Chapter 1851

2. The act of going to view or inspect; an official or formal inspection; examination; visitation; as, the visit of a trustee or inspector .

Right of visit (Internat. Law) , the right of visitation. See Visitation , 4.

Visitable <Xpage=1614>

Vis"it*a*ble (?) , a. Liable or subject to be visited or inspected. "All hospitals built since the Reformation are visitable by the king or lord chancellor."

Ayliffe.

Visitant <Xpage=1614>

Vis"it*ant (?) , n. [L. visitans , -antis ; p. pr.: cf. F. visitant .] One who visits; a guest; a visitor.

When the visitant comes again, he is no more a stranger. South.

Visitant <Xpage=1614>

Vis"it*ant , a. Visiting.

Wordsworth.

Visitation <Xpage=1614>

Vis`it*a"tion (?) , n. [L. visitatio : cf. F. visitation .] 1. The act of visiting, or the state of being visited; access for inspection or examination.

Nothing but peace and gentle visitation . Shak.

2. Specifically: The act of a superior or superintending officer who, in the discharge of his office, visits a corporation, college, etc., to examine into the manner in which it is conducted, and see that its laws and regulations are duly observed and executed; as, the visitation of a diocese by a bishop .

3. The object of a visit. [Obs.] "O flowers, . . . my early visitation and my last."

Milton.

4. (Internat. Law) The act of a naval commander who visits, or enters on board, a vessel belonging to another nation, for the purpose of ascertaining her character and object, but without claiming or exercising a right of searching the vessel. It is, however, usually coupled with the right of search (see under Search ), visitation being used for the purpose of search.

5. Special dispensation; communication of divine favor and goodness, or, more usually, of divine wrath and vengeance; retributive calamity; retribution; judgment.

What will ye do in the day of visitation ? Isa. x. 3.

6. (Eccl.) A festival in honor of the visit of the Virgin Mary to Elisabeth, mother of John the Baptist, celebrated on the second of July.

The Order of the Visitation of Our Lady (R. C. Ch.) , a religious community of nuns, founded at Annecy, in Savoy, in 1610, and in 1808 established in the United States. In America these nuns are devoted to the education of girls.

Visitatorial <Xpage=1614>

Vis`it*a*to"ri*al (?) , a. [Cf. LL. visitator a bishop temporarily put in place of another.] Of or pertaining to visitation, or a judicial visitor or superintendent; visitorial.

An archdeacon has visitatorial power. Ayliffe.

The queen, however, still had over the church a visitatorial power of vast and undefined extent. Macaulay.

Visite <Xpage=1614>

Vi*site" (?) , n. [F. See Visit , n. ] A light cape or short cloak of silk or lace worn by women in summer.

Visiter <Xpage=1614>

Vis"it*er (?) , n. A visitor.

Visiting <Xpage=1614>

Vis"it*ing , a. & vb. n. from Visit .

Visiting ant . (Zo\'94l.) See Driver ant , under Driver . -- Visiting book , a book in which a record of visits received, made, and to be made, is kept. Thackeray . -- Visiting card . See under Card .

Visitor <Xpage=1614>

Vis"it*or (?) . [Cf. F. visiteur .] [Written also visiter .] 1. One who visits; one who comes or goes to see another, as in civility or friendship. "This great flood of visitors ."

Shak.

2. A superior, or a person lawfully appointed for the purpose, who makes formal visits of inspection to a corporation or an institution. See Visit , v. t. , 2, and Visitation , n. , 2.

The king is the visitor of all lay corporations. Blackstone.

Visitorial <Xpage=1614>

Vis`it*o"ri*al (?) , a. Same as Visitatorial .

Visive <Xpage=1614>

Vi"sive (?) , a. [Cf. F. visif , LL. visivus . See Vision .] Of or pertaining to the sight; visual. [Obs.]

I can not satisfy myself how men should be so little surprised about this visive faculty. Berkeley.

Visne <Xpage=1614>

Visne (?; 277) , n. [OF. visn\'82 , veisin\'82 , visnet , neighborhood, LL. vicinatus , fr. L. vicunus neighboring, a neighbor. See Vicinity .] (Law) Neighborhood; vicinity; venue. See Venue .

Visnomy <Xpage=1614>

Vis"no*my (?) , n. [Contr. fr. physiognomy .] Face; countenance. [Colloq.]

Spenser. Lamb.

Vison <Xpage=1614>

Vi"son (?) , n. [F.] (Zo\'94l.) The mink.

Visor <Xpage=1614>

Vis"or (?) , n. [OE. visere , F. visi\'8are , fr. OF. vis . See Visage , Vision .] [Written also visar , visard , vizard , and vizor .] 1. A part of a helmet, arranged so as to lift or open, and so show the face. The openings for seeing and breathing are generally in it.

2. A mask used to disfigure or disguise. "My very visor began to assume life."

Shak.

My weaker government since, makes you pull off the visor . Sir P. Sidney.

3. The fore piece of a cap, projecting over, and protecting the eyes.

Visored <Xpage=1614>

Vis"ored (?) , a. Wearing a visor; masked.

Visored falsehood and base forgery. Milton.

Vista <Xpage=1614>

Vis"ta (?) , n. ; pl. Vistas (#) . [It., sight, view, fr. vedere , p. p. visto , veduto , to see, fr. L. videre , visum . See View , Vision .] A view; especially, a view through or between intervening objects, as trees; a view or prospect through an avenue, or the like; hence, the trees or other objects that form the avenue.

The finished garden to the view Its vistas opens, and its alleys green. Thomson.

In the groves of their academy, at the end of every vista , you see nothing but the gallows. Burke.

The shattered tower which now forms a vista from his window. Sir W. Scott.

Visto <Xpage=1614>

Vis"to (?) , n. A vista; a prospect. [R.]

Gay.

Through the long visto of a thousand years. Young.

Visual <Xpage=1614>

Vis"u*al (?) , a. [L. visualis , from visus a seeing, sight: cf. F. visuel . See Vision .] 1. Of or pertaining to sight; used in sight; serving as the instrument of seeing; as, the visual nerve .

The air, Nowhere so clear, sharpened his visual ray. Milton.

2. That can be seen; visible. [R.]

Visual angle . (Opt.) See under Angle . -- Visual cone (Persp.) , a cone whose vertex is at the point of sight, or the eye. -- Visual plane , any plane passing through the point of sight. -- Visual point , the point at which the visual rays unite; the position of the eye. -- Visual purple (Physiol.) , a photochemical substance, of a purplish red color, contained in the retina of human eyes and in the eyes of most animals. It is quickly bleached by light, passing through the colors, red, orange, and yellow, and then disappearing. Also called rhodopsin , and vision purple . See Optography . -- Visual ray , a line from the eye, or point of sight. -- Visual white (Physiol.) , the final product in the action of light on visual purple. It is reconverted into visual purple by the regenerating action of the choroidal epithelium. -- Visual yellow (Physiol.) , a product intermediate between visual purple and visual white, formed in the photochemical action of light on visual purple.

Visualize <Xpage=1614>

Vis"u*al*ize (?) , v. t. To make visual, or visible; to see in fancy. [Written also visualise .]

No one who has not seen them [glaciers] can possibly visualize them. Lubbock.

Vitaille <Xpage=1614>

Vi*taille (?) , n. [See Victuals .] Food; victuals. [Obs.]

Piers Plowman. Chaucer.

Vital <Xpage=1614>

Vi"tal (?) , a. [F., fr. L. vitalis , fr. vita life; akin to vivere to live. See Vivid .] 1. Belonging or relating to life, either animal or vegetable; as, vital energies; vital functions; vital actions.

2. Contributing to life; necessary to, or supporting, life; as, vital blood .

Do the heavens afford him vital food? Spenser.

And vital virtue infused, and vital warmth. Milton.

3. Containing life; living. "Spirits that live throughout, vital in every part."

Milton.

4. Being the seat of life; being that on which life depends; mortal.

The dart flew on, and pierced a vital part. Pope.

5. Very necessary; highly important; essential.

A competence is vital to content. Young.

6. Capable of living; in a state to live; viable. [R.]

Pythagoras and Hippocrates . . . affirm the birth of the seventh month to be vital . Sir T. Browne.

Vital air , oxygen gas; -- so called because essential to animal life. [Obs.] -- Vital capacity (Physiol.) , the breathing capacity of the lungs; -- expressed by the number of cubic inches of air which can be forcibly exhaled after a full inspiration. -- Vital force . (Biol.) See under Force . The vital forces, according to Cope, are nerve force ( neurism ), growth force ( bathmism ), and thought force ( phrenism ), all under the direction and control of the vital principle. Apart from the phenomena of consciousness, vital actions no longer need to be considered as of a mysterious and unfathomable character, nor vital force as anything other than a form of physical energy derived from, and convertible into, other well-known forces of nature. -- Vital functions (Physiol.) , those functions or actions of the body on which life is directly dependent, as the circulation of the blood, digestion, etc. -- Vital principle , an immaterial force, to which the functions peculiar to living beings are ascribed. -- Vital statistics , statistics respecting the duration of life, and the circumstances affecting its duration. -- Vital tripod . (Physiol.) See under Tripod . -- Vital vessels (Bot.) , a name for latex tubes, now disused. See Latex .

Vital <Xpage=1614>

Vi"tal , n. A vital part; one of the vitals. [R.]

Vitalic <Xpage=1614>

Vi*tal"ic (?) , a. Pertaining to life; vital. [R.]

Vitalism <Xpage=1614>

Vi"tal*ism (?) , n. (Biol.) The doctrine that all the functions of a living organism are due to an unknown vital principle distinct from all chemical and physical forces.

Vitalist <Xpage=1614>

Vi`tal*ist (?) , n. (Biol.) A believer in the theory of vitalism; -- opposed to physicist .

Vitalistic <Xpage=1614>

Vi`tal*is"tic (?) , a. (Biol.) Pertaining to, or involving, vitalism, or the theory of a special vital principle.

Vitality <Xpage=1614>

Vi*tal"i*ty (?; 277) , n. [L. vitalitas : cf. F. vitalit\'82 .] The quality or state of being vital; the principle of life; vital force; animation; as, the vitality of eggs or vegetable seeds; the vitality of an enterprise .

Vitalization <Xpage=1614>

Vi`tal*i*za"tion (?) , n. The act or process of vitalizing, or infusing the vital principle.

Vitalize <Xpage=1614>

Vi"tal*ize (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Vitalized (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Vitalizing (?) .] [Cf. F. vitaliser .] To endow with life, or vitality; to give life to; to make alive; as, vitalized blood .

Vitally <Xpage=1614>

Vi"tal*ly , adv. In a vital manner.

Vitals <Xpage=1614>

Vi"tals (?) , n. pl. 1. Organs that are necessary for life; more especially, the heart, lungs, and brain.

2. Fig.: The part essential to the life or health of anything; as, the vitals of a state . "The vitals of the public body."

Glanvill.

Vitellary <Xpage=1614>

Vit"el*la*ry (?; 277) , a. [L. vitellus a little calf, the yolk of an egg.] (Biol.) Vitelline.

Vitelligenous <Xpage=1614>

Vit`el*lig"e*nous (?) , a. (Zo\'94l.) Producing yolk, or vitelline substance; -- applied to certain cells (also called nutritive , or yolk , cells ) formed in the ovaries of many insects, and supposed to supply nutriment to the developing ova.

Vitellin <Xpage=1614>

Vi*tel"lin (?) , n. [See Vitellus .] (Physiol. Chem.) An albuminous body, belonging to the class of globulins, obtained from yolk of egg, of which it is the chief proteid constituent, and from the seeds of many plants. From the latter it can be separated in crystalline form.

<page="1615"> Page 1615

Vitelline <Xpage=1615>

Vi*tel"line (?) , a. [L. vitellus the yolk of an egg.] (Biol.) Of or pertaining to the yolk of eggs; as, the vitelline membrane, a smooth, transparent membrane surrounding the vitellus .

Vitellogene <Xpage=1615>

Vi*tel"lo*gene (?) , n. [See Vitellus , and -gen .] (Zo\'94l.) A gland secreting the yolk of the eggs in trematodes, turbellarians, and some other helminths.

Vitellus <Xpage=1615>

Vi*tel"lus (?) , n. [L., the yolk of an egg.]

1. (Biol.) The contents or substance of the ovum; egg yolk. See Illust . of Ovum .

2. (Bot.) Perisperm in an early condition.

Vitiate <Xpage=1615>

Vi"ti*ate (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Vitiated (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Vitiating .] [L. vitiatus , p. p. vitiare to vitiate, fr. vitium a fault, vice. See Vice a fault.] [Written also viciate .] 1. To make vicious, faulty, or imperfect; to render defective; to injure the substance or qualities of; to impair; to contaminate; to spoil; as, exaggeration vitiates a style of writing; sewer gas vitiates the air.

A will vitiated and growth out of love with the truth disposes the understanding to error and delusion. South.

Without care it may be used to vitiate our minds. Burke.

This undistinguishing complaisance will vitiate the taste of readers. Garth.

2. To cause to fail of effect, either wholly or in part; to make void; to destroy, as the validity or binding force of an instrument or transaction; to annul; as, any undue influence exerted on a jury vitiates their verdict; fraud vitiates a contract .

Vitiation <Xpage=1615>

Vi`ti*a"tion (?) , n. [L. vitiatio .] The act of vitiating, or the state of being vitiated; depravation; corruption; invalidation; as, the vitiation of the blood; the vitiation of a contract .

The vitiation that breeds evil acts. G. Eliot.

Viticulose <Xpage=1615>

Vi*tic"u*lose` (?) , a. [L. viticula , dim. of vitis vine.] (Bot.) Having long and slender trailing stems.

Viticultural <Xpage=1615>

Vit`i*cul"tur*al (?; 135) , a. Of or pertaining to viticulture.

Viticulture <Xpage=1615>

Vit"i*cul`ture (?) , n. [L. vitis vine + E. culture .] The cultivation of the vine; grape growing.

Viticulturist <Xpage=1615>

Vit`i*cul"tur*ist , n. One engaged in viticulture.

Vitiligo <Xpage=1615>

Vit`i*li"go (?) , n. [L., a kind of tetter, fr. vitium blemish, vice.] (Med.) A rare skin disease consisting in the development of smooth, milk-white spots upon various parts of the body.

Vitilitigate <Xpage=1615>

Vit`i*lit"i*gate (?) , v. i. [L. vitilitigare to quarrel disgracefully; vitium vice + litigare to quarrel.] To contend in law litigiously or cavilously. [Obs.]

Vitilitigation <Xpage=1615>

Vit`i*lit`i*ga"tion (?) , n. Cavilous litigation; cavillation. [Obs.]

Hudibras.

Vitiosity <Xpage=1615>

Vi`ti*os"i*ty (?) , n. [L. vitiositas . See Vicious .] Viciousness; depravity.

The perverseness and vitiosity of man's will. South.

Vitious, a., Vitiously, adv., Vitiousness <Xpage=1615>

Vi"tious (?) , a. , Vi"tious*ly , adv. , Vi"tious*ness , n. See Vicious , Viciously , Viciousness .

Vitis <Xpage=1615>

Vi"tis (?) , n. [L., a vine.] (Bot.) A genus of plants including all true grapevines.

Vitoe <Xpage=1615>

Vi"to*e (?) , a. (Zo\'94l.) See Durukuli .

Vitrella <Xpage=1615>

Vi*trel"la (?) , n. [NL., dim. of L. vitrum glass.] (Zo\'94l.) One of the transparent lenslike cells in the ocelli of certain arthropods.

Vitre-o-electic <Xpage=1615>

Vit`re-o-e*lec"tic (?) , a. [See Vitreous , and Electric .] (Physics) Containing or exhibiting positive, or vitreous, electricity.

Vitreous <Xpage=1615>

Vit"re*ous (?) , a. [L. vitreous , from vitrum glass; perhaps akin to videre to see (see Vision ). Cf. Varnish .] 1. Consisting of, or resembling, glass; glassy; as, vitreous rocks .

2. Of or pertaining to glass; derived from glass; as, vitreous electricity .

Vitreous body (Anat.) , the vitreous humor. See the Note under Eye . -- Vitreous electricity (Elec.) , the kind of electricity excited by rubbing glass with certain substances, as silk; positive electricity; -- opposed to resinous , or negative , electricity. -- Vitreous humor . (Anat.) See the Note under Eye . -- Vitreous sponge (Zo\'94l.) , any one of numerous species of siliceous sponges having, often fibrous, glassy spicules which are normally six-rayed; a hexactinellid sponge. See Venus's basket , under Venus .

Vitreousness <Xpage=1615>

Vit"re*ous*ness , n. The quality or state of being vitreous.

Vitrescence <Xpage=1615>

Vi*tres"cence (?) , n. The quality or state of being vitreous; glassiness, or the quality of being vitrescent; capability of conversion into glass; susceptibility of being formed into glass.

Kirwan.

Vitrescent <Xpage=1615>

Vi*tres"cent (?) , a. [See Vitreous .] Capable of being formed into glass; tending to become glass.

Vitrescible <Xpage=1615>

Vi*tres"ci*ble (?) , a. [Cf. F. vitrescible .] That may be vitrified; vitrifiable.

Vitric <Xpage=1615>