Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary 1908/V Verse



the twenty-second letter of our alphabet, a differentiated form of U—in sound it is a labio-dental and closely related to F. As a Roman numeral V=5;  V =5000.

Vacant, vā′kant, adj. empty: free: not occupied by an incumbent or possessor: not occupied with study, &c.: thoughtless, inane.—n. ', emptiness: idleness: empty space, void or gap between bodies: a situation unoccupied: (Shak.) unoccupied or leisure time.—adv. '.—v.t. ', to leave empty: to quit possession of: (obs.) to annul, to make useless.—ns. ', a vacating or making void or invalid: freedom from, duty, &c.: recess: break in the sittings of law-courts: school and college holidays; ', one travelling for pleasure.—adj. '.—n. , the act of annulling in law. [Fr.,—L. vacans, -antis, pr.p. of vacāre, -ātum, to be empty.]

Vaccinate, vak′si-nāt, v.t. to inoculate with the cowpox as a preventive against smallpox.—adjs. ', producing vaccine; ', pertaining to vaccine or to vaccination.—ns. '; ', one who vaccinates.—adj. ', pertaining to or derived from cows: of or relating to vaccinia or vaccination.—n. the virus of cowpox or vaccinia used in the process of vaccination.—n. ', an eruptive disease occurring in cattle—also . [L. vaccīnus—vacca, a cow.]

Vachery, vash′ėr-i, n. a dairy.

Vacillate, vas′i-lāt, v.i. to sway to and fro: to waver: to be unsteady.—adjs. ', vacillating; ', inclined to fluctuate: wavering: unsteady.—adv. '.—n. ', act of vacillating.—adj. , wavering. [L. vacillāre, -ātum.]

Vacuous, vak′ū-us, adj. empty, void: without intelligence, unexpressive.—v.t. ', to make empty.—ns. '; ', one who thinks there are empty spaces in nature; ', emptiness: space unoccupied: idleness, listlessness; ', a very small cavity in the tissue of organisms; '; ', vacant or empty space: a space empty or devoid of all matter:—pl. '; ', a brake working on the principle of keeping up a vacuum in a continuous pipe or pipes extending under the train, and in brake-cylinders connected to them under each vehicle, the air being sucked out by ejectors or pumps on the locomotive; ', a gauge for indicating to what extent a vacuum is produced; ', a vessel for boiling saccharine juices in a partial vacuum in sugar-making; ', a sealed glass tube in which a vacuum has been made, employed to examine the effects of a discharge of electricity through air or gas rarefied or exhausted. [L. vacuus, empty.]

Vade, vād, v.i. (Shak.) to fade. [Fade.]

Vade-mecum, vā′dē-mē′kum, n. a hand-book, pocket-companion. [L., 'go with me'—vadĕre, to go, me, abl. of ego, I, cum, with.]

Vadium, vā′di-um, n. (Scots law) a wad or surety. [L. vas, vadis.]

Vag, vag, n. (prov.) turf for fuel.

Vagabond, vag′a-bond, adj. wandering: having no settled home: driven to and fro: unsettled.—n. one who wanders without any settled habitation: a wandering, idle fellow: a scamp, a rascal.—n. '.—v.t. ', to wander like a vagabond.—adj. '.—n. '. [Fr.,—Low L.,—vagāri, to wander—vagus, wandering.]

Vagary, va-gā′ri, n. a wandering of the thoughts: a wild freak: a whim:—pl. '.—n. ', a person with vagaries.—adjs. '; '.—n. , irregularity, capriciousness.

Vagina, vā-jī′na, n. (anat.) the canal or passage which leads from the external orifice to the uterus, a sheath, case: the upper part of the pedestal of a terminus: (bot.) a leaf-stalk when it becomes thin and rolls round the stem to which it then forms a stalk, as in grasses.—adjs. '; ' (bot.), investing as a sheath; ', ' (bot.), invested by the tubular base of a leaf or leaf-stalk, as a stem: denoting a certain order of sheathed polypes; ', ', living in a vagina; ', bearing a vagina; ', ', sheath-winged.—ns. ', spasmodic contraction of the vagina; ', inflammation of the vagina; ', cutting of the vagina; ', ', a diminutive vagina.—adj. , having a vaginula, sheathed. [L., 'a sheath.']

Vagitus, vā-jī′tus, n. the cry of a new-born child. [L.,—vagīre, to cry.]

Vagous, vā′gus, adj. wandering.

Vagrant, vā′grant, adj. wandering without any settled dwelling: unsettled: uncertain, erratic: (med.) wandering.—n. one who has no settled home: an idle or disorderly person: a beggar.—ns. ', ' (rare), the state of being a vagrant: life and habits of a vagrant.—adv. . [L. vagans, -antis, pr.p. of vagāri, to wander; with r intruded.]

Vagrom, vā′grom, (Shak.) Dogberry's perverted spelling and pronunciation of vagrant.

Vague, vāg, adj. unsettled: indefinite: uncertain: of doubtful origin: not thinking clearly.—v.i. (obs.) to wander.—n. indefinite expanse.—adv. '.—n. '. [Fr.,—L. vagus, wandering.]

Vagus, vā′gus, n. the tenth cranial nerve or wandering nerve, the longest and most widely extended of the nerves of the brain:—pl. .

Vaidic, vā′dik, adj. Same as Vedic.

Vail, vāl. Same as Veil.

Vail, vāl, v.t. to let fall.—v.i. to yield: to drop, move down.—n. (Shak.) submission, decline.—n. . [Contr. from avale; cf. Avalanche.]

Vail, vāl′, v.i. (poet.) to profit, avail.—n.pl. Vails, money given to servants by a visitor—also Vales. [Contr. from avail.]

Vain, vān, adj. unsatisfying: fruitless: unreal: silly: conceited: showy: (B.) vacant, worthless.—adv. '.—ns. ', fruitlessness: (Shak.) empty pride, folly; , worthlessness, futility: empty pride or ostentation: ambitious display: idle show: empty pleasure: fruitless desire, a trifle: (Shak.) a personified vice in the old moralities and puppet-shows: (B.) a heathen deity.—Vanity Fair, the world as the scene of vanity or empty folly, the world of fashion, so named from the fair described in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.—In vain, For vain (Shak.), ineffectually: to no end: with levity or profanity. [Fr.,—L. vanus, empty.]

Vainglory, vān-glō′ri, n. vain or empty glory in one's own performances: pride above desert.—v.i. to boast vainly.—adj. ', given to vainglory: proceeding from vanity.—adv. '.—n. .

Vair, vār, n. (her.) a kind of fur, the skin of the squirrel, bluish-gray on the back and white on the belly, represented by blue and white shields or bells in horizontal rows.—adjs. Vairé, Vairy charged or variegated with vair. [O. Fr.,—L. varius, variegated.]

Vaishnava, vīsh′na-va, n. a worshipper of Vishnu, the Vaishnavas forming one of the great sects of Brahmanism. [Sans.,—Vishnu, Vishnu.]

Vaisya, vīs′ya, n. a member of the third caste among the Hindus. [Sans. vaiçya—viç, settler.]

Vaivode, Waywode=Voivode.

Vakass, va-kas′, n. a semicircular eucharistic vestment in Armenian use—also called Ephod.

Vake, vāk, v.i. (Scot.) to be vacant.

Vakeel, Vakil, va-kēl′, n. a native attorney or agent in the East Indies. [Hind.,—Ar. vakīl.]

Valance, val′ans, n. hanging drapery for a bed, &c.—also .—v.t. to decorate with such. [From Valence—L. Valentia, in France.]

Valdenses=Waldenses.

Vale, vāl, n. a tract of low ground, esp. between hills: a valley. [Fr. val—L. vallis, a vale.]

Valediction, val-ē-dik′shun, n. a farewell.—adj. ', saying farewell: farewell: taking leave.—n. a farewell oration spoken at American graduations by the graduating person of highest rank, often called the '. [L. valedicĕre, -dictum—vale, farewell, dicĕre, to say.]

Valence, vā′lens, n. (chem.) the combining power of an element, or the proportion in which it forms a combination with another.—Also . [From L. valēre, to be strong.]

Valenciennes, va-long-si-enz′, n. a kind of lace made at Valenciennes in France.

Valentine, val′en-tīn, n. a lover or sweetheart chosen on St Valentine's Day, 14th February: a love-letter or other amatory print sent on that day. [O. Fr. valentin, a young person betrothed on the first Sunday in Lent, perh. from a form valant, equiv. to galant, gallant, but commonly identified with the name of St Valentine, on whose day the choice of valentines came to be made, because birds on that day were supposed to choose their mates.]

Valentinian, val-en-tin′i-an, n. one of a Gnostic sect founded by Valentinus (died c. 160 A.D.).—adj. belonging to the foregoing.—n. .

Valerian, va-lē′ri-an, n. the plant all-heal, the root of which is used in medicine.—adj. , pertaining to or obtained from the root of valerian. [O. Fr.,—L. valēre, to be strong.]

Valet, val′et, or val′ā, n. a man-servant, esp. one who attends on a gentleman's person.—v.t. to act as valet to.—n. Valet de place, in France, one who offers his services as guide, messenger, &c. for hire, esp. to strangers. [O. Fr.,—vaslet, later also varlet—Low L. vassalettus, dim. of vassalis, a vassal.]

Valetudinarian, val-ē-tū-di-nā′ri-an, adj. pertaining to ill-health: sickly: weak—also '.—n. a person of weak health.—ns. ', ', the condition of a valetudinarian: weak health; ', an ancient Roman hospital. [L. valetudinarius—valetudo, state of health—valēre, to be strong.]

Valgus, val′gus, n. a bow-legged man: a form of club-foot—talipes valgus:—pl.  (-jī). [L.]

Valhalla, val-hal′la, n. (Scand. myth.) the palace of immortality for the souls of heroes slain in battle: an edifice forming the final resting-place of the heroes of a nation. [Ice. valhöll, 'the hall of the slain'—valr, the slain, conn. with A.S. wæl, slaughter, Ice. höll, hall.]

Valiant, val′yant, adj. strong: brave: intrepid in danger: heroic.—n. (obs.) a valiant person.—ns. ', '.—adv. ', bravely.—n. ', courage. [Fr. vaillant—L. valens, valentis, pr.p. of valēre, to be strong.]

Valid, val′id, adj. strong: having sufficient strength or force: founded in truth: sound: conclusive: (law) executed with the proper formalities: legal: rightful.—v.t. ', to confirm, give legal force to: test the validity of.—ns. '; '.—adv. '.—n. . [Fr.,—L. validus—valēre, to be strong.]

Valise, va-lēs′, n. a travelling bag, generally of leather, opening at the side: a portmanteau. [Fr.,—L. valise (It. valigia, Sp. balija), orig. unknown.]

Valkyr, val′kir, n. (Scand. myth.) one of the nine handmaidens of Odin, serving at the banquet of Valhalla—also ', '.—adjs. ', '. [Ice. valkyrja—valr, the slain, kyrja—kjósa, to choose. Ger. Walküre.]

Vallar, val′ar, adj. pertaining to a rampart.—Also . [L. vallum.]

Vallate, val′āt, adj. cup-shaped: circumvallate.—Also .

Vallecula, va-lek′ū-la, n. a groove or furrow.—adjs. ', '.

Valley, val′i, n. a vale or low land between hills or mountains: a low, extended plain, usually watered by a river:—pl. . [O. Fr. valee (Fr. vallée)—val, a vale.]

Vallisneria, val-is-nē′ri-a, n. a genus of the natural order of plants Hydrocharideæ. [Named after Antonio Vallisneri (1661-1730), an Italian naturalist.]

Vallum, val′um, n. a rampart, entrenchment: (anat.) the eyebrow. [L., 'a rampart.']

Valonia, va-lō′ni-a, n. the large acorn-cup of a species of oak which grows round the Levant, used in tanning. [It. vallonia—Gr. balanos, an acorn.]

Valour, val′ur, n. intrepidity: courage: bravery.—adj. ', intrepid: courageous.—adv. '. [O. Fr. valour—Low L. valor—L. valēre, to be strong.]

Value, val′ū, n. worth: that which renders anything useful or estimable: the degree of this quality: esteem, regard: efficacy: importance: excellence: price: precise meaning: (mus.) the relative length of a tone signified by a note: (paint.) relation of one part of a picture to the others with reference to light and shade and without reference to hue: (math.) the special determination of a quantity.—v.t. to estimate the worth of: to rate at a price: to esteem: to prize.—v.i. (Shak.) to be worth.—adj. ', having value or worth: costly: deserving esteem.—n. a thing of value, a choice article—often in pl.—ns. '; ', the act of valuing: value set upon a thing: estimated worth; ', one who sets a value upon: an appraiser.—adjs. '; '.—n. , one who values.—Value in exchange, exchange value: (''pol. econ.) economic value (i.e. the amount of other commodities for which a thing can be exchanged in open market) as distinguished from its more general meaning of utility; Value received, a phrase indicating that a bill of exchange, &c., has been accepted for a valuable consideration.—Good value, full worth in exchange. [O. Fr. value, prop. the fem. of Fr. valu, pa.p. of valoir, to be worth—L. valēre''.]

Valve, valv, n. one of the leaves of a folding-door: a cover to an aperture which opens in one direction and not in the other: one of the pieces or divisions forming a shell: (anat.) a membraneous fold resembling a valve or serving as a valve in connection with the flow of blood, lymph, or other fluid—also '.—adjs. ', pertaining to a valve; ', having or resembling a valve or valves: (bot.) meeting at the edges without overlapping, as the petals of flowers; Valved, having or composed of valves.—ns. ', the mechanism for working a valve; ', ', ', a little valve: (bot.) formerly used of the pieces which compose the outer covering of a pericarp.—adj. '.—n. , inflammation of one of the valves of the heart. [Fr.,—L. valva, a folding-door.]

Vambrace, vam′brās, n. a piece of plate-armour to protect the forearm.—adj.  (her.), having armour on the forearm. [Also vantbrace, vantbrass—Fr. avant-bras—avant, before, bras, arm.]

Vamose, va-mōs′, v.i. (slang) to be off, to be gone. [Sp. vamos, 1st pers. pl. pres. indic.—L. vadimus, we go—vadĕre, to go.]

Vamp, vamp, n. the upper leather of a boot or shoe.—v.t. to repair with a new vamp: to patch old with new: give a new face to: (mus.) to improvise an accompaniment to (coll.).—v.i. to improvise accompaniments, to travel, proceed.—n. , one who vamps or cobbles up anything old to pass for new.—Vamp up, to patch up, to improvise, to cook up.—In Vamp, in pawn. [Corr. of Fr. avant-pied, the forepart of the foot—avant, before, pied—L. pes, pedis, foot.]

Vampire, vam′pīr, n. in eastern Europe, an accursed body which cannot rest in the kindly earth, but nightly leaves its grave to suck the blood of sleeping men: an extortioner.—n. ', the name of several species of bats all supposed to suck blood—the real blood-suckers only in Central and South America, attacking cattle, horses, and sometimes human beings asleep.—adj. '.—n. , the actions of a vampire or the practice of blood-sucking: extortion. [Fr.,—Servian vampir; the word is common in the Slavonic tongues.]

Vamplate, vam′plāt, n. the iron plate through which the lance passed, serving as a protection to the hand when the lance was couched. [Fr. avant-plat—avant, before, plat, plate.]

Van, van, n. the front: the front of an army or a fleet: the leaders of any movement. [Abbrev. of vanguard.]

Van, van, n. a fan for grain, &c.: a vane, wing: a test for ascertaining the value of an ore by washing a small quantity on a shovel.—v.t. to separate ore in this way.—ns. ', an ore-separator; '. [Fr.,—L. vannus.]

Van, van, n. a large covered wagon for goods, &c.: a light vehicle, covered or not, used by tradesmen in delivering goods: a carriage in a railway-train for carrying luggage, for the use of the guard, &c. [Short for caravan.]

Vanadium, van-ā′di-um, n. a rare metal somewhat resembling silver in appearance, very brittle and infusible, and unoxidisible either by air or water.—ns. ', ', a salt formed by vanadic acid combined with a base.—adjs. ', ', ', pertaining to or obtained from vanadium; ', yielding vanadium.—n. , a compound of lead vanadate and lead chloride. [Named from Vanadis, a Scandinavian goddess.]

Vancourier, van′kōō-ri-er, n. a precursor. [Fr. avant-courier—avant, before.]

Vandal, van′dal, n. one of a fierce race from north-eastern Germany who entered Gaul about the beginning of the 5th century, crossed the Pyrenees into Spain (leaving their name in Andalusia=Vandalitia), next under Genseric crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, and carried devastation and ruin from the shores of the Atlantic to the frontiers of Cyrene: any one hostile to arts or literature, a barbarian.—adjs. ', ', barbarous, rude.—n. , hostility to arts or literature. [Low L. Vandali, Vinduli—the Teut. name seen in Dut. Wenden, the Wends.]

Vandyke, van-dīk′, n. one of the points forming an edge or border, as of lace, ribbon, &c.: a painting by Vandyke: a small round cape, the border ornamented with points and indentations, as seen in paintings by Vandyke of the time of Charles I.—adj. pertaining to the style of dress represented in portraits by Vandyke.—v.t. to cut the edge off in points.—n. ', a reddish-brown pigment, a species of peat or lignite.—adj. ', notched with large points like a Vandyke collar. [Anthony Van Dyck (1599-1641), a great Flemish painter.]

Vane, vān, n. a flag or banner: a thin slip of wood or metal at the top of a spire, &c., to show which way the wind blows: a weather-cock: the thin web of a feather: one of the blades of a windmill.—adjs. Vaned, furnished with vanes; . [Older form fane—A.S. fana; Goth. fana, cloth, Ger. fahne; akin to L. pannus, Gr. penos, a cloth.]

Vanessa, va-nes′a, n. a genus of butterflies, e.g. the Vanessa atalanta or Red Admiral, Vanessa antiope or Camberwell Beauty. [Perh. intended for Phanessa—Gr. Phanēs, a mystic divinity.]

Vang, vang, n. (naut.) one of two guy-ropes from the end of a gaff to the deck to steady the peak. [Dut.]

Vanguard, van′gärd, n. the guard in the van of an army: the part of an army preceding the main body: the front line. [Formerly vantgard—Fr. avant-garde—avant, before, garde, guard.]

Vanilla, va-nil′a, n. the dried aromatic sheath-like pod or fruit of a tropical epiphytal orchid, a favourite confection.—adj. . [Latinised from Fr. vanille—Sp. vainilla—vaina—L. vagina, a sheath.]

Vanish, van′ish, v.i. to pass away from a place, leaving it vacant or empty: to disappear: to be annihilated or lost: (math.) to become zero: (Shak.) to exhale.—n. '.—adv. '.—n. .—Vanishing point, the point of disappearance of anything. [Through Fr. from L. vanescĕre, to pass away—vanus, empty.]

Vanity. See Vain.

Vanner. See Van (2).

Vanquish, vangk′wish, v.t. to conquer: to defeat in any contest: to confute.—adj. ', capable of being vanquished.—ns. '; . [Fr. vaincre (pa.t. vainquis)—L. vincĕre, to conquer.]

Vantage, van′tāj, n. advantage: in lawn-tennis, same as advantage: (Shak.) opportunity, convenience, excess, addition.—v.i. (Spens.) to benefit, profit.—ns. ', ', superiority of place, opportunity, &c.

Vantbrace, Vantbrass, n. See Vambrace.

Vanward, van′wawrd, adj. (rare) situated in or pertaining to the van or front.—n. the advance-guard of an army on the march. [Van and ward.]

Vapid, vap′id, adj. having the spirit evaporated: spiritless: insipid.—adv. '.—ns. ', . [L. vapidus.]

Vaporole, vā′pō-rōl, n. a thin glass capsule, containing a volatile drug wrapped in cotton-wool and enclosed in a silk bag, to be crushed in the fingers so as to permit inhalation.

Vapour, Vapor, vā′pur, n. the gas into which most liquids and solids are convertible by heat: the condition of a body when it becomes gas by heat: water in the atmosphere: anything vain or transitory: (pl.) a disease of nervous weakness in which a variety of strange images float before the mind, temporary depression of spirits, dejection.—v.i. to pass off in vapour: to evaporate: to boast: to brag.—v.t. to make to pass into vapour: to cause to dissolve into gas, thin air, or other unsubstantial thing: (rare) to depress, dispirit: (obs.) to bully.—adjs. ', ', capable of being converted into vapour.—n. ', a Russian bath.—adjs. ', producing vapour; ', converting into steam or other vapour; ', existing in the form of vapour.—n. '.—v.t. ', to convert into vapour.—v.i. to pass off in vapour.—adj. ', full of vapours: hypochondriacal: peevish.—n. ', an instrument for measuring the pressure of a vapour.—adjs. ', ', full of or like vapour: vain: affected with the vapours: unsubstantial, vainly imaginative.—adv. '.—ns. ', '; ', an apparatus for bathing the body in vapour of water.—adj. ', full of vapours: affected with the vapours.—ns. ', one who vapours, a boaster; ', windy or ostentatious talk.—adv. '.—adj. , full of vapour: affected with the vapours: peevish. [Fr.,—L. vapor.]

Vapulation, vap-ū-lā′shun, n. (rare) a flogging.—adj. . [L. vapulāre, to be flogged.]

Vaquero, va-kā′rō, n. a herdsman.—n. Vacqueria a farm for grazing cattle. [Sp.,—Fr. vacher, a cowherd—L. vacca, a cow.]

Vara, vä′ra, n. a Spanish-American linear measure, about thirty-three inches. [Vare.]

Varangian, va-ran′ji-an, n. the name given by the Slavic Russians and the Greeks to one of those Northmen or Värings who made settlements on the east side of the Baltic in the second half of the 9th century, and laid the foundations under Rurik of the kingdom of Gardarike out of which grew the subsequent Russia.—Varangian Guard, a trusted bodyguard of the emperors of Constantinople from the end of the 10th century down to the close in 1453.

Varanus, var′a-nus, n. the typical genus of Varanidæ, a family of eriglossate lacertilians, a monitor.—n. ', a varanoid lizard.—adj. '.

Vare, vār, n. a wand of authority. [Sp. vara, a pole—L. vara, a trestle, forked stick—varus, crooked.]

Varec, var′ek, n. a Breton impure sodium carbonate. [Fr.,—Ice. vágrek, vágr, a wave, rek, drift.]

Vareuse, va-rėz′, n. a kind of loose jacket. [Fr.]

Vargueno, var-gā′nō, n. a form of cabinet made at Vargas in Spain, having a box-shaped body with lid, resting on columns, and opening at the bottom so as to serve as a writing-desk.

Variable, vā′ri-a-bl, adj. that may be varied: changeable: liable to change: unsteady: (bot., zool.) of a species embracing many individuals and groups departing more or less from the strict type: (math.) quantitatively indeterminate: (astron.) changing in brightness.—n. (math.) a quantity subject to continual increase or decrease: a quantity which may have an infinite number of values in the same expression: a shifting wind.—ns. ' (biol.), tendency to depart in any direction from the mean character of the species; '.—adv. '.—v.t. ', to vary.—v.i. to change.—adj. ', varied, diversified: varriated.—n. ', a varying: a change: change from one to another: successive change: the extent to which a thing varies: (gram.) change of termination: (mus.) a manner of singing or playing the same air with various changes in time, rhythm, or key: (astron.) deviation from the mean orbit of a heavenly body: (biol.) departure from the mean character of a species.—adjs. ', pertaining to variation; ', tending to variation.—Variable species, any species with marked rate of variability. [Fr.,—L. variabilis.]

Variance, vā′ri-ans, n. state of being varied: an alteration: a change of condition: (law) a discrepancy: difference that arises from, or produces, dispute.—n. , a different form of the same original word: a different reading, e.g. in a manuscript.—adj. diverse, variable, inconstant.—At variance, in disagreement.

Varicella, var-i-sel′a, n. chicken-pox—applied also loosely to various eruptive diseases, as swine-pox, hives, or varioloid.—adjs. ', pertaining to varicella; ', resembling varicella.

Varicocele, var′i-kō-sēl, n. an enlargement of the veins of the spermatic cord, or sometimes of the veins of the scrotum. [L. varix, a dilated vein, Gr. kēlē, a tumour.]

Varicoloured, vā′ri-kul-urd, adj. diversified in colour.—Also . [L. varius, various, color, colour.]

Varicorn, vā′ri-korn, adj. having diversiform antennæ.—n. a varicorn beetle. [L. varius, various, cornu, a horn.]

Varicose, var′i-kōs, adj. permanently dilated or enlarged, as a vein, the actual dilatation being called a varix—most often in the sub-mucous veins of the rectum (constituting hæmorrhoids or piles), in the spermatic veins (giving rise to varicocele), and in the veins of the lower extremities—also '.—adjs. ', marked by varicose formations (said of shells); '.—n. ', state of being varicose.—Varicose veins, a condition in which the superficial veins, usually of the leg, are swollen for no apparent physiological reason. [L. varicosus, full of dilated veins—varix, a dilated vein—varus, bent, crooked.]

Variegate, vā′ri-e-gāt, v.t. to mark with different colours.—ns. ', in plants, a condition in which other colours are exhibited in parts where green is the normal colour; '. [L. variegatus—varius, various, agĕre, to make.]

Variety, va-rī′e-ti, n. the quality of bring various: difference: many-sidedness, versatility: a collection of different things: one of a number of things nearly allied to each other: one or more individuals of a species, which, owing to accidental causes, differ from the normal form in minor points:—pl. '.—adj. ' (biol.), having the character of a zoological or botanical variety.—adv. '.—ns. ', a mixed entertainment comprising dances, songs, negro-minstrelsy, farces, short sketches, &c.; ', a theatre devoted to variety-shows.—adj. ', varied in form.—v.t. , to variegate. [L. varietas—varius, various.]

Variola, vā-rī′ō-la, n. smallpox.—adjs. ', ', '.—ns. ', inoculation with the virus of smallpox; ', a shallow pit or pitted marking, a foveole; ', a rock covered with pea-like pustular forms, held in India as a preventive of smallpox and worn sometimes as an amulet round the neck.—adjs. ', pertaining to variolite; ', resembling smallpox: resembling measles.—n. modified smallpox. [Low L.,—L. varius, various, spotted.]

Variometer, vā-ri-om′e-tėr, n. an instrument used in measuring magnetic intensity. [L. varius, various, Gr. metron, measure.]

Variorum, vā-rī-ō′rum, adj. a term applied to an edition of some work in which the notes of various commentators are inserted. [From the full Latin 'editio cum notis variorum.']

Various, vā′ri-us, adj. varied, different: several: unlike each other: changeable: uncertain: variegated.—adv. '.—n. '. [L. varius.]

Variscite, var′i-sīt, n. a mineral very like a greenish turquoise found in Brittany. [From L. Variscia, Voigtland, part of Saxony.]

Varix, vā′riks, n. abnormal dilatation or tortuosity of a vein:—pl. . [L.,—varus, bent.]

Varlet, vär′let, n. a footman: a low fellow: a scoundrel.—n.  (Shak.), the rabble, the crowd. [O. Fr. varlet, formerly vaslet, from a dim. of Low L. vassalis.]

Varmin, Varmint, var′min, var′mint, dialectal variants for vermin.

Varnish, vär′nish, v.t. to cover with a liquid so as to give a glossy surface to: to give a fair appearance to.—n. a sticky liquid which dries and forms a hard, lustrous coating: a glossy, lustrous appearance: any gloss or palliation.—ns. '; '; ', a day before the opening of a picture exhibition when exhibitors may varnish or retouch their pictures after they have been hung; ', a name given to trees of several distinct natural orders, the resinous juice of which is used for varnishing or for lacquering. [Fr. vernis—Low L. vitrinus, glassy—L. vitrum, glass.]

Varriated, var′i-ā-ted, adj. (her.) battlemented with solid projections and crenelles, both pointed bluntly, but in the latter case reversed. [So named from the resemblance to vair.]

Varsal, var′sal, adj. (coll.) universal.

Varsity, var′si-ti, n. (coll.) university.

Varsovienne, var-sō-vi-en′, n. a dance imitated from the Polish mazurka, the music for such. [Fr., fem. of Varsovien—Varsovie, Warsaw.]

Vartabed, vär′ta-bed, n. one of an order of Armenian clergy devoted to teaching.—Also .

Varuna, var′ōō-na, n. an ancient Indian Vedic god of heaven and day—latterly, rather the deity that rules over the waters.

Varus, vā′rus, n. the same as talipes varus: a knock-kneed person. [L.]

Varus, vā′rus, n. acne. [L.]

Varvels, värv′elz, n. same as Vervels.—adj.  (her.), provided with vervels or rings.

Vary, vā′ri, v.t. to make different: to diversify, modify: (mus.) to alter or embellish a melody, preserving its identity: (Shak.) to express variously: to change to something else: to make of different kinds.—v.i. to alter or be altered: to be or become different: to change in succession: to deviate (with from): to disagree: (math.) to be subject to continual increase or decrease:—pa.t. and pa.p. —n. (Shak.) change.—adj. '.—adv. '.—n. , one who varies. [Fr. varier—L. variāre—varius.]

Vas, vas, n. (anat., zool.) a vessel containing blood, &c.:—pl. '.—adjs. ', pertaining to a vas; ', having the form of a duct; ', serving to regulate the tension of blood-vessels, as nerves; ', '. [L.]

Vasalium, va-sā′li-um, n. vascular tissue proper.

Vascular, vas′kū-lar, adj. of or relating to the vessels of animal and vegetable bodies.—n.pl. ', a division of the vegetable kingdom embracing plants with vessels or ducts.—v.t. '.—n. '.—adv. '.—adjs. '; '.—ns. ', the substance, closely allied to cellulose, that makes up the greater part of the vessels of plants; ', a botanist's specimen-box. [Fr. vasculaire—L. vasculum, dim. of vas, a vessel.]

Vase, vāz, or v[ä]z, n. a vessel of stone, metal, glass, or earthenware, anciently used for domestic purposes and in offering sacrifices: an ornamental vessel generally of an antique pattern: a sculptured, vaselike ornament: (archit.) the body of the Corinthian capital.—n. ', the decoration of vases with pigments, esp. the decoration of the pottery of the ancient Greeks.—adj. '.—Etruscan vases, Greek vases so called mistakenly because found in Etruscan tombs; Portland vase, a famous Græco-Roman cameo-glass with reliefs in opaque white glass on a dark-blue ground, 9¾ inches high, now preserved in the British Museum. [Fr.,—L. vasum or vas.]

Vaseline, vas′e-lin, n. a yellowish, almost tasteless and inodorous, translucent substance obtained from petroleum, used as a salve, liniment, lubricant, &c. [Formed from Ger. wasser, water, and Gr. elaion, oil.]

Vasiform, Vasomotor. See Vas.

Vassal, vas′al, n. one who holds land from, and renders homage to, a superior: a dependant, retainer: a bondman, slave: (Shak.) a low wretch.—adj. (Shak.) servile.—v.t. to enslave, to dominate.—ns. ', state of being a vassal: dependence: subjection: a fee, fief: (Shak.) vassals collectively; ' (Spens.), a female vassal; , vassals collectively. [Fr.,—Low L. vassalis—Bret. gwaz, a servant; cf. W. gwas, a youth.]

Vast, vast, adj. of great extent: very great in amount: very great in degree, mighty: (Shak.) vacant, desolate.—n. immensity: (coll.) a large quantity: (Shak.) the darkness of night.—ns. ' (Shak.), immensity, desolation; '.—adv. '.—ns. '; ', one of the great muscles upon the front of the thigh.—adj. ', large, enormously great. [Fr. vaste—L. vastus, waste, vast; cf. A.S. wéste, waste.]

Vat, vat, n. a large vessel or tank, esp. one for holding liquors.—v.t. to put in a vat.—n. , the contents of a vat. [Older form fat—A.S. fæt; Dut. vat, Ice. fat, Ger. fass.]

Vatican, vat′i-kan, n. an assemblage of buildings on the Vatican hill in Rome, including one of the pope's palaces: the papal authority.—ns. ', the system of theology and ecclesiastical government based on absolute papal authority, ultramontanism; ', one who upholds such a system.—Vatican Codex, a famous uncial MS. of the Greek Testament, of the 4th century, in the Vatican library at Rome; Vatican Council, the Twentieth Ecumenical Council, according to popish reckoning, which met 8th December 1869 and proclaimed the Infallibility of the Pope. [Fr.,—It. Vaticano—L. Mons Vaticanus, a hill in Rome.]

Vaticide, vat′i-sīd, n. the killing of a prophet: one who kills a prophet. [L. vates, vatis, a prophet, cædĕre, to kill.]

Vaticinate, va-tis′i-nāt, v.t. to prophesy.—adj. ', prophetic, oracular, inspired—also '.—ns. ', prophecy: prediction; ', a prophet. [L. vaticināri, -ātus, to prophesy—vates, a seer.]

Vaudeville, vōd′vil, n. originally a popular song with topical allusions: a play interspersed with dances and songs incidentally introduced and usually comic.—n. , a composer of these. [From vau (val) de Vire, the valley of the Vire, in Normandy, where they were first composed about 1400 A.D.]

Vaudois, vō-dwo′, n. a native of Vaud: the dialect spoken in Vaud.—adj. pertaining to Vaud or its people.

Vaudois, vō-dwo′, n. one of the Waldenses (q.v.).—adj. Waldensian.

Vaudoo. See Voodoo.

Vault, vawlt, n. an arched roof: a chamber with an arched roof, esp. one underground: a cellar: anything vault-like: a leap or spring by means of a pole or by resting the hands on something: the bound of a horse: a jump.—v.t. to shape as a vault: to arch: to roof with an arch: to form vaults in.—v.i. to curvet or leap, as a horse: to leap: to exhibit feats of leaping or tumbling.—n. ' (Shak.), an arched cellar: vaulted work.—adj. ', arched: concave overhead: covered with an arch or vault.—ns. ', one who vaults or leaps; ' (archit.), vaulted work; ', a wooden horse used in gymnasiums for vaulting over.—adj. ' (Shak.), arched, concave. [O. Fr. volte (Fr. voûte)—L. volvĕre, volutum, to roll.]

Vaunce, väns, v.i. (Spens.) to advance.

Vaunt, vawnt′, or vänt, v.i. to make a vain display: to boast.—v.t. to make a vain display of: to boast of.—n. vain display: boast.—ns. '; ', vaunting.—adj. '.—n. '.—adv. . [O. Fr. vanter—Low L. vanitāre—L. vanitas, vanity—vanus, vain.]

Vaunt, vänt, n. (Shak.) the first part. [Van.]

Vaunt-courier, vänt′-kōō′-ri-ėr, n. (Shak.). Same as Vancourier.

Vaut, vawt, v.i. (Spens.) same as Vault.—adj. , vaulted.

Vavasour, vav′a-sōōr, n. in feudal times, one who held his lands not directly of the crown but of one of the higher nobility.—n. , the tenure or lands of a vavasour. [O. Fr.,—Low L. vassus vassorum, vassal of vassals—vassus, vassal.]

Vaward, vā′wawrd, n. and adj. Same as Vanward.

Veadar, vē′a-dar, n. the name of the intercalary or thirteenth month of the Jewish year, which must have been inserted about every third year. [Heb., 'the additional adar,' from ve, and, and adar, so called because it was introduced in the calendar after the month Adar.]

Veal, vēl, n. the flesh of a calf.—n. ', a skin-disease marked by white shiny tubercles on the ears and neck.—adj. ', like veal or like a calf: immature. [O. Fr. veël (Prov. vedel)—L. vitellus, dim. of vitulus; Gr. italos, a calf.]

Vector, vek′tor, n. (math.) any directed quantity, as a straight line in space, involving both its direction and magnitude.—n. ', a carrying.—adj. '. [L.,—vehĕre, vectum, to convey.]

Veda, vā′dä, n. the four holy books of the Hindus—Rigveda, or Veda of praises or hymns; Sâmaveda, or Veda of chants or tunes; Yajurveda, or Veda of prayers; and Atharvaveda, or Veda of the Atharvans:—pl. Vedas —n. ', a system of Hindu philosophy based on the Vedas.—adjs. ', . [Sans. veda, knowledge—vid, to know; cf. Wit.]

Vedette, ve-det′, n. a mounted sentry stationed at the outposts of an army to watch an enemy. [Fr.,—It. vedetta—vedere, to see—L. vidēre, to see.]

Veer, vēr, v.i. to change direction, as the wind: to alter, of the course of a ship: to change one's mind.—v.t. to turn, shift: to change a ship's course by turning her head away from the wind.—n. and adj. '.—adv. '. [Fr. virer (Prov. virar)—Low L. virāre, to turn—L. viriæ, armlets.]

Veery, vēr′i, n. the tawny thrush of North America.

Vega, vā′ga, n. a tract of flat land, a tobacco-field in Cuba. [Sp.]

Vegetable, vej′e-ta-bl, n. an organised body without sensation and voluntary motion, nourished by roots fixed in the ground: a plant for the table.—adj. belonging to plants: consisting of or having the nature of plants: derived from vegetables.—adj. ', of the nature of a vegetable: pertaining to the vital functions of plants and animals, as growth, reproduction, &c.—ns. ', a substitute for ivory, &c., made by treating woody fibre with sulphuric acid, mixing with various ingredients, and pressing into any required form; ', vegetable character, the vegetal functions collectively.—adj. ', pertaining to those who abstain from animal food: consisting of vegetables.—n. one who holds that vegetables are the only proper food for man.—n. ', the theory and practice of a vegetarian.—v.i. ', to grow by roots and leaves: to sprout: to lead an idle, aimless life.—n. ', process of growing, as a plant: vegetable growth: plants in general.—adj. ', growing, as plants: producing growth in plants: pertaining to unconscious or involuntary bodily functions as resembling the processes of vegetable growth: without intellectual activity, unprogressive.—adv. '.—n. '.—adj. Vegete vigorous.—n.  (Shak.), a vegetable.—Vegetable kingdom, that division of natural objects which embraces vegetables or plants; Vegetable marrow, the fruit of a species of gourd, so called from its marrow-like appearance; Vegetable mould, mould consisting mostly of humus; Vegetable physiology, that department of botany which treats of the growth and functions of plants. [O. Fr.,—Low L. vegetabilis, animating—L. vegetāre, to quicken—vegēre, to be lively; akin to vigēre, to be vigorous. Cf. Vigour.]

Vehement, vē′he-ment, adj. passionate: furious: very eager or urgent.—ns. ', ', the quality of being vehement: violence: great ardour or fervour.—adv. . [O. Fr.,—L. vehemens, from ve, out of, mens, mind; acc. to Vanicek, from vehĕre, to carry.]

Vehicle, vē′hi-kl, n. any kind of carriage or conveyance: that which is used to convey: (med.) a substance in which a medicine is taken: (paint.) a liquid used to render colours, varnishes, &c. fit for use.—adjs. ', ', pertaining to or serving as a vehicle.—v.t. ' (rare), to ride in a vehicle.—n. '.—adj. . [L. vehiculum—vehĕre, to carry.]

Vehmgericht, fām′ge-richt, n. one of the dread medieval German tribunals, empowered by the emperors to try cases in which the penalty was death and to execute the punishment on the guilty—also ', or simply Vehme, Fehme:—pl. Vehmgerichte —adj. '. [Ger.,—fehme, fehm, a criminal tribunal, gericht, judgment.]

Veil, vāl, n. a curtain: anything that hides an object: a piece of muslin or thin cloth worn by ladies to shade or hide the face: a cover: a disguise: an obscuration of the clearness of the tones in pronunciation: in fungi, the partial covering of the stem or margin of the cap—applied also to the indusium of ferns.—v.t. to cover with a veil: to cover: to conceal.—n. ', the act of concealing with a veil: a veil: material for making veils.—adjs. ', wanting a veil: uncovered; ' (philol.), denoting sounds (gw, kw, &c.) produced by the veil of the palate or soft palate; ', pertaining to a sail.—n. , a veiling: concealment, mystery.—Eucharistic or Sacramental veils, the linen or silk cloths used to cover the eucharistic vessels and the elements during the celebration of Mass or Holy Communion.—Take the veil, to become a nun. [O. Fr. veile (Fr. voile)—L. velum, a curtain—vehĕre, to carry.]

Veilleuse, vā-lyėz′, n. a shaded night-lamp.

Vein, vān, n. one of the vessels or tubes which convey the blood back to the heart: one of the horny tubes forming the framework of an insect's wings: (bot.) one of the small branching ribs in a leaf: a seam of a different mineral through a rock: a fissure or cavity: a streak in wood or stone: a train of thought: a course: tendency or turn of mind: mood or humour.—v.t. to form veins or the appearance of veins in.—n. ', veins collectively.—adj. Veined, full of veins: streaked, variegated: (bot.) having vessels branching over the surface, as a leaf.—n. ', formation or disposition of veins: streaking.—adj. ', having no veins.—n. ' (bot.), a little vein or vessel branching out from a larger one.—adjs. ', ', full of veins.—ns. ', the earthy part of a lode; ', a very small vein. [Fr. veine—L. vena, perh. from vehĕre, to carry.]

Velamentum, vel-a-men′tum, n. a membrane or membraneous envelope—also '.—adj. ', veil-like.

Velarium, vē-lā′ri-um, n. an awning which could be drawn over the Roman amphitheatre: the marginal membrane of certain hydrozoans:—pl. .

Velatura, vel-a-tōō′ra, n. a method of glazing a painting by rubbing on colour with the hand. [It.]

Veldt, velt, n. in South Africa, the name given to unforested or thinly-forested grass country.—Also Veld. [Dut. veld, field.]

Vele, vēl, n. (Spens.). Same as Veil.

Velia, vē′li-a, n. a genus of semi-aquatic water-bugs.

Velitation, vel-i-tā′shun, n. a slight skirmish.

Velite, vē′līt, n. a light-armed Roman soldier. [L. veles, velitis.]

Vell, vel, v.t. (prov.) to cut the turf from.

Vell, vel, n. (prov.) rennet.

Velleity, ve-lē′i-ti, n. (rare) volition in its lowest form: mere inclination. [Low L. velleitas, irregularly formed from L. velle, to wish.]

Vellenage, vel′en-āj, n. (Spens.) slavery—the same as Villeinage. [Villain.]

Vellet, vel′et, n. (Spens.). Same as Velvet.

Vellicate, vel′i-kāt, v.t. and v.i. to twitch.—n. '.—adj. '. [L. vellicāre,-ātum, to pluck.]

Vellon, ve-lyōn′, n. a Spanish money of account.

Velloped, vel′opt, adj. (her.) having pendant wattles. [Prob. jelloped for dewlapped.]

Vellozia, ve-lō′zi-a, n. a genus of plants of the natural order Hæmodoraceæ, found in Brazil, Madagascar, &c. [Vellozo, Brazilian botanist.]

Vellum, vel′um, n. a finer kind of parchment prepared by lime-baths and burnishing from the skins of calves, kids, or lambs. [O. Fr. velin—Low L. (charta, paper), vitulina, of a calf—L. vitulus.]

Veloce, ve-lō′che, adv. (mus.) with great rapidity.

Velocipede, vē-los′i-pēd, n. a light vehicle originally moved by striking the toes on the road, now with a treadle—its developments are the bicycle and tricycle.—ns. ', a velocipede driven by hand; ', , one who rides on a velocipede. [Fr.,—L. velox, velocis, swift, pes, pedis, foot.]

Velocity, vē-los′i-ti, n. swiftness: speed: rate of change of position of a point per unit of time.—n. , an apparatus for measuring velocity.—Initial velocity, the rate of movement of a body at starting, esp. of a projectile. [L. velocitas—velox, swift.]

Velum, vē′lum, n. a velarium: the ciliated disc-like fold of the integument with which some embryo molluscs are provided:—pl. '.—adj. ', having a velum.—n. ', formation of a velum.—adjs. ', , having a velum.

Velure, vel′ūr, n. velvet: a silk or plush pad for smoothing or giving lustre to silk hats—also Velours —v.t. to dress with a velure.—n. ', a corded fabric of merino and fancy wool.—adj. ', velvety. [O. Fr. velours, velous (Fr. velours)—Low L. villosus, velvet—L. villosus, shaggy.]

Velvet, vel′vet, n. a cloth made from silk, with a close shaggy pile: a similar cloth made of cotton: the velvet-like covering of a growing antler: (slang) money gained by gambling.—adj. made of velvet: soft like velvet.—ns. ', a poor quality of velvet, the web of cotton, the pile of silk; ', a fustian made of twilled cotton with a pile of the same material: a kind of velvet made of silk and cotton mixed throughout; ', the love-lies-bleeding.—n.pl. ' (Shak.), velvet trimmings, applied metaphorically to the citizens who wore them.—ns. ', the nap of velvet: (pl.) velvet goods collectively; ', the Indian mallow; ', flock paper; ', any material with a long, soft nap; ', a kind of black duck with large white spot on the wings; ', embroidery on velvet.—adj. , made of or like velvet: soft: soft in taste or touch.—Stand on velvet, to place one's bets in such a way as not to loose in any event. [From Low L. velluetum—Low L. villutus—L. villus, shaggy hair.]

Vena, vē′na, n. a vein.—Vena cava, the largest vein in the body, entering the right auricle of the heart.

Venal, vē′nal, adj. that may be sold or got for a price: held for sale: mercenary.—n. ', quality of being venal: prostitution of talents or services for a reward.—adv. '. [Fr.,—L. venalis—venus, sale; Gr. ōnē, purchase.]

Venal, vē′nal, adj. pertaining to a vein or veins: contained in the veins. [L. vena, a vein.]

Venatic, -al, vē-nat′ik, -al, adj. pertaining to hunting.—adv. '.—adj. '. [Venery.]

Venation, ve-nā′shun, n. the way in which the leaves of plants are arranged: in insects, the distribution of the veins of the wings. [Vein.]

Vend, vend, v.t. to give for sale, to sell: to give for money: to make an object of trade.—ns. ', the person to whom a thing is sold; ', ', one who sells; '.—adj. ', that may be sold: that may be disposed of as an object of trade.—n. something salable.—n. '.—adv. '.—n. ' (rare), a public auction. [Fr. vendre—L. vendĕre—venus, sale, dăre, to give.]

Vendace, ven′dās, n. a variety of the whitefish, found in Great Britain only in the Castle Loch at Lochmaben. [O. Fr. vendese, vandoise (Fr. vandoise); orig. unknown.]

Vendémiaire, vong-dā-mi-ār′, n. the first month in the French Revolutionary Calendar, from 22d September to 21st October. ['The vintage-month,' Fr.,—L. vindemia, vintage—vinum, wine, demĕre, to take off—de, off, emĕre, to take.]

Vendetta, ven-det′ta, n. the practice—not yet entirely extinct in Calabria and Corsica—of individuals taking private vengeance on those who have shed the blood of their relatives. [It.,—L. vindicta, revenge—vindicāre, to claim.]

Veneer, ve-nēr′, v.t. to overlay or face with another and superior wood: to cover with a thin coating of any substance other than wood: to disguise with artificial attractiveness.—n. a thin coating, as of wood: false show or charm.—ns. ', a machine for cutting veneers from the block of wood; ', the act or art of overlaying an inferior wood with thin leaves of a more valuable kind: the thin leaf thus laid on. [Formerly fineer; corr. from Ger. furniren—O. Fr. fornir (Fr. fournir), It. fornire, to furnish.]

Venefical, vē-nef′i-kal, adj. poisonous, using sorcery—also ', '.—v.t. ', to poison.—adj. poisoned.—n. '.—adjs. '; '. [L. veneficium, a poisoning—venenum, poison, facĕre, to make.]

Venerable, ven′e-ra-bl, adj. that may be venerated: worthy of veneration, reverence, or honour: rendered sacred by religious or other associations: aged.—n. '.—adv. '. [L. venerabilis—venerāri, to venerate.]

Venerate, ven′e-rāt, v.t. to honour or reverence with religious awe: to reverence: to regard with the greatest respect.—adjs. ' (rare), ', reverent.—ns. ', the act of venerating: the state of being venerated: the highest degree of respect and reverence: respect mingled with reverence and awe: awe; ', one who venerates. [L. venerāri, -ātus.]

Venereal, vē-nē′rē-al, adj. pertaining to or arising from sexual intercourse: exciting desire for sexual intercourse: curing venereal diseases.—adj. ', lascivious: stimulating sexual desire, aphrodisiac.—n. ', sexual intercourse. [L. venereus—Venus, Venĕris, the goddess of love; conn. with L. venerāri.]

Venery, ven′ėr-i, n. the act or exercise of hunting: the sports of the chase.—ns. , a gamekeeper, hunter; Veneur a person having an oversight of the chase. [O. Fr. venerie—vener—L. venāri, to hunt.]

Venesection, vē-nē-sek′shun, n. the section or cutting open of a vein for letting blood: blood-letting. [L. vena, a vein, sectio, cutting.]

Venetian, vē-nē′shan, adj. of or belonging to Venice.—n. a native or inhabitant of Venice: a strong tape for Venetian-blinds: a domino.—n. ', a blind for windows formed of thin slips of wood, so hung as to admit of being set either edgewise or overlapping.—adj. ', furnished with Venetian-blinds.—ns. ', a delicate and beautiful glass made by the craftsmen of Venice into mirrors, cups, goblets, &c., its forms reflecting its Oriental origin, famous since the middle ages; ', the type of the Renaissance architecture developed in Venice, highly decorative and original.

Venew, ven′ū, Veney, ven′i, n. (Shak.) a bout at fencing, a thrust, a hit. [Venue.]

Venge, venj, v.t. (Shak.) to avenge, to punish.—adj. ' (Spens.), revengeful: deserving to be revenged.—n. ', the infliction of punishment upon another in return for an injury or offence: retribution: (Shak.) harm, mischief.—adv. (Shak.) extremely, exceedingly.—adj. ', vindictive, retributive: revengeful.—adv. '.—ns. '; ' (Spens.), vengeance, penal retribution;  (Spens.), an avenger.—With a vengeance (coll.), violently: exceedingly. [O. Fr. venger—L. vindicāre.]

Venial, vē′ni-al, adj. pardonable: excusable: allowed.—adv. '.—ns. ', .—Venial sin (see Mortal). [Fr.,—L. venialis, pardonable—venia, pardon.]

Veni Creator, vē′nī krē-ā′tor, n.—more fully, 'Veni Creator Spiritus'—a hymn of the Roman Breviary, used at Whitsuntide, ordinations, &c.—not to be confounded with the Veni Sancte Spiritus, Et emitte coelitus, the 'Golden Sequence.'

Venison, ven′i-zn, or ven′zn, n. the flesh of animals taken in hunting, esp. the deer. [Fr. venaison—L. venatio, a hunting, game—venāri, to hunt.]

Venite, vē-nī′tē, n. in liturgics, the 95th Psalm. [From its opening words, 'Venite exultemus.']

Vennel, ven′el, n. (Scot.) an alley, a narrow street. [Fr. venelle, a small street.]

Venom, ven′um, n. any drink, juice, or liquid injurious or fatal to life: poison: spite: malice.—adj. (Shak.) venomous, poisonous.—v.t. to infect with poison.—n. ', in a poisonous animal, the duct conveying venom from the sac or gland where it is secreted to the tooth or venom-fang whence it is discharged.—adjs. ', having a venomous mouth: (Shak.) slanderous; ', poisonous: spiteful: mischievous.—adv. '.—n. . [Fr. venin (It. veneno)—L. venenum.]

Venose, vē′nōs, adj. (bot.) having well-marked veins, veined.—n. ', the state or quality of being venous: (med.) a condition of the blood in which the venous blood is unnaturally abundant.—adj. ', pertaining to or contained in veins: veined.—adv. . [Vein.]

Vent, vent, n. a small opening to let air, &c., escape: the flue of a chimney: the opening in the top of a barrel allowing air to pass in as the liquid is drawn out: a gimlet used to extract a little liquid from a barrel for sampling purposes: discharge: escape: passage into notice: publication, utterance, voice: the anus of birds and fishes: (mil.) the opening at the breech of a firearm through which fire is conveyed to the charge, the touch-hole.—v.t. to give a vent or opening to: to let out, as at a vent: to allow to escape: to publish: to pour forth.—ns. ' (Shak.), a vent, a small hole; ' (Spens.), same as Aventail; ', ', a copper cylinder inserted through the walls of a cannon over the seat of the charge and preventing the escaping gases from injuring the metal near the vent; ', one who vents or publishes.—adj. '.—ns. ', ', a plug for stopping the vent of a barrel; , an escape-pipe.—Give vent to, to allow to escape or break out. [Altered form of fent, M. E. fente—O. Fr. fente, a slit.]

Vent, vent, n. scent: (hunting) the act of taking breath.—v.i. to sniff, snort: to take breath: (Scot.) of a chimney, to draw.—Vent up (Spens.), to lift so as to give air. [O. Fr.,—L. ventus, wind.]

Vent, vent, n. the act of selling, sale: market. [O. Fr. vente—Low L. vendita, a sale—L. vendĕre, -dĭtum, to sell.]

Ventanna, ven-tan′a, n. a window. [Sp.]

Venter, ven′tėr, n. the belly, abdomen. [L.]

Ventilate, ven′ti-lāt, v.t. to fan with wind: to open to the free passage of air: to cause fresh air to pass through: to expose to examination and discussion: to make public.—adj. '.—ns. ', flabellum; ', act or art of ventilating: state of being ventilated: free exposure to air: supply of air: act of examining and making public: public exposure.—adj. '.—n. , that which ventilates: a contrivance for introducing fresh air. [L. ventilāre, -ātum—ventulus, dim. of ventus, the wind.]

Ventose, ven′tōs, adj. windy.—n. the sixth month of the French Revolutionary Calendar, 19th February to 20th March.—n. , windiness: empty pride. [L. ventosus—ventus, wind.]

Ventral, ven′tral, adj. belonging to the belly: (bot.) denoting the anterior or inferior surface: in the body, situated opposite the dorsal or back aspect.—n. in fishes, one of the posterior fins.—advs. ' (zool., anat.), to or toward the belly, or ventral surface or aspect of the body; '.—adj. '.—n. ', a small cavity within an animal body, as in the heart or brain: (Shak.) the womb.—adjs. ', ', swelling out in the middle: bellied; . [L. ventralis—venter, the belly.]

Ventriculite, ven-trik′ū-līt, n. one of a genus of fossil sponges found in the cretaceous system, and often giving their shape to flint nodules.

Ventriloquism, ven-tril′ō-kwizm, n. the act or art of producing tones and words without any motion of the mouth, so that the hearer is induced to refer the sound to some other place—also ', '.—adv. '.—v.i. ', to practise ventriloquism.—n. ', one who practises ventriloquism.—adjs. ', ', '. [L. ventriloquus, speaking from the belly—venter, the belly, loqui, to speak.]

Ventripotent, ven-trip′ō-tent, adj. (rare) of great gastronomic capacity. [L. venter, belly, potens—posse, to have power.]

Ventrosity, ven-tros′i-ti, n. the state of having a pot-belly.

Venture, ven′tūr, n. chance, luck, hazard: that which is put to hazard (esp. goods sent by sea at the sender's risk): an undertaking whose issue is uncertain or dangerous.—v.t. to send on a venture: to expose to hazard: to risk.—v.i. to make a venture: to run a risk: to dare.—n. '.—adjs. ', '.—advs. ', '.—ns. ', .—Venture on, upon, to dare to engage in.—At a venture, at hazard, random. [Short for adventure.]

Venue, ven′ū, n. (Shak.) a hit in fencing: a bout or match: a lunge, thrust. [O. Fr.,—L. venīre, to come.]

Venue, ven′ū, n. (law) the place where an action is laid: the district from which a jury comes to try a question of fact: in England, usually the county where a crime is alleged to have been committed.—Change of venue, change of place of trial; Lay the venue, to specify the place where the trial is to be held. [A particular use of preceding word, but confused with O. Fr. visne, neighbourhood—L. vicinia, neighbourhood.]

Venus, vē′nus, n. (Roman myth.) the goddess of love, originally of spring, patron of flower-gardens, but identified with the Greek Aphrodite: beauty and love deified: sexual commerce, venery: the most brilliant of the planets, second in order from the sun.—Venus's flower-basket, a beautiful glass sponge; Venus's fly-trap (see Dionæa); Venus's girdle, a tæniate ctenophoran.—Mount of Venus (palm.), the elevation at the base of the thumb. [L., orig. personified from venus, desire; akin to venerāri, to worship.]

Veracious, ve-rā′shus, adj. truthful: true.—adv. '.—n. ', the quality of being veracious: habitual truthfulness: truth. [L. verax, veracis—verus, true.]

Veranda, Verandah, ve-ran′da, n. a kind of covered balcony or open portico, with a roof sloping beyond the main building, supported by light pillars. [Hind. varandā, perh. from Pers. barāmadah, a porch—bar, up, āmadan, to come; by others derived from Old Port, varanda, a balcony—vara, a rod—L. vara, a rod.]

Veratrum, vē-rā′trum, n. hellebore.—adj. '.—ns. ', ', a poisonous ointment used to relieve neuralgia.—v.t. ', to poison with veratrin. [L.]

Verb, verb, n. (gram.) the part of speech which asserts or predicates something.—adj. ', relating to or consisting in words: spoken (as opposed to written): exact in words: attending to words only: literal, word for word: derived directly from a verb.—n. a part of speech, a noun derived from a verb.—n. '.—v.t. ', to turn into a verb.—ns. ', something expressed in words or orally; ', one skilled in words: a literalist; '.—adv. '.—ns. ', a coiner of words; ', a game played with the letters of the alphabet.—adv. ', word for word: (Shak.) orally, verbally.—ns. ', abundance of words: wordiness: verbosity; ', the perversion of a word, as if the killing of its natural meaning: one who so mangles words, a punster; ', the deliberate cultivation or production of words; ', the act of verbifying.—v.t. ', to verbalise.—ns. ', the morbid and purposeless repetition of certain words and phrases at short intervals; ', one crazy about words and their study, a dictionary-maker.—adj. ', containing more words than are necessary: wordy: diffuse.—adv. '.—ns. ', .—Verbal definition, a definition intended to state the meaning of a word, apart from the essence of the thing signified; Verbal inspiration, that view which regards Holy Scripture as literally inspired; Verbal note, in diplomacy, an unsigned memorandum calling attention to a neglected, though perhaps not urgent, matter. [Fr. verbe—L. verbum.]

Verbena, ver-bē′na, n. a genus of plants of natural order Verbenaceæ, cultivated for their fragrance or beauty: vervain.—adj. . [L. verbenæ, leaves, twigs, &c.]

Verberate, ver′bėr-āt, v.t. to strike.—n. . [L. verberāre, -ātum, to scourge.]

Verdant, vėr′dant, adj. green: fresh (as grass or foliage): flourishing: inexperienced: ignorant.—n. '.—adv. '.—ns. ', ', an officer in the old English royal forests who had charge of the vert (q.v.); ', greenness: freshness of growth.—v.t. to cover with verdure.—adjs. '; '; '. [Fr. verdoyant—L. viridans, -antis, pr.p. of viridāre, to grow green—viridis, green—virēre, to be green.]

Verde-antique, verd-an-tēk′, n. a beautiful stone of a dark-green colour with patches of white, and sometimes black and red—a mixture of serpentine with limestone dolomite or magnesite, much prized by the ancient Romans. [O. Fr.]

Verdict, ver′dikt, n. the finding of a jury on a trial: decision: opinion pronounced.—Open verdict, a verdict upon an inquest which finds that a crime has been committed without specifying the criminal; Special verdict, a verdict in which specific facts are found and put on the record. [O. Fr. verdit—Low L. veredictum—L. vere, truly, dictum, a saying.]

Verdigris, ver′di-gris, n. a basic acetate of copper, the greenish rust of copper, brass, or bronze: a bluish-green paint got artificially from copper-plates.—v.t. to coat with verdigris.—Also . [M. E. verdegrese, verte grece—O. Fr. verd (vert) de gris—verd, green, de, of, Gris, Greeks—L. Græcus, Greek. Vert de gris has been wrongly explained as 'green of gray'—gris, gray, or as 'green of copper'—L. æs, æris, copper.]

Verditer, ver′di-tėr, n. a light-blue pigment, essentially a hydrated cupric carbonate—Green verditer is the blue pigment changed to green by boiling. [A corr. of Fr. verd-de-terre=earth green.]

Verdoy, ver′doi, adj. (her.) charged with flowers, leaves, or vegetable charges, as a bordure. [Fr. verd, green.]

Verdun, ver-dun′, n. a 16th-cent. form of rapier. [From the French town Verdun.]

Verecund, ver′ē-kund, adj. (obs.) modest.—adj. '.—n. '.

Veretilliform, ver-e-til′i-form, adj. rod-like, virgate.—Also .

Verge, verj, n. a slender green branch, a twig: a rod, staff, or mace, or anything like them, used as an emblem of authority: extent of jurisdiction (esp. of the lord-steward of the royal household): the brink, extreme edge: the horizon: a boundary, limit: scope, opportunity: in gardening, the grass edging of a bed or border.—ns. ', one who carries a verge or emblem of authority: the beadle of a cathedral church: a pew-opener or attendant in church; ';  (her.), a pallet. [L. virga, a slender branch.]

Verge, verj, v.i. to bend or incline: to tend downward: to slope: to tend: to border upon.—n. '.—adj. '. [L. vergĕre, to bend, incline; cf. valgus, wry.]

Veridical, vē-rid′i-kal, adj. truthful, truth-telling: true.—adv. '.—adj. ', truthful. [L. verus, true, dicĕre, to say.]

Veriest. See Very.

Verify, ver′i-fī, v.t. to make out or show to be true: to establish the truth of by evidence: to fulfil: to confirm the truth or authenticity of: (Shak.) to affirm, support, strengthen:—pa.t. and pa.p. —n. '.—adj. ', that may be verified, proved, or confirmed.—ns. ', a verifying or proving to be true: the state of being verified; '. [L. verus, true, facĕre, to make.]

Verily, ver′i-li, adv. truly: certainly: really.

Verisimilar, ver-i-sim′i-lar, adj. truth-like: likely: probable.—adv. '.—ns. ', similitude or likeness to truth: likelihood; ' (obs.).—adj. '. [L. verisimilis—verus, true, similis, like.]

Verity, ver′i-ti, n. the quality of being true or real: truth: a true assertion or tenet: (Shak.) honesty:—pl. '.—adj. ', true: according to fact: real: actual.—adv. .—Of a verity, certainly. [L. veritas—verus, true.]

Verjuice, ver′jōōs, n. the expressed juice of green or unripe fruit: sourness of temper.—v.t. to make sour or acid. [Fr. verjus—vert, green (cf. Verdant), and Fr. jus, juice.]

Vermeil, Vermil, ver′mil, n. (Spens.) same as Vermilion: silver-gilt.—adj.  (Milt.), tinged bright-red.



Vermes, ver′mēz, n.pl. worms: the name given by Linnæus to one of the classes in his zoological system, in which he included all the invertebrate animals, other than Insecta, whether of worm-like form or not.—ns. ', one skilled in vermeology; ', the knowledge of worms, helminthology.—adjs. ', ', worm-like; ', destroying worms.—n. ', a worm-killer.—adjs. ', ', ', pertaining to or like a worm (esp. in its motion): inlaid or formed so as to imitate the track of worms: crawling like a worm.—v.t. ', to form inlaid work which resembles the motion or track of worms.—ns. '; ', a little worm.—adjs. ', ', wormy; ', having the form of a worm; ', expelling worms.—n. ' (med.), a substance that destroys intestinal worms or expels them from the digestive canal.—adjs. ', wriggling like a worm; , devouring worms, feeding on grubs. [L. vermis, a worm.]

Vermicelli, ver-mi-chel′i, or -sel′i, n. the stiff paste or dough of fine wheat-flour made into small worm-like or thread-like rolls. [It., pl. of vermicello—L. vermiculus, dim. of vermis, worm.]

Vermilion, ver-mil′yun, n. a bright-red pigment obtained from cinnabar, but generally made artificially from mercury and sulphur: any beautiful red colour: (obs.) the kermes or cochineal insect, also the product of cochineal.—adj. of the colour of vermilion.—v.t. to dye vermilion: to colour a delicate red.—n.  (Spens.), same as Vermilion. [O. Fr. vermillon—vermeil—L. vermiculus, a little worm, hence (in the Vulgate) the 'scarlet' worm, dim. of vermis, a worm.]

Vermin, ver′min, n.sing. and pl. a worm: a name for all obnoxious insects, as bugs, fleas, and lice; troublesome animals, such as mice, rats; animals destructive to game, such as weasels, polecats, also hawks and owls: any contemptible person, or such collectively.—v.i. ', to breed vermin.—ns. '; '.—adj. ', infested with worms: like vermin.—adv. . [Fr. vermine—L. vermis, a worm.]

Vermuth, Vermouth, ver′mooth, n. a mild cordial consisting of white wine flavoured with wormwood, used as a stimulant for the appetite. [Ger. wermuth, wormwood; cf. A.S. wermōd.]

Vernacular, ver-nak′ū-lar, adj. native: belonging to the country of one's birth.—n. one's mother-tongue.—n. ', the act of making vernacular.—v.t. ', to make vernacular.—ns. ', a vernacular word or idiom, the use of such; ', an idiom.—adv. '.—v.t. ', to express in a vernacular idiom.—adj. , scurrilous. [L. vernaculus—verna, a home-born slave.]

Vernal, ver′nal, adj. belonging to the spring: appearing in spring: belonging to youth.—adv. '.—adj. ' (Milt.), flourishing as in spring.—v.i. ', to flourish.—n. ', the particular manner of arrangement of leaves in the bud.—Vernal equinox, the equinox on or about 21st March (see Equinox); Vernal grass, a common British meadow grass about a foot high, and sown among hay for its flavour and agreeable odour. [L. vernalis—ver, spring.]

Verner's law. See Law.

Vernier, ver′ni-ėr, n. a contrivance for measuring very small intervals, consisting of a short scale made to slide along a graduated instrument. [So called from Pierre Vernier (1580-1637) of Brussels, its inventor.]

Veronese, ver-ō-nēs′, or -nēz′, n. of or pertaining to Verona in Italy.—n. an inhabitant of Verona.

Veronica, vē-ron′i-ka, n. a portrait of our Saviour's face on a handkerchief—from the legend that St Veronica wiped the sweat from the face of Jesus, on His way to Calvary, with her handkerchief, whereupon His features were impressed on the cloth: a genus of plants, popularly known as Speedwell. [Veronica, not L. vera, true, Gr. eikōn, image, but identical with Berenīcē, the traditional name of the woman cured of the issue of blood—a corr. of Gr. pherenikē, victorious—pherein, to bear, nikē, victory.]

Verré, Verrey, ve-rā′, adj. Same as Vairé.

Verrel, ver′el, n. a corruption of ferrule.

Verricule, ver′i-kūl, n. a tuft of upright hairs. [L. verriculum, a net.]

Verruca, ve-rū′ka, n. a wart, a glandular elevation: one of the wart-like sessile apothecia of some lichens.—adjs. ', warty; ', ', covered with little knobs or wart-like prominences: warty; ', minutely verrucose. [L. verruca, a wart.]

Verrugas, ve-rōō′gas, n. an endemic disease of Peru, characterised by warty tumours on the skin. [Sp.,—L. verruca, a wart.]

Versability, ver-sa-bil′i-ti, n. aptness to be turned round.—adj. '.—n. '. [L. versāre, to whirl about.]

Versal, ver′sal, adj. (Shak.) abbrev. of universal.

Versant, ver′sant, adj. familiar, conversant: (her.) with wings erect and open.—n. the general slope of surface of a country. [Fr.,—L. versāre, to whirl about.]

Versatile, ver′sa-til, adj. capable of being moved or turned round: changeable: unsteady: turning easily from one thing to another: (bot.) swinging freely on a support: (ornith.) reversible, of toes.—adv. '.—ns. ', , the quality of being versatile: changeableness: the faculty of turning easily to new tasks or subjects. [Fr.,—L. versatilis—versāre, freq. of vertĕre, to turn.]

Verse, vers, n. a line of poetry: metrical arrangement and language: poetry: a stanza: a short division of any composition, esp. of the chapters of the Bible, originally confined to the metrical books, applied first to whole Bible in 1528: (mus.) a portion of an anthem to be performed by a single voice to each part.—v.t. to relate in verse.—ns. Vers-de-société (same as Society-verse; see under Sociable); '; '; '; ', a writer of verses; ', a scribbler of verses; ', verse-writing, esp. of poor verses; ', a versifier; ' (mus.), a very short organ interlude or prelude; ', a little verse: in liturgy, the verse said by the officiant.—adj. ', pertaining to verses.—ns. ', the act, art, or practice of composing metrical verses; ', ', a male, female, maker of verses; '.—v.i. ', to make verses.—v.t. to relate in verse: to turn into verse:—pa.t. and pa.p. —n. ', the act of translating or turning from one language into another: that which is translated from one language into another: account: statement: a school exercise, generally of composition in a foreign language.—adj. ', pertaining to a version or translation.—n. ', a translator.—adj. , of the character of a verse, pertaining to verses or short paragraphs. [A.S. fers—L. versus, vorsus, a line, furrow, turning—vertĕre, to turn; influenced by O. Fr. vers.]