vig (vig) •n. short for VIGORISH

viga (vi:´gэ) •n. any of the heavy ceiling beams in a house of the old Spanish type in the Southwest [Sp, beam]

vigesimal (vai jes´э mэl, -jez´-) •adj. of or based on the number twenty [< L vigesimus, var. of vicesimus < viceni, twenty each: see VICENARY]

vigil (vij´эl) •n. 1 a) a purposeful or watchful staying awake during the usual hours of sleep b) a watch kept, or the period of this 2 Eccles. the evening or day before a festival, or the devotional services held then [ME vigile < OFr < L vigilia, a watch < vigil, awake < vegere, to arouse: see WAKE¹]

vigil light a candle, taper, etc. burned as an act of special religious devotion or petition, as at a shrine

vigilance (vij´э lэns) •n. the quality or state of being vigilant; watchfulness [Fr < L vigilantia]

vigilance committee a group organized outside of legal authority to keep order and punish crime because the usual law-enforcement agencies do not exist or are alleged to be inefficient

vigilant (vij´э lэnt) •adj. staying watchful and alert to danger or trouble SYN. WATCHFUL vig´i·lant·ly •adv. [Fr < L vigilans, prp. of vigilare, to watch < vigil, awake: see VIGIL]

vigilante (vij'э læn´ti:, -län´-) •n. a member of a vigilance committee [Sp, watchman, orig., vigilant]

vigilantism (vij'э læn´tiz'эm, -län´-; vij´э lэn tiz'эm) •n. the lawless, violent methods, spirit, etc. of vigilantes vig'i·lan´tist •adj.

vigneron (vi:n'yэ rouñ´) •n. WINEGROWER

vignette (vin yet´) •n. 1 an ornamental design (orig. one of vine leaves, tendrils, and grapes) or illustration used on a page of a book, magazine, etc., as at the beginning or end of a chapter or section 2 a picture, photograph, film image, etc. with no definite border, shading off gradually at the edges into the background 3 a) a short literary sketch or description b) a short, delicately memorable scene in a film or play •vt. -gnet´ted, -gnet´ting to make a vignette of vi·gnet´tist •n. [Fr, dim. < vigne, vine, VINE]

Vigny (vi: nyi:´), Al·fred Vic·tor Comte de (ål fřed´ vi:k tôř´ dэ) 1797-1863; Fr. poet & man of letters

Vigo (vi:´gô) seaport in NW Spain: pop. 259,000

vigor (vig´эr) •n. 1 active physical or mental force or strength; vitality 2 active or healthy growth {the vigor of a plant} 3 intensity, force, or energy {the vigor of her denial} 4 effective legal or binding force; validity {a law that is still in vigor} Brit., etc. sp. vig´our [ME vigour < OFr < L vigor < vigere, to be strong < vegere: see WAKE¹]

vigorish (vig´эr ish) •n. [Slang] 1 the advantage in betting odds that a bookmaker or gambler creates to produce profit 2 excessive interest as charged by a loan shark [prob. via Yidd < Russ vyigrysh, winnings, profit]

vigoroso (vig'э rou´sou; It vi:'gô řô´sô) •adj. Musical Direction vigorous; energetic [It]

vigorous (vig´эr эs) •adj. 1 living or growing with full vital strength; strong; robust 2 of, characterized by, or requiring vigor or strength 3 forceful or powerful; strong; energetic 4 acting, or ready to act, with energy and force SYN. ACTIVE vig´or·ous·ly •adv. vig´or·ous·ness •n. [ME vigerous < OFr < ML vigorosus]

Viipuri (vi:´pu ři:') Finn. name of VYBORG

Vijayawada (vi:´jэ yэ wä'dэ) city in Andhra Pradesh, SE India, on the Krishna River: pop. 545,000

viking (vai´kiŋ) •n. [also V-] any of the Scandinavian sea rovers and pirates who ravaged the coasts of Europe from the 8th to the 10th cent. [ON vikingr: orig. uncert.]

vil village

Vila (vi:´lэ) capital of Vanuatu: pop. 14,000

vile (vail) •adj. 1 morally base or evil; wicked; depraved; sinful 2 offensive to the senses or sensibilities; repulsive; disgusting 3 cheap; worthless 4 degrading; low; mean 5 highly disagreeable or most inferior; very bad: a generalized term of disapproval {vile weather} SYN. BASE² vile´ly •adv. vile´ness •n. [ME vil < OFr < L vilis, cheap, base < ? IE *wezlis < *wesno-, price > VENAL]

vilify (vil´э fai') -fied', -fy'ing •vt. to use abusive or slanderous language about or of; calumniate; revile; defame vil'i·fi·ca´tion •n. vil´i·fi'er •n. [LL(Ec) vilificare: see VILE & -FY]

vilipend (vil´э pend') •vt. 1 to treat or regard contemptuously or slightingly; disparage; belittle 2 to vilify; revile [ME vilipenden < MFr vilipender < L vilipendere < vilis, VILE + pendere, to weigh: see PEND]

villa (vil´э) •n. 1 a country house or estate, esp. when large or luxurious and used as a retreat or summer house 2 [Brit.] a small suburban house [It < L, a country seat, farm, ? via *vicsla < vicus, village: see ECO-] Villa (vi:´yä), Fran·cis·co (fřän si:s´kô) (born Doroteo Arango) c. 1877-1923; Mex. revolutionary leader: called Pancho Villa

villadom (vil´э dэm) •n. [Chiefly Brit.] villas and their occupants, collectively; suburbia [VILLA + -DOM]

Villafranchian (vil'э fræŋ´ki: эn) •adj. designating or of the Lower Pleistocene before the first glaciation [after Villafranca, town in NW Italy]

village (vil´ij) •n. 1 a) a group of houses in the country, larger than a hamlet and smaller than a city or town b) such a community incorporated as a municipality c) the people of a village, collectively; villagers 2 a group or cluster of the habitations of animals or birds •adj. of, in, for, or characteristic of a village [OFr < L villaticus, belonging to a country house < villa, country house, farm: see VILLA]

villager (-эr) •n. a person who lives in a village

Villahermosa (vi:'yä eř mô´sä) city in SE Mexico: capital of Tabasco state: pop. 133,000

villain (vil´эn) •n. 1 a person guilty of or likely to commit great crimes; evil or wicked person; scoundrel 2 a wicked or unprincipled character in a novel, play, etc. who opposes the protagonist or hero 3 someone or something regarded as the cause of a problem, difficulty, injustice, etc. 4 alt. sp. of VILLEIN 5 [Obs.] a boor; lout vil´lain·ess •n.fem. [ME vilein < OFr vilain < VL villanus, a farm servant < L villa, a farm: see VILLA]

villainous (-эs) •adj. 1 of, like, or characteristic of a villain; evil; wicked 2 very bad, disagreeable, or objectionable vil´lain·ous·ly •adv.

villainy (-i:) pl. -lain·ies' (-i:z') •n. 1 the fact or state of being villainous 2 villainous conduct 3 a villainous act; wicked, detestable, or criminal deed [ME vileinie < Anglo-Fr & OFr vilainie < vilain: see VILLAIN]

Villa-Lobos (vi:´lä lô´bus; E vi:´lэ lou´bэs), Hei·tor (ei tôř´) 1887-1959; Brazilian composer

villanella (vil'э nel´э; It vi:l'lä nel´lä) pl. -le (-i:; It, -li:) •n. 1 an old rustic Italian song and accompanying dance 2 a Neapolitan 16th-cent. part song, lighter and more lively than the madrigal, which it often parodied [It, fem. dim. of villano < VL villanus: see VILLAIN]

villanelle (vil'э nel´) •n. a poem of fixed form, French in origin, consisting usually of five three-line stanzas and a final four-line stanza and having only two rhymes throughout [Fr < It villanella: see VILLANELLA]

Villard (vi lärd´), Oswald Garrison 1872-1949; U.S. journalist, editor, & writer, born in Germany

villatic (vi læt´ik) •adj. of a villa, country house, or farm; rustic; rural [L villaticus]

-ville (vil) combining form 1 town, city: used in place names {Evansville} Æ 2 place or condition characterized by, fit for, or filled with: freely used in slang terms, typically derogatory, often with an infixed -s- {squaresville, dullsville} [< Fr ville, town, city < L villa: see VILLA]

villein (vil´эn) •n. any of a class of feudal serfs who by the 13th cent. had become freemen in their legal relations to all except their lord, to whom they remained subject as slaves [ME: see VILLAIN]

villeinage or villenage (-ij) •n. 1 the status of a villein 2 the conditions of tenure by which a villein held his land [ME villenage < OFr: see VILLAIN]

Villeurbanne (vi:l üř bån´) city in EC France: suburb of Lyon: pop. 118,000

villi (vil´ai') •n. pl. of VILLUS

Villiers (vil´эrz, -yэrz), George see BUCKINGHAM, 1st Duke of & BUCKINGHAM, 2d Duke of

villiform (vil´э förm') •adj. 1 like villi in form 2 designating the small teeth of some fishes, so closely set as to resemble the pile of velvet [< VILLUS + -i- + -FORM]

Villon (vi: youñ´), Fran·çois (fřäñ swå´) (born François de Montcorbier or des Loges) 1431-c. 1463; Fr. poet

villosity (vi läs´э ti:) pl. -ties •n. 1 the condition of being villous 2 a villus 3 a coating or surface of villi

villous (vil´эs) •adj. of, having the nature of, or covered with villi: also vil´lose' (-ous') [ME < L villosus]

villus (vil´эs) pl. vil´li' (-ai') •n. 1 Anat. any of numerous hairlike or fingerlike vascular processes on certain mucous membranes of the body, as of the small intestine, serving to secrete mucus, absorb fats, etc., or of the chorion in the mammalian placenta, serving in the exchange of food materials, etc. between the mother and the fetus 2 Bot. any of the long, soft, fine hairs on certain plants, as mosses [L, shaggy hair, tuft of hair, var. of vellus, a fleece, WOOL]

Vilnius (vil´ni: us') capital of Lithuania: pop. 544,000: Russ. name Vil·na (vi:l´nä; E vil´nэ)

vim (vim) •n. energy; vigor [prob. echoic, assoc. with L vim, acc. of vis, strength]

vimen (vai´men') pl. vim·i·na (vim´э nэ) •n. Bot. a long, flexible shoot or branch vi·min·e·ous (vi min´i: эs) or vim·i·nal (vim´э nэl) •adj. [L, an osier, twig, akin to viere, to bend, twist < IE base *wei- > WITHE, WIRE]

Viminal (vim´э nэl) see SEVEN HILLS OF ROME

Vimy (vi: mi:´) town in N France, near the site of a fierce battle (1917) of World War I: pop. 2,700

vin (væñ; Anglicized vin) •n. wine [Fr]

vin ordinaire (væñ ôř di: neř´) any inexpensive wine routinely served with meals [Fr, ordinary wine]

vin rosé (væñ řô zei´; often Anglicized vin´ rou zei´) ROSÉ [Fr, pink wine]

vina (vi:´nä') •n. an ancient musical instrument of India: four strings on a long, fretted fingerboard are plucked for melody, three others along one side are plucked in accompaniment, and one to three attached gourds serve as resonators [Sans vīnā]

Viña del Mar (vi:´nyä del mäř) seaport in central Chile, near Valparaiso: pop. 298,000

vinaceous (vai nei´shэs) •adj. 1 of or like wine or grapes 2 wine-colored; red [L vinaceus < vinum: see VINE]

vinaigrette (vin'э gret´) •n. 1 a small ornamental box or bottle with a perforated lid, used for holding aromatic vinegar, smelling salts, etc. 2 a cold sauce made of vinegar, oil, herbs, etc. used as a salad dressing or on cold meats or fish: also called vinaigrette dressing or vinaigrette sauce [Fr < vinaigre, VINEGAR]

vinca (viŋ´kэ) •n. PERIWINKLE¹

Vincent (vin´sэnt) a masculine name: dim. Vince; equiv. Ger. Vincenz, It. Vincenzo, Sp. Vicente [LL Vicentius < vincens, prp. of vincere, to conquer: see VICTOR]

Vincent de Paul (dэ pöl´), Saint (c. 1580-1660); Fr. priest who founded charitable orders: his day is Sept. 27

Vincent's angina (vin´sэnts) TRENCH MOUTH: also called Vincent's infection [after J. H. Vincent (1862-1950), Fr physician]

Vinci , Leonardo da see DA VINCI, Leonardo

vincible (vin´sэ bэl) •adj. that can be overcome or defeated; conquerable vin'ci·bil´i·ty •n. [L vincibilis, easily overcome < vincere, to overcome: see VICTOR]

vincristine (vin kris´ti:n', -tin) •n. an alkaloid, C46H56N4O10, obtained from the periwinkle (Vinca rosea) and used in treating cancers [< L vinca, periwinkle (prob. < vincere: see VINCULUM) + crista, crest + -INE³]

vinculum (viŋ´kyэ lэm) pl. -la (-lэ) •n. 1 that which binds; bond; tie 2 Anat. a band or connecting fold 3 Math. a line drawn over two or more terms of a compound quantity to show that they are to be treated together (Ex.: a - x + y) [L < vincere, to bind < IE base *wei-, to bend > VIMEN]

Vindhya Pradesh (vind´yä prä´desh) former state of central India: since 1956, part of Madhya Pradesh

Vindhya Range chain of hills across central India, north of the Narbada River, marking the N edge of the Deccan Plateau: also called Vindhya Mountains (or Hills)

vindicable (vin´di kэ bэl) •adj. that can be vindicated; justifiable [ML vindicabilis]

vindicate (vin´dэ keit') -cat'ed, -cat'ing •vt. 1 to clear from criticism, blame, guilt, suspicion, etc.; uphold by evidence or argument 2 to defend or maintain (a cause, claim, etc.) against opposition 3 to serve as justification for; justify {a success which vindicated their belief in him} 4 to lay claim to or establish possession of (something for oneself or another) 5 [Obs.] a) to avenge b) to punish SYN. ABSOLVE vin´di·ca'tor •n. [< L vindicatus, pp. of vindicare, to claim, avenge < ? vim, force (see VIM) + dicere, to say: see DICTION]

vindication (vin'dэ kei´shэn) •n. 1 a vindicating or being vindicated 2 a fact or circumstance that vindicates, or justifies [LME vyndycacion < L vindicatio, a claiming < vindicare: see VINDICATE]

vindicatory (vin´di kэ tör'i:) •adj. 1 serving to vindicate 2 bringing retribution; punitive

vindictive (vin dik´tiv) •adj. 1 revengeful in spirit; inclined to seek vengeance 2 said or done in revenge; characterized by vengeance {vindictive punishment} vin·dic´tive·ly •adv. vin·dic´tive·ness •n. SYN.—vindictive stresses the unforgiving nature of one who is animated by a desire to get even with another for a wrong, injury, etc. [vindictive feelings]; vengeful and revengeful more directly stress the strong impulsion to action and the actual seeking of vengeance [a vengeful, or revengeful, foe]; spiteful implies a mean or malicious vindictiveness [spiteful gossip] [< L vindicta, revenge, vindication < vindicatus (see VINDICATE) + -IVE]

vine (vain) •n. 1 a) any plant with a long, thin stem that grows along the ground or climbs a wall or other support by means of tendrils, etc. b) the stem of such a plant 2 GRAPEVINE (sense 1) [ME < OFr vine < L vinea, vine < vineus, pertaining to wine < vinum, wine, akin to Gr oinē, vine, oinos, wine, prob. a loanword from a pre-IE language of the Pontus region (> Heb yayin)]

vinedresser (-dres'эr) •n. a person who cultivates or prunes grapevines

vinegar (vin´э gэr) •n. 1 a sour liquid with a pungent odor, containing acetic acid, made by fermenting dilute alcoholic liquids, as cider, wine, malt, etc.: it is used as a condiment and preservative 2 sour or ill-tempered speech, character, etc. Æ 3 forceful vigor [ME vinegre < MFr vinaigre < vin, wine (< L vinum: see VINE) + aigre, sour < L acris (see ACRID)]

vinegar eel (or worm) a small nematode worm (Anguillula aceti) often found in unsterilized vinegar

vinegarroon (vin'э gэ ru:n´) •n. a large whip scorpion (Mastigoproctus giganteus) found in the S U.S. and in Mexico that, when disturbed, excretes a substance having a vinegary odor [AmSp vinagrón < Sp vinagre, vinegar + -ón, aug. suffix]

vinegary (vin´э gэr i:) •adj. 1 of or like vinegar 2 sour in speech or disposition; ill-tempered Also vin´e·gar·ish

Vineland (vain´lэnd) city in S N.J.: pop. 55,000 [after the vineyards there]

vinery (vain´эr i:) pl. -er·ies •n. 1 an area or building in which vines, esp. grapevines, are grown Æ 2 vines collectively [ME vinary < ML vinarium < L vinea: see VINE & -ERY]

vineyard (vin´yэrd) •n. 1 land devoted to cultivating grapevines 2 a field of activity, esp. of spiritual labor [VINE + YARD², after OE wingeard]

vingt-et-un (væñ tei ëñ´) •n. TWENTY-ONE [Fr, twenty and one, twenty one]

vini- (vin´i) combining form wine grapes or wine {viniculture} [< L vinum, wine: see VINE]

vinic (vai´nik, vin´ik) •adj. of, found in, or derived from wine [< L vinum, wine (see VINE) + -IC]

viniculture (vin´i kûl'chэr) •n. the cultivation of wine grapes vin'i·cul´tur·ist •n. [VINI- + CULTURE]

vinifera (vai nif´эr э) •adj. designating or of the most widely cultivated species of grape (Vitis vinifera) used for making wine [ModL (Vitis) vinifera, wine-producing (vine) < LL, fem. of vinifer, wine-producing < L vinum (see VINE) + -fer, -FER]

viniferous (vai nif´эr эs) •adj. that produces or yields wine [VINI- + -FEROUS]

vinification (vin'э fэ kei´shэn) •n. the method or process of changing grapes into wine

vinify (vin´э fai') -fied', -fy'ing •vt. to change (grapes) into (wine) by a fermentation process

Vinland (vin´lэnd) region, now believed to be part of North America, discovered by Norsemen led by Leif Ericson in c. A.D. 1000 [ON, lit., wine-land (after the wild berries or grapes discovered there)]

vino (vi:´nô) •n. wine [It & Sp]

vinous (vai´nэs) •adj. 1 a) of, having the nature of, or characteristic of wine b) wine-colored; specif., red like wine 2 a) addicted to drinking wine b) resulting from drinking wine vi·nos´i·ty (-näs´э ti:) •n. [L vinosus, full of wine < vinum: see VINE]

Vinson (vin´sэn), Fred(erick) M(oore) 1890-1953; U.S. jurist: chief justice of the U.S. (1946-53)

vintage (vin´tij) •n. 1 a) the crop or yield of a particular vineyard or grape-growing region in a single season, with reference either to the grapes or to the wine made from them b) wine; specif., the wine, esp. a prized wine, of a particular region in a specified year c) the region or year of a particular wine 2 the act or season of gathering grapes or of making wine 3 the type or model of a particular year or period {a car of prewar vintage} •adj. 1 of or produced in a particular vintage: said of wine 2 of a good period, choice, representative of the best, etc. {vintage Hemingway} 3 representative of or dating from a period long past {vintage clothes} [ME, earlier vendage < OFr vendange < L vindemia, vintage < vinum, wine (see VINE) + demere, to remove < de-, off + emere, to take: see REDEEM]

vintager (-эr) •n. a person who harvests grapes for making wine [< prec. + -ER]

vintner (vint´nэr) •n. 1 a person who sells wine; wine merchant 2 a person who makes wine [altered < ME viniter, vintner < OFr vinetier < ML vinetarius < L vinetum, vineyard < vinum: see VINE]

viny (vai´ni:) vin´i·er, vin´i·est •adj. 1 of or like vines 2 filled or covered with vines

vinyl (vai´nэl) •n. the monovalent radical CH2:CH characteristic of many derivatives of ethylene, its hydride: various vinyl compounds are polymerized to form resins and plastics for a wide variety of industrial products [< L vinum, wine (see VINE) + -YL]

vinyl alcohol an alcohol, CH2:CHOH, known only in the form of its esters or ethers, or its polymer, polyvinyl alcohol

vinyl chloride a colorless gas, CH2:CHCl, made by reacting acetylene with hydrogen chloride or by cracking ethylene dichloride: it is used to make polyvinyl chloride, etc.

vinyl plastic any of various plastics made from polymerized vinyl compounds or copolymers of vinyl and other resins, used in various molded or extruded products, coatings, adhesives, sizes, etc.

vinyl resin a polymer formed from vinyl compounds, used with other resins, plasticizers, etc. to produce various solid vinyl plastics

vinylidene (vai nil´э di:n') •n. the divalent radical CH2:C derived from ethylene [VINYL + -ID(E) + -INE³]

vinylidene resin any synthetic resin in which the basic structure consists of the H2C:CR2 group, where R usually is a halogen

viol (vai´эl) •n. any of an early family of stringed instruments played with a curved bow, characterized generally by six strings, frets, a flat back, and C-shaped sound holes: used chiefly in the 16th and 17th cent. in sizes from the treble viol to the bass viol [MFr viole < OProv viula < Frank *vithula < VL vitula: see FIDDLE]

Viola (vai ou´lэ, vi:-; vai´э lэ) a feminine name: dim. Vi [< L viola, a violet]

viola clef ALTO CLEF

viola da braccio (vi: ou´lэ dä brä´chou) an early stringed instrument of the viol family, comparable in range to the viola [It, lit., viol for the arm]

viola da gamba (gäm´bэ) an early stringed instrument of the viol family, held between the knees and comparable in range to the cello [It, lit., viol for the leg]

viola d'amore (dä mö´rei) an early stringed instrument of the viol family having a set of wire strings that are stretched behind the bowed gut strings, and whose sympathetic vibrations produce soft, clear, ringing tones [It, lit., viol of love]

viola¹ (vi: ou´lэ, vai-) •n. a stringed instrument of the violin family, slightly larger than a violin and tuned a fifth lower [It < OProv viula, viol]

viola² (vai´э lэ, vai ou´lэ) •n. a violet; esp., any of various violets developed from a pansy (Viola cornuta), grown as garden plants [ME < L, a violet, prob. of non-IE orig.]

violable (vai´э lэ bэl) •adj. that can be, or is likely to be, violated vi'o·la·bil´i·ty or vi´o·la·ble·ness •n. vi´o·la·bly •adv. [L violabilis < violare: see VIOLATE]

violaceous (vai'э lei´shэs) •adj. violet in color [L violaceus, violet-colored < viola, a violet]

violate (vai´э leit') -lat'ed, -lat'ing •vt. 1 to break (a law, rule, promise, etc.); fail to keep or observe; infringe on 2 to commit a sexual assault on; esp., to rape (a woman) 3 to desecrate or profane (something sacred) 4 to break in upon; interrupt thoughtlessly; disturb {to violate someone's privacy} 5 to offend, insult, or outrage {to violate one's sense of decency} vi´o·la'tive •adj. vi´o·la'tor •n. [ME violaten < L violatus, pp. of violare, to use force or violence, akin to vis, force]

violation (vai'э lei´shэn) •n. a violating or being violated; specif., a) infringement or breach, as of a law, rule, right, etc. b) sexual assault; rape c) desecration of something sacred, as a church d) interruption; disturbance [ME violacion < L violatio]

violence (vai´э lэns) •n. 1 physical force used so as to injure, damage, or destroy; extreme roughness of action 2 intense, often devastatingly or explosively powerful force or energy, as of a hurricane or volcano 3 a) unjust or callous use of force or power, as in violating another's rights, sensibilities, etc. b) the harm done by this 4 great force or strength of feeling, conduct, or expression; vehemence; fury 5 a twisting or wrenching of a sense, phrase, etc., so as to distort the original or true sense or form {to do violence to a text} 6 an instance of violence; violent act or deed [ME < MFr < L violentia < violentus: see VIOLENT]

violent (-lэnt) •adj. 1 a) acting with or characterized by great physical force, so as to injure, damage, or destroy b) acting or characterized by force unlawfully or callously used 2 caused by violence {a violent death} 3 a) showing, or resulting from, strong feeling or emotion; vehement; furious {violent language} b) emotionally disturbed to an uncontrollable degree 4 extreme; intense; very strong {a violent storm} 5 tending to distort the meaning {to put a violent construction on a text} vi´o·lent·ly •adv. [ME < MFr < L violentus, violent, akin to violare, to VIOLATE]

violescent (vai'э les´эnt) •adj. shading off toward a violet color [< L viola, a VIOLET + -ESCENT]

violet (vai´э lit) •n. 1 a) any of a genus (Viola) of plants of the violet family, having white, blue, purple, or yellow irregular flowers with short spurs b) the flower of any of these plants 2 any of various similar plants, as the African violet, or their flowers 3 a bluish-purple color •adj. 1 designating a family (Violaceae, order Violales) of temperate and tropical dicotyledonous plants having five-parted flowers, a one-celled ovary, and a three-valved fruit capsule, including the pansies 2 of a violet color [ME < OFr violette, dim. of viole < L viola, a violet < or akin to Gr ion, violet] Violet (vai´э lit) a feminine name: dim. Vi [< prec.]

violet layer Astron. a layer of particles in the upper atmosphere of the planet Mars, that scatters and absorbs certain electromagnetic radiation, thus preventing the blue, violet, and ultraviolet light waves from passing through

violet ray 1 the shortest ray of the visible spectrum 2 loosely, an ultraviolet ray

violin (vai'э lin´) •n. any instrument of the modern family of stringed instruments played with a bow, characterized by four strings tuned in fifths, a lack of frets, a somewhat rounded back, and ƒ-shaped sound holes; specif., the smallest and highest-pitched instrument of this family, held horizontally under the chin, resting against the collarbone; fiddle [It violino, dim. of viola, VIOLA¹]

violinist (-ist) •n. a violin player [It violinista]

violist (vai´эl ist; for 2 vi: ou´list) •n. 1 a viol player 2 a viola player

violoncellist (vi:'э län'chel´ist, vai'э-) •n. a cello player; cellist

violoncello (-chel´ou) pl. -los •n. CELLO [It, dim. of violone, bass viol < viola, viol]

violone (vyou lou´nei) •n. the largest and lowest pitched viol [It, aug. of viola, viol, VIOLA¹]

viosterol (vai äs´tэ röl', -roul') •n. ERGOCALCIFEROL [(ULTRA)VIO(LET) + (ERGO)STEROL]

VIP (vi:'ai pi:´) •n. a high-ranking official or important guest, esp. one accorded special treatment [v(ery) i(mportant) p(erson)]

viper (vai´pэr) •n. 1 any of a widespread family (Viperidae) of venomous snakes, including the pit vipers, the European adder, and the African puff adder; solenoglyph 2 any of various other poisonous or supposedly poisonous snakes 3 a) a malicious or spiteful person b) a treacherous person [OFr < L vipera, contr. < ? *vivipara, producing live young < vivus, living (see BIO-) + parere, to bear: see -PAROUS: from the notion that the viper does not lay eggs]

viperine (-in, -ain') •adj. of, having the nature of, or like that of a viper; venomous [L viperinus]

viperous (-эs) •adj. of, having the nature of, or like a viper; esp., spiteful or malicious: also vi´per·ish vi´per·ous·ly •adv.

viper's bugloss BLUEWEED

virago (vi rei´gou, vai-) pl. -goes or -gos •n. 1 a quarrelsome, shrewish woman; scold 2 [Archaic] a strong, manlike woman; amazon [ME < OE < L, a manlike female < vir, man: see WEREWOLF]

viral (vai´rэl) •adj. of, involving, or caused by a virus

virelay (vir´э lei') •n. any of various French verse forms, popular in the 14th and 15th cent., with only two rhymes per stanza, and a refrain Also vir´e·lai' (-lei'; Fr viř lei´) [ME vyrelaye < MFr virelai, prob. altered by assoc. with lai (see LAY4) < OFr virli, vireli, jingle used as the refrain of a song]

vireo (vir´i: ou') pl. -os' •n. any of a family (Vireonidae) of small, insect-eating, American passerine birds, with olive-green or gray plumage vir´e·o·nine' (-э nain', -nin) •adj., n. [L, greenfinch, akin to virere, to be green]

vires (vai´ri:z') •n. pl. of VIS [L]

virescence (vai res´эns, vi-) •n. 1 the condition of becoming green 2 Bot. the turning green of petals or other parts that are not normally so, due to the abnormal presence of chlorophyll [< fol.]

virescent (-эnt) •adj. 1 turning or becoming green 2 greenish [L virescens, prp. of virescere, to grow green < virere, to be green]

virga (vør´gэ) •n. Meteorol. long streamers or wispy streaks of water or ice particles falling from the base of a cloud but evaporating completely before reaching the ground [ModL, streak in the heavens < L, twig, wand]

virgate¹ (vør´git, -geit') •n. an old English unit of land measure varying greatly in size, but most commonly equal to about 30 acres [ML virgata (terrae) < L virga, twig (see VERGE¹): used as transl. of OE gierdland, yardland]

virgate² (-git, -geit') •adj. 1 rod-shaped 2 Bot. long, thin, and stiff, with few branches [ModL virgatus < L, made of twigs < virga, twig: see VERGE¹]

Virgil (vør´jэl) (L. name Publius Vergilius Maro) 70-19 B.C.; Rom. poet: author of the Aeneid Vir·gil´i·an (-jil´i: эn) •adj. [< L Vergilius, name of the Roman gens to which the poet belonged]

virgin (vør´jэn) •n. 1 a) a woman, esp. a young woman, who has never had sexual intercourse b) an unmarried girl or woman 2 less commonly, a man, esp. a youth, who has never had sexual intercourse 3 Zool. a) a female animal that has not copulated b) a female insect that lays eggs without impregnation by the male •adj. 1 being a virgin 2 composed of virgins 3 characteristic of or proper to a virgin; chaste; modest 4 like or suggesting a virgin because untouched, unmarked, pure, clean, etc. {virgin snow} 5 up to this time unused, untrod, unworked, undiscovered, etc. by man {a virgin forest} 6 occurring uncombined in its native form {virgin silver} 7 being the first; initial {a virgin effort} 8 a) obtained from the first pressing, without the use of heat (said of an oil, as of olives) b) obtained directly from an ore (said of a metal) [V-] VIRGO the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus [ME < OFr virgine < L virgo (gen. virginis), maiden: ? akin to virga, slender branch, twig, shoot]

virgin birth 1 [usually V- B-] Christian Theol. the doctrine that Jesus was born to Mary without violating her virginity and that she was his only human parent: cf. IMMACULATE CONCEPTION 2 Zool. parthenogenesis

Virgin Islands group of islands of the Leeward group in the West Indies, east of Puerto Rico comprising the British Virgin Islands, easternmost islands of this group, constituting a British colony: 59 sq. mi. (152 sq. km); pop. 12,000 & the Virgin Islands of the United States, the islands of this group closest to Puerto Rico, constituting a territory of the U.S.: 132 sq. mi. (342 sq. km); pop. 102,000; cap. Charlotte Amalie: abbrev. VI [< Sp Las Virgenes, the virgins, so named (1493) by COLUMBUS in honor of the legendary 11,000 followers of St. Ursula]

Virgin Islands National Park national park on the island of St. John in the Virgin Islands: 8 sq. mi. (20 sq. km)

Virgin Mary Mary, the mother of Jesus Virgin Mary Æ a drink of seasoned tomato juice served as a cocktail

Virgin Queen name for ELIZABETH I

virgin wool wool that has never before been processed

virginal¹ (-jэ nэl) •adj. 1 of, characteristic of, or proper to a virgin; maidenly 2 remaining in a state of virginity 3 pure; fresh; untouched; unsullied 4 Zool. not fertilized [OFr < L virginalis]

virginal² (-jэ nэl) •n. [sometimes pl.] a harpsichord; esp., a small, rectangular harpsichord of the 16th cent., placed on a table or held in the lap to be played Also called pair of virginals [prob. akin to prec.: reason for name obscure]

Virginia (vэr jin´yэ) 1 a feminine name: dim. Ginny, Ginie; equiv. Fr. Virginie 2 Southern State of the U.S., on the Atlantic: one of the 13 original States; 40,815 sq. mi. (105,710 sq. km); pop. 6,187,000; cap. Richmond: abbrev. VA or Va [after ELIZABETH I, the Virgin Queen] Vir·gin´i·an •adj., n. [L, fem. of Virginius, Verginius, name of a Roman gens]

Virginia (rail) fence a zigzag fence made of rails laid across one another at the ends: also called snake fence, worm fence

Virginia Beach city in SE Va., on the Atlantic: pop. 393,000: see NORFOLK

Virginia City township in W Nev., near Reno: formerly a center of gold & silver mining (site of the Comstock Lode): pop. 1,800 [after Old Virginny, nickname of an early miner, a local eccentric]

Virginia cowslip (or bluebell) a perennial woodland plant (Mertensia virginica) of the borage family, native to E North America and having clusters of blue or purple, bell-shaped flowers

Virginia creeper WOODBINE (sense 2)

Virginia deer WHITE-TAILED DEER

Virginia reel 1 a country dance, the American variety of the reel, performed by a number of couples facing each other in two parallel lines 2 music for this dance

virginity (vэr jin´э ti:) •n. 1 the state or fact of being a virgin; maidenhood, spinsterhood, etc. 2 the state of being virgin, pure, clean, untouched, etc. [ME virginite < OFr virginité < L virginitas]

virgin's-bower (vør´jэnz bau´эr) •n. any of several small-flowered forms of clematis; esp., a climbing vine (Clematis virginiana) with white flowers, native to E North America

Virgo (vør´gou') 1 a large equatorial constellation between Leo and Libra, including the bright star Spica 2 a) the sixth sign of the zodiac, entered by the sun about August 22 b) a person born under this sign [ME < L, lit., virgin]

virgo intacta (vør´gou' in tæk´tэ) a virgin; esp., a woman or girl whose hymen is intact [L, untouched virgin]

virgulate (vør´gyu: lit, -leit') •adj. rod-shaped [< L virgula (see VIRGULE) + -ATE¹]

virgule (-gyu:l') •n. a short diagonal line (/) used between two words to show either is applicable (and/or), in dates or fractions (3/8), to express per (feet/second), etc. [Fr < L virgula, small rod, twig, dim. of virga: see VERGE¹]

viricide (vai´rэ said') •n. alt. sp. of VIRUCIDE vi'ri·cid´al (-said´эl) •adj. [< VIR(US) + -i- + -CIDE]

viridescent (vir'э des´эnt) •adj. greenish vir'i·des´cence •n. [LL viridescens, prp. of viridescere, to become green < L viridis, green]

viridian (vэ rid´i: эn) •n. a bluish-green pigment, hydrated chromic oxide, Cr2O3 [< L viridis, green]

viridity (-э ti:) •n. 1 greenness, as of young leaves or grass; verdancy 2 freshness; liveliness [ME viridite < MFr viridité < L viriditas < viridis, green]

virile (vir´эl; chiefly Brit, -ail') •adj. 1 of, belonging to, or characteristic of an adult man; manly; male 2 having manly strength or vigor; forceful 3 of or capable of copulation; sexually potent SYN. MALE vi·ril·i·ty (vэ ril´э ti:) •n. [L virilis < vir, man: see WEREWOLF]

virilism (-iz'эm) •n. Med. the development of secondary male sex characteristics in a woman [< prec. + -ISM]

virilocal (vir'э lou´kэl) •adj. PATRILOCAL

virion (vai´ri: än') •n. the smallest unit of a mature virus, made up of a molecule of nucleic acid enveloped by a specific number of protein molecules in a definite arrangement [< VIRUS + -ON (sense 2)]

viroid (vai´roid) •n. a viruslike plant pathogen consisting of a short strand of genetic material (RNA) without a protein coating

virology (vai räl´э ji:) •n. the study of viruses and virus diseases vi·ro·log·ic (vai'rэ läj´ik) or vi'ro·log´i·cal •adj. vi·rol´o·gist •n. [< VIR(US) + -OLOGY]

virosis (vai rou´sis) pl. -ses' (-si:z') •n. any disease caused by a virus [VIR(US) + -OSIS]

virtu (vэr tu:´, vør´tu:') •n. 1 a love of, or taste for, artistic objects, esp. curios, antiques, etc. 2 such objects, collectively 3 the quality of being artistic, beautiful, rare, or otherwise such as to interest a collector of such objects [It virtù, excellence, virtue < L virtus, strength, VIRTUE]

virtual (vør´chu: эl) •adj. 1 being such practically or in effect, although not in actual fact or name {a virtual impossibility} 2 Comput. designating or of a kind of MEMORY (sense 8b) that makes use of disk space to supplement main memory while large programs are being executed vir'tu·al´i·ty (-æl´э ti:) •n. [ME vertual < ML virtualis < L virtus, strength, VIRTUE]

virtual image an optical image from which light rays appear to diverge, although they actually do not pass through the image

virtual reality the computer-generated simulation of three-dimensional images of an environment or sequence of events that someone using special electronic equipment may view, as on a video screen, and interact with in a seemingly physical way

virtually (-chu: э li:) •adv. in effect, although not in fact; for all practical purposes {virtually identical}

virtue (vør´chu:) •n. 1 general moral excellence; right action and thinking; goodness or morality 2 a specific moral quality regarded as good or meritorious: see also CARDINAL VIRTUES, THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES 3 chastity, esp. in a woman 4 a) excellence in general; merit {the virtue in planning ahead} b) a good quality or feature {the virtues of teaching as a profession} 5 effective power or force; efficacy; esp., the ability to heal or strengthen {the virtue of a medicine} 6 [Now Rare] manly quality; strength, courage, etc. by (or in) virtue of because of; on the grounds of make a virtue of necessity to accept with an agreeable or positive attitude that which must be accepted anyway [ME vertue < OFr vertu, virtue, goodness, power < L virtus, manliness, worth < vir, man: see WEREWOLF]

virtuosity (vør'chu: äs´э ti:) pl. -ties •n. great technical skill in some fine art, esp. in the performance of music [< fol. + -ITY]

virtuoso (vør'chu: ou´sou) pl. -sos or -si (-si:) •n. 1 orig., a) a person who has a general or broad interest in the arts and sciences; savant or dilettante b) a collector or connoisseur of art objects or curios 2 a person displaying great technical skill in some fine art, esp. in the performance of music 3 [Obs.] a person learned in the arts or sciences; scholar •adj. of or like that of a virtuoso: also vir'tu·os´ic (-ä´sik, -ou´sik) SYN. AESTHETE vir'tu·o´sa (-sэ), pl. -se (-sei), •n.fem. [It, skilled, learned < LL virtuosus: see VIRTUOUS]

virtuous (vør´chu: эs) •adj. 1 having, or characterized by, moral virtue; righteous 2 chaste: said of a woman 3 [Archaic] having potency; efficacious SYN. CHASTE, MORAL vir´tu·ous·ly •adv. vir´tu·ous·ness •n. [ME vertuous < OFr vertuos < LL virtuosus < L virtus, worth, VIRTUE]

virucide (vai´rэ said') •n. an agent capable of destroying or inhibiting viruses vi'ru·cid´al •adj.

virulence (vir´yu: lэns, -u-) •n. 1 the quality of being virulent, or very poisonous, noxious, malignant, etc. 2 bitter animosity; venom; rancor 3 the relative infectiousness of a microorganism causing disease Also vir´u·len·cy (-lэn si:) [LL virulentia]

virulent (-lэnt) •adj. 1 a) extremely poisonous or injurious; deadly b) bitterly antagonistic or spiteful; full of hate and enmity; venomous; rancorous 2 Med. a) violent and rapid in its course; highly malignant (said of a disease) b) able to overcome the natural defenses of the host; highly infectious (said of a microorganism) vir´u·lent·ly •adv. [ME < L virulentus, full of poison < virus: see VIRUS]

virus (vai´rэs) •n. 1 orig., venom, as of a snake 2 a) any of a kingdom (Virus) of prokaryotes, usually ultramicroscopic, that consist of nucleic acid, either RNA or DNA, within a case of protein: they infect animals, plants, and bacteria and can reproduce only within living cells so that they are considered as being either living organisms or inert chemicals b) a disease caused by a virus 3 anything that corrupts or poisons the mind or character; evil or harmful influence 4 an unauthorized, disruptive set of instructions placed in a computer program, that leaves copies of itself in other programs and disks [L, a slimy liquid, poison < IE base *weis-, to flow (used of foul or malodorous fluids) > OOZE², WEASEL, Gr ios, poison]

vis (vis) pl. vi·res (vai´ri:z') •n. force; strength [L] Vis 1 Viscount 2 Viscountess

vis major (vis mei´jэr) ACT OF GOD [L, greater force]

visa (vi:´zэ, -sэ) •n. an endorsement on a passport, showing that a person has been granted official entry into or passage through a country •vt. -saed, -sa·ing 1 to put a visa on (a passport) 2 to give a visa to (someone) [Fr < L fem. of visus: see VISION]

visage (viz´ij) •n. 1 the face, with reference to the form and proportions of the features or to the expression; countenance 2 appearance; aspect SYN. FACE [ME < OFr < vis, a face < L visus, a look, a seeing < pp. of videre: see VISION]

-visaged (viz´ijd) combining form having a (specified kind of) visage {stern-visaged}

Visakhapatnam (vi sä'kэ pût´nэm) seaport in Andhra Pradesh, E India, on the Bay of Bengal: pop. 594,000

Visalia city in SC Calif.: pop. 76,000 [prob. after Visalia, Ky.]

vis-à-vis (vi:'zэ vi:´) •adj., adv. face to face; opposite •prep. 1 face to face with; opposite to 2 in comparison with or in relation to •n. pl. vis'-à-vis´ (-vi:z´, -vi:´) 1 a) a person who is face to face with another b) one's opposite number or counterpart 2 a) an 18th-cent. and early 19th-cent. carriage with facing seats b) TÊTE-À-TÊTE (n. 2) [Fr]

Visayan (vi sä´yэn) •n. 1 a member of a people of the Philippines 2 the Austronesian language of this people •adj. designating or of the Visayans or their language [< ?]

Visayas (vi sä´yэz) group of islands in the central Philippines, including Cebu, Leyte, Negros, Panay, Samar, & many smaller islands: also called Visayan Islands

Visc 1 Viscount 2 Viscountess

viscacha (vis kä´chэ) •n. any of two genera (Lagostomus and Lagidium, family Chinchillidae) of burrowing, South American rodents that live in small colonies [AmSp vizcacha < Quechua uiscacha]

viscera (vis´эr э) sing. vis´cus (-kэs) •n.pl. the internal organs of the body, esp. of the thorax and abdomen, as the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, intestines, etc.; specif., in popular usage, the intestines [L, pl. of viscus, an inner part of the body]

visceral (-эl) •adj. 1 of, having the nature of, situated in, or affecting the viscera 2 intuitive, instinctive, emotional, etc. rather than intellectual {a visceral reaction} vis´cer·al·ly •adv. [ML visceralis]

visceral cleft any of a series of paired openings leading from the pharynx to the ectoderm on each side of the neck area in a chordate embryo: in fish and some amphibians the clefts develop into gill clefts, but in land vertebrates they are either lost or transformed into other structures

viscid (vis´id) •adj. 1 having a cohesive and sticky fluid consistency; viscous 2 covered with a viscid substance vis·cid·i·ty (vi sid´э ti:) •n. vis´cid·ly •adv. [LL viscidus, sticky < L viscum, birdlime: see VISCOUS]

viscoelastic (vis'kou i: læs´tik) •adj. having or exhibiting viscous and elastic properties [< VISCO(US) + ELASTIC]

viscoid (vis´koid') •adj. somewhat viscous Also vis·coi´dal

viscometer (vis käm´эt эr) •n. a device for measuring viscosity, as by metering the rate of flow through a small opening Also vis·co·sim·e·ter (vis'kэ sim´эt эr)

Visconti (vi:s kôn´ti:), Lu·chi·no (lu: ki:´nou) (Count Luchino Visconti, Duke of Modrone) 1906-76; It. theater, opera, & film director

viscose (vis´kous') •adj. 1 VISCOUS 2 of, containing, or made of viscose •n. 1 an amber-colored, syruplike solution made by treating cellulose with sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide: used in making rayon thread and fabrics, and cellophane 2 thread or fabric made from viscose: in full viscose rayon [LL viscosus: see VISCOUS]

viscosity (vis käs´э ti:) pl. -ties •n. 1 the state or quality of being viscous 2 Physics the internal friction of a fluid which makes it resist flowing past a solid surface or other layers of the fluid [ME viscosite < ML viscositas]

viscount (vai´kaunt') •n. 1 [Historical] in England, a) a deputy of an earl b) a sheriff 2 a nobleman next below an earl or count and above a baron [ME < OFr viscomte < ML vice comes: see VICE- & COUNT²]

viscountcy (-si:) pl. -cies the title, rank, or station of a VISCOUNT (sense 2) Also vis´count·ship' (-ship') •n.

viscountess (vai´kaunt'is) •n. 1 the wife or widow of a VISCOUNT (sense 2) 2 a peeress with a rank equivalent to that of a VISCOUNT (sense 2)

viscounty (-ti:) pl. -count'ies •n. VISCOUNTCY

viscous (vis´kэs) •adj. 1 having a cohesive and sticky fluid consistency; viscid 2 Physics having viscosity vis´cous·ly •adv. vis´cous·ness •n. [ME viscouse < LL viscosus < L viscum, birdlime made from mistletoe berries, mistletoe, prob. < IE base *weis-: see VIRUS]

Visct 1 Viscount 2 Viscountess

viscus (vis´kэs) •n. sing. of VISCERA [L]

vise (vais) •n. a device, usually fastened to a workbench, consisting of two jaws opened and closed by a screw, lever, etc. and used for holding firmly an object being worked on •vt. vised, vis´ing to hold or squeeze with or as with a vise [ME vis, a screw < OFr viz, a winding object < VL *vitium, tendril-like thing < L vitis, vine, lit., that which winds: see WITHE]

visé (vi:´zei, vi: zei´) -séed, -sé·ing •n., vt. VISA [Fr, pp. of viser, to view, inspect < L visus: see VISION]

Vishnu (vish´nu:) Hinduism the second member of the trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva), called the Preserver and popularly held to have had several human incarnations, most important of which is Krishna Vish´nu·ism' •n. [Sans Visnu, lit., prob. all-pervader]

visibility (viz'э bil´э ti:) pl. -ties •n. 1 the fact or condition of being visible 2 a) the relative possibility of being seen under the conditions of distance, light, and atmosphere prevailing at a particular time {the poor visibility of dark clothing at night} b) the maximum distance at which an object can be seen under the prevailing conditions; range of vision c) the ability to provide an unblocked view {the rear window has poor visibility} [LL visibilitas]

visible (viz´э bэl) •adj. 1 that can be seen; perceptible by the eye 2 that can be perceived or observed; apparent {no visible improvement} 3 on hand or available {visible resources} 4 so constructed as to bring to view parts or elements that are normally not perceptible vis´i·bly •adv. [OFr < L visibilis < visus: see VISION]

Visigoth (viz´э gäθ', -göθ') •n. a member of the western branch of the Goths, who invaded the Roman Empire late in the 4th cent. A.D. and set up a kingdom in France and in Spain Vis'i·goth´ic •adj. [LL Visigothi, pl. < visi- (< Gmc base of uncert. meaning) + Gothi, Goths]

vision (vizh´эn) •n. 1 the act or power of seeing with the eye; sense of sight 2 a) something supposedly seen by other than normal sight; something perceived in a dream, trance, etc. or supernaturally revealed, as to a prophet b) the experience of having such a perception or revelation 3 a mental image; esp., an imaginative contemplation {to have visions of power} 4 a) the ability to perceive something not actually visible, as through mental acuteness or keen foresight {a project made possible by one man's vision} b) force or power of imagination {a statesman of great vision} 5 something or someone, esp. a woman, of extraordinary beauty •vt. to see in or as in a vision; imagine [OFr < L visio < visus, pp. of videre, to see < IE *w(e)idē, var. of *w(e)di-, to view, see > WISE¹]

visional (-эl) •adj. 1 of, or having the nature of, a vision or visions 2 seen, or as if seen, in a vision; unreal

visionary (-er'i:) •adj. 1 of, having the nature of, or seen in a vision 2 a) existing only in the mind; not real; imaginary {visionary achievements} b) not capable of being put into effect; not realistic; impractical {a visionary scheme} 3 seeing or disposed to see visions 4 characterized by impractical ideas or schemes •n. pl. -ar'ies 1 a person who sees visions; prophet or seer 2 a person whose ideas, plans, etc. are impractical, too idealistic, or fantastic; dreamer

visit (viz´it) •vt. 1 to go or come to see (someone) out of friendship or for social reasons 2 to stay with as a guest for a time 3 to go or come to see in a professional or business capacity {to visit a doctor (or a patient)} 4 to go or come to (a place) in order to inspect or investigate 5 to go or come to for a time so as to make use of, look at, etc. {to visit an art gallery} 6 to occur or come to {visited by an odd idea} 7 to bring suffering, trouble, etc. to; assail {a drought visited the land} 8 a) to inflict (punishment, suffering, etc.) upon someone b) to afflict (with punishment, suffering, etc.) c) to inflict punishment for (wrongdoing); avenge {visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children} •vi. to visit someone or something, as, a) to inflict punishment or revenge Æ b) to make a social call or calls (often used with with) c) to stay with someone as a guest Æ d) [Colloq.] to converse or chat, as during a visit •n. the act or an instance of visiting, as, a) a social call b) a stay as a guest; sojourn c) an official or professional call, as of a doctor d) an official call as for inspection or investigation e) Maritime Law the boarding of a ship of a neutral nation by an officer of a nation at war to search it for contraband, etc. Æ f) [Colloq.] a friendly conversation [ME visiten < OFr visiter < L visitare, freq. < visere, to go to see < visus: see VISION]

visitable (-э bэl) •adj. 1 that can be visited 2 suitable for or worth visiting 3 subject to visitation, or inspection

visitant (-эnt) •n. 1 a visitor, esp. one from a strange or foreign place 2 a supernatural being, as supposedly perceived by a person; ghost, phantom, etc. 3 Zool. a migratory bird in any of its temporary resting places •adj. [Archaic] paying a visit SYN. VISITOR [< Fr or L: Fr < L visitans, prp. of visitare: see VISIT]

visitation (viz'э tei´shэn) •n. 1 the act or an instance of visiting; esp., an official visit to inspect or examine, as that made by a bishop to a church in his diocese 2 a visiting of reward or, esp., punishment, as by God 3 any affliction or disaster thought of as an act of God Æ 4 a) the legal right of a divorced or separated parent to visit a child b) such a visit Æ 5 a) the custom of visiting the mourning family of a deceased person b) such visiting or the time during which it is done: cf. WAKE¹ (n. 2) 6 Zool. migration of animals or birds to a particular place at an unusual time or in unusual numbers the Visitation R.C.Ch. 1 the visit of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth: Luke 1:39-56 2 a church feast (May 31) commemorating this vis'it·a´tion·al •adj. [OFr < L visitatio]

visitatorial (viz'i tэ tör´i: эl) •adj. of or for visitation or inspection Also vis'i·to´ri·al

visiting card (viz´it iŋ) CALLING CARD

visiting fireman [Colloq.] 1 an important person, esp. any of a group, visiting a city, organization, etc. and given an official welcome, special entertainment, etc. 2 a free-spending tourist, conventioneer, etc.

visiting nurse a registered nurse employed by a community to promote public health, esp. by giving nursing care to the sick in their homes

visiting professor a person, usually regularly employed at another institution, who is teaching by invitation at a college or university for a specified period

visiting teacher a teacher who visits pupils' homes, as for the instruction of those too ill or disabled to attend regular classes or for the promotion of better attendance or performance

visitor (viz´it эr) •n. a person making a visit SYN.—visitor is the general term for one who comes to see a person or spend some time in a place, whether for social, business, or professional reasons, or for sightseeing, etc.; visitant now generally suggests a supernatural rather than a human visitor and, in biology, is applied to a migratory bird in any of its temporary resting places; guest applies to one who is hospitably entertained at the home of another, as at dinner, or, by extension, to one who pays for his lodgings, meals, etc. at a hotel; caller applies to one who makes a brief, often formal visit, as for business or social reasons [ME visitour < Anglo-Fr < MFr visiteur]

visor (vai´zэr) •n. 1 a) in armor, a movable part of a helmet, that could be lowered to cover the upper part of the face, with slits for seeing b) a movable section, made usually of safety glass, that is part of a protective head covering, as for welders 2 a mask, as for disguise Æ 3 the projecting front brim of a cap, for shading the eyes 4 a movable shade fastened above the windshield inside a motor vehicle, for shading the eyes •vt. to cover or provide with a visor vi´sored •adj. [ME visere < Anglo-Fr viser < OFr visiere < vis, a face: see VISAGE]

vista (vis´tэ) •n. 1 a view or outlook, esp. one seen through a long passage, as between rows of houses or trees 2 a comprehensive mental view of a series of remembered or anticipated events [It, sight < pp. of vedere, to see < L videre: see VISION] VISTA (vis´tэ) a U.S. government program established in 1964 to provide volunteers to work at improving the living conditions of persons in impoverished areas of the U.S., its possessions, and Puerto Rico [V(olunteers) i(n) S(ervice) t(o) A(merica)]

Vistula (vis´chu lэ) river in Poland, flowing from the Carpathians into the Baltic: 677 mi. (1,089 km): Pol. name WISLA

visual (vizh´u: эl) •adj. 1 a) of, connected with, or used in seeing b) based on, designed for, or controlled by the use of sight {visual flight rules} 2 that is or can be seen; visible 3 of, having the nature of, or occurring as a mental image, or vision 4 Optics OPTICAL •n. 1 a film clip, still photograph, etc. as used in a documentary film, TV news broadcast, etc. 2 [pl.] the visual elements of a film, TV presentation, etc., as distinct from the accompanying sound vis´u·al·ly •adv. [ME < LL visualis < L visus, a sight: see VISION]

visual acuity the ability of the eye to discriminate detail, usually tested by comparison with the power of the normal eye to distinguish certain letters on a standard chart at a given distance, generally 20 feet

visual aids films, slides, charts, and other devices involving the sense of sight (other than books), used in teaching, illustrating lectures, etc.

visual binary a binary star that can be visually separated into its two components with a telescope or, rarely, by the naked eye: in contrast to a binary star which is so distant it requires a spectrum analysis to separate the components Also called visual double

visual purple RHODOPSIN

visual-aural (radio) range (-ör´эl) a radio range that sends out signals as an aid to air navigation; esp., a very-high-frequency range that beams four signals, two for reception by the ear and two for viewing on an indicator

visualize (vizh´u: эl aiz') -ized', -iz'ing •vt. to form a mental image of (something not present to the sight, an abstraction, etc.); envision •vi. to form a mental image vis'u·al·i·za´tion •n. [VISUAL + -IZE]

vita (vait´э, vi:t´э) pl. -tae (-i:) •n. 1 a biography or autobiography, often a brief one 2 CURRICULUM VITAE [L, life]

vital (vait´ªl) •adj. 1 of, concerned with, or manifesting life {vital energy} 2 a) necessary or essential to life; being a source or support of life {vital organs} b) affecting, esp. destroying, life; critical, esp. fatal {a vital wound} 3 a) essential to the existence or continuance of something; indispensable {a vital function} b) of crucial importance {a vital matter} 4 affecting the validity, truth, etc. of something {a vital error} 5 full of life and vigor; energetic {a vital personality} •n. [pl.] 1 the vital organs, as the heart, brain, lungs, etc. 2 the essential parts of anything, indispensable for its existence, continuance, etc. SYN. LIVING vi´tal·ly •adv. [ME < MFr < L vitalis, vital < vita, life, akin to vivere, to live: see BIO-]

vital capacity the volume of air that can be forcibly expelled from the lungs after the maximum amount has been breathed in

vital force 1 a basic force or principle regarded as the source and cause of life in living organisms: see VITALISM 2 ÉLAN VITAL Also called vital principle

vital signs indicators of the efficient functioning of the body; esp., pulse, temperature, and respiration

vital staining the staining of living cells with dyes that are not poisonous

vital statistics data on births, deaths, marriages, etc.

vitalism (-iz'эm) •n. the doctrine that the life in living organisms is caused and sustained by a vital force that is distinct from all physical and chemical forces and that life is, in part, self-determining and self-evolving vi´tal·ist •n., adj. vi'tal·is´tic •adj. [Fr vitalisme]

vitality (vai tæl´э ti:) pl. -ties •n. 1 VITAL FORCE 2 power to live or go on living 3 power, as of an institution, to endure or survive 4 mental or physical vigor; energy [L vitalitas]

vitalize (vait´ªl aiz') -ized', -iz'ing •vt. 1 to make vital; give life to 2 to give vigor or animation to; make lively SYN. ANIMATE vi'tal·i·za´tion •n.

Vitallium (vai tæl´i: эm) trademark for a corrosion-resistant alloy of cobalt, chromium, and molybdenum, used for dentures, in bone surgery and prosthetics, in castings, etc.

vitamin (vait´э min; also Brit vit´-) •n. any of a number of unrelated, complex organic substances found variously in most foods, or sometimes synthesized in the body, and essential, in small amounts, for the regulation of the metabolism and normal growth and functioning of the body vi'ta·min´ic •adj. [earlier vitamine < Ger: so named (1913) by C. Funk (1884-1967), Pol biochemist < L vita, life (see VITAL) + Ger amin, AMINE: from the orig. mistaken idea that these substances all contain amino acids]

vitamin A a fat-soluble aliphatic alcohol, C20H29OH, found in fish-liver oil, egg yolk, butter, etc. or derived from carotene in carrots and other vegetables: a deficiency of this vitamin results in night blindness, a general susceptibility to infections, and degeneration of epithelial tissue: it occurs in two forms, vitamin A1, having the formula above, and vitamin A2, C20H27OH

vitamin B (complex) a group of unrelated water-soluble vitamins found in liver, yeast, etc., including a) vitamin B1 (see THIAMINE) b) vitamin B2 (see RIBOFLAVIN) c) vitamin B6 (see PYRIDOXINE) d) NICOTINIC ACID e) PANTOTHENIC ACID f) BIOTIN g) INOSITOL h) PARA-AMINOBENZOIC ACID i) CHOLINE j) FOLIC ACID k) vitamin B12 a complex vitamin, C63H90N14O14PCo, containing trivalent cobalt, essential for the normal maturation of erythrocytes, and for normal growth and neurological function, and used esp. in treating pernicious anemia and as an animal feed supplement

vitamin C ASCORBIC ACID

vitamin D any of several fat-soluble vitamins that are essential for increased absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the intestinal tract, found in fish-liver oils, milk, egg yolk, etc. or produced by irradiation of provitamins; specif., a) vitamin D2 (see ERGOCALCIFEROL) b) vitamin D3 (see CHOLECALCIFEROL) c) vitamin D4, C28H45OH, produced by irradiation of a derivative of ergosterol d) vitamin D5, C29H47OH, produced by irradiation of a derivative of sitosterol: a deficiency of vitamin D tends to cause rickets

vitamin E the tocopherols collectively which are fat-soluble compounds that inhibit rancidity and oxidative destruction of tissue components, and are necessary for fertility in rats and certain other animals: a deficiency of vitamin E in the diet of various animals, as the rabbit or sheep, results in muscular dystrophy, sterility, etc.

vitamin H BIOTIN

vitamin K a fat-soluble vitamin, synthesized constantly by intestinal bacteria in mammals and occurring in certain green vegetables, fish meal, etc., that promotes blood clotting and is required for the synthesis of prothrombin by the liver: the two naturally occurring varieties are vitamin K1, C31H46O2, found chiefly in alfalfa leaves, and vitamin K2, C41H56O2, found chiefly in fish meal: vitamin K3 (MENADIONE) and vitamin K4 are prepared synthetically

vitamin P old name for BIOFLAVONOID

Vitebsk (vi:´tepsk´) city in NE Belarus, on Western Dvina River: pop. 335,000

vitellin (vi tel´in, vai-) •n. a phosphoprotein occurring in the yolk of eggs [VITELLUS + -IN¹]

vitelline (-in, -i:n) •adj. 1 of or having to do with the egg yolk 2 yellow like an egg yolk [ME vitellyn < L vitellus: see VITELLUS]

vitellus (-эs) •n. the yolk of an egg [L, yolk of an egg, orig., calf: see VEAL]

Viti Levu (vi:´ti: le´vu:) largest island of the Fiji Islands: 4,010 sq. mi. (10,385 sq. km); chief city, Suva

vitiable (vish´i: э bэl) •adj. that can be vitiated

vitiate (vish´i: eit') -at'ed, -at'ing •vt. 1 to make imperfect, faulty, or impure; spoil; corrupt 2 to weaken morally; debase; pervert 3 to make (a contract, or other legal instrument) ineffective; invalidate vi'ti·a´tion •n. vi´ti·a'tor •n. [< L vitiatus, pp. of vitiare, to vitiate < vitium, VICE¹]

viticulture (vit´э kûl'chэr, vait´-) •n. the cultivation of grapes; science or art of grape-growing vit'i·cul´tur·al •adj. vit'i·cul´tur·ist •n. [< L vitis, vine (see WITHE) + CULTURE]

vitiligo (vit'э lai´gou) •n. Med. a disorder in which there is a loss of pigment resulting in white patches of skin [L, a kind of cutaneous eruption, tetter < vitium, a blemish, VICE¹]

Vitoria (vi: tô´řyä) city in the Basque Provinces, N Spain: pop. 193,000

Vitória (vi: tô´řyэ) seaport in E Brazil, on the Atlantic: capital of Espírito Santo state: pop. 144,000

vitrain (vi´trein') •n. thin, bright, horizontal bands in bituminous coal that usually break with a conchoidal fracture [< L vitrum, glass + -ain, as in FUSAIN]

vitreous (vi´tri: эs) •adj. 1 a) of, having the nature of, or like glass; glassy b) derived from or made of glass 2 of the vitreous body vit´re·ous·ness •n. [L vitreus, glassy < vitrum, glass]

vitreous body (or humor) the transparent, colorless, jellylike substance that fills the eyeball between the retina and lens: see EYE, illus.

vitreous silica SILICA GLASS

vitrescent (vi tres´эnt) •adj. 1 that can be formed into glass 2 becoming, or tending to become, glass vi·tres´cence (-эns) •n. [< L vitrum, glass + -ESCENT]

vitric (vi´trik) •adj. of, having the nature of, or like glass [< L vitrum, glass + -IC]

vitrics (-triks') •n.pl. 1 [with sing. v.] the art or study of making and decorating articles of glass 2 articles of glass; glassware [see VITRIC & -ICS]

vitriform (vi´trэ förm') •adj. having the form or appearance of glass [< L vitrum, glass + -FORM]

vitrify (vi´trэ fai') -fied', -fy'ing •vt., vi. to change into glass or a glasslike substance by fusion due to heat; make or become vitreous vit´ri·fi'a·ble •adj. vit'ri·fi·ca´tion (-fi kei´shэn) or vit'ri·fac´tion (-fæk´shэn) •n. [Fr vitrifier < L vitrum, glass + Fr -fier, -FY]

vitrine (vi´trin, vi tri:n´) •n. a glass-paneled cabinet or glass display case for art objects, curios, etc. [Fr < vitre, pane of glass < L vitrum, glass]

vitriol (vi´tri: öl', -tri: эl) •n. 1 a) any of several sulfates of metals, as copper sulfate (blue vitriol), iron sulfate (green vitriol), zinc sulfate (white vitriol), etc. b) SULFURIC ACID 2 sharpness or bitterness of feeling, as in speech or writing; venom •vt. -oled' or -olled', -ol'ing or -ol'ling to treat with or as with vitriol [ME < MFr < ML vitriolum, vitriol < LL vitreolus, glassy < L vitreus, glassy: from the glassy appearance]

vitriolic (vi'tri: äl´ik) •adj. 1 of, like, or derived from a vitriol 2 extremely biting or caustic; sharp and bitter {vitriolic talk} [Fr vitriolique]

vitriolize (vi´tri: эl aiz') -ized', -iz'ing •vt. 1 to convert into vitriol 2 to subject to the action of vitriol

Vitruvius (vi tru:´vi: эs) (Marcus Vitruvius Pollio) fl. 1st cent. B.C.; Rom. architect & engineer

Vitry-sur-Seine (vi: tři: süř sen´) city in N France: suburb of Paris: pop. 85,000

vitta (vit´э) pl. -tae (-i:) •n. 1 Biol. a band or streak of color 2 Bot. an oil-bearing canal in the pericarp of the fruits of some dicotyledonous plants, as of a plant of the umbel family [ModL < L, headband, fillet, akin to viere, to tie, vitis, vine: see WITHE]

vittate (-eit') •adj. 1 Biol. striped lengthwise 2 Bot. having a vitta or vittae [ModL vittatus: see VITTA]

vittle (vit´ªl) •n., vt., vi. obs. or dial. var. of VICTUAL

vituline (vi´tyu: lain', -lin') •adj. of or like a calf or veal [L vitulinus < vitulus, calf: see VEAL]

vituperate (vai tu:´pэr eit', vi-; -tyu:´-) -at'ed, -at'ing •vt. to speak abusively to or about; berate; revile SYN. SCOLD vi·tu´per·a'tive •adj. vi·tu´per·a'tive·ly •adv. vi·tu´per·a'tive·ness •n. vi·tu´per·a'tor •n. [< L vituperatus, pp. of vituperare, to blame < vitium, a fault, VICE¹ + parare, to PREPARE]

vituperation (vai tu:'pэr ei´shэn, vi-; -tyu:'-) •n. 1 the act of vituperating 2 abusive language [L vituperatio]

viva (vi:´vä) •interj. (long) live (someone or something specified)!: an exclamation of acclaim [It & Sp]

viva voce (vai´vэ vou´si:) by word of mouth; orally vi´va-vo´ce •adj. [ML, with living voice, abl. fem. of L vivus, living + abl. of vox, VOICE]

vivace (vi: vä´chei) •adj., adv. Musical Direction in a lively, spirited manner [It < L vivax: see VIVACIOUS]

vivacious (vai vei´shэs, vi-) •adj. full of life and animation; lively SYN. LIVELY vi·va´cious·ly •adv. vi·va´cious·ness •n. [< L vivax (gen. vivacis), vigorous < vivere, to live (see BIO-) + -OUS]

vivacity (vai væs´э ti:, vi-) pl. -ties •n. 1 the quality or state of being vivacious 2 liveliness of spirit; animation [ME vivacite < L vivacitas]

Vivaldi (vi: väl´di:; E vi-), An·to·nio (än tô´nyô) 1678-1741; It. composer

vivarium (vai ver´i: эm) pl. -i·ums or -i·a (-i: э) •n. an enclosed indoor place for keeping and studying terrestrial animals [L < vivarius, concerning living creatures < vivere, to live: see BIO-]

vive (vi:v) •interj. (long) live (someone or something specified)! : an exclamation of acclaim [Fr]

viverrine (vai ver´in, vi-; -ain) •adj. of or belonging to a family (Viverridae) of small, slender carnivores, including the civets and mongooses •n. an animal of this family [< L viverra, a ferret < redupl. of IE base *wer- > Pers vavrarah, OPrus weware, OE (ac)weorna, squirrel + -INE¹]

Vivian (viv´i: эn, viv´yэn) 1 a masculine name: equiv. Fr. Vivien 2 a feminine name: equiv. Fr. Vivienne 3 Arthurian Legend an enchantress, mistress of Merlin: see also LADY OF THE LAKE [L Vivianus < vivus, alive (see BIO-)]

vivid (viv´id) •adj. 1 full of life; vigorous; lively; striking {a vivid personality} 2 a) bright; intense; brilliant (said of colors, light, etc.) b) brightly colored {a vivid tapestry} 3 forming clear or striking mental images; strong; active; daring {a vivid imagination} 4 clearly perceived by the mind, as a recollection 5 bringing strikingly realistic or lifelike images to the mind {a vivid description} viv´id·ly •adv. viv´id·ness •n. [L vividus, lively < vivere, to live: see BIO-]

vivify (viv´э fai') -fied', -fy'ing •vt. 1 to give life to; animate 2 to make more lively, active, striking, etc. viv'i·fi·ca´tion •n. viv´i·fi'er •n. [Fr vivifier < LL(Ec) vivificare (as opposed to mortificare: see MORTIFY) < L vivus, alive (see BIO-) + facere, to make, DO¹]

viviparous (vai vip´эr эs) •adj. 1 a) bearing or bringing forth living young, as most mammals and some other animals do b) designating or of this type of reproduction (see OVIPAROUS) 2 Bot. a) germinating while still on the parent plant, as certain seeds or bulbs b) producing such seeds or bulbs; proliferous viv·i·par·i·ty (viv'э pær´э ti:, vai'vэ-) or vi·vip´a·rous·ness •n. vi·vip´a·rous·ly •adv. [L viviparus < vivus, alive (see BIO-) + parere, to produce (see -PAROUS)]

vivisect (viv´э sekt') •vt. to perform vivisection on •vi. to practice vivisection viv´i·sec'tor •n. [back-form. < fol., after DISSECT]

vivisection (viv'э sek´shэn) •n. medical research consisting of surgical operations or other experiments performed on living animals to study the structure and function of living organs and parts, and to investigate the effects of diseases and therapy viv'i·sec´tion·al •adj. [< L vivus, alive (see BIO-) + SECTION]

vivisectionist (-ist) •n. 1 a person who practices vivisection 2 a person who advocates or defends vivisection as essential to scientific progress

vixen (vik´sэn) •n. 1 a female fox 2 an ill-tempered, shrewish, or malicious woman vix´en·ish •adj. vix´en·ish·ly •adv. [ME (southern dial.) fixen < OE fyxe, she-fox (or fyxen, adj., of a fox) < fox, FOX]

Viyella (vai yel´э, vi-) trademark for a soft, light, flannel-like fabric made of a blend of lamb's wool and fine cotton •n. this fabric [arbitrary coinage]

viz. or viz videlicet; that is; namely [ML, altered (because abbrev. for L et resembled a z) < earlier viet., contr. for L videlicet]

vizard (viz´эrd) •n. VISOR (esp. sense 2) [altered < earlier visar, var. of VISOR]

vizier (vi zir´, viz´yэr) •n. in the Ottoman Empire, a high officer in the government; esp., a minister of state: also sp. vi·zir´ vi·zier´ate (-it, -eit') or vi·zier´ship •n. vi·zier´i·al •adj. [Turk vezīr < Ar wazīr, a vizier, lit., bearer of burdens < wazara, to bear a burden, take upon oneself: the vizier bears the duties actually incumbent upon the ruler]

vizor (vai´zэr) •n. alt. sp. of VISOR

vizsla (vi:z´lэ, vi:s´lэ; Hung vi:zh´lö') •n. any of a breed of medium-sized hunting dog, originating in Hungary, with a short, smooth, rusty-gold coat and a docked tail [after Vizsla, town in Hungary, in region where breed developed]

V-J Day (vi:´jei´) the day on which the fighting with Japan officially ended in World War II (Aug. 15, 1945) or the day the surrender was formally signed (Sept. 2, 1945) [< v(ictory over) J(apan)]

VL Vulgar Latin

Vlaardingen (vläř´diŋ эn) seaport in SW Netherlands, west of Rotterdam: pop. 76,000

Vladikavkaz (vlä'di: käf'käz´) city in S European Russia, in the Caucasus: pop. 303,000

Vladimir (vlä di:´miř) city in central European Russia, east of Moscow: pop. 331,000

Vladimir I (vlæd´э mir; Russ vlä di:´miř) c. 956-1015; Russ. ruler & prince of Kiev (980-1015): converted to Christianity (989), which he introduced into Russia: his day is July 15: called the Great: also Saint Vladimir

Vladivostok (vlæd'i väs´täk; Russ vlä'di vôs tôk´) seaport in SE Siberia, on the Sea of Japan: the E terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railroad: pop. 600,000

Vlaminck (vlå mæñk´), Mau·rice de (mô ři:s´ dэ) 1876-1958; Fr. painter

VLF or vlf very low frequency

VLSI •n. an electronic circuit on a small chip of semiconductor material having substantially more microcircuits than an LSI circuit [v(ery-)l(arge-)s(cale) i(ntegration)]

Vltava (vûl´tэ vэ) river in W Czech Republic, flowing from the Bohemian Forest into the Elbe: c. 265 mi. (426 km)

V-mail •n. mail to or from the armed forces in World War II, reduced to microfilm to conserve shipping space, and enlarged and printed for delivery [< V(ICTORY)]

VMD or V.M.D. Doctor of Veterinary Medicine [L Veterinariae Medicinae Doctor]

vn neuter verb

V-neck (vi:´nek') •n. a neckline V-shaped in front

voc 1 vocalist 2 vocational 3 vocative

vocab vocabulary

vocable (vou´kэ bэl) •n. a word or term; esp., a word regarded as a unit of sounds or letters rather than as a unit of meaning [Fr < L vocabulum, a name, title, word < vocare, to call < vox, VOICE]

vocabulary (vou kæb´yu: ler'i:, -yэ-) pl. -lar'ies •n. 1 a list of words and, often, phrases, abbreviations, inflectional forms, etc., usually arranged in alphabetical order and defined or otherwise identified, as in a dictionary or glossary 2 all the words of a language 3 a) all the words used by a particular person, socioeconomic group, profession, etc. (in full active vocabulary) b) all the words recognized and understood, although not necessarily used, by a particular person (in full passive vocabulary) 4 an interrelated group of nonverbal symbols, signs, gestures, etc. used for communication or expression in a particular art, skill, etc. [ML vocabularium < L vocabulum, a word: see VOCABLE]

vocal (vou´kэl) •adj. 1 a) uttered or produced by the voice; esp., spoken; oral {vocal sounds} b) sung or to be sung {vocal music} 2 having a voice; capable of speaking or making oral sounds 3 of, used in, connected with, or belonging to the voice {vocal organs} 4 full of voice or voices; sounding 5 expressing or inclined to express oneself in speech; speaking freely or vociferously 6 Phonet. a) VOCALIC b) VOICED •n. 1 a vocal sound 2 the part of a popular song that is, or is to be, sung, rather than played by the instruments alone vo´cal·ly •adv. [ME < L vocalis < vox, VOICE]

vocal cords either of two pairs of membranous cords or folds in the larynx, consisting of a thicker upper pair (false vocal cords) and a lower pair (true vocal cords): voice is produced when air from the lungs causes the lower cords to vibrate: pitch is controlled by varying the tension on the cords, and volume, by regulating the air passing through the larynx

vocalic (vou kæl´ik) •adj. 1 of, having the nature of, or consisting of a vowel or vowels 2 composed mainly or entirely of vowels vo·cal´i·cal·ly •adv.

vocalise (vou'kæ li:z´, -kэ-) •n. 1 a singing exercise using sol-fa syllables or other vowel sounds 2 a vocal composition or passage using vowel sounds instead of words [Fr < vocaliser, to vocalize]

vocalism (vou´kэl iz'эm) •n. 1 the use of the voice, as in speaking or singing; vocalization 2 the art of singing 3 a) the system of vowels peculiar to a given language, dialect, etc. b) a vocalic sound; vowel

vocalist (-ist) •n. one who sings; singer [VOCAL + -IST]

vocalize (vou´kэl aiz') -ized', -iz'ing •vt. 1 a) to give utterance to; express with the voice; speak or sing b) to make capable of vocal expression; make vocal, or articulate 2 to add diacritical vowel marks to (the exclusively consonantal characters of certain languages such as Hebrew) 3 Phonet. a) to change into or use as a vowel b) to voice •vi. 1 to make vocal sounds; speak or sing; specif., to do a singing exercise, using various vowel sounds 2 to be changed into a vowel; become vocalic vo'cal·i·za´tion •n. vo´cal·iz'er •n.

vocation (vou kei´shэn) •n. 1 a) a call, summons, or impulsion to perform a certain function or enter a certain career, esp. a religious one b) the function or career toward which one believes oneself to be called 2 any trade, profession, or occupation [ME vocacion < LL(Ec) vocatio, a calling < L, an invitation, court summons < vocare, to call < vox, VOICE]

vocational (-shэ nэl) •adj. 1 of a vocation, trade, occupation, etc. Æ 2 designating or of education, training, a school, etc. intended to prepare one for an occupation, sometimes specif. in a trade vo·ca´tion·al·ism' •n. vo·ca´tion·al·ly •adv.

vocational guidance the work of testing and interviewing persons in order to guide them toward the choice of a suitable vocation or toward training for such vocation

vocative (väk´э tiv) •adj. Gram. designating, of, or in the case of nouns, pronouns, or adjectives used in direct address to indicate the person or thing addressed •n. 1 the vocative case: this case is expressed by a change in form in languages such as Latin and by word order and intonation in English (Ex.: Latin Tite for Titus; English Bill in Bill, don't do that!) 2 a word or phrase in this case voc´a·tive·ly •adv. [ME vocatif < OFr or L: OFr < L vocativus < pp. of vocare, to call < vox, VOICE]

vociferant (vou sif´эr эnt) •adj. vociferating; shouting; clamorous [L vociferans, prp. of vociferari: see VOCIFERATE]

vociferate (vou sif´эr eit') -at'ed, -at'ing •vt., vi. to utter or shout loudly or vehemently; bawl; clamor vo·cif'er·a´tion •n. vo·cif´er·a'tor •n. [< L vociferatus, pp. of vociferari, to cry out < vox, VOICE + ferre, to BEAR¹]

vociferous (vou sif´эr эs) •adj. 1 loud, noisy, or vehement in making one's feelings known; clamorous 2 characterized by clamor or vehement outcry vo·cif´er·ous·ly •adv. vo·cif´er·ous·ness •n. SYN.—vociferous suggests loud and unrestrained shouting or crying out [a vociferous crowd, vociferous cheers]; clamorous suggests an urgent or insistent vociferousness, as in demand or complaint [clamorous protests]; blatant implies a bellowing loudness and, hence, suggests vulgar or offensive noisiness, clamor, etc. [blatant heckling]; strident suggests a harsh, grating loudness [a strident voice]; boisterous implies roughness or turbulence and, hence, suggests unrestrained, noisy exuberance [boisterous revels]; obstreperous implies an unruliness that is noisy or boisterous in resisting control [an obstreperous child] [L vociferari (see VOCIFERATE) + -OUS]

vocoder (vou´kou'dэr) •n. an electronic system for analyzing the frequency spectrum of speech and constructing a code that can be transmitted and reconstructed into a replica of the original speech [VO(ICE) + CODER]

vodka (väd´kэ) •n. a colorless alcoholic liquor distilled from rye, wheat, etc. [Russ, brandy, dim. of voda, WATER]

vogue (voug) •n. 1 the accepted fashion or style at any particular time; mode: often with the 2 general favor or acceptance; popularity {coming into vogue} •adj. in vogue: also vogu·ish (vou´gish) SYN. FASHION [Fr, a fashion, reputation, lit., rowing of a ship < voguer, to row, sail < MLowG wagon, to sail, float; akin to OE wæg, a wave, billow: see WEIGH¹]

Vogul (vou´gul) •n. 1 a member of a people of W Siberia 2 the Ugric language of this people

voice (vois) •n. 1 sound made through the mouth, esp. by human beings in talking, singing, etc. 2 the ability to make sounds orally or to speak, sing, etc. {to lose one's voice} 3 a) any sound regarded as like vocal utterance {the voice of the sea} b) anything regarded as like vocal utterance in communicating to the mind {the voice of one's conscience} 4 a specified condition, quality, or tone of vocal sound {an angry voice} 5 the characteristic speech sounds normally made by a particular person {to recognize someone's voice over the phone} 6 a) an expressed wish, choice, opinion, etc. {the voice of the people} b) the right to express one's wish, choice, opinion, etc., or to make it prevail; vote {to have a voice in one's government} 7 utterance or expression {giving voice to his joy} 8 the person or other agency by which something is expressed or made known {a newspaper known to be the voice of the administration} 9 Gram. a) a characteristic of verbs, expressed in some languages by inflection, indicating the relation of the subject to the action of the verb either as agent (active voice), recipient (passive voice), or both, as in reflexives (middle voice); also, an analytic category based on this characteristic b) any of the forms a verb takes to indicate this characteristic 10 Music a) musical sound made with the mouth; singing b) the quality of a particular person's singing {a good voice} c) a singer d) any of the individual parts sung or played together in a musical composition 11 Phonet. sound made by vibration of the vocal cords with air forced from the lungs, as in the articulation of all vowels and such consonants as (b), (d), (g), and (m) •vt. voiced, voic´ing 1 to give utterance or expression to; utter or express in words 2 Music to regulate the tone of (organ pipes, etc.) 3 Phonet. to utter with voice SYN. UTTER² in voice with the voice in good condition, as for singing with one voice unanimously voic´er •n. [ME < OFr vois < L vox (gen. vocis), a voice < IE base *wekw-, to speak > Sans vákti, (he) speaks, Gr ossa, ōps, voice, OE woma, noise]

voice box LARYNX

voice mail an electronic system that uses telephones and a computer to store and then deliver recorded voice messages

voice recognition an electronic system which can recognize and react to specific spoken commands

voice synthesizer an electronic synthesizer that generates and combines basic elements of sound to produce simulated speech, used in computer systems, etc.

voiced (voist) •adj. 1 having a voice 2 having or using (a specified kind or tone of) voice: often in hyphenated compounds {deep-voiced} 3 expressed by the voice 4 Phonet. articulated with simultaneous vibration of the vocal cords: said of certain consonants, as (b), (z), and (m)

voiceless (vois´lis) •adj. 1 having no voice; dumb; mute 2 not speaking; silent 3 not spoken; not uttered {a voiceless wish} 4 lacking a musical voice or the ability to sing 5 having no voice, or vote; lacking suffrage 6 Phonet. articulated without simultaneous vibration of the vocal cords; surd: said of certain consonants, as (p), (s), and (ch) voice´less·ly •adv. voice´less·ness •n. SYN.—voiceless is applied to one who has no voice, either from birth or through deprivation [the throat operation left him voiceless]; speechless usually implies temporary or momentary deprivation of the ability to speak [speechless with horror]; dumb implies a lack of the power of speech and is now more often applied to brute animals and inanimate objects than to persons with impaired speech organs [a dumb beast]; mute is applied to persons incapable of speech, specif. as because of congenital deafness and not through absence or impairment of the speech organs —ANT. articulate

voice-over (-ou'vэr) •n. the voice commenting or narrating off camera, as for a television commercial

voiceprint (-print') •n. a pattern of wavy lines and whorls recorded by a device actuated by the sound of a person's voice: the pattern is supposed to be distinctive for each individual, like a fingerprint voice´print'ing •n.

void (void) •adj. 1 not occupied; vacant: said of benefices, offices, etc. 2 a) holding or containing nothing b) devoid or destitute (of) {void of sense} 3 having no effect or result; ineffective; useless 4 Card Games holding no cards in a suit as dealt to the hand {to be void in clubs} 5 Law a) of no legal force; not binding; invalid; null b) loosely, capable of being nullified •n. 1 total emptiness; an empty space or vacuum 2 a) total absence of something normally present b) a feeling of emptiness or deprivation {the void left by his death} 3 a break or open space, as in a surface; gap 4 Card Games the absence, from a player's hand as dealt, of any cards in a certain suit {a void in clubs} •vt. [ME voiden < MFr vuidier < vuide, adj.] 1 [Now Rare] a) to make empty; clear b) to vacate 2 a) to empty (the contents of something) b) to evacuate, or discharge (urine or feces) 3 to make void, or of no effect; nullify; annul •vi. to defecate or, esp., to urinate SYN. EMPTY void´a·ble •adj. void´er •n. [ME voide < OFr vuide < VL *vocitus, for L vocivus, var. of vacivus < vacare, to be empty]

voidance (-ªns) •n. the act of voiding; specif., a) annulment, as of a contract b) vacancy, as of a benefice [ME voydaunce < Anglo-Fr voidaunce < OFr vuidance]

voided (-id) •adj. 1 made void 2 Heraldry having the middle removed, leaving the outline: said of bearings

voilà (vwå lå´) •interj. behold; there it is [Fr, see there]

voile (voil; Fr vwål) •n. a thin, sheer fabric, as of cotton, used for garments, curtains, etc. [Fr, a veil < L vela: see VEIL]

voir dire (vwär' dir´) Law 1 an oath taken by a person to speak the truth in an examination testing his or her competence as a witness or juror 2 the examination itself [Fr < voir(e), truly + dire, to say]

vol 1 volcano 2 volume 3 volunteer

Volans (vou´lænz) a S constellation between Mensa and Carina

volant (vou´lэnt) •adj. 1 flying or capable of flying 2 nimble; agile; quick 3 Heraldry represented as flying {a crane volant} [< Fr or L: Fr volant < L volans, prp. of volare, to fly]

Volapük (vou'lä pük´) •n. an invented language having a vocabulary based on roots from the major European languages and a complex morphology, constructed about 1879 by J. M. Schleyer, a German clergyman, for proposed use as an international auxiliary language Also Vol·a·puk (väl´э puk') [< Volapük vol, world (altered < WORLD) + -a-, connective + pük, language (altered < SPEAK)]

volar (vou´lэr) •adj. Anat. of the palm of the hand or sole of the foot [< L vola, hollow of the hand, palm, sole of the foot (for IE base see WALE¹) + -AR]

volatile (väl´э tэl; chiefly Brit, -tail') •adj. 1 orig., flying or able to fly; volitant 2 vaporizing or evaporating quickly, as alcohol 3 a) likely to shift quickly and unpredictably; unstable; explosive {a volatile social condition} b) moving capriciously from one idea, interest, etc. to another; fickle c) not lasting long; fleeting 4 Comput. designating or of memory that does not retain stored data when the power supply is disconnected •n. [Now Rare] 1 any flying creature 2 a volatile substance vol'a·til´i·ty (-til´э ti:) or vol´a·tile·ness •n. [MFr < L volatilis < volare, to fly]

volatile oil ESSENTIAL OIL

volatilize (väl´э tэl aiz') -ized', -iz'ing •vt. to make volatile; cause to pass off as vapor •vi. to become volatile vol´a·til·iz'a·ble •adj. vol'a·til·i·za´tion •n.

vol-au-vent (vô lou väñ´) •n. a baked shell of puff pastry, filled as with chicken, game, or fish in a cream sauce [Fr, flight in the wind]

volcanic (väl kæn´ik; also, -kein´-) •adj. 1 of, thrown from, caused by, or characteristic of a volcano 2 having, or composed of, volcanoes 3 suggestive of or bursting forth like a volcano; violently explosive vol·can´i·cal·ly •adv. [Fr volcanique < It volcanico]

volcanic glass natural glass, as obsidian, formed by the very rapid cooling of molten lava

volcanic rock igneous rock, as basalt, that solidified rapidly from molten lava at or very near the surface of the earth

volcanicity (väl'kэ nis´э ti:) •n. the quality or state of being volcanic; volcanic activity [Fr volcanicité]

volcanism (väl´kэ niz'эm) •n. volcanic activity or phenomena [Fr volcanisme]

volcanist (-nist) •n. VOLCANOLOGIST

volcanize (-naiz') -ized', -iz'ing •vt. to subject to, or change by, volcanic heat vol'can·i·za´tion •n.

volcano (väl kei´nou) pl. -noes or -nos •n. 1 a vent in the earth's crust through which molten rock (lava), rock fragments, gases, ashes, etc. are ejected from the earth's interior: a volcano is active while erupting, dormant during a long period of inactivity, or extinct when all activity has finally ceased 2 a cone-shaped hill or mountain, wholly or chiefly of volcanic materials, built up around the vent, usually so as to form a crater [It < L Volcanus, VULCAN]

Volcano Islands group of small Japanese islands, including Iwo Jima, in the W Pacific: 11 sq. mi. (28 sq. km)

volcanologist (väl'kэ näl´э jist) •n. a student of or specialist in volcanology

volcanology (-ji:) •n. the science dealing with volcanoes and volcanic activity vol'can·o·log´i·cal •adj. [VOLCANO + -LOGY]

vole¹ (voul) •n. any of a number of small rodents (family Cricetidae), with a stout body and short tail [earlier vole mouse < Scand, as in ON vollr, meadow, field (< PGmc *walthu- > WEALD, WOLD¹, Ger wald, < IE *wel-, shaggy hair, grass) + MOUSE]

vole² (voul) •n. in old card games, the winning of all the tricks in a deal [Fr, prob. < voler, to fly < L volare]

Volga (väl´gэ, voul´-; Russ vôl´gä) river in European Russia, flowing from the Valdai Hills into the Caspian Sea: 2,290 mi. (3,686 km) [Russ Wolga: see WELKIN]

Volgograd (väl´gэ græd', voul´-; Russ vôl gä gřät´) city in SC European Russia, on the Volga: scene of a decisive Soviet victory (1943) over German troops in World War II: pop. 720,000: old names Stalingrad, Tsaritsyn

volitant (väl´э tэnt) •adj. 1 flying, flitting, or constantly in motion 2 capable of flight [L volitans, prp. of volitare, to fly to and fro, freq. of volare, to fly]

volitation (väl'э tei´shэn) •n. 1 the act of flying; flight 2 the ability to fly [ML volitatio < L volitare: see VOLITANT]

volition (vou lish´эn, vэ-) •n. 1 the act of using the will; exercise of the will as in deciding what to do 2 a conscious or deliberate decision or choice thus made 3 the power or faculty of using the will SYN. WILL¹ vo·li´tion·al •adj. vo·li´tion·al·ly •adv. [Fr < ML volitio < L volo, I wish, pres. indic. of velle, to be willing, to WILL²]

volitive (väl´э tiv) •adj. 1 of or arising from the will 2 Gram. expressing a wish or permission, as a verb, mood, etc. [ML volitivus < L volo: see VOLITION]

Volkslied (fôlks´li:t') pl. Volks´lied'er (-li:'dэř) •n. a folk song [Ger]

volley (väl´i:) pl. -leys •n. 1 a) the simultaneous discharge of a number of firearms or other weapons b) the bullets, arrows, etc. discharged in this way 2 a burst of words or acts suggestive of this {a volley of curses, questions, etc.} 3 Sports a) the act of returning the ball, shuttlecock, etc. in certain games before it touches the ground b) the flight of the ball, etc. before it touches the ground c) loosely, any extended exchange of shots, as in tennis or volleyball, esp. such an exchange in warming up for a game •vt. -leyed, -ley·ing 1 to discharge in or as in a volley 2 Sports to return (the ball, etc.) as a volley •vi. 1 to be discharged in or as in a volley 2 Sports a) to return the ball, etc. as a volley b) loosely, to engage in a volley vol´ley·er •n. [MFr volee < VL *volata < fem. of L volatus, pp. of volare, to fly]

volleyball (-böl') •n. 1 a game played on a court by two teams who hit a large, light, inflated ball back and forth over a high net with the hands, each team trying to return the ball before it touches the ground 2 this ball

Vologda (vô´lôg dä) city in NC European Russia: pop. 269,000

volost (vou´läst') •n. 1 a small administrative district of peasants in czarist Russia 2 a rural soviet in the Soviet Union [Russ volost']

volplane (väl´plein') -planed', -plan'ing •vi. to glide down as or in an airplane with the engine cut off •n. such a glide [Fr vol plané < vol, flight < voler, to fly (< L volare) + plané, pp. of planer, to glide: see PLANE4]

Volsci (väl´sai') •n.pl. an ancient people of Latium, conquered by the Romans in the 4th cent. B.C. [L]

Volscian (väl´shэn) •adj. designating or of the Volsci or their language or culture •n. 1 a member of the Volsci 2 the Italic language of the Volsci

Volstead Act (väl´sted) an act of Congress, passed in 1919 and repealed in 1933, enforcing the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages [after Rep. A. J. Volstead (1860-1947), who introduced the act]

Volsunga Saga (väl´suŋ gэ) an Icelandic saga relating the legend of Sigurd and the Nibelungs: also told, with variations, in a Germanic version, the Nibelungenlied [ON Völsunga saga, lit., saga of the Volsungs, the descendants of Volsi, prob. appellation of Odin]

volt¹ (voult) •n. 1 a turning movement or gait of a horse, in which it moves sideways around a center 2 Fencing a leap to avoid a thrust [Fr volte < It volta, a turn < VL *volvita, for L voluta, fem. pp. of volvere, to roll, turn about: see WALK]

volt² (voult) •n. the practical mks unit of electromotive force or difference in potential between two points in an electric field that requires one joule of work to move a positive charge of one coulomb from the point of lower potential to the point of higher potential: abbrev. V or v [after Conte Alessandro VOLTA]

Volta (väl´tэ, völ´-, voul´-) river in Ghana, flowing south into the Bight of Benin: c. 300 mi. (482 km): formed by the confluence of the Black Volta, c. 500 mi. (804 km) & the White Volta, c. 550 mi. (885 km) Volta (vôl´tä), Conte A·les·san·dro (ä'les sän´dřô) 1745-1827; It. physicist

voltage (voul´tij) •n. electromotive force, or difference in electrical potential, expressed in volts

voltage divider a device consisting of a resistor or series of resistors connected across a voltage and having one or more fixed or adjustable intermediate contacts: from any two terminals a desired reduced voltage may be obtained

voltaic (väl tei´ik) •adj. 1 designating or of electricity produced by chemical action; galvanic 2 used in so producing electricity [after Conte Alessandro VOLTA + -IC] Voltaic (väl tei´ik) •n. a branch of the Niger-Congo languages spoken in Burkina Faso and parts of Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Togo

voltaic battery Elec. 1 a battery composed of voltaic cells 2 VOLTAIC CELL

voltaic cell Elec. a device for producing an electric current by the action of two plates of different metals in an electrolyte

voltaic pile PILE¹ (n. 5)

Voltaire (väl ter´; Fr vôl teř´), (François Marie Arouet de) (born François Marie Arouet) 1694-1778; Fr. writer and philosopher

voltaism (väl´tэ iz'эm) •n. GALVANISM [< VOLTA(IC) + -ISM]

voltameter (väl tæm´эt эr) •n. Physics an electrolytic cell that measures the quantity of electric charge flowing through it by a resulting chemical action, as by indicating the amount of gas collected or the amount of metal deposited on an electrode vol'ta·met´ric (-tэ me´trik) •adj. [VOLTA(IC) + -METER]

voltammeter (voult´æm'mi:t'эr) •n. a dual-purpose instrument for measuring either voltage or amperage

volt-ampere (-æm´pir') •n. Elec. the unit of apparent power in an alternating-current circuit or device containing reactance, equal to the product of the voltage in volts and the current in amperes without regard to phase

volte-face (völt'fæs´; Fr vôlt fås´) •n. 1 a turn so as to face the opposite way; about-face 2 a complete reversal of opinion, attitude, etc. [Fr < It volta faccia < volta, a turn (see VOLT¹) + faccia < VL facia, FACE]

voltmeter (voult´mi:t'эr) •n. Elec. an instrument for measuring voltage [VOLT² + -METER]

Volturno (vôl tu:ř´nô) river in SC Italy, flowing from the Apennines into the Tyrrhenian Sea: c. 110 mi. (177 km)

voluble (väl´yu: bэl) •adj. 1 characterized by a great flow of words; talking much and easily; talkative, glib, etc. 2 [Rare] rolling easily on an axis; rotating 3 Bot. twining or twisting, as a vine SYN. TALKATIVE vol'u·bil´i·ty or vol´u·ble·ness •n. vol´u·bly •adv. [Fr < L volubilis, easily turned about < volutus, pp. of volvere, to roll, turn about: see WALK]

volume (väl´yu:m, -yэm) •n. 1 orig., a roll of parchment, a scroll, etc. 2 a) a collection of written, typewritten, or printed sheets bound together; book b) any of the separate books making up a matched set or a complete work 3 a set of the issues of a periodical over a fixed period of time, usually a year 4 the amount of space occupied in three dimensions; cubic contents or cubic magnitude 5 a) a quantity, bulk, mass, or amount b) a large quantity 6 the degree, strength, or loudness of sound 7 Music fullness of tone SYN. BULK¹ speak volumes to be very expressive or meaningful vol´umed •adj. [ME < MFr < L volumen, a roll, scroll, hence a book written on a parchment < volutus, pp. of volvere, to roll: see WALK]

volume unit a unit equal to a decibel for expressing the magnitude of a complex audio signal, as that of speech or music, above a reference level of one milliwatt

volumeter (vou lu:m´эt эr) •n. Physics an instrument used to measure the volume of liquids and gases directly, and of solids by the amount of liquid they displace [VOLU(ME) + -METER]

volumetric (väl'yu: me´trik) •adj. of or based on the measurement of volume: also vol'u·met´ri·cal vol'u·met´ri·cal·ly •adv. [< prec. + -IC]

volumetric analysis the quantitative analysis of an unknown chemical solution by determining the amount of reagent of known concentration necessary to effect a reaction in a known volume of the solution

voluminous (vэ lu:m´э nэs) •adj. 1 writing, producing, consisting of, or forming enough material to fill volumes 2 of great volume; large; bulky; full 3 [Archaic] characterized by many coils or windings vo·lu'mi·nos´i·ty (-näs´э ti:) •n. vo·lu´mi·nous·ly •adv. [LL voluminosus, full of rolls or folds < volumen: see VOLUME]

voluntarism (väl´эn tэr iz'em) •n. 1 a) voluntary or willing participation in a course of action b) a doctrine or system based on such participation c) VOLUNTEERISM 2 Philos. any theory which holds that reality is ultimately of the nature of will or that the will is the primary factor in experience vol´un·ta·rist •n. vol'un·ta·ris´tic •adj.

voluntary (väl´эn ter'i:) •adj. 1 brought about by one's own free choice; given or done of one's own free will; freely chosen or undertaken 2 acting in a specified capacity willingly or of one's own accord 3 intentional; not accidental {voluntary manslaughter} 4 controlled by one's mind or will {voluntary muscles} 5 having free will or the power of free choice {man is a voluntary agent} 6 a) supported by contributions or freewill offerings; not supported or maintained by the state {voluntary churches} b) done or carried on by or made up of volunteers rather than by people paid or conscripted 7 arising in the mind without external constraint; spontaneous 8 Law a) acting or done without compulsion or persuasion b) done without profit, payment, or any valuable consideration •n. pl. -tar'ies Music a piece or solo, often an improvisation, played on the organ before, during, or after a church service vol·un·tar·i·ly (väl´эn ter'э li:, väl эn ter´-) •adv. SYN.—voluntary implies the exercise of one's own free choice or will in an action, whether or not external influences are at work [voluntary services]; intentional applies to that which is done on purpose for a definite reason and is in no way accidental [an intentional slight]; deliberate implies full realization of the significance of what one intends to do and of its effects [a deliberate lie]; willful implies obstinate and perverse determination to follow one's own will despite influences, arguments, advice, etc. in opposition [a willful refusal] [ME voluntarie < L voluntarius, voluntary < voluntas, free will < volo, I wish: see VOLITION]

voluntaryism (-iz'эm) •n. 1 the doctrine that churches, schools, etc. should be supported by voluntary contributions and not by the state 2 a system based on this principle

volunteer (väl'эn tir´) •n. 1 a person who chooses freely to do or offer to do something 2 a person who chooses freely to enter naval or military service, without being compelled to do so by law: opposed to CONSCRIPT, DRAFTEE 3 Law a) a person who chooses freely to enter into any transaction with no promise of compensation b) a person to whom property is transferred without valuable consideration •adj. 1 composed of volunteers, as an army 2 serving as a volunteer, usually without compensation 3 of a volunteer or volunteers 4 Bot. growing from seed that has fallen naturally to the ground, not planted by a person •vt. to freely choose to offer or give without being asked or obliged •vi. to freely choose to enter or offer to enter into any service; enlist [earlier voluntier < obs. Fr voluntaire < L (miles) voluntarius, VOLUNTARY (soldier)]

volunteerism (-iz'эm) •n. the theory or practice of being a volunteer or of using volunteers, as, without pay, in social agencies, charitable organizations, etc.

voluptuary (vэ lûp´chu: er´i:) pl. -ar'ies •n. a person devoted to luxurious living and sensual pleasures; sensualist; sybarite •adj. of or characterized by luxury and sensual pleasures [L voluptuarius < voluptas, pleasure: see VOLUPTUOUS]

voluptuous (-chu: эs) •adj. 1 full of, producing, or characterized by sensual delights and pleasures; sensual 2 fond of or directed toward luxury, elegance, and the pleasures of the senses 3 a) suggesting or expressing sensual pleasure or gratification b) sexually attractive because of a full, shapely figure 4 arising from sensual gratification SYN. SENSUOUS vo·lup´tu·ous·ly •adv. vo·lup´tu·ous·ness •n. [ME < L voluptuosus, full of pleasure < voluptas, pleasure < IE base *wel-, to wish, choose > WILL²]

volute (vэ lu:t´) •n. 1 a spiral or twisting form; turn; whorl 2 Archit. a spiral scroll forming one of the chief features of Ionic and Corinthian capitals 3 Zool. a) any of the turns or whorls of a spiral shell b) any of a family (Volutidae) of saltwater gastropods often having brightly colored shells with an elongated opening •adj. 1 rolled up; spiraled 2 having a spirally shaped part vo·lut´ed •adj. [L voluta, orig., fem. of volutus, pp. of volvere, to roll: see WALK]

volution (vэ lu:´shэn) •n. 1 a revolving or rolling 2 a spiral turn or twist; coil; convolution 3 a whorl of a spiral shell or structure [< L volutus: see VOLUTE]

volva (väl´vэ) •n. the membranous covering enclosing certain mushrooms in the early stage of growth, becoming a cup at the base of the stalk at maturity vol´vate' (-veit', -vit) •adj. [ModL < L, var. of vulva: see VULVA]

volvox (väl´väks') •n. any of a genus (Volvox, family Volvocaceae) of multicellular, free-swimming, flagellated green algae whose cells form a pale green globular colony that rolls about in the water [ModL < L volvere, to roll (see WALK) + -ox (as in atrox, fierce)]

volvulus (väl´vyu: lэs) •n. a twisting or displacement of the intestines resulting in intestinal obstruction [ModL < L volvere, to roll: see WALK]

vomer (vou´mэr) •n. Anat. the thin, flat cranial bone forming the lower and posterior part of the septum that separates the nasal passages vo·mer·ine (vou´mэr in, väm´-) •adj. [ModL < L, plowshare; akin to vomis: see WEDGE]

vomit (väm´it) •n. 1 the act or process of ejecting the contents of the stomach through the mouth 2 matter ejected in this way 3 [Archaic] EMETIC •vi. 1 to eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth; throw up 2 to be thrown up or out with force or violence; rush out •vt. 1 to throw up (food) 2 to discharge or throw out with force or in copious quantities; belch forth vom´it·er •n. [ME < L vomitus, a discharging, vomiting < pp. of vomere, to discharge, vomit < IE base *wemē- > Gr emein, to vomit, OE wamm, stain, disgrace]

vomitive (-э tiv) •adj. of or causing vomiting; emetic

vomitory (väm´э tör'i:) •adj. [Archaic] vomitive; emetic •n. pl. -ries 1 old term for EMETIC 2 any opening, funnel, etc. through which matter is to be discharged 3 in Roman amphitheaters, etc., any of the entrances leading to the tiers of seats [LL vomitorium: the spectators were discharged through these] [L vomitorius]

vomitous (väm´э tэs) •adj. of, like, or causing vomiting; esp., disgusting, nauseating, etc.

vomiturition (väm'i tyu: rish´эn) •n. 1 repeated but unsuccessful attempts to vomit; retching 2 vomiting that brings up but little matter

vomitus (väm´it эs) •n. matter that has been vomited [L: see VOMIT]

von (fôn; E vän) •prep. of; from: a prefix occurring in many names of German and Austrian families, esp. of the nobility [Ger]

von Braun (fôn břaun´; E vän braun´), Wern·her (veř´nэř; E wør´nэr) 1912-77; U.S. rocket engineer, born in Germany

Von Neumann (vän noi´mэn, -män), John 1903-57; U.S. mathematician, born in Hungary

voodoo (vu:´du:') pl. -doos' •n. 1 a religion based on a belief in sorcery and in the power of charms, fetishes, curses, etc.: it originated in Africa and is still practiced, chiefly by natives of the West Indies 2 a person who practices voodoo 3 a voodoo charm, fetish, curse, etc. •adj. of voodoos or voodooism •vt. to affect by voodoo magic [Creole Fr, of WAfr orig., as in Ewe (Dahomey and Togo) vodu, fetish, demon]

voodooism (-iz'эm) •n. the system of voodoo beliefs and practices voo´doo·ist •n. voo'doo·is´tic •adj.

voracious (vö rei´shэs, vэ-) •adj. 1 greedy in eating; devouring or eager to devour large quantities of food; ravenous; gluttonous 2 very greedy or eager in some desire or pursuit; insatiable {a voracious reader} vo·ra´cious·ly •adv. vo·rac´i·ty (-ræs´э ti:) or vo·ra´cious·ness •n. [L vorax (gen. voracis), greedy to devour < vorare, to devour < IE base *gwer-, to devour, GORGE > Gr bora, food (of carnivorous beasts), L gurges, gorge]

Voronezh (vô řô´nesh) city in SW European Russia, near the Don: pop. 850,000

Voroshilovgrad (vô'řô shi:´lôf gřät') name (1935-91) of LUGANSK

-vorous (vэr эs) combining form forming adjectives feeding on, eating {omnivorous} [L -vorus < vorare: see VORACIOUS]

vortex (vör´teks') pl. -tex'es or -ti·ces' (-tэ si:z') •n. 1 a whirling mass of water forming a vacuum at its center, into which anything caught in the motion is drawn; whirlpool 2 a whirl or powerful eddy of air; whirlwind 3 any activity, situation, or state of affairs that resembles a whirl or eddy in its rush, absorbing effect, catastrophic power, etc. [L vortex, var. of vertex: see VERTEX]

vortical (vör´ti kэl) •adj. 1 of, characteristic of, or like a vortex 2 moving in a vortex; whirling vor´ti·cal·ly •adv.

vorticella (vör'tэ sel´э) pl. -cel´lae (-i:) •n. any of a genus (Vorticella) of one-celled ciliates living in water, with a bell-shaped body on a thin, contractile stem serving as a holdfast [ModL, dim. < L vortex: see VORTEX]

vorticose (vör´tэ kous') •adj. whirling; vortical [L vorticosus < vortex: see VORTEX]

vortiginous (vör tij´э nэs) •adj. [Archaic] 1 whirling: said of motion 2 moving in or like a vortex [L vortiginosus, for vertiginosus < vertigo: see VERTIGO]

Vortumnus (vör tûm´nэs) var. of VERTUMNUS

Vosges (Mountains) (vouzh) mountain range in NE France, west of the Rhine: highest peak, c. 4,700 ft. (1,430 m)

votable (vout´э bэl) •adj. that can be submitted to a vote; subject to a vote: also sp. vote´a·ble

votary (vout´э ri:) pl. -ries •n. 1 a person bound by a vow or promise, esp. one bound to religious vows, as a monk or nun 2 a person devoted to a particular religion or object of worship; devout worshiper 3 a devoted or ardent supporter, as of a cause, ideal, etc. 4 a person who is devoted to any game, study, pursuit, etc. Also vo´ta·rist •adj. 1 consecrated by a vow 2 of, or having the nature of, a vow vo´ta·ress (-ris) •n.fem. [< L votus, pp. of vovere, to vow (see VOTE) + -ARY]

vote (vout) •n. 1 a) a decision by a group on a proposal, resolution, bill, etc., or a choice between candidates for office, expressed by written ballot, voice, show of hands, etc. b) the decision of any individual in the group 2 a) the expression or indication of such a decision or choice b) the ticket, ballot, voice, or other means by which it is expressed 3 the right to exercise such a decision or choice, as in a meeting, election, etc.; suffrage 4 a) the total number of ballots cast {a light vote} b) votes collectively {to get out the vote} c) a specified group of voters, or their votes, collectively {the farm vote} •vi. vot´ed, vot´ing 1 to express the will or a preference in a matter by ballot, voice, etc.; give or cast a vote 2 to declare a preference, wish, opinion, etc. {the departing spectators voted with their feet} •vt. 1 a) to decide, choose, enact, or authorize by vote b) to grant or confer by vote c) to support (a specified party ticket) in voting 2 to declare by general opinion {voted the picnic a success} 3 [Colloq.] to suggest {I vote we leave now} vote down to defeat by voting; decide against vote in to elect vote out to defeat (an incumbent) in an election vote´less •adj. [LME (Scot) < L votum, a wish, vow < neut. of votus, pp. of vovere, to vow < IE base *ewegwh-, to speak solemnly, vow > Sans vāghát, one who vows, Gr euche, a vow, prayer]

voter (vout´эr) •n. a person who has a right to vote; elector, esp. one who actually votes

voting machine a machine on which votes in an election are cast, registered, and counted

votive (vout´iv) •adj. designed to accomplish or fulfill a special intention, promise, etc., or to express thanks or devotion {a votive offering} [L votivus < votum: see VOTE]

votive candle a candle used as a vigil light

votive Mass a Mass differing from the Mass or Divine Office prescribed by the liturgy for a certain day and offered for some special private or public intention

vouch (vauch) •vt. 1 to uphold by demonstration or evidence 2 [Archaic] a) to attest or affirm b) to cite in support of one's views or actions 3 in old English law, to call (a person) into court to give warranty of title •vi. 1 to give assurance, affirmation, or a guarantee: with for {to vouch for someone's honesty} 2 to serve as evidence or assurance (for) {references vouching for his ability} •n. [Obs.] the act of vouching; assertion or attestation [ME vouchen < OFr vocher < L vocare, to call < vox, VOICE]

voucher (vau´chэr) •n. 1 a person who vouches, as for the truth of a statement 2 a paper serving as evidence or proof; specif., a receipt or statement attesting to the expenditure or receipt of money, the accuracy of an account, etc. [substantive use of Anglo-Fr voucher, to VOUCH]

vouchsafe (vauch seif´) -safed´, -saf´ing •vt. to be gracious enough or condescend to give or grant {to vouchsafe a reply} vouch·safe´ment •n. [contr. of ME vouchen safe, to vouch as safe]

voussoir (vu: swär´) •n. Archit. any of the wedge-shaped stones of which an arch or vault is built: see ARCH¹, illus. [Fr < OFr volsoir, curvature of a vault < VL *volsorium < *volsus, for L volutus, pp. of volvere, to roll: see WALK]

Vouvray (vu: vrei´) •n. [also v-] a French white wine of Touraine, sometimes sparkling, and tasting dry to moderately sweet [after Vouvray, village in WC France]

vow (vau) •n. 1 a solemn promise or pledge, esp. one made to God or a god, dedicating oneself to an act, service, or way of life 2 a solemn promise of love and fidelity {marriage vows} 3 a solemn affirmation or assertion •vt. 1 to promise solemnly 2 to make a solemn resolution to do, get, etc. 3 to declare emphatically, earnestly, or solemnly •vi. to make a vow take vows to make the vows required for formal entrance into a religious order or community vow´er •n. [ME vou < OFr < L votum: see VOTE]

vowel (vau´эl) •n. 1 any voiced speech sound characterized by generalized friction of the air passing in a continuous stream through the pharynx and opened mouth but with no constriction narrow enough to produce local friction; the sound of the greatest prominence in most syllables 2 a letter (as a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y) or a character or a symbol representing such a sound Cf. CONSONANT •adj. of a vowel or vowels [ME vowelle < MFr vouel < L vocalis (littera), vocal (letter), vowel < vox, VOICE]

vowel point in certain languages whose written form normally consists only of consonants, as Hebrew, a diacritical mark accompanying a consonant (to indicate the following vowel sound) or a neutral letter (to indicate esp. an initial vowel sound)

vowelize (vau´эl aiz') -ized', -iz'ing •vt. to add vowel points to {to vowelize a text} vow'el·i·za´tion •n.

vox (väks, vouks) pl. vo·ces (vou´si:z') •n. voice [L]

vox populi (pä´pyu: lai') the voice of the people; public opinion or sentiment: abbrev. vox pop. [L]