; -- called also Teneriffe.
VIDUAGE Vid"u*age, n. Etym: [See Vidual.]
Defn: The state of widows or of widowhood; also, widows, collectively.
VIDUAL Vid"u*al, a. Etym: [L. vidualis, fr. vidua a widow, fr. viduus widowed. See Widow.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to the state of a widow; widowed. [R.] Jer. Taylor.
VIDUATION Vid`u*a"tion, n.
Defn: The state of being widowed or bereaved; loss; bereavement. [R.]
VIDUITY Vi*du"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. viduitas: cf. F. viduité.]
Defn: Widowhood. [R.] "Chaste viduity." Ld. Ellenborough.
VIE Vie, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Vied; p. pr. & vb. n. Vying.] Etym: [OE. vien, shortened fr. envien, OF. envier to invite, to challenge, a word used in gambling, L. invitare to invite; of uncertain origin. Cf. Invite, Envie.]
1. To stake a sum upon a hand of cards, as in the old game of gleek. See Revie. [Obs.]
2. To strive for superiority; to contend; to use emulous effort, as in a race, contest, or competition. In a trading nation, the younger sons may be placed in such a way of life as . . . to vie with the best of their family. Addison. While Waterloo with Cannæ's carnage vies. Byron.
VIE Vie, v. t.
1. To stake; to wager. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
2. To do or produce in emulation, competition, or rivalry; to put in competition; to bandy. [Obs.] She hung about my neck; and kiss on kiss She vied so fast. Shak. Nor was he set over us to vie wisdom with his Parliament, but to be guided by them. Milton. And vying malice with my gentleness, Pick quarrels with their only happiness. Herbert.
VIE Vie, n.
Defn: A contest for superiority; competition; rivalry; strife; also, a challenge; a wager. [Obs.] We 'll all to church together instantly, And then a vie for boys. J. Fletcher.
VIELLE Vi*elle", n. Etym: [F. Cf. Viol.]
Defn: An old stringed instrument played upon with a wheel; a hurdy- gurdy.
VIENNA PASTE Vi*en"na paste`. (Pharm.)
Defn: A caustic application made up of equal parts of caustic potash and quicklime; -- called also Vienna caustic.
VIENNESE Vi`en*nese", a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to Vienna, or people of Vienna. -- n. sing. & pl.
Defn: An inhabitant, or the inhabitants, of Vienna.
VIERKLEUR Vier"kleur`, n. [D., fr. vier four + kleur color, F. couleur.]
Defn: The four-colored flag of the South African Republic, or Transvaal, -- red, white, blue, and green.
VIEW View, n. Etym: [OF. veue, F. vue, fr. OF. veoir to see, p. p. veu, F. voir, p. p. vu, fr. L. videre to see. See Vision, and cl. Interview, Purview, Review, Vista.]
1. The act of seeing or beholding; sight; look; survey; examination by the eye; inspection. Thenceforth I thought thee worth my nearer view. Milton. Objects near our view are thought greater than those of a larger size are more remote. Locke. Surveying nature with too nice a view. Dryden.
2. Mental survey; intellectual perception or examination; as, a just view of the arguments or facts in a case. I have with exact view perused thee, Hector. Shak.
3. Power of seeing, either physically or mentally; reach or range of sight; extent of prospect. The walls of Pluto's palace are in view. Dryden.
4. That which is seen or beheld; sight presented to the natural or intellectual eye; scene; prospect; as, the view from a window. 'T is distance lends enchantment to the view. Campbell.
5. The pictorial representation of a scene; a sketch, as, a fine view of Lake George.
6. Mode of looking at anything; manner of apprehension; conception; opinion; judgment; as, to state one's views of the policy which ought to be pursued. To give a right view of this mistaken part of liberty. Locke.
7. That which is looked towards, or kept in sight, as object, aim, intention, purpose, design; as, he did it with a view of escaping. No man sets himself about anything but upon some view or other which serves him for a reason. Locke.
8. Appearance; show; aspect. [Obs.] [Graces] which, by the splendor of her view Dazzled, before we never knew. Waller. Field of view. See under Field. -- Point of view. See under Point. -- To have in view, to have in mind as an incident, object, or aim; as, to have one's resignation in view. -- View halloo, the shout uttered by a hunter upon seeing the fox break cover. -- View of frankpledge (Law), a court of record, held in a hundred, lordship, or manor, before the steward of the leet. Blackstone. -- View of premises (Law), the inspection by the jury of the place where a litigated transaction is said to have occurred.
VIEW View, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Viewed; p. pr. & vb. n. Viewing.]
1. To see; to behold; especially, to look at with attention, or for the purpose of examining; to examine with the eye; to inspect; to explore. O, let me view his visage, being dead. Shak. Nearer to view his prey, and, unespied, To mark what of their state he more might learn. Milton.
2. To survey or examine mentally; to consider; as, to view the subject in all its aspects. The happiest youth, viewing his progress through. Shak.
VIEWER View"er, n.
1. One who views or examines.
2. (Law)
Defn: A person appointed to inspect highways, fences, or the like, and to report upon the same.
3. The superintendent of a coal mine. [Eng.]
VIEWINESS View"i*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being viewy, or of having unpractical views.
VIEWLESS View"less, a.
Defn: Not perceivable by the eye; invisible; unseen. "Viewless winds." Shak. Swift through the valves the visionary fair Repassed, and viewless mixed with common air. Pope.
VIEWLY; VIEWSOME View"ly, View"some, a.
Defn: Pleasing to the sight; sightly. [Prov. Eng.]
VIEWY View"y, a.
1. Having peculiar views; fanciful; visionary; unpractical; as, a viewy person.
2. Spectacular; pleasing to the eye or the imagination. A government intent on showy absurdities and viewy enterprises rather than solid work. London Spectator.
VIFDA Vif"da, n.
Defn: In the Orkney and Shetland Islands, beef and mutton hung and dried, but not salted. [Scot.] [Written also vivda.] Jamieson.
VIGESIMAL Vi*ges"i*mal, a. Etym: [L. vigesimus twentieth, from viginti twenty.]
Defn: Twentieth; divided into, or consisting of, twenties or twenty parts. Tylor.
VIGESIMATION Vi*ges`i*ma"tion, n.
Defn: The act of putting to death every twentieth man. [R.]
VIGESIMO-QUARTO Vi*ges"i*mo-quar"to, a. Etym: [L. vigesimus quartus twenty-fourth. Cf. Duodecimo.]
Defn: Having twenty-four leaves to a sheet; as, a vigesimo-quarto form, book, leaf, size, etc.
VIGESIMO-QUARTO Vi*ges"i*mo-quar"to, n.; pl. -tos (.
Defn: A book composed of sheets each of which is folded into twenty- four leaves; hence, indicating more or less definitely a size of book so made; -- usually written 24mo, or 24º.
VIGIL Vig"il, n. Etym: [OE. vigile, L. vigilia, from vigil awake, watchful, probably akin to E. wake: cf. F. vigile. See Wake, v. i., and cf. Reveille, Surveillance, Vedette, Vegetable, Vigor.]
1. Abstinence from sleep, whether at a time when sleep is customary or not; the act of keeping awake, or the state of being awake, or the state of being awake; sleeplessness; wakefulness; watch. "Worn out by the labors and vigils of many months." Macaulay. Nothing wears out a fine face like the vigils of the card table and those cutting passions which attend them. Addison.
2. Hence, devotional watching; waking for prayer, or other religious exercises. So they in heaven their odes and vigils tuned. Milton. Be sober and keep vigil, The Judge is at the gate. Neale (Rhythm of St. Bernard).
3. (Eccl.) (a) Originally, the watch kept on the night before a feast. (b) Later, the day and the night preceding a feast. He that shall live this day, and see old age, Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors, And say, "To-morrow is St. Crispian." Shak.
(c) A religious service performed in the evening preceding a feast. Vigils, or Watchings, of flowers (Bot.), a peculiar faculty belonging to the flowers of certain plants of opening and closing their petals as certain hours of the day. [R.]
VIGILANCE Vig"i*lance, n. Etym: [L. vigilantia: cf. F. vigilance.]
1. The quality or state of being vigilant; forbearance of sleep; wakefulness.
2. Watchfulness in respect of danger; care; caution; circumspection. Cowper. And flaming ministers to watch and tend Their earthly charge; of these the vigilance I dread. Milton.
3. Guard; watch. [Obs.] "In at this gate none pass the vigilance here placed." Milton. Vigilance committee, a volunteer committee of citizens for the oversight and protection of any interest, esp. one organized for the summary suppression and punishment of crime, as when the processes of law appear inadequate.
VIGILANCY Vig"i*lan*cy, n.
Defn: Vigilance. [Obs.] Fuller.
VIGILANT Vig"i*lant, a. Etym: [L. vigilans, -antis, p. pr. of vigilare to watch, fr. vigil awake: cf. F. vigilant. See Vigil.]
Defn: Attentive to discover and avoid danger, or to provide for safety; wakeful; watchful; circumspect; wary. "Be sober, be vigilant." 1 Pet. v. 8. Sirs, take your places, and be vigilant. Shak.
VIGILANTLY Vig"i*lant*ly, adv.
Defn: In a vigilant manner.
VIGILY Vig"i*ly, n. Etym: [L. vigilia.]
Defn: A vigil. [Obs.] Chaucer.
VIGINTIVIRATE Vi`gin*tiv"i*rate, n. Etym: [L. vigintiviratus, fr. vigintiviri; viginti twenty + vir a man.]
Defn: The office of the vigintiviri, a body of officers of government consisting of twenty men; also, the vigintiviri. [R.]
VIGNETTE Vi*gnette", n. Etym: [F. vignette, fr. vigne a vine. See Vine, and cf. Vinette.]
1. (Arch.)
Defn: A running ornament consisting of leaves and tendrils, used in Gothic architecture.
2. A decorative design, originally representing vine branches or tendrils, at the head of a chapter, of a manuscript or printed book, or in a similar position; hence, by extension, any small picture in a book; hence, also, as such pictures are often without a definite bounding line, any picture, as an engraving, a photograph, or the like, which vanishes gradually at the edge.
VIGNETTE Vi*gnette", v. t.
Defn: To make, as an engraving or a photograph, with a border or edge insensibly fading away.
VIGNETTER Vi*gnett"er, n.
1. A device used by photographers in printing vignettes, consisting of a screen of paper or glass with a central aperture the edges of which become opaque by intensible gradations.
2. A maker of vignettes.
VIGONIA Vi*go"ni*a, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vigogne vicuña. See Vicuña.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to the vicuña; characterizing the vicuña; -- said of the wool of that animal, used in felting hats, and for other purposes. Prescott.
VIGOR Vig"or, n. Etym: [OE. vigour, vigor, OF. vigor, vigur, vigour, F. vigueur, fr. L. vigor, fr. vigere to be lively or strong. See Vegetable, Vigil.]
1. Active strength or force of body or mind; capacity for exertion, physically, intellectually, or morally; force; energy. The vigor of this arm was never vain. Dryden.
2. Strength or force in animal or force in animal or vegetable nature or action; as, a plant grows with vigor.
3. Strength; efficacy; potency. But in the fruithful earth . . . His beams, unactive else, their vigor find. Milton.
Note: Vigor and its derivatives commonly imply active strength, or the power of action and exertion, in distinction from passive strength, or strength to endure.
VIGOR Vig"or, v. t.
Defn: To invigorate. [Obs.] Feltham.
VIGORITE Vig"or*ite, n. Etym: [L. vigor strength.]
Defn: An explosive containing nitroglycerin. It is used in blasting.
VIGOROSO Vig`o*ro"so, a. & adv. Etym: [It.] (Mus.)
Defn: Vigorous; energetic; with energy; -- a direction to perform a passage with energy and force.
VIGOROUS Vig"or*ous, a. Etym: [Cf. OF. vigoros, F. vigoureux, LL. vigorosus.]
1. Possessing vigor; full of physical or mental strength or active force; strong; lusty; robust; as, a vigorous youth; a vigorous plant. Famed for his valor, young, At sea successful, vigorous and strong. Waller.
2. Exhibiting strength, either of body or mind; powerful; strong; forcible; energetic; as, vigorous exertions; a vigorous prosecution of a war. The beginnings of confederacies have been always vigorous and successful. Davenant. -- Vig"or*ous*ly, adv. -- Vig"or*ous*ness, n.
VIKING Vi"king, n. Etym: [Icel. vikingr, fr. vik a bay, inlet.]
Defn: One belonging to the pirate crews from among the Northmen, who plundered the coasts of Europe in the eighth, ninth, and tenth centuries. Of grim Vikings, and the rapture Of the sea fight, and the capture, And the life of slavery. Longfellow.
Note: Vikings differs in meaning from sea king, with which frequently confounded. "The sea king was a man connected with a royal race, either of the small kings of the country, or of the Haarfager family, and who, by right, received the title of king as soon he took the command of men, although only of a single ship's crew, and without having any land or kingdom . . . Vikings were merely pirates, alternately peasants and pirates, deriving the name of viking from the vicks, wicks, or inlets, on the coast in which they harbored with their long ships or rowing galleys." Laing.
VILANY Vil"a*ny, n.
Defn: Villainy. [Obs.] Chaucer.
VILAYET Vi`la*yet", n. Etym: [Turk., from Ar. wilayah.]
Defn: One of the chief administrative divisions or provinces of the Ottoman Empire; -- formerly called eyalet.
VILD Vild, a. Etym: [As if the p. p. of a verb to vile. See Vile, a.]
Defn: Vile. [Obs.] "That vild race." Spenser. -- Vild"ly, adv. [Obs.] Spenser.
VILE Vile, a. [Comp. Viler; superl. Vilest.] Etym: [OE. vil, F. vil, from L. vilis cheap, worthless, vile, base.]
1. Low; base; worthless; mean; despicable. A poor man in vile raiment. James ii. 2. The craft either of fishing, which was Peter's, or of making tents, which was Paul's, were [was] more vile than the science of physic. Ridley. The inhabitants account gold but as a vile thing. Abp. Abbot.
2. Morally base or impure; depraved by sin; hateful; in the sight of God and men; sinful; wicked; bad. "Such vile base practices." Shak. Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee Job xl. 4.
Syn. -- See Base. -- Vile"ly, adv. -- Vile"ness, n.
VILED Viled, a. Etym: [See Vild.]
Defn: Abusive; scurrilous; defamatory; vile. [Obs.] "Viled speeches." Hayward.
VILEYNS Vil"eyns, a. Etym: [See Villain.]
Defn: Villainous. [Obs.] "Vileyns sinful deeds make a churl." Chaucer.
VILIFICATION Vil`i*fi*ca"tion, n.
Defn: The act of vilifying or defaming; abuse. South.
VILIFIER Vil"i*fi`er, n.
Defn: One who vilifies or defames.
VILIFY Vil"i*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vilified; p. pr. & vb. n. Vilifying.] Etym: [L. vilis vile + -fly; cf. L. vilificare to esteem of little value.]
1. To make vile; to debase; to degrade; to disgrace. [R.] When themselves they vilified To serve ungoverned appetite. Milton.
2. To degrade or debase by report; to defame; to traduce; to calumniate. I. Taylor. Many passions dispose us to depress and vilify the merit of one rising in the esteem of mankind. Addison.
3. To treat as vile; to despise. [Obs.] I do vilify your censure. Beau. & Fl.
VILIPEND Vil"i*pend, v. t. Etym: [L. vilipendere; vilis vile + pendere to weigh, to value: cf. F. vilipender.]
Defn: To value lightly; to depreciate; to slight; to despise. To vilipend the art of portrait painting. Longfellow.
VILIPENDENCY Vil"i*pend"en*cy, n.
Defn: Disesteem; slight; disparagement. [R.] E. Waterhouse.
VILITY Vil"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. vilitas: cf. F. vileté, vilité, OF. vilté.]
Defn: Vileness; baseness. [Obs.] Kennet.
VILL Vill, n. Etym: [OF. ville, vile, a village, F. ville a town, city. See Villa.]
Defn: A small collection of houses; a village. "Every manor, town, or vill." Sir M. Hale. Not should e'er the crested fowl From thorp or vill his matins sound for me. Wordsworth.
Note: A word of various significations in English, law; as, a manor; a tithing; a town; a township; a parish; a part of a parish; a village. The original meaning of vill, in England, seems to have been derived from the Roman sense of the term villa, a single country residence or farm; a manor. Later, the term was applied only to a collection of houses more than two, and hence came to comprehend towns. Burrill. The statute of Exeter, 14 Edward I., mentions entire- vills, demivills, and hamlets.
VILLA Vil"la, n.; pl. Villas. Etym: [L. villa, LL. also village, dim. of L. vicus a village: cf. It. & F. villa. See Vicinity, and cf. Vill, Village, Villain.]
Defn: A country seat; a country or suburban residence of some pretensions to elegance. Dryden. Cowper.
VILLAGE Vil"lage (; 48), n. Etym: [F., fr. L. villaticus belonging to a country house or villa. See Villa, and cf. Villatic.]
Defn: A small assemblage of houses in the country, less than a town or city. Village cart, a kind of two-wheeled pleasure carriage without a top.
Syn. -- Village, Hamlet, Town, City. In England, a hamlet denotes a collection of houses, too small to have a parish church. A village has a church, but no market. A town has both a market and a church or churches. A city is, in the legal sense, an incorporated borough town, which is, or has been, the place of a bishop's see. In the United States these distinctions do not hold.
VILLAGER Vil"la*ger, n.
Defn: An inhabitant of a village. Brutus had rather be a villager Than to repute himself a son of Rome Under these hard condition. Shak.
VILLAGERY Vil"lage*ry, n.
Defn: Villages; a district of villages. [Obs.] "The maidens of the villagery." Shak.
VILLAIN Vil"lain, n. Etym: [OE. vilein, F. vilain, LL. villanus, from villa a village, L. villa a farm. See Villa.]
1. (Feudal Law)
Defn: One who holds lands by a base, or servile, tenure, or in villenage; a feudal tenant of the lowest class, a bondman or servant. [In this sense written also villan, and villein.] If any of my ansectors was a tenant, and a servant, and held his lands as a villain to his lord, his posterity also must do so, though accidentally they become noble. Jer. Taylor.
Note: Villains were of two sorts; villains regardant, that is, annexed to the manor (LL. adscripti glebæ); and villains in gross, that is, annexed to the person of their lord, and transferable from one to another. Blackstone.
2. A baseborn or clownish person; a boor. [R.] Pour the blood of the villain in one basin, and the blood of the gentleman in another, what difference shall there be proved Becon.
3. A vile, wicked person; a man extremely depraved, and capable or guilty of great crimes; a deliberate scoundrel; a knave; a rascal; a scamp. Like a villain with a smiling cheek. Shak. Calm, thinking villains, whom no faith could fix. Pope.
VILLAIN Vil"lain, a. Etym: [F. vilain.]
Defn: Villainous. [R.] Shak.
VILLAIN Vil"lain, v. t.
Defn: To debase; to degrade. [Obs.] Sir T. More.
VILLAINOUS Vil"lain*ous, a. Etym: [Written also villanous.]
1. Base; vile; mean; depraved; as, a villainous person or wretch.
2. Proceeding from, or showing, extreme depravity; suited to a villain; as, a villainous action.
3. Sorry; mean; mischievous; -- in a familiar sense. "A villainous trick of thine eye." Shak. Villainous judgment (O. E. Law), a judgment that casts reproach on the guilty person. --- Vil"lain*ous*ly, adv. Vil"lain*ous*ness, n.
VILLAINY Vil"lain*y, n.; pl. Villainies. Etym: [OE. vilanie, OF. vilanie, vilainie, vileinie, vilanie, LL. villania. See Villain, n.] [Written also villany.]
1. The quality or state of being a villain, or villainous; extreme depravity; atrocious wickedness; as, the villainy of the seducer. "Lucre of vilanye." Chaucer. The commendation is not in his wit, but in his villainy. Shak.
2. Abusive, reproachful language; discourteous speech; foul talk. [Archaic] He never yet not vileinye ne said In all his life, unto no manner wight. Chaucer. In our modern language, it [foul language] is termed villainy, as being proper for rustic boors, or men of coarsest education and employment. Barrow. Villainy till a very late day expressed words foul and disgraceful to the utterer much oftener than deeds. Trench.
3. The act of a villain; a deed of deep depravity; a crime. Such villainies roused Horace into wrath. Dryden. That execrable sum of all villainies commonly called a slave trade. John Wesley.
VILLAKIN Vil"la*kin, n.
Defn: A little villa. [R.] Gay.
VILLAN Vil"lan, n.
Defn: A villain. [R.]
VILLANAGE Vil"lan*age (; 48), n. Etym: [OF. villenage, vilenage. See Villain.]
1. (Feudal Law)
Defn: The state of a villain, or serf; base servitude; tenure on condition of doing the meanest services for the lord. [In this sense written also villenage, and villeinage.] I speak even now as if sin were condemned in a perpetual villanage, never to be manumitted. Milton. Some faint traces of villanage were detected by the curious so late as the days of the Stuarts. Macaulay.
2. Baseness; infamy; villainy. [Obs.] Dryden.
VILLANEL Vil`la*nel", n. Etym: [See Villanelle.]
Defn: A ballad. [Obs.] Cotton.
VILLANELLA Vil`la*nel"la, n.; pl. Villanelle. Etym: [It., a pretty country girl.] (Mus.)
Defn: An old rustic dance, accompanied with singing.
VILLANELLE Vil`la*nelle", n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: A poem written in tercets with but two rhymes, the first and third verse of the first stanza alternating as the third verse in each successive stanza and forming a couplet at the close. E. W. Gosse.
VILLANETTE Vil`la*nette", n. Etym: [Dim. of villa; formed on the analogy of the French.]
Defn: A small villa. [R.]
VILLANIZE Vil"lan*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Villanized; p. pr. & vb. n. Villanizing.]
Defn: To make vile; to debase; to degrade; to revile. [R.] Were virtue by descent, a noble name Could never villanize his father's fame. Dryden.
VILLANIZER Vil"lan*i`zer, n.
Defn: One who villanizes. [R.]
VILLANOUS; VILLANOUSLY; VILLANOUSNESS Vil"lan*ous, a. Vil"lan*ous*ly, adv., Vil"lan*ous*ness, n.,
Defn: See Villainous, etc.
VILLANY Vil"lan*y, n.
Defn: See Villainy.
VILLATIC Vil*lat"ic, a. Etym: [L. villaticus belonging to a country house. See Village.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a farm or a village; rural. "Tame villatic fowl." Milton.
VILLEIN Vil"lein, n. (Feudal Law)
Defn: See Villain, 1.
VILLENAGE Vil"len*age, n. Etym: [See Villanage.] (Feudal Law)
Defn: Villanage. Blackstone.
VILLENOUS Vil"len*ous, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a villein.
VILLI Vil"li, n.
Defn: , pl. of Villus.
VILLIFORM Vil"li*form, a. Etym: [Villus + -form.]
Defn: Having the form or appearance of villi; like close-set fibers, either hard or soft; as, the teeth of perch are villiform.
VILLOSE Vil*lose", a. (Bot.)
Defn: See Villous.
VILLOSITY Vil*los"i*ty, n.
1. State of being villous.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: A coating of long, slender hairs.
3. (Anat.)
Defn: A villus.
VILLOUS Vil"lous, a. Etym: [L. villosus: cf. F. villeux. Cf. Velvet.]
1. Abounding in, or covered with, fine hairs, or a woolly substance; shaggy with soft hairs; nappy.
2. (Anat.)
Defn: Furnished or clothed with villi.
VILLUS Vil"lus, n.; pl. Villi. Etym: [L., shaggy hair, a tuft of hair.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: One of the minute papillary processes on certain vascular membranes; a villosity; as, villi cover the lining of the small intestines of many animals and serve to increase the absorbing surface.
2. pl. (Bot.)
Defn: Fine hairs on plants, resembling the pile of velvet.
VIM Vim, n. Etym: [L., accusative of vis strength.]
Defn: Power; force; energy; spirit; activity; vigor. [Colloq.]
VIMEN Vi"men, n. Etym: [L., a twig.] (Bot.)
Defn: A long, slender, flexible shoot or branch.
VIMINAL Vim"i*nal, a. Etym: [L. viminalis pertaining to osiers, fr. vimen a pliant twig, osier.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to twigs; consisting of twigs; producing twigs.
VIMINEOUS Vi*min"e*ous, a. Etym: [L. vimineus, fr. vimen pliant twig.]
1. Of or pertaining to twigs; made of pliant twigs. "In the hive's vimineous dome." Prior.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Producing long, slender twigs or shoots.
VINACEOUS Vi*na"ceous, a. Etym: [L. vinaceus. See Vine.]
1. Belonging to, or like, wine or grapes.
2. Of the color of wine, especially of red wine.
VINAIGRETTE Vin`ai*grette", n. Etym: [F., fr. vinaigre vinegar.]
1. (Cookery)
Defn: A sauce, made of vinegar, oil, and other ingredients, -- used esp. for cold meats.
2. A small perforated box for holding aromatic vinegar contained in a sponge, or a smelling bottle for smelling salts; -- called also vinegarette.
3. A small, two-wheeled vehicle, like a Bath chair, to be drawn or pushed by a boy or man. [R.]
VINAIGROUS Vin"ai*grous, a. Etym: [F. vinaigre vinegar.]
1. Resembling vinegar; sour.
2. Fig.: Unamiable; morose. Carlyle.
VINASSE Vi*nasse", n. Etym: [F.] (Chem.)
Defn: The waste liquor remaining in the process of making beet sugar, -- used in the manufacture of potassium carbonate.
VINATICO Vi*nat"i*co, n. Etym: [Pg. vinhatico.]
Defn: Madeira mahogany; the coarse, dark-colored wood of the Persea Indica.
VINCENTIAN Vin*cen"tian, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to Saint Vincent de Paul, or founded by him. [R.]
VINCENTIAN Vin*cen"tian, n. (R. C. Ch.) (a) Same as Lazarist. (b) A member of certain charitable sisterhoods.
VINCETOXIN Vin`ce*tox"in, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A glucoside extracted from the root of the white swallowwort (Vincetoxicum officinale, a plant of the Asclepias family) as a bitter yellow amorphous substance; -- called also asclepiadin, and cynanchin.
VINCIBILITY Vin`ci*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being vincible, vincibleness.
VINCIBLE Vin"ci*ble, a. Etym: [L. vincibilis, fr. vincere to vanquish, conquer: cf. F. vincible. See Victor.]
Defn: Capable of being overcome or subdued; conquerable. "He, not vincible in spirit . . . drew his sword." Hayward. "Vincible by human aid." Paley. Vincible ignorance (Theol.), ignorance within the individual's control and for which, therefore, he is responsible before God.
VINCIBLENESS Vin"ci*ble*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being vincible.
VINCTURE Vinc"ture, n. Etym: [L. vinctura, fr. vincire, vinctum, to bind.]
Defn: A binding. [Obs.]
VINCULUM Vin"cu*lum, n.; pl. L. Vincula, E. Vinculums. Etym: [L., from vincire, vinctum, to bind.]
1. A bond of union; a tie.
2. (Math.)
Defn: A straight, horizontal mark placed over two or more members of a compound quantity, which are to be subjected to the same operation, as in the expression x2 + y2 - x + y.
3. (Anat.)
Defn: A band or bundle of fibers; a frænum.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A commissure uniting the two main tendons in the foot of certain birds.
VINDEMIAL Vin*de"mi*al, a. Etym: [L. vindemialis, fr. vindemia a vintage. See Vintage.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a vintage, or grape harvest. [R.]
VINDEMIATE Vin*de"mi*ate, v. i. Etym: [L. vindemiare. See Vindemial.]
Defn: To gather the vintage. [Obs.] Evelyn.
VINDEMIATION Vin*de`mi*a"tion, n. Etym: [LL. vindemiatio.]
Defn: The operation of gathering grapes. [Obs.] Bailey.
VINDICABLE Vin"di*ca*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being vindicated. -- Vin`di*ca*bil"i*ty, n.
VINDICATE Vin"di*cate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vindicated; p. pr. & vb. n. Vindicating.] Etym: [L. vindicatus, p. p. of vindicare to lay claim to, defend, avenge. See Vengeance.]
1. To lay claim to; to assert a right to; to claim. [R.] Is thine alone the seed that strews the plain The birds of heaven shall vindicate their grain. Pope.
2. To maintain or defend with success; to prove to be valid; to assert convincingly; to sustain against assault; as, to vindicate a right, claim, or title.
3. To support or maintain as true or correct, against denial, censure, or objections; to defend; to justify. When the respondent denies any proposition, the opponent must directly vindicate . . . that proposition. I. Watts. Laugh where we must, be candid where we can, But vindicate the ways of God to man. Pope.
4. To maintain, as a law or a cause, by overthrowing enemies. Milton.
5. To liberate; to set free; to deliver. [Obs.] I am confident he deserves much more That vindicates his country from a tyrant Than he that saves a citizen. Massinger.
6. To avenge; to punish; as, a war to vindicate or punish infidelity. [Obs.] Bacon. God is more powerful to exact subjection and to vindicate rebellion. Bp. Pearson.
Syn. -- To assert; maintain; claim. See Assert.
VINDICATION Vin`di*ca"tion, n. Etym: [L. vindicatio a laying claim, defense, vindication. See Vindicate.]
1. The act of vindicating, or the state of being vindicated; defense; justification against denial or censure; as, the vindication of opinions; his vindication is complete. Occasion for the vindication of this passage in my book. Locke.
2. (Civil Law)
Defn: The claiming a thing as one's own; the asserting of a right or title in, or to, a thing. Burrill.
VINDICATIVE Vin"di*ca*tive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vindicatif. Cf. Vindictive.]
1. Tending to vindicate; vindicating; as, a vindicative policy.
2. Revengeful; vindictive. [Obs.] Vindicative persons live the life of witches, who, as they are mischievous, so end they infortunate. Bacon. -- Vin"di*ca*tive*ness, n.
VINDICATOR Vin"di*ca`tor, n. Etym: [LL., an avenger.]
Defn: One who vindicates; one who justifies or maintains. Locke.
VINDICATORY Vin"di*ca*to*ry, a.
1. Tending or serving to vindicate or justify; justificatory; vindicative.
2. Inflicting punishment; avenging; punitory. The afflictions of Job were no vindicatory punishments to take vengeance of his sins. Abp. Bramhall.
VINDICTIVE Vin*dic"tive, a. Etym: [For vindicative, confused with L. vindicta revenge, punishment, fr. vindicare to vindicate. Cf. Vindicative.]
1. Disposed to revenge; prompted or characterized by revenge; revengeful. I am vindictive enough to repel force by force. Dryden.
2. Punitive. [Obs.] Vindictive damages. (Law) See under Damage, n. -- Vin*dic"tive*ly, adv. -- Vin*dic"tive*ness, n.
VINE Vine, n. Etym: [F. vigne, L. vinea a vineyard, vine from vineus of or belonging to wine, vinum wine, grapes. See Wine, and cf. Vignette.] (Bot.) (a) Any woody climbing plant which bears grapes. (b) Hence, a climbing or trailing plant; the long, slender stem of any plant that trails on the ground, or climbs by winding round a fixed object, or by seizing anything with its tendrils, or claspers; a creeper; as, the hop vine; the bean vine; the vines of melons, squashes, pumpkins, and other cucurbitaceous plants. There shall be no grapes on the vine. Jer. viii. 13. And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds. 2 Kings iv. 89. Vine apple (Bot.), a small kind of squash. Roger Williams. -- Vine beetle (Zoöl.), any one of several species of beetles which are injurious to the leaves or branches of the grapevine. Among the more important species are the grapevine fidia (see Fidia), the spotted Pelidnota (see Rutilian), the vine fleabeetle (Graptodera chalybea), the rose beetle (see under Rose), the vine weevil, and several species of Colaspis and Anomala. -- Vine borer. (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of several species of beetles whose larvæ bore in the wood or pith of the grapevine, especially Sinoxylon basilare, a small species the larva of which bores in the stems, and Ampeloglypter sesostris, a small reddish brown weevil (called also vine weevil), which produces knotlike galls on the branches. (b) A clearwing moth (Ægeria polistiformis), whose larva bores in the roots of the grapevine and is often destructive. -- Vine dragon, an old and fruitless branch of a vine. [Obs.] Holland. -- Vine forester (Zoöl.), any one of several species of moths belonging to Alypia and allied genera, whose larvæ feed on the leaves of the grapevine. -- Vine fretter (Zoöl.), a plant louse, esp. the phylloxera that injuries the grapevine. -- Vine grub (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of insect larvæ that are injurious to the grapevine. -- Vine hopper (Zoöl.), any one of several species of leaf hoppers which suck the sap of the grapevine, especially Erythroneura vitis. See Illust. of Grape hopper, under Grape. -- Vine inchworm (Zoöl.), the larva of any species of geometrid moths which feed on the leaves of the grapevine, especially Cidaria diversilineata. -- Vine-leaf rooer (Zoöl.), a small moth (Desmia maculalis) whose larva makes a nest by rolling up the leaves of the grapevine. The moth is brownish black, spotted with white. -- Vine louse (Zoöl.), the phylloxera. -- Vine mildew (Bot.), a fungous growth which forms a white, delicate, cottony layer upon the leaves, young shoots, and fruit of the vine, causing brown spots upon the green parts, and finally a hardening and destruction of the vitality of the surface. The plant has been called Oidium Tuckeri, but is now thought to be the conidia- producing stage of an Erysiphe. -- Vine of Sodom (Bot.), a plant named in the Bible (Deut. xxxii. 32), now thought to be identical with the apple of Sodom. See Apple of Sodom, under Apple. -- Vine sawfly (Zoöl.), a small black sawfiy (Selandria vitis) whose larva feeds upon the leaves of the grapevine. The larvæ stand side by side in clusters while feeding. -- Vine slug (Zoöl.), the larva of the vine sawfly. -- Vine sorrel (Bot.), a climbing plant (Cissus acida) related to the grapevine, and having acid leaves. It is found in Florida and the West Indies. -- Vine sphinx (Zoöl.), any one of several species of hawk moths. The larvæ feed on grapevine leaves. -- Vine weevil. (Zoöl.) See Vine borer (a) above, and Wound gall, under Wound.
VINEAL Vi"ne*al, a. Etym: [L. vinealis.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to vines; containing vines. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
VINE-CLAD Vine"-clad`, a.
Defn: Covered with vines.
VINED Vined, a.
Defn: Having leaves like those of the vine; ornamented with vine leaves. "Vined and figured columns." Sir H. Wotton.
VINEDRESSER Vine"dress`er, n.
Defn: One who cultivates, prunes, or cares for, grapevines; a laborer in a vineyard. The sons of the shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. Isa. lxi. 5.
VINEGAR Vin"e*gar, n. Etym: [OE. vinegre, F. vinaigre; vin wine (L. vinum) + aigre sour. See Wine, and Eager, a.]
1. A sour liquid used as a condiment, or as a preservative, and obtained by the spontaneous (acetous) fermentation, or by the artificial oxidation, of wine, cider, beer, or the like.
Note: The characteristic sourness of vinegar is due to acetic acid, of which it contains from three to five per cent. Wine vinegar contains also tartaric acid, citric acid, etc.
2. Hence, anything sour; -- used also metaphorically. Here's the challenge: . . . I warrant there's vinegar and pepper in't. Shak. Aromatic vinegar, strong acetic acid highly flavored with aromatic substances. -- Mother of vinegar. See 4th Mother. -- Radical vinegar, acetic acid. -- Thieves' vinegar. See under Thief. -- Vinegar eel (Zoöl.), a minute nematode worm (Leptodera oxophila, or Anguillula acetiglutinis), commonly found in great numbers in vinegar, sour paste, and other fermenting vegetable substances; -- called also vinegar worm. -- Vinegar lamp (Chem.), a fanciful name of an apparatus designed to oxidize alcohol to acetic acid by means of platinum. -- Vinegar plant. See 4th Mother. -- Vinegar tree (Bot.), the stag-horn sumac (Rhus typhina), whose acid berries have been used to intensify the sourness of vinegar. -- Wood vinegar. See under Wood.
VINEGAR Vin"e*gar, v. t.
Defn: To convert into vinegar; to make like vinegar; to render sour or sharp. [Obs.] Hoping that he hath vinegared his senses As he was bid. B. Jonson.
VINEGARETTE Vin`e*gar*ette", n.
Defn: See Vinaigrette, n., 2.
VINEGAR FLY Vin"e*gar fly.
Defn: Any of several fruit flies, esp. Drosophila ampelopophila, which breed in imperfectly sealed preserves and in pickles.
VINEGARROON Vin`e*gar*roon", n. [Cf. Sp. vinagre vinegar.]
Defn: A whip scorpion, esp. a large Mexican species (Thelyphonus giganteus) popularly supposed to be very venomous; -- from the odor that it emits when alarmed.
VINEGARY Vin"e*gar*y, a.
Defn: Having the nature of vinegar; sour; unamiable.
VINER Vin"er, n.
Defn: A vinedresser. [Obs.]
VINERY Vin"er*y, n.
1. A vineyard. [Obs.] "The vinery of Ramer." Fabyan.
2. A structure, usually inclosed with glass, for rearing and protecting vines; a grapery.
VINETTE Vi*nette", n. Etym: [Cf. Vignette.]
Defn: A sprig or branch. [Archaic] Halliwell.
VINEWED Vin"ewed, a.
Defn: Same as Vinnewed.
VINEYARD Vine"yard, n. Etym: [For OE. winyard, AS. wingeard; influenced by E. vine. See Wine, and Yard an inclosure.]
Defn: An inclosure or yard for grapevines; a plantation of vines producing grapes.
VINEYARDIST Vine"yard*ist, n.
Defn: One who cultivates a vineyard.
VINGT ET UN Vingt` et` un". Etym: [F., twenty and one.]
Defn: A game at cards, played by two or more persons. The fortune of each player depends upon obtaining from the dealer such cards that the sum of their pips, or spots, is twenty-one, or a number near to it.
VINGTUN Vingt`un", n.
Defn: Contraction for Vingt et un.
VINIC Vin"ic, a. (Chem.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to wine; as, vinic alcohol.
VINICULTURE Vin"i*cul`ture, n. Etym: [L. vinum wine + cultura culture.]
Defn: The cultivation of the vine, esp. for making wine; viticulture.
VINIFICATION Vin`i*fi*ca"tion, n. [L. vinum wine + E. -fication.]
Defn: The conversion of a fruit juice or other saccharine solution into alcohol by fermentation.
VINNEWED Vin"newed, a. Etym: [See Fenowed.]
Defn: Moldy; musty. [Written also vinewed.] [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] -- Vin"newed*ness, n. [Obs.] Many of Chaucer's words are become, as it were, vinnewed and hoary with over-long lying. F. Beaumont.
VINNY Vin"ny, a.
Defn: Vinnewed. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
VINOLENCY Vin"o*len*cy, n. Etym: [L. vinolentina. See Vinolent.]
Defn: Drunkennes. [Obs.]
VINOLENT Vin"o*lent, a. Etym: [L. vinolentus, fr. vinum wine.]
Defn: Given to wine; drunken; intemperate. [Obs.] Chaucer.
VINOMETER Vin*om"e*ter, n. Etym: [L. vinum vine + -meter.]
Defn: An instrument for determining the strength or purity of wine by measuring its density.
VIN ORDINAIRE Vin` or`di`naire". Etym: [F., lit., common wine.]
Defn: A cheap claret, used as a table wine in France.
VINOSE Vi*nose", a.
Defn: Vinous.
VINOSITY Vi*nos"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. vinositas: cf. F. vinosité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being vinous.
VINOUS Vi"nous, a. Etym: [L. vinosus, fr. vinum wine: cf. F. vineux. See Wine.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to wine; having the qualities of wine; as, a vinous taste.
VINQUISH Vin"quish, n. (Far.)
Defn: See Vanquish, n.
VINTAGE Vint"age (; 48), n. Etym: [Corrupted by influence of vintner, vintry, from OE. vindage, vendage, for vendange, OF. vendenge, F. vendange, from L. vindemia; vinum wine, grapes + demere to take off; de + emere, originally, to take. See Wine, Redeem, and cf. Vindemial.]
1. The produce of the vine for one season, in grapes or in wine; as, the vintage is abundant; the vintage of 1840.
2. The act or time of gathering the crop of grapes, or making the wine for a season. Vintage spring, a wine fount. -- Vintage time, the time of gathering grapes and making wine. Milton.
VINTAGER Vint"a*ger, n. Etym: [From Vintage: cf. F. vendangeur.]
Defn: One who gathers the vintage.
VINTAGING Vint"a*ging, n.
Defn: The act of gathering the vintage, or crop of grapes.
VINTNER Vint"ner, n. Etym: [OE. vintener, viniter, OF. vinetier, vinotier, LL. vinetarius, fr. L. vinetum a vineyard, fr. vinum wine. See Wine.]
Defn: One who deals in wine; a wine seller, or wine merchant.
VINTRY Vint"ry, n. Etym: [OE. viniterie, from OF. vinotier, vinetier, wine merchant. See Vintner.]
Defn: A place where wine is sold. [Obs.] Ainsworth.
VINUM Vi"num, n.; pl. Vina (#). [L. See Wine.]
Defn: Wine, --chiefly used in Pharmacy in the name of solutions of some medicinal substance in wine; as: vina medicata, medicated wines; vinum opii, wine of opium.
VINY Vin"y, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to vines; producing, or abounding in, vines. P. Fletcher.
VINYL Vi"nyl, n. Etym: [L. vinum wine + -yl.] (Chem.)
Defn: The hypothetical radical C2H3, regarded as the characteristic residue of ethylene and that related series of unsaturated hydrocarbons with which the allyl compounds are homologous.
VIOL Vi"ol, n. Etym: [F. viole; cf. Pr. viola, viula, Sp., Pg., & It. viola, LL. vitula; of uncertain origin; perhaps from L. vitulari to celebrate a festival, keep holiday, be joyful, perhaps originally, to sacrifice a calf (vitulus; cf. Veal). Cf. Fiddle, Vielle, 2d Viola, Violin.]
1. (Mus.)
Defn: A stringed musical instrument formerly in use, of the same form as the violin, but larger, and having six strings, to be struck with a bow, and the neck furnished with frets for stopping the strings. Me softer airs befit, and softer strings Of lute, or viol still, more apt for mournful things. Milton.
Note: The name is now applied as a general term to designate instruments of the violin kind, as tenor viol, bass viol, etc.
2. (Naut.)
Defn: A large rope sometimes used in weighing anchor. [Written also voyal, and voyal.] Totten.
VIOLA Vi"o*la, n. Etym: [L., a violet. See Violet.] (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of polypetalous herbaceous plants, including all kinds of violets.
VIOLA Vi"o*la, n. Etym: [It. See Viol.] (Mus.)
Defn: An instrument in form and use resembling the violin, but larger, and a fifth lower in compass. Viola da braccio Etym: [It., viol for the arm], the tenor viol, or viola, a fifth lower than the violin. Its part is written in the alto clef, hence it is sometimes called the alto. -- Viola da gamba Etym: [It., viol for the leg], an instrument resembling the viola, but larger, and held between the knees. It is now rarely used. -- Viola da spalla Etym: [It., viol for the shoulder], an instrument formerly used, resembling the viola, and intermediate in size between the viola and the viola da gamba. -- Viola di amore Etym: [It., viol of love: cf. F. viole d'amour], a viol, larger than the viola, having catgut strings upon, and brass or steel wires under, the keyboard. These, sounding sympathetically with the strings, yield a peculiarly soft and silvery sound. It is now seldom used.
VIOLABLE Vi"o*la*ble, a. Etym: [L. violabilis: cf. F. violable. See Violate.]
Defn: Capable of being violated, broken, or injured. -- Vi"o*la*bly, adv.
VIOLACEOUS Vi`o*la"ceous, a. Etym: [L. violaceus, fr. viola a violet.]
1. Resembling violets in color; bluish purple.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to a natural order of plants, of which the violet is the type. It contains about twenty genera and two hundred and fifty species.
VIOLANILINE Vi`o*lan"i*line, n. Etym: [Violet + aniline.] (Chem.)
Defn: A dyestuff of the induline group, made from aniline, and used as a substitute for indigo in dyeing wool and silk a violet-blue or a gray-blue color.
VIOLANTIN Vi`o*lan"tin, n. Etym: [See Violuric.] (Chem.)
Defn: A complex nitrogenous substance, produced as a yellow crystalline substance, and regarded as a complex derivative of barbituric acid.
VIOLAQUERCITRIN Vi`o*la*quer"cit*rin, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A yellow crystalline glucoside obtained from the pansy (Viola tricolor), and decomposing into glucose and quercitrin.
VIOLASCENT Vi`o*las"cent, a.
Defn: Violescent. [R.]
VIOLATE Vi"o*late, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Violates; p. pr. & vb. n. Violating.] Etym: [L. violatus, p. p. of violare to violate, fr. vis strength, force. See Violent.]
1. To treat in a violent manner; to abuse. His wife Boadicea violated with stripes, his daughters with rape. Milton.
2. To do violence to, as to anything that should be held sacred or respected; to profane; to desecrate; to break forcibly; to trench upon; to infringe. Violated vows 'Twixt the souls of friend and friend. Shak. Oft have they violated The temple, oft the law, with foul affronts. Milton.
3. To disturb; to interrupt. "Employed, it seems, to violate sleep." Milton.
4. To commit rape on; to ravish; to outrage.
Syn. -- To injure; disturb; interrupt; infringe; transgress; profane; deflour; debauch; dishonor.
VIOLATION Vi`o*la"tion, n. Etym: [L. violatio: cf. F. violation.]
Defn: The act of violating, treating with violence, or injuring; the state of being violated. Specifically: -- (a) Infringement; transgression; nonobservance; as, the violation of law or positive command, of covenants, promises, etc. "The violation of my faith." Shak. (b) An act of irreverence or desecration; profanation or contemptuous treatment of sacred things; as, the violation of a church. Udall. (c) Interruption, as of sleep or peace; disturbance. (d) Ravishment; rape; outrage. Shak.
VIOLATIVE Vi"o*la*tive, a.
Defn: Violating, or tending to violate.
VIOLATOR Vi"o*la`tor, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: One who violates; an infringer; a profaner; a ravisher.
VIOLE Vi"ole, n.
Defn: A vial. [Obs.] Chaucer.
VIOLENCE Vi"o*lence, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. violentia. See Violent.]
1. The quality or state of being violent; highly excited action, whether physical or moral; vehemence; impetuosity; force. That seal You ask with such a violence, the king, Mine and your master, with his own hand gave me. Shak. All the elements At least had gone to wrack, disturbed and torn With the violence of this conflict. Milton.
2. Injury done to that which is entitled to respect, reverence, or observance; profanation; infringement; unjust force; outrage; assault. Do violence to do man. Luke iii. 14. We can not, without offering violence to all records, divine and human, deny an universal deluge. T. Burnet. Looking down, he saw The whole earth filled with violence. Milton.
3. Ravishment; rape; constupration. To do violence on, to attack; to murder. "She . . . did violence on herself." Shak. -- To do violence to, to outrage; to injure; as, he does violence to his own opinions.
Syn. -- Vehemence; outrage; fierceness; eagerness; violation; infraction; infringement; transgression; oppression.
VIOLENCE Vi"o*lence, v. t.
Defn: To assault; to injure; also, to bring by violence; to compel. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
VIOLENT Vi"o*lent, a. Etym: [F., from L. violentus, from vis strength, force; probably akin to Gr.
1. Moving or acting with physical strength; urged or impelled with force; excited by strong feeling or passion; forcible; vehement; impetuous; fierce; furious; severe; as, a violent blow; the violent attack of a disease. Float upon a wild and violent sea. Shak. A violent cross wind from either coast. Milton.
2. Acting, characterized, or produced by unjust or improper force; outrageous; unauthorized; as, a violent attack on the right of free speech. To bring forth more violent deeds. Milton. Some violent hands were laid on Humphrey's life. Shak.
3. Produced or effected by force; not spontaneous; unnatural; abnormal. These violent delights have violent ends. Shak. No violent state can be perpetual. T. Burnet. Ease would recant Vows made in pain, as violent and void. Milton. Violent presumption (Law), presumption of a fact that arises from proof of circumstances which necessarily attend such facts. -- Violent profits (Scots Law), rents or profits of an estate obtained by a tenant wrongfully holding over after warning. They are recoverable in a process of removing.
Syn. -- Fierce; vehement; outrageous; boisterous; turbulent; impetuous; passionate; severe; extreme.
VIOLENT Vi"o*lent, n.
Defn: An assailant. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.
VIOLENT Vi"o*lent, v. t. Etym: [Cf. F. violenter.]
Defn: To urge with violence. [Obs.] Fuller.
VIOLENT Vi"o*lent, v. i.
Defn: To be violent; to act violently. [Obs.] The grief is fine, full, perfect, that I taste, An violenteth in a sense as strong As that which causeth it. Shak.
VIOLENTLY Vi"o*lent*ly, adv.
Defn: In a violent manner.
VIOLESCENT Vi`o*les"cent, a. Etym: [L. viola a violet.]
Defn: Tending to a violet color; violascent.
VIOLET Vi"o*let, n. Etym: [F. violette a violet (cf. violet violet-colored), dim. of OF. viole a violet, L. viola; akin to Gr. Iodine.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: Any plant or flower of the genus Viola, of many species. The violets are generally low, herbaceous plants, and the flowers of many of the species are blue, while others are white or yellow, or of several colors, as the pansy (Viola tricolor).
Note: The cultivated sweet violet is Viola odorata of Europe. The common blue violet of the eastern United States is V. cucullata; the sand, or bird-foot, violet is V. pedata.
2. The color of a violet, or that part of the spectrum farthest from red. It is the most refrangible part of the spectrum.
3. In art, a color produced by a combination of red and blue in equal proportions; a bluish purple color. Mollett.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of small violet-colored butterflies belonging to Lycæna, or Rusticus, and allied genera.
Corn violet. See under Corn. -- Dame's violet. (Bot.) See Damewort. -- Dogtooth violet. (Bot.) See under Dogtooth. -- Water violet (Bot.), an aquatic European herb (Hottonia palustris) with pale purplish flowers and pinnatifid leaves.
VIOLET Vi"o*let, a. Etym: [Cf. F. violet. See Violet, n.]
Defn: Dark blue, inclining to red; bluish purple; having a color produced by red and blue combined. Violet shell (Zoöl.), any species of Ianthina; -- called also violet snail. See Lanthina. -- Violet wood, a name given to several kinds of hard purplish or reddish woods, as king wood, myall wood, and the wood of the Andira violacea, a tree of Guiana.
VIOLET-EAR Vi"o*let-ear`, n.
Defn: Any tropical humming bird of the genus Petasophora, having violet or purplish ear tufts.
VIOLET-TIP Vi"o*let-tip", n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A very handsome American butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis). Its wings are mottled with various shades of red and brown and have violet tips.
VIOLIN Vi`o*lin", n. Etym: [It. violino, dim. of viola. See Viol.] (Mus.)
Defn: A small instrument with four strings, played with a bow; a fiddle.
Note: The violin is distinguished for the brilliancy and gayety, as well as the power and variety, of its tones, and in the orchestra it is the leading and most important instrument.
VIOLINE Vi"o*line, n. (Chem.) (a) A pale yellow amorphous substance of alkaloidal nature and emetic properties, said to have been extracted from the root and foliage of the violet (Viola). (b) Mauve aniline. See under Mauve.
VIOLINIST Vi`o*lin"ist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. violiniste, violoniste, It. violonista.]
Defn: A player on the violin.
VIOLIST Vi"ol*ist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. violiste.]
Defn: A player on the viol.
VIOLONCELLIST Vi`o*lon*cel"list, n. Etym: [Cf. F. violoncelliste, It. violoncellista.]
Defn: A player on the violoncello.
VIOLONCELLO Vi`o*lon*cel"lo, n. Etym: [It. violoncello, dim. of violone a bass viol. See Violone.] (Mus.)
Defn: A stringed instrument of music; a bass viol of four strings, or a bass violin with long, large strings, giving sounds an octave lower than the viola, or tenor or alto violin.
VIOLONE Vi`o*lo"ne, n. Etym: [It. violone, augment. of viola a viol. See Viol.] (Mus.)
Defn: The largest instrument of the bass-viol kind, having strings tuned an octave below those of the violoncello; the contrabasso; -- called also double bass. [Written also violono.]
VIOLOUS Vi"o*lous, a.
Defn: Violent. [Obs.] J. Fletcher.
VIOLURIC Vi`o*lu"ric, a. Etym: [Violet + barbituric.] (Chem.)
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or designating, a complex nitroso derivative of barbituric acid. It is obtained as a white or yellow crystalline substance, and forms characteristic yellow, blue, and violet salts.
VIPER Vi"per, n. Etym: [F. vipère, L. vipera, probably contr. fr. vivipera; vivus alive + parere to bring forth, because it was believed to be the only serpent that brings forth living young. Cf. Quick, a., Parent, Viviparous, Wivern, Weever.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of Old World venomous makes belonging to Vipera, Clotho, Daboia, and other genera of the family Viperidæ. There came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. Acts xxviii. 3.
Note: Among the best-known species are the European adder (Pelias berus), the European asp (Vipera aspis), the African horned viper (V. cerastes), and the Indian viper (Daboia Russellii).
2. A dangerous, treacherous, or malignant person. Who committed To such a viper his most sacred trust Of secrecy. Milton. Horned viper. (Zoöl.) See Cerastes. -- Red viper (Zoöl.), the copperhead. -- Viper fish (Zoöl.), a small, slender, phosphorescent deep-sea fish (Chauliodus Sloanii). It has long ventral and dorsal fins, a large mouth, and very long, sharp teeth. -- Viper's bugloss (Bot.), a rough-leaved biennial herb (Echium vulgare) having showy purplish blue flowers. It is sometimes cultivated, but has become a pestilent weed in fields from New York to Virginia. Also called blue weed. -- Viper's grass (Bot.), a perennial composite herb (Scorzonera Hispanica) with narrow, entire leaves, and solitary heads of yellow flowers. The long, white, carrot-shaped roots are used for food in Spain and some other countries. Called also viper grass.
VIPERINA Vi`per*i"na, n. pl. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Viperoidea.
VIPERINE Vi"per*ine, a. Etym: [L. viperinus: cf. F. vipérin.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a viper or vipers; resembling a viper. Viperine snake. (Zoöl.) (a) Any venomous snake of the family Viperidæ. (b) A harmless snake resembling a viper in form or color, esp. Tropidonotus viperinus, a small European species which resembles the viper in color.
VIPERISH Vi"per*ish, a.
Defn: Somewhat like a viper; viperous.
VIPEROID Vi"per*oid, a. [Viper + -oid.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Like or pertaining to the vipers.
VIPEROIDEA; VIPEROIDES Vi`per*oi"de*a, Vi`per*oi"des, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Viper, and - oid.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A division of serpents which includes the true vipers of the Old World and the rattlesnakes and moccasin snakes of America; -- called also Viperina.
VIPEROUS Vi"per*ous, a.
Defn: Having the qualities of a viper; malignant; venomous; as, a viperous tongue. "This viperous slander." Shak. -- Vi"per*ous*ly, adv.
VIRAGINIAN Vi`ra*gin"i*an, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a virago; having the qualities of a virago. Milton.
VIRAGINITY Vi`ra*gin"i*ty, n.
Defn: The qualities or characteristics of a virago.
VIRAGO Vi*ra"go, n.; pl. Viragoes. Etym: [L. virago, -intis, from vir a man. See Virile.]
1. A woman of extraordinary stature, strength, and courage; a woman who has the robust body and masculine mind of a man; a female warrior. To arms! to arms! the fierce virago cries. Pope.
2. Hence, a mannish woman; a bold, turbulent woman; a termagant; a vixen. Virago . . . serpent under femininity. Chaucer.
VIRE Vire, n. Etym: [OF. vire, fr. virer to turn. Cf. Veer, Vireton.]
Defn: An arrow, having a rotary motion, formerly used with the crossbow. Cf. Vireton. Gower.
VIRELAY Vir"e*lay, n. Etym: [F. virelai; virer to turn + lai a song, a lay.]
Defn: An ancient French song, or short poem, wholly in two rhymes, and composed in short lines, with a refrain. Of such matter made he many lays, Songs, complains, roundels, virelayes. Chaucer. To which a lady sung a virelay. Dryden.
Note: "The virelay admitted only two rhymes, and, after employing one for some time, the poet was virer, or to turn, to the other." Nares.
VIRENT Vi"rent, a. Etym: [L. virens, p. pr. of virere to be green.]
Defn: Green; not withered. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
VIREO Vir"e*o, n. Etym: [L., a species of bird.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of American singing birds belonging to Vireo and allied genera of the family Vireonidæ. In many of the species the back is greenish, or olive-colored. Called also greenlet.
Note: In the Eastern United States the most common species are the white-eyed vireo (Vireo Noveboracensis), the redeyed vireo (V. olivaceus), the blue-headed, or solitary, vireo (V. solitarius), the warbling vireo (V. gilvus), and the yellow-throated vireo (V. flavifrons). All these are noted for the sweetness of their songs.
VIRESCENCE Vi*res"cence, (Bot.)
Defn: The act or state of becoming green through the formation of chlorophyll.
VIRESCENT Vi*res"cent, a. Etym: [L. virescens, p. pr. of virescere to grow green, verb incho. fr. virere to be green.]
Defn: Beginning to be green; slightly green; greenish.
VIRETON Vir"e*ton, n. Etym: [F. See Vire.]
Defn: An arrow or bolt for a crossbow having feathers or brass placed at an angle with the shaft to make it spin in flying.
VIRGALIEU Vir"ga*lieu, n. Etym: [Cf. Virgouleuse.] (Bot.)
Defn: A valuable kind of pear, of an obovate shape and with melting flesh of delicious flavor; -- more properly called White Doyenné. [Written also virgaloo, vergalieu, vergaloo, etc.]
VIRGATE Vir"gate, a. Etym: [L. virgatus made of twigs, fr. virga a twig, rod. See Verge a rod.] (Bot.)
Defn: Having the form of a straight rod; wand-shaped; straight and slender.
VIRGATE Vir"gate, n. Etym: [LL. virgata, virgata terrae, so much land as virga terrae, a land measure, contains, fr. L. virga a twig, rod.]
Defn: A yardland, or measure of land varying from fifteen to forty acres. [Obs.] T. Warton.
VIRGATED Vir"ga*ted, a. Etym: [L. virgatus striped. See Virgate, a.]
Defn: Striped; streaked. [Obs.]
VIRGE Virge, n.
Defn: A wand. See Verge. [Obs.]
VIRGER Vir"ger, n.
Defn: See Verger. [Obs.]
VIRGILIAN Vir*gil"i*an, a. Etym: [L. Virgilianus, better Vergilianus.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to Virgil, the Roman poet; resembling the style of Virgil. [Spelt also Vergilian.] The rich Virgilian rustic measure Of Lari Maxume. Tennyson.
VIRGIN Vir"gin, n. Etym: [L. virgo, -inis: cf. OF. virgine, virgene, virge, vierge, F. vierge.]
1. A woman who has had no carnal knowledge of man; a maid.
2. A person of the male sex who has not known sexual indulgence. [Archaic] Wyclif. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. Rev. xiv. 4. He his flesh hath overcome; He was a virgin, as he said. Gower.
3. (Astron.)
Defn: See Virgo.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of several species of gossamer-winged butterflies of the family Lycænidæ.
5. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A female insect producing eggs from which young are hatched, though there has been no fecundation by a male; a parthenogenetic insect. The Virgin, or The Blessed Virgin, the Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord. -- Virgin's bower (Bot.), a name given to several climbing plants of the genus Clematis, as C. Vitalba of Europe, and C. Virginiana of North America.
VIRGIN Vir"gin, a.
1. Being a virgin; chaste; of or pertaining to a virgin; becoming a virgin; maidenly; modest; indicating modesty; as, a virgin blush. "Virgin shame." Cowley. Innocence and virgin modesty . . . That would be wooed, and unsought be won. Milton.
2. Pure; undefiled; unmixed; fresh; new; as, virgin soil; virgin gold. "Virgin Dutch." G. W. Cable. The white cold virgin snow upon my heart. Shak. A few ounces of mutton, with a little virgin oil. Landor.
3. Not yet pregnant; impregnant. Milton.
VIRGIN Vir"gin, v. i.
Defn: To act the virgin; to be or keep chaste; -- followed by it. See It, 5. [Obs.] "My true lip hath virgined it e'er since [that kiss]." Shak.
VIRGINAL Vir"gin*al, a. Etym: [L. virginalis: cf. F. virginal.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a virgin; becoming a virgin; maidenly. "Chastity and honor virginal." Spenser. Virginal generation (Biol.), parthenogenesis. -- Virginal membrane (Anat.), the hymen.
VIRGINAL Vir"gin*al, n. Etym: [Cf. F. virginale; -- probably so called from being used by young girls, or virgins.] (Mus.)
Defn: An instrument somewhat resembling the spinet, but having a rectangular form, like the small piano. It had strings and keys, but only one wire to a note. The instrument was used in the sixteenth century, but is now wholly obsolete. It was sometimes called a pair of virginals.
VIRGINAL Vir"gin*al, v. i.
Defn: To play with the fingers, as if on a virginal; to tap or pat. [Obs.] "Still virginaling upon his palm!" Shak.
VIRGINHOOD Vir"gin*hood, n.
Defn: Virginity; maidenhood.
VIRGINIA Vir*gin"i*a, n.
Defn: One of the States of the United States of America. -- a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the State of Virginia. Virginia cowslip (Bot.), the American lungwort (Mertensia Virginica). -- Virginia creeper (Bot.), a common ornamental North American woody vine (Ampelopsis quinquefolia), climbing extensively by means of tendrils; -- called also woodbine, and American ivy. [U.S.] -- Virginia fence. See Worm fence, under Fence. -- Virginia nightingale (Zoöl.), the cardinal bird. See under Cardinal. -- Virginia quail (Zoöl.), the bobwhite. -- Virginia reel, an old English contradance; -- so called in the United States. Bartlett. -- Virginia stock. (Bot.) See Mahon stock.
VIRGINITY Vir*gin"i*ty, n. Etym: [OE. virgintee, F. virginité, L. virginitas.]
1. The quality or state of being a virgin; undefiled purity or chastity; maidenhood.
2. The unmarried life; celibacy. [Obs.] Chaucer.
VIRGO Vir"go, n. Etym: [L. virgo a virgin, the constellation Virgo in the zodiac. See Virgin.] (Astron.) (a) A sign of the zodiac which the sun enters about the 21st of August, marked thus [ (b) A constellation of the zodiac, now occupying chiefly the sign Libra, and containing the bright star Spica.
VIRGOULEUSE Vir"gou*leuse, n. Etym: [F. virgouleuse, from the village of Virgoulée, near Limoges.] (Bot.)
Defn: An old French variety of pear, of little value.
VIRGULARIAN Vir`gu*la"ri*an, n. Etym: [From. L. virgula a small rod.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of long, slender Alcyonaria belonging to Virgularia and allied genera of the family Virgularidæ. These corals are allied to the sea-pens, but have a long rodlike rhachis inclosing a slender, round or square, calcareous axis. The polyps are arranged in transverse rows or clusters along each side of the rhachis.
VIRGULATE Vir"gu*late, a.
Defn: Shaped like a little twig or rod.
VIRGULE Vir"gule, n. Etym: [F. virgule, fr. L. virgula, dim. of virga. See Verge a rod.]
Defn: A comma. [R.] In the MSS. of Chaucer, the line is always broken by a cæsura in the middle, which is pointed by a virgule. Hallam.
VIRIAL Vir"i*al, n. Etym: [L. vis, viris, force.] (Physics)
Defn: A certain function relating to a system of forces and their points of application, -- first used by Clausius in the investigation of problems in molecular physics.
VIRID Vir"id, a. Etym: [L. viridis green. See Verdant.]
Defn: Green. [Obs.] The virid marjoram Her sparkling beauty did but see. Crompton.
VIRIDESCENCE Vir`i*des"cence, n.
Defn: Quality or state of being viridescent.
VIRIDESCENT Vir`i*des"cent, a. Etym: [L. viridescens, p. pr. of viridescere to grow green.]
Defn: Slightly green; greenish.
VIRIDINE Vir"i*dine, n. Etym: [L. viridis green.] (Chem.)
Defn: A greenish, oily, nitrogenous hydrocarbon, C12H19N7, obtained from coal tar, and probably consisting of a mixture of several metameric compounds which are higher derivatives of the base pyridine.
VIRIDITE Vir"i*dite, n. Etym: [L. viridis green.] (Min.)
Defn: A greenish chloritic mineral common in certain igneous rocks, as diabase, as a result of alternation.
VIRIDITY Vi*rid"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. viriditas, fr. viridis green: cf. F. viridité. See Verdant.]
1. Greenness; verdure; the color of grass and foliage.
2. Freshness; soundness. [Obs.] Evelyn.
VIRIDNESS Vir"id*ness, n.
Defn: Viridity; greenness.
VIRILE Vi"rile, a. Etym: [L. virilis, fr. vir a man; akin to AS. wer: cf. F. viril. See Werewolf, World, and cf. Decemvir, Virago, Virtue.]
Defn: Having the nature, properties, or qualities, of an adult man; characteristic of developed manhood; hence, masterful; forceful; specifically, capable of begetting; -- opposed to womanly, feminine, and puerile; as, virile age, virile power, virile organs.
VIRILITY Vi*ril"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. virilitas: cf. F. virilité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being virile; developed manhood; manliness; specif., the power of procreation; as, exhaustion. "Virility of visage." Holland.
VIRIPOTENT Vi*rip"o*tent, a. Etym: [L. vir man + potens fit for.]
Defn: Developed in manhood; hence, able to beget; marriageable. [Obs.] Being not of ripe years, not viripotent. Holinshed.
VIRMILION Vir*mil"ion, n.
Defn: See Vermilion. [R.]
VIROLE Vi*role", n. Etym: [F., a ferrule. See Ferrule.] (Her.)
Defn: A ring surrounding a bugle or hunting horn.
VIROLED Vi*roled", a. (Her.)
Defn: Furnished with a virole or viroles; -- said of a horn or a bugle when the rings are of different tincture from the rest of the horn.
VIROSE Vi*rose", a. Etym: [L. virosus. See Virus.]
Defn: Having a nauseous odor; fetid; poisonous. [R.]
VIRTU Vir*tu", n. Etym: [It. virtù virtue, excellence, from L. virtus. See Virtue.]
Defn: A love of the fine arts; a taste for curiosities. J. Spence. An article, or piece, of virtu, an object of art or antiquity; a curiosity, such as those found in museums or private collections. I had thoughts, in my chambers to place it in view, To be shown to my friends as a piece of virtù. Goldsmith.
VIRTUAL Vir"tu*al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. virtuel. See Virtue.]
1. Having the power of acting or of invisible efficacy without the agency of the material or sensible part; potential; energizing. Heat and cold have a virtual transition, without communication of substance. Bacon. Every kind that lives, Fomented by his virtual power, and warmed. Milton.
2. Being in essence or effect, not in fact; as, the virtual presence of a man in his agent or substitute. A thing has a virtual existence when it has all the conditions necessary to its actual existence. Fleming. To mask by slight differences in the manners a virtual identity in the substance. De Quincey. Principle of virtual velocities (Mech.), the law that when several forces are in equilibrium, the algebraic sum of their virtual moments is equal to zero. -- Virtual focus (Opt.), the point from which rays, having been rendered divergent by reflection of refraction, appear to issue; the point at which converging rays would meet if not reflected or refracted before they reach it. -- Virtual image. (Optics) See under Image. -- Virtual moment (of a force) (Mech.), the product of the intensity of the force multiplied by the virtual velocity of its point of application; -- sometimes called virtual work. -- Virtual velocity (Mech.), a minute hypothetical displacement, assumed in analysis to facilitate the investigation of statical problems. With respect to any given force of a number of forces holding a material system in equilibrium, it is the projection, upon the direction of the force, of a line joining its point of application with a new position of that point indefinitely near to the first, to which the point is conceived to have been moved, without disturbing the equilibrium of the system, or the connections of its parts with each other. Strictly speaking, it is not a velocity but a length. -- Virtual work. (Mech.) See Virtual moment, above.
VIRTUALITY Vir`tu*al"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. virtualité.]
1. The quality or state of being virtual.
2. Potentiality; efficacy; potential existence. [Obs.] In one grain of corn, there lieth dormant a virtuality of many other. Sir T. Browne.
VIRTUALLY Vir"tu*al*ly, adv.
Defn: In a virtual manner; in efficacy or effect only, and not actually; to all intents and purposes; practically.
VIRTUATE Vir"tu*ate, v. t.
Defn: To make efficacious; to give virtue of efficacy. [Obs.] Harvey.
VIRTUE Vir"tue, n. Etym: [OE. vertu, F. vertu, L. virtus strength, courage, excellence, virtue, fr. vir a man. See Virile, and cf. Virtu.]
1. Manly strength or courage; bravery; daring; spirit; valor. [Obs.] Shak. Built too strong For force or virtue ever to expugn. Chapman.
2. Active quality or power; capacity or power adequate to the production of a given effect; energy; strength; potency; efficacy; as, the virtue of a medicine. Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about. Mark v. 30. A man was driven to depend for his security against misunderstanding, upon the pure virtue of his syntax. De Quincey. The virtue of his midnight agony. Keble.
3. Energy or influence operating without contact of the material or sensible substance. She moves the body which she doth possess, Yet no part toucheth, but by virtue's touch. Sir. J. Davies.
4. Excellence; value; merit; meritoriousness; worth. I made virtue of necessity. Chaucer. In the Greek poets, . . . the economy of poems is better observed than in Terence, who thought the sole grace and virtue of their fable the sticking in of sentences. B. Jonson.
5. Specifically, moral excellence; integrity of character; purity of soul; performance of duty. Virtue only makes our bliss below. Pope. If there's Power above us, And that there is all nature cries aloud Through all her works, he must delight in virtue. Addison.
6. A particular moral excellence; as, the virtue of temperance, of charity, etc. "The very virtue of compassion." Shak. "Remember all his virtues." Addison.
7. Specifically: Chastity; purity; especially, the chastity of women; virginity. H. I believe the girl has virtue. M. And if she has, I should be the last man in the world to attempt to corrupt it. Goldsmith.
8. pl.
Defn: One of the orders of the celestial hierarchy. Thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues, powers. Milton. Cardinal virtues. See under Cardinal, a. -- In, or By, virtue of, through the force of; by authority of. "He used to travel through Greece by virtue of this fable, which procured him reception in all the towns." Addison. "This they shall attain, partly in virtue of the promise made by God, and partly in virtue of piety." Atterbury. -- Theological virtues, the three virtues, faith, hope, and charity. See 1 Cor. xiii. 13.
VIRTUELESS Vir"tue*less, a.
Defn: Destitute of virtue; without efficacy or operating qualities; powerless. Virtueless she wished all herbs and charms. Fairfax.
VIRTUOSITY Vir`tu*os"i*ty, n.
1. The quality or state of being a virtuoso; in a bad sense, the character of one in whom mere artistic feeling or æsthetic cultivation takes the place of religious character; sentimentalism. This famous passage . . . over which the virtuosity of modern times, rejoicing in evil, has hung so fondly. C. Kingsley.
2. Virtuosos, collectively. Carlyle.
3. An art or study affected by virtuosos.
VIRTUOSO Vir`tu*o"so, n.; pl. Virtuosos; It. Virtuosi. Etym: [It. See Virtuous.]
1. One devoted to virtu; one skilled in the fine arts, in antiquities, and the like; a collector or ardent admirer of curiosities, etc. Virtuoso the Italians call a man who loves the noble arts, and is a critic in them. Dryden.
2. (Mus.)
Defn: A performer on some instrument, as the violin or the piano, who excels in the technical part of his art; a brilliant concert player.
VIRTUOSOSHIP Vir`tu*o"so*ship, n.
Defn: The condition, pursuits, or occupation of a virtuoso. Bp. Hurd.
VIRTUOUS Vir"tu*ous, a. Etym: [OE. vertuous, OF. vertuos, vertuous, F. vertueux, fr. L. Virtuous. See Virtue, and cf. Virtuoso.]
1. Possessing or exhibiting virtue. Specifically: -- (a) Exhibiting manly courage and strength; valorous; valiant; brave. [Obs.] Old Priam's son, amongst them all, was chiefly virtuous. Chapman.
(b) Having power or efficacy; powerfully operative; efficacious; potent. [Obs.] Chaucer. Lifting up his virtuous staff on high, He smote the sea, which calméd was with speed. Spenser. Every virtuous plant and healing herb. Milton.
(c) Having moral excellence; characterized by morality; upright; righteous; pure; as, a virtuous action. The virtuous mind that ever walks attended By a strong siding champion, conscience. Milton.
2. Chaste; pure; -- applied especially to women. Mistress Ford . . . the virtuous creature, that hath the jealous fool to her husband. Shak. -- Vir"tu*ous*ly, adv. -- Vir"tu*ous*ness, n.
VIRULENCE; VIRULENCY Vir"u*lence, Vir"u*len*cy, n. Etym: [Cf. F. virulence, L. virulentia an offensive odor, a stench.]
1. The quality or state of being virulent or venomous; poisonousness; malignancy.
2. Extreme bitterness or malignity of disposition. "Refuted without satirical virulency." Barrow. The virulence of one declaimer, or the profundities and sublimities of the other. I. Taylor.
VIRULENT Vir"u*lent, a. Etym: [L. virulentus, fr. virus poison: cf. F. virulent. See Virus.]
1. Extremely poisonous or venomous; very active in doing injury. A contagious disorder rendered more virulent by uncleanness. Sir W. Scott.
2. Very bitter in enmity; actuated by a desire to injure; malignant; as, a virulent invective.
VIRULENTED Vir"u*lent*ed, a.
Defn: Made virulent; poisoned. [Obs.]
VIRULENTLY Vir"u*lent*ly, adv.
Defn: In a virulent manner.
VIRUS Vi"rus, n. Etym: [L., a slimy liquid, a poisonous liquid, poison, stench; akin to Gr. visha. Cf. Wizen, v. i.]
1. (Med.) (a) Contagious or poisonous matter, as of specific ulcers, the bite of snakes, etc.; -- applied to organic poisons. (b) The special contagion, inappreciable to the senses and acting in exceedingly minute quantities, by which a disease is introduced into the organism and maintained there.
Note: The specific virus of diseases is now regarded as a microscopic living vegetable organism which multiplies within the body, and, either by its own action or by the associated development of a chemical poison, causes the phenomena of the special disease.
2. Fig.: Any morbid corrupting quality in intellectual or moral conditions; something that poisons the mind or the soul; as, the virus of obscene books.
VIS Vis, n.
1. Force; power.
2. (Law) (a) Physical force. (b) Moral power. Principle of vis viva (Mech.), the principle that the difference between the aggregate work of the accelerating forces of a system and that of the retarding forces is equal to one half the vis viva accumulated or lost in the system while the work is being done. -- Vis impressa Etym: [L.] (Mech.), force exerted, as in moving a body, or changing the direction of its motion; impressed force. -- Vis inertiæ. Etym: [L.] (a) The resistance of matter, as when a body at rest is set in motion, or a body in motion is brought to rest, or has its motion changed, either in direction or in velocity. (b) Inertness; inactivity. Vis intertiæ and inertia are not strictly synonymous. The former implies the resistance itself which is given, while the latter implies merely the property by which it is given. -- Vis mortua Etym: [L.] (Mech.), dead force; force doing no active work, but only producing pressure. -- Vis vitæ, or Vis vitalis Etym: [L.] (Physiol.), vital force. -- Vis viva Etym: [L.] (Mech.), living force; the force of a body moving against resistance, or doing work, in distinction from vis mortua, or dead force; the kinetic energy of a moving body; the capacity of a moving body to do work by reason of its being in motion. See Kinetic energy, in the Note under Energy. The term vis viva is not usually understood to include that part of the kinetic energy of the body which is due to the vibrations of its molecules.
VISA Vi"sa, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: See Vis.
VISA Vi"sa, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Visaed; p. pr. & vb. n. Visaing.]
Defn: To indorse, after examination, with the word visé, as a passport; to visé.
VISAGE Vis"age (; 48), n. Etym: [F. visage, from L. visus a seeing, a look, fr. videre, visum, to see. See Vision.]
Defn: The face, countenance, or look of a person or an animal; -- chiefly applied to the human face. Chaucer. "A visage of demand." Shak. His visage was so marred more than any man. Isa. lii. 14. Love and beauty still that visage grace. Waller.
VISAGE Vis"age (; 48), v. t.
Defn: To face. [Obs.] Chaucer.
VISAGED Vis"aged, a.
Defn: Having a visage. Shak.
VISARD Vis"ard, n.
Defn: A mask. See Visor.
VISARD Vis"ard, v. t.
Defn: To mask.
VIS-A-VIS Vis`-a-vis", n. Etym: [F., opposite, face to face.]
1. One who, or that which, is face to face with another; esp., one who faces another in dancing.
2. A carriage in which two persons sit face to face. Also, a form of sofa with seats for two persons, so arranged that the occupants are face to face while sitting on opposite sides.
VIS-A-VIS Vis`-a-vis", adv.
Defn: Face to face.
VISAYAN Vi*sa"yan, n. [Cf. Sp. Bisayo a Visayan.]
Defn: A member of the most numerous of the native races of the Philippines, occupying the Visayan Islands and the northern coast Mindanao; also, their language. The Visayans possessed a native culture and alphabet.
VISCACHA; VIZ-CACHA Vis*ca"cha, Viz-ca"cha (, n. Etym: [Sp.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large burrowing South American rodent (Lagostomus trichodactylus) allied to the chinchillas, but much larger. Its fur is soft and rather long, mottled gray above, white or yellowish white beneath. There is a white band across the muzzle, and a dark band on each cheek. It inhabits grassy plains, and is noted for its extensive burrows and for heaping up miscellaneous articles at the mouth of its burrows. Called also biscacha, bizcacha, vischacha, vishatscha.
VISCERA Vis"ce*ra, n.,
Defn: pl. of Viscus.
VISCERAL Vis"cer*al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. viscéral, LL. visceralis.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the viscera; splanchnic.
2. Fig.: Having deep sensibility. [R.] Bp. Reynolds. Visceral arches (Anat.), the bars or ridges between the visceral clefts. -- Visceral cavity or tube (Anat.), the ventral cavity of a vertebrate, which contains the alimentary canal, as distinguished from the dorsal, or cerebro-spinal, canal. -- Visceral clefts (Anat.), transverse clefts on the sides just back of the mouth in the vertebrate embryo, which open into the pharyngeal portion of the alimentary canal, and correspond to the branchial clefts in adult fishes.
VISCERATE Vis"cer*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Viscerated; p. pr. & vb. n. Viscerating.]
Defn: To deprive of the viscera, or entrails; to eviscerate; to disembowel.
VISCEROSKELETAL Vis`cer*o*skel"e*tal, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the framework, or skeleton, or skeleton, of the viscera; as, the visceroskeletal system of muscles. Mivart.
VISCID Vis"cid, a. Etym: [L. viscidus, fr. viscum the mistletoe, birdlime made from the berries of the mistletoe; akin to Gr. viscide.]
Defn: Sticking or adhering, and having a ropy or glutinous consistency; viscous; glutinous; sticky; tenacious; clammy; as, turpentine, tar, gums, etc., are more or less viscid.
VISCIDITY Vis*cid"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. viscidité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being viscid; also, that which is viscid; glutinous concretion; stickiness.
VISCIN Vis"cin, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A clear, viscous, tasteless substance extracted from the mucilaginous sap of the mistletoe (Viscum album), holly, etc., and constituting an essential ingredient of birdlime.
VISCOIDAL Vis*coid"al, a.
Defn: Somewhat viscous. Cf. Mobile, a., 2.
VISCOSIMETER Vis`co*sim"e*ter, n. Etym: [Viscosity + -meter.]
Defn: An instrument for measuring the degree of viscosity of liquids, as solutions of gum.
VISCOSITY Vis*cos"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. viscosité, LL. viscositas.]
1. The quality or state of being viscous.
2. (Physics)
Defn: A quality analogous to that of a viscous fluid, supposed to be caused by internal friction, especially in the case of gases.
VISCOUNT Vis"count`, n. Etym: [OE. vicounte, OF. visconte, vescunte, F. vicomte, LL. vicecomes; L. vice (see Vice, a.) + comes a companion, LL., a count. See Count.]
1. (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: An officer who formerly supplied the place of the count, or earl; the sheriff of the county.
2. A nobleman of the fourth rank, next in order below an earl and next above a baron; also, his degree or title of nobility. See Peer, n., 3. [Eng.] Chaucer.
VISCOUNTCY Vis"count`cy, n.
Defn: The dignity or jurisdiction of a viscount. Sir B. Burke.
VISCOUNTESS Vis"count`ess, n. Etym: [F. vicomtesse, LL. vicecomitissa.]
Defn: The wife of a viscount.
VISCOUNTSHIP; VISCOUNTY Vis"count`ship, Vis"count`y, n. Etym: [F. vicomté.]
Defn: The quality, rank, or office of a viscount.
VISCOUS Vis"cous, a. Etym: [L. viscosus. See Viscid.]
Defn: Adhesive or sticky, and having a ropy or glutinous consistency; viscid; glutinous; clammy; tenacious; as, a viscous juice. -- Vis"cous*ness, n.
Note: There is no well-defined distinction in meaning between viscous and viscid.
VISCUM Vis"cum, n. Etym: [L.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of parasitic shrubs, including the mistletoe of Europe.
2. Birdlime, which is often made from the berries of the European mistletoe.
VISCUS Vis"cus, n.; pl. Viscera. Etym: [L., perhaps akin to E. viscid.] (Anat.)
Defn: One of the organs, as the brain, heart, or stomach, in the great cavities of the body of an animal; -- especially used in the plural, and applied to the organs contained in the abdomen.
VISE Vise, n. Etym: [F. vis a screw, winding stairs, OF. vis, viz, fr. L. vitis a vine; probably akin to E. withy.]
Defn: An instrument consisting of two jaws, closing by a screw, lever, cam, or the like, for holding work, as in filing. [Written also vice.]
VISE Vi*sé", n. Etym: [F. visé, p. p. of viser to put a visa to, fr. L. visus seen, p. p. of videre to see.]
Defn: An indorsement made on a passport by the proper authorities of certain countries on the continent of Europe, denoting that it has been examined, and that the person who bears it is permitted to proceed on his journey; a visa.
VISE Vi*sé", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Viséed; p. pr. & vb. n. Viséing.]
Defn: To examine and indorse, as a passport; to visa.
VISHNU Vish"nu, n. Etym: [Skr. Vish, from vish to pervade., to extend through nature.] (Hindoo Myth.)
Defn: A divinity of the modern Hindoo trimurti, or trinity. He is regarded as the preserver, while Brahma is the creator, and Siva the destroyer of the creation.
VISIBILITY Vis`i*bil"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. visibilitas: cf. F. visibilité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being visible.
VISIBLE Vis"i*ble, a. Etym: [L. visibilis, fr. videre, visum, to see: cf. F. visible. See Vision.]
1. Perceivable by the eye; capable of being seen; perceptible; in view; as, a visible star; the least spot is visible on white paper. Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. Bk. of Com. Prayer. Virtue made visible in outward grace. Young.
2. Noticeable; apparent; open; conspicuous. Shak. The factions at court were greater, or more visible, than before. Clarendon. Visible church (Theol.), the apparent church of Christ on earth; the whole body of professed believers in Christ, as contradistinguished from the invisible, or real, church, consisting of sanctified persons. -- Visible horizon. Same as Apparent horizon, under Apparent. -- Vis"i*ble*ness, n. -- Vis"i*bly, adv.
VISIBLE SPEECH Vis"i*ble speech". (Phon.)
Defn: A system of characters invented by Prof. Alexander Melville Bell to represent all sounds that may be uttered by the speech organs, and intended to be suggestive of the position of the organs of speech in uttering them.
VISIGOTH Vis"i*goth, n. Etym: [L. Visegothae, pl. Cf. West, and Goth.]
Defn: One of the West Goths. See the Note under Goth. -- Vis`i*goth"ic, a.
VISION Vi"sion, n. Etym: [OE. visioun, F. vision, fr. L. visio, from videre, visum, to see: akin to Gr. wit. See Wit, v., and cf. Advice, Clairvoyant, Envy, Evident, Provide, Revise, Survey, View, Visage, Visit.]
1. The act of seeing external objects; actual sight. Faith here is turned into vision there. Hammond.
2. (Physiol.)
Defn: The faculty of seeing; sight; one of the five senses, by which colors and the physical qualities of external objects are appreciated as a result of the stimulating action of light on the sensitive retina, an expansion of the optic nerve.
3. That which is seen; an object of sight. Shak.
4. Especially, that which is seen otherwise than by the ordinary sight, or the rational eye; a supernatural, prophetic, or imaginary sight; an apparition; a phantom; a specter; as, the visions of Isaiah. The baseless fabric of this vision. Shak. No dreams, but visions strange. Sir P. Sidney.
5. Hence, something unreal or imaginary; a creation of fancy. Locke. Arc of vision (Astron.), the arc which measures the least distance from the sun at which, when the sun is below the horizon, a star or planet emerging from his rays becomes visible. -- Beatific vision (Theol.), the immediate sight of God in heaven. -- Direct vision (Opt.), vision when the image of the object falls directly on the yellow spot (see under Yellow); also, vision by means of rays which are not deviated from their original direction. -- Field of vision, field of view. See under Field. -- Indirect vision (Opt.), vision when the rays of light from an object fall upon the peripheral parts of the retina. -- Reflected vision, or Refracted vision, vision by rays reflected from mirrors, or refracted by lenses or prisms, respectively. -- Vision purple. (Physiol.) See Visual purple, under Visual.
VISION Vi"sion, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Visioned; p. pr. & vb. n. Visioning.]
Defn: To see in a vision; to dream. For them no visioned terrors daunt, Their nights no fancied specters haunt. Sir W. Scott.
VISIONAL Vi"sion*al, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a vision.
VISIONARINESS Vi"sion*a*ri*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being visionary.
VISIONARY Vi"sion*a*ry, a. Etym: [Cf. F. visionnaire.]
1. Of or pertaining to a visions or visions; characterized by, appropriate to, or favorable for, visions. The visionary hour When musing midnight reigns. Thomson.
2. Affected by phantoms; disposed to receive impressions on the imagination; given to reverie; apt to receive, and act upon, fancies as if they were realities. Or lull to rest the visionary maid. Pope.
3. Existing in imagination only; not real; fanciful; imaginary; having no solid foundation; as, visionary prospect; a visionary scheme or project. Swift.
Syn. -- Fanciful; fantastic; unreal. See Fanciful.
VISIONARY Vi"sion*a*ry, n.; pl. Visionaries (.
1. One whose imagination is disturbed; one who sees visions or phantoms.
2. One whose imagination overpowers his reason and controls his judgment; an unpractical schemer; one who builds castles in the air; a daydreamer.
VISIONED Vi"sioned, a.
Defn: Having the power of seeing visions; inspired; also, seen in visions. [R.] Shelley.
VISIONIST Vi"sion*ist, n.
Defn: A visionary.
VISIONLESS Vi"sion*less, a.
Defn: Destitute of vision; sightless.
VISIT Vis"it, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Visited; p. pr. & vb. n. Visiting.] Etym: [F. visiter, L. visitare, fr. visere to go to see, to visit, fr. videre, visum to see. See Vision.]
1. To go or come to see, as for the purpose of friendship, business, curiosity, etc.; to attend; to call upon; as, the physician visits his patient.
2. Specifically: To go or come to see for inspection, examination, correction of abuses, etc.; to examine, to inspect; as, a bishop visits his diocese; a superintendent visits persons or works under his charge.
3. (Script.)
Defn: To come to for the purpose of chastising, rewarding, comforting; to come upon with reward or retribution; to appear before or judge; as, to visit in mercy; to visit one in wrath. [God] hath visited and redeemed his people. Like i. 68.
VISIT Vis"it, v. i.
Defn: To make a visit or visits; to maintain visiting relations; to practice calling on others.
VISIT Vis"it, n. Etym: [Cf. F. visite. See Visit, v. t., and cf. Visite.]
1. The act of visiting, or going to see a person or thing; a brief stay of business, friendship, ceremony, curiosity, or the like, usually longer than a call; as, a visit of civility or respect; a visit to Saratoga; the visit of a physician.
2. The act of going to view or inspect; an official or formal inspection; examination; visitation; as, the visit of a trustee or inspector. Right of visit (Internat. Law), the right of visitation. See Visitation, 4.
VISITABLE Vis"it*a*ble, a.
Defn: Liable or subject to be visited or inspected. "All hospitals built since the Reformation are visitable by the king or lord chancellor." Ayliffe.
VISITANT Vis"it*ant, n. Etym: [L. visitans, -antis; p. pr.: cf. F. visitant.]
Defn: One who visits; a guest; a visitor. When the visitant comes again, he is no more a stranger. South.
VISITANT Vis"it*ant, a.
Defn: Visiting. Wordsworth.
VISITATION Vis`it*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. visitatio: cf. F. visitation.]
1. The act of visiting, or the state of being visited; access for inspection or examination. Nothing but peace and gentle visitation. Shak.
2. Specifically: The act of a superior or superintending officer who, in the discharge of his office, visits a corporation, college, etc., to examine into the manner in which it is conducted, and see that its laws and regulations are duly observed and executed; as, the visitation of a diocese by a bishop.
3. The object of a visit. [Obs.] "O flowers, . . . my early visitation and my last." Milton.
4. (Internat. Law)
Defn: The act of a naval commander who visits, or enters on board, a vessel belonging to another nation, for the purpose of ascertaining her character and object, but without claiming or exercising a right of searching the vessel. It is, however, usually coupled with the right of search (see under Search), visitation being used for the purpose of search.
5. Special dispensation; communication of divine favor and goodness, or, more usually, of divine wrath and vengeance; retributive calamity; retribution; judgment. What will ye do in the day of visitation Isa. x. 3.
6. (Eccl.)
Defn: A festival in honor of the visit of the Virgin Mary to Elisabeth, mother of John the Baptist, celebrated on the second of July. The Order of the Visitation of Our Lady (R. C. Ch.), a religious community of nuns, founded at Annecy, in Savoy, in 1610, and in 1808 established in the United States. In America these nuns are devoted to the education of girls.
VISITATORIAL Vis`it*a*to"ri*al, a. Etym: [Cf. LL. visitator a bishop temporarily put in place of another.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to visitation, or a judicial visitor or superintendent; visitorial. An archdeacon has visitatorial power. Ayliffe. The queen, however, still had over the church a visitatorial power of vast and undefined extent. Macaulay.
VISITE Vi*site", n. Etym: [F. See Visit, n.]
Defn: A light cape or short cloak of silk or lace worn by women in summer.
VISITER Vis"it*er, n.
Defn: A visitor.
VISITING Vis"it*ing,
Defn: a. & vb. n. from Visit. Visiting ant. (Zoöl.) See Driver ant, under Driver. -- Visiting book, a book in which a record of visits received, made, and to be made, is kept. Thackeray. -- Visiting card. See under Card.
VISITOR Vis"it*or. Etym: [Cf. F. visiteur.] [Written also visiter.]
1. One who visits; one who comes or goes to see another, as in civility or friendship. "This great flood of visitors." Shak.
2. A superior, or a person lawfully appointed for the purpose, who makes formal visits of inspection to a corporation or an institution. See Visit, v. t., 2, and Visitation, n., 2. The king is the visitor of all lay corporations. Blackstone.
VISITORIAL Vis`it*o"ri*al, a.
Defn: Same as Visitatorial.
VISIVE Vi"sive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. visif, LL. visivus. See Vision.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to the sight; visual. [Obs.] I can not satisfy myself how men should be so little surprised about this visive faculty. Berkeley.
VIS MAJOR Vis ma"jor. [L. major greater.] (Law)
Defn: A superior force which under certain circumstances is held to exempt from contract obligations; inevitable accident; -- a civil-law term used as nearly equivalent to, but broader than, the common-law term act of God (which see).
VISNE Visne, n. Etym: [OF. visné, veisiné, visnet, neighborhood, LL. vicinatus, fr. L. vicunus neighboring, a neighbor. See Vicinity.] (Law)
Defn: Neighborhood; vicinity; venue. See Venue.
VISNOMY Vis"no*my, n. Etym: [Contr. fr. physiognomy.]
Defn: Face; countenance. [Colloq.] Spenser. Lamb.
VISON Vi"son, n. Etym: [F.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The mink.
VISOR Vis"or, n. Etym: [OE. visere, F. visière, fr. OF. vis. See Visage, Vision.] [Written also visar, visard, vizard, and vizor.]
1. A part of a helmet, arranged so as to lift or open, and so show the face. The openings for seeing and breathing are generally in it.
2. A mask used to disfigure or disguise. "My very visor began to assume life." Shak. My weaker government since, makes you pull off the visor. Sir P. Sidney.
3. The fore piece of a cap, projecting over, and protecting the eyes.
VISORED Vis"ored, a.
Defn: Wearing a visor; masked. Visored falsehood and base forgery. Milton.
VISTA Vis"ta, n.; pl. Vistas. Etym: [It., sight, view, fr. vedere, p. p. visto, veduto, to see, fr. L. videre, visum. See View, Vision.]
Defn: A view; especially, a view through or between intervening objects, as trees; a view or prospect through an avenue, or the like; hence, the trees or other objects that form the avenue. The finished garden to the view Its vistas opens, and its alleys green. Thomson. In the groves of their academy, at the end of every vista, you see nothing but the gallows. Burke. The shattered tower which now forms a vista from his window. Sir W. Scott.
VISTO Vis"to, n.
Defn: A vista; a prospect. [R.] Gay. Through the long visto of a thousand years. Young.
VISUAL Vis"u*al, a. Etym: [L. visualis, from visus a seeing, sight: cf. F. visuel. See Vision.]
1. Of or pertaining to sight; used in sight; serving as the instrument of seeing; as, the visual nerve. The air, Nowhere so clear, sharpened his visual ray. Milton.
2. That can be seen; visible. [R.] Visual angle. (Opt.) See under Angle. -- Visual cone (Persp.), a cone whose vertex is at the point of sight, or the eye. -- Visual plane, any plane passing through the point of sight. -- Visual point, the point at which the visual rays unite; the position of the eye. -- Visual purple (Physiol.), a photochemical substance, of a purplish red color, contained in the retina of human eyes and in the eyes of most animals. It is quickly bleached by light, passing through the colors, red, orange, and yellow, and then disappearing. Also called rhodopsin, and vision purple. See Optography. -- Visual ray, a line from the eye, or point of sight. -- Visual white (Physiol.), the final product in the action of light on visual purple. It is reconverted into visual purple by the regenerating action of the choroidal epithelium. -- Visual yellow (Physiol.), a product intermediate between visual purple and visual white, formed in the photochemical action of light on visual purple.
VISUALIZE Vis"u*al*ize, v. t.
Defn: To make visual, or visible; to see in fancy. [Written also visualise.] No one who has not seen them [glaciers] can possibly visualize them. Lubbock.
VISUALIZER Vis"u*al*iz`er, n.
Defn: One who visualizes or is proficient in visualization; esp. (Physiol.),
Defn: one whose mental imagery is prevailingly visualization.
VITAILLE Vi*taille, n. Etym: [See Victuals.]
Defn: Food; victuals. [Obs.] Piers Plowman. Chaucer.
VITAL Vi"tal, a. Etym: [F., fr. L. vitalis, fr. vita life; akin to vivere to live. See Vivid.]
1. Belonging or relating to life, either animal or vegetable; as, vital energies; vital functions; vital actions.
2. Contributing to life; necessary to, or supporting, life; as, vital blood. Do the heavens afford him vital food Spenser. And vital virtue infused, and vital warmth. Milton.
3. Containing life; living. "Spirits that live throughout, vital in every part." Milton.
4. Being the seat of life; being that on which life depends; mortal. The dart flew on, and pierced a vital part. Pope.
5. Very necessary; highly important; essential. A competence is vital to content. Young.
6. Capable of living; in a state to live; viable. [R.] Pythagoras and Hippocrates . . . affirm the birth of the seventh month to be vital. Sir T. Browne. Vital air, oxygen gas; -- so called because essential to animal life. [Obs.] -- Vital capacity (Physiol.), the breathing capacity of the lungs; -- expressed by the number of cubic inches of air which can be forcibly exhaled after a full inspiration. -- Vital force. (Biol.) See under Force. The vital forces, according to Cope, are nerve force (neurism), growth force (bathmism), and thought force (phrenism), all under the direction and control of the vital principle. Apart from the phenomena of consciousness, vital actions no longer need to be considered as of a mysterious and unfathomable character, nor vital force as anything other than a form of physical energy derived from, and convertible into, other well- known forces of nature. -- Vital functions (Physiol.), those functions or actions of the body on which life is directly dependent, as the circulation of the blood, digestion, etc. -- Vital principle, an immaterial force, to which the functions peculiar to living beings are ascribed. -- Vital statistics, statistics respecting the duration of life, and the circumstances affecting its duration. -- Vital tripod. (Physiol.) See under Tripod. -- Vital vessels (Bot.), a name for latex tubes, now disused. See Latex.
VITAL Vi"tal, n.
Defn: A vital part; one of the vitals. [R.]
VITALIC Vi*tal"ic, a.
Defn: Pertaining to life; vital. [R.]
VITALISM Vi"tal*ism, n. (Biol.)
Defn: The doctrine that all the functions of a living organism are due to an unknown vital principle distinct from all chemical and physical forces.
VITALIST Vi`tal*ist, n. (Biol.)
Defn: A believer in the theory of vitalism; -- opposed to physicist.
VITALISTIC Vi`tal*is"tic, a. (Biol.)
Defn: Pertaining to, or involving, vitalism, or the theory of a special vital principle.
VITALITY Vi*tal"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. vitalitas: cf. F. vitalité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being vital; the principle of life; vital force; animation; as, the vitality of eggs or vegetable seeds; the vitality of an enterprise.
VITALIZATION Vi`tal*i*za"tion, n.
Defn: The act or process of vitalizing, or infusing the vital principle.
VITALIZE Vi"tal*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vitalized; p. pr. & vb. n. Vitalizing.] Etym: [Cf. F. vitaliser.]
Defn: To endow with life, or vitality; to give life to; to make alive; as, vitalized blood.
VITALLY Vi"tal*ly, adv.
Defn: In a vital manner.
VITALS Vi"tals, n. pl.
1. Organs that are necessary for life; more especially, the heart, lungs, and brain.
2. Fig.: The part essential to the life or health of anything; as, the vitals of a state. "The vitals of the public body." Glanvill.
VITASCOPE Vi"ta*scope, n. [L. vita life + -scope.]
Defn: A form of machine for exhibiting animated pictures.
VITELLARY Vit"el*la*ry, a. Etym: [L. vitellus a little calf, the yolk of an egg.] (Biol.)
Defn: Vitelline.
VITELLIGENOUS Vit`el*lig"e*nous, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Producing yolk, or vitelline substance; -- applied to certain cells (also called nutritive, or yolk, cells) formed in the ovaries of many insects, and supposed to supply nutriment to the developing ova.
VITELLIN Vi*tel"lin, n. Etym: [See Vitellus.] (Physiol. Chem.)
Defn: An albuminous body, belonging to the class of globulins, obtained from yolk of egg, of which it is the chief proteid constituent, and from the seeds of many plants. From the latter it can be separated in crystalline form.
VITELLINE Vi*tel"line, a. Etym: [L. vitellus the yolk of an egg.] (Biol.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the yolk of eggs; as, the vitelline membrane, a smooth, transparent membrane surrounding the vitellus.
VITELLOGENE Vi*tel"lo*gene, n. Etym: [See Vitellus, and -gen.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A gland secreting the yolk of the eggs in trematodes, turbellarians, and some other helminths.
VITELLUS Vi*tel"lus, n. Etym: [L., the yolk of an egg.]
1. (Biol.)
Defn: The contents or substance of the ovum; egg yolk. See Illust. of Ovum.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Perisperm in an early condition.
VITIATE Vi"ti*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vitiated; p. pr. & vb. n. Vitiating.] Etym: [L. vitiatus, p. p. vitiare to vitiate, fr. vitium a fault, vice. See Vice a fault.] [Written also viciate.]
1. To make vicious, faulty, or imperfect; to render defective; to injure the substance or qualities of; to impair; to contaminate; to spoil; as, exaggeration vitiates a style of writing; sewer gas vitiates the air. A will vitiated and growth out of love with the truth disposes the understanding to error and delusion. South. Without care it may be used to vitiate our minds. Burke. This undistinguishing complaisance will vitiate the taste of readers. Garth.
2. To cause to fail of effect, either wholly or in part; to make void; to destroy, as the validity or binding force of an instrument or transaction; to annul; as, any undue influence exerted on a jury vitiates their verdict; fraud vitiates a contract.
VITIATION Vi`ti*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. vitiatio.]
Defn: The act of vitiating, or the state of being vitiated; depravation; corruption; invalidation; as, the vitiation of the blood; the vitiation of a contract. The vitiation that breeds evil acts. G. Eliot.
VITICULOSE Vi*tic"u*lose`, a. Etym: [L. viticula, dim. of vitis vine.] (Bot.)
Defn: Having long and slender trailing stems.
VITICULTURAL Vit`i*cul"tur*al, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to viticulture.
VITICULTURE Vit"i*cul`ture, n. Etym: [L. vitis vine + E. culture.]
Defn: The cultivation of the vine; grape growing.
VITICULTURIST Vit`i*cul"tur*ist, n.
Defn: One engaged in viticulture.
VITILIGO Vit`i*li"go, n. Etym: [L., a kind of tetter, fr. vitium blemish, vice.] (Med.)
Defn: A rare skin disease consisting in the development of smooth, milk-white spots upon various parts of the body.
VITILITIGATE Vit`i*lit"i*gate, v. i. Etym: [L. vitilitigare to quarrel disgracefully; vitium vice + litigare to quarrel.]
Defn: To contend in law litigiously or cavilously. [Obs.]
VITILITIGATION Vit`i*lit`i*ga"tion, n.
Defn: Cavilous litigation; cavillation. [Obs.] Hudibras.
VITIOSITY Vi`ti*os"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. vitiositas. See Vicious.]
Defn: Viciousness; depravity. The perverseness and vitiosity of man's will. South.
VITIOUS; VITIOUSLY; VITIOUSNESS Vi"tious, a., Vi"tious*ly, adv., Vi"tious*ness, n.
Defn: See Vicious, Viciously, Viciousness.
VITIS Vi"tis, n. Etym: [L., a vine.] (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of plants including all true grapevines.
VITOE Vi"to*e, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Durukuli.
VITRAGE Vit"rage, n. [F., prop., glazing, glass window.]
Defn: A curtain of light and translucent material intended to be secured directly to the woodwork of a French casement window or a glazed door.
VITRELLA Vi*trel"la, n. Etym: [NL., dim. of L. vitrum glass.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the transparent lenslike cells in the ocelli of certain arthropods.
VITREO-ELECTIC Vit`re*o-e*lec"tic, a. Etym: [See Vitreous, and Electric.] (Physics)
Defn: Containing or exhibiting positive, or vitreous, electricity.
VITREOUS Vit"re*ous, a. Etym: [L. vitreous, from vitrum glass; perhaps akin to videre to see (see Vision). Cf. Varnish.]
1. Consisting of, or resembling, glass; glassy; as, vitreous rocks.
2. Of or pertaining to glass; derived from glass; as, vitreous electricity. Vitreous body (Anat.), the vitreous humor. See the Note under Eye. -- Vitreous electricity (Elec.), the kind of electricity excited by rubbing glass with certain substances, as silk; positive electricity; -- opposed to resinous, or negative, electricity. -- Vitreous humor. (Anat.) See the Note under Eye. -- Vitreous sponge (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of siliceous sponges having, often fibrous, glassy spicules which are normally six-rayed; a hexactinellid sponge. See Venus's basket, under Venus.
VITREOUSNESS Vit"re*ous*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being vitreous.
VITRESCENCE Vi*tres"cence, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being vitreous; glassiness, or the quality of being vitrescent; capability of conversion into glass; susceptibility of being formed into glass. Kirwan.
VITRESCENT Vi*tres"cent, a. Etym: [See Vitreous.]
Defn: Capable of being formed into glass; tending to become glass.
VITRESCIBLE Vi*tres"ci*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vitrescible.]
Defn: That may be vitrified; vitrifiable.
VITRIC Vit"ric, a. Etym: [L. vitrum glass.]
Defn: Having the nature and qualities of glass; glasslike; -- distinguished from ceramic.
VITRICS Vit"rics, n. [See Vitric.]
1. The art or study of the manufacture and decoration of glassware.
2. pl. Articles of glassware, glassware in general.
VITRIFACTION Vit`ri*fac"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. Vitrification.]
Defn: The act, art, or process of vitrifying; also, the state of being vitrified.
VITRIFACTURE Vit`ri*fac"ture, n. Etym: [L. vitrum glass + facere, factum, to make.]
Defn: The manufacture of glass and glassware.
VITRIFIABLE Vit"ri*fi`a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vitrifiable.]
Defn: Capable of being vitrified, or converted into glass by heat and fusion; as, flint and alkalies are vitrifiable.
VITRIFICABLE Vi*trif"i*ca*ble, a.
Defn: Vitrifiable. [Obs.]
VITRIFICATE Vit"ri*fi*cate, v. t.
Defn: To convert into glass; to vitrify. [Obs.] Bacon.
VITRIFICATION Vit`ri*fi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [See Vitrify.]
Defn: Same as Vitrifaction. Sir T. Browne. Ure.
VITRIFIED Vit"ri*fied, a.
Defn: Converted into glass.
VITRIFORM Vit"ri*form, a. Etym: [L. vitrum glass + -form.]
Defn: Having the form or appearance of glass; resembling glass; glasslike.
VITRIFY Vit"ri*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vitrified; p. pr. & vb. n. Vitrifying.] Etym: [F. vitrifier; L. vitrum glass + -ficare to make. See Vitreous, -fy.]
Defn: To convert into, or cause to resemble, glass or a glassy substance, by heat and fusion.
VITRIFY Vit"ri*fy, v. t.
Defn: To become glass; to be converted into glass. Chymists make vessels of animal substances, calcined, which will not vitrify in the fire. Arbuthnot.
VITRINA Vi*tri"na, n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. vitrum glass.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of terrestrial gastropods, having transparent, very thin, and delicate shells, -- whence the name.
VITRINE Vit"rine, n. [F.]
Defn: A glass show case for displaying fine wares, specimens, etc.
VITRIOL Vit"ri*ol, n. Etym: [F. vitriol; cf. Pr. vitriol, vetriol, Sp. & Pg. vitriolo, It. vitriuolo; fr. L. vitreolus of glass, vitreus vitreous. See Vitreous.] (Chem.) (a) A sulphate of any one of certain metals, as copper, iron, zinc, cobalt. So called on account of the glassy appearance or luster. (b) Sulphuric acid; -- called also oil of vitriol. So called because first made by the distillation of green vitriol. See Sulphuric acid, under Sulphuric. [Colloq.] Blue vitriol. See under Blue. -- Green vitriol, ferrous sulphate; copperas. See under Green. -- Oil of vitriol, sulphuric or vitriolic acid; -- popularly so called because it has the consistency of oil. -- Red vitriol, a native sulphate of cobalt. -- Vitriol of Mars, ferric sulphate, a white crystalline substance which dissolves in water, forming a red solution. -- White vitriol, zinc sulphate, a white crystalline substance used in medicine and in dyeing. It is usually obtained by dissolving zinc in sulphuric acid, or by roasting and oxidizing certain zinc ores. Formerly called also vitriol of zinc.
VITRIOLATE Vit"ri*o*late, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vitriolated; p. pr. & vb. n. Vitriolating.] (Old Chem.) (a) To convert into, or change to, a vitriol; to make into sulphuric acid or a sulphate. (b) To subject to the action of, or impregnate with, vitriol.
VITRIOLATE Vit"ri*o*late, a.
Defn: Vitriolated. [R.]
VITRIOLATE Vit"ri*o*late, n. (Old Chem.)
Defn: A sulphate.
VITRIOLATED Vit"ri*o*la`ted, a. (Old Chem.)
Defn: Changed into a vitriol or a sulphate, or subjected to the action of sulphuric acid or of a sulphate; as, vitriolated potash, i. e., potassium sulphate.
VITRIOLATION Vit`ri*o*la"tion, n. (Old Chem.)
Defn: The act, process, or result of vitriolating.
VITRIOLIC Vit`ri*ol"ic, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vitriolique.] (Chem.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to vitriol; derived from, or resembling, vitriol; vitriolous; as, a vitriolic taste. Cf. Vitriol. Vitriolic acid (Old Chem.), (a) sulphuric acid. See Vitriol (b). [Colloq.]
VITRIOLIZABLE Vit"ri*ol*i`za*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being converted into a vitriol.
VITRIOLIZATION Vit`ri*ol*i*za"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vitriolisation.] (Old Chem.)
Defn: The act of vitriolizing, or the state of being vitriolized; vitriolation.
VITRIOLIZE Vit"ri*ol*ize, v. t. Etym: [Cf. F. vitrioliser.]
Defn: To convert into a vitriol; to vitriolate.
VITRIOLOUS Vi*tri"o*lous, a.
Defn: See Vitriolic. [Obs.]
VITRITE Vit"rite, n. Etym: [L. vitrum glass.]
Defn: A kind of glass which is very hard and difficult to fuse, used as an insulator in electrical lamps and other apparatus.
VITRO-DI-TRINA Vit"ro-di-tri"na, n. [It. vetro di trina glass of lace.]
Defn: A kind of Venetian glass or glassware in which white threads are embedded in transparent glass with a lacelike or netlike effect.
VITRUVIAN Vi*tru"vi*an, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to Vitruvius, an ancient Roman architect. Vitruvian scroll (Arch.), a name given to a peculiar pattern of scrollwork, consisting of convolved undulations. It is used in classical architecture. Oxf. Gloss.
VITTA Vit"ta, n.; pl. Vittæ. Etym: [L. vitta ribbon, fillet.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: One of the oil tubes in the fruit of umbelliferous plants.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A band, or stripe, of color.
VITTATE Vit"tate, a. Etym: [L. vittatus bound with a fillet, fr. vitta fillet.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: Bearing or containing vittæ.
2. Striped longitudinally.
VITULINE Vit"u*line, a. Etym: [L. vitulinus, fr. vitulus a calf. See Veal.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a calf or veal.
VITUPERABLE Vi*tu"per*a*ble, a. Etym: [L. vituperabilis: cf. F. vitupérable.]
Defn: Liable to, or deserving, vituperation, or severe censure.
VITUPERATE Vi*tu"per*ate, v. t. Etym: [L. vituperatus, p. p. of vituperare to blame, vituperate; vitium a fault + parare to prepare. See Vice a fault, and Pare, v. t.]
Defn: To find fault with; to scold; to overwhelm with wordy abuse; to censure severely or abusively; to rate.
VITUPERATION Vi*tu`per*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. vituperatio: cf. OF. vituperation. See Vituperate.]
Defn: The act of vituperating; abuse; severe censure; blame. When a man becomes untractable and inaccessible by fierceness and pride, then vituperation comes upon him. Donne.
VITUPERATIVE Vi*tu"per*a*tive, a.
Defn: Uttering or writing censure; containing, or characterized by, abuse; scolding; abusive. -- Vi*tu"per*a*tive*ly, adv. Vituperative appellations derived from their real or supposed ill qualities. B. Jonson.
VITUPERATOR Vi*tu"per*a`tor, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: One who vituperates, or censures abusively.
VITUPERRIOUS Vi`tu*per"ri*ous, a.
Defn: Worthy of vituperation; shameful; disgraceful. [Obs.]
VIVACE Vi*va"ce, a. & adv. Etym: [It.] (Mus.)
Defn: Brisk; vivacious; with spirit; -- a direction to perform a passage in a brisk and lively manner.
VIVACIOUS Vi*va"cious, a. Etym: [L. vívax, -acis, fr. vivere to live. See Vivid.]
1. Having vigorous powers of life; tenacious of life; long-lived. [Obs.] Hitherto the English bishops have been vivacious almost to wonder. . . . But five died for the first twenty years of her [Queen Elizabeth's] reign. Fuller. The faith of Christianity is far more vivacious than any mere ravishment of the imagination can ever be. I. Taylor.
2. Sprightly in temper or conduct; lively; merry; as, a vivacious poet. "Vivacious nonsense." V. Knox.
3. (Bot.)
Defn: Living through the winter, or from year to year; perennial. [R.]
Syn. -- Sprightly; active; animated; sportive; gay; merry; jocund; light- hearted. -- Vi*va"cious*ly, adv. -- Vi*va"cious*ness, n.
VIVACITY Vi*vac"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. vivicitas: cf. F. vivacité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being vivacious. Specifically: -- (a) Tenacity of life; vital force; natural vigor. [Obs.] The vivacity of some of these pensioners is little less than a miracle, they lived so long. Fuller.
(b) Life; animation; spiritedness; liveliness; sprightliness; as, the vivacity of a discourse; a lady of great vivacity; vivacity of countenance.
Syn. -- Liveliness; gayety. See Liveliness.
VIVANDIER Vi`van`dier", n. [OF. & F. vivandier, fr. LL. vivanda, vivenda, provisions. Cf. Viand.]
Defn: In Continental armies, esp. the French, a sutler.
VIVANDIERE Vi`van`dière", n. Etym: [F. See Viand.]
Defn: In Continental armies, especially in the French army, a woman accompanying a regiment, who sells provisions and liquor to the soldiers; a female sutler.
VIVARIUM Vi*va"ri*um, n.; pl. E. Vivariums, L. Vivaria. Etym: [L., fr. vivarius belonging to living creatures, fr. vivus alive, living. See Vivid.]
Defn: A place artificially arranged for keeping or raising living animals, as a park, a pond, an aquarium, a warren, etc.
VIVARY Vi"va*ry, n.; pl. Vivaries (.
Defn: A vivarium. "That . . . vivary of fowls and beasts." Donne.
VIVA VOCE Vi"va vo"ce. Etym: [L.]
Defn: By word of mouth; orally.
VIVDA Viv"da, n.
Defn: See Vifda.
VIVE Vive (vev). Etym: [F., imperative sing. pres. fr. vivre to live, L. vivere.]
Defn: Long live, that is, success to; as, vive le roi, long live the king; vive la bagatelle, success to trifles or sport.
VIVE Vive (viv), a. Etym: [L. vivus: cf. F. vif. See Vivid.]
Defn: Lively; animated; forcible. [Obs.] Bacon.
VIVELY Vive"ly, adv.
Defn: In a lively manner. [Obs.] If I see a thing vively represented on the stage. B. Jonson.
VIVENCY Vi"ven*cy, n. Etym: [L. vivens, p. pr. of vivere to live.]
Defn: Manner of supporting or continuing life or vegetation. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
VIVERRA Vi*ver"ra, n. Etym: [L., a ferret.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of carnivores which comprises the civets.
VIVERRINE Vi*ver"rine, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Viverridæ, or Civet family.
VIVERS Vi"vers, n. pl. Etym: [F. vivres, pl. of vivre, orig., to live.]
Defn: Provisions; victuals. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] I 'll join you at three, if the vivers can tarry so long. Sir W. Scott.
VIVES Vives, n. Etym: [OF. vives, F. avives (cf. Sp. abivas, adiva) fr. Ar. ad-dhiba. Cf. Fives vives.] (Far.)
Defn: A disease of brute animals, especially of horses, seated in the glands under the ear, where a tumor is formed which sometimes ends in suppuration.
VIVIANITE Viv"i*an*ite, n. Etym: [So called by Werner after the English mineralogist F. G. Vivian.] (Min.)
Defn: A hydrous phosphate of iron of a blue to green color, growing darker on exposure. It occurs in monoclinic crystals, also fibrous, massive, and earthy.
VIVID Viv"id, a. Etym: [L. vividus, from vivere to life; akin to vivus living. See Quick, a., and cf. Revive, Viand, Victuals, Vital.]
1. True to the life; exhibiting the appearance of life or freshness; animated; spirited; bright; strong; intense; as, vivid colors. In dazzling streaks the vivid lightnings play. Cowper. Arts which present, with all the vivid charms of painting, the human face and human form divine. Bp. Hobart.
2. Forming brilliant images, or painting in lively colors; lively; sprightly; as, a vivid imagination. Body is a fit workhouse for sprightly, vivid faculties to exercise . . . themselves in. South.
Syn. -- Clear; lucid; bright; strong; striking; lively; quick; sprightly; active. -- Viv"id*ly, adv. -- Viv"id*ness, n.
VIVIDITY Vi*vid"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being vivid; vividness. [R.]
VIVIFIC; VIVIFICAL Vi*vif"ic, Vi*vif"ic*al, a. Etym: [L. vivificus: cf. F. vivifique. See Vivify.]
Defn: Giving life; reviving; enlivening. [R.]
VIVIFICATE Vi*vif"i*cate, v. t. Etym: [L. vivificatus, p. p. vivificare. See Vivify.]
1. To give life to; to animate; to revive; to vivify. [R.] God vivificates and actuates the whole world. Dr. H. More.
2. (Chem.)
Defn: To bring back a metal to the metallic form, as from an oxide or solution; to reduce. [Obs.]
VIVIFICATION Viv`i*fi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [L. vivificatio: cf. vivification.]
1. The act of vivifying, or the state of being vivified; restoration of life; revival. Bacon.
2. (Physiol.)
Defn: One of the changes of assimilation, in which proteid matter which has been transformed, and made a part of the tissue or tissue cells, is endowed with life, and thus enabled to manifest the phenomena of irritability, contractility, etc. McKendrick.
3. (Chem.)
Defn: The act or process of vivificating. [Obs.]
VIVIFICATIVE Viv"i*fi*ca*tive, a.
Defn: Able or tending to vivify, animate, or give life; vivifying.
VIVIFY Viv"i*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vivified; p. pr. & vb. n. Vivifying.] Etym: [F. vivifier, L. vivificare. See Vivid, -fy; cf. Vivificate.]
Defn: To endue with life; to make to be living; to quicken; to animate. Sitting on eggs doth vivify, not nourish. Bacon.
VIVIPARA Vi*vip"a*ra, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Viviparous.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: An artificial division of vertebrates including those that produce their young alive; -- opposed to Ovipara.
VIVIPARITY Viv`i*par"i*ty, n. (Biol.)
Defn: The quality or condition of being viviparous. H. Spencer.
VIVIPAROUS Vi*vip"a*rous, a. Etym: [L. viviparus; vivus alive + parere to bear, bring forth. Cf. Viper.] (Biol.)
Defn: Producing young in a living state, as most mammals, or as those plants the offspring of which are produced alive, either by bulbs instead of seeds, or by the seeds themselves germinating on the plant, instead of falling, as they usually do; -- opposed to oviparous. Viviparous fish. (Zoöl.) See Embiotocoid. -- Viviparous shell (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of operculated fresh-water gastropods belonging to Viviparus, Melantho, and allied genera. Their young, when born, have a well-developed spiral shell.
VIVIPAROUSLY Vi*vip"a*rous*ly, adv. (Biol.)
Defn: In a viviparous manner.
VIVIPAROUSNESS Vi*vip"a*rous*ness, n. (Biol.)
Defn: The quality of being viviparous; viviparity.
VIVISECT Viv"i*sect`, v. t.
Defn: To perform vivisection upon; to dissect alive. [Colloq.] Pop. Sci. Monthly.
VIVISECTION Viv`i*sec"tion, n. Etym: [L. vivus alive + E. section: cf. F. vivisection. See Vivid, and Section.]
Defn: The dissection of an animal while alive, for the purpose of making physiological investigations.
VIVISECTIONAL Viv`i*sec"tion*al, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to vivisection.
VIVISECTIONIST Viv`i*sec"tion*ist, n.
Defn: One who practices or advocates vivisection; a vivisector.
VIVISECTOR Viv`i*sec"tor, n.
Defn: A vivisectionist.
VIXEN Vix"en, n. Etym: [AS. fixen a she-fox, for fyxen, fem. of fox. See Fox.]
1. A female fox. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
2. A cross, ill-tempered person; -- formerly used of either sex, now only of a woman. Barrow. She was a vixen when she went to school. Shak.
VIXENISH Vix"en*ish, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a vixen; resembling a vixen.
VIXENLY Vix"en*ly, a.
Defn: Like a vixen; vixenish. Barrow.
VIZ Viz, adv. Etym: [Contr. fr. videlicet.]
Defn: To wit; that is; namely.
VIZARD Viz"ard, n. Etym: [See Visor.]
Defn: A mask; a visor. [Archaic] "A grotesque vizard." Sir W. Scott. To mislead and betray them under the vizard of law. Milton.
VIZARDED Viz"ard*ed, a.
Defn: Wearing a vizard. [R.] Shak.
VIZCACHA Viz*ca"cha, n. Etym: [Sp.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Same as Viscacha.
VIZIER Viz"ier, n. Etym: [Ar. wezir, wazir, properly, a bearer of burdens, a porter, from wazara to bear a burden: cf. F. vizir, visir. Cf. Alguazil.]
Defn: A councilor of state; a high executive officer in Turkey and other Oriental countries. [Written also visier, vizir, and vizer.] Grand vizier, the chief minister of the Turkish empire; -- called also vizier-azem.
VIZIERATE Viz"ier*ate, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vizirat.]
Defn: The office, dignity, or authority of a vizier.
VIZIER-AZEM Vi*zier`-a*zem", n. Etym: [Ar. azam great. See Vizier.]
Defn: A grand vizier. See under Vizier.
VIZIERIAL Vi*zier"i*al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vizirial.]
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or issued by, a vizier. [Written also vizirial.]
VIZIR Vi*zir", n.
Defn: See Vizier.
VIZOR Viz"or, n.
Defn: See Visor.
VLISSMAKI Vliss*ma"ki, n. Etym: [From the native name.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The diadem indris. See Indris.
V MOTH V" moth`. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A common gray European moth (Halia vauaria) having a V-shaped spot of dark brown on each of the fore wings.
VOCABLE Vo"ca*ble, n. Etym: [L. vocabulum an appellation, designation, name, fr. vocare to call, fr. vox, vocis, a voice, a word: cf. F. vocable. See Voice.]
Defn: A word; a term; a name; specifically, a word considered as composed of certain sounds or letters, without regard to its meaning. Swamped near to drowning in a tide of ingenious vocables. Carlyle.
VOCABULARY Vo*cab"u*la*ry, n.; pl. Vocabularies. Etym: [LL. vocabularium, vocabularius: cf. F. vocabulaire. See Vocable.]
1. A list or collection of words arranged in alphabetical order and explained; a dictionary or lexicon, either of a whole language, a single work or author, a branch of science, or the like; a word-book.
2. A sum or stock of words employed. His vocabulary seems to have been no larger than was necessary for the transaction of business. Macaulay.
VOCABULIST Vo*cab"u*list, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vocabuliste.]
Defn: The writer or maker of a vocabulary; a lexicographer.
VOCAL Vo"cal, a. Etym: [L. vocalis, fr. vox, vocis, voice: cf. F. vocal. See Voice, and cf. Vowel.]
1. Of or pertaining to the voice or speech; having voice; endowed with utterance; full of voice, or voices. To hill or valley, fountain, or fresh shade, Made vocal by my song. Milton.
2. Uttered or modulated by the voice; oral; as, vocal melody; vocal prayer. "Vocal worship." Milton.
3. Of or pertaining to a vowel or voice sound; also,
4. (Phon.) (a) Consisting of, or characterized by, voice, or tone produced in the larynx, which may be modified, either by resonance, as in the case of the vowels, or by obstructive action, as in certain consonants, such as v, l, etc., or by both, as in the nasals m, n, ng; sonant; intonated; voiced. See Voice, and Vowel, also Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 199-202. (b) Of or pertaining to a vowel; having the character of a vowel; vowel. Vocal cords or chords. (Anat.) See Larynx, and the Note under Voice, n., 1. -- Vocal fremitus Etym: [L. fremitus a dull roaring or murmuring] (Med.), the perceptible vibration of the chest wall, produced by the transmission of the sonorous vibrations during the act of using the voice. -- Vocal music, music made by the voice, in distinction from instrumental music; hence, music or tunes set to words, to be performed by the human voice. -- Vocal tube (Anat.), the part of the air passages above the inferior ligaments of the larynx, including the passages through the nose and mouth.
VOCAL Vo"cal, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vocal, LL. vocalis.]
1. (Phon.)
Defn: A vocal sound; specifically, a purely vocal element of speech, unmodified except by resonance; a vowel or a diphthong; a tonic element; a tonic; -- distinguished from a subvocal, and a nonvocal.
2. (R. C. Ch.)
Defn: A man who has a right to vote in certain elections.
VOCALIC Vo*cal"ic, a. Etym: [L. vocalis (sc. littera) a vowel. See Vocal, a.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to vowel sounds; consisting of the vowel sounds. Earle. The Gaelic language being uncommonly vocalic. Sir W. Scott.
VOCALISM Vo"cal*ism, n.
1. The exercise of the vocal organs; vocalization.
2. A vocalic sound. [R.]
VOCALIST Vo"cal*ist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vocaliste.]
Defn: A singer, or vocal musician, as opposed to an instrumentalist.
VOCALITY Vo*cal"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. L. vocalitas euphony.]
1. The quality or state of being vocal; utterableness; resonance; as, the vocality of the letters.
2. The quality of being a vowel; vocalic character.
VOCALIZATION Vo`cal*i*za"tion, n.
1. The act of vocalizing, or the state of being vocalized.
2. The formation and utterance of vocal sounds.
VOCALIZE Vo"cal*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vocalized; p. pr. & vb. n. Vocalizing.] Etym: [Cf. F. vocaliser.]
1. To form into voice; to make vocal or sonant; to give intonation or resonance to. It is one thing to give an impulse to breath alone, another thing to vocalize that breath. Holder.
2. To practice singing on the vowel sounds.
VOCALLY Vo"cal*ly, adv.
1. In a vocal manner; with voice; orally; with audible sound.
2. In words; verbally; as, to express desires vocally.
VOCALNESS Vo"cal*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being vocal; vocality.
VOCATION Vo*ca"tion, n. Etym: [L. vocatio a bidding, invitation, fr. vocare to call, fr. vox, vocis, voice: cf. F. vocation. See Vocal.]
1. A call; a summons; a citation; especially, a designation or appointment to a particular state, business, or profession. What can be urged for them who not having the vocation of poverty to scribble, out of mere wantonness make themselves ridiculous Dryden.
2. Destined or appropriate employment; calling; occupation; trade; business; profession. He would think his service greatly rewarded, if he might obtain by that means to live in the sight of his prince, and yet practice his own chosen vocation. Sir. P. Sidney.
3. (Theol.)
Defn: A calling by the will of God. Specifically: -- (a) The bestowment of God's distinguishing grace upon a person or nation, by which that person or nation is put in the way of salvation; as, the vocation of the Jews under the old dispensation, and of the Gentiles under the gospel. "The golden chain of vocation, election, and justification." Jer. Taylor. (b) A call to special religious work, as to the ministry. Every member of the same [the Church], in his vocation and ministry. Bk. of Com. Prayer.
VOCATIVE Voc"a*tive, a. Etym: [L. vocativus, fr. vocare to call.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to calling; used in calling; specifically (Gram.), used in address; appellative; -- said of that case or form of the noun, pronoun, or adjective, in which a person or thing is addressed; as, Domine, O Lord.
VOCATIVE Voc"a*tive, n. Etym: [L. vocativus (sc. casus): cf. F. vocatif.] (Gram.)
Defn: The vocative case.
VOCIFERANCE Vo*cif"er*ance, n.
Defn: Vociferation; noise; clamor. [R.] R. Browning.
VOCIFERANT Vo*cif"er*ant, a. Etym: [L. vociferans, p. pr.]
Defn: Noisy; clamorous. Gauden. R. Browning.
VOCIFERATE Vo*cif"er*ate, v. i. Etym: [L. vociferatus, p. p. vociferari to vociferate; vox, vocis, voice + ferre to bear. See Voice, and Bear to carry.]
Defn: To cry out with vehemence; to exclaim; to bawl; to clamor. Cowper.
VOCIFERATE Vo*cif"er*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vociferated; p. pr. & vb. n. Vociferating.]
Defn: To utter with a loud voice; to shout out. Though he may vociferate the word liberty. V. Knox.
VOCIFERATION Vo*cif`er*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. vociferatio: cf. F. vocifération.]
Defn: The act of vociferating; violent outcry; vehement utterance of the voice. Violent gesture and vociferation naturally shake the hearts of the ignorant. Spectator. Plaintive strains succeeding the vociferations of emotion or of pain. Byron.
VOCIFERATOR Vo*cif"er*a`tor, n.
Defn: One who vociferates, or is clamorous. [R.]
VOCIFEROUS Vo*cif"er*ous, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vocifère.]
Defn: Making a loud outcry; clamorous; noisy; as, vociferous heralds. -- Vo*cif"er*ous*ly, adv. -- Vo*cif"er*ous*ness, n.
VOCULE Voc"ule, n. Etym: [L. vocula, dim. of vox, vocis, voice.] (Phon.)
Defn: A short or weak utterance; a faint or feeble sound, as that heard on separating the lips in pronouncing p or b. Rush. -- Voc"u*lar, a.
VODANIUM Vo*da"ni*um, n. Etym: [NL.] (Old Chem.)
Defn: A supposed element, afterward found to be a mixture of several metals, as copper, iron, lead, nickel, etc.
VODKA Vod"ka, n. Etym: [Russ.]
Defn: A Russian drink distilled from rye.
VOE Voe, n. Etym: [Cf. Icel ver sea, vöar a fenced-in landing place.]
Defn: An inlet, bay, or creek; -- so called in the Orkney and Shetland Islands. Jamieson.
VOGLE Vo"gle, n. (Mining)
Defn: Same as Vugg.
VOGUE Vogue, n. Etym: [F. vogue a rowing, vogue, fashion, It. voga, fr. vogare to row, to sail; probably fr. OHG. wag to move, akin to E. way. Cf. Way.]
1. The way or fashion of people at any particular time; temporary mode, custom, or practice; popular reception for the time; -- used now generally in the phrase in vogue. One vogue, one vein, One air of thoughts usurps my brain. Herbert. Whatsoever its vogue may be, I still flatter myself that the parents of the growing generation will be satisfied with what Burke. Use may revive the obsoletest words, And banish those that now are most in vogue. Roscommon.
2. Influence; power; sway. [Obs.] Strype.
VOICE Voice, n. Etym: [OE. vois, voys, OF. vois, voiz, F. voix, L. vox, vocis, akin to Gr. vac to say, to speak, G. erwähnen to mention. Cf. Advocate, Advowson, Avouch, Convoke, Epic, Vocal, Vouch, Vowel.]
1. Sound uttered by the mouth, especially that uttered by human beings in speech or song; sound thus uttered considered as possessing some special quality or character; as, the human voice; a pleasant voice; a low voice. He with a manly voice saith his message. Chaucer. Her voice was ever soft, Gentle, and low; an excellent thing in woman. Shak. Thy voice is music. Shak. Join thy voice unto the angel choir. Milton.
2. (Phon.)
Defn: Sound of the kind or quality heard in speech or song in the consonants b, v, d, etc., and in the vowels; sonant, or intonated, utterance; tone; -- distinguished from mere breath sound as heard in f, s, sh, etc., and also whisper.
Note: Voice, in this sense, is produced by vibration of the so-called vocal cords in the larynx (see Illust. of Larynx) which act upon the air, not in the manner of the strings of a stringed instrument, but as a pair of membranous tongues, or reeds, which, being continually forced apart by the outgoing current of breath, and continually brought together again by their own elasticity and muscular tension, break the breath current into a series of puffs, or pulses, sufficiently rapid to cause the sensation of tone. The power, or loudness, of such a tone depends on the force of the separate pulses, and this is determined by the pressure of the expired air, together with the resistance on the part of the vocal cords which is continually overcome. Its pitch depends on the number of aërial pulses within a given time, that is, on the rapidity of their succession. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 5, 146, 155.
3. The tone or sound emitted by anything. After the fire a still small voice. 1 Kings xix. 12. Canst thou thunder with a voice like him Job xl. 9. The floods have lifted up their voice. Ps. xciii. 3. O Marcus, I am warm'd; my heart Leaps at the trumpet's voice. Addison.
4. The faculty or power of utterance; as, to cultivate the voice.
5. Language; words; speech; expression; signification of feeling or opinion. I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. Gal. iv. 20. My voice is in my sword. Shak. Let us call on God in the voice of his church. Bp. Fell.
6. Opinion or choice expressed; judgment; a vote. Sic. How now, my masters! have you chose this man 1 Cit. He has our voices, sir. Shak. Some laws ordain, and some attend the choice Of holy senates, and elect by voice. Dryden.
7. Command; precept; -- now chiefly used in scriptural language. So shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God. Deut. viii. 20.
8. One who speaks; a speaker. "A potent voice of Parliament." Tennyson.
9. (Gram.)
Defn: A particular mode of inflecting or conjugating verbs, or a particular form of a verb, by means of which is indicated the relation of the subject of the verb to the action which the verb expresses. Active voice (Gram.), that form of the verb by which its subject is represented as the agent or doer of the action expressed by it. -- Chest voice (Phon.), a kind of voice of a medium or low pitch and of a sonorous quality ascribed to resonance in the chest, or thorax; voice of the thick register. It is produced by vibration of the vocal cords through their entire width and thickness, and with convex surfaces presented to each other. -- Head voice (Phon.), a kind of voice of high pitch and of a thin quality ascribed to resonance in the head; voice of the thin register; falsetto. In producing it, the vibration of the cords is limited to their thin edges in the upper part, which are then presented to each other. -- Middle voice (Gram.), that form of the verb by which its subject is represented as both the agent, or doer, and the object of the action, that is, as performing some act to or upon himself, or for his own advantage. -- Passive voice. (Gram.) See under Passive, a. -- Voice glide (Pron.), the brief and obscure neutral vowel sound that sometimes occurs between two consonants in an unaccented syllable (represented by the apostrophe), as in able (a"b'l). See Glide, n., 2. -- Voice stop. See Voiced stop, under Voiced, a. -- With one voice, unanimously. "All with one voice . . . cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians." Acts xix. 34.
VOICE Voice, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Voiced; p. pr. & vb. n. Voicing.]
1. To give utterance or expression to; to utter; to publish; to announce; to divulge; as, to voice the sentiments of the nation. "Rather assume thy right in silence and . . . then voice it with claims and challenges." Bacon. It was voiced that the king purposed to put to death Edward Plantagenet. Bacon.
2. (Phon.)
Defn: To utter with sonant or vocal tone; to pronounce with a narrowed glottis and rapid vibrations of the vocal cords; to speak above a whisper.
3. To fit for producing the proper sounds; to regulate the tone of; as, to voice the pipes of an organ.
4. To vote; to elect; to appoint. [Obs.] Shak.
VOICE Voice, v. i.
Defn: To clamor; to cry out. [Obs.] South.
VOICED Voiced, a.
1. Furnished with a voice; expressed by the voice.
2. (Phon.)
Defn: Uttered with voice; pronounced with vibrations of the vocal cords; sonant; -- said of a sound uttered with the glottis narrowed. Voiced stop, Voice stop (Phon.), a stopped consonant made with tone from the larynx while the mouth organs are closed at some point; a sonant mute, as b, d, g hard.
VOICEFUL Voice"ful, a.
Defn: Having a voice or vocal quality; having a loud voice or many voices; vocal; sounding. Beheld the Iliad and the Odyssey Rise to the swelling of the voiceful sea. Coleridge.
VOICELESS Voice"less, a.
1. Having no voice, utterance, or vote; silent; mute; dumb. I live and die unheard, With a most voiceless thought, sheathing it as a sword. Byron.
2. (Phon.)
Defn: Not sounded with voice; as, a voiceless consonant; surd. Voiceless stop (Phon.), a consonant made with no audible sound except in the transition to or from another sound; a surd mute, as p, t, k. -- Voice"less*ly, adv. -- Voice"less*ness, n.
VOID Void, a. Etym: [OE. voide, OF. voit, voide, vuit, vuide, F. vide, fr. (assumed) LL. vocitus, fr. L. vocare, an old form of vacare to be empty, or a kindred word. Cf. Vacant, Avoid.]
1. Containing nothing; empty; vacant; not occupied; not filled. The earth was without form, and void. Gen. i. 2. I 'll get me to a place more void. Shak. I 'll chain him in my study, that, at void hours, I may run over the story of his country. Massinger.
2. Having no incumbent; unoccupied; -- said of offices and the like. Divers great offices that had been long void. Camden.
3. Being without; destitute; free; wanting; devoid; as, void of learning, or of common use. Milton. A conscience void of offense toward God. Acts xxiv. 16. He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbor. Prov. xi. 12.
4. Not producing any effect; ineffectual; vain. [My word] shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please. Isa. lv. 11. I will make void the counsel of Judah. Jer. xix. 7.
5. Containing no immaterial quality; destitute of mind or soul. "Idol, void and vain." Pope.
6. (Law)
Defn: Of no legal force or effect, incapable of confirmation or ratification; null. Cf. Voidable, 2. Void space (Physics), a vacuum.
Syn. -- Empty; vacant; devoid; wanting; unfurnished; unsupplied; unoccupied.
VOID Void, n.
Defn: An empty space; a vacuum. Pride, where wit fails, steps in to our defense, And fills up all the mighty void of sense. Pope.
VOID Void, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Voided; p. pr. & vb. n. Voiding.] Etym: [OF. voidier, vuidier. See Void, a.]
1. To remove the contents of; to make or leave vacant or empty; to quit; to leave; as, to void a table. Void anon her place. Chaucer. If they will fight with us, bid them come down, Or void the field. Shak.
2. To throw or send out; to evacuate; to emit; to discharge; as, to void excrements. A watchful application of mind in voiding prejudices. Barrow. With shovel, like a fury, voided out The earth and scattered bones. J. Webster.
3. To render void; to make to be of no validity or effect; to vacate; to annul; to nullify. After they had voided the obligation of the oath he had taken. Bp. Burnet. It was become a practice . . . to void the security that was at any time given for money so borrowed. Clarendon.
VOID Void, v. i.
Defn: To be emitted or evacuated. Wiseman.
VOIDABLE Void"a*ble, a.
1. Capable of being voided, or evacuated.
2. (Law)
Defn: Capable of being avoided, or of being adjudged void, invalid, and of no force; capable of being either avoided or confirmed. If the metropolitan . . . grants letters of administration, such administration is not, but voidable by sentence. Ayliffe.
Note: A voidable contract may be ratified and confirmed; to render it null and of no effect, it must be avoided; a void contract can not be ratified.
VOIDANCE Void"ance, n.
1. The act of voiding, emptying, ejecting, or evacuating.
2. (Eccl.)
Defn: A ejection from a benefice.
3. The state of being void; vacancy, as of a benefice which is without an incumbent.
4. Evasion; subterfuge. [Obs.] Bacon.
VOIDED Void"ed, a.
1. Emptied; evacuated.
2. Annulled; invalidated.
3. (Her.)
Defn: Having the inner part cut away, or left vacant, a narrow border being left at the sides, the tincture of the field being seen in the vacant space; -- said of a charge.
VOIDER Void"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, voids,
2. A tray, or basket, formerly used to receive or convey that which is voided or cleared away from a given place; especially, one for carrying off the remains of a meal, as fragments of food; sometimes, a basket for containing household articles, as clothes, etc. Piers Plowman laid the cloth, and Simplicity brought in the voider. Decker. The cloth whereon the earl dined was taken away, and the voider, wherein the plate was usually put, was set upon the cupboard's head. Hist. of Richard Hainam.
3. A servant whose business is to void, or clear away, a table after a meal. [R.] Decker.
4. (Her.)
Defn: One of the ordinaries, much like the flanch, but less rounded and therefore smaller.
VOIDING Void"ing, n.
1. The act of one who, or that which, v Bp. Hall.
2. That which is voided; that which is ejected or evacuated; a remnant; a fragment. [R.] Rowe. Voiding knife, a knife used for gathering up fragments of food to put them into a voider.
VOIDING Void"ing, a.
Defn: Receiving what is ejected or voided. "How in our voiding lobby hast thou stood" Shak.
VOIDNESS Void"ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being void;
VOIR DIRE Voir dire. Etym: [OF., to say the truth, fr. L. verus true + dicere to say.] (Law)
Defn: An oath administered to a witness, usually before being sworn in chief, requiring him to speak the truth, or make true answers in reference to matters inquired of, to ascertain his competency to give evidence. Greenleaf. Ld. Abinger.
VOITURE Voi"ture, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. vectura a carrying, conveying. Cf. Vettura.]
Defn: A carriage. Arbuthnot.
VOIVODE Voi"vode, n.
Defn: See Waywode. Longfellow.
VOLACIOUS Vo*la"cious, a. Etym: [L. volare to fly.]
Defn: Apt or fit to fly. [R.]
VOLADOR Vo*la*dor", n. Etym: [Sp.] (Zoöl.) (a) A flying fish of California (Exocoetus Californicus): -- called also volator. (b) The Atlantic flying gurnard. See under Flying.
VOLAGE Vo*lage", a. Etym: [F.]
Defn: Light; giddy. [Obs.] They wroughten all their lust volage. Chaucer.
VOLANT Vo"lant, a. Etym: [L. volans, -antis, p. pr. of volare to fly: cf. F. volant.]
1. Passing through the air upon wings, or as if upon wings; flying; hence, passing from place to place; current. English silver now was current, and our gold volant in the pope's court. Fuller.
2. Nimble; light and quick; active; rapid. "His volant touch." Milton.
3. (Her.)
Defn: Represented as flying, or having the wings spread; as, an eagle volant. Volant piece (Anc. Armor), an adjustable piece of armor, for guarding the throat, etc., in a joust.
VOLANTE Vo*lan"te, n. Etym: [Sp., prop., flying.]
Defn: A cumbrous two-wheeled pleasure carriage used in Cuba.
VOLAPUK; VOLAPUEK Vol`a*pük", n
Defn: Literally, world's speech; the name of an artificial language invented by Johan Martin Schleyer, of Constance, Switzerland, about 1879.
VOLAPUKIST; VOLAPUEKIST Vol`a*pük"ist, n.
Defn: One who is conversant with, or who favors adoption of, Volapük.
VOLAR Vo"lar, a. Etym: [L. vola the palm of the hand, the sole of the foot.] (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the palm of the hand or the sole of the foot.
VOLARY Vol"a*ry, n.
Defn: See Volery. [Obs.]
VOLATILE Vol"a*tile, a. Etym: [F. volatil, L. volatilis, fr. volare to fly, perhaps akin to velox swift, E. velocity. Cf. Volley.]
1. Passing through the air on wings, or by the buoyant force of the atmosphere; flying; having the power to fly. [Obs.]
2. Capable of wasting away, or of easily passing into the aëriform state; subject to evaporation.
Note: Substances which affect the smell with pungent or fragrant odors, as musk, hartshorn, and essential oils, are called volatile substances, because they waste away on exposure to the atmosphere. Alcohol and ether are called volatile liquids for a similar reason, and because they easily pass into the state of vapor on the application of heat. On the contrary, gold is a fixed substance, because it does not suffer waste, even when exposed to the heat of a furnace; and oils are called fixed when they do not evaporate on simple exposure to the atmosphere.
3. Fig.: Light-hearted; easily affected by circumstances; airy; lively; hence, changeable; fickle; as, a volatile temper. You are as giddy and volatile as ever. Swift. Volatile alkali. (Old Chem.) See under Alkali. -- Volatile liniment, a liniment composed of sweet oil and ammonia, so called from the readiness with which the latter evaporates. -- Volatile oils. (Chem.) See Essential oils, under Essential.
VOLATILE Vol"a*tile, n. Etym: [Cf. F. volatile.]
Defn: A winged animal; wild fowl; game. [Obs.] Chaucer. Sir T. Browne.
VOLATILENESS; VOLATILITY Vol"a*tile*ness, Vol`a*til"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. volatilité.]
Defn: Quality or state of being volatile; disposition to evaporate; changeableness; fickleness.
Syn. -- See Levity.
VOLATILIZABLE Vol"a*til*i`za*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. F. volatisable.]
Defn: Capable of being volatilized.
VOLATILIZATION Vol`a*til*i*za"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. volatilisation.]
Defn: The act or process of volatilizing, or rendering volatile; the state of being volatilized.
VOLATILIZE Vol"a*til*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Volatilized; p. pr. & vb. n. Volatilizing.] Etym: [Cf. F. volatiliser.]
Defn: To render volatile; to cause to exhale or evaporate; to cause to pass off in vapor. The water . . . dissolving the oil, and volatilizing it by the action. Sir I. Newton.
VOLATOR Vo*la"tor, n. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Same as Volador, 1.
VOL-AU-VENT Vol`-au`-vent", n. Etym: [F.] (Cookery)
Defn: A light puff paste, with a raised border, filled, after baking, usually with a ragout of fowl, game, or fish.
VOLBORTHITE Vol"borth*ite, n. Etym: [So named after Volborth, who first discovered it.] (Min.)
Defn: A mineral occurring in small six-sided tabular crystals of a green or yellow color. It is a hydrous vanadate of copper and lime.
VOLCANIAN Vol*ca"ni*an, a.
Defn: Volcanic. [R.] Keats.
VOLCANIC Vol*can"ic, a. Etym: [Cf. F. volcanique, It. vulcanico.]
1. Of or pertaining to a volcano or volcanoes; as, volcanic heat.
2. Produced by a volcano, or, more generally, by igneous agencies; as, volcanic tufa.
3. Changed or affected by the heat of a volcano. Volcanic bomb, a mass ejected from a volcano, often of molten lava having a rounded form. -- Volcanic cone, a hill, conical in form, built up of cinders, tufa, or lava, during volcanic eruptions. -- Volcanic foci, the subterranean centers of volcanic action; the points beneath volcanoes where the causes producing volcanic phenomena are most active. -- Volcanic glass, the vitreous form of lava, produced by sudden cooling; obsidian. See Obsidian. -- Volcanic mud, fetid, sulphurous mud discharged by a volcano. -- Volcanic rocks, rocks which have been produced from the discharges of volcanic matter, as the various kinds of basalt, trachyte, scoria, obsidian, etc., whether compact, scoriaceous, or vitreous.
VOLCANICALLY Vol*can"ic*al*ly, adv.
Defn: Like a volcano.
VOLCANICITY Vol`can*ic"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. volcanicité.]
Defn: Quality or state of being volcanic; volcanic power.
VOLCANIC NECK Vol*can"ic neck. (Geol.)
Defn: A column of igneous rock formed by congelation of lava in the conduit of a volcano and later exposed by the removal of surrounding rocks.
VOLCANIC WIND Volcanic wind. (Meteorol.)
Defn: A wind associated with a volcanic outburst and due to the eruption or to convection currents over hot lava.
VOLCANISM Vol"can*ism, n.
Defn: Volcanic power or action; volcanicity.
VOLCANIST Vol"can*ist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. volcaniste, vulcaniste.]
1. One versed in the history and phenomena of volcanoes.
2. One who believes in the igneous, as opposed to the aqueous, origin of the rocks of the earth's crust; a vulcanist. Cf. Neptunist.
VOLCANITY Vol*can"i*ty, n. Etym: [See Volcanic, and Volcanicity.]
Defn: The quality or state of being volcanic, or volcanic origin; volcanicity. [R.]
VOLCANIZATION Vol`can*i*za"tion, n.
Defn: The act of volcanizing, or the state of being volcanized; the process of undergoing volcanic heat, and being affected by it.
VOLCANIZE Vol"can*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Volcanized; p. pr. & vb. n. Volcanizing.] Etym: [Cf. Vulcanize.]
Defn: To subject to, or cause to undergo, volcanic heat, and to be affected by its action.
VOLCANO Vol*ca"no, n.; pl. Volcanoes. Etym: [It. volcano, vulcano, fr. L. Vulcanus Vulkan, the god of fire. See Vulkan.] (Geol.)
Defn: A mountain or hill, usually more or less conical in form, from which lava, cinders, steam, sulphur gases, and the like, are ejected; -- often popularly called a burning mountain.
Note: Volcanoes include many of the most conspicuous and lofty mountains of the earth, as Mt. Vesuvius in Italy (4,000 ft. high), Mt. Loa in Hawaii (14,000 ft.), Cotopaxi in South America (nearly 20,000 ft.), which are examples of active volcanoes. The crater of a volcano is usually a pit-shaped cavity, often of great size. The summit crater of Mt. Loa has a maximum length of 13,000 ft., and a depth of nearly 800 feet. Beside the chief crater, a volcano may have a number of subordinate craters.
VOLE Vole, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: A deal at cards that draws all the tricks. Swift.
VOLE Vole, v. i. (Card Playing)
Defn: To win all the tricks by a vole. Pope.
VOLE Vole, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of micelike rodents belonging to Arvicola and allied genera of the subfamily Arvicolinæ. They have a thick head, short ears, and a short hairy tail.
Note: The water vole, or water rat, of Europe (Arvicola amphibius) is a common large aquatic species. The short-tailed field vole (A. agrestis) of Northern and Central Europe, and Asia, the Southern field vole (A. arvalis), and the Siberian root vole (A. oeconomus), are important European species. The common species of the Eastern United States (A. riparius) (called also meadow mouse) and the prairie mouse (A. austerus) are abundant, and often injurious to vegetation. Other species are found in Canada.
VOLERY Vol"er*y, n. Etym: [F. volerie a flying, volière a large bird cage, fr. voler to fly, L. volare. See Volatile.]
1. A flight of birds. [R.] Locke.
2. A large bird cage; an aviary.
VOLGE Volge, n. Etym: [L. vulgus.]
Defn: The common sort of people; the crowd; the mob. [Obs.] Fuller.
VOLITABLE Vol"i*ta*ble, a.
Defn: Volatilizable. [Obs.]
VOLITATION Vol`i*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. volitare, volitatum, to fly to and fro, v. freq. from volare to fly.]
Defn: The act of flying; flight. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
VOLITIENT Vo*li"tient, a. Etym: [See Volition.]
Defn: Exercising the will; acting from choice; willing, or having power to will. "What I do, I do volitient, not obedient." Mrs. Browning.
VOLITION Vo*li"tion, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. volo I will, velle to will, be willing. See Voluntary.]
1. The act of willing or choosing; the act of forming a purpose; the exercise of the will. Volition is the actual exercise of the power the mind has to order the consideration of any idea, or the forbearing to consider it. Locke. Volition is an act of the mind, knowingly exerting that dominion it takes itself to have over any part of the man, by employing it in, or withholding it from, any particular action. Locke.
2. The result of an act or exercise of choosing or willing; a state of choice.
3. The power of willing or determining; will.
Syn. -- Will; choice; preference; determination; purpose. -- Volition, Choice. Choice is the familiar, and volition the scientific, term for the same state of the will; viz., an "elective preference." When we have "made up our minds" (as we say) to a thing, i. e., have a settled state of choice respecting it, that state is called an immanent volition; when we put forth any particular act of choice, that act is called an emanent, or executive, or imperative, volition. When an immanent, or settled state of, choice, is one which controls or governs a series of actions, we call that state a predominant volition; while we give the name of subordinate volitions to those particular acts of choice which carry into effect the object sought for by the governing or "predominant volition." See Will.
VOLITIONAL Vo*li"tion*al, a.
Defn: Belonging or relating to volition. "The volitional impulse." Bacon.
VOLITIVE Vol"i*tive, a. Etym: [See Volition.]
1. Of or pertaining to the will; originating in the will; having the power to will. "They not only perfect the intellectual faculty, but the volitive." Sir M. Hale.
2. (Gram.)
Defn: Used in expressing a wish or permission as, volitive proposition.
VOLKSLIED Volks"lied, n.; pl. Volkslieder Etym: [G.] (Mus.)
Defn: A popular song, or national air.
VOLKSRAAD Volks"raad`, n. [D.]
Defn: A legislative assembly or parliament of any one of several countries colonized by the Dutch, esp. that of the South African Republic, or the Transvaal, and that of the Orange Free State.
VOLLEY Vol"ley, n.; pl. Volleys. Etym: [F. volée; flight, a volley, or discharge of several guns, fr. voler to fly, L. volare. See Volatile.]
1. A flight of missiles, as arrows, bullets, or the like; the simultaneous discharge of a number of small arms. Fiery darts in flaming volleys flew. Milton. Each volley tells that thousands cease to breathe. Byron.
2. A burst or emission of many things at once; as, a volley of words. "This volley of oaths." B. Jonson. Rattling nonsense in full volleys breaks. Pope.
3. (a) (Tennis) A return of the ball before it touches the ground. (b) (Cricket) A sending of the ball full to the top of the wicket.
Half volley. (a) (Tennis) A return of the ball immediately after is has touched the ground. (b) (Cricket) A sending of the ball so that after touching the ground it flies towards the top of the wicket. R. A. Proctor. -- On the volley, at random. [Obs.] "What we spake on the volley begins work." Massinger. -- Volley gun, a gun with several barrels for firing a number of shots simultaneously; a kind of mitrailleuse.
VOLLEY Vol"ley, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Volleyed; p. pr. & vb. n. Volleying.]
Defn: To discharge with, or as with, a volley.
VOLLEY Vol"ley, v. i.
1. To be thrown out, or discharged, at once; to be discharged in a volley, or as if in a volley; to make a volley or volleys. Tennyson.
2. (a) (Tennis) To return the ball before it touches the ground. (b) (Cricket) To send the ball full to the top of the wicket. R. A. Proctor.
VOLLEY BALL Vol"ley ball.
Defn: A game played by volleying a large inflated ball with the hands over a net 7 ft. 6 in. high.
VOLLEYED Vol"leyed, a.
Defn: Discharged with a sudden burst, or as if in a volley; as, volleyed thunder.
VOLOST Vo"lost, n. [Russ. volost'.]
Defn: In the greater part of Russia, a division for local government consisting of a group of mirs, or village communities; a canton.
VOLOW Vol"ow, v. t. Etym: [From the answer, Volo I will, in the baptismal service. Richardson (Dict.).]
Defn: To baptize; -- used in contempt by the Reformers. [Obs.] Tyndale.
VOLPLANE Vol"plane`, v. i. [F. vol plané act of volplaning; vol flight + plané, p.p.; cf. planer to hover.] (Aëronautics)
Defn: To glide in a flying machine.
VOLT Volt, n. Etym: [F. volte; cf. It. volta. See Vault.]
1. (Man.)
Defn: A circular tread; a gait by which a horse going sideways round a center makes two concentric tracks.
2. (Fencing)
Defn: A sudden movement to avoid a thrust.
VOLT Volt, n. Etym: [After Alessandro Volta, the Italian electrician.] (Elec.)
Defn: The unit of electro-motive force; -- defined by the International Electrical Congress in 1893 and by United States Statute as, that electro-motive force which steadily applied to a conductor whose resistance is one ohm will produce a current of one ampère. It is practically equivalent to
VOLTA Vol"ta, n.; pl. Volte. Etym: [It. volta a turn, turning, a time. See Volt a tread.] (Mus.)
Defn: A turning; a time; -- chiefly used in phrases signifying that the part is to be repeated one, two, or more times; as, una volta, once. Seconda volta, second time, points to certain modifications in the close of a repeated strain.
VOLTA-ELECTRIC Vol"ta-e*lec"tric, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to voltaic electricity, or voltaism.
VOLTA-ELECTROMETER Vol`ta-e`lec*trom"e*ter, n.
Defn: An instrument for the exact measurement of electric currents.
VOLTAGE Vol"tage, n. (Elec.)
Defn: Electric potential or potential difference, expressed in volts.
VOLTAGRAPHY Vol*tag"ra*phy, n. Etym: [Voltaic + -graphy.]
Defn: In electrotypy, the act or art of copying, in metals deposited by electrolytic action, a form or pattern which is made the negative electrode. [R.]
VOLTAIC Vol*ta"ic, a. Etym: [Cf. F. voltaïque, It. voltaico.]
1. Of or pertaining to Alessandro Volta, who first devised apparatus for developing electric currents by chemical action, and established this branch of electric science; discovered by Volta; as, voltaic electricity.
2. Of or pertaining to voltaism, or voltaic electricity; as, voltaic induction; the voltaic arc.
Note: See the Note under Galvanism. Voltaic arc, a luminous arc, of intense brilliancy, formed between carbon points as electrodes by the passage of a powerful voltaic current. -- Voltaic battery, an apparatus variously constructed, consisting of a series of plates or pieces of dissimilar metals, as copper and zinc, arranged in pairs, and subjected to the action of a saline or acid solution, by which a current of electricity is generated whenever the two poles, or ends of the series, are connected by a conductor; a galvanic battery. See Battery, 4. (b), and Note. -- Voltaic circuit. See under Circuit. -- Voltaic couple or element, a single pair of the connected plates of a battery. -- Voltaic electricity. See the Note under Electricity. -- Voltaic pile, a kind of voltaic battery consisting of alternate disks of dissimilar metals, separated by moistened cloth or paper. See 5th Pile. -- Voltaic protection of metals, the protection of a metal exposed to the corrosive action of sea water, saline or acid liquids, or the like, by associating it with a metal which is positive to it, as when iron is galvanized, or coated with zinc.
VOLTAIREAN Vol*tair"e*an, a. Etym: [Cf. F. voltairien.]
Defn: Of or relating to Voltaire, the French author. J. Morley.
VOLTAIRISM Vol*tair"ism, n.
Defn: The theories or practice of Voltaire. J. Morley.
VOLTAISM Vol"ta*ism, n. Etym: [Cf. F. voltaïsme.] (Physics)
Defn: That form of electricity which is developed by the chemical action between metals and different liquids; voltaic electricity; also, the science which treats of this form of electricity; -- called also galvanism, from Galvani, on account of his experiments showing the remarkable influence of this agent on animals.
VOLTAMETER Vol*tam"e*ter, n. Etym: [Voltaic + -meter.] (Physics)
Defn: An instrument for measuring the voltaic electricity passing through it, by its effect in decomposing water or some other chemical compound acting as an electrolyte.
VOLTAMMETER Volt*am"me`ter, n.
Defn: A wattmeter.
VOLT AMPERE Volt ampère. (Elec.)
Defn: A unit of electric measurement equal to the product of a volt and an ampere. For direct current it is a measure of power and is the same as a watt; for alternating current it is a measure of apparent power.
VOLTAPLAST Vol"ta*plast, n. Etym: [Voltaic + Gr.
Defn: A form of voltaic, or galvanic, battery suitable for use electrotyping. G. Francis.
VOLTATYPE Vol"ta*type, n. Etym: [Voltaic + type.]
Defn: An electrotype. [R.]
VOLTI Vol"ti, imperative. Etym: [It., fr. voltare to turn. See Volt a tread.] (Mus.)
Defn: Turn, that is, turn over the leaf. Volti subito Etym: [It.] (Mus.), turn over quickly.
VOLTIGEUR Vol`ti*geur, n. Etym: [F., fr. voltiger to vault, It. volteggiare. See Volt a tread.]
1. A tumbler; a leaper or vaulter.
2. (Mil.)
Defn: One of a picked company of irregular riflemen in each regiment of the French infantry.
VOLTMETER Volt"me`ter, n. Etym: [2d volt + -meter.] (elec.)
Defn: An instrument for measuring in volts the differences of potential between different points of an electrical circuit.
VOLTZITE Voltz"ite, n. Etym: [So named in honor of Voltz, a French engineer.] (Min.)
Defn: An oxysulphide of lead occurring in implanted spherical globules of a yellowish or brownish color; -- called also voltzine.
VOLUBILATE; VOLUBILE Vo*lu"bi*late, Vol"u*bile}, a. Etym: [See Voluble.]
Defn: Turning, or whirling; winding; twining; voluble.
VOLUBILITY Vol`u*bil"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. volubilitas: cf. F. volubilité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being voluble (in any of the senses of the adjective).
VOLUBLE Vol"u*ble, a. Etym: [L. volubilis, fr. volvere, volutum, to roll, to turn round; akin to Gr. welle a wave: cf. F. voluble. Cf. F. Well of water, Convolvulus, Devolve, Involve, Revolt, Vault an arch, Volume, Volute.]
1. Easily rolling or turning; easily set in motion; apt to roll; rotating; as, voluble particles of matter.
2. Moving with ease and smoothness in uttering words; of rapid speech; nimble in speaking; glib; as, a flippant, voluble, tongue. [Cassio,] a knave very voluble. Shak.
Note: Voluble was used formerly to indicate readiness of speech merely, without any derogatory suggestion. "A grave and voluble eloquence." Bp. Hacket.
3. Changeable; unstable; fickle. [Obs.]
4. (Bot.)
Defn: Having the power or habit of turning or twining; as, the voluble stem of hop plants. Voluble stem (Bot.), a stem that climbs by winding, or twining, round another body. -- Vol"u*ble*ness, n. -- Vol"u*bly, adv.
VOLUME Vol"ume, n. Etym: [F., from L. volumen a roll of writing, a book, volume, from volvere, volutum, to roll. See Voluble.]
1. A roll; a scroll; a written document rolled up for keeping or for use, after the manner of the ancients. [Obs.] The papyrus, and afterward the parchment, was joined together [by the ancients] to form one sheet, and then rolled upon a staff into a volume (volumen). Encyc. Brit.
2. Hence, a collection of printed sheets bound together, whether containing a single work, or a part of a work, or more than one work; a book; a tome; especially, that part of an extended work which is bound up together in one cover; as, a work in four volumes. An odd volume of a set of books bears not the value of its proportion to the set. Franklin.
4. Anything of a rounded or swelling form resembling a roll; a turn; a convolution; a coil. So glides some trodden serpent on the grass, And long behind wounded volume trails. Dryden. Undulating billows rolling their silver volumes. W. Irving.
4. Dimensions; compass; space occupied, as measured by cubic units, that is, cubic inches, feet, yards, etc.; mass; bulk; as, the volume of an elephant's body; a volume of gas.
5. (Mus.)
Defn: Amount, fullness, quantity, or caliber of voice or tone. Atomic volume, Molecular volume (Chem.), the ratio of the atomic and molecular weights divided respectively by the specific gravity of the substance in question. -- Specific volume (Physics & Chem.), the quotient obtained by dividing unity by the specific gravity; the reciprocal of the specific gravity. It is equal (when the specific gravity is referred to water at 4º C. as a standard) to the number of cubic centimeters occupied by one gram of the substance.
VOLUMED Vol"umed, a.
1. Having the form of a volume, or roil; as, volumed mist. The distant torrent's rushing sound Tells where the volumed cataract doth roll. Byron.
2. Having volume, or bulk; massive; great.
VOLUMENOMETER Vol`u*me*nom"e*ter, n. Etym: [L. volumen volume + -meter.] (Physics)
Defn: An instrument for measuring the volume of a body, especially a solid, by means of the difference in tension caused by its presence and absence in a confined portion of air.
VOLUMENOMETRY Vol`u*me*nom"e*try, n. (Chem. & Physics)
Defn: The method or process of measuring volumes by means of the volumenometer.
VOLUMESCOPE Vol*u"me*scope, n. Etym: [Volume + -scope.] (Physics)
Defn: An instrument consisting essentially of a glass tube provided with a graduated scale, for exhibiting to the eye the changes of volume of a gas or gaseous mixture resulting from chemical action, and the like.
VOLUMESCOPE Vo*lu"me*scope, n. [Volume + -scope.] (Physics)
Defn: An instrument consisting essentially of a glass tube provided with a graduated scale, for exhibiting to the eye the changes of volume of a gas or gaseous mixture resulting from chemical action, etc.
VOLUMETER Vol*u"me*ter, n. Etym: [Cf. F. volumètre. See Volumetric.] (Physics)
Defn: An instrument for measuring the volumes of gases or liquids by introducing them into a vessel of known capacity.
VOLUMETRIC Vol`u*met"ric, a. Etym: [Volume + -metric.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to the measurement of volume. Volumetric analysis (Chem.), that system of the quantitative analysis of solutions which employs definite volumes of standardized solutions of reagents, as measured by burettes, pipettes, etc.; also, the analysis of gases by volume, as by the eudiometer.
VOLUMETRICAL Vol`u*met"ric*al, a.
Defn: Volumetric. -- Vol`u*met"ric*al*ly, adv.
VOLUMINOUS Vo*lu"mi*nous, a. Etym: [L. voluminosus: cf. F. volumineux.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to volume or volumes. Specifically: -- (a) Consisting of many folds, coils, or convolutions. But ended foul in many a scaly fold, Voluminous and vast. Milton. Over which dusky draperies are hanging, and voluminous curtains have long since fallen. De Quincey.
(b) Of great volume, or bulk; large. B. Jonson. (c) Consisting of many volumes or books; as, the collections of Muratori are voluminous. (d) Having written much, or produced many volumes; copious; diffuse; as, a voluminous writer. -- Vo*lu"mi*nous*ly, adv. -- Vo*lu"mi*nous*ness, n.
VOLUMIST Vol"u*mist, n.
Defn: One who writes a volume; an author. [Obs.] Milton.
VOLUNTARILY Vol"un*ta*ri*ly, adv.
Defn: In a voluntary manner; of one's own will; spontaneously.
VOLUNTARINESS Vol"un*ta*ri*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being voluntary; spontaneousness; specifically, the quality or state of being free in the exercise of one's will.
VOLUNTARISM Vol"un*ta*rism, n.
Defn: Any theory which conceives will to be the dominant factor in experience or in the constitution of the world; -- contrasted with intellectualism. Schopenhauer and Fichte are typical exponents of the two types of metaphysical voluntarism, Schopenhauer teaching that the evolution of the universe is the activity of a blind and irrational will, Fichte holding that the intelligent activity of the ego is the fundamental fact of reality.
VOLUNTARY Vol"un*ta*ry, a. Etym: [L. voluntarius, fr. voluntas will, choice, from the root of velle to will, p. pr. volens; akin to E. will: cf. F. volontaire, Of. also voluntaire. See Will, v. t., and cf. Benevolent, Volition, Volunteer.]
1. Proceeding from the will; produced in or by an act of choice. That sin or guilt pertains exclusively to voluntary action is the true principle of orthodoxy. N. W. Taylor.
2. Unconstrained by the interference of another; unimpelled by the influence of another; not prompted or persuaded by another; done of his or its own accord; spontaneous; acting of one's self, or of itself; free. Our voluntary service he requires. Milton. She fell to lust a voluntary prey. Pope.
3. Done by design or intention; intentional; purposed; intended; not accidental; as, if a man kills another by lopping a tree, it is not voluntary manslaughter.
4. (Physiol.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the will; subject to, or regulated by, the will; as, the voluntary motions of an animal, such as the movements of the leg or arm (in distinction from involuntary motions, such as the movements of the heart); the voluntary muscle fibers, which are the agents in voluntary motion.
5. Endowed with the power of willing; as, man is a voluntary agent. God did not work as a necessary, but a voluntary, agent, intending beforehand, and decreeing with himself, that which did outwardly proceed from him. Hooker.
6. (Law)
Defn: Free; without compulsion; according to the will, consent, or agreement, of a party; without consideration; gratuitous; without valuable consideration.
7. (Eccl.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to voluntaryism; as, a voluntary church, in distinction from an established or state church. Voluntary affidavit or oath (Law), an affidavit or oath made in extrajudicial matter. -- Voluntary conveyance (Law), a conveyance without valuable consideration. -- Voluntary escape (Law), the escape of a prisoner by the express consent of the sheriff. -- Voluntary jurisdiction. (Eng. Eccl. Law) See Contentious jurisdiction, under Contentious. -- Voluntary waste. (Law) See Waste, n., 4.
Syn. -- See Spontaneous.
VOLUNTARY Vol"un*ta*ry, n.; pl. Voluntaries (.
1. One who engages in any affair of his own free will; a volunteer. [R.] Shak.
2. (Mus.)
Defn: A piece played by a musician, often extemporarily, according to his fancy; specifically, an organ solo played before, during, or after divine service.
3. (Eccl.)
Defn: One who advocates voluntaryism.
VOLUNTARYISM Vol"un*ta*ry*ism, n. (Eccl.)
Defn: The principle of supporting a religious system and its institutions by voluntary association and effort, rather than by the aid or patronage of the state.
VOLUNTEER Vol`un*teer", n. Etym: [F. volontaire. See Voluntary, a.]
1. One who enters into, or offers for, any service of his own free will.
2. (Mil.)
Defn: One who enters into service voluntarily, but who, when in service, is subject to discipline and regulations like other soldiers; -- opposed to conscript; specifically, a voluntary member of the organized militia of a country as distinguished from the standing army.
3. (Law)
Defn: A grantee in a voluntary conveyance; one to whom a conveyance is made without valuable consideration; a party, other than a wife or child of the grantor, to whom, or for whose benefit, a voluntary conveyance is made. Burrill.
VOLUNTEER Vol`un*teer", a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a volunteer or volunteers; consisting of volunteers; voluntary; as, volunteer companies; volunteer advice.
VOLUNTEER Vol`un*teer", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Volunteered; p. pr. & vb. n. Volunteering.]
Defn: To offer or bestow voluntarily, or without solicitation or compulsion; as, to volunteer one's services.
VOLUNTEER Vol`un*teer", v. i.
Defn: To enter into, or offer for, any service of one's own free will, without solicitation or compulsion; as, he volunteered in that undertaking.
VOLUNTEER NAVY Vol`un*teer" na"vy.
Defn: A navy of vessels fitted out and manned by volunteers who sail under the flag of the regular navy and subject to naval discipline. Prussia in 1870, in the Franco-German war, organized such a navy, which was commanded by merchant seamen with temporary commissions, with the claim (in which England acquiesced) that it did not come within the meaning of the term privateer.
VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA Vol`un*teers" of America.
Defn: A religious and philanthropic organization, similar to the Salvation Army, founded (1896) by Commander and Mrs. Ballington Booth.
VOLUNTEER STATE Volunteer State.
Defn: Tennessee; -- a nickname.
VOLUPERE Vol"u*pere, n. Etym: [Cf. Envelop.]
Defn: A woman's cap. [Obs.] Chaucer.
VOLUPTUARY Vo*lup"tu*a*ry, n.; pl. Voluptuaries. Etym: [L. voluptuarius or voluptarius, fr. voluptas pleasure.]
Defn: A voluptuous person; one who makes his physical enjoyment his chief care; one addicted to luxury, and the gratification of sensual appetites. A good-humored, but hard-hearted, voluptuary. Sir W. Scott.
Syn. -- Sensualist; epicure.
VOLUPTUARY Vo*lup"tu*a*ry, a.
Defn: Voluptuous; luxurious.
VOLUPTUOUS Vo*lup"tu*ous, a. Etym: [F. voluptueux, L. voluptuosus, fr. voluptas pleasure, volup agreeably, delightfully; probably akin to Gr. velle to wish. See Voluntary.]
1. Full of delight or pleasure, especially that of the senses; ministering to sensuous or sensual gratification; exciting sensual desires; luxurious; sensual. Music arose with its voluptuous swell. Byron. Sink back into your voluptuous repose. De Quincey.
2. Given to the enjoyments of luxury and pleasure; indulging to excess in sensual gratifications. "The jolly and voluptuous livers." Atterbury. Softened with pleasure and voluptuous life. Milton. -- Vo*lup"tu*ous*ly, adv. -- , n.
VOLUPTY Vo*lup"ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. volupté pleasure. See Voluptuous.]
Defn: Voluptuousness. [Obs.]
VOLUTA Vo*lu"ta, n.; pl. E. Volutas, L. Volutæ. Etym: [L., a spiral scroll. See Volute.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of large, handsome marine gastropods belonging to Voluta and allied genera.
VOLUTATION Vol`u*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. volutatio, from volutare to roll, wallow, verb freq. volvere, volutum, to roll.]
Defn: A rolling of a body; a wallowing. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
VOLUTE Vo*lute", n. Etym: [F. volute (cf. It. voluta), L. voluta, from volvere, volutum, to roll. See Voluble.]
1. (Arch.)
Defn: A spiral scroll which forms the chief feature of the Ionic capital, and which, on a much smaller scale, is a feature in the Corinthian and Composite capitals. See Illust. of Capital, also Helix, and Stale.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A spiral turn, as in certain shells.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any voluta. Volute spiring, a spring formed of a spiral scroll of plate, rod, or wire, extended or extensible in the direction of the axis of the coil, in which direction its elastic force is exerted and employed.
VOLUTED Vo*lut"ed, a.
Defn: Having a volute, or spiral scroll.
VOLUTION Vo*lu"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. LL. volutio an arch, vault.]
1. A spiral turn or wreath.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A whorl of a spiral shell.
VOLVA Vol"va, n. Etym: [L. volva, vulva, covering.] (Bot.)
Defn: A saclike envelope of certain fungi, which bursts open as the plant develops.
VOLVOX Vol"vox, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of minute, pale-green, globular, organisms, about one fiftieth of an inch in diameter, found rolling through water, the motion being produced by minute colorless cilia. It has been considered as belonging to the flagellate Infusoria, but is now referred to the vegetable kingdom, and each globule is considered a colony of many individuals. The commonest species is Volvox globator, often called globe animalcule.
VOLVULUS Vol"vu*lus, n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. volvere to turn about, to roll.] (Med.) (a) The spasmodic contraction of the intestines which causes colic. (b) Any twisting or displacement of the intestines causing obstruction; ileus. See Ileus.
VOLYER Vol"yer, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A lurcher. [Prov. Eng.]
VOMER Vo"mer, n. Etym: [L., a plowshare.] (Anat.) (a) A bone, or one of a pair of bones, beneath the ethmoid region of the skull, forming a part a part of the partition between the nostrils in man and other mammals. (b) The pygostyle.
VOMERINE Vo"mer*ine, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the vomer.
VOMICA Vom"i*ca, n. Etym: [L., fr. vomere to throw up, vomit.] (Med.) (a) An abscess cavity in the lungs. (b) An abscess in any other parenchymatous organ.
VOMICINE Vom"i*cine, n. Etym: [From nux vomica.] (Chem.)
Defn: See Brucine.
VOMIC NUT Vom"ic nut`. Etym: [Cf. F. noix vomique.]
Defn: Same as Nux vomica.
VOMIT Vom"it, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Vomited; p. pr. & vb. n. Vomiting.] Etym: [Cf. L. vomere, vomitum, and v. freq. vomitare. See Vomit, n.]
Defn: To eject the contents of the stomach by the mouth; to puke; to spew.
VOMIT Vom"it, v. t.
1. To throw up; to eject from the stomach through the mouth; to disgorge; to puke; to spew out; -- often followed by up or out. The fish . . . vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. Jonah ii. 10.
2. Hence, to eject from any hollow place; to belch forth; to emit; to throw forth; as, volcanoes vomit flame, stones, etc. Like the sons of Vulcan, vomit smoke. Milton.
VOMIT Vom"it, n. Etym: [L. vomitus, from vomere, vomitum, to vomit; akin to Gr. vam, Lith. vemiti. Cf. Emetic, Vomito.]
1. Matter that is vomited; esp., matter ejected from the stomach through the mouth. Like vomit from his yawning entrails poured. Sandys.
2. (Med.)
Defn: That which excites vomiting; an emetic. He gives your Hollander a vomit. Shak. Black vomit. (Med.) See in the Vocabulary. -- Vomit nut, nux vomica.
VOMITING Vom"it*ing, n.
Defn: The spasmodic ejection of matter from the stomach through the mouth.
VOMITION Vo*mi"tion, n. Etym: [L. vomitio.]
Defn: The act or power of vomiting. Grew.
VOMITIVE Vom"i*tive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vomitif.]
Defn: Causing the ejection of matter from the stomach; emetic.
VOMITO Vo*mi"to, n. Etym: [Sp. vómito, fr. L. vomitus. See Vomit, n.] (Med.)
Defn: The yellow fever in its worst form, when it is usually attended with black vomit. See Black vomit.
VOMITORY Vom"i*to*ry, a. Etym: [L. vomitorious.]
Defn: Causing vomiting; emetic; vomitive.
VOMITORY Vom"i*to*ry, n.; pl. Vomitories (.
1. An emetic; a vomit. Harvey.
2. Etym: [L. vomitorium.] (Arch.)
Defn: A principal door of a large ancient building, as of an amphitheater. Sixty-four vomitories . . . poured forth the immense multitude. Gibbon.
VOMITURITION Vom`i*tu*ri"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vomiturition.] (Med.) (a) An ineffectual attempt to vomit. (b) The vomiting of but little matter; also, that vomiting which is effected with little effort. Dunglison.
VONDSIRA Vond*si"ra, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Same as Vansire.
VOODOO Voo"doo, n.
1. See Voodooism.
2. One who practices voodooism; a negro sorcerer.
VOODOO Voo"doo, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to voodooism, or a voodoo; as, voodoo incantations.
VOODOOISM Voo"doo*ism, n. Etym: [Probably (through Creole French vaudoux a negro sorcerer) fr. F. Vaudois Waldensian, because the Waldenses were accused of sorcery.]
Defn: A degraded form of superstition and sorcery, said to include human sacrifices and cannibalism in some of its rites. It is prevalent among the negroes of Hayti, and to some extent in the United States, and is regarded as a relic of African barbarism.
VOORTREKER Voor"trek`er, n. [D. (in South Africa).]
Defn: One who treks before or first; a pioneer. [South Africa]
VORACIOUS Vo*ra"cious, a. Etym: [L. vorax, -acis, fr. vorare to devour; akin to Gr. gar. Cf. Devour.]
Defn: Greedy in eating; very hungry; eager to devour or swallow; ravenous; gluttonous; edacious; rapacious; as, a voracious man or appetite; a voracious gulf or whirlpool. Dampier. -- Vo*ra"cious*ly, adv. -- Vo*ra"cious*ness, n.
VORACITY Vo*rac"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. voracitas: cf. F. voracité.]
Defn: The quality of being voracious; voraciousness.
VORAGINOUS Vo*rag"i*nous, a. Etym: [L. voraginosus, fr. vorago an abyss, fr. vorare to swallow up.]
Defn: Pertaining to a gulf; full of gulfs; hence, devouring. [R.] Mallet.
VORTEX Vor"tex, n.; pl. E. Vortexes, L. Vortices. Etym: [L. vortex, vertex, -icis, fr. vortere, vertere, to turn. See Vertex.]
1. A mass of fluid, especially of a liquid, having a whirling or circular motion tending to form a cavity or vacuum in the center of the circle, and to draw in towards the center bodies subject to its action; the form assumed by a fluid in such motion; a whirlpool; an eddy.
2. (Cartesian System)
Defn: A supposed collection of particles of very subtile matter, endowed with a rapid rotary motion around an axis which was also the axis of a sun or a planet. Descartes attempted to account for the formation of the universe, and the movements of the bodies composing it, by a theory of vortices.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of small Turbellaria belonging to Vortex and allied genera. See Illustration in Appendix. Vortex atom (Chem.), a hypothetical ring-shaped mass of elementary matter in continuous vortical motion. It is conveniently regarded in certain mathematical speculations as the typical form and structure of the chemical atom. -- Vortex wheel, a kind of turbine.
VORTEX FILAMENT Vor"tex fil"a*ment.
Defn: A vortex tube of infinitesimal cross section.
VORTEX FRINGE Vor"tex fringe.
Defn: The region immediately surrounding a disk moving flatwise through air; -- so called because the air has a cyclic motion as in vortex ring.
VORTEX LINE Vortex line.
Defn: A line, within a rotating fluid, whose tangent at every point is the instantaneous axis of rotation as that point of the fluid.
VORTEX RING Vortex ring. (Physics)
Defn: A ring-shaped mass of moving fluid which, by virtue of its motion of rotation around an axis disposed in circular form, attains a more or less distinct separation from the surrounding medium and has many of the properties of a solid.
VORTEX THEORY Vortex theory. (Chem. & Physics)
Defn: The theory, advanced by Thomson (Lord Kelvin) on the basis of investigation by Helmholtz, that the atoms are vortically moving ring-shaped masses (or masses of other forms having a similar internal motion) of a homogeneous, incompressible, frictionless fluid. Various properties of such atoms (vortex atoms) can be mathematically deduced.
VORTEX TUBE Vortex tube. (Physics)
Defn: An imaginary tube within a rotating fluid, formed by drawing the vortex lines through all points of a closed curve.
VORTICAL Vor"ti*cal, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a vortex or vortexes; resembling a vortex in form or motion; whirling; as, a vortical motion. -- Vor"ti*cal*ly, adv.
VORTICEL Vor"ti*cel, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vorticelle. See Vortex.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A vorticella.
VORTICELLA Vor`ti*cel"la, n.; pl. E. Vorticellas (, L. Vorticellæ (. Etym: [NL., dim. fr. L. vortex. See Vortex.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of ciliated Infusoria belonging to Vorticella and many other genera of the family Vorticellidæ. They have a more or less bell-shaped body with a circle of vibrating cilia around the oral disk. Most of the species have slender, contractile stems, either simple or branched.
VORTICOSE Vor"ti*cose`, a. Etym: [L. vorticosus.]
Defn: Vortical; whirling; as, a vorticose motion.
VORTIGINOUS Vor*tig"i*nous, a. Etym: [Cf. Vertiginous.]
Defn: Moving rapidly round a center; vortical. [R.] Cowper.
VOTARESS Vo"ta*ress, n. Etym: [See Votary, n.]
Defn: A woman who is a votary. Shak.
VOTARIST Vo"ta*rist, n. Etym: [See Votary.]
Defn: A votary. Like a sad votarist in palmer's weed. Milton.
VOTARY Vo"ta*ry, a. Etym: [From L. votus, p. p. vovere to vow, to devote. See Vote, Vow.]
Defn: Consecrated by a vow or promise; consequent on a vow; devoted; promised. Votary resolution is made equipollent to custom. Bacon.
VOTARY Vo"ta*ry, n.; pl. Votaries (.
Defn: One devoted, consecrated, or engaged by a vow or promise; hence, especially, one devoted, given, or addicted, to some particular service, worship, study, or state of life. "You are already love's firm votary." Shak. 'T was coldness of the votary, not the prayer, that was in fault. Bp. Fell. But thou, my votary, weepest thou Emerson.
VOTE Vote, n. Etym: [L. votum a vow, wish, will, fr. vovere, votum, to vow: cf. F. vote. See Vow.]
1. An ardent wish or desire; a vow; a prayer. [Obs.] Massinger.
2. A wish, choice, or opinion, of a person or a body of persons, expressed in some received and authorized way; the expression of a wish, desire, will, preference, or choice, in regard to any measure proposed, in which the person voting has an interest in common with others, either in electing a person to office, or in passing laws, rules, regulations, etc.; suffrage.
3. That by means of which will or preference is expressed in elections, or in deciding propositions; voice; a ballot; a ticket; as, a written vote. The freeman casting with unpurchased hand The vote that shakes the turrets of the land. Holmes.
4. Expression of judgment or will by a majority; legal decision by some expression of the minds of a number; as, the vote was unanimous; a vote of confidence.
5. Votes, collectively; as, the Tory vote; the labor vote. Casting vote, Cumulative vote, etc. See under Casting, Cumulative, etc.
VOTE Vote, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Voted; p. pr. & vb. n. Voting.] Etym: [Cf. F. voter.]
Defn: To express or signify the mind, will, or preference, either viva voce, or by ballot, or by other authorized means, as in electing persons to office, in passing laws, regulations, etc., or in deciding on any proposition in which one has an interest with others. The vote for a duelist is to assist in the prostration of justice, and, indirectly, to encourage the crime. L. Beecher. To vote on large principles, to vote honestly, requires a great amount of information. F. W. Robertson.
VOTE Vote, v. t.
1. To choose by suffrage; to elecas, to vote a candidate into office.
2. To enact, establish, grant, determine, etc., by a formal vote; as, the legislature voted the resolution. Parliament voted them one hundred thousand pounds. Swift.
3. To declare by general opinion or common consent, as if by a vote; as, he was voted a bore. [Colloq.]
4. To condemn; to devote; to doom. [Obs.] Glanvill.
VOTER Vot"er, n.
Defn: One who votes; one who has a legal right to vote, or give his suffrage; an elector; a suffragist; as, as, an independent voter.
VOTING Vot"ing,
Defn: a. & n. from Vote, v. Voting paper, a form of ballot containing the names of more candidates than there are offices to be filled, the voter making a mark against the preferred names. [Eng.]
VOTIST Vot"ist, n.
Defn: One who makes a vow. [Obs.] Chapman.
VOTIVE Vo"tive, a. Etym: [L. votivus, fr. votum a vow: cf. F. votif. See Vow.]
Defn: Given by vow, or in fulfillment of a vow; consecrated by a vow; devoted; as, votive offerings; a votive tablet. "Votive incense." Keble. We reached a votive stone, that bears the name Of Aloys Reding. Wordsworth. Embellishments of flowers and votive garlands. Motley. Votive medal, a medal struck in grateful commemoration of some auspicious event. -- Votive offering, an offering in fulfillment of a religious vow, as of one's person or property. -- Vo"tive*ly, adv. -- Vo"tive*ness, n.
VOTRESS Vo"tress, n.
Defn: A votaress. Dryden.
VOUCH Vouch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vouched; p. pr. & vb. n. Vouching.] Etym: [OE. vouchen, OF. vochier to call, fr. L. vocare to call, fr. vox, vocis, voice. See Voice, and cf. Avouch.]
1. To call; to summon. [Obs.] [They] vouch (as I might say) to their aid the authority of the writers. Sir T. Elyot.
2. To call upon to witness; to obtest. Vouch the silent stars and conscious moon. Dryden.
3. To warrant; to maintain by affirmations; to attest; to affirm; to avouch. They made him ashamed to vouch the truth of the relation, and afterwards to credit it. Atterbury.
4. To back; to support; to confirm; to establish. Me damp horror chilled At such bold words vouched with a deed so bold. Milton.
5. (Law)
Defn: To call into court to warrant and defend, or to make good a warranty of title. He vouches the tenant in tail, who vouches over the common vouchee. Blackstone.
Syn. -- To obtest; declare; affirm; attest; warrant; confirm; asseverate; aver; protest; assure.
VOUCH Vouch, v. i.
1. To bear witness; to give testimony or full attestation. He will not believe her until the elector of Hanover shall vouch for the truth of what she has . . . affirmed. Swift.
2. To assert; to aver; to declare. Shak.
VOUCH Vouch, n.
Defn: Warrant; attestation. [Obs.] The vouch of very malice itself. Shak.
VOUCHEE Vouch*ee", n. (Law)
Defn: The person who is vouched, or called into court to support or make good his warranty of title in the process of common recovery. Blackstone.
VOUCHER Vouch"er, n.
1. One who vouches, or gives witness or full attestation, to anything. Will his vouchers vouch him no more Shak. The great writers of that age stand up together as vouchers for one another's reputation. Spectator.
2. A book, paper, or document which serves to vouch the truth of accounts, or to confirm and establish facts of any kind; also, any acquittance or receipt showing the payment of a debt; as, the merchant's books are his vouchers for the correctness of his accounts; notes, bonds, receipts, and other writings, are used as vouchers in proving facts.
3. (Law) (a) The act of calling in a person to make good his warranty of title in the old form of action for the recovery of lands. (b) The tenant in a writ of right; one who calls in another to establish his warranty of title. In common recoveries, there may be a single voucher or double vouchers. Blackstone.
VOUCHMENT Vouch"ment, n.
Defn: A solemn assertion. [R.]
VOUCHOR Vouchor, n. (Law)
Defn: Same as Voucher, 3 (b).
VOUCHSAFE Vouch*safe", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vouchsafed; p. pr. & vb. n. Vouchsafing.] Etym: [Vouch + safe, that is, to vouch or answer for safety.]
1. To condescend to grant; to concede; to bestow. If ye vouchsafe that it be so. Chaucer. Shall I vouchsafe your worship a word or two Shak. It is not said by the apostle that God vouchsafed to the heathens the means of salvation. South.
2. To receive or accept in condescension. [Obs.] Shak.
VOUCHSAFE Vouch*safe", v. i.
Defn: To condescend; to deign; to yield; to descend or stoop. Chaucer. Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin. Bk. of Com. Prayer. Vouchsafe, illustrious Ormond, to behold What power the charms of beauty had of old. Dryden.
VOUCHSAFEMENT Vouch*safe"ment, n.
Defn: The act of vouchsafing, or that which is vouchsafed; a gift or grant in condescension. Glanvill.
VOUSSOIR Vous`soir", n. Etym: [F., akin to voûte an arch, a vault.] (Arch.)
Defn: One of the wedgelike stones of which an arch is composed.
VOW Vow, n. Etym: [OE. vou, OF. vou, veu, vo, vu, F. v, from L. votum, from vovere, to vow. Cf. Avow, Devout, Vote.]
1. A solemn promise made to God, or to some deity; an act by which one consecrates or devotes himself, absolutely or conditionally, wholly or in part, for a longer or shorter time, to some act, service, or condition; a devotion of one's possessions; as, a baptismal vow; a vow of poverty. "Nothing . . . that may . . . stain my vow of Nazarite." Milton. I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow. 2 Sam. xv. 7. I am combined by a sacred vow. Shak.
2. Specifically, a promise of fidelity; a pledge of love or affection; as, the marriage vow. Knights of love, who never broke their vow; Firm to their plighted faith. Dryden.
VOW Vow, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Vowing.] Etym: [OE. vouen, OF. vouer, voer, F. vouer, LL. votare. See Vow, n.]
1. To give, consecrate, or dedicate to God, or to some deity, by a solemn promise; to devote; to promise solemnly. "When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it." Eccl. v. 4. [Men] that vow a long and weary pilgrimage. Shak.
2. To assert solemnly; to asseverate.
VOW Vow, v. i.
Defn: To make a vow, or solemn promise. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Eccl. v. 5.
VOWEL Vow"el, n. Etym: [F. voyelle, or an OF. form without y, L. vocalis (sc. littera), from vocalis sounding, from vox, vocis, a voice, sound. See Vocal.] (Phon.)
Defn: A vocal, or sometimes a whispered, sound modified by resonance in the oral passage, the peculiar resonance in each case giving to each several vowel its distinctive character or quality as a sound of speech; -- distinguished from a consonant in that the latter, whether made with or without vocality, derives its character in every case from some kind of obstructive action by the mouth organs. Also, a letter or character which represents such a sound. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 5, 146-149.
Note: In the English language, the written vowels are a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes w and y. The spoken vowels are much more numerous. Close vowel. See under Close, a. -- Vowel point. See under Point, n.
VOWEL Vow"el, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a vowel; vocal.
VOWELED Vow"eled, a.
Defn: Furnished with vowels. [Written also vowelled.] Dryden.
VOWELISH Vow"el*ish, a.
Defn: Of the nature of a vowel. [R.] "The power [of w] is always vowelish." B. Jonson.
VOWELISM Vow"el*ism, n.
Defn: The use of vowels. [R.]
VOWELIZE Vow"el*ize, v. t.
Defn: To give the quality, sound, or office of a vowel to.
VOWER Vow"er, n.
Defn: One who makes a vow. Bale.
VOW-FELLOW Vow"-fel`low, n.
Defn: One bound by the same vow as another. [R.] Shak.
VOX Vox, n. Etym: [L. See Voice.]
Defn: A voice. Vox humana ( Etym: [L., human voice] (Mus.), a reed stop in an organ, made to imitate the human voice.
VOX ANGELICA Vox` an*gel"i*ca. [L. angelica angelic.] (Music)
Defn: An organ stop of delicate stringlike quality, having for each finger key a pair of pipes, of which one is tuned slightly sharp to give a wavy effect to their joint tone.
VOYAGE Voy"age (; 48), n. Etym: [OE. veage, viage, OF. veage, viage, veiage, voiage, F. voyage, LL. viaticum, fr. L. viaticum traveling money, provision for a journey, from viaticus belonging to a road or journey, fr. via way, akin to E. way. See Way, n., and cf. Convey, Deviate, Devious, Envoy, Trivial, Viaduct, Viaticum.]
1. Formerly, a passage either by sea or land; a journey, in general; but not chiefly limited to a passing by sea or water from one place, port, or country, to another; especially, a passing or journey by water to a distant place or country. I love a sea voyage and a blustering tempest. J. Fletcher. So steers the prudent crane Her annual voyage, borne on winds. Milton. All the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. Shak.
2. The act or practice of traveling. [Obs.] Nations have interknowledge of one another by voyage into foreign parts, or strangers that come to them. Bacon.
3. Course; way. [Obs.] Shak.
VOYAGE Voy"age, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Voyaged; p. pr. & vb. n. Voyaging.] Etym: [Cf. F. voyager.]
Defn: To take a voyage; especially, to sail or pass by water. A mind forever Voyaging through strange seas of thought alone. Wordsworth.
VOYAGE Voy"age, v. t.
Defn: To travel; to pass over; to traverse. With what pain [I] voyaged the unreal, vast, unbounded deep. Milton.
VOYAGEABLE Voy"age*a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. F. voyageable.]
Defn: That may be sailed over, as water or air; navigable.
VOYAGER Voy"a*ger, n. Etym: [Cf. F. voyager traveling.]
Defn: One who voyages; one who sails or passes by sea or water.
VOYAGEUR Voy`a`geur", n. Etym: [F., fr. voyager to travel. See Voyage.]
Defn: A traveler; -- applied in Canada to a man employed by the fur companies in transporting goods by the rivers and across the land, to and from the remote stations in the Northwest.
VOYOL Voy"ol, n. (Naut.) (a) See Viol, 2. (b) The block through which a messenger passes. [Written also viol, and voyal.]
VRAISEMBLANCE Vrai`sem`blance", n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: The appearance of truth; verisimilitude.
VUGG; VUGH Vugg, Vugh, n. (Mining)
Defn: A cavity in a lode; -- called also vogle.
VULCAN Vul"can, n. Etym: [L. Vulcanus, Volcanus: cf. Skr. ulka a firebrand, meteor. Cf. Volcano.] (Rom. Myth.)
Defn: The god of fire, who presided over the working of metals; -- answering to the Greek Hephæstus.
VULCANIAN Vul*ca"ni*an, a. Etym: [L. Vulcanius.]
1. Of or pertaining to Vulcan; made by Vulcan; hence, of or pertaining to works in iron or other metals. Ingenious allusions to the Vulcanian panoply which Achilles lent to his feebler friend. Macaulay.
2. (Geol.)
Defn: Volcanic.
VULCANIC Vul*can"ic, a.
1. Of or pertaining to Vulcan; made by Vulcan; Vulcanian.
2. Of or pertaining to volcanoes; specifically, relating to the geological theory of the Vulcanists, or Plutonists.
VULCANICITY Vul`can*ic"i*ty, n.
Defn: Volcanicity.
VULCANISM Vul"can*ism, n.
Defn: Volcanism.
VULCANIST Vul"can*ist, n.
Defn: A volcanist.
VULCANITE Vul"can*ite, n.
Defn: Hard rubber produced by vulcanizing with a large proportion of sulphur.
VULCANIZATION Vul`can*i*za"tion, n. Etym: [See Vulcan.]
Defn: The act or process of imparting to caoutchouc, gutta-percha, or the like, greater elasticity, durability, or hardness by heating with sulphur under pressure.
VULCANIZE Vul"can*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vulcanized; p. pr. & vb. n. Vulcanizing.]
Defn: To change the properties of, as caoutchouc, or India rubber, by the process of vulcanization. Vulcanized fiber, paper, paper pulp, or other fiber, chemically treated, as with metallic chlorides, so as to form a substance resembling ebonite in texture, hardness, etc. Knight. -- Vulcanized rubber, India rubber, vulcanized.
VULCANIZER Vul"can*i`zer, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, vulcanizes; esp., an apparatus for vulcanizing caoutchouc.
VULCANO Vul*ca"no, n.
Defn: A volcano. [Obs.]
VULCANOLOGY Vul`can*ol"o*gy, n. Etym: [See Vulcan, and -logy.]
Defn: The science which treats of phenomena due to plutonic action, as in volcanoes, hot springs, etc. [R.]
VULCAN POWDER Vul"can pow"der.
Defn: A dynamite composed of nitroglycerin (30 parts), sodium nitrate (52.5), charcoal (10.5), and sulphur (7), used in mining and blasting.
VULGAR Vul"gar, a. Etym: [L. vulgaris, from vulgus the multitude, the common people; of uncertain origin: cf. F. vulgaire. Cf. Divulge.]
1. Of or pertaining to the mass, or multitude, of people; common; general; ordinary; public; hence, in general use; vernacular. "As common as any the most vulgar thing to sense. " Shak. Things vulgar, and well-weighed, scarce worth the praise. Milton. It might be more useful to the English reader . . . to write in our vulgar language. Bp. Fell. The mechanical process of multiplying books had brought the New Testament in the vulgar tongue within the reach of every class. Bancroft.
2. Belonging or relating to the common people, as distinguished from the cultivated or educated; pertaining to common life; plebeian; not select or distinguished; hence, sometimes, of little or no value. "Like the vulgar sort of market men." Shak. Men who have passed all their time in low and vulgar life. Addison. In reading an account of a battle, we follow the hero with our whole attention, but seldom reflect on the vulgar heaps of slaughter. Rambler.
3. Hence, lacking cultivation or refinement; rustic; boorish; also, offensive to good taste or refined feelings; low; coarse; mean; base; as, vulgar men, minds, language, or manners. Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. Shak. Vulgar fraction. (Arith.) See under Fraction.
VULGAR Vul"gar, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vulgaire.]
1. One of the common people; a vulgar person. [Obs.] These vile vulgars are extremely proud. Chapman.
2. The vernacular, or common language. [Obs.]
VULGARIAN Vul*ga"ri*an, n.
Defn: A vulgar person; one who has vulgar ideas. Used also adjectively.
VULGARISM Vul"gar*ism, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vulgarisme.]
1. Grossness; rudeness; vulgarity.
2. A vulgar phrase or expression. A fastidious taste will find offense in the occasional vulgarisms, or what we now call "slang," which not a few of our writers seem to have affected. Coleridge.
VULGARITY Vul*gar"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vulgarité, L. vulgaritas the multitude.]
1. The quality or state of being vulgar; mean condition of life; the state of the lower classes of society. Sir T. Browne.
2. Grossness or clownishness of manners of language; absence of refinement; coarseness. The reprobate vulgarity of the frequenters of Bartholomew Fair. B. Jonson.
VULGARIZATION Vul`gar*i*za"tion, n.
Defn: The act or process of making vulgar, or common.
VULGARIZE Vul"gar*ize, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Vulgarized; p. pr. & vb. n. Vulgarizing.] Etym: [Cf. F. vulgariser, LL. vulgarizare.]
Defn: To make vulgar, or common. Exhortation vulgarized by low wit. V. Knox.
VULGARLY Vul"gar*ly, adv.
Defn: In a vulgar manner.
VULGARNESS Vul"gar*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being vulgar.
VULGATE Vul"gate, n. Etym: [NL. vulgata, from L. vulgatus usual, common, p. p. of vulgare to make general, or common, fr. vulgus the multitude: cf. F. vulgate. See Vulgar, a.]
Defn: An ancient Latin version of the Scripture, and the only version which the Roman Church admits to be authentic; -- so called from its common use in the Latin Church.
Note: The Vulgate was made by Jerome at the close of the 4th century. The Old Testament he translated mostly from the Hebrew and Chaldaic, and the New Testament he revised from an older Latin version. The Douay version, so called, is an English translation from the Vulgate. See Douay Bible.
VULGATE Vul"gate, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Vulgate, or the old Latin version of the Scriptures.
VULNERABILITY Vul`ner*a*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being vulnerable; vulnerableness.
VULNERABLE Vul"ner*a*ble, a. Etym: [L. vulnerabilis wounding, injurious, from vulnerare to wound, vulnus a wound; akin to Skr. vra: cf. F. vulnérable.]
1. Capable of being wounded; susceptible of wounds or external injuries; as, a vulnerable body. Achilles was vulnerable in his heel; and there will be wanting a Paris to infix the dart. Dr. T. Dwight.
2. Liable to injury; subject to be affected injuriously; assailable; as, a vulnerable reputation. His skill in finding out the vulnerable parts of strong minds was consummate. Macaulay.
VULNERABLENESS Vul"ner*a*ble*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being vulnerable; vulnerability.
VULNERARY Vul"ner*a*ry, a. Etym: [L. vulnearius: cf. F. vulnéraire.]
Defn: Useful in healing wounds; adapted to the cure of external injuries; as, vulnerary plants or potions. "Such vulnerary remedies." Sir W. Scott. -- n. Etym: [Cf. F. vulnéraire.] (Med.)
Defn: A vulnerary remedy.
VULNERATE Vul"ner*ate, v. t. Etym: [L. vulneratus, p. p. of vulnerare to wound.]
Defn: To wound; to hurt. [Obs.]
VULNERATION Vul`ner*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. vulneratio.]
Defn: The act of wounding, or the state of being wounded. [Obs.]
VULNEROSE Vul"ner*ose`, a.
Defn: Full of wounds; wounded.
VULNIFIC; VULNIFICAL Vul*nif"ic, Vul*nif"ic*al, a. Etym: [L. vulnificus; vulnus a wound + facere to make.]
Defn: Causing wounds; inflicting wounds; wounding.
VULNOSE Vul*nose", a.
Defn: Having wounds; vulnerose. [R.]
VULPES Vul"pes, n. Etym: [L., a fox.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of Carnivora including the foxes.
VULPIC Vul"pic, a. (Chem.)
Defn: Pertaining to, derived from, or designating, an acid obtained from a lichen (Cetraria vulpina) as a yellow or red crystalline substance which on decomposition yields pulvinic acid.
VULPICIDE Vul"pi*cide, n. Etym: [L. vulpes a fox + caedere to kill.]
Defn: One who kills a fox, except in hunting; also, the act of so killing a fox. [Written also vulpecide.]
VULPINE Vul"pine, a. Etym: [L. vulpinus, from vulpes a fox.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to the fox; resembling the fox; foxy; cunning; crafty; artful. Vulpine phalangist (Zoöl.), an Australian carnivorous marsupial (Phalangista, or Trichosurus, vulpina); -- called also vulpine phalanger, and vulpine opossum.
VULPINIC Vul*pin"ic, a. (Chem.)
Defn: Same as Vulpic.
VULPINISM Vul"pin*ism, n.
Defn: The quality of being cunning like the fox; craft; artfulness. [R.] He was without guile, and had no vulpinism at all. Carlyle.
VULPINITE Vul"pi*nite, n. Etym: [So called after Vulpino, in Italy.] (Min.)
Defn: A scaly granular variety of anhydrite of a grayish white color, used for ornamental purposes.
VULTERN Vul"tern, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The brush turkey (Talegallus Lathami) of Australia. See Brush turkey.
VULTURE Vul"ture, n. Etym: [OE. vultur, L. vultur: cf. OF. voltour, F. vautour.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of rapacious birds belonging to Vultur, Cathartes, Catharista, and various other genera of the family Vulturidæ.
Note: In most of the species the head and neck are naked or nearly so. They feed chiefly on carrion. The condor, king vulture, turkey buzzard, and black vulture (Catharista atrata) are well known American species. The griffin, lammergeir, and Pharaoh's chicken, or Egyptian vulture, are common Old World vultures.
VULTURINE Vul"tur*ine, a. Etym: [L. vulturinus.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a vulture; resembling a vulture in qualities or looks; as, the vulturine sea eagle (Gypohierax Angolensis); vulturine rapacity. The vulturine nose, which smells nothing but corruption, is no credit to its possessor. C. Kingsley.
VULTURISH Vul"tur*ish, a.
Defn: Vulturous.
VULTURISM Vul"tur*ism, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being like a vulture; rapaciousness.
VULTUROUS Vul"tur*ous, a.
Defn: Like a vulture; rapacious.
VULVA Vul"va, n. Etym: [L. vulva, volva, from volvere to roll.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: The external parts of the female genital organs; sometimes, the opening between the projecting parts of the external organs.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The orifice of the oviduct of an insect or other invertebrate.
VULVIFORM Vul"vi*form, a. Etym: [L. vulva, volva, a wrapper + -form.] (Bot.)
Defn: Like a cleft with projecting edges.
VULVITIS Vul*vi"tis, n. Etym: [NL. See Vulva, and -itis.] (Med.)
Defn: Inflammation of the vulva.
VULVO-UTERINE Vul`vo-u"ter*ine, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Pertaining both to the vulva and the uterus.
VULVOVAGINAL Vul`vo*vag"i*nal, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Pertaining both to the vulva and the vagina.
VYCE Vyce, n. Etym: [Cf. Vise.] (Coopering)
Defn: A kind of clamp with gimlet points for holding a barrel head while the staves are being closed around it. Knight.
VYING Vy"ing,
Defn: a. & n. from Vie. -- Vy"ing*ly, adv.
W
Defn: W, the twenty-third letter of the English alphabet, is usually a consonant, but sometimes it is a vowel, forming the second element of certain diphthongs, as in few, how. It takes its written form and its name from the repetition of a V, this being the original form of the Roman capital letter which we call U. Etymologically it is most related to v and u. See V, and U. Some of the uneducated classes in England, especially in London, confuse w and v, substituting the one for the other, as weal for veal, and veal for weal; wine for vine, and vine for wine, etc. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 266-268.
WAAG Waag, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The grivet.
WAAHOO Waa*hoo", n. (Bot.)
Defn: The burning bush; -- said to be called after a quack medicine made from it.
WABBLE Wab"ble, v. i. Etym: [Cf. Prov. G. wabbeln to wabble, and E. whap. Cf. Quaver.]
Defn: To move staggeringly or unsteadily from one side to the other; to vacillate; to move the manner of a rotating disk when the axis of rotation is inclined to that of the disk; -- said of a turning or whirling body; as, a top wabbles; a buzz saw wabbles. wobble.
WABBLE Wab"ble, n.
Defn: A hobbling, unequal motion, as of a wheel unevenly hung; a staggering to and fro.
WABBLY Wab"bly, a.
Defn: Inclined to wabble; wabbling.
WACKE; WACKY Wack"e, Wack"y, n. Etym: [G. wacke, MHG.wacke a large stone, OHG. waggo a pebble.] (Geol.)
Defn: A soft, earthy, dark-colored rock or clay derived from the alteration of basalt.
WAD Wad, n. Etym: [See Woad.]
Defn: Woad. [Obs.]
WAD Wad, n. Etym: [Probably of Scand. origin; cf. Sw. vadd wadding, Dan vat, D. & G. watte. Cf. Wadmol.]
1. A little mass, tuft, or bundle, as of hay or tow. Holland.
2. Specifically: A little mass of some soft or flexible material, such as hay, straw, tow, paper, or old rope yarn, used for retaining a charge of powder in a gun, or for keeping the powder and shot close; also, to diminish or avoid the effects of windage. Also, by extension, a dusk of felt, pasteboard, etc., serving a similar purpose.
3. A soft mass, especially of some loose, fibrous substance, used for various purposes, as for stopping an aperture, padding a garment, etc. Wed hook, a rod with a screw or hook at the end, used for removing the wad from a gun.
WAD Wad, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Waded; p. pr. & vb. n. Wadding.]
1. To form into a mass, or wad, or into wadding; as, to wad tow or cotton.
2. To insert or crowd a wad into; as, to wad a gun; also, to stuff or line with some soft substance, or wadding, like cotton; as, to wad a cloak.
WAD; WADD Wad, Wadd, n. (Min.) (a) An earthy oxide of manganese, or mixture of different oxides and water, with some oxide of iron, and often silica, alumina, lime, or baryta; black ocher. There are several varieties. (b) Plumbago, or black lead.
WADDIE Wad"die, n. & v.
Defn: See Waddy.
WADDING Wad"ding, n. Etym: [See Wad a little mass.]
1. A wad, or the materials for wads; any pliable substance of which wads may be made.
2. Any soft stuff of loose texture, used for stuffing or padding garments; esp., sheets of carded cotton prepared for the purpose.
WADDLE Wad"dle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waddled; p. pr. & vb. n. Waddling.] Etym: [Freq. of wade; cf. AS. wædlian to beg, from wadan to go. See Wade.]
Defn: To walk with short steps, swaying the body from one side to the other, like a duck or very fat person; to move clumsily and totteringly along; to toddle; to stumble; as, a child waddles when he begins to walk; a goose waddles. Shak. She drawls her words, and waddles in her pace. Young.
WADDLE Wad"dle, v. t.
Defn: To trample or tread down, as high grass, by walking through it. [R.] Drayton.
WADDLER Wad"dler, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, waddles.
WADDLINGLY Wad"dling*ly, adv.
Defn: In a waddling manner.
WADDY Wad"dy, n.; pl. Waddies. [Written also waddie, whaddie.] [Native name. Thought by some to be a corrup. of E. wood.] [Australia]
1. An aboriginal war club.
2. A piece of wood; stick; peg; also, a walking stick.
WADDY Wad"dy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Waddied; p. pr. & vb. n. Waddying.]
Defn: To attack or beat with a waddy.
WADDYWOOD Wad"dy*wood`, n.
Defn: An Australian tree (Pittosporum bicolor); also, its wood, used in making waddies.
WADE Wade, n.
Defn: Woad. [Obs.] Mortimer.
WADE Wade, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waded; p. pr. & vb. n. Wading.] Etym: [OE. waden to wade, to go, AS. wadan; akin to OFries. wada, D. waden, OHG. watan, Icel. va, Sw. vada, Dan. vade, L. vadere to go, walk, vadum a ford. Cf. Evade, Invade, Pervade, Waddle.]
1. To go; to move forward. [Obs.] When might is joined unto cruelty, Alas, too deep will the venom wade. Chaucer. Forbear, and wade no further in this speech. Old Play.
2. To walk in a substance that yields to the feet; to move, sinking at each step, as in water, mud, sand, etc. So eagerly the fiend . . . With head, hands, wings, or feet, pursues his way, And swims, or sinks, or wades, or creeps, or flies. Milton.
3. Hence, to move with difficulty or labor; to proceed as, to wade through a dull book. And wades through fumes, and gropes his way. Dryden. The king's admirable conduct has waded through all these difficulties. Davenant.
WADE Wade, v. t.
Defn: To pass or cross by wading; as, he waded .
WADE Wade, n.
Defn: The act of wading. [Colloq.]
WADER Wad"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, wades.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any long-legged bird that wades in the water in search of food, especially any species of limicoline or grallatorial birds; -- called also wading bird. See Illust. g, under Aves.
WADING Wad"ing,
Defn: a. & n. from Wade, v. Wading bird. (Zoöl.) See Wader, 2.
WADMOL Wad"mol, n. Etym: [Of Scand. origin; cf. Icel.va a woollen stuff, Dan vadmel. Cf. Wad a small mass, and Woodmeil.]
Defn: A coarse, hairy, woolen cloth, formerly used for garments by the poor, and for various other purposes. [Spelled also wadmal, wadmeal, wadmoll, wadmel, etc.] Beck (Draper's Dict.). Sir W. Scott.
WADSET Wad"set, n. Etym: [Scot. wad a pledge; akin to Sw. vad a wager. See Wed.] (Scots Law)
Defn: A kind of pledge or mortgage. [Written also wadsett.]
WADSETTER Wad"set*ter, n.
Defn: One who holds by a wadset.
WADY Wad"y, n.; pl. Wadies. Etym: [Ar. wadi a valley, a channel of a river, a river.]
Defn: A ravine through which a brook flows; the channel of a water course, which is dry except in the rainy season.
WAE Wae, n.
Defn: A wave. [Obs.] Spenser.
WAEG Waeg, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The kittiwake. [Scot.]
WAFER Wa"fer, n. Etym: [OE. wafre, OF. waufre, qaufre, F. qaufre; of Teutonic origin; cf. LG. & D. wafel, G. waffel, Dan. vaffel, Sw. våffla; all akin to G. wabe a honeycomb, OHG. waba, being named from the resemblance to a honeycomb. G. wabe is probably akin to E. weave. See Weave, and cf. Waffle, Gauffer.]
1. (Cookery)
Defn: A thin cake made of flour and other ingredients. Wafers piping hot out of the gleed. Chaucer. The curious work in pastry, the fine cakes, wafers, and marchpanes. Holland. A woman's oaths are wafers -- break with making B. Jonson.
2. (Eccl.)
Defn: A thin cake or piece of bread (commonly unleavened, circular, and stamped with a crucifix or with the sacred monogram) used in the Eucharist, as in the Roman Catholic Church.
3. An adhesive disk of dried paste, made of flour, gelatin, isinglass, or the like, and coloring matter, -- used in sealing letters and other documents. Wafer cake, a sweet, thin cake. Shak. -- Wafer irons, or Wafer tongs (Cookery), a pincher-shaped contrivance, having flat plates, or blades, between which wafers are baked. -- Wafer woman, a woman who sold wafer cakes; also, one employed in amorous intrigues. Beau. & Fl.
WAFER Wa"fer, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wafered; p. pr. & vb. n. Wafering.]
Defn: To seal or close with a wafer.
WAFERER Wa"fer*er, n.
Defn: A dealer in the cakes called wafers; a confectioner. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WAFFLE Waffle, n. Etym: [D. wafel. See Wafer.]
1. A thin cake baked and then rolled; a wafer.
2. A soft indented cake cooked in a waffle iron. Waffle iron, an iron utensil or mold made in two parts shutting together, -- used for cooking waffles over a fire.
WAFT Waft, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wafted; p. pr. & vb. n. Wafting.] Etym: [Prob. originally imp. & p. p. of wave, v. t. See Wave to waver.]
1. To give notice to by waving something; to wave the hand to; to beckon. [Obs.] But soft: who wafts us yonder Shak.
2. To cause to move or go in a wavy manner, or by the impulse of waves, as of water or air; to bear along on a buoyant medium; as, a balloon was wafted over the channel. A gentle wafting to immortal life. Milton. Speed the soft intercourse from soul to soul, And waft a sigh from Indus to the pole. Pope.
3. To cause to float; to keep from sinking; to buoy. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Note: This verb is regular; but waft was formerly somwafted.
WAFT Waft, v. i.
Defn: To be moved, or to pass, on a buoyant medium; to float. And now the shouts waft near the citadel. Dryden.
WAFT Waft, n.
1. A wave or current of wind. "Everywaft of the air." Longfellow. In this dire season, oft the whirlwind's wing Sweeps up the burden of whole wintry plains In one wide waft. Thomson.
2. A signal made by waving something, as a flag, in the air.
3. An unpleasant flavor. [Obs.]
4. (Naut.)
Defn: A knot, or stop, in the middle of a flag. [Written also wheft.]
Note: A flag with a waft in it, when hoisted at the staff, or half way to the gaff, means, a man overboard; at the peak, a desire to communicate; at the masthead, "Recall boats."
WAFTAGE Waft"age, n.
Defn: Conveyance on a buoyant medium, as air or water. Shak. Boats prepared for waftage to and fro. Drayton.
WAFTER Waft"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, wafts. O Charon, Thou wafter of the soul to bliss or bane. Beau. & FL.
2. A boat for passage. Ainsworth.
WAFTURE Waf"ture, n.
Defn: The act of waving; a wavelike motion; a waft. R. Browning. An angry wafture of your hand. Shak.
WAG Wag, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wagged; p. pr. & vb. n. Wagging.] Etym: [OE. waggen; probably of Scand. origin; cf. Sw. vagga to rock a cradle, vagga cradle, Icel. vagga, Dan. vugge; akin to AS. wagian to move, wag, wegan to bear, carry, G. & D. bewegen to move, and E. weigh. *136. See Weigh.]
Defn: To move one way and the other with quick turns; to shake to and fro; to move vibratingly; to cause to vibrate, as a part of the body; as, to wag the head. No discerner durst wag his tongue in censure. Shak. Every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head. Jer. xviii. 16.
Note: Wag expresses specifically the motion of the head and body used in buffoonery, mirth, derision, sport, and mockery.
WAG Wag, v. i.
1. To move one way and the other; to be shaken to and fro; to vibrate. The resty sieve wagged ne'er the more. Dryden.
2. To be in action or motion; to move; to get along; to progress; to stir. [Colloq.] "Thus we may see," quoth he, "how the world wags." Shak.
3. To go; to depart; to pack oft. [R.] I will provoke him to 't, or let him wag. Shak.
WAG Wag, n. Etym: [From Wag, v.]
1. The act of wagging; a shake; as, a wag of the head. [Colloq.]
2. Etym: [Perhaps shortened from wag-halter a rogue.]
Defn: A man full of sport and humor; a ludicrous fellow; a humorist; a wit; a joker. We wink at wags when they offend. Dryden. A counselor never pleaded without a piece of pack thread in his hand, which he used to twist about a finger all the while he was speaking; the wags used to call it the thread of his discourse. Addison.
WAGATI Wa*ga"ti, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small East Indian wild cat (Felis wagati), regarded by some as a variety of the leopard cat.
WAGE Wage, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Waged; p. pr. & vb. n. Waging.] Etym: [OE. wagen, OF. wagier, gagier, to pledge, promise, F. gager to wager, lay, bet, fr. LL. wadium a pledge; of Teutonic origin; cf. Goth. wadi a pledge, gawadjon to pledge, akin to E. wed, G. wette a wager. See Wed, and cf. Gage.]
1. To pledge; to hazard on the event of a contest; to stake; to bet, to lay; to wager; as, to wage a dollar. Hakluyt. My life I never but as a pawn To wage against thy enemies. Shak.
2. To expose one's self to, as a risk; to incur, as a danger; to venture; to hazard. "Too weak to wage an instant trial with the king." Shak. To wake and wage a danger profitless. Shak.
3. To engage in, as a contest, as if by previous gage or pledge; to carry on, as a war. [He pondered] which of all his sons was fit To reign and wage immortal war with wit. Dryden. The two are waging war, and the one triumphs by the destruction of the other. I. Taylor.
4. To adventure, or lay out, for hire or reward; to hire out. [Obs.] "Thou . . . must wage thy works for wealth." Spenser.
5. To put upon wages; to hire; to employ; to pay wages to. [Obs.] Abundance of treasure which he had in store, wherewith he might wage soldiers. Holinshed. I would have them waged for their labor. Latimer.
6. (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: To give security for the performance of. Burrill. To wage battle (O. Eng. Law), to give gage, or security, for joining in the duellum, or combat. See Wager of battel, under Wager, n. Burrill. -- To wage one's law (Law), to give security to make one's law. See Wager of law, under Wager, n.
WAGE Wage, v. i.
Defn: To bind one's self; to engage. [Obs.]
WAGE Wage, n. Etym: [OF. wage, gage, guarantee, engagement. See Wage, v. t. ]
1. That which is staked or ventured; that for which one incurs risk or danger; prize; gage. [Obs.] "That warlike wage." Spenser.
2. That for which one labors; meed; reward; stipulated payment for service performed; hire; pay; compensation; -- at present generally used in the plural. See Wages. "My day's wage." Sir W. Scott. "At least I earned my wage." Thackeray. "Pay them a wage in advance." J. Morley. "The wages of virtue." Tennyson. By Tom Thumb, a fairy page, He sent it, and doth him engage, By promise of a mighty wage, It secretly to carry. Drayton. Our praises are our wages. Shak. Existing legislation on the subject of wages. Encyc. Brit.
Note: Wage is used adjectively and as the first part of compounds which are usually self-explaining; as, wage worker, or wage-worker; wage-earner, etc. Board wages. See under 1st Board.
Syn. -- Hire; reward; stipend; salary; allowance; pay; compensation; remuneration; fruit.
WAGEL Wag"el, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Waggel.
WAGENBOOM Wa"gen*boom`, n. Etym: [D., literally, wagon tree.] (Bot.)
Defn: A south African proteaceous tree (Protea grandiflora); also, its tough wood, used for making wagon wheels.
WAGER Wa"ger, n. Etym: [OE. wager, wajour, OF. wagiere, or wageure, E. gageure. See Wage, v. t.]
1. Something deposited, laid, or hazarded on the event of a contest or an unsettled question; a bet; a stake; a pledge. Besides these plates for horse races, the wagers may be as the persons please. Sir W. Temple. If any atheist can stake his soul for a wager against such an inexhaustible disproportion, let him never hereafter accuse others of credulity. Bentley.
2. (Law)
Defn: A contract by which two parties or more agree that a certain sum of money, or other thing, shall be paid or delivered to one of them, on the happening or not happening of an uncertain event. Bouvier.
Note: At common law a wager is considered as a legal contract which the courts must enforce unless it be on a subject contrary to public policy, or immoral, or tending to the detriment of the public, or affecting the interest, feelings, or character of a third person. In many of the United States an action can not be sustained upon any wager or bet. Chitty. Bouvier.
3. That on which bets are laid; the subject of a bet. Wager of battel, or Wager of battle (O. Eng. Law), the giving of gage, or pledge, for trying a cause by single combat, formerly allowed in military, criminal, and civil causes. In writs of right, where the trial was by champions, the tenant produced his champion, who, by throwing down his glove as a gage, thus waged, or stipulated, battle with the champion of the demandant, who, by taking up the glove, accepted the challenge. The wager of battel, which has been long in disuse, was abolished in England in 1819, by a statute passed in consequence of a defendant's having waged his battle in a case which arose about that period. See Battel. -- Wager of law (Law), the giving of gage, or sureties, by a defendant in an action of debt, that at a certain day assigned he would take a law, or oath, in open court, that he did not owe the debt, and at the same time bring with him eleven neighbors (called compurgators), who should avow upon their oaths that they believed in their consciences that he spoke the truth. -- Wager policy. (Insurance Law) See under Policy.
WAGER Wa"ger, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wagered; p. pr. & vb. n. Wagering.]
Defn: To hazard on the issue of a contest, or on some question that is to be decided, or on some casualty; to lay; to stake; to bet. And wagered with him Pieces of gold 'gainst this which he wore. Shak.
WAGER Wa"ger, v. i.
Defn: To make a bet; to lay a wager. 'T was merry when You wagered on your angling. Shak.
WAGERER Wa"ger*er, n.
Defn: One who wagers, or lays a bet.
WAGERING Wa"ger*ing, a.
Defn: Hazarding; pertaining to the act of one who wagers. Wagering policy. (Com.) See Wager policy, under Policy.
WAGES Wa"ges, n. plural in termination, but singular in signification. Etym: [Plural of wage; cf. F. gages, pl., wages, hire. See Wage, n.]
Defn: A compensation given to a hired person for services; price paid for labor; recompense; hire. See Wage, n., 2. The wages of sin is death. Rom. vi. 23. Wages fund (Polit. Econ.), the aggregate capital existing at any time in any country, which theoretically is unconditionally destined to be paid out in wages. It was formerly held, by Mill and other political economists, that the average rate of wages in any country at any time depended upon the relation of the wages fund to the number of laborers. This theory has been greatly modified by the discovery of other conditions affecting wages, which it does not take into account. Encyc. Brit.
Syn. -- See under Wage, n.
WAGGEL Wag"gel, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The young of the great black-backed gull (Larus marinus), formerly considered a distinct species. [Prov. Eng.]
WAGGERY Wag"ger*y, n.; pl. Waggeries. Etym: [From Wag.]
Defn: The manner or action of a wag; mischievous merriment; sportive trick or gayety; good-humored sarcasm; pleasantry; jocularity; as, the waggery of a schoolboy. Locke. A drollery and lurking waggery of expression. W. Irving.
WAGGIE Wag"gie, n.
Defn: The pied wagtail. [Prov. Eng.]
WAGGISH Wag"gish, a.
1. Like a wag; mischievous in sport; roguish in merriment or good humor; frolicsome. "A company of waggish boys." L'Estrange.
2. Done, made, or laid in waggery or for sport; sportive; humorous; as, a waggish trick. -- Wag"gish*ly, adv. -- Wag"gish*ness, n.
WAGGLE Wag"gle, v. i. Etym: [Freq. of wag; cf. D. waggelen, G. wackeln.]
Defn: To reel, sway, or move from side to side; to move with a wagging motion; to waddle. Why do you go nodding and waggling so L'Estrange.
WAGGLE Wag"gle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Waggled; p. pr. & vb. n. Waggling.]
Defn: To move frequently one way and the other; to wag; as, a bird waggles his tail.
WAG-HALTER Wag"-hal`ter, n. Etym: [Wag + halter.]
Defn: One who moves or wears a halter; one likely to be hanged. [Colloq. & Obs.] I can tell you, I am a mad wag-halter. Marston.
WAGNERIAN Wag*ne"ri*an, a.
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or resembling the style of, Richard Wagner, the German musical composer.
WAGNERITE Wag"ner*ite, n. (Min.)
Defn: A fluophosphate of magnesia, occurring in yellowish crystals, and also in massive forms.
WAGON Wag"on, n. Etym: [D. wagen. sq. root136. See Wain.]
1. A wheeled carriage; a vehicle on four wheels, and usually drawn by horses; especially, one used for carrying freight or merchandise.
Note: In the United States, light wagons are used for the conveyance of persons and light commodities.
2. A freight car on a railway. [Eng.]
3. A chariot [Obs.] Spenser.
4. (Astron.)
Defn: The Dipper, or Charles's Wain.
Note: This word and its compounds are often written with two g's (waggon, waggonage, etc.), chiefly in England. The forms wagon, wagonage, etc., are, however, etymologically preferable, and in the United States are almost universally used. Wagon boiler. See the Note under Boiler, 3. -- Wagon ceiling (Arch.), a semicircular, or wagon-headed, arch or ceiling; -- sometimes used also of a ceiling whose section is polygonal instead of semicircular. -- Wagon master, an officer or person in charge of one or more wagons, especially of those used for transporting freight, as the supplies of an army, and the like. -- Wagon shoe, a skid, or shoe, for retarding the motion of a wagon wheel; a drag. -- Wagon vault. (Arch.) See under 1st Vault.
WAGON Wag"on, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wagoned; p. pr. & vb. n. Wagoning.]
Defn: To transport in a wagon or wagons; as, goods are wagoned from city to city.
WAGON Wag"on, v. i.
Defn: To wagon goods as a business; as, the man wagons between Philadelphia and its suburbs.
WAGONAGE Wag"on*age, n.
1. Money paid for carriage or conveyance in wagon.
2. A collection of wagons; wagons, collectively. Wagonage, provender, and a piece or two of cannon. Carlyle.
WAGONER Wag"on*er, n.
1. One who conducts a wagon; one whose business it is to drive a wagon.
2. (Astron.)
Defn: The constellation Charles's Wain, or Ursa Major. See Ursa major, under Ursa.
WAGONETTE Wag`on*ette", n.
Defn: A kind of pleasure wagon, uncovered and with seats extended along the sides, designed to carry six or eight persons besides the driver.
WAGONFUL Wag"on*ful, n.; pl. Wagonfuls (.
Defn: As much as a wagon will hold; enough to fill a wagon; a wagonload.
WAGON-HEADED Wag"on-head`ed, a.
Defn: Having a top, or head, shaped like the top of a covered wagon, or resembling in section or outline an inverted U, thus as, a wagonheaded ceiling.
WAGONLOAD Wag"on*load`, n.
Defn: Same as Wagonful.
WAGON-ROOFED Wag"on-roofed`, a.
Defn: Having a roof, or top, shaped like an inverted U; wagon-headed.
WAGONRY Wag"on*ry, n.
Defn: Conveyance by means of a wagon or wagons. [Obs.] Milton.
WAGONWRIGHT Wag"on*wright`, n.
Defn: One who makes wagons.
WAGTAIL Wag"tail`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of many species of Old World singing birds belonging to Motacilla and several allied genera of the family Motacillidæ. They have the habit of constantly jerking their long tails up and down, whence the name. Field wagtail, any one of several species of wagtails of the genus Budytes having the tail shorter, the legs longer, and the hind claw longer and straighter, than do the water wagtails. Most of the species are yellow beneath. Called also yellow wagtail. -- Garden wagtail, the Indian black-breasted wagtail (Nemoricola Indica). -- Pied wagtail, the common European water wagtail (Motacilla lugubris). It is variegated with black and white. The name is applied also to other allied species having similar colors. Called also pied dishwasher. -- Wagtail flycatcher, a true flycatcher (Sauloprocta motacilloides) common in Southern Australia, where it is very tame, and frequents stock yards and gardens and often builds its nest about houses; -- called also black fantail. -- Water wagtail. (a) Any one of several species of wagtails of the restricted genus Motacilla. They live chiefly on the shores of ponds and streams. (b) The American water thrush. See Water thrush. -- Wood wagtail, an Asiatic wagtail; (Calobates sulphurea) having a slender bill and short legs.
WAH Wah (wä), n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The panda.
WAHABEE Wa*ha"bee, n. Etym: [Ar. wahabi.]
Defn: A follower of Abdel Wahab (b. 1691; d. 1787), a reformer of Mohammedanism. His doctrines prevail particularly among the Bedouins, and the sect, though checked in its influence, extends to most parts of Arabia, and also into India. [Written also Wahaby.]
WAHOO Wa*hoo", n. Any of various American trees or shrubs; specif.: (a) A certain shrub (Evonymus atropurpureus) having purple capsules which in dehiscence expose the scarlet-ariled seeds; -- called also burning bush. (b) Cascara buckthorn. (c) Basswood.
WAHOO Wa*hoo", n.
Defn: A dark blue scombroid food fish (Acanthocibium solandri or petus) of Florida and the West Indies.
WAID Waid, a. Etym: [For weighed.]
Defn: Oppressed with weight; crushed; weighed down. [Obs.] Tusser.
WAIF Waif, n. Etym: [OF. waif, gaif, as adj., lost, unclaimed, chose gaive a waif, LL. wayfium, res vaivae; of Scand. origin. See Waive.]
1. (Eng. Law.)
Defn: Goods found of which the owner is not known; originally, such goods as a pursued thief threw away to prevent being apprehended, which belonged to the king unless the owner made pursuit of the felon, took him, and brought him to justice. Blackstone.
2. Hence, anything found, or without an owner; that which comes along, as it were, by chance. "Rolling in his mind old waifs of rhyme." Tennyson.
3. A wanderer; a castaway; a stray; a homeless child. A waif Desirous to return, and not received. Cowper.
WAIFT Waift, n.
Defn: A waif. [Obs.] Spenser.
WAIL Wail, v. t. Etym: [Cf. Icel. val choice, velja to choose, akin to Goth. waljan, G. wählen.]
Defn: To choose; to select. [Obs.] "Wailed wine and meats." Henryson.
WAIL Wail, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wailed; p. pr. & vb. n. Wailing.] Etym: [OE. wailen, weilen, probably fr. Icel. væla; cf. Icel. væ, vei, woe, and E. wayment, also OE. wai, wei, woe. Cf. Woe.]
Defn: To lament; to bewail; to grieve over; as, to wail one's death. Shak.
WAIL Wail, v. i.
Defn: To express sorrow audibly; to make mournful outcry; to weep. Therefore I will wail and howl. Micah i. 8.
WAIL Wail, n.
Defn: Loud weeping; violent lamentation; wailing. "The wail of the forest." Longfellow.
WAILER Wail"er, n.
Defn: One who wails or laments.
WAILERESS Wail"er*ess, n.
Defn: A woman who wails. [Obs.]
WAILFUL Wail"ful, a.
Defn: Sorrowful; mournful. " Like wailful widows." Spenser. "Wailful sonnets." Shak.
WAILINGLY Wail"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a wailing manner.
WAILMENT Wail"ment, n.
Defn: Lamentation; loud weeping; wailing. [Obs.] Bp. Hacket.
WAIMENT Wai"ment. v. & n.
Defn: See Wayment. [Obs.]
WAIN Wain, n. Etym: [OE. wain, AS. wægn; akin to D. & G. wagen, OHG. wagan, Icel. & Sw. vagn, Dan. vogn, and E. way. Way, Weigh, and cf. Wagon.]
1. A four-wheeled vehicle for the transportation of goods, produce, etc.; a wagon. The wardens see nothing but a wain of hay. Jeffrey. Driving in ponderous wains their household goods to the seashore. Longfellow.
2. A chariot. [Obs.] The Wain. (Astron.) See Charles's Wain, in the Vocabulary. -- Wain rope, a cart rope. Shak.
WAINABLE Wain"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being plowed or cultivated; arable; tillable. [Obs.] Cowell.
WAINAGE Wain"age (; 48), n. Etym: [From Wain.]
Defn: A finding of carriages, carts, etc., for the transportation of goods, produce, etc. Ainsworth.
WAINAGE Wain"age, n. (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: See Gainage, a.
WAINBOTE Wain"bote`, n. Etym: [Wain + bote.] (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: See Cartbote. See also the Note under Bote.
WAINSCOT Wain"scot, n. Etym: [OD. waeghe-schot, D. wagen-schot, a clapboard, fr. OD. waeg, weeg, a wall (akin to AS. wah; cf. Icel. veggr) + schot a covering of boards (akin to E. shot, shoot).]
1. Oaken timber or boarding. [Obs.] A wedge wainscot is fittest and most proper for cleaving of an oaken tree. Urquhart. Inclosed in a chest of wainscot. J. Dart.
2. (Arch.)
Defn: A wooden lining or boarding of the walls of apartments, usually made in panels.
3. 3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of European moths of the family Leucanidæ.
Note: They are reddish or yellowish, streaked or lined with black and white. Their larvæ feed on grasses and sedges.
WAINSCOT Wain"scot, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wainscoted; p. pr. & vb. n. Wainscoting.]
Defn: To line with boards or panelwork, or as if with panelwork; as, to wainscot a hall. Music soundeth better in chambers wainscoted than hanged. Bacon. The other is wainscoted with looking-glass. Addison.
WAINSCOTING Wain"scot*ing, n.
1. The act or occupation of covering or lining with boards in panel.
2. The material used to wainscot a house, or the wainscot as a whole; panelwork.
WAINWRIGHT Wain"wright`, n.
Defn: Same as Wagonwright.
WAIR Wair, n. (Carp.)
Defn: A piece of plank two yard Bailey.
WAIST Waist, n. Etym: [OE. wast; originally, growth, akin to AS. weaxan to grow; cf. AS. wæstm growth. See Wax to grow.]
1. That part of the human body which is immediately below the ribs or thorax; the small part of the body between the thorax and hips. Chaucer. I am in the waist two yards about. Shak.
2. Hence, the middle part of other bodies; especially (Naut.), that part of a vessel's deck, bulwarks, etc., which is between the quarter-deck and the forecastle; the middle part of the ship.
3. A garment, or part of a garment, which covers the body from the neck or shoulders to the waist line.
4. A girdle or belt for the waist. [Obs.] Shak. Waist anchor. See Sheet anchor, 1, in the Vocabulary.
WAISTBAND Waist"band, n.
1. The band which encompasses the waist; esp., one on the upper part of breeches, trousers, pantaloons, skirts, or the like.
2. A sash worn by women around the waist. [R.]
WAISTCLOTH Waist"cloth, n.
1. A cloth or wrapper worn about the waist; by extension, such a garment worn about the hips and passing between the thighs.
2. (Naut.)
Defn: A covering of canvas or tarpaulin for the hammocks, stowed on the nettings, between the quarterdeck and the forecastle.
WAISTCOAT Waist"coat, n. (a) A short, sleeveless coat or garment for men, worn under the coat, extending no lower than the hips, and covering the waist; a vest. (b) A garment occasionally worn by women as a part of fashionable costume.
Note: The waistcoat was a part of female attire as well as male . . . It was only when the waistcoat was worn without a gown or upper dress that it was considered the mark of a mad or profligate woman. Nares.
Syn. -- See Vest.
WAISTCOATEER Waist`coat*eer", n.
Defn: One wearing a waistcoat; esp., a woman wearing one uncovered, or thought fit for such a habit; hence, a loose woman; strumpet. [Obs.] Do you think you are here, sir, Amongst your waistcoateers, your base wenches Beau. & Fl.
WAISTCOATING Waist"coat*ing, n.
Defn: A fabric designed for waistcoats; esp., one in which there is a pattern, differently colored yarns being used.
WAISTER Waist"er, n. (Naut.)
Defn: A seaman, usually a green hand or a broken-down man, stationed in the waist of a vessel of war. R. H. Dana, Jr.
WAIT Wait, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waited; p. pr. & vb. n. Waiting.] Etym: [OE. waiten, OF. waitier, gaitier, to watch, attend, F. guetter to watch, to wait for, fr. OHG. wahta a guard, watch, G. wacht, from OHG. wahhen to watch, be awake. *134. See Wake, v. i.]
1. To watch; to observe; to take notice. [Obs.] "But [unless] ye wait well and be privy, I wot right well, I am but dead," quoth she. Chaucer.
2. To stay or rest in expectation; to stop or remain stationary till the arrival of some person or event; to rest in patience; to stay; not to depart. All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Job xiv. 14. They also serve who only stand and wait. Milton. Haste, my dear father; 't is no time to wait. Dryden.
To wait on or upon. (a) To attend, as a servant; to perform services for; as, to wait on a gentleman; to wait on the table. "Authority and reason on her wait." Milton. "I must wait on myself, must I" Shak. (b) To attend; to go to see; to visit on business or for ceremony. (c) To follow, as a consequence; to await. "That ruin that waits on such a supine temper." Dr. H. More. (d) To look watchfully at; to follow with the eye; to watch. [R.] "It is a point of cunning to wait upon him with whom you speak with your eye." Bacon. (e) To attend to; to perform. "Aaron and his sons . . . shallwait on their priest's office." Num. iii. 10. (f) (Falconry) To fly above its master, waiting till game is sprung; -- said of a hawk. Encyc. Brit.
WAIT Wait, v. t.
1. To stay for; to rest or remain stationary in expectation of; to await; as, to wait orders. Awed with these words, in camps they still abide, And wait with longing looks their promised guide. Dryden.
2. To attend as a consequence; to follow upon; to accompany; to await. [Obs.]
3. To attend on; to accompany; especially, to attend with ceremony or respect. [Obs.] He chose a thousand horse, the flower of all His warlike troops, to wait the funeral. Dryden. Remorse and heaviness of heart shall wait thee, And everlasting anguish be thy portion. Rowe.
4. To cause to wait; to defer; to postpone; -- said of a meal; as, to wait dinner. [Colloq.]
WAIT Wait, n. Etym: [OF. waite, guaite, gaite, F. guet watch, watching, guard, from OHG. wahta. See Wait, v. i.]
1. The act of waiting; a delay; a halt. There is a wait of three hours at the border Mexican town of El Paso. S. B. Griffin.
2. Ambush. "An enemy in wait." Milton.
3. One who watches; a watchman. [Obs.]
4. pl.
Defn: Hautboys, or oboes, played by town musicians; not used in the singular. [Obs.] Halliwell.
5. pl.
Defn: Musicians who sing or play at night or in the early morning, especially at Christmas time; serenaders; musical watchmen. [Written formerly wayghtes.] Hark! are the waits abroad Beau & Fl. The sound of the waits, rude as may be their minstrelsy, breaks upon the mild watches of a winter night with the effect of perfect harmony. W. Irving. To lay wait, to prepare an ambuscade. -- To lie in wait. See under 4th Lie.
WAIT-A-BIT Wait"-a-bit`, n.
Defn: Any of several plants bearing thorns or stiff hooked appendages, which catch and tear the clothing, as: (a) The greenbrier. (b) Any of various species of hawthorn. (c) In South Africa, one of numerous acacias and mimosas. (d) The grapple plant. (e) The prickly ash.
WAITER Wait"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, waits; an attendant; a servant in attendance, esp. at table. The waiters stand in ranks; the yeomen cry, "Make room," as if a duke were passing by. Swift.
2. A vessel or tray on which something is carried, as dishes, etc.; a salver. Coast waiter. See under Coast, n.
WAITING Wait"ing,
Defn: a. & n. from Wait, v. In waiting, in attendance; as, lords in waiting. [Eng.] -- Waiting gentlewoman, a woman who waits upon a person of rank. -- Waiting maid, Waiting woman, a maid or woman who waits upon another as a personal servant.
WAITINGLY Wait"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: By waiting.
WAITRESS Wait"ress, n.
Defn: A female waiter or attendant; a waiting maid or waiting woman.
WAIT--WHILE Wait"-a-while`, n. (a) One of the Australian wattle trees (Acacia colletioides), so called from the impenetrability of the thicket which it makes. (b) = Wait-a-bit.
WAIVE Waive, n. Etym: [See Waive, v. t. ]
1. A waif; a castaway. [Obs.] Donne.
2. (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: A woman put out of the protection of the law. See Waive, v. t., 3 (b), and the Note.
WAIVE Waive, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Waived; p. pr. & vb. n. Waiving.] Etym: [OE. waiven, weiven, to set aside, remove, OF. weyver, quesver, to waive, of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. veifa to wave, to vibrate, akin to Skr. vip to tremble. Cf. Vibrate, Waif.] [Written also wave.]
1. To relinquish; to give up claim to; not to insist on or claim; to refuse; to forego. He waiveth milk, and flesh, and all. Chaucer. We absolutely do renounce or waive our own opinions, absolutely yielding to the direction of others. Barrow.
2. To throw away; to cast off; to reject; to desert.
3. (Law) (a) To throw away; to relinquish voluntarily, as a right which one may enforce if he chooses. (b) (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: To desert; to abandon. Burrill.
Note: The term was applied to a woman, in the same sense as outlaw to a man. A woman could not be outlawed, in the proper sense of the word, because, according to Bracton, she was never in law, that is, in a frankpledge or decennary; but she might be waived, and held as abandoned. Burrill.
WAIVE Waive, v. i.
Defn: To turn aside; to recede. [Obs.] To waive from the word of Solomon. Chaucer.
WAIVER Waiv"er, n. (Law)
Defn: The act of waiving, or not insisting on, some right, claim, or privilege.
WAIVURE Waiv"ure, n.
Defn: See Waiver. [R.]
WAIWODE Wai"wode, n.
Defn: See Waywode.
WAI WU PU Wai Wu Pu. [Chinese wai foreign + wu affairs + pu office.]
Defn: The Department of Foreign Affairs in the Chinese government.
The Tsung-li Yamen, or Foreign Office, created by a decree of January 19, 1861, was in July, 1902, superseded by the formation of a new Foreign Office called the Wai Wu Pu, . . . with precedence before all other boards. J. Scott Keltie.
WAKE Wake, n. Etym: [Originally, an open space of water svök a hole, opening in ice, Sw. vak, Dan. vaage, perhaps akin to E. humid.]
Defn: The track left by a vessel in the water; by extension, any track; as, the wake of an army. This effect followed immediately in the wake of his earliest exertions. De Quincey. Several humbler persons . . . formed quite a procession in the dusty wake of his chariot wheels. Thackeray.
WAKE Wake, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waked or Woke (p. pr. & vb. n. Waking.] Etym: [AS. wacan, wacian; akin to OFries. waka, OS. wak, D. waken, G. wachen, OHG. wahh, Icel. vaka, Sw. vaken, Dan. vaage, Goth. wakan, v. i., uswakjan, v. t., Skr. vajay to rouse, to impel. Vigil, Wait, v. i., Watch, v. i.]
1. To be or to continue awake; to watch; not to sleep. The father waketh for the daughter. Ecclus. xlii. 9. Though wisdom wake, suspicion sleeps. Milton. I can not think any time, waking or sleeping, without being sensible of it. Locke.
2. To sit up late festive purposes; to hold a night revel. The king doth wake to-night, and takes his rouse, Keeps wassail, and the swaggering upspring reels. Shak.
3. To be excited or roused from sleep; to awake; to be awakened; to cease to sleep; -- often with up. He infallibly woke up at the sound of the concluding doxology. G. Eliot.
4. To be exited or roused up; to be stirred up from a dormant, torpid, or inactive state; to be active. Gentle airs due at their hour To fan the earth now waked. Milton. Then wake, my soul, to high desires. Keble.
WAKE Wake, v. t.
1. To rouse from sleep; to awake. The angel . . . came again and waked me. Zech. iv. 1.
2. To put in motion or action; to arouse; to excite. "I shall waken all this company." Chaucer. Lest fierce remembrance wake my sudden rage. Milton. Even Richard's crusade woke little interest in his island realm. J. R. Green.
3. To bring to life again, as if from the sleep of death; to reanimate; to revive. To second life Waked in the renovation of the just. Milton.
4. To watch, or sit up with, at night, as a dead body.
WAKE Wake, n.
1. The act of waking, or being awaked; also, the state of being awake. [Obs. or Poetic] Making such difference 'twixt wake and sleep. Shak. Singing her flatteries to my morning wake. Dryden.
2. The state of forbearing sleep, especially for solemn or festive purposes; a vigil. The warlike wakes continued all the night, And funeral games played at new returning light. Dryden. The wood nymphs, decked with daises trim, Their merry wakes and pastimes keep. Milton.
3. Specifically: (a) (Ch. of Eng.) An annual parish festival formerly held in commemoration of the dedication of a church. Originally, prayers were said on the evening preceding, and hymns were sung during the night, in the church; subsequently, these vigils were discontinued, and the day itself, often with succeeding days, was occupied in rural pastimes and exercises, attended by eating and drinking, often to excess. Great solemnities were made in all churches, and great fairs and wakes throughout all England. Ld. Berners. And every village smokes at wakes with lusty cheer. Drayton.
(b) The sitting up of persons with a dead body, often attended with a degree of festivity, chiefly among the Irish. "Blithe as shepherd at a wake." Cowper. Wake play, the ceremonies and pastimes connected with a wake. See Wake, n., 3 (b), above. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WAKEFUL Wake"ful, a.
Defn: Not sleeping; indisposed to sleep; watchful; vigilant. Dissembling sleep, but wakeful with the fright. Dryden. -- Wake"ful*ly, adv. -- Wake"ful*ness, n.
WAKEN Wak"en, v. i. [imp. & p. pr. Wakened; p. pr. & vb. n. Wakening.] Etym: [OE. waknen, AS. wæcnan; akin to Goth. gawaknan. See Wake, v. i.]
Defn: To wake; to cease to sleep; to be awakened. Early, Turnus wakening with the light. Dryden.
WAKEN Wak"en, v. t.
1. To excite or rouse from sleep; to wake; to awake; to awaken. "Go, waken Eve." Milton.
2. To excite; to rouse; to move to action; to awaken. Then Homer's and Tyrtæus' martial muse Wakened the world. Roscommon. Venus now wakes, and wakens love. Milton. They introduce Their sacred song, and waken raptures high. Milton.
WAKENER Wak"en*er, n.
Defn: One who wakens.
WAKENING Wak"en*ing, n.
1. The act of one who wakens; esp., the act of ceasing to sleep; an awakening.
2. (Scots Law)
Defn: The revival of an action. Burrill. They were too much ashamed to bring any wakening of the process against Janet. Sir W. Scott.
WAKER Wak"er, n.
Defn: One who wakes.
WAKE-ROBIN Wake"-rob`in, n. (Bot.)
Defn: Any plant of the genus Arum, especially, in England, the cuckoopint (Arum maculatum).
Note: In America the name is given to several species of Trillium, and sometimes to the Jack-in-the-pulpit.
WAKETIME Wake"time`, n.
Defn: Time during which one is awake. [R.] Mrs. Browning.
WAKF Wakf (wukf), n. [Ar. waqf.] (Moham. Law)
Defn: The granting or dedication of property in trust for a pious purpose, that is, to some object that tends to the good of mankind, as to support a mosque or caravansary, to provide for support of one's family, kin, or neighbors, to benefit some particular person or persons and afterward the poor, etc.; also, the trust so created, or the property in trust.
WAKIF Wa"kif (wä"kif), n. [Ar. waqif.] (Moham. Law)
Defn: The person creating a wakf.
WAKING Wak"ing, n.
1. The act of waking, or the state or period of being awake.
2. A watch; a watching. [Obs.] "Bodily pain . . . standeth in prayer, in wakings, in fastings." Chaucer. In the fourth waking of the night. Wyclif (Matt. xiv. 25).
WALAWAY Wa"la*way, interj.
Defn: See Welaway. [Obs.]
WALD Wald, n. Etym: [AS. weald. See Wold.]
Defn: A forest; -- used as a termination of names. See Weald.
WALDENSES Wal*den"ses, n. pl. Etym: [So called from Petrus Waldus, or Peter Waldo, a merchant of Lyons, who founded this sect about a. d. 1170.] (Eccl. Hist.)
Defn: A sect of dissenters from the ecclesiastical system of the Roman Catholic Church, who in the 13th century were driven by persecution to the valleys of Piedmont, where the sect survives. They profess substantially Protestant principles.
WALDENSIAN Wal*den"sian, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Waldenses. -- n.
Defn: One Holding the Waldensian doctrines.
WALDGRAVE Wald"grave, n. Etym: [See Wald, and Margrave.]
Defn: In the old German empire, the head forest keeper.
WALDHEIMIA Wald*hei"mi*a, n. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of brachiopods of which many species are found in the fossil state. A few still exist in the deep sea.
WALE Wale, n. Etym: [AS. walu a mark of stripes or blows, probably originally, a rod; akin to Icel. völr, Goth. walus a rod, staff. sq. root146. Cf. Goal, Weal a wale.]
1. A streak or mark made on the skin by a rod or whip; a stripe; a wheal. See Wheal. Holland.
2. A ridge or streak rising above the surface, as of cloth; hence, the texture of cloth. Thou 'rt rougher far, And of a coarser wale, fuller of pride. Beau & Fl.
3. (Carp.)
Defn: A timber bolted to a row of piles to secure them together and in position. Knight.
4. (Naut.) (a) pl.
Defn: Certain sets or strakes of the outside planking of a vessel; as, the main wales, or the strakes of planking under the port sills of the gun deck; channel wales, or those along the spar deck, etc. (b) A wale knot, or wall knot. Wale knot. (Naut.) See Wall knot, under 1st Wall.
WALE Wale, v. t.
1. To mark with wales, or stripes.
2. To choose; to select; specifically (Mining), to pick out the refuse of (coal) by hand, in order to clean it. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
WALER Wal"er, n. [From Wales, i.e., New South Wales.]
Defn: A horse imported from New South Wales; also, any Australian horse. [Colloq.] Kipling.
The term originated in India, whither many horses are exported from Australia (mostly from New South Wales), especially for the use of cavalry.
WALHALLA Wal*hal"la, n. Etym: [Cf. G. walhalla, See Valhalla.]
Defn: See Valhalla.
WALING Wal"ing, n. (Naut.)
Defn: Same as Wale, n., 4.
WALK Walk (wask), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Walked; p. pr. & vb. n. Walking.] Etym: [OE. walken, probably from AS. wealcan to roll, turn, revolve, akin to D. walken to felt hats, to work a hat, G. walken to full, OHG. walchan to beat, to full, Icel. valka to roll, to stamp, Sw. valka to full, to roll, Dan. valke to full; cf. Skr. valg to spring; but cf. also AS. weallian to roam, ramble, G. wallen. sq. root130.]
1. To move along on foot; to advance by steps; to go on at a moderate pace; specifically, of two-legged creatures, to proceed at a slower or faster rate, but without running, or lifting one foot entirely before the other touches the ground. At the end of twelve months, he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. Dan. iv. 29. When Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. Matt. xiv. 29.
Note: In the walk of quadrupeds, there are always two, and for a brief space there are three, feet on the ground at once, but never four.
2. To move or go on the feet for exercise or amusement; to take one's exercise; to ramble.
3. To be stirring; to be abroad; to go restlessly about; -- said of things or persons expected to remain quiet, as a sleeping person, or the spirit of a dead person; to go about as a somnambulist or a specter. I have heard, but not believed, the spirits of the dead May walk again. Shak. When was it she last walked Shak.
4. To be in motion; to act; to move; to wag. [Obs.] "Her tongue did walk in foul reproach." Spenser. Do you think I'd walk in any plot B. Jonson. I heard a pen walking in the chimney behind the cloth. Latimer.
5. To behave; to pursue a course of life; to conduct one's self. We walk perversely with God, and he will walk crookedly toward us. Jer. Taylor.
6. To move off; to depart. [Obs. or Colloq.] He will make their cows and garrans to walk. Spenser. To walk in, to go in; to enter, as into a house. -- To walk after the flesh (Script.), to indulge sensual appetites, and to live in sin. Rom. viii. 1. -- To walk after the Spirit (Script.), to be guided by the counsels and influences of the Spirit, and by the word of God. Rom. viii. 1. -- To walk by faith (Script.), to live in the firm belief of the gospel and its promises, and to rely on Christ for salvation. 2 Cor. v. 7. -- To walk in darkness (Script.), to live in ignorance, error, and sin. 1 John i. 6. -- To walk in the flesh (Script.), to live this natural life, which is subject to infirmities and calamities. 2 Cor. x. 3. -- To walk in the light (Script.), to live in the practice of religion, and to enjoy its consolations. 1 John i. 7. -- To walk over, in racing, to go over a course at a walk; -- said of a horse when there is no other entry; hence, colloquially, to gain an easy victory in any contest. -- To walk through the fire (Script.), to be exercised with severe afflictions. Isa. xliii. 2. -- To walk with God (Script.), to live in obedience to his commands, and have communion with him.
WALK Walk, v. t.
1. To pass through, over, or upon; to traverse; to perambulate; as, to walk the streets. As we walk our earthly round. Keble.
2. To cause to walk; to lead, drive, or ride with a slow pace; as to walk one's horses. " I will rather trust . . . a thief to walk my ambling gelding." Shak.
3. Etym: [AS. wealcan to roll. See Walk to move on foot.]
Defn: To subject, as cloth or yarn, to the fulling process; to full. [Obs. or Scot.] To walk the plank, to walk off the plank into the water and be drowned; -- an expression derived from the practice of pirates who extended a plank from the side of a ship, and compelled those whom they would drown to walk off into the water; figuratively, to vacate an office by compulsion. Bartlett.
WALK Walk, n.
1. The act of walking, or moving on the feet with a slow pace; advance without running or leaping.
2. The act of walking for recreation or exercise; as, a morning walk; an evening walk.
3. Manner of walking; gait; step; as, we often know a person at a distance by his walk.
4. That in or through which one walks; place or distance walked over; a place for walking; a path or avenue prepared for foot passengers, or for taking air and exercise; way; road; hence, a place or region in which animals may graze; place of wandering; range; as, a sheep walk. A woody mountain . . . with goodliest trees Planted, with walks and bowers. Milton. He had walk for a hundred sheep. Latimer. Amid the sound of steps that beat The murmuring walks like rain. Bryant.
5. A frequented track; habitual place of action; sphere; as, the walk of the historian. The mountains are his walks. Sandys. He opened a boundless walk for his imagination. Pope.
6. Conduct; course of action; behavior.
7. The route or district regularly served by a vender; as, a milkman's walk. [Eng.]
WALKABLE Walk"a*ble, a.
Defn: Fit to be walked on; capable of being walked on or over. [R.] Swift.
WALKER Walk"er, n.
1. One who walks; a pedestrian.
2. That with which one walks; a foot. [Obs.] Lame Mulciber, his walkers quite misgrown. Chapman.
3. (Law)
Defn: A forest officer appointed to walk over a certain space for inspection; a forester.
4. Etym: [AS. wealcere. See Walk, v. t., 3.]
Defn: A fuller of cloth. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.] She cursed the weaver and the walker The cloth that had wrought. Percy's Reliques.
5. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any ambulatorial orthopterous insect, as a stick insect.
WALKING Walk"ing,
Defn: a. & n. from Walk, v. Walking beam. See Beam, 10. -- Walking crane, a kind of traveling crane. See under Crane. -- Walking fern. (Bot.) See Walking leaf, below. -- Walking fish (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of Asiatic fishes of the genus Ophiocephalus, some of which, as O. marulius, become over four feet long. They have a special cavity over the gills lined with a membrane adapted to retain moisture to aid in respiration, and are thus able to travel considerable distances over the land at night, whence the name. They construct a curious nest for their young. Called also langya. -- Walking gentleman (Theater), an actor who usually fills subordinate parts which require a gentlemanly appearance but few words. [Cant] -- Walking lady (Theater), an actress who usually fills such parts as require only a ladylike appearance on the stage. [Cant] -- Walking leaf. (a) (Bot.) A little American fern (Camptosorus rhizophyllus); -- so called because the fronds taper into slender prolongations which often root at the apex, thus producing new plants. (b) (Zoöl.) A leaf insect. See under Leaf. -- Walking papers, or Walking ticket, an order to leave; dismissal, as from office. [Colloq.] Bartlett. -- Walking stick. (a) A stick or staff carried in the hand for hand for support or amusement when walking; a cane. (b) (Zoöl.) A stick insect; -- called also walking straw. See Illust. of Stick insect, under Stick. -- Walking wheel (Mach.), a prime mover consisting of a wheel driven by the weight of men or animals walking either in it or on it; a treadwheel.
WALK-MILL Walk"-mill`, n. Etym: [Walk to Walking Leaf, or full + mill.]
Defn: A fulling mill. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
WALK-OVER Walk"-o`ver, n.
Defn: In racing, the going over a course by a horse which has no competitor for the prize; hence, colloquially, a one-sided contest; an uncontested, or an easy, victory.
WALKYR Wal"kyr, n. (Scand. Myth.)
Defn: See Valkyria.
WALL Wall, n. (Naut.)
Defn: A kind of knot often used at the end of a rope; a wall knot; a wale. Wall knot, a knot made by unlaying the strands of a rope, and making a bight with the first strand, then passing the second over the end of the first, and the third over the end of the second and through the bight of the first; a wale knot. Wall knots may be single or double, crowned or double-crowned.
WALL Wall, n. Etym: [AS. weall, from L. vallum a wall, vallus a stake, pale, palisade; akin to Gr. Interval.]
1. A work or structure of stone, brick, or other materials, raised to some height, and intended for defense or security, solid and permanent inclosing fence, as around a field, a park, a town, etc., also, one of the upright inclosing parts of a building or a room. The plaster of the wall of the King's palace. Dan. v. 5.
2. A defense; a rampart; a means of protection; in the plural, fortifications, in general; works for defense. The waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Ex. xiv. 22. In such a night, Troilus, methinks, mounted the Troyan walls. Shak. To rush undaunted to defend the walls. Dryden.
3. An inclosing part of a receptacle or vessel; as, the walls of a steam-engine cylinder.
4. (Mining) (a) The side of a level or drift. (b) The country rock bounding a vein laterally. Raymond.
Note: Wall is often used adjectively, and also in the formation of compounds, usually of obvious signification; as in wall paper, or wall-paper; wall fruit, or wall-fruit; wallflower, etc. Blank wall, Blind wall, etc. See under Blank, Blind, etc. -- To drive to the wall, to bring to extremities; to push to extremes; to get the advantage of, or mastery over. -- To go to the wall, to be hard pressed or driven; to be the weaker party; to be pushed to extremes. -- To take the wall. to take the inner side of a walk, that is, the side next the wall; hence, to take the precedence. "I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's." Shak. -- Wall barley (Bot.), a kind of grass (Hordeum murinum) much resembling barley; squirrel grass. See under Squirrel. -- Wall box. (Mach.) See Wall frame, below. -- Wall creeper (Zoöl.), a small bright-colored bird (Tichodroma muraria) native of Asia and Southern Europe. It climbs about over old walls and cliffs in search of insects and spiders. Its body is ash- gray above, the wing coverts are carmine-red, the primary quills are mostly red at the base and black distally, some of them with white spots, and the tail is blackish. Called also spider catcher. -- Wall cress (Bot.), a name given to several low cruciferous herbs, especially to the mouse-ear cress. See under Mouse-ear. -- Wall frame (Mach.), a frame set in a wall to receive a pillow block or bearing for a shaft passing through the wall; -- called also wall box. -- Wall fruit, fruit borne by trees trained against a wall. -- Wall gecko (Zoöl.), any one of several species of Old World geckos which live in or about buildings and run over the vertical surfaces of walls, to which they cling by means of suckers on the feet. -- Wall lizard (Zoöl.), a common European lizard (Lacerta muralis) which frequents houses, and lives in the chinks and crevices of walls; -- called also wall newt. -- Wall louse, a wood louse. -- Wall moss (Bot.), any species of moss growing on walls. -- Wall newt (Zoöl.), the wall lizard. Shak. -- Wall paper, paper for covering the walls of rooms; paper hangings. -- Wall pellitory (Bot.), a European plant (Parictaria officinalis) growing on old walls, and formerly esteemed medicinal. -- Wall pennywort (Bot.), a plant (Cotyledon Umbilicus) having rounded fleshy leaves. It is found on walls in Western Europe. -- Wall pepper (Bot.), a low mosslike plant (Sedum acre) with small fleshy leaves having a pungent taste and bearing yellow flowers. It is common on walls and rocks in Europe, and is sometimes seen in America. -- Wall pie (Bot.), a kind of fern; wall rue. -- Wall piece, a gun planted on a wall. H. L. Scott. -- Wall plate (Arch.), a piece of timber placed horizontally upon a wall, and supporting posts, joists, and the like. See Illust. of Roof. -- Wall rock, granular limestone used in building walls. [U. S.] Bartlett. -- Wall rue (Bot.), a species of small fern (Asplenium Ruta-muraria) growing on walls, rocks, and the like. -- Wall spring, a spring of water issuing from stratified rocks. -- Wall tent, a tent with upright cloth sides corresponding to the walls of a house. -- Wall wasp (Zoöl.), a common European solitary wasp (Odynerus parietus) which makes its nest in the crevices of walls.
WALL Wall (, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Walled (; p. pr. & vb. n. Walling.]
1. To inclose with a wall, or as with a wall. "Seven walled towns of strength." Shak. The king of Thebes, Amphion, That with his singing walled that city. Chaucer.
2. To defend by walls, or as if by walls; to fortify. The terror of his name that walls us in. Denham.
3. To close or fill with a wall, as a doorway.
WALLABA Wal"la*ba, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A leguminous tree (Eperua falcata) of Demerara, with pinnate leaves and clusters of red flowers. The reddish brown wood is used for palings and shingles. J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants).
WALLABY Wal"la*by, n.; pl. Wallabies. Etym: [From a native name.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of kangaroos belonging to the genus Halmaturus, native of Australia and Tasmania, especially the smaller species, as the brush kangaroo (H. Bennettii) and the pademelon (H. thetidis). The wallabies chiefly inhabit the wooded district and bushy plains. [Written also wallabee, and whallabee.]
WALLACHIAN Wal*la"chi*an, a. [Also Walachian, Wallach, Wallack, Vlach, etc.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to Wallachia, a former principality, now part of the kingdom, of Roumania. -- n.
Defn: An inhabitant of Wallachia; also, the language of the Wallachians; Roumanian.
WALLACK Wal"lack, a. & n.
Defn: See Wallachian.
WALLAH Wal"lah, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A black variety of the jaguar; -- called also tapir tiger. [Written also walla.]
WALLAROO Wal`la*roo", n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of several species of kangaroos of the genus Macropus, especially M. robustus, sometimes called the great wallaroo.
WALLBIRD Wall"bird`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The spotted flycatcher. [Prov. Eng.]
WALLER Wall"er, n.
Defn: One who builds walls.
WALLER Wall"er, n. Etym: [G.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The wels.
WALLERIAN DEGENERATION Wal*le"ri*an de*gen`er*a"tion. (Med.)
Defn: A form of degeneration occurring in nerve fibers as a result of their division; -- so called from Dr. Waller, who published an account of it in 1850.
WALLET Wal"let, n. Etym: [OE. walet, probably the same word as OE. watel a bag. See Wattle.]
1. A bag or sack for carrying about the person, as a bag for carrying the necessaries for a journey; a knapsack; a beggar's receptacle for charity; a peddler's pack. [His hood] was trussed up in his walet. Chaucer.
2. A pocketbook for keeping money about the person.
3. Anything protuberant and swagging. "Wallets of flesh." Shak.
WALLETEER Wal`let*eer", n.
Defn: One who carries a wallet; a foot traveler; a tramping beggar. [Colloq.] Wright.
WALL-EYE Wall"-eye`, n. Etym: [See Wall-eyed.]
1. An eye in which the iris is of a very light gray or whitish color; -- said usually of horses. Booth.
Note: Jonson has defined wall-eye to be "a disease in the crystalline humor of the eye; glaucoma." But glaucoma is not a disease of the crystalline humor, nor is wall-eye a disease at all, but merely a natural blemish. Tully. In the north of England, as Brockett states, persons are said to be wall-eyed when the white of the eye is very large and distorted, or on one side.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) An American fresh-water food fish (Stizostedion vitreum) having large and prominent eyes; -- called also glasseye, pike perch, yellow pike, and wall-eyed perch. (b) A California surf fish (Holconotus argenteus). (c) The alewife; -- called also wall-eyed herring.
WALL-EYED Wall"-eyed`, a. Etym: [Icel. valdeygedhr, or vagleygr; fr. vagl a beam, a beam in the eye (akin to Sw. vagel a roost, a perch, a sty in the eye) + eygr having eyes (from auga eye). See Eye.]
Defn: Having an eye of a very light gray or whitish color. Booth.
Note: Shakespeare, in using wall-eyed as a term of reproach (as "wall-eyed rage," a "wall-eyed wretch"), alludes probably to the idea of unnatural or distorted vision. See the Note under Wall-eye. It is an eye which is utterly and incurably perverted, an eye that knows no pity.
WALLFLOWER Wall"flow`er, n.
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A perennial, cruciferous plant (Cheiranthus Cheiri), with sweet-scented flowers varying in color from yellow to orange and deep red. In Europe it very common on old walls.
Note: The name is sometimes extended to other species of Cheiranthus and of the related genus Erysimum, especially the American Western wallflower (Erysimum asperum), a biennial herb with orange-yellow flowers.
2. A lady at a ball, who, either from choice, or because not asked to dance, remains a spectator. [Colloq.]
WALLHICK Wall"hick`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The lesser spotted woodpecker (Dryobates minor). [Prov. Eng.]
WALLING Wall"ing, n.
1. The act of making a wall or walls.
2. Walls, in general; material for walls. Walling wax, a composition of wax and tallow used by etchers and engravers to make a bank, or wall, round the edge of a plate, so as to form a trough for holding the acid used in etching, and the like. Fairholt.
WALLOONS Wal*loons", n. pl.; sing. Walloon (. Etym: [Cf. F. wallon.]
Defn: A Romanic people inhabiting that part of Belgium which comprises the provinces of Hainaut, Namur, Liége, and Luxembourg, and about one third of Brabant; also, the language spoken by this people. Used also adjectively. [Written also Wallons.] "A base Walloon . . . thrust Talbot with a spear." Shak. Walloon guard, the bodyguard of the Spanish monarch; -- so called because formerly consisting of Walloons.
WALLOP Wal"lop, v. i. Etym: [Cf. OFlem. walop a gallop; of uncertain origin. Cf. Gallop.]
Defn: To move quickly, but with great effort; to gallop. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
WALLOP Wal"lop, n.
Defn: A quick, rolling movement; a gallop. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
WALLOP Wal"lop, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Walloped; p. pr. & vb. n. Walloping.] Etym: [Probably fr. AS. weallan to spring up, to boil or bubble. sq. root147. See Well, n. & v. i.]
1. To boil with a continued bubbling or heaving and rolling, with noise. [Prov. Eng.] Brockett.
2. To move in a rolling, cumbersome manner; to waddle. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
3. To be slatternly. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
WALLOP Wal"lop, v. t.
1. To beat soundly; to flog; to whip. [Prov. Eng., Scot., & Colloq. U. S.]
2. To wrap up temporarily. [Prov. Eng.]
3. To throw or tumble over. [Prov. Eng.]
WALLOP Wal"lop, n.
1. A thick piece of fat. Halliwell.
2. A blow. [Prov. Eng., Scot., & Colloq. U.S.]
WALLOW Wal"low, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wallowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Wallowing.] Etym: [OE. walwen, AS. wealwian; akin to Goth. walwjan (in comp.) to roll, L. volvere; cf. Skr. val to turn. *147. Cf. Voluble Well, n.]
1. To roll one's self about, as in mire; to tumble and roll about; to move lazily or heavily in any medium; to flounder; as, swine wallow in the mire. I may wallow in the lily beds. Shak.
2. To live in filth or gross vice; to disport one's self in a beastly and unworthy manner. God sees a man wallowing in his native impurity. South.
3. To wither; to fade. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
WALLOW Wal"low, v. t.
Defn: To roll; esp., to roll in anything defiling or unclean. "Wallow thyself in ashes." Jer. vi. 26.
WALLOW Wal"low, n.
Defn: A kind of rolling walk. One taught the toss, and one the new French wallow. Dryden.
WALLOWER Wal"low*er, n.
1. One who, or that which, wallows.
2. (Mach.)
Defn: A lantern wheel; a trundle.
WALLOWISH Wal"low*ish, a. Etym: [Scot. wallow to fade or wither.]
Defn: Flat; insipid. [Obs.] Overbury.
WALL-PLAT Wall"-plat`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The spotted flycatcher. It builds its nest on walls. [Prov. Eng.]
WALL-SIDED Wall"-sid`ed, a. (Naut.)
Defn: Having sides nearly perpendicular; -- said of certain vessels to distinguish them from those having flaring sides, or sides tumbling home (see under Tumble, v. i.).
WALL STREET Wall Street.
Defn: A street towards the southern end of the borough of Manhattan, New York City, extending from Broadway to the East River; -- so called from the old wall which extended along it when the city belonged to the Dutch. It is the chief financial center of the United States, hence the name is often used for the money market and the financial interests of the country.
WALLWORT Wall"wort`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: The dwarf elder, or danewort (Sambucus Ebulus).
WALM Walm, v. i. Etym: [AS. weallan; cf. wælm, billow. *147.]
Defn: To roll; to spout; to boil up. [Obs.] Holland.
WALNUT Wal"nut, n. Etym: [OE. walnot, AS. wealh-hnutu a Welsh or foreign nut, a walnut; wealh foreign, strange, n., a Welshman, Celt (akin to OHG. Walh, properly, a Celt, from the name of a Celtic tribe, in L. Volcae) + hnutu a nut; akin to D. walnoot, G. walnuss, Icel. valhnot, Sw. valnöt, Dan valnöd. See Nut, and cf. Welsh.] (Bot.)
Defn: The fruit or nut of any tree of the genus Juglans; also, the tree, and its timber. The seven or eight known species are all natives of the north temperate zone.
Note: In some parts of America, especially in New England, the name walnut is given to several species of hickory (Carya), and their fruit. Ash-leaved walnut, a tree (Juglans fraxinifolia), native in Transcaucasia. -- Black walnut, a North American tree (J. nigra) valuable for its purplish brown wood, which is extensively used in cabinetwork and for gunstocks. The nuts are thick-shelled, and nearly globular. -- English, or European, walnut, a tree (J. regia), native of Asia from the Caucasus to Japan, valuable for its timber and for its excellent nuts, which are also called Madeira nuts. -- Walnut brown, a deep warm brown color, like that of the heartwood of the black walnut. -- Walnut oil, oil extracted from walnut meats. It is used in cooking, making soap, etc. -- White walnut, a North American tree (J. cinerea), bearing long, oval, thick-shelled, oily nuts, commonly called butternuts. See Butternut.
WALRUS Wal"rus, n. Etym: [D. walrus; of Scand. origin; cf. Dan valros, Sw. vallross, Norw. hvalros; literally, whale horse; akin to Icel. hrosshvalr, AS. horshwæl. See Whale, and Horse.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A very large marine mammal (Trichecus rosmarus) of the Seal family, native of the Arctic Ocean. The male has long and powerful tusks descending from the upper jaw. It uses these in procuring food and in fighting. It is hunted for its oil, ivory, and skin. It feeds largely on mollusks. Called also morse.
Note: The walrus of the North Pacific and Behring Strait (Trichecus obesus) is regarded by some as a distinct species, by others as a variety of the common walrus.
WALTER Wal"ter, v. i. Etym: [See Welter.]
Defn: To roll or wallow; to welter. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
WALTRON Wal"tron, n.
Defn: A walrus. [Obs.] Woodward.
WALTY Wal"ty, a. Etym: [Cf. Walter to roll.]
Defn: Liable to roll over; crank; as, a walty ship. [R.] Longfellow.
WALTZ Waltz, n. Etym: [G. walzer, from walzen to roll, revolve, dance, OHG. walzan to roll; akin to AS. wealtan. See Welter.]
Defn: A dance performed by two persons in circular figures with a whirling motion; also, a piece of music composed in triple measure for this kind of dance.
WALTZ Waltz, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waltzed; p. pr. & vb. n. Waltzing.]
Defn: To dance a waltz.
WALTZER Waltz"er, n.
Defn: A person who waltzes.
WALWE Wal"we, v.
Defn: To wallow. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WALY Wa"ly, interj. Etym: [Cf. Welaway.]
Defn: An exclamation of grief. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
WAMBLE Wam"ble, v. i. Etym: [Cf. Dan. vamle, and vammel squeamish, ready to vomit, Icel. væma to feel nausea, væminn nauseous.]
1. To heave; to be disturbed by nausea; -- said of the stomach. L'Estrange.
2. To move irregularly to and fro; to roll.
WAMBLE Wam"ble, n.
Defn: Disturbance of the stomach; a feeling of nausea. Holland.
WAMBLE-CROPPED Wam"ble-cropped`, a.
Defn: Sick at the stomach; also, crestfallen; dejected. [Slang]
WAMMEL Wam"mel, v. i.
Defn: To move irregularly or awkwardly; to wamble, or wabble. [Prov. Eng.]
WAMP Wamp, n. Etym: [From the North American Indian name.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The common American eider.
WAMPEE Wam*pee", n. (Bot.) (a) A tree (Cookia punctata) of the Orange family, growing in China and the East Indies; also, its fruit, which is about the size of a large grape, and has a hard rind and a peculiar flavor. (b) The pickerel weed. [Southern U.S.]
WAMPUM Wam"pum, n. Etym: [North American Indian wampum, wompam, from the Mass. wómpi, Del. wape, white.]
Defn: Beads made of shells, used by the North American Indians as money, and also wrought into belts, etc., as an ornament. Round his waist his belt of wampum. Longfellow. Girded with his wampum braid. Whittier.
Note: These beads were of two kinds, one white, and the other black or dark purple. The term wampum is properly applied only to the white; the dark purple ones are called suckanhock. See Seawan. "It [wampum] consisted of cylindrical pieces of the shells of testaceous fishes, a quarter of an inch long, and in diameter less than a pipestem, drilled . . . so as to be strung upon a thread. The beads of a white color, rated at half the value of the black or violet, passed each as the equivalent of a farthing in transactions between the natives and the planters." Palfrey.
WAN Wan, obs. imp. of Win.
Defn: Won. Chaucer.
WAN Wan (, a. Etym: [AS. wann, wonn, wan, won, dark, lurid, livid, perhaps originally, worn out by toil, from winnan to labor, strive. See Win.]
Defn: Having a pale or sickly hue; languid of look; pale; pallid. "Sad to view, his visage pale and wan." Spenser. My color . . . [is] wan and of a leaden hue. Chaucer. Why so pale and wan, fond lover Suckling. With the wan moon overhead. Longfellow.
WAN Wan, n.
Defn: The quality of being wan; wanness. [R.] Tinged with wan from lack of sleep. Tennyson.
WAN Wan, v. i.
Defn: To grow wan; to become pale or sickly in looks. "All his visage wanned." Shak. And ever he mutter'd and madden'd, and ever wann'd with despair. Tennyson.
WAND Wand, n. Etym: [Of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. vöndr, akin to Dan. vaand, Goth. wandus; perhaps originally, a pliant twig, and akin to E. wind to turn.]
1. A small stick; a rod; a verge. With good smart blows of a wand on his back. Locke.
2. Specifically: (a) A staff of authority. Though he had both spurs and wand, they seemed rather marks of sovereignty than instruments of punishment. Sir P. Sidney.
(b) A rod used by conjurers, diviners, magicians, etc. Picus bore a buckler in his hand; His other waved a long divining wand. Dryden. Wand of peace (Scots Law), a wand, or staff, carried by the messenger of a court, which he breaks when deforced (that is, hindered from executing process), as a symbol of the deforcement, and protest for remedy of law. Burrill.
WANDER Wan"der, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wandered; p. pr. & vb. n. Wandering.] Etym: [OE. wandren, wandrien, AS. wandrian; akin to G. wandern to wander; fr. AS. windan to turn. See Wind to turn.]
1. To ramble here and there without any certain course or with no definite object in view; to range about; to stroll; to rove; as, to wander over the fields. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins. Heb. xi. 37. He wandereth abroad for bread. Job xv. 23.
2. To go away; to depart; to stray off; to deviate; to go astray; as, a writer wanders from his subject. When God caused me to wander from my father's house. Gen. xx. 13. O, let me not wander from thy commandments. Ps. cxix. 10.
3. To be delirious; not to be under the guidance of reason; to rave; as, the mind wanders.
Syn. -- To roam; rove; range; stroll; gad; stray; straggly; err; swerve; deviate; depart.
WANDER Wan"der, v. t.
Defn: To travel over without a certain course; to traverse; to stroll through. [R.] "[Elijah] wandered this barren waste." Milton.
WANDERER Wan"der*er, n.
Defn: One who wanders; a rambler; one who roves; hence, one who deviates from duty.
WANDERING Wan"der*ing,
Defn: a. & n. from Wander, v. Wandering albatross (Zoöl.), the great white albatross. See Illust. of Albatross. -- Wandering cell (Physiol.), an animal cell which possesses the power of spontaneous movement, as one of the white corpuscles of the blood. -- Wandering Jew (Bot.), any one of several creeping species of Tradescantia, which have alternate, pointed leaves, and a soft, herbaceous stem which roots freely at the joints. They are commonly cultivated in hanging baskets, window boxes, etc. -- Wandering kidney (Med.), a morbid condition in which one kidney, or, rarely, both kidneys, can be moved in certain directions; -- called also floating kidney, movable kidney. -- Wandering liver (Med.), a morbid condition of the liver, similar to wandering kidney. -- Wandering mouse (Zoöl.), the whitefooted, or deer, mouse. See Illust. of Mouse. -- Wandering spider (Zoöl.), any one of a tribe of spiders that wander about in search of their prey.
WANDERINGLY Wan"der*ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a wandering manner.
WANDERMENT Wan"der*ment, n.
Defn: The act of wandering, or roaming. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
WANDEROO Wan`der*oo", n. Etym: [Cingalese wanderu a monkey.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large monkey (Macacus silenus) native of Malabar. It is black, or nearly so, but has a long white or gray beard encircling the face. Called also maha, silenus, neelbhunder, lion-tailed baboon, and great wanderoo. [Written also ouanderoo.]
Note: The name is sometimes applied also to other allied species.
WANDY Wand"y, a.
Defn: Long and flexible, like a wand. [Prov. Eng.] Brockett.
WANE Wane, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waned; p. pr. & vb. n. Waning.] Etym: [OE. wanien, AS. wanian, wonian, from wan, won, deficient, wanting; akin to D. wan-, G. wahnsinn, insanity, OHG. wan, wana-, lacking, wan to lessen, Icel. vanr lacking, Goth. vans; cf. Gr. wanting, inferior. Want lack, and Wanton.]
1. To be diminished; to decrease; -- contrasted with wax, and especially applied to the illuminated part of the moon. Like the moon, aye wax ye and wane. Waning moons their settled periods keep. Addison.
2. To decline; to fail; to sink. You saw but sorrow in its waning form. Dryden. Land and trade ever will wax and wane together. Sir J. Child.
WANE Wane, v. t.
Defn: To cause to decrease. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
WANE Wane, n.
1. The decrease of the illuminated part of the moon to the eye of a spectator.
2. Decline; failure; diminution; decrease; declension. An age in which the church is in its wane. South. Though the year be on the wane. Keble.
3. An inequality in a board. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
WANEY Wan"ey, n.
Defn: A sharp or uneven edge on a board that is cut from a log not perfectly squared, or that is made in the process of squaring. See Wany, a.
WANG Wang, n. Etym: [OE. wange, AS. wange, wonge, cheek, jaw; akin to D. wang, OS. & OHG. wanga, G. wange.]
1. The jaw, jawbone, or cheek bone. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] So work aye the wangs in his head. Chaucer.
2. A slap; a blow. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell. Wang tooth, a cheek tooth; a molar. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WANG Wang, n.
Defn: See Whang. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
WANGAN Wan"gan, n. Etym: [American Indian.]
Defn: A boat for conveying provisions, tools, etc.; -- so called by Maine lumbermen. [Written also wangun.] Bartlett.
WANGER Wang"er, n. Etym: [AS. wangere. See 1st Wang.]
Defn: A pillow for the cheek; a pillow. [Obs. & R.] His bright helm was his wanger. Chaucer.
WANGHEE Wang*hee", n. Etym: [Chin. wang yellow + he a root.] (Bot.)
Defn: The Chinese name of one or two species of bamboo, or jointed cane, of the genus Phyllostachys. The slender stems are much used for walking sticks. [Written also whanghee.]
WANGO Wang"o, n.
Defn: A boomerang.
WANHOPE Wan"hope`, n. Etym: [AS. wan, won, deficient, wanting + hopa hope: cf. D. wanhoop. . See Wane, and Hope.]
Defn: Want of hope; despair; also, faint or delusive hope; delusion. [Obs.] Piers Plowman. "Wanhope and distress." Chaucer.
WANHORN Wan"horn` n. Etym: [Corruption fr. Siamese wanhom.] (Bot.)
Defn: An East Indian plant (Kæmpferia Galanga) of the Ginger family. See Galanga.
WANIAND Wan"i*and, n. Etym: [See Wanion.]
Defn: The wane of the moon. [Obs.] Halliwell.
WANING Wan"ing, n.
Defn: The act or process of waning, or decreasing. This earthly moon, the Church, hath fulls and wanings, and sometimes her eclipses. Bp. Hall.
WANION Wan"ion, n. Etym: [Probably for OE. waniand waning, p. pr. of wanien; hence, used of the waning of the moon, supposed to be an unlucky time. See Wane.]
Defn: A word of uncertain signification, used only in the phrase with a wanion, apparently equivalent to with a vengeance, with a plague, or with misfortune. [Obs.] B. Jonson. Latimer.
WANKLE Wan"kle, a. Etym: [AS. wancol.]
Defn: Not to be depended on; weak; unstable. [Prov. Eng.] Grose.
WANLY Wan"ly, adv.
Defn: In a wan, or pale, manner.
WANNED Wanned, a.
Defn: Made wan, or pale.
WANNESS Wan"ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being wan; a sallow, dead, pale color; paleness; pallor; as, the wanness of the cheeks after a fever.
WANNISH Wan"nish, a.
Defn: Somewhat wan; of a pale hue. No sun, but a wannish glare, In fold upon fold of hueless cloud. Tennyson.
WANT Want (277), n. Etym: [Originally an adj., from Icel. vant, neuter of vanr lacking, deficient. sq. root139. See Wane, v. i.]
1. The state of not having; the condition of being without anything; absence or scarcity of what is needed or desired; deficiency; lack; as, a want of power or knowledge for any purpose; want of food and clothing. And me, his parent, would full soon devour For want of other prey. Milton. From having wishes in consequence of our wants, we often feel wants in consequence of our wishes. Rambler. Pride is as loud a beggar as want, and more saucy. Franklin.
2. Specifically, absence or lack of necessaries; destitution; poverty; penury; indigence; need. Nothing is so hard for those who abound in riches, as to conceive how others can be in want. Swift.
3. That which is needed or desired; a thing of which the loss is felt; what is not possessed, and is necessary for use or pleasure. Habitual superfluities become actual wants. Paley.
4. (Mining)
Defn: A depression in coal strata, hollowed out before the subsequent deposition took place. [Eng.]
Syn. -- Indigence; deficiency; defect; destitution; lack; failure; dearth; scarceness.
WANT Want, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wanted; p. pr. & vb. n. Wanting.]
1. To be without; to be destitute of, or deficient in; not to have; to lack; as, to want knowledge; to want judgment; to want learning; to want food and clothing. They that want honesty, want anything. Beau. & Fl. Nor think, though men were none, That heaven would want spectators, God want praise. Milton. The unhappy never want enemies. Richardson.
2. To have occasion for, as useful, proper, or requisite; to require; to need; as, in winter we want a fire; in summer we want cooling breezes.
3. To feel need of; to wish or long for; to desire; to crave. " What wants my son" Addison. I want to speak to you about something. A. Trollope.
WANT Want, v. i. Etym: [Icel. vanta to be wanting. See Want to lack.]
1. To be absent; to be deficient or lacking; to fail; not to be sufficient; to fall or come short; to lack; -- often used impersonally with of; as, it wants ten minutes of four. The disposition, the manners, and the thoughts are all before it; where any of those are wanting or imperfect, so much wants or is imperfect in the imitation of human life. Dryden.
2. To be in a state of destitution; to be needy; to lack. You have a gift, sir (thank your education), Will never let you want. B. Jonson. For as in bodies, thus in souls, we find What wants in blood and spirits, swelled with wind. Pope.
Note: Want was formerly used impersonally with an indirect object. "Him wanted audience." Chaucer.
WA'N'T Wa'n't.
Defn: A colloquial contraction of was not.
WANTAGE Want"age, n.
Defn: That which is wanting; deficiency.
WANTING Want"ing, a.
Defn: Absent; lacking; missing; also, deficient; destitute; needy; as, one of the twelve is wanting; I shall not be wanting in exertion.
WANTLESS Want"less, a.
Defn: Having no want; abundant; fruitful.
WANTON Wan"ton, a. Etym: [OE. wantoun, contr. from wantowen; pref. wan- wanting (see Wane, v. i.), hence expressing negation + towen, p. p., AS. togen, p. p. of teón to draw, to educate, bring up; hence, properly, ill bred. See Tug, v. t.]
1. Untrained; undisciplined; unrestrained; hence, loose; free; luxuriant; roving; sportive. "In woods and wanton wilderness." Spenser. "A wild and wanton herd." Shak. A wanton and a merry [friar]. Chaucer. [She] her unadorned golden tresses wore Disheveled, but in wanton ringlets waved. Milton. How does your tongue grow wanton in her praise! Addison.
2. Wandering from moral rectitude; perverse; dissolute. "Men grown wanton by prosperity." Roscommon.
3. Specifically: Deviating from the rules of chastity; lewd; lustful; lascivious; libidinous; lecherous. Not with wanton looking of folly. Chaucer. [Thou art] froward by nature, enemy to peace, Lascivious, wanton. Shak.
4. Reckless; heedless; as, wanton mischief.
WANTON Wan"ton, n.
1. A roving, frolicsome thing; a trifler; -- used rarely as a term of endearment. I am afeard you make a wanton of me. Shak. Peace, my wantons; he will do More than you can aim unto. B. Jonson.
2. One brought up without restraint; a pampered pet. Anything, sir, That's dry and wholesome; I am no bred wanton. Beau. & Fl.
3. A lewd person; a lascivious man or woman.
WANTON Wan"ton, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wantoned; p. pr. & vb. n. Wantoning.]
1. To rove and ramble without restraint, rule, or limit; to revel; to play loosely; to frolic. Nature here wantoned as in her prime. Milton. How merrily we would sally into the fields, and strip under the first warmth of the sun, and wanton like young dace in the streams! Lamb.
2. To sport in lewdness; to play the wanton; to play lasciviously.
WANTON Wan"ton, v. t.
Defn: To cause to become wanton; also, to waste in wantonness. [Obs.]
WANTONIZE Wan"ton*ize, v. i.
Defn: To behave wantonly; to frolic; to wanton. [R.] Lamb.
WANTONLY Wan"ton*ly, adv.
1. In a wanton manner; without regularity or restraint; loosely; sportively; gayly; playfully; recklessly; lasciviously.
2. Unintentionally; accidentally. [Obs.] J. Dee.
WANTONNESS Wan"ton*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being wanton; negligence of restraint; sportiveness; recklessness; lasciviousness. Gower. The tumults threatened to abuse all acts of grace, and turn them into wantonness. Eikon Basilike. Young gentlemen would be as sad as night Only for wantonness. Shak.
WANTRUST Wan"trust`, n. Etym: [Pref. wan- as in wanton + trust.]
Defn: Failing or diminishing trust; want of trust or confidence; distrust. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WANTWIT Want"wit`, n.
Defn: One destitute of wit or sense; a blockhead; a fool. [Obs.] Shak.
WANTY Wan"ty, n. Etym: [For womb tie, that is, bellyWomb, and Tie.]
Defn: A surcingle, or strap of leather, used for binding a load upon the back of a beast; also, a leather tie; a short wagon rope. [Prov. Eng.]
WANY Wan"y, v. i.
Defn: To wane. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WANY Wan"y, a.
1. Waning or diminished in some parts; not of uniform size throughout; -- said especially of sawed boards or timber when tapering or uneven, from being cut too near the outside of the log.
2. Spoiled by wet; -- said of timber. Halliwell.
WANZE Wanze, v. i.
Defn: To wane; to wither. [Obs.]
WAP Wap, v. t. & i. Etym: [See Whap.]
Defn: To beat; to whap. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Sir T. Malory.
WAP Wap, n.
Defn: A blow or beating; a whap. [Prov. Eng.]
WAPACUT Wap"a*cut, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The American hawk owl. See under Hawk.
WAPATOO Wap"a*too`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: The edible tuber of a species of arrowhead (Sagittaria variabilis); -- so called by the Indians of Oregon. [Written also wappato.]
WAPED Waped, a. Etym: [Prov. E. wape pale, v., to stupefy, akin to wap to beat. Cf. Whap, and Wappened.]
Defn: Cast down; crushed by misery; dejected. [Obs.]
WAPENTAKE Wap"en*take, n. Etym: [AS. w, w, from Icel. vapnatak, literally, a weapon taking or weapon touching, hence an expression of assent ("si displicuit sententia fremitu aspernantur; sin placuit frameas concutiunt." Tacitus, "Germania," xi.). See Weapon, and Take. This name had its origin in a custom of touching lances or spears when the hundreder, or chief, entered on his office. "Cum quis accipiebat præfecturam wapentachii, die statuto in loco ubi consueverant congregari, omnes majores natu contra eum conveniebant, et descendente eo de equo suo, omnes assurgebant ei. Ipse vero, erecta lancea sua, ab omnibus secundum morem foedus accipiebat; omnes enim quot-quot venissent cum lanceis suis ipsius hastam tangebant, et ita se confirmabant per contactum armorum, pace palam concessa. Wæpnu enim arma sonat; tac, tactus est -- hac de causa totus ille conventus dicitur Wapentac, eo quod per tactum armorum suorum ad invicem confoederati sunt." L L. Edward Confessor, 33. D. Wilkins.]
Defn: In some northern counties of England, a division, or district, answering to the hundred in other counties. Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire are divided into wapentakes, instead of hundreds. [Written also wapentac.] Selden. Blackstone.
WAPINSCHAW Wap"in*schaw, n. Etym: [Scot. See Weapon, and Show.]
Defn: An exhibition of arms. according to the rank of the individual, by all persons bearing arms; -- formerly made at certain seasons in each district. [Scot.] Jamieson. Sir W. Scott.
WAPITI Wap"i*ti, n. Etym: [Probably the Iroquois name. Bartlett.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The American elk (Cervus Canadensis). It is closely related to the European red deer, which it somewhat exceeds in size.
Note: By some writers it is thought to be a variety of the red deer, but it is considered a distinct species by others. It is noted for the large, branching antlers of the male.
WAPP Wapp, n. Etym: [CF. Prov. E. wap to wrap up.] (Naut.) (a) A fair-leader. (b) A rope with wall knots in it with which the shrouds are set taut.
WAPPATO Wap"pa*to, n. (Bot.)
Defn: See Wapatoo.
WAPPENED Wap"pened, a. Etym: [Cf. Waped, Wapper.]
Defn: A word of doubtful meaning used once by Shakespeare. This [gold] is it That makes the wappen'd widow wed again.
Note: It is conjectured by some that it is an error for wappered, meaning tremulous or exhausted.
WAPPER Wap"per, v. t. & i. Etym: [freq. of wap, v.; cf. dial. G. wappern, wippern, to move up and down, to rock.]
Defn: To cause to shake; to tremble; to move tremulously, as from weakness; to totter. [Obs.]
WAPPER Wap"per, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A gudgeon. [Prov. Eng.]
WAPPET Wap"pet, n.
Defn: A small yelping cur. [Prov. Eng.]
WAPPING Wap"ping, n.
Defn: Yelping. [R.] Fuller.
WAR War, a.
Defn: Ware; aware. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WAR War, n. Etym: [OE. & AS. werre; akin to OHG. werra scandal, quarrel, sedition, werran to confound, mix, D. warren, G. wirren, verwirren, to embroil, confound, disturb, and perhaps to E. worse; cf. OF. werre war, F. querre, of Teutonic origin. Cf. Guerrilla, Warrior.]
1. A contest between nations or states, carried on by force, whether for defence, for revenging insults and redressing wrongs, for the extension of commerce, for the acquisition of territory, for obtaining and establishing the superiority and dominion of one over the other, or for any other purpose; armed conflict of sovereign powers; declared and open hostilities. Men will ever distinguish war from mere bloodshed. F. W. Robertson.
Note: As war is the contest of nations or states, it always implies that such contest is authorized by the monarch or the sovereign power of the nation. A war begun by attacking another nation, is called an offensive war, and such attack is aggressive. War undertaken to repel invasion, or the attacks of an enemy, is called defensive.
2. (Law)
Defn: A condition of belligerency to be maintained by physical force. In this sense, levying war against the sovereign authority is treason.
3. Instruments of war. [Poetic] His complement of stores, and total war. Prior.
4. Forces; army. [Poetic] On their embattled ranks the waves return, And overwhelm their war. Milton.
5. The profession of arms; the art of war. Thou art but a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth. 1 Sam. xvii. 33.
6. a state of opposition or contest; an act of opposition; an inimical contest, act, or action; enmity; hostility. "Raised impious war in heaven." Milton. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart. Ps. lv. 21. Civil war, a war between different sections or parties of the same country or nation. -- Holy war. See under Holy. -- Man of war. (Naut.) See in the Vocabulary. -- Public war, a war between independent sovereign states. -- War cry, a cry or signal used in war; as, the Indian war cry. -- War dance, a dance among savages preliminary to going to war. Among the North American Indians, it is begun by some distinguished chief, and whoever joins in it thereby enlists as one of the party engaged in a warlike excursion. Schoolcraft. -- War field, a field of war or battle. -- War horse, a horse used in war; the horse of a cavalry soldier; especially, a strong, powerful, spirited horse for military service; a charger. -- War paint, paint put on the face and other parts of the body by savages, as a token of going to war. "Wash the war paint from your faces." Longfellow. -- War song, a song of or pertaining to war; especially, among the American Indians, a song at the war dance, full of incitements to military ardor. -- War whoop, a war cry, especially that uttered by the American Indians.
WAR War, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Warred; p. pr. & vb. n. Warring.] 1
Defn: To make war; to invade or attack a state or nation with force of arms; to carry on hostilities; to be in a state by violence. Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it. Isa. vii. 1. Why should I war without the walls of Troy Shak. Our countrymen were warring on that day! Byron.
2. To contend; to strive violently; to fight. "Lusts which war against the soul." 1 Pet. ii. 11.
WAR War, v. t.
1. To make war upon; to fight. [R.] To war the Scot, and borders to defend. Daniel.
2. To carry on, as a contest; to wage. [R.] That thou . . . mightest war a good warfare. Tim. i. 18.
WAR-BEATEN War"-beat`en, a.
Defn: Warworn.
WARBLE War"ble, n. Etym: [Cf. Wormil.]
1. (Far.) (a) A small, hard tumor which is produced on the back of a horse by the heat or pressure of the saddle in traveling. (b) A small tumor produced by the larvæ of the gadfly in the backs of horses, cattle, etc. Called also warblet, warbeetle, warnles.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Wormil.
WARBLE War"ble, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Warbled; p. pr. & vb. n. Warbling.] Etym: [OE. werbelen, OF. werbler; of Teutonic origin; cf. G. wirbeln to turn, to warble, D. wervelen, akin to E. whirl. See Whirl.]
1. To sing in a trilling, quavering, or vibratory manner; to modulate with turns or variations; to trill; as, certain birds are remarkable for warbling their songs.
2. To utter musically; to modulate; to carol. If she be right invoked in warbled song. Milton. Warbling sweet the nuptial lay. Trumbull.
3. To cause to quaver or vibrate. "And touch the warbled string." Milton.
WARBLE War"ble, v. i.
1. To be quavered or modulated; to be uttered melodiously. Such strains ne'er warble in the linnet's throat. Gay.
3. To sing in a trilling manner, or with many turns and variations. "Birds on the branches warbling." Milton.
3. To sing with sudden changes from chest to head tones; to yodel.
WARBLE War"ble, n.
Defn: A quavering modulation of the voice; a musical trill; a song. And he, the wondrous child, Whose silver warble wild Outvalued every pulsing sound. Emerson.
WARBLER War"bler, n.
1. One who, or that which, warbles; a singer; a songster; -- applied chiefly to birds. In lulling strains the feathered warblers woo. Tickell.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of small Old World singing birds belonging to the family Sylviidæ, many of which are noted songsters. The bluethroat, blackcap, reed warbler (see under Reed), and sedge warbler (see under Sedge) are well-known species.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of small, often bright colored, American singing birds of the family or subfamily Mniotiltidæ, or Sylvicolinæ. They are allied to the Old World warblers, but most of them are not particularly musical.