Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary 1908/Versed Vying

Versed, verst, adj. thoroughly acquainted, skilled (fol. by in): (math.) reversed.—adj. Versé (her.), reversed or turned in an unusual direction.—Also Renverse. [Fr. versé—L. versatus, pa.p. of versāri, to turn round.]

Versicolour, ver′si-kul-ur, adj. having diverse or having changeable colours.—Also . [L. versāre, to change, and colour.]

Versiform, ver′si-form, adj. varying in form.

Verso, ver′sō, n. a left-hand page: the reverse of a coin or medal.

Verst, verst, n. a Russian mile, 3500 feet in length, or almost two-thirds of an English mile. [Russ. versta, a verst; perh. vertietĭ, to turn, cog. with L. vertĕre, to turn.]

Versus, ver′sus, prep. against, in legal phraseology—abbreviated v. and vs. [L.]

Versute, ver-sūt, adj. crafty, wily.

Vert, vert, n. in forest law, every green leaf or plant having green leaves which may serve as a covert for deer: a power to cut green trees or wood: (her.) a green colour represented by parallel lines sloping diagonally from the dexter chief to the sinister base. [Fr. vert—L. viridis, green.]

Vert, vert, n. a familiar word for convert or pervert.—v.i. to become such.

Vertebra, ver′tē-bra, n. one of the segmented portions of the spinal column:—pl. Vertebræ —adj. '.—adv. '.—n.pl. ', a division of the animal kingdom containing all animals having a backbone or its equivalent.—n. ', an animal having an internal skeleton with a backbone.—adjs. ', ', furnished with joints: having a backbone.—n. , the formation of vertebræ;. [L.,—vertĕre, to turn.]

Vertex, vėr′teks, n. the top or summit: the point of a cone, pyramid, or angle; (astron.) the zenith: (anat.) the crown of the head:—pl. '.—adj. ', pertaining to the vertex: placed in the zenith: perpendicular to the plane of the horizon.—n. a vertical line.—adv. '.—n. '.—Vertical angles, opposite angles formed by intersecting lines; Vertical circle, a great circle of the heavens passing through the zenith and the nadir. [L., eddy, summit—vertĕre, to turn.]

Verticillate, ver-ti-sil′āt, adj. (bot.) arranged round the stalk in a ring or whorl, as leaves or flowers, whorled.—n. , a whorl. [Low L. verticillatus—verticillus, dim. of vertex.]

Vertigo, ver′ti-gō, or ver-tī′gō, n. a sensation of giddiness: dizziness.—adjs. Vertiginate ', turning round: affected with vertigo: giddy.—adv. '.—n. . [L.,—vertĕre, to turn.]

Vertu, old spelling of virtue.—adj.  (Spens.), possessing virtue or power.

Vertumnus, ver-tum′nus, n. an ancient Roman divinity of gardens and orchards, a spring god.

Verulamian, vėr-ū-lā′mi-an, adj. of or pertaining to St Albans, or Francis Bacon, Baron Verulam, Viscount St Albans (1561-1626). [L. Verulamium, an ancient British city near the site of St Albans.]

Veruled, ver′ōōld, adj. (her.) ringed, as a horn, in a different tincture.—n.  (her.), a bearing consisting of a series of concentric rings, one within another. [Virole.]

Vervain, ver′vān, n. a plant of the genus Verbena—credited with efficacy in love-philtres, good against witches, &c. [O. Fr. verveine—L. verbēna.]

Verve, verv, n. the enthusiasm which animates a poet or artist: animation: energy. [Fr.]

Vervelle, ver-vel′, n. the loop that secured the camail in medieval armour. [Fr.]

Vervels, verv′elz, n.pl. small rings attached to the ends of the jesses of a hawk, through which the leash is passed that fastens the hawk to its block.—adj. . [Fr. vervelle.]

Vervet, ver′vet, n. a South African monkey.

Very, ver′i, adj. true (now used chiefly in an intensive sense): real (so in B.): actual—sometimes used in superlative form .—adv. in a high degree.—In very deed, of a truth, certainly. [Older form veray—O. Fr. verai (Fr. vrai), from L. verax, veracis, speaking truly—verus, true; cf. Ger. wahr.]

Vesalian, vē-sā′li-an, adj. connected with the name of the anatomist Andreas Vesalius (1514-64).

Vesania, vē-sā′ni-a, n. insanity.

Vesica, vē-sī′ka, n. (anat.) a bladder, sac, esp. the urinary bladder:—pl. Vesicæ —adjs. ', of or pertaining to a vesica; ', blistering.—n. a substance that vesicates or raises blisters.—v.t. ', to raise blisters on:—pr.p. pa.p. —ns. ', the act or process of raising blisters on the skin; ' (same as Vesicant); ', a small bladder or blister: a small cavity in an animal body; (bot.) a bladder-like cell; ', a vesicle.—adj. '.—adv. '.—n. ', formation of vesicles.—adjs. ', bearing vesicles; '; ', ', , pertaining to or full of vesicles: full of interstices: having little glands on the surface.—Vesica piscis (a fish's bladder), a symbol of Christ, an oval aureole surrounding the entire upright figure, supposed to contain an allusion to the sacred Christian emblem, the ichthys. [L., bladder.]

Vesper, ves′pėr, n. the evening star, Venus: the evening: (pl.) the last but one of the seven canonical hours: evensong, evening service generally.—adj. ', pertaining to the evening or to vespers.—n. ', the bell that summons to vespers.—adjs. ', ', of or pertaining to the evening: (bot.) opening in the evening: (zool.) active in the evening.—Sicilian vespers (see Sicilian). [Fr.,—L.; Gr. hesperos.]

Vespertilio, ves-pėr-til′i-ō, n. a Linnæan genus of mammals, of order Primates—the modern order Chiroptera.—adj. .

Vespiary, ves′pi-a-ri, n. a hornet's nest.—adj. ', ', wasp-like.

Vessel, ves′el, n. a vase or utensil for holding something: a hollow structure made to float on water, used for conveyance, &c.: a tube in which fluids, as blood, &c., are contained: a person considered as an agent of God.—The weaker vessel, a phrase colloquially applied to a woman, in allusion to 1 Pet. iii. 7. [O. Fr. vessel (Fr. vaisseau)—L. vascellum, dim. of vas, a vase.]

Vest, vest, n. that which is put on as dress: a garment: a waistcoat: formerly a cassock-like garment: a kind of close jacket worn by women, an extra piece or trimming on the front of the bodice of a woman's gown, often V-shaped: a knitted or woven undergarment: (arch.) a vestment.—v.t. to clothe: to invest: (law) to give fixed right of possession.-v.i. to descend or to take effect, as a right.—adj. ', clothed, wearing robes of ceremony: not contingent or suspended, hence (law) already acquired: denoting a present absolute right.—n. ' (obs.), a wardrobe: (rare) garb, clothing:—pl. '.—n. ', cloth for men's waistcoats.—Vest in interest, to devolve as matter of right without reference to immediate right of possession. [Fr. veste—L. vestis.]

Vesta, ves′ta, n. among the Romans, the chaste goddess that presided over the family, in whose temple the sacred fire was continually kept burning: the fourth planetoid discovered in 1807: a match or waxlight:—pl. '.—adj. ', pertaining to or consecrated to the service of Vesta: chaste: pure.—n. in the ancient Roman religion, one of the six patrician virgins consecrated to Vesta: a virgin, a nun, a woman of spotless chastity.

Vestibule, ves′ti-būl, n. an open court or porch before a house: a hall next the entrance to a house: (anat.) a small bony cavity forming part of the ear—also '.—v.t. to furnish with a vestibule.—adjs. ', . [Fr.,—L. vestibulum—traced by some to ve, apart, stabulum, abode; by others to vestis, garment, as being the place where the outer clothing is put on or off in entering or leaving a house.]

Vestige, ves′tij, n. a track or footprint: traces or remains of something: (biol.) an organ or tissue which still survives but has lost the utility it possessed, but corresponding to a useful part in an organism of lower type.—adjs. ', '.—n.  (anat., biol.), a vestige. [Fr.,—L. vestigium—vestigāre, to track.]

Vestiment, ves′ti-ment, n. (Spens.)=Vestment.

Vestiture, ves′ti-tūr, n. the hairs, scales, &c. covering a surface.

Vestlet, vest′let, n. a tubicolous sea-anemone of genus Cerianthus.

Vestment, vest′ment, n. something put on, a garment: a long outer robe: (pl.) articles of dress worn by the clergy during divine service and the administration of the sacraments—amice, alb, girdle, maniple, stole, chasuble, &c.: covering of the altar. [L. vestimentum—vestīre, to clothe—vestis, a garment.]

Vestry, ves′tri, n. a room adjoining a church in which the vestments are kept and parochial meetings held, any small room attached to a church: in English parishes, a meeting of the ratepayers to elect parish officers, to assess church-rates, and to manage the property of the parish, the incumbent acting as chairman.—adj. '.—ns. ', an officer chosen by the vestry who keeps the parish accounts and books; , a member of a vestry.—Select vestry, a board consisting of representatives of the ratepayers, as opposed to the common vestry or assembly of all the ratepayers. [Fr.,—L. vestiarium—vestiarius, belonging to clothes—vestis, a garment.]

Vesture, ves′tūr, n. clothing: dress: a robe: integument.—v.t. to clothe, robe.—adjs. '; '.—n. , one who has charge of ecclesiastical vestments.

Vesuvian, vē-sū′vi-an, adj. pertaining or relating to Vesuvius, a volcano near Naples.—n. a kind of match used in lighting cigars, &c.—n. ', a mineral allied to garnet, sometimes called pyramidal garnet, found in volcanic and primitive rocks, and so called because frequent in masses ejected from Vesuvius—also Idocrase.—v.t. ', to burst forth like an eruption.

Vet., vet, n. (coll.) an abbreviation from veterinary (surgeon).

Vetch, vech, n. a genus of plants, mostly climbing, some cultivated for fodder, esp. the tare.—n. ', a name of various vetch-like plants.—adj. ', abounding with vetches: (Spens.) consisting of vetches. [O.Fr. veche (Fr. vesce)—L. vicia, akin to vincīre, to bind.]

Veteran, vet′e-ran, adj. old, experienced: long exercised, esp. in military life.—n. one long exercised in any service, esp. in war.—v.t. , to make veteran.—v.i. (U.S.) to re-enlist for military service. [L. veteranus—vetus, veteris, old.]

Veterinary, vet′e-ri-na-ri, adj. pertaining to the art of treating the diseases of domestic animals: professing or practising this art.—n. one skilled in the diseases of domestic animals.—Also . [L. veterinarius—veterina (bestia), a beast of burden.]

Vetiver, vet′i-vėr, n. the dried roots of the cuscus-grass, with an odour like sandalwood—making baskets, fans, and mats,

Veto, vē′tō, n. any authoritative prohibition: the power of rejecting or forbidding:—pl. Vetoes —v.t. to reject by a veto: to withhold assent to.—Absolute veto, a veto without restriction. [L. vetāre, to forbid.]

Vettura, vet-tōō′ra, n. an Italian four-wheeled carriage.—n. Vetturino one who drives or lends for hire a vettura:—pl. . [It.,—L. vectura, a carrying—vehĕre, to convey.]

Vetust, vē-tust′, adj. old. [L. vetustus—vetus, old.]

Vex, veks, v.t. to harass: to torment: to irritate by small provocations: to agitate: to contest.—v.i. (obs.) to be vexed.—n. (Scot.) a trouble.—n. ', a vexing: state of being vexed: trouble: a teasing annoyance: uneasiness.—adj. ', causing vexation or annoyance: harassing: full of trouble.—adv. '.—n. '.—adj. Vexed, amazed.—n. '.—adj. '.—adv. ', so as to vex or annoy.—n. '.—Vexatious suit (law), a suit begun without justifiable cause. [Fr. vexer—L. vexāre, to shake, annoy—vehĕre. to carry.]

Vexillum, vek-sil′um, n. in the ancient Roman army, a standard, the troop serving under such a standard: (eccles.) a processional banner: (bot.) the large posterior petal of a papilionaceous flower—also '; the web or vane of a feather:—pl. '.—adjs. ', '.—ns. ', ', a standard-bearer.—adj. ', having vexilla.—n. ', a company under one vexillum. [L., 'an ensign'—vehĕre, to carry.]

Via, vī′a, or vē′a, n. a highway, a road, a route—via London=by way of London: a natural passage of the body.—n. ', an odometer.—adj. '.—n.pl. , military baggage.—Via dolorosa, the Way of Calvary (see Station); Via lactea, the Milky-Way or Galaxy; Via media, the midway course or mean between popular Protestantism and Roman Catholicism which Newman almost down to 1845 succeeded in believing that the Anglican divines of the 17th century had taken up.—Primæ viæ, the first or main passages, the alimentary canal, the bowels; Secundæ viæ, the lacteal or chyliferous vessels.

Via, vē′a, interj. away! off! either in command or defiance. [It.,—L. via, way.]

Viable, vī′a-bl, adj. capable of living.—n. . [Fr., through Low L.—L. vita, life.]

Viaduct, vī′a-dukt, n. a road or railway carried by a structure over a valley, river, &c. [L. via, a way, ducĕre, ductum, to lead, bring.]

Vial, vī′al, n. same as Phial, v.t. to keep in a vial.—n. .—Pour out vials of wrath, to inflict judgment (Rev. xvi. 1): to storm, rage.

Viand, vī′and, n. food, articles for food—usually in pl. [Fr. viande—Low L. vivanda (for vivenda), food necessary for life—L. vivĕre, to live.]

Viaticum, vī-at′ik-um, n. (orig.) provisions for the way: (R.C. Church) the eucharist given to persons in danger of death: a portable altar.—n. , a traveller, wayfarer: a summoner, apparitor. [L.,—via, a way.]

Vibex, vī′beks, n. a purple spot under the skin in certain fevers:—pl. . [L.]

Vibraculum, vī-brak′ū-lum, n. one of the long whip-like appendages of the cells of some Polyzoa:—pl. '.—Also '.

Vibrate, vī′brāt, v.i. to shake: to tremble: to move backwards and forwards: to swing: to pass from one state to another.—v.t. to cause to shake: to move to and fro: to measure by moving to and fro: to affect with vibratory motion.—adjs. ', vibrating: sonorous; ', having a vibratory motion: (zool.) adapted to or used in vibratory motion.—ns. '; ', a vibrating: state of being vibrated: tremulousness, quivering motion.—adj. '.—n. ', a small vibration.—adjs. ', ', vibrating: consisting in vibrations: causing vibrations.—ns. ' (elect.), a vibrating reed used to open and close the electric current: (print.) a vibrating reed used for distributing the ink; ', an instrument for registering vibrations. [L. vibrāre, -ātum, to tremble.]

Vibrato, vē-brä′tō, n. a pulsating effect in vocal music, caused by rapid variation of emphasis on the same tone. [It.]

Vibrio, vib′rī-ō, n. a name given with much laxity to various kinds of more or less screw-shaped Bacteria—also to small nematoid worms, such as cause ear-cockles in wheat.—n. , a motile bacterium. [L. vibrāre.]

Vibrissa, vī-bris′a, n. a whisker, as of a cat: a rictal bristle in birds: bristle, hair, as in the nostril:—pl.  (-ē). [L., 'a hair in the nostril.']

Vibrogen, vib′rō-jen, n. (bot.) active cellular tissue arranged in layers in the cortex of certain tendrils, causing circumnutation.

Viburnum, vī-bur′num, n. a genus of plants of the order Caprifoliaceæ, the species being shrubs with simple leaves, natives chiefly of the northern parts of the world.—Viburnum opulus is the Guelder Rose or Snowball Tree; Viburnum tinus, the Laurustinus. [L., 'the wayfaring tree.']

Vicar, vik′ar, n. one who holds authority as the delegate or substitute of another: a parson of a parish where the tithes are impropriate to a layman or to a chapter, he receiving only the smaller tithes or a salary: (R.C. Church) a bishop's assistant who exercises jurisdiction in his name.—ns. ', the benefice or residence of a vicar; ' (formerly one to whom the pope delegated some remote portion of his jurisdiction), now usually a titular bishop appointed to a country where either no sees have been formed or the episcopal succession has been broken; ', an assistant, cleric or lay, at an English cathedral, esp. in connection with the music; ', an ecclesiastic to whom a bishop gives a limited jurisdiction in a town or district of his diocese—in effect, a rural dean; ', an official performing the work of an archdeacon under the bishop: in the English Church, an officer assisting the bishop, the chancellor of the diocese.—adjs. ', pertaining to a vicar: substituted; ', having vicarious or delegated power.—n. (also ') vicarship, delegated power.—adj. ', filling the place of another: performed or suffered in place of or for the sake of another.—adv. '.—ns. '; ', a vicar; ', the office of a vicar; ', a vicarage.—Vicarious sacrifice (theol.), the suffering of Christ accepted by God in lieu of the punishment to which guilty man is liable.—Vicar-of-Bray, one who turns his coat without difficulty to suit the times—from Simon Aleyn, who kept the vicarage of Bray from 1540 to 1588, during the reigns of Henry VIII., Edward VI., Mary, and Elizabeth; Vicar of Christ, a title assumed by the pope, who claims to be the representative of Christ on earth as the head of His Church. [L. vicarius, supplying the place of another—vicis, change, alternation.]

Vice, Vise, vīs, n. an iron or wooden screw-press, fixed to the edge of a workboard, for holding anything tightly while being filed, &c.: (Shak.) a grip, grasp.—v.t. to screw. [Fr. vis (It. vite, screw)—L. vitis, tendril of a vine, anything spiral.]

Vice, vīs, n. a blemish or fault: immoral conduct: depravity of manners: a bad trick or habit in a horse: mischievousness: the stock buffoon in the old English Moralities or moral plays.—n. '.—adj. Vicious —adv. '.—n. .—Vicious circle, syllogism, circular or erroneous reasoning; Vicious intromission (see Intromit). [Fr.,—L. vitium, a blemish.]

Vice, vīs, prep. in the place of: also a prefix denoting in the compound word one who acts in place of or is second in rank to another.—n. a vice-chairman, &c.: one who acts in place of a superior.—ns. ', one acting in the place of, or second in command to, an admiral; ', the office of a vice-admiral—( courts, tribunals in the British colonies, having jurisdiction over maritime causes); ', an alternate chairman; '; ', one acting for a chancellor: a lower judge of Chancery; (R.C. Church) the cardinal whose duty it is to draft and despatch papal bulls and briefs; '; ', one who acts in a consul's place: a consul in a less important district; '; ', a canon chosen to represent an absent dean; ', the office of a vicegerent, deputed power.—adj. ', acting in place of another, having delegated authority.—n. one acting in place of a superior.—ns. ', deputy governor; ', one who acts in place of a king; ', '; ', an officer next in rank below the president; ', assistant principal.—adj. '.—ns. '; ', ', one representing the royal authority in a dependency, as in India; ', . [L., 'in the place of,' abl. of vicis (gen.), change.]

Vicenary, vis′e-nā-ri, adj. of or belonging to the number twenty: twentieth.—adj. , continuing or comprising twenty years: occurring once every twenty years. [L. vicenarius—viceni—viginti, twenty.]

Vicinage, vis′i-nāj, n. neighbourhood: the places near: neighbourliness.—adj. ', neighbouring.—n. ', neighbourhood: nearness: that which is near. [O. Fr. veisinage—veisin—L. vicinus, neighbouring—vicus, a row of houses; cf. Gr. oikos, a dwelling.]

Vicissitude, vi-sis′i-tūd, n. change from one thing to another: change: revolution.—adjs. ', ', changeful, changeable. [L. vicissitudo—vicis, change.]

Victim, vik′tim, n. a living being offered as a sacrifice: some thing or person destroyed in the pursuit of an object: a person suffering injury: a dupe.—n. '.—v.t. ', to make a victim of: to cheat.—n. , a swindler. [Fr.,—L. victima, a beast for sacrifice, adorned with the fillet—vincīre, to bind.]

Victor, vik′tor, n. one who conquers on any particular occasion: one who defeats in battle: a winner:—fem. ', ', '.—adjs. ', ', relating to victory: superior in contest: having overcome an enemy: producing or indicating victory.—adv. '.—ns. '; ', a conquering: success in any contest: a battle gained: a female deity of the Greeks personifying success in battle.—Cadmean victory, one as fatal to the victors as to the vanquished—from the armed men who grew up from the dragon's teeth sown by Cadmus, and slew one another all but five, who became the ancestors of the Thebans; Moral victory (see Moral); Pyrrhic victory (see Pyrrhic). [L.,—vincĕre, victum, to conquer.]

Victoria, vik-tō′ri-a, n. a genus of gigantic aquatic plants of the water-lily family, native to South America, its one species, Victoria regia, named after Queen Victoria: a low, light, four-wheeled carriage, seating two, having a calash top.—adj. , relating to the reign of Queen Victoria, which began in 1837: relating to the colony of Victoria in Australia.—Victoria cross, a decoration, consisting of a bronze Maltese cross, founded by Queen Victoria in 1856, and awarded for conspicuous bravery on the field.

Victorine, vik-tō-rēn′, n. a kind of fur tippet worn by ladies: a variety of peach.

Victual, vīt′l, n. provision of food, that which is necessary for living, food for human beings (gener. in pl.).—v.t. to supply with victuals or food: to store with provisions:—pr.p. Victualling pa.t. and pa.p. Victualled —ns. ', provisions; Victualler  one who supplies provisions.—adj. '.—ns. ', a customs document warranting the captain of an outward-bound vessel to ship bonded stores for the voyage; ', ', an office supplying, a ship conveying, provisions to the navy; ', a public establishment for the collection and supply of provisions to the navy.—Licensed Victualler, an innkeeper who is allowed to sell spirits, wines, &c. [O. Fr. vitaille—Low L. victualia—L. victualis, relating to living—vivĕre, victum, to live.]

Vicugna, Vicuña, vi-kōō′nya, or n. a species or variety of the South American genus Auchenia (allied to the camels), which also includes the llama, alpaca, and the guanaco.—n. , a trade name for a mixture of wool and cotton. [Peruv.]

Vidame, vē-dam′, n. in French feudal jurisprudence, the deputy of a bishop in temporal affairs: a minor noble. [Low L. vice, in place of, dominus, lord.]

Vide, vī′dē, see, imper. of L. vidēre, to see.—Vide antea=see before; Vide infra=see below; Vide post=see after; Vide supra=see above; Quod vide, or q.v.=which see.

Videlicet, vi-del′i-set, adv. to wit, that is, namely—generally Viz., and rendered 'namely.' [L., for vidēre licet, it is permitted to see.]

Videndum, vī-den′dum, n. a thing to be seen:—pl. . [L., ger. of vidēre, to see.]

Vidette. Same as Vedette.

Vidimus, vid′i-mus, n. an inspection, as of accounts, &c. [L., 'we have seen'—vidēre, to see.]

Viduous, vid′ū-us, adj. widowed.—ns. ', widowhood; ', the position or order of widows; ', the state of being widowed; ', widowhood. [L. vidua, a widow.]

Vie, vī, v.i. to strive for superiority.—v.t. to contend about: (Shak.) to offer as a stake or wager:—pr.p. pa.t. and pa.p. vīed.—n. (obs.) a contest. [M. E. vien, by aphæresis from envien, to vie, through Fr. from L. invitāre, to invite.]

Vielle, vi-el′, n. an old form of viol. [Fr.]

Viennese, vi-e-nēs′, or -nēz′, adj. pertaining to Vienna.—n. an inhabitant, or the inhabitants, of Vienna.

View, vū, n. a seeing: sight: reach of the sight: whole extent seen: that which is seen: inspection, as by a jury, of the place of a crime, of the corpse, &c.: direction in which a thing is seen: the picture of a scene: a sketch: mental survey: mode of looking at or receiving: opinion: intention: (Shak.) show, appearance.—v.t. to see: to look at attentively: to examine intellectually.—adj. ', that can be viewed.—ns. '; ', the huntsman's cry when the fox breaks cover; ', character of being viewy or visionary.—adj. ', not to be viewed: invisible.—adv. '.—adj. ' (prov.), pleasing to look at.—n. ', point of view.—adjs. ' (prov.), viewly; ' (coll.), holding opinions vague or purely speculative.—Dissolving views, pictures thrown on a screen and made to pass one into the other; Field of view, the compass of visual power; In view of, having regard to; On view, open to public inspection; To the view (Shak.), in public. [Fr. vue—vu, pa.p. of voir—L. vidēre, to see.]

Vifda, vif′da, n. in Shetland, meat hung and dried without salt.—Also .

Vigesimal, vī-jes′i-mal, adj. twentieth.—n. ', the putting to death of every twentieth man.—adj. ', formed of sheets folded so as to make twenty-four leaves. [L. vigesimus—viginti, twenty.]

Vigia, vi-jē′a, n. a hydrographical warning on a chart, of a rock, &c. [Sp.]

Vigil, vij′il, n. watching: keeping awake for religious exercises: the eve before a feast or fast day, originally kept by watching through the night.—n. ', wakefulness: watchfulness: circumspection: (obs.) a guard, watch.—adj. ', watchful: on the lookout for danger: circumspect.—n. ', a member of a vigilance committee.—adv. '.—Vigilance committee (U.S.), an unauthorised body which, in the absence or inefficiency of regular courts, exercises legal powers of arrest, punishment, &c. in cases of gross crime: also any self-appointed association for the compulsory improvement of local morals. [Fr.,—L. vigilia—vigil, awake, watchful—vigēre, to be lively.]

Vigneron, vēn-ye-rong, n. a vine-grower. [Fr.]

Vignette, vin-yet′, n. any small ornamental engraving, design, or photograph not enclosed by a definite border: (orig.) an ornamental flourish of vine leaves and tendrils on manuscripts and books.—v.t. to treat or produce in such a style.—ns. '; ', ', a glass frame, mask, used in printing vignette pictures; ', one who makes vignettes. [Fr.,—vigne—L. vinea, a vine.]

Vigour, vig′ur, n. active strength: physical force: vital strength in animals or plants: strength of mind: energy.—adj. ', strong either in mind or body.—adv. '.—n. . [Fr.,—L. vigor—vigēre, to be strong.]

Viking, vī′king, n. one of the piratical Northmen who in the 8th, 9th, and 10th centuries ravaged the coasts of western Europe.—n. , characteristics, acts, &c. of Vikings. [Ice. víkingr, (lit.) 'a creeker'—víkr (Swed. vik, Eng. wick), a bay, and -ingr=Eng. -ing.]

Vilayet, vil-a-yet′, n. the name given to the great provinces into which the Ottoman empire is divided.

Vild, vīld, adj. (Spens.) vile, wicked.—adv. .

Vile, vīl, adj. worthless: mean: morally impure: wicked: (B.) poor, cheap.—adv. '.—n. '.—ns. ', act of vilifying: defamatory speech: abuse; '.—v.t. ', to make vile: to attempt to degrade by slander: to defame:—pa.t. and pa.p. —v.t. ', to slander, vilify.—v.i. to use vilification. [Fr.,—L. vilis.]

Villa, vil′a, n. a country residence or seat: a suburban mansion—also Vill.—ns. ', villas collectively, people living in them; ', any small assemblage of houses, less than a town: (orig.) a number of houses inhabited by persons near the residence of a proprietor or farmer: (law) a manor, a parish or the outlying part of a parish; ', a clan of settlers who built their huts on a tract of land and laid out common fields which they cultivated in common as one family, the land being divided out every few years into family lots, but the whole continuing to be cultivated by the community subject to the established customs as interpreted in the village-council by the sense of the village elders—the so-called Mark system of Sir Henry Maine; ', an inhabitant of a village; ' (Shak.), a district of villages; ', ', a little villa.—adj. ' (Milt.), pertaining to a farm. [O. Fr. ville (Fr. ville)—L. villa, a country-house, prob. reduced from vicla, dim. of vicus, a village; Gr. oikos, a house.]

Villain, vil′ān, or vil′in, n. a wicked wretch: a man extremely degraded: in feudal times, a member of the lowest class of unfree persons.—ns. ', ', ', ', in feudal times, the tenure of land by villein, i.e. base or menial services.—adj. ', like or suited to a villain: depraved: proceeding from extreme depravity: very bad, mean, vile.—adv. '.—ns. '; ', the act of a villain: extreme depravity: an atrocious crime. [Orig. 'a serf attached to a farm,' O. Fr. villain—Low L. villanus—L. villa.]

Villanelle, vil-a-nel′, n. a poem, of a form borrowed from the French, consisting of nineteen lines on two rhymes, arranged in six stanzas, the first five having three, the last four lines. [It. villanella—villano, rustic.]

Villarsia, vi-lār′si-a, n. a genus of widely distributed aquatic or marsh plants, of order Gentianaceæ—named from the French botanist Dominique Villars (1745-1814).

Villegiatura, vi-lėj-a-tōō′ra, n. country retirement. [It.,—villegiare, to stay at a country-seat—villa, a country-seat.]

Villein, another spelling of villain (only in its original meaning).

Villi, vil′ī, n.pl. (anat.) fine small fibres covering certain membranes: (bot.) fine soft hairs on fruits, flowers, and other parts of plants:—sing. '.—adjs. ', having the form or appearance of villi; ', ', covered with long, soft hairs: formed of minute villi, resembling the pile of velvet.—n. , state of being villous. [L., pl. of villus, hair, wool.]

Vim, vim, n. (slang) energy, force. [Accus. of L. vis, strength.]

Vimen, vī′men, n. a long flexible shoot of a plant.—adjs. '; '. [L.]

Vina, vē′na, n. an East Indian musical instrument having five or seven steel strings stretched on a long fretted finger-board over two gourds.

Vinaigrette, vin-ā-gret′, n. a small box of silver or gold for holding aromatic vinegar, used as a smelling-bottle. [Fr.,—vinaigre.]

Vinasse, vi-nas′, n. a residual product containing potash salts, obtained from the wine-press, &c. [Fr.]

Vinaya Pitaka, vin′a-ya pit′a-ka, n. one of the three parts of the Tripitaka (q.v.).

Vinca, ving′ka, n. a genus of woody herbaceous plants of the dogbane family, the periwinkles.

Vincentian, vin-sen′shi-an, adj. pertaining to St Vincent de Paul (1576-1660) or to the charitable associations founded by him.

Vincible, vin′si-bl, adj. that may be conquered.—ns. ', '. [L. vincibilis—vincĕre, to conquer.]

Vinculum, ving′kū-lum, n. a band: a bond: (math.) a horizontal line placed over several quantities to show that they are to be treated as one: (anat.) a ligamentous band.—v.t. , to bind. [L.,—vincīre, to bind.]

Vindemial, vin-dē′mi-al, adj. pertaining to the vintage.—v.i. , to gather the vintage.

Vindicate, vin′di-kāt, v.t. to lay claim to: to defend: to maintain by force.—n. '.—adj. ', that may be vindicated or defended.—n. ', act of vindicating: defence: justification: support.—adj. ', vindicating: tending to vindicate: (Shak.) revengeful, vindictive.—ns. ', vindictiveness; ', one who vindicates:—fem. '.—adjs. ', tending to vindicate: inflicting punishment; ', revengeful.—adv. '.—n. . [L. vindicāre, -ātum—vis, vim, power, dicāre, to proclaim, dicĕre, to say; others trace to the root of venia, favour.]

Vine, vīn, n. the plant from which wine is made: the woody climbing plant that produces grapes: (hort.) a climbing or trailing plant, or its stem.—adj. ', belonging to wine or grapes: wine-coloured.—ns. ', the addition of spirit to wine to enable it to stand transportation; ', a wine festival in honour of Jupiter, celebrated on 23d April.—adjs. ', relating to wine; ', covered with vines.—ns. ' (same as Viticulture); ', a small reddish curculio producing galls on the stems of grape-vines; ', a disease affecting the vine; ', one who dresses or trims and cultivates vines; ', a small insect that infests vines; ', a gall made on the stem of the vine by a vine-curculio; ', land on which vines are grown; ', a hot-house for rearing vines; Vineyard a plantation of grape vines.—adj. ', pertaining to, or derived from, wine.—ns. ', the cultivation of the vine; '; ', common wine: cheap wine mixed with water, commonly drunk in France and the south of Europe.—adjs. ', ', pertaining to wine: wine-coloured: caused by wine.—n. ', state or quality of being vinous.—adj. , pertaining to or producing vines.—Dwell under one's vine and fig-tree, to live at peace on one's own land. [O. Fr.,—L. vinea, a vine—vinum; Gr. oinos, wine.]

Vinegar, vin′e-gar, n. the form of acetic acid generally preferred for culinary purposes—made by the fermentation of vegetable substances, from malt, or from inferior wines: sourness of temper.—v.t. to apply vinegar to.—adj. ', sour like vinegar, ill-tempered.—ns. ', a glass bottle for holding vinegar; ', a vinaigrette; ', the microscopic fungus which produces acetous fermentation—found in two forms known as mother of vinegar and flowers of vinegar.—adjs. ', ', sour. [Fr. vinaigre—vin (L. vinum, wine), aigre—L. acer, sour.]

Vinewed, vin′ūd, adj. (Shak.) mouldy: musty.

Vingt-et-Un, vangt-ā-ung′, n. a game of cards, the aim in which is to get as near as possible to the value of twenty-one (hence the name) without exceeding it. The game is played with the whole pack, the ordinary cards being reckoned according to the number of pips on them, while the court cards are ten, and the ace is one or eleven, as the holder may elect.

Vint, vint, v.t. to make or prepare, as wine. [Formed from vintage.]

Vintage, vin′tāj, n. the gathering of grapes: the yearly produce of grapes: the time of grape-gathering: wine.—n. . [Fr. vendange—L. vindemia—vinum, wine, grapes, demĕre, to remove—de, out of or away, emĕre, to take.]

Vintner, vint′nėr, n. a wine-seller.—ns. ', the trade of a vintner; ', a store for wine. [O. Fr. vinetier, through Low L.—L. vinetum, a vineyard—vinum, wine.]

Viol, vī′ol, n. a musical instrument which was the immediate precursor of the violin, having from three to six strings, and played by means of a bow.—ns. Viola or  a larger description of violin having four strings tuned in fifths, to which the part between the second violin and bass is generally assigned—also called Alto viola or Tenor violin; ' (naut.), a large single block big enough to reeve a small hawser; ', a player on the viol or the viola.—Bass viol, a large medieval viol: the modern violoncello. [O. Fr. viole—Low L. vidula, from L. vitulāri, to skip like a calf, to make merry—L. vitulus, a calf.]

Violate, vī′ō-lāt, v.t. to injure: to abuse: to ravish: to profane: to break forcibly: to transgress.—adj. ', that may be violated, injured, or broken.—adv. '.—ns. ', the act of violating or injuring: infringement: non-observance: profanation: rape; '. [L. violāre, -ātum—vis, strength; cf. Gr. is, strength, force.]

Violent, vī′ō-lent, adj. acting with physical force or strength: moved by strong feeling: passionate: vehement: outrageous: produced by force: intense: compulsory: unnatural.—v.i. (Shak.) to be violent.—n. ', the state or quality of being violent: force, physical or moral: unjust force: outrage: profanation: injury: rape.—adv. '.—Do violence on (Shak.), to attack, murder; Do violence to, to outrage, injure. [Fr.,—L. violentus—vis, force.]

Violet, vī′ō-let, n. any plant of genus Viola, of many species, with a flower generally of some shade of blue, but also white and yellow, and most often fragrant: the colour of the violet, a bluish or light purple.—adj. of the colour of the violet, bluish or light purple.—adjs. ', of a violet colour, purple; ', tending to a violet colour. [Fr. violette, dim. of O. Fr. viole—L. viola; cf. Gr. ion.]

Violin, vī-ō-lin′, n. a musical instrument of four strings placed with a bow: a fiddle: a player on the violin.—ns. ', a bow for sounding the violin; ', a player on the violin. [It. violino—viola.]

Violoncello, vē-ō-lon-chel′ō, or vī-ō-lon-sel′ō, n. a large four-stringed musical instrument of the violin class, the quality of its tone even more sympathetic than that of the violin, held between the knees in playing—it superseded the Viol da gamba in the early part of the 18th century:—pl. '.—n. ', a player on the violoncello. [It., dim. of violone, a bass violin; see next word.]

Violone, vē-ō-lō′nā, n. the largest kind of bass viol, having strings tuned an octave lower than the violoncello. [It.,—viola.]

Viper, vī′pėr, n. a genus of venomous snakes, representative of family Viperidæ—the Common Viper or adder being the only poisonous snake indigenous to Britain: loosely, any venomous serpent except a rattlesnake, any cobriform serpent: any base, malicious person.—adjs. ', related to or resembling the viper; ', like a viper; ', having the qualities of a viper: venomous: malignant.—adv. '.—Viper's bugloss, the blue weed or blue thistle; Viper's grass, a European perennial of the aster family. [Fr.,—L. vipera (contr. of vivipara)—vivus, living, parĕre, to bring forth.]

Virago, vi-rā′go, or vī-rā′gō, n. a masculine woman: a bold, impudent woman: a termagant.—adjs. ', Viraginous —n. '. [L.,—vir, a man.]

Vire, vēr, n. a crossbow-bolt: (her.) an annulet. [Fr.]

Virelay, vir′e-lā, n. an ancient kind of French poem in short lines, and consisting of only two rhymes, their order as well as the length of the verses being arbitrary. [Fr. virelai—virer, to turn, lai, a song.]

Vireo, vir′ē-ō, n. a genus of American singing birds, the greenlets. [L.]

Virescent, vī-res′ent, adj. growing green, greenish.—n. , greenness: (bot.) the turning green of organs properly bright-coloured. [L., pr.p. of virēre, to be green.]

Virgate, vėr′gāt, adj. like a wand or rod: slender, straight.—n. an old English measure of surface. [L. virga, a rod.]

Virgilian, vėr-jil′i-an, adj. relating to or resembling the style of Virgil, the Roman poet (70-21 B.C.).

Virgin, vėr′jin, n. a maiden: a woman who has had no sexual intercourse with man: one devoted to virginity: a madonna, a figure of the Virgin: a person of either sex who has not known sexual intercourse: any female animal that has not copulated: a parthenogenetic insect: (astron.) Virgo, one of the signs of the zodiac.—adj. becoming a maiden: maidenly: pure: chaste: undefiled: fresh, new: parthenogenetic.—v.i. (Shak.) to continue chaste.—adj. ', maidenly: (zool.) parthenogenetic.—n. ', a book of prayers and hymns to the Virgin Mary.—adj. ', born of the Virgin, of Jesus Christ: (zool.) born by internal gemmation without impregnation.—ns. ', ', the state of a virgin; ' (Shak.), maidenly chastity, in reference to the unloosing of the girdles of Greek and Roman maidens on marriage.—adj. ', pure.—adv. chastely.—ns. ', a species of clematis, hedge-vine; ', adoration of the Virgin Mary; ', the Virgin, in the zodiac.—Virgin birth, generation, parthenogenesis; Virgin clay, in pottery, &c., clay which has never been fired.—The Virgin, The Blessed Virgin, the Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ. [O, Fr.,—L. virgo, virginis.]

Virginal, vėr′jin-al, n. an old keyed musical instrument, oblong in shape, one of the three forms of the harpsichord.—v.i. (Shak.) to finger, as on a virginal.

Virginia, vėr-jin′i-a, n. a well-known brand of tobacco, grown and manufactured in Virginia.—n. ', an American climbing vine, common in the south of England, remarkable for the bright-red colour it assumes in autumn.—adj. ', pertaining to Virginia.—n. a native of Virginia.

Virgule, vėr′gūl, n. a little rod: a mark of punctuation, a comma.—adj. ', rod-shaped.—n. ', a twig. [L. virgula—virga, a twig.]

Virid, vir′id, adj. green.—n. ', a deep and pure bluish-green pigment, being a hydrated sesquioxide of chromium.—adj. Viridigenous producing a green tint.—ns. ', , verdure: greenness. [L., viridis, green—virēre, to be green.]

Viridescent, vir-i-des′ent, adj. slightly green: greenish.—n. . [L. viridis, green.]

Virile, vir′il, or vī′ril, adj. of or belonging to a man or to the male sex: masculine: manly.—n. , the state or quality of being a man: the power of a full-grown male: the power of procreation: manhood. [L. virilis—vir, a man; cog. with Gr. hērōs, a hero, Old High Ger. wer, a man.]

Virole, vi-rōl′, n. a ferrule: (her.) a hoop or ring. [O. Fr.; a doublet of ferrule.]

Virtu, vėr′tōō, or -tōō′, n. a love of the fine arts: taste for curiosities: objects of art or antiquity.—adjs. ', ', exhibiting the qualities and skill of a virtuoso.—ns. ', lovers of the elegant arts as a class: exceptional skill in some of the fine arts; ', one skilled in the fine arts, in antiquities, curiosities, and the like: a skilful musician, painter, &c. (pl. ', ':—fem. ' (pl. ', . [It.; a doublet of virtue.]

Virtue, vėr′tu, n. excellence: worth: moral excellence: the practice of duty: a moral excellence: sexual purity, esp. female chastity: purity: (B.) strength: force: inherent power, efficacy: one of the orders of the celestial hierarchy.—adj. ', having virtue or efficacy: having the efficacy without the material part: in effect though not in fact: (mech.) possible and infinitesimal.—adv. '.—adjs. ', wanting virtue: without efficacy; ' (Milt.), impregnable in virtue; ', having virtue or moral goodness: blameless: righteous: practising duty: being according to the moral law: chaste (of a woman).—adv. '.—n. .—By, In, virtue of, through the power, force, or efficacy of; Make a virtue of necessity, to do as if from inclination or sense of duty something one must needs do; Seven principal Virtues, faith, hope, charity, justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude—the first three the theological, the last four the moral virtues; The cardinal virtues (see Cardinal). [O. Fr.,—L. virtus, bravery, moral excellence—vir, a man; cf. Gr. hērōs, Sans. vira, a hero.]

Virulent, vir′ū-lent, adj. full of poison: very active in injury: bitter in enmity: malignant.—ns. ', '.—adv. . [L. virulentus—virus, poison.]

Virus, vī′rus, n. contagious or poisonous matter (as of ulcers, &c.): the poison which causes infection: any foul, hurtful matter.—adjs. ', '; , bearing a specific virus. [L.; cog. with Gr. ios, Sans. visha, poison.]

Vis, vis, n. force: power:—pl. .—Vis inertiæ, inertia: sluggishness; Vis mortua, force of pressure, dead force; Vis viva, living force, equal to the mass of a moving body multiplied by the square of its velocity. [L.]

Visage, viz′āj, n. the face or look.—adj. . [Fr., through an assumed form visaticum, from L. visus, seen—vidēre, to see.]

Vis-à-vis, vēz′-a-vē′, adv. facing one another.—n. one who faces, or is opposite to, another: a light carriage with seats facing each other: a kind of couch. [Fr. vis, face (—L. visus, look), à, to, vis, face.]

Viscacha, vis-kach′a, n. a South American rodent of the Chinchilla family, inhabiting the South American Pampas, of stout form and about twenty inches in length, a gregarious burrower and nocturnal in habits—also Bizcacha.—n. Viscachera a settlement of viscachas. [Sp.; prob. of Peruv. origin.]

Viscera, vis′e-ra, n.pl. the inner parts of the animal body: the entrails:—sing. '.—adj. ', pertaining to the viscera: abdominal.—v.t. , to disembowel. [L. viscus (pl. viscera).]



Viscount, vī′kownt, n. an officer who formerly acted as deputy to the earl, the vice-comes: a title of nobility next below an earl:—fem. '.—ns. ', ', ', the rank or dignity of a viscount. [O. Fr. viscomte (Fr. vicomte)—Low L. vice-comes—L. vice, in place of, comes, a companion.]

Viscous, vis′kus, adj. sticky: tenacious—also '.—ns. ', '; ', the property of being viscous: (phys.) that property of matter which is seen when the relative motion of parts of any body or substance decays on its being left to itself. [Low L. viscosus, sticky—L. viscum, bird-lime, mistletoe; cog. with Gr. ixos, mistletoe.]

Viscum, vis′kum, n. a genus of parasitic plants, including the mistletoe. [L.]

Vise. See Vice (1).

Visé, vē-zā′, n. an indorsement on a passport denoting that it has been officially examined, and that the bearer may proceed on his journey.—v.t. to indorse a passport.—Also Visa [Fr.,—Low L. visāre, freq. of L. vidēre, visum, to see.]

Vishnu, vish′nōō, n. the second god of the Hindu triad, now the most worshipped of all Hindu gods. He became specially the benefactor of man in his avatars or incarnations, ten in number—according to others, twenty-two. [Sans., 'the preserver.']

Visible, viz′i-bl, adj. that may be seen: obvious.—ns. ', state or quality of being visible, or perceivable by the eye; '.—adv. .—Visible Church, the body of professing Christians, as opposed to the Invisible Church, which consists of those spiritual persons who fulfil the notion of the ideal Church, together with the body of the departed saints in heaven; Visible means, means or resources which are apparent to or ascertainable by others; Visible speech, a system of alphabetic characters, each of which represents the configuration of the mouth that produces the sound.

Visigoth, viz′i-goth, n. one of the Western Goths, as distinguished from the Ostrogoths or Eastern Goths. They formed settlements in the south of France and in Spain, and their kingdom in the latter lasted into the 8th century.—adj. . [Low L. Visegothæ—Teut. west, west, Gothæ, Goths.]

Vision, vizh′un, n. the act or sense of seeing: sight: anything seen: anything imagined to be seen: a divine revelation: an apparition: anything imaginary.—v.t. to see as a vision: to present as in a vision.—n. (Scot.) Visie a close look at anything.—adj. ', pertaining to a vision, not real.—adv. '.—n. '.—adj. ', affected by visions: apt to see visions, imaginative: existing in imagination only: not real.—n. one who sees visions: one who forms impracticable schemes.—adj. ' (rare), inspired so as to see visions: seen in a vision, spectral.—n. ', a visionary person, one who believes in visions.—adj. , destitute of vision.—Beatific vision (see Beatify); Centre, Point, of vision, the position from which anything is observed, or represented as being seen. [Fr.,—L. visio, visionis—vidēre, visum, to see; cf. Gr. idein, Eng. wit.]

Visit, viz′it, v.t. to go to see or inspect: to attend: enter, appear in: to call on: (B.) to reward or punish.—v.i. to be in the habit of seeing or meeting each other: to keep up acquaintance.—n. act of visiting or going to see.—adjs. ', subject to visitation: attractive to visitors; ', paying visits, visiting.—n. one who visits: one who is a guest in the house of another: a migratory bird: one of an order of nuns founded by St Francis de Sales in 1610, also called Salesians, Order (also Nuns) of the Visitation—the order has done much in the education of young girls.—n. ', act of visiting: examination by authority: a dispensation, whether of divine favour or retribution: (rare) the object of a visit: the act of a naval commander in boarding the vessel of another state to ascertain her character and object: a visit of a herald to a district for the examination of its arms, pedigrees, &c.: an unusual and extensive irruption of a species of animals into another region: (eccles.) a festival to commemorate the visit of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth, observed by the Roman and Greek Churches on 2d July.—adjs. ', '.—n. ', the act of paying visits: prompting, influence.—adj. that which visits.—ns. ', a book recording the names of persons who have called or are to be called on; ', a small card, on which the name, address, or title, may be printed, to be left in making calls or paying visits, and sometimes sent as an act of courtesy or in token of sympathy; ', a day on which one is at home or ready to receive callers; ', ', one who visits, calls on, or makes a stay with a person: a person authorised to visit an institution to see that it is managed properly:—fem. '.—Visitation of the sick, an office in the Anglican Church, used for the spiritual benefit of the sick, provision being also made for special confession and absolution. [Fr. visiter—L. visitāre, freq. of visĕre, to go to see, visit—vidēre, to see.]

Visite, vi-zēt′, n. a woman's close-fitting outer garment worn early in the 19th century. [Fr.]

Visive, vī′siv, adj. visual.

Visnomy, viz′no-mi, n. (Spens.), physiognomy.

Vison, vī′son, n. the American mink.

Visor, viz′ur, n. a part of a helmet covering the face, movable, and perforated to see through (see Armour): a mask.—adj. , wearing a visor: masked. [Fr. visière—vis, countenance.]

Vista, vis′ta, n. a view or prospect through or as through an avenue: the trees, &c., that form the avenue. [It. vista, sight, view—L. vidēre, to see.]

Visual, viz′ū-al, adj. belonging to vision or sight: visible: produced by sight: used in sight: used for seeing.—n. '.—v.t. ', to make visible or visual, externalise to the eye.—v.i. to call up a clear mental image.—ns. '; '.—adv. .

Vital, vī′tal, adj. belonging or contributing to life: containing or necessary to life: important as life: essential.—n. '.—v.t. ', to make vital or alive: to give life to or furnish with the vital principle.—ns. ', the doctrine that there is a vital principle distinct from the organisation of living bodies, which directs all their actions and functions; ', one who holds this doctrine.—adj. '.—n. ', quality of being vital: principle or power of life: capacity to endure and flourish.—adv. '.—n.pl. ', the interior organs essential for life: the part of any whole necessary for its existence.—n.  (phrenol.), the love of life, a faculty assigned to a protuberance under the ear.—Vital force, the principle of life in animals and plants; Vital functions, power, ability to continue living; Vital principle, that principle on which the life of an organism is thought to depend; Vital statistics, a division of statistics dealing with the facts and problems concerning population. [L. vitalis—vita, life—vivĕre, to live; cog. with Gr. bios, life.]

Vitellus, vī-tel′us, n. the yolk of an egg.—adjs. ', ', pertaining to the vitellus, or forming such.—n. , a yolk-sac.—adj. Vitelligenous producing yolk. [L., 'a yolk,' a transferred use of vitellus—vitulus, a calf.]

Vitex, vī′teks, n. a genus of trees or shrubs of the natural order Verbenaceæ. [L.]

Vitiate, vish′i-āt, v.t. to render faulty or defective: to make less pure: to deprave: to taint—earlier '.—ns. '; '; ', state or quality of being vicious. [L. vitiāre, -ātum—vitium. See Vice (2).]

Vitilitigation, vit-i-lit-i-gā′shun, n. vexatious litigation.—v.i. .

Vitis, vī′tis, n. a genus of plants, including the grape.—n. ', a vine-destroyer, vine-pest.—adj. ', inhabiting, or produced upon, the vine.—ns. ', cultivation of the vine; '. [L. vitis, a vine—viēre, to twist.]

Vitreous, vit′rē-us, adj. glassy: pertaining to, consisting of, or like glass.—ns. ', '; '.—adj. ', tending to become glass.—n. ', the vitreous humour of the eye.—adj. '.—ns. ', glassy materials: the history of glass and its manufacture; ', ', act, process, or operation of vitrifying, or converting into glass; ', the manufacture of glass.—adjs. ', that may be vitrified or turned into glass; '.—ns.pl. ', ', certain ancient Scottish, French, &c. forts or walls in which the silicious stone has been vitrified by fire, whether by intention or accident is uncertain.—adj. ', having the form of glass.—v.t. ', to make into glass.—v.i. to become glass.—ns. ', a genus of land molluscs forming a connecting-link between the slugs and true snails—the glass-snail; ', a show-case made of glass and used to protect delicate articles. [L. vitrum, glass—vidēre, to see.]

Vitriol, vit′ri-ol, n. the popular name of sulphuric acid: a soluble sulphate of a metal—green vitriol=sulphate of iron, blue vitriol=sulphate of copper, white vitriol=sulphate of zinc.—v.t. ', to convert into vitriol.—n. ', the act or process of converting into vitriol.—adjs. ', pertaining to or having the qualities of vitriol: biting, very severe; '.—n. '.—v.t. ', to vitriolate: to poison with vitriol.—Elixir of vitriol, old name for the aromatic sulphuric acid of the Pharmacopœia; Oil of vitriol, concentrated sulphuric acid. [O. Fr.,—Low L. vitriolum—vitriolus—L. vitreus, of glass.]

Vitro-di-trina, vit′rō-di-trē′na, n. lacework glass. [It., 'glass of lace.']

Vitrophyre, vit′rō-fīr, n. a porphyritic variety of volcanic glass.—adj. . [L. vitrum, glass, porphyrites, porphyry.]



Vitruvian, vi-trōō′vi-an, adj. denoting a peculiar kind of convoluted scrollwork, so named from Vitruvius, a Roman architect under Augustus.

Vitta, vit′a, n. a fillet, or garland for the head:—pl.  (-ē). [L.]

Vitular, vit′ū-lar, Vituline, adj. relating to a calf or to veal. [From L. vitulus, a calf.]

Vituperate, vī-tū′pe-rāt, v.t. to find fault with: to address with abuse: to rate soundly.—adj. ', deserving vituperation.—n. ', act of vituperating: censure: abuse.—adj. ', containing vituperation or censure.—adv. '.—n. , one who vituperates. [L. vituperāre, -ātum—vitium, a fault, parāre, to set out.]

Viure, vē′ūr, n. (her.) a thin ribbon crossing the field in any direction. [Fr.]

Viva, vē′va, interj. long live.—n. the exclamation Viva! [It., 'Let him live'—L. vivĕre, to live.]

Vivace, vē-vä′che, adj. (mus.) lively:—superl. . [It.]

Vivacious, vī-vā′shus, (or vi-), adj. lively or long-lived: active: sportive.—adv. '.—ns. '; , state of being vivacious: life: animation: liveliness or sprightliness of temper or behaviour: (rare) a vivacious act or saying. [L. vivax, vivacis—vivĕre, to live.]

Vivandière, vē-vong-di-ār′, n. in the French and some other Continental armies, a female attendant in a regiment, who sells spirits and other comforts, marching with the corps. [Fr., fem. of vivandier—It. vivandière, a sutler—vivanda, food.]

Vivarium, vī-vā′ri-um, n. an artificial enclosure for keeping or raising living animals, as a park, fish-pond, &c.—Also . [L. vivarium—vivus, alive—vivĕre, to live.]

Vivat, vī′vat, n. an exclamation of applause. [L., 'let him live.']

Viva voce, vī′va vō′sē, by word of mouth. [L., 'with living voice,'—vivus, living, vox, vocis, voice.]

Vive, vēv, interj. long live. [Fr., 'let him live.']

Vive, vīv, adj. (Bacon) lively, forcible. [Fr.,—L. vivus—vivĕre, to live.]

Viverrine, vī-ver′in, adj. pertaining to the Viverridæ, one of the four families of the Æluroidea section of Carnivora.—n. one of the Viverridæ, and esp. of the division of Viverrinæ, including the civets, genets, &c.

Vivers, vē′vėrz, n.pl. (Scot.) food, eatables. [Fr. vivres—L. vivĕre, to live.]

Vives, vīvz, n.pl. a disease of horses, &c., seated in the glands under the ear. [O. Fr. avives, vives—Sp. avivas—Ar. addhība—al, the, dhība, she-wolf.]

Vivid, viv′id, adj. lively or life-like: having the appearance of life: forming brilliant images in the mind: striking.—adv. '.—ns. ', '.—adj. ', vivifying.—ns. '; '.—v.t. , to make vivid, endue with life. [L. vividus—vivĕre, to live.]

Viviparous, vī-vip′a-rus, adj. producing young alive: (bot.) germinating from a seed still on the parent plant.—ns. ', '.—adv. . [L., from vivus, alive, parĕre, to produce.]

Vivisection, viv-i-sek′shun, n. the practice of making operations or painful experiments on living animals, for the purposes of physiological research or demonstration.—v.t. ', to practise vivisection on.—adj. '.—ns. ', one who practises or defends vivisection; ', one who practises vivisection; , a place for vivisection. [L. vivus, alive, sectio—secāre, to cut.]

Vivisepulture, viv-i-sep′ul-tūr, n. burial alive.

Vixen, vik′sn, n. a she-fox: an ill-tempered woman.—adjs. ', ', , ill-tempered, snarling. [Formerly also vixon; a form of fixen—A.S. fyxen, a she-fox.]

Viz. See Videlicet.

Vizament, viz′a-ment, n. (Shak.) advisement.

Vizard, viz′ard, Vizor, viz′ur. Same as Visor.

Vizir, Vizier, vi-zēr′, n. a minister or councillor of state in the Ottoman Empire and other Mohammedan states—also ', ', '.—ns. ', ', ', ', the office of a vizir.—adjs. ', .—Grand vizir, in Turkey, the prime-minister, and formerly also commander of the army. [Ar. wazīr, a porter—wazara, to bear a burden.]

Vly, vlī, or flī, n. a swamp, a shallow pond which is sometimes dry.—Also Vleij, Vlei. [A word of Dutch origin used in South Africa, prob. derived from Dut. vallei, a valley.]

Vocable, vō′ka-bl, n. that which is sounded with the voice: a word: a name.—ns. ', a list of vocables or words explained in alphabetical order: the words of a language: a dictionary: any list of words; ', a lexicographer, the harmless drudge who compiles a dictionary.—adjs. ', having a voice: uttered or changed by the voice: (phon.) voiced, uttered with voice: having a vowel function; ', containing vowels.—n. ', act of vocalising.—v.t. ', to make vocal: to form into voice: to insert the vowel points, as in Hebrew.—v.i. to speak, sing.—ns. ', a vocal musician, a singer; ', ', utterableness: vowel character.—adv. '.—adj.  (rare), vocal.—Vocal chords, two elastic membraneous folds of the larynx capable of being stretched or relaxed; Vocal music, music produced by the human voice alone, as opposed to Instrumental music. [L. vocabulum—vocāre, to call.]

Vocation, vō-kā′shun, n. call or act of calling: calling: occupation.—adj. '.—adv. '. [L. vocatio—vocāre.]

Vocative, vok′a-tiv, adj. pertaining to the act of calling, applied to the grammatical case used in personal address.—n. the case of a word when a person or thing is addressed. [L. vocativus—vocāre.]

Vociferate, vō-sif′e-rāt, v.i. to cry with a loud voice.—v.t. to utter with a loud voice.—n. ', clamour.—adj. ', clamorous.—ns. ', act of vociferating: a violent or loud outcry; '.—v.t. ', to vociferate.—n. '.—adj. ', making a loud outcry: noisy.—adv. '.—n. . [L.—vox, vocis, voice, ferre, to carry.]

Vocular, vok′ū-lar, adj. vocal.—n. , a slight sound of the voice.

Vodka, vōd′ka, n. a Russian spirit, properly distilled from rye, but sometimes from potatoes. [Russ., 'brandy,' dim. of voda, water.]

Voe, vō, n. in Shetland, a bay, creek.—Also Vo, Vae. [Ice. vágr, vogr, a creek.]

Vogie, vō′gi, adj. (Scot.) vain: merry.

Vogue, vōg, n. mode or fashion at any particular time: practice: popular reception. [Fr. vogue, course of a ship—voguer, to row, from Old High Ger. wagōn (Ger. wogen, to fluctuate, float)—waga, a waving, akin to wāg, a wave.]

Voice, vois, n. sound from the mouth: sound given out by anything: utterance or mode of utterance: language: expression: expressed opinion: one who speaks: (Shak.) reputation: sound uttered with resonance of the vocal chords: vote: (gram.) mode of inflecting verbs, as being active or passive.—v.t. to give utterance to, declare, announce: to fit for sounding: to regulate the tone of: to utter with voice or tone, as distinguished from breath.—adjs. Voiced, furnished with a voice; ', having a voice: vocal.—n. '.—adj. ', having no voice or vote.—ns. '; '; ', the regulating of the tone of organ pipes, ensuring proper power, pitch, and quality.—In my voice (Shak.), in my name; Inner voice, part, in music, a voice-part intermediate between the highest and the lowest; In voice, in good condition for singing or speaking.—With one voice, unanimously. [O. Fr. voix—L. vox, vocis; akin to Gr. epos, a word.]

Void, void, adj. unoccupied: empty: destitute (with of): having no binding force: wanting: unsubstantial.—n. an empty space.—v.t. to make vacant: to quit: to send out, emit, empty out: to render of no effect, to nullify: (Spens.) to lay aside, divest one's self of.—adj. ', that may be voided or evacuated.—n. ', act of voiding or emptying: state of being void: ejection.—p.adj. ' (her.), having the inner part cut away or left vacant—said of a charge or ordinary.—ns. ', one who empties: a contrivance in armour for covering an unprotected part of the body: a tray for carrying away crumbs, &c.; ', the act of voiding: a remnant; ', emptiness: nullity. [O. Fr. voide, void, empty—L. viduus, bereft; others trace to Low L. form, akin to L. vacāre, to be empty.]

Voivode, Vaivode, voi′vōd, vā′vōd, n. the leader of an army: in Poland the title of the head of an administrative division, in Moldavia and Wallachia the former title of the princes, in Turkey an inferior administrative official—also ', ', '.—ns. ', . [Russ. voevoda (Serv. vojvoda, Pol. wojewoda), a general.]

Vol, vol, n. (her.) two wings displayed and conjoined in base. [Fr.]

Volable, vol′a-bl, adj. (Shak.) nimble—willed. [L. volāre, to fly.]

Volant, vō′lant, adj. flying: nimble: (her.) represented as flying, or as in the air unsupported, or creeping.—n. ', a part of the helmet which could be removed at will.—adj. ', evaporating very quickly: flighty: apt to change.—ns. ', ', quality of being volatile: disposition to evaporate rapidly: sprightliness: fickleness.—adj. '.—ns. ', act or process of making volatile or evaporating.—v.t. ', to make volatile: to cause to evaporate.—n. ', a large enclosure for birds in which they have room to fly.—adj. ', flying.—n. '. [Fr.,—L. volans, antis, pr.p. of volāre, to fly.]

Volante, vō-lan′te, n. a two-wheeled covered vehicle with long shafts, with a chaise-body hung before the axle, driven by a postillion. [Sp.]

Volapük, vō-la-pük′, n. a name given to a universal language invented in 1879 by Johann Schleyer of Constance, Baden, the vocabulary being mainly based on English, and the grammar being simplified to the utmost.—n. , one versed in Volapük: one who advocates the adoption of Volapük. [Lit. 'world-speech'—vol, shortened from Eng. world, pük, for Eng. speak.]

Volar, vō′lar, adj. pertaining to the palm, palmar.—n. ', the hollow of the hand or foot:—pl. '. [L.]

Volcano, vol-kā′no, n. a more or less conical hill or mountain, usually truncated, and communicating with the interior of the earth by a pipe or funnel, through which issue hot vapours and gases, and frequently loose fragmentary materials and streams of molten rock: a form of firework.—adj. ', pertaining to, produced, or affected by a volcano.—adv. '.—n. '.—v.t. ', to subject to the action of volcanic heat.—ns. ', ', phenomena connected with volcanoes; ', a student of volcanic phenomena; ', state of being volcanic; ' (rare), violent eruptiveness.—adj. '.—n. .—Volcanic rocks, those formed by volcanic agency. [It. volcano—L. Volcanus, Vulcanus, god of fire.]

Vole, vōl, n. in card-playing, the winning of all the tricks in one deal.—v.i. to win such. [Fr.,—L. volāre, to fly.]

Vole, vōl, n. a genus of rodent quadrupeds of the subfamily Arvicolinæ, which also includes the lemmings, the musk-rats, &c., the Field-vole, the Water-vole, popularly called the water-rat, and the Bank-vole.

Volery. See under Volant.

Volet, vol′ā, n. a veil: one of the wings of a triptych picture. [O. Fr., 'a shutter'—L. volāre, to fly.]

Volitant, vol′i-tant, adj. having the power of flight.—n. , act of flying.

Volition, vō-lish′un, n. act of willing or choosing: the exercise of the will: the power of determining.—adjs. ' (rare), willing; ', '.—adv. '.—adjs. '; ', having power to will: expressing a wish. [Low L. volitio—L. volo, velle, to will, be willing.]

Volkslied, fōlks′lēt, n. a folk-song. [Ger.]

Volksraad, fōlks′rät, n. the name of the legislative assembly of the Orange Free State before its final annexation by England in 1900.

Volley, vol′i, n. a flight of shot: the discharge of many small-arms at once: an outburst of many at once: in tennis and lawn-tennis, a hard return of the ball before it reaches the ground—half-volley is a return by striking the ball just as it touches or rises from the ground:—pl. .—v.t. to discharge in a volley.—v.i. to fly together, as missiles: to sound together: in lawn-tennis, to use the stroke so called. [Fr. volée, a flight—voler—L. volāre, to fly.]

Volsungs, vol′sungz, n.pl. a famous heroic race in old German legend, its founder Volsung or Wolsung, the grandson of Odin, and its brightest ornament Volsung's son, Siegmund.

Volt, vōlt, n. a turn or bound: a sudden movement or leap to avoid a thrust: a gait of two treads made by a horse going sideways round a centre.—n. . [Fr. volte—It. volta—L. volvĕre, volutum, to turn.]

Volt, vōlt, n. the unit of electro-motive force now in universal use among electricians, defined legally in terms of the ohm and ampere.—adj. ', of or pertaining to galvanism.—n. ', an instrument for measuring electric currents.—adj. '.—n. ', electro-motive force reckoned in volts.—adj. ', pertaining to Alessandro Volta, an Italian scientist (1745-1826), who mainly developed the theory of current electricity along purely physical lines, discovered the electric decomposition of water, and invented a new electric battery, the electrophorus, and the electroscope.—ns. ', that branch of electric science which treats of the production of an electric current from the chemical interaction of two immersed dissimilar metals (same as Galvanism); ', an instrument for measuring the decomposition produced by an electric current; ', the rate of activity in an electric circuit when the electro-motive force is one volt and the current one ampere; ', an electrotype; ', an instrument for measuring voltage.—Voltaic pile, a galvanic battery.

Volta, vōl′ta, n. an old dance: (mus.) turn, time:—pl.  (-te). [It.]

Voltairian, vol-tār′i-an, adj. pertaining to Voltaire, a famous French poet, dramatist, historian, and sceptic (1694-1778).—n. one who advocates the views and principles of Voltaire.—ns. ', the spirit of Voltaire—i.e. a sceptical, incredulous, and sarcastic attitude, especially towards Christianity; ', incredulity, scepticism.

Voltigeur, vol-ti-zhėr′, n. a vaulter or tumbler: formerly in the French army, one of a light-armed company of picked men placed on the left of a battalion: under the Second Empire, a member of several special infantry regiments. [Fr.]

Voluble, vol′ū-bl, adj. easy to roll or move: flowing smoothly: fluent in speech.—adj. ' (Milt.), rolling: revolving.—ns. ', ', state or quality of being voluble: fluency of speech.—adv. '. [L. volubilis—volvĕre, volutum, to roll.]

Volucrine, vol′ū-krin, adj. pertaining to birds, bird-like. [L. volucris, a bird—volāre, to fly.]

Volume, vol′ūm, n. a roll or scroll, which was the form of ancient books: a book, whether complete in itself or part of a work: a rounded mass, convolution: cubical content: a quantity: dimensions: fullness of voice.—v.i. to swell.—adj. ', having the form of a volume or roll: of volume or bulk.—ns. ', an instrument for measuring the volume of a solid body by the quantity of fluid it displaces; ', an instrument for measuring the volumes of gases.—adjs. ', '.—adv. '.—adjs. ', pertaining to cubical content; ', consisting of many volumes or books, or of many coils: of great bulk: having written much, as an author: in many volumes, capable of filling many volumes.—adv. '.—ns. ', '; ' (rare), an author.—Volumetric analysis, the analysis of a compound by determining the quantity of a standard solution required to satisfy a reaction in a known quantity of the compound.—Speak, Tell, volumes, to mean much, to be very significant. [Fr.,—L. volumen, a roll—volvĕre, volutum, to roll.]

Voluntary, vol′un-ta-ri, adj. willing: acting by choice: free: proceeding from the will: subject to the will: done by design or without compulsion: of or pertaining to voluntaryism.—n. one who does anything of his own free-will: a piece of music played at will: an upholder of voluntaryism.—adv. '.—ns. '; ', the system of maintaining the Church by voluntary offerings, instead of by the aid of the State, as alone consistent with true religious liberty, involving freedom from State support, patronage, or control; '.—adj. , voluntary.—Voluntary school, in England, one of a number of elementary schools supported by voluntary subscriptions, and in many cases controlled by religious bodies. [L. voluntarius—voluntas, choice—volo, velle, to will.]

Volunteer, vol-un-tēr′, n. one who enters any service, esp. military, voluntarily or of his own free choice: a soldier belonging to any body other than the regular army.—adj. entering into service voluntarily.—v.t. to offer voluntarily.—v.i. to enter into any service of one's own free-will or without being asked. [Fr. volontaire—L. voluntarius.]

Voluptuary, vō-lup′tū-a-ri, n. a voluptuous person, or one excessively given to bodily enjoyments or luxury: a sensualist.—adj. promoting sensual pleasure. [L. voluptuarius—voluptas, pleasure.]

Voluptuous, vō-lup′tū-us, adj. full of pleasure: given to excess of pleasure, esp. sensual: contributing to sensual pleasure.—adv. '.—n. '. [L. voluptuosus—voluptas, pleasure.]

Voluspa, vol-us-pä′, n. one of the poems of the Elder Edda: a sibyl or prophetess—a wrong use, though found in Scott's Pirate. [Ice. Völuspá, the song of the sibyl, völu, gen. of völva, a prophetess, spá, prophecy.]

Volute, vō-lūt′, n. a spiral scroll used in the Ionic and Corinthian capitals: a kind of spiral shell, chiefly tropical: whorl of a spiral shell.—adj. (bot.) rolled up in any direction.—adj. ', having a volute.—n. ', a convolution: a whorl.—adj. , like a volute. [Fr.,—L. volvĕre, volutum, to roll.]

Volve, volv, v.t. (obs.) to turn over, ponder. [L. volvĕre, to turn.]

Volvox, vol′voks, n. a genus of simple organisms found in ponds, canals, &c., being fresh-water algæ, consisting of green flagellate cells, united by protoplasmic bridges in a hollow spherical colony. [Formed from L. volvĕre, to roll.]

Volvulus, vol′vū-lus; n. occlusion of the intestine through twisting.

Vomer, vō′mėr, n. the thin flat bone forming part of the middle partition of the nose, separating the nostrils. [L., 'a ploughshare.']

Vomit, vom′it, v.i. to throw up the contents of the stomach by the mouth, to spew.—v.t. to throw out with violence.—n. matter ejected from the stomach: something that excites vomiting.—adj. ', purulent.—n. ', a cavity in the lung containing pus; ', act of one who vomits: matter vomited.—adjs. ', ', causing to vomit.—n. a vomit or emetic.—ns. ', the worst form of yellow fever, usually attended with the black vomit; ', a door of a large building by which the crowd is let out; ', violent retching. [L. vomĕre, -ĭtum, to throw up; Gr. emein.]

Voodoo, Voudou, vōō-dōō, n. the name given in the southern United States to any practiser of witchcraft, or of any charm, incantation, &c., especially when tinctured with African rites or superstitions: the supreme evil spirit of the voodoos.—adj. pertaining to the rites or practices of the voodoo.—v.t. to affect by voodoo charms.—n. , voodoo superstitions. [Creole Fr. vaudoux, a negro sorcerer, prob. a form of Fr. Vaudois, a Waldensian—a heretic being capable of any kind of wickedness.]

Voracious, vō-rā′shus, adj. eager to devour: greedy: very hungry.—adv. '.—ns. ', , quality of being voracious. [L. vorax, voracis—vorāre, to devour.]

Voraginous, vō-raj′i-nus, adj. pertaining to a whirlpool.—n.  (-gō), a gulf. [L. vorago.]

Vorant, vō′rant, adj. (her.) devouring. [L. vorans, pr.p. of vorare, to devour.]

Vortex, vor′teks, n. a whirling motion of a fluid forming a cavity in the centre: a whirlpool: an eddy having a rotational motion of the smallest visible portion in the centre:—pl. ', '.—ns. ' (phys.), a vortical molecular filament or column forming a ring composed of a number of small rotating circles, placed side by side—e.g. the smoke-rings emitted by a skilful cigarette-smoker; ', the theory that matter is ultimately composed of vortices in a fluid—a conception due to Lord Kelvin.—adj. ', whirling.—adv. '.—adjs. ', ', Vortiginal Vortiginous  [L. vortex, vertex—vortĕre, vertĕre, to turn.]

Vorticella, vor-ti-sel′a, n. a genus of ciliated Infusorians belonging to the order Peritricha, in which the cilia are restricted to a fringe round the mouth. [From L. vortex, a whirl.]

Votary, vō′ta-ri, adj. bound or consecrated by a vow.—n. one devoted as by a vow to some service, worship, or way of life:—fem. '.—n. ', a votary. [Low L. votarius—L. votum, to vow.]

Vote, vōt, n. expression of a wish or opinion, as to a matter in which one has interest: that by which a choice is expressed, as a ballot: decision by a majority: something granted by the will of the majority.—v.i. to express the choice by a vote.—v.t. to choose by a vote: to grant by a vote: (coll.) to declare by general consent.—adjs. ', capable of voting; '.—ns. '; ', a balloting-paper, used in the election of members to Parliament.—Vote down, to put an end to by a vote, or otherwise; Vote straight, to give one's vote honestly.—Cumulative voting, that system of voting in which the voter has a right to as many votes as there are members to be elected, and may give all his votes or as many as he pleases to one candidate.—Split one's votes, to divide one's votes judiciously among several candidates so as to strengthen those one favours. [L. votum, a wish—vovēre, votum, to vow.]

Votive, vō′tiv, adj. given by vow: vowed.—adv. .—Votive offering, a tablet, picture, &c. dedicated in fulfilment of a vow. [L. votivus—votum, a vow.]

Vouch, vowch, v.t. to call upon to witness: to maintain by repeated affirmations: to warrant: to attest: to produce vouchers for: (Milt.) to second, support.—v.i. to bear witness: to give testimony.—n. confirmation, attestation.—ns. ', the person vouched or summoned in a writ of right; ', one who vouches or gives witness: a paper which vouches or confirms the truth of anything, as accounts: a mechanical contrivance used in shops for automatically registering the amount of money drawn; , a solemn declaration. [O. Fr. voucher, vocher, to call to defend—L. vocāre, to call.]

Vouchsafe, vowch-sāf, v.t. to vouch or warrant safe: to sanction or allow without danger: to condescend to grant.—v.i. to condescend.—n. .

Voulge, vōōzh, n. a weapon carried by foot-soldiers in the 14th century, having a blade fixed on a long staff. [Fr.]

Voussoir, vōō-swär′, n. one of the wedge-like stones which form part of an arch.—v.t. to form with such. [Fr., through Low L., from L. volutus—volvĕre, to roll.]

Vow, vow, n. a voluntary promise made to God, and, as such, carrying with it the most stringent obligation to its fulfilment: a solemn or formal promise of fidelity or affection: (Shak.) a positive assertion.—v.t. to give by solemn promise: to devote: to threaten, to maintain solemnly.—v.i. to make vows.—n.  (Shak.), one bound by the same vow.—Baptismal vows, the promises made at baptism by the person baptised, or by the sponsors or parents in his name; Monastic vows (see Monastery); Solemn, as opposed to Simple vows, such vows as the Church takes under her special charge, or is said in a solemn manner to accept, as those of poverty, obedience, and chastity, involving complete and irrevocable surrender. [O. Fr. vou (Fr. vœu)—L. votum—vovēre, to vow.]

Vowel, vow′el, n. a sound or tone produced by the unimpeded passage of the breath, when modified by the glottis into voice, through the tube of the mouth, which is made to assume different shapes by altering the form and position of the tongue and the lips—the letters a, e, i, o, u are called vowels, as being able to be sounded by themselves, with a continuous passage of the breath; but there are thirteen simple vowel sounds in English.—adj. vocal: pertaining to a vowel.—vs.t. ', ', to insert vowel signs in words written primarily with consonants only.—ns. ', the use of vowels; ', one given to vowelism.—adjs. ', furnished with vowels; ', without vowels; , full of vowels.—Vowel points, marks inserted in consonantal word to indicate vowels. [Fr. voyelle—L. vocalis—vox, vocis, the voice.]

Vox, voks, n. voice: a voice or song part.—Vox angelica, or cælestis, in organ-building, a stop producing a wavy effect; Vox humana, in organ-building, a reed-stop producing tones resembling those of the human voice. [L.]

Voyage, voi′āj, n. passage by water: (Shak.) an enterprise.—v.i. to make a voyage, or to pass by water.—v.t. to traverse, pass over.—adj. ', navigable.—n. ', one who voyages.—n.pl. Voyageurs name given in Canada to the men who in their bark canoes kept up communication between the stations, and effected transportation of men and supplies, in the North-west and Hudson's Bay territory. [Fr.,—L. viaticum, travelling-money—L. via, a way.]

Vraisemblance, vrā-song-blongs′, n. verisimilitude. [Fr., vrai, true, semblance, appearance.]

Vug, vug, n. a Cornish miner's name for a cavity in a rock.—adj. .

Vulcan, vul′kan, n. (Roman myth.) the god of fire.—n. ', an ancient Roman, festival in honour of Vulcan, held on 23d August.—adjs. ', pertaining to Vulcan, or to one who works in iron; ' (same as Volcanic).—n. ', volcanicity.—adj. '.—n. '.—v.t. ', to combine with sulphur by heat, as caoutchouc—v.i. to admit of such treatment.—ns. ', volcanism; ', a supporter of the Huttonian theory in geology which asserted the igneous origin of such rocks as basalt; ', the harder of the two kinds of vulcanised india-rubber or caoutchouc, the softer kind being called soft-rubber. [L. Vulcanus.]

Vulgar, vul′gar, adj. pertaining to or used by the common people, native: public: common; national, vernacular: mean or low: rude.—n. the common people: the common language of a country.—ns. ', a vulgar person: a rich unrefined person; ', a making widely known: a making coarse or common.—v.t. ', to make vulgar or rude.—ns. ', a vulgar phrase: coarseness; ', ', quality of being vulgar: mean condition of life: rudeness of manners.—adv. '.—n. ', an ancient Latin version of the Scriptures, so called from its common use in the R.C. Church, prepared by Jerome in the fourth century, and pronounced 'authentic' by the Council of Trent.—Vulgar fraction, a fraction written in the common way.—The vulgar, the common people. [L. vulgaris—vulgus, the people.]

Vulnerable, vul′ne-ra-bl, adj. capable of being wounded: liable to injury.—v.t. Vuln (her.), to wound.—adj. Vulned (her.).—ns. ', '.—adj. ', pertaining to wounds: useful in healing wounds.—n. anything useful in curing wounds.—adj. ', with many wounds. [L. vulnerabilis—vulnerāre, to wound—vulnus, vulneris, a wound.]

Vulpine, vul′pin, adj. relating to or like the fox: cunning.—adj. ', vulpine.—ns. ', the killing of a fox: a fox-killer; , craftiness. [L.,—vulpes, a fox.]

Vulsella, vul-sel′a, n. a forceps with toothed or clawed blades:—pl.  (-ē). [L.]

Vulture, vul′tūr, n. a large rapacious bird of prey, feeding largely on carrion: one who or that which resembles a vulture.—adjs. ', ', ', like the vulture: rapacious.—ns. ', rapacity; , the Australian brush-turkey. [O. Fr. voutour (Fr. vautour)—L. vultur; perh. from vellĕre, to pluck, to tear.]

Vulva, vul′va, n. the orifice of the external organs of generation of the female.—adjs. ', '; ', oval.—ns. ', vaginismus; ', inflammation of the vulva.—adjs. ', pertaining to the vulva and the uterus; ', pertaining to the vulva and the vagina.—n. ', inflammation of both the vulva and the vagina.

Vum, vum, v.i. (U.S.) a corruption of vow, in phrase 'I vum.'

Vying, vī′ing, pr.p. of vie.