Chapter 2

consonant (about like English w) and as a vowel. The Latin derives it from it from a form (V) of the Greek vowel (see Y), this Greek letter being either from the same Semitic letter as the digamma F (see F), or else added by the Greeks to the alphabet which they took from the Semitic. Etymologically v is most nearly related to u, w, f, b, p; as in vine, wine; avoirdupois, habit, have; safe, save; trover, troubadour, trope. See U, F, etc.

See Guide to Pronunciation, § 265; also §§ 155, 169, 178-179, etc.

2. As a numeral, V stands for five, in English and Latin.

Vaag"mer (?), n. [Icel. vgmeri a kind of flounder, literally, wave mare.] (Zoöl.) The dealfish. [Written also vaagmær, and vaagmar.]

Va"can*cy (?), n.; pl. Vacancies (#). [Cf. F. vacance.]

1. The quality or state of being vacant; emptiness; hence, freedom from employment; intermission; leisure; idleness; listlessness.

All dispositions to idleness or vacancy, even before they are habits, are dangerous.

Sir H. Wotton.

2. That which is vacant. Specifically: —

(a) Empty space; vacuity; vacuum.

How is't with you, That you do bend your eye on vacancy?

Shak.

(b) An open or unoccupied space between bodies or things; an interruption of continuity; chasm; gap; as, a vacancy between buildings; a vacancy between sentences or thoughts.

(c) Unemployed time; interval of leisure; time of intermission; vacation.

Time lost partly in too oft idle vacancies given both to schools and universities.

Milton.

No interim, not a minute's vacancy.

Shak.

Those little vacancies from toil are sweet.

Dryden.

(d) A place or post unfilled; an unoccupied office; as, a vacancy in the senate, in a school, etc.

Va"cant (?), a. [F., fr. L. vacans, -antis, p. pr. of vacare to be empty, to be free or unoccupied, to have leisure, also vocare; akin to vacuus empty, and probably to E. void. Cf. Evacuate, Void, a.]

1. Deprived of contents; not filled; empty; as, a vacant room.

Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form.

Shak.

Being of those virtues vacant.

Shak.

There is no fireside, howsoe'er defended, But has one vacant chair.

Longfellow.

2. Unengaged with business or care; unemployed; unoccupied; disengaged; free; as, vacant hours.

Religion is the interest of all; but philosophy of those . . . at leisure, and vacant from the affairs of the world.

Dr. H. More.

There was not a minute of the day which he left vacant.

Bp. Fell.

3. Not filled or occupied by an incumbent, possessor, or officer; as, a vacant throne; a vacant parish.

Special dignities which vacant lie For thy best use and wearing.

Shak.

4. Empty of thought; thoughtless; not occupied with study or reflection; as, a vacant mind.

The duke had a pleasant and vacant face.

Sir H. Wotton.

When on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood.

Wordsworth.

5. (Law) Abandoned; having no heir, possessor, claimant, or occupier; as, a vacant estate. Bouvier.

Vacant succession (Law), one that is claimed by no person, or where all the heirs are unknown, or where all the known heirs to it have renounced it. Burrill.

Syn. — Empty; void; devoid; free; unemployed; disengaged; unincumbered; uncrowded; idle. — Vacant, Empty. A thing is empty when there is nothing in it; as, an empty room, or an empty noddle. Vacant adds the idea of having been previously filled, or intended to be filled or occupied; as, a vacant seat at table; a vacant office; vacant hours. When we speak of a vacant look or a vacant mind, we imply the absence of the intelligence naturally to be expected there.

Va"cant*ly (?), adv. In a vacant manner; inanely.

Va"cate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vacated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vacating.] [L. vacare, vacatum, to be empty. See Vacant.] 1. To make vacant; to leave empty; to cease from filling or occupying; as, it was resolved by Parliament that James had vacated the throne of England; the tenant vacated the house.

2. To annul; to make void; to deprive of force; to make of no authority or validity; as, to vacate a commission or a charter; to vacate proceedings in a cause.

That after act vacating the authority of the precedent.

Eikon Basilike.

The necessity of observing the Jewish Sabbath was Vacated by the apostolical institution of the Lord's Day.

R. Nelson.

3. To defeat; to put an end to. [R.]

He vacates my revenge.

Dryden.

Va*ca"tion (?), n. [F., fr. L. vacatio a being free from a duty, service, etc., fr. vacare. See Vacate.]

1. The act of vacating; a making void or of no force; as, the vacation of an office or a charter.

2. Intermission of a stated employment, procedure, or office; a period of intermission; rest; leisure.

It was not in his nature, however, at least till years had chastened it, to take any vacation from controversy.

Palfrey.

Hence, specifically: -

(a) (Law) Intermission of judicial proceedings; the space of time between the end of one term and the beginning of the next; nonterm; recess. "With lawyers in the vacation." Shak.

(b) The intermission of the regular studies and exercises of an educational institution between terms; holidays; as, the spring vacation.

(c) The time when an office is vacant; esp. (Eccl.), the time when a see, or other spiritual dignity, is vacant.

Vac"ca*ry (?), n. [LL. vaccarium, from L. vacca cow. Cf. Vachery.] A cow house, dairy house, or cow pasture. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Wright.

||Vac*ci"na (?), n. [NL.] (Med.) Vaccinia. || Vac"ci*nal (?), a. (Med.) Of or pertaining to vaccinia or vaccination.

Vac"ci*nate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vaccinated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vaccinating.] [See Vaccine.] To inoculate with the cowpox by means of a virus, called vaccine, taken either directly or indirectly from cows.

Vac`ci*na"tion (?), n. The act, art, or practice of vaccinating, or inoculating with the cowpox, in order to prevent or mitigate an attack of smallpox. Cf. Inoculation.

In recent use, vaccination sometimes includes inoculation with any virus as a preventive measure; as, vaccination of cholera.

Vac"ci*na`tor (?), n. One who, or that which, vaccinates.

Vac"cine (?), a. [L. vaccinus, fr. vacca a cow; cf. Skr. vc to bellow, to groan.] Of or pertaining to cows; pertaining to, derived from, or caused by, vaccinia; as, vaccine virus; the vaccine disease. — n. The virus of vaccinia used in vaccination.

||Vac*cin"i*a (?), n. [NL. See Vaccine.] (Med.) Cowpox; vaccina. See ||Cowpox. || Vac"ci*nist (?), n. A vaccinator.

||Vac*cin"i*um (?), n. [L., the blueberry, or whortleberry.] (Bot.) A ||genus of ericaceous shrubs including the various kinds of blueberries ||and the true cranberries. || ||Va`cher" (?), n. [F., from vache a cow. Cf. Vaquero.] A keeper of ||stock or cattle; a herdsman. [Southwestern U. S.] Bartlett. || Vach"er*y (?), n. [F. vacherie, from vache a cow, L. vacca. Cf. Vaccary.]

1. An inclosure for cows.

2. A dairy. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Prompt. Parv.

Vac"il*lan*cy (?), n. The quality or state of being vacillant, or wavering. [R.] Dr. H. More.

Vac"il*lant (?), a. [L. vacillans, p. pr. of vacillare: cf. F. vacillant. See Vacillate.] Vacillating; wavering; fluctuating; irresolute.

Vac"il*late (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vacillated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vacillating.] [L. vacillare, vacillatum; cf. Skr. vañc.]

1. To move one way and the other; to reel or stagger; to waver.

[A spheroid] is always liable to shift and vacillatefrom one axis to another.

Paley.

2. To fluctuate in mind or opinion; to be unsteady or inconstant; to waver.

Syn. — See Fluctuate.

Vac"il*la`ting (?), a. Inclined to fluctuate; wavering. Tennyson. — Vac"il*la`ting*ly, adv.

Vac`il*la"tion (?), n. [L. vacillatio: cf. F. vacillation.]

1. The act of vacillating; a moving one way and the other; a wavering.

His vacillations, or an alternation of knowledge and doubt.

Jer. Taylor.

Vac"il*la*to*ry (?), a. Inclined to vacillate; wavering; irresolute. Hawthorne.

Vac"u*ate (?), v. t. [L. vacuatus, p. p. of vacuare to empty, from vacuus empty. See Vacant.] To make void, or empty. [R.]

Vac`u*a"tion (?), n. The act of emptying; evacuation. [R.]

Vac"u*ist (?), n. [Cf. F. vacuiste.] One who holds the doctrine that the space between the bodies of the universe, or the molecules and atoms of matter., is a vacuum; — opposed to plenist.

Va*cu"i*ty (?), n. [L. vacuitas. See Vacuous.]

1. The quality or state of being vacuous, or not filled; emptiness; vacancy; as, vacuity of mind; vacuity of countenance.

Hunger is such a state of vacuity as to require a fresh supply of aliment.

Arbuthnot.

2. Space unfilled or unoccupied, or occupied with an invisible fluid only; emptiness; void; vacuum.

A vacuity is interspersed among the particles of matter.

Bentley.

God . . . alone can answer all our longings and fill every vacuity of our soul.

Rogers.

3. Want of reality; inanity; nihility. [R.]

Their expectations will meet with vacuity.

Glanvill.

||Va*cu"na (?), n. [L. vacuus unoccupied.] (Rom. Myth.) The goddess of ||rural leisure, to whom the husbandmen sacrificed at the close of the ||harvest. She was especially honored by the Sabines. || Vac"u*o*la`ted (?), a. (Biol.) Full of vacuoles, or small air cavities; as, vacuolated cells.

Vac"u*o*la"tion (?), n. (Biol.) Formation into, or multiplication of, vacuoles.

Vac"u*ole (?), n. [L. vacuus empty: cf. F. vacuole.] (Biol.) A small air cell, or globular space, in the interior of organic cells, either containing air, or a pellucid watery liquid, or some special chemical secretions of the cell protoplasm.

Contractile vacuole. (Zoöl.) See under Contractile, and see Illusts. of Infusoria, and Lobosa. — Food vacuole. (Zoöl.) See under Food, and see Illust. of Infusoria.

Vac"u*ous (?), a. [L. vacuus. See Vacant.] Empty; unfilled; void; vacant.

Boundless the deep, because I am who fill Infinitude; nor vacuous the space.

Milton.

That the few may lead selfish and vacuous days.

J. Morley.

Vac"u*ous*ness, n. The quality or state of being vacuous; emptiness; vacuity. W. Montagu.

Vac"u*um (?), n.; pl. E. Vacuums (#), L. Vacua (#). [L., fr. vacuus empty. See Vacuous.] 1. (Physics) A space entirely devoid of matter (called also, by way of distinction, absolute vacuum); hence, in a more general sense, a space, as the interior of a closed vessel, which has been exhausted to a high or the highest degree by an air pump or other artificial means; as, water boils at a reduced temperature in a vacuum.

<! p. 1591 !>

2. The condition of rarefaction, or reduction of pressure below that of the atmosphere, in a vessel, as the condenser of a steam engine, which is nearly exhausted of air or steam, etc.; as, a vacuum of 26 inches of mercury, or 13 pounds per square inch.

Vacuum brake, a kind of continuous brake operated by exhausting the air from some appliance under each car, and so causing the pressure of the atmosphere to apply the brakes. — Vacuum pan (Technol.), a kind of large closed metallic retort used in sugar making for boiling down sirup. It is so connected with an exhausting apparatus that a partial vacuum is formed within. This allows the evaporation and concentration to take place at a lower atmospheric pressure and hence also at a lower temperature, which largely obviates the danger of burning the sugar, and shortens the process. — Vacuum pump. Same as Pulsometer, 1. — Vacuum tube (Phys.), a glass tube provided with platinum electrodes and exhausted, for the passage of the electrical discharge; a Geissler tube. — Vacuum valve, a safety valve opening inward to admit air to a vessel in which the pressure is less than that of the atmosphere, in order to prevent collapse. — Torricellian vacuum. See under Torricellian.

||Va*dan"tes (?), n. pl. [NL., from L. vadans, p. pr. of vadare to ||wade, to ford.] (Zoöl.) An extensive artificial group of birds ||including the wading, swimming, and cursorial birds. || Vade (?), v. i. [For fade.] To fade; hence, to vanish. [Obs.] " Summer leaves all vaded." Shak.

They into dust shall vade.

Spenser.

Va`de me"cum (?). [L., go with me.] A book or other thing that a person carries with him as a constant companion; a manual; a handbook.

Vad"i*mo*ny (?), n. [L. vadimonium.] (Law) A bond or pledge for appearance before a judge on a certain day. [Obs.]

||Va"di*um (?), n. [LL., from L. vas, vadis, bail.] (Law) Pledge; ||security; bail. See Mortgage. || Vadium vivum [LL.] (Law), a living pledge, which exists where an estate is granted until a debt is paid out of its proceeds.

Vae (?), n. See Voe. [Scot.]

Va"frous (?), a. [L. vafer.] Crafty; cunning; sly; as, vafrous tricks. [Obs.] Feltham.

Vag"a*bond (?), a. [F., fr. L. vagabundus, from vagari to stroll about, from vagus strolling. See Vague.] 1. Moving from place to place without a settled habitation; wandering. "Vagabond exile." Shak.

2. Floating about without any certain direction; driven to and fro.

To heaven their prayers Flew up, nor missed the way, by envious winds Blown vagabond or frustrate.

Milton.

3. Being a vagabond; strolling and idle or vicious.

Vag"a*bond, n. One who wanders from place to place, having no fixed dwelling, or not abiding in it, and usually without the means of honest livelihood; a vagrant; a tramp; hence, a worthless person; a rascal.

A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be.

Gen. iv. 12.

In English and American law, vagabond is used in bad sense, denoting one who is without a home; a strolling, idle, worthless person. Vagabonds are described in old English statutes as "such as wake on the night and sleep on the day, and haunt customable taverns and alehouses, and routs about; and no man wot from whence they came, nor whither they go." In American law, the term vagrant is employed in the same sense. Cf Rogue, n., 1. Burrill. Bouvier.

Vag"a*bond, v. i. To play the vagabond; to wander like a vagabond; to stroll.

On every part my vagabonding sight Did cast, and drown mine eyes in sweet delight.

Drummond.

Vag"a*bond`age (?), n. [Cf. F. vagabondage.] The condition of a vagabond; a state or habit of wandering about in idleness; vagrancy.

Vag"a*bond`ism (?), n. Vagabondage.

Vag"a*bond`ize (?), v. i. To play the vagabond; to wander about in idleness.

Vag"a*bond`ry (?), n. Vagabondage.

Va"gal (?), a. [See Vagus.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the vagus, or pneumogastric nerves; pneumogastric.

Va"gan*cy (?), n. [From L. vagans, p. pr. See Vagantes.] A wandering; vagrancy. [Obs.]

A thousand vagancies of glory and desight.

Milton.

||Va*gan"tes (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L. vagans, p. pr. of vagari to ||stroll or wander.] (Zoöl.) A tribe of spiders, comprising some of ||those which take their prey in a web, but which also frequently run ||with agility, and chase and seize their prey. || Va*ga"ri*ous (?), a. Given to, or characterized by, vagaries; capricious; whimsical; crochety.

Va*ga"ry (?), n.; pl. Vagaries (#). [L. vagari to stroll about. See Vague.]

1. A wandering or strolling. [Obs.]

2. Hence, a wandering of the thoughts; a wild or fanciful freak; a whim; a whimsical purpose. "The vagaries of a child." Spectator.

They changed their minds, Flew off, and into strange vagaries fell.

Milton.

Va"gi*ent (?), a. [L. vagiens, p. pr. of vagire to cry like a young child.] Crying like a child. [Obs.]

Va*gi"na (?), n.; pl. Vaginæ (#). [L. vagina a scabbard or sheath.]

1. (Anat.) (a) A sheath; a theca; as, the vagina of the portal vein. (b) Specifically, the canal which leads from the uterus to the external orifice if the genital canal, or to the cloaca.

2. (Zoöl.) The terminal part of the oviduct in insects and various other invertebrates. See Illust., of Spermatheca.

3. (Bot.) The basal expansion of certain leaves, which inwraps the stem; a sheath.

4. (Arch.) The shaft of a terminus, from which the bust of figure seems to issue or arise.

Vag"i*nal (?), a. [Cf. F. vaginal.]

1. Of or pertaining to a vagina; resembling a vagina, or sheath; thecal; as, a vaginal synovial membrane; the vaginal process of the temporal bone.

2. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the vagina of the genital canal; as, the vaginal artery.

Vag"i*nant (?), a. [Cf. F. vaginant. See Vagina.] Serving to in invest, or sheathe; sheathing.

Vaginant leaf (Bot.), a leaf investing the stem or branch by its base, which has the form of a tube.

{ Vag"i*nate (?), Vag"i*na`ted (?), } a. [See Vagina.] Invested with, or as if with, a sheath; as, a vaginate stem, or one invested by the tubular base of a leaf.

||Vag`i*na"ti (?), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoöl.) A tribe of birds comprising the ||sheathbills. || Vag`i*ner*vose" (?), a. [L. vagus wandering + E. nervose.] (Bot.) Having the nerves, or veins, placed in apparent disorder.

||Vag`i*nic"o*la (?), n. [NL., from L. vagina sheath + colere to in ||habit.] (Zoöl.) A genus of Infusoria which form minute vaselike or ||tubular cases in which they dwell. || ||Vag`i*nis"mus (?), n. [NL.] (Med.) A painful spasmodic contraction of ||the vagina, often rendering copulation impossible. || ||Vag`i*ni"tis (?), n. [NL. See Vagina, and -itis.] (Med.) Inflammation ||of the vagina, or the genital canal, usually of its mucous living ||membrane. || ||Vag`i*no*pen"nous (?), a. [L. vagina a sheath + penna a feather, pl. ||pennae a wing.] (Zoöl.) Having elytra; sheath-winged. [R.] || ||Va*gin"u*la (?), n. [L., dim. of vagina sheath.] (Bot.) (a) A little ||sheath, as that about the base of the pedicel of most mosses. (b) One ||of the tubular florets in composite flowers. Henslow. || Vag"i*nule (?), n. (Bot.) A vaginula.

Vag"is*sate (?), v. i. [L. vagari to stroll or wander.] To caper or frolic. [Obs.]

Va"gous (?), a. [L. vagus. See Vague.] Wandering; unsettled. [Obs.] Ayliffe.

Va"gran*cy (?), n. The quality or state of being a vagrant; a wandering without a settled home; an unsettled condition; vagabondism.

Threatened away into banishment and vagrancy.

Barrow.

Va"grant (?), a. [Probably fr. OF. waucrant, wacrant, p. p. of waucrer, wacrer, walcrer, to wander (probably of Teutonic origin), but influenced by F. vagant, p. pr. of vaguer to stray, L. vagari. Cf. Vagary.]

1. Moving without certain direction; wandering; erratic; unsettled.

That beauteous Emma vagrant courses took.

Prior.

While leading this vagrant and miserable life, Johnson fell in live.

Macaulay.

2. Wandering from place to place without any settled habitation; as, a vagrant beggar.

Va"grant, n. One who strolls from place to place; one who has no settled habitation; an idle wanderer; a sturdy beggar; an incorrigible rogue; a vagabond.

Vagrants and outlaws shall offend thy view.

Prior.

Va"grant*ly, adv. In a vagrant manner.

Va"grant*ness, n. State of being vagrant; vagrancy.

Vague (vg), a. [Compar. Vaguer (vg"r); superl. Vaguest.] [F. vague, or L. vagus. See Vague, v. i.]

1. Wandering; vagrant; vagabond. [Archaic] "To set upon the vague villains." Hayward.

She danced along with vague, regardless eyes.

Keats.

2. Unsettled; unfixed; undetermined; indefinite; ambiguous; as, a vague idea; a vague proposition.

This faith is neither a mere fantasy of future glory, nor a vague ebullition of feeling.

I. Taylor.

The poet turned away, and gave himself up to a sort of vague revery, which he called thought.

Hawthorne.

3. Proceeding from no known authority; unauthenticated; uncertain; flying; as, a vague report.

Some legend strange and vague.

Longfellow.

Vague year. See Sothiac year, under Sothiac.

Syn. — Unsettled; indefinite; unfixed; ill-defined; ambiguous; hazy; loose; lax; uncertain.

Vague, n. [Cf. F. vague.] An indefinite expanse. [R.]

The gray vague of unsympathizing sea.

Lowell.

Vague, v. i. [F. vaguer, L. vagari, fr. vagus roaming.] To wander; to roam; to stray. [Obs.] "[The soul] doth vague and wander." Holland.

Vague, n. A wandering; a vagary. [Obs.] Holinshed.

Vague"ly, adv. In a vague manner.

What he vaguely hinted at, but dared not speak.

Hawthorne.

Vague"ness, n. The quality or state of being vague.

||Va"gus (?), a. [L., wandering.] (Anat.) Wandering; — applied ||especially to the pneumogastric nerve. — n. The vagus, ore ||pneumogastric, nerve. || Vail (?), n. & v. t. Same as Veil.

Vail, n. [Aphetic form of avail, n.]

1. Avails; profit; return; proceeds. [Obs.]

My house is as were the cave where the young outlaw hoards the stolen vails of his occupation.

Chapman.

2. An unexpected gain or acquisition; a casual advantage or benefit; a windfall. [Obs.]

3. Money given to servants by visitors; a gratuity; — usually in the plural. [Written also vale.] Dryden.

Vail, v. t. [Aphetic form of avale. See Avale, Vale.] [Written also vale, and veil.] 1. To let fail; to allow or cause to sink. [Obs.]

Vail your regard Upon a wronged, I would fain have said, a maid!

Shak.

2. To lower, or take off, in token of inferiority, reverence, submission, or the like.

France must vail her lofty-plumed crest!

Shak.

Without vailing his bonnet or testifying any reverence for the alleged sanctity of the relic.

Sir. W. Scott.

Vail (?), v. i. To yield or recede; to give place; to show respect by yielding, uncovering, or the like. [Written also vale, and veil.] [Obs.]

Thy convenience must vail to thy neighbor's necessity.

South.

Vail, n. Submission; decline; descent. [Obs.]

Vail"er (?), n. One who vails. [Obs.] Overbury.

Vai"mure (?), n. An outer, or exterior. wall. See Vauntmure. [Obs.] Hakluyt.

Vain (?), a. [Compar. Vainer (?); superl. Vainest.] [F. vain, L. vanus empty, void, vain. Cf. Vanish, Vanity, Vaunt to boast.]

1. Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying. "Thy vain excuse." Shak.

Every man walketh in a vain show.

Ps. xxxix. 6.

Let no man deceive you with vain words.

Eph. v. 6.

Vain pomp, and glory of this world, I hate ye!

Shak.

Vain visdom all, and false philosophy.

Milton.

2. Destitute of forge or efficacy; effecting no purpose; fruitless; ineffectual; as, vain toil; a vain attempt.

Bring no more vain oblations.

Isa. i. 13.

Vain is the force of man To crush the pillars which the pile sustain.

Dryden.

3. Proud of petty things, or of trifling attainments; having a high opinion of one's own accomplishments with slight reason; conceited; puffed up; inflated.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren?

James ii. 20 (Rev. Ver.).

The minstrels played on every side, Vain of their art.

Dryden.

4. Showy; ostentatious.

Load some vain church with old theatric state.

Pope.

Syn. — Empty; worthless; fruitless; ineffectual; idle; unreal; shadowy; showy; ostentatious; light; inconstant; deceitful; delusive; unimportant; trifling.

Vain, n. Vanity; emptiness; — now used only in the phrase in vain.

For vain. See In vain. [Obs.] Shak. — In vain, to no purpose; without effect; ineffectually. " In vain doth valor bleed." Milton. " In vain they do worship me." Matt. xv. 9. — To take the name of God in vain, to use the name of God with levity or profaneness.

Vain`glo"ri*ous (?), a. Feeling or indicating vainglory; elated by vanity; boastful. "Arrogant and vainglorious expression." Sir M. Hale. — Vain`glo"ri*ous*ly, adv. — Vain`glo"ri*ous*ness, n.

Vain`glo"ry (?), n. [Vain + glory.] Excessive vanity excited by one's own performances; empty pride; undue elation of mind; vain show; boastfulness.

He had nothing of vainglory.

Bacon.

The man's undone forever; for if Hector break not his neck i' the combat, he'll break't himself in vainglory.

Shak.

Vain"ly (?), adv. In a vain manner; in vain.

Vain"ness, n. The quality or state of being vain.

Vair (?), n. [F. vair, from OF. vair, a., L. varius various, variegated. See Various, and cf. Menivel.] The skin of the squirrel, much used in the fourteenth century as fur for garments, and frequently mentioned by writers of that period in describing the costly dresses of kings, nobles, and prelates. It is represented in heraldry by a series of small shields placed close together, and alternately white and blue. Fairholt.

No vair or ermine decked his garment.

Sir W. Scott.

Counter vair (Her.), a fur resembling vair, except in the arrangement of the patches or figures.

Vair"y (?), a. [F. vairé. See Vair, n.] (Her.) Charged with vair; variegated with shield-shaped figures. See Vair.

Vaish"na*va (vsh"n*v), n. [Skr. vaishava.] (Hindu Myth.) A worshiper of the god Vishnu in any of his incarnations.

Vaish"na*vism (?), n. The worship of Vishnu.

||Vais"ya (?), n. [Skr. vaiçya.] The third of the four great original ||castes among the Hindus, now either extinct or partially represented ||by the mercantile class of Banyas. See the Note under Caste, 1. || Vai"vode (?), n. [Cf. F. vayvode. See Waywode.] See Waywode.

||Va*keel" (?), n. [Ar. wakl.] A native attorney or agent; also, an ||ambassador. [India] || Val"ance (?), n. [Perhaps fr. OF. avalant descending, hanging down, p. pr. of avaler to go down, let down, descent (cf. Avalanche); but probably from the town of Valence in France.]

1. Hanging drapery for a bed, couch, window, or the like, especially that which hangs around a bedstead, from the bed to the floor. [Written also valence.]

Valance of Venice gold in needlework.

Shak.

2. The drooping edging of the lid of a trunk. which covers the joint when the lid is closed.

Val"ance, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Valanced (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Valancing (?).] To furnish with a valance; to decorate with hangings or drapery.

His old fringed chair valanced around with party- colored worsted bobs.

Sterne.

Vale (?), n. [OE. val, F. val, L. vallis; perhaps akin to Gr. &?; low ground, marsh meadow. Cf. Avalanche, Vail to lower, Valley.] A tract of low ground, or of land between hills; a valley. " Make me a cottage in the vale." Tennyson.

Beyond this vale of tears there is a life above.

Montgomery.

In those fair vales, by nature formed to please.

Harte.

Vale is more commonly used in poetry, and valley in prose and common discourse.

Syn. — Valley; dingle; dell; dale.

Vale, n. See 2d Vail, 3.

Val`e*dic"tion (?), n. [L., valedicere, valedictum, to say farewell; vale farewell (imperative of valere to be strong or well) + dicere to say. See Valiant, Diction.] A farewell; a bidding farewell. Donne.

<! p. 1592 !>

Val`e*dic*to"ri*an (?), n. One who pronounces a valedictory address; especially, in American colleges, the student who pronounces the valedictory of the graduating class at the annual commencement, usually the student who ranks first in scholarship.

Val`e*dic"to*ry (?), a. Bidding farewell; suitable or designed for an occasion of leave-taking; as, a valedictory oration.

Val`e*dic"to*ry, n.; pl. Valedictories (&?;). A valedictory oration or address spoken at commencement in American colleges or seminaries by one of the graduating class, usually by the leading scholar.

Va"lence (?), n. [From L. valens, - entis, p. pr. of valere to have power, to be strong. See Valiant.] (Chem.) The degree of combining power of an atom (or radical) as shown by the number of atoms of hydrogen (or of other monads, as chlorine, sodium, etc.) with which it will combine, or for which it can be substituted, or with which it can be compared; thus, an atom of hydrogen is a monad, and has a valence of one; the atoms of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon are respectively dyads, triads, and tetrads, and have a valence respectively of two, three, and four.

The valence of certain elements varies in different compounds. Valence in degree may extend as high as seven or eight, as in the cases of iodine and osmium respectively. The doctrine of valence has been of fundamental importance in distinguishing the equivalence from the atomic weight, and is an essential factor in explaining the chemical structures of compounds.

Va*len"ci*a (?), n. [Perhaps fr. Valence in France.] A kind of woven fabric for waistcoats, having the weft of wool and the warp of silk or cotton. [Written also valentia.]

Va*len`ci*ennes" lace" (?). [F.; — so called after the town of Valenciennes.] A rich kind of lace made at Valenciennes, in France. Each piece is made throughout, ground and pattern, by the same person and with the same thread, the pattern being worked in the net.

Val"en*cy (?), n.; pl. Valencies (&?;). (Chem.) (a) See Valence. (b) A unit of combining power; a so-called bond of affinity.

Va*len"ti*a (?), n. See Valencia.

Val"en*tine (?), n. 1. A sweetheart chosen on St. Valentine's Day.

2. A letter containing professions of love, or a missive of a sentimental, comic, or burlesque character, sent on St. Valentine's Day.

St. Valentine's Day, a day sacred to St. Valentine; the 14th of February. It was a very old notion, alluded to by Shakespeare, that on this day birds begin to mate. Hence, perhaps, arose the custom of sending love tokens at that time.

Val`en*tin"i*an (?), n. (Eccl. Hist.) One of a school of Judaizing Gnostics in the second century; — so called from Valentinus, the founder.

Val`er*am"ide (?), n. [Valeric + amide.] (Chem.) The acid amide derivative of valeric acid, obtained as a white crystalline substance.

Val"er*ate (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of valeric acid.

Va*le"ri*an (?), n. [LL. valeriana, perhaps from some person named Valerius, or fr. L. valere to be strong. powerful, on account of its medicinal virtues: cf. F. valériane.] (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Valeriana. The root of the officinal valerian (V. officinalis) has a strong smell, and is much used in medicine as an antispasmodic.

Greek valerian (Bot.), a plant (Polemonium cæruleum) with blue or white flowers, and leaves resembling those of the officinal valerian.

Va*le`ri*an*a"ceous (?), a. (Bot.) Of, pertaining to, or resembling, plants of a natural order (Valerianaccæ) of which the valerian is the type. The order includes also the corn salads and the oriental spikenard.

Va*le"ri*an*ate (?), n. (Chem.) A valerate.

Va*le`ri*an"ic (?), a. (Chem.) Performance to, or obtained from, valerian root; specifically, designating an acid which is usually called valeric acid.

Va*ler"ic (?), a. (Chem.) Valerianic; specifically, designating any one of three metameric acids, of which the typical one (called also inactive valeric acid), C4H9CO2H, is obtained from valerian root and other sources, as a corrosive, mobile, oily liquid, having a strong acid taste, and an odor of old cheese.

Active valeric acid, a metameric variety which turns the plane of polarization to the right, although formed by the oxidation of a levorotatory amyl alcohol.

Va*ler"i*dine (?), n. (Chem.) A base, C10H19N, produced by heating valeric aldehyde with ammonia. It is probably related to the conine alkaloids.

Val"er*in (?), n. [Valeric + glycerin.] (Chem.) A salt of valeric acid with glycerin, occurring in butter, dolphin oil., and forming an forming an oily liquid with a slightly unpleasant odor.

Va*ler"i*trine (?), n. [Valeric + iropine + -ine.] (Chem.) A base, C15H27N, produced together with valeridine, which it resembles.

Val"er*o-. (Chem.) A combining form (also used adjectively) indicating derivation from, or relation to, valerian or some of its products, as valeric acid; as in valerolactone, a colorless oily liquid produced as the anhydride of an hydroxy valeric acid.

Val"er*one (?), n. (Chem.) A ketone of valeric acid obtained as an oily liquid.

Val"er*yl (?), n. [Valeric + - yl.] (Chem.) The hypothetical radical C5H9O, regarded as the essential nucleus of certain valeric acid derivatives.

Val`er*yl*ene (?), n. (Chem.) A liquid hydrocarbon, C5H8; — called also pentine.

Val"et (?; 277), n. [F. valet, OF. vallet, varlet, vaslet. See Varlet, and Vassal.]

1. A male waiting servant; a servant who attends on gentleman's person; a body servant.

2. (Man.) A kind of goad or stick with a point of iron.

||Valet de chambre (&?;) [F.], a body servant, or personal attendant. || Val`e*tu`di*na"ri*an (?), a. [L. valetudinarius, from valetudo state of health, health, ill health, fr. valere to be strong or well: cf. F. valétudinaire. See Valiant.] Of infirm health; seeking to recover health; sickly; weakly; infirm.

My feeble health and valetudinarian stomach.

Coleridge.

The virtue which the world wants is a healthful virtue, not a valetudinarian virtue.

Macaulay.

Val`e*tu`di*na"ri*an, n. A person of a weak or sickly constitution; one who is seeking to recover health.

Valetudinarians must live where they can command and scold.

Swift.

Val`e*tu`di*na"ri*an*ism (?), n. The condition of a valetudinarian; a state of feeble health; infirmity.

Val`e*tu"di*na*ry (?), a. Infirm; sickly; valetudinarian. — Val`e*tu"di*na*ri*ness, n.

It renders the habit of society dangerously.

Burke.

Val`e*tu"di*na*ry, n. A valetudinarian.

Val`e*tu"di*nous (?), a. Valetudinarian. [Obs.] "The valetudinous condition of King Edward." Fuller.

Val*hal"la (?), n. [Icel. valhöll, literally, hall of the slain; valr the slain (akin to AS. wæl, OHG. wal battlefield, wuol defeat, slaughter, AS. wl pestilence) + höll a royal hall. See Hall, and cf. Walhalla.] [Written also walhalla.]

1. (Scand. Myth.) The palace of immortality, inhabited by the souls of heroes slain in battle.

2. Fig.: A hall or temple adorned with statues and memorials of a nation's heroes; specifically, the Pantheon near Ratisbon, in Bavaria, consecrated to the illustrious dead of all Germany.

{ Val"iance (?), Val"ian*cy (?), } n. [Cf. F. vaillance. See Valiant.] The quality or state of being valiant; bravery; valor. [Obs.] "His doughty valiance." Spenser.

Val"iant (?), a. [OE. valiant, F. vaillant, OF. vaillant, valant, originally p. pr. of OF. & F. valoir to be worth, L. valere to be strong. See Wield, and cf. Avail, Convalesce, Equivalent, Prevail, Valid.]

1. Vigorous in body; strong; powerful; as, a valiant fencer. [Obs.] Walton.

2. Intrepid in danger; courageous; brave.

A valiant and most expert gentleman.

Shak.

And Saul said to David . . . be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord's battles.

1 Sam. xviii. 17.

3. Performed with valor or bravery; heroic. "Thou bearest the highest name for valiant acts." Milton.

[The saints] have made such valiant confessions.

J. H. Newman.

— Val"iant*ly, adv. — Val"iant*ness, n.

Val"id (?), a. [F. valide, F. validus strong, from valere to be strong. See Valiant.]

1. Strong; powerful; efficient. [Obs.] "Perhaps more valid arms . . . may serve to better us." Milton.

2. Having sufficient strength or force; founded in truth; capable of being justified, defended, or supported; not weak or defective; sound; good; efficacious; as, a valid argument; a valid objection.

An answer that is open to no valid exception.

I. Taylor.

3. (Law) Having legal strength or force; executed with the proper formalities; incapable of being rightfully overthrown or set aside; as, a valid deed; a valid covenant; a valid instrument of any kind; a valid claim or title; a valid marriage.

Syn. — Prevalent; available; efficacious; just; good; weighty; sufficient; sound; well-grounded.

Val"i*date (?), v. t. [See Valid.] To confirm; to render valid; to give legal force to.

The chamber of deputies . . . refusing to validate at once the election of an official candidate.

London Spectator.

Val`i*da"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. validation.] The act of giving validity. [R.] Knowles.

Va*lid"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. validité, L. validitas strength.]

1. The quality or state of being valid; strength; force; especially, power to convince; justness; soundness; as, the validity of an argument or proof; the validity of an objection.

2. (Law) Legal strength, force, or authority; that quality of a thing which renders it supportable in law, or equity; as, the validity of a will; the validity of a contract, claim, or title.

3. Value. [Obs.] "Rich validity." Shak.

Val"id*ly (?), adv. In a valid manner; so as to be valid.

Val"id*ness, n. The quality or state of being valid.

Val"inch (?), n. [Cf. F. avaler to let down, drink up. Cf. Avalanche.] A tube for drawing liquors from a cask by the bunghole. [Written also velinche.]

Va*lise" (?), n. [F. valise; cf. It. valigia, Sp. balija, LL. valisia, valesia; of uncertain origin, perhaps through (assumed) LL. vidulitia, from L. vidulus a leathern trunk; a knapsack.] A small sack or case, usually of leather, but sometimes of other material, for containing the clothes, toilet articles, etc., of a traveler; a traveling bag; a portmanteau.

Val*kyr"i*a (?), n. [Icel. valkyrja (akin to AS. wælcyrie); valr the slain + kjsa to choose. See Valhalla, and Choose.] (Scand. Myth.) One of the maidens of Odin, represented as awful and beautiful, who presided over battle and marked out those who were to be slain, and who also ministered at the feasts of heroes in Valhalla. [Written also Valkyr, and Walkyr.]

Val*kyr"i*an (?), a. Of or pertaining to the Valkyrias; hence, relating to battle. "Ourself have often tried Valkyrian hymns." Tennyson.

Val*lan"cy (?), n. [From Valance.] A large wig that shades the face. [Obs.]

Val"lar (?), a. [L. vallaris.] Of or pertaining to a rampart.

Vallar crown (Rom. Antiq.), a circular gold crown with palisades, bestowed upon the soldier who first surmounted the rampart and broke into the enemy's camp.

Val"lar, n. A vallar crown.

Val"la*ry (?), a. Same as Vallar.

Val*la"tion (?), n. [L. vallatio, fr. vallare to surround with a rampart, fr. vallum rampart. See Wall, n.] A rampart or intrenchment.

Val"la*to*ry (?), a. Of or pertaining to a vallation; used for a vallation; as, vallatory reads. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

||Val*lec"u*la (?), n.; pl. Valleculæ (#). [NL., dim. fr. L. vallis, ||valles, a valley.] || 1. (Anat.) A groove; a fossa; as, the vallecula, or fossa, which separates the hemispheres of the cerebellum.

2. (Bot.) One of the grooves, or hollows, between the ribs of the fruit of umbelliferous plants.

Val`let's pills" (?). [From Dr. Vallet of Paris.] (Med.) Pills containing sulphate of iron and carbonate of sodium, mixed with saccharine matter; — called also Vallet's mass.

Val"ley (?), n.; pl. Valleys (#). [OE. vale, valeie, OF. valée, valede, F. vallée, LL. vallata, L. vallis, valles. See Vale.]

1. The space inclosed between ranges of hills or mountains; the strip of land at the bottom of the depressions intersecting a country, including usually the bed of a stream, with frequently broad alluvial plains on one or both sides of the stream. Also used figuratively.

The valley of the shadow of death.

Ps. xxiii. 4.

Sweet interchange Of hill and valley, rivers, woods, and plains.

Milton.

Deep and narrow valleys with abrupt sides are usually the results of erosion by water, and are called gorges, ravines, cañons, gulches, etc.

2. (Arch.) (a) The place of meeting of two slopes of a roof, which have their plates running in different directions, and form on the plan a reëntrant angle. (b) The depression formed by the meeting of two slopes on a flat roof.

Valley board (Arch.), a board for the reception of the lead gutter in the valley of a roof. The valley board and lead gutter are not usual in the United States. — Valley rafter, or Valley piece (Arch.), the rafter which supports the valley. — Valley roof (Arch.), a roof having one or more valleys. See Valley, 2, above.

||Val"lum (?), n.; pl. L. Valla (#), E. Vallums (#). [L. See Wall.] ||(Rom. Antiq.) A rampart; a wall, as in a fortification. || Va*lo"ni*a (?), n. [It. vallonia, vallonea, fr. NGr. balania`, balanidia`, the holm oak, bala`ni, balani`di, an acorn, Gr. ba`lanos.]

1. The acorn cup of two kinds of oak (Quercus macrolepis, and Q. vallonea) found in Eastern Europe. It contains abundance of tannin, and is much used by tanners and dyers.

2. [Perhaps named from its resemblance to an acorn.] (Bot.) A genus of marine green algæ, in which the whole frond consists of a single oval or cylindrical cell, often an inch in length.

Val"or (?), n. [OE. valour, OF. valor, valur, valour, F. valeur, LL. valor, fr. L. valere to be strong, or worth. See Valiant.] [Written also valour.]

1. Value; worth. [Obs.] "The valor of a penny." Sir T. More.

2. Strength of mind in regard to danger; that quality which enables a man to encounter danger with firmness; personal bravery; courage; prowess; intrepidity.

For contemplation he and valor formed.

Milton.

When valor preys on reason, It eats the sword it fights with.

Shak.

Fear to do base, unworthy things is valor.

B. Jonson.

3. A brave man; a man of valor. [R.] Ld. Lytton.

Syn. — Courage; heroism; bravery; gallantry; boldness; fearlessness. See Courage, and Heroism.

Val"or*ous (?), a. [Cf. F. valeureux, LL. valorosus.] Possessing or exhibiting valor; brave; courageous; valiant; intrepid. — Val"or*ous*ly, adv.

Val*sal"vi*an (?), a. Of or pertaining to Valsalva, an Italian anatomist of the 17th century.

Valsalvian experiment (Med.), the process of inflating the middle ear by closing the mouth and nostrils, and blowing so as to puff out the cheeks.

Val"u*a*ble (?), a. 1. Having value or worth; possessing qualities which are useful and esteemed; precious; costly; as, a valuable horse; valuable land; a valuable cargo.

2. Worthy; estimable; deserving esteem; as, a valuable friend; a valuable companion.

Valuable consideration (Law), an equivalent or compensation having value given for a thing purchased, as money, marriage, services, etc. Blackstone. Bouvier.

Val"u*a*ble, n. A precious possession; a thing of value, especially a small thing, as an article of jewelry; — used mostly in the plural.

The food and valuables they offer to the gods.

Tylor.

Val"u*a*ble*ness, n. The quality of being valuable.

Val"u*a*bly, adv. So as to be of value.

Val`u*a"tion (?), n. 1. The act of valuing, or of estimating value or worth; the act of setting a price; estimation; appraisement; as, a valuation of lands for the purpose of taxation.

2. Value set upon a thing; estimated value or worth; as, the goods sold for more than their valuation.

Since of your lives you set So slight a valuation.

Shak.

Val"u*a`tor (?), n. One who assesses, or sets a value on, anything; an appraiser. Swift.

Val"ue (?), n. [OF. value, fr. valoir, p. p. valu, to be worth, fr. L. valere to be strong, to be worth. See Valiant.] 1. The property or aggregate properties of a thing by which it is rendered useful or desirable, or the degree of such property or sum of properties; worth; excellence; utility; importance.

<! p. 1593 !>

Ye are all physicians of no value.

Job xiii. 4.

Ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Matt. x. 31.

Cæsar is well acquainted with your virtue, And therefore sets this value on your life.

Addison.

Before events shall have decided on the value of the measures.

Marshall.

2. (Trade & Polit. Econ.) Worth estimated by any standard of purchasing power, especially by the market price, or the amount of money agreed upon as an equivalent to the utility and cost of anything.

An article may be possessed of the highest degree of utility, or power to minister to our wants and enjoyments, and may be universally made use of, without possessing exchangeable value.

M'Culloch.

Value is the power to command commodities generally.

A. L. Chapin (Johnson's Cys.).

Value is the generic term which expresses power in exchange.

F. A. Walker.

His design was not to pay him the value of his pictures, because they were above any price.

Dryden.

In political economy, value is often distinguished as intrinsic and exchangeable. Intrinsic value is the same as utility or adaptation to satisfy the desires or wants of men. Exchangeable value is that in an article or product which disposes individuals to give for it some quantity of labor, or some other article or product obtainable by labor; as, pure air has an intrinsic value, but generally not an exchangeable value.

3. Precise signification; import; as, the value of a word; the value of a legal instrument Mitford.

4. Esteem; regard. Dryden.

My relation to the person was so near, and my value for him so great

Bp. Burnet.

5. (Mus.) The relative length or duration of a tone or note, answering to quantity in prosody; thus, a quarter note [&?;] has the value of two eighth notes [&?;].

6. In an artistical composition, the character of any one part in its relation to other parts and to the whole; — often used in the plural; as, the values are well given, or well maintained.

7. Valor. [Written also valew.] [Obs.] Spenser.

Value received, a phrase usually employed in a bill of exchange or a promissory note, to denote that a consideration has been given for it. Bouvier.

Val"ue (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Valued (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Valuing.]

1. To estimate the value, or worth, of; to rate at a certain price; to appraise; to reckon with respect to number, power, importance, etc.

The mind doth value every moment.

Bacon.

The queen is valued thirty thousand strong.

Shak.

The king must take it ill, That he's so slightly valued in his messenger.

Shak.

Neither of them valued their promises according to rules of honor or integrity.

Clarendon.

2. To rate highly; to have in high esteem; to hold in respect and estimation; to appreciate; to prize; as, to value one for his works or his virtues.

Which of the dukes he values most.

Shak.

3. To raise to estimation; to cause to have value, either real or apparent; to enhance in value. [Obs.]

Some value themselves to their country by jealousies of the crown.

Sir W. Temple.

4. To be worth; to be equal to in value. [Obs.]

The peace between the French and us not values The cost that did conclude it.

Shak.

Syn. — To compute; rate; appraise; esteem; respect; regard; estimate; prize; appreciate.

Val"ued (?), a. Highly regarded; esteemed; prized; as, a valued contributor; a valued friend.

Valued policy. See under Policy.

Val"ue*less, a. Being of no value; having no worth.

Val"u*er (?), n. One who values; an appraiser.

Val"ure (?), n. Value. [Obs.] Ld. Berners.

Val"va*sor (?), n. (Feud. Law) See Vavasor.

||Val*va"ta (?), n. [NL.; cf. L. valvatus having folding doors. See ||Valve.] (Zoöl.) A genus of small spiral fresh-water gastropods having ||an operculum. || Valv"ate (?), a. [L. valvatus having folding doors.]

1. Resembling, or serving as, a valve; consisting of, or opening by, a valve or valves; valvular.

2. (Bot.) (a) Meeting at the edges without overlapping; — said of the sepals or the petals of flowers in æstivation, and of leaves in vernation. (b) Opening as if by doors or valves, as most kinds of capsules and some anthers.

Valve (?), n. [L. valva the leaf, fold, or valve of a door: cf. F. valve.]

1. A door; especially, one of a pair of folding doors, or one of the leaves of such a door.

Swift through the valves the visionary fair Repassed.

Pope.

Heavily closed, . . . the valves of the barn doors.

Longfellow.

2. A lid, plug, or cover, applied to an aperture so that by its movement, as by swinging, lifting and falling, sliding, turning, or the like, it will open or close the aperture to permit or prevent passage, as of a fluid.

A valve may act automatically so as to be opened by the effort of a fluid to pass in one direction, and closed by the effort to pass in the other direction, as a clack valve; or it may be opened or closed by hand or by mechanism, as a screw valve, or a slide valve.

3. (Anat.) One or more membranous partitions, flaps, or folds, which permit the passage of the contents of a vessel or cavity in one direction, but stop or retard the flow in the opposite direction; as, the ileocolic, mitral, and semilunar valves.

4. (Bot.) (a) One of the pieces into which a capsule naturally separates when it bursts. (b) One of the two similar portions of the shell of a diatom. (c) A small portion of certain anthers, which opens like a trapdoor to allow the pollen to escape, as in the barberry.

5. (Zoöl.) One of the pieces or divisions of bivalve or multivalve shells.

Air valve, Ball valve, Check valve, etc. See under Air. Ball, Check, etc. — Double-beat valve, a kind of balance valve usually consisting of a movable, open-ended, turban-shaped shell provided with two faces of nearly equal diameters, one above another, which rest upon two corresponding seats when the valve is closed. — Equilibrium valve. (a) A balance valve. See under Balance. (b) A valve for permitting air, steam, water, etc., to pass into or out of a chamber so as to establish or maintain equal pressure within and without. — Valve chest (Mach.), a chamber in which a valve works; especially (Steam Engine), the steam chest; — called in England valve box, and valve casing. See Steam chest, under Steam. — Valve face (Mach.), that part of the surface of a valve which comes in contact with the valve seat. — Valve gear, or Valve motion (Steam Engine), the system of parts by which motion is given to the valve or valves for the distribution of steam in the cylinder. For an illustration of one form of valve gear, see Link motion. — Valve seat. (Mach.) (a) The fixed surface on which a valve rests or against which it presses. (b) A part or piece on which such a surface is formed. — Valve stem (Mach.), a rod attached to a valve, for moving it. — Valve yoke (Mach.), a strap embracing a slide valve and connecting it to the valve stem.

Valved (?), a. Having a valve or valve; valvate.

Valve"let (?), n. A little valve; a valvule; especially, one of the pieces which compose the outer covering of a pericarp.

Valve"-shell` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any fresh-water gastropod of the genus Valvata.

||Val"vu*la (?), n.; pl. Valvulæ (#). [NL., dim. fr. L. valva fold, ||valve of a door.] (Anat.) A little valve or fold; a valvelet; a ||valvule. || Valv"u*lar (?), a. [Cf. F. valvulaire.]

1. Of or pertaining to a valve or valves; specifically (Med.), of or pertaining to the valves of the heart; as, valvular disease.

2. Containing valves; serving as a valve; opening by valves; valvate; as, a valvular capsule.

Valv"ule (?), n. [Cf. F. valvule.]

1. A little valve; a valvelet.

2. (Zoöl.) A small valvelike process.

Val"yl*ene (?), n. [Valerian + - yl.] (Chem.) A volatile liquid hydrocarbon, C5H6, related to ethylene and acetylene, but possessing the property of unsaturation in the third degree. It is the only known member of a distinct series of compounds. It has a garlic odor.

Vam"brace (?), n. [See Vantbrass.] (Anc. Armor) The piece designed to protect the arm from the elbow to the wrist.

Va*mose" (?), v. i. & t. [Sp. vamos let us go.] To depart quickly; to depart from. [Written also vamos, and vamoose.] [Slang, Eng. & U. S.]

Vamp (?), v. i. To advance; to travel. [Obs.]

Vamp, n. [OE. vampe, vaumpe, vauntpe, F. avantpied the forefoot, vamp; anat before, fore + pied foot, L. pes. See Advance, Van of an army, and Foot.]

1. The part of a boot or shoe above the sole and welt, and in front of the ankle seam; an upper.

2. Any piece added to an old thing to give it a new appearance. See Vamp, v. t.

Vamp, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vamped (?; 215); p. pr. & vb. n. Vamping.] To provide, as a shoe, with new upper leather; hence, to piece, as any old thing, with a new part; to repair; to patch; — often followed by up.

I had never much hopes of your vamped play.

Swift.

Vamp"er (?), n. One who vamps; one who pieces an old thing with something new; a cobbler.

Vamp"er, v. i. [Cf. Vaunt.] To swagger; to make an ostentatious show. [Prov. eng. & Scot.] Jamieson.

Vam"pire (?), n. [F. vampire (cf. It. vampiro, G. & D. vampir), fr. Servian vampir.] [Written also vampyre.]

1. A blood-sucking ghost; a soul of a dead person superstitiously believed to come from the grave and wander about by night sucking the blood of persons asleep, thus causing their death. This superstition is now prevalent in parts of Eastern Europe, and was especially current in Hungary about the year 1730.

The persons who turn vampires are generally wizards, witches, suicides, and persons who have come to a violent end, or have been cursed by their parents or by the church,

Encyc. Brit.

2. Fig.: One who lives by preying on others; an extortioner; a bloodsucker.

3. (Zoöl.) Either one of two or more species of South American blood-sucking bats belonging to the genera Desmodus and Diphylla. These bats are destitute of molar teeth, but have strong, sharp cutting incisors with which they make punctured wounds from which they suck the blood of horses, cattle, and other animals, as well as man, chiefly during sleep. They have a cæcal appendage to the stomach, in which the blood with which they gorge themselves is stored.

4. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of harmless tropical American bats of the genus Vampyrus, especially V. spectrum. These bats feed upon insects and fruit, but were formerly erroneously supposed to suck the blood of man and animals. Called also false vampire.

Vampire bat (Zoöl.), a vampire, 3.

Vam"pir*ism (?), n. [Cf. F. vampirisme.]

1. Belief in the existence of vampires.

2. The actions of a vampire; the practice of bloodsucking.

3. Fig.: The practice of extortion. Carlyle.

Vam"plate` (?), n. [F. avant fore, fore + E. plate.] A round of iron on the shaft of a tilting spear, to protect the hand. [Written also vamplet.]

Va"mure (?), n. See Vauntmure. [Obs.]

Van (?), n. [Abbrev. fr. vanguard.] The front of an army; the first line or leading column; also, the front line or foremost division of a fleet, either in sailing or in battle.

Standards and gonfalons, twixt van and rear, Stream in the air.

Milton.

Van, n. [Cornish.] (Mining) A shovel used in cleansing ore.

Van, v. t. (Mining) To wash or cleanse, as a small portion of ore, on a shovel. Raymond.

Van, n. [Abbreviated from caravan.]

1. A light wagon, either covered or open, used by tradesmen and others fore the transportation of goods. [Eng.]

2. A large covered wagon for moving furniture, etc., also for conveying wild beasts, etc., for exhibition.

3. A close railway car for baggage. See the Note under Car, 2. [Eng.]

Van, n. [L. vannus a van, or fan for winnowing grain: cf. F. van. Cf. Fan, Van a wing Winnow.]

1. A fan or other contrivance, as a sieve, for winnowing grain.

2. [OF. vanne, F. vanneau beam feather (cf. It. vanno a wing) fr. L. vannus. See Etymology above.] A wing with which the air is beaten. [Archaic] "[/Angels] on the air plumy vans received him. " Milton.

He wheeled in air, and stretched his vans in vain; His vans no longer could his flight sustain.

Dryden.

Van, v. t. [Cf. F. vanner to winnow, to fan. See Van a winnowing machine.] To fan, or to cleanse by fanning; to winnow. [Obs.] Bacon.

Van"a*date (?), n. [Cf. F. vanadate.] (Chem.) A salt of vanadic acid. [Formerly also vanadiate.]

Va*nad"ic (?), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or obtained from, vanadium; containing vanadium; specifically distinguished those compounds in which vanadium has a relatively higher valence as contrasted with the vanadious compounds; as, vanadic oxide.

Vanadic acid (Chem.), an acid analogous to phosphoric acid, not known in the free state but forming a well-known series of salts.

Va*nad"i*nite (?), n. (Min.) A mineral occurring in yellowish, and ruby-red hexagonal crystals. It consist of lead vanadate with a small proportion of lead chloride.

Va*na"di*ous (?), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or containing, vanadium; specifically, designating those compounds in which vanadium has a lower valence as contrasted with the vanadic compounds; as, vanadious acid. [Sometimes written also vanadous.]

Van"a*dite (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of vanadious acid, analogous to a nitrite or a phosphite.

Va*na"di*um (?), n. [NL., fr. Icel. Vanads, a surname of the Scandinavian goddess Freya.] (Chem.) A rare element of the nitrogen-phosphorus group, found combined, in vanadates, in certain minerals, and reduced as an infusible, grayish-white metallic powder. It is intermediate between the metals and the non-metals, having both basic and acid properties. Symbol V (or Vd, rarely). Atomic weight 51.2.

Van"a*dous (?), a. (Chem.) Of or pertaining to vanadium; obtained from vanadium; — said of an acid containing one equivalent of vanadium and two of oxygen.

Van"a*dyl (?), n. [Vanadium + - yl.] (Chem.) The hypothetical radical VO, regarded as a characterized residue of certain vanadium compounds.

Van"-cou`ri*er (?), n. [F. avant- courrier. See Avant, Van of an army, and Courier, and cf. Avant-courier, Vaunt-courier.] One sent in advance; an avant-courier; a precursor.

Van"dal (?), n. [L. Vandalus, Vandalius; of Teutonic origin, and probably originally signifying, a wanderer. Cf. Wander.]

1. (Anc. Hist.) One of a Teutonic race, formerly dwelling on the south shore of the Baltic, the most barbarous and fierce of the northern nations that plundered Rome in the 5th century, notorious for destroying the monuments of art and literature.

2. Hence, one who willfully destroys or defaces any work of art or literature.

The Vandals of our isle, Sworn foes to sense and law.

Cowper.

{ Van"dal (?), Van*dal"ic (?), } a. Of or pertaining to the Vandals; resembling the Vandals in barbarism and destructiveness.

Van"dal*ism (?), n. The spirit or conduct of the Vandals; ferocious cruelty; hostility to the arts and literature, or willful destruction or defacement of their monuments.

Van*dyke" (vn*dk"), a. Of or pertaining to the style of Vandyke the painter; used or represented by Vandyke. "His Vandyke dress." Macaulay. [Written also Vandyck.]

Vandyke brown (Paint.), a pigment of a deep semitransparent brown color, supposed to be the color used by Vandyke in his pictures. — Vandyke collar or cape, a broad collar or cape of linen and lace with a deep pointed or scalloped edge, worn lying on the shoulders; — so called from its appearance in pictures by Vandyke. — Vandyke edge, an edge having ornamental triangular points.

Van*dyke", n. A picture by Vandyke. Also, a Vandyke collar, or a Vandyke edge. [Written also Vandyck.]

Van*dyke", v. t. fit or furnish with a Vandyke; to form with points or scallops like a Vandyke. [R.] [Written also Vandyck.]

Vane (?), n. [OE. & E. Prov. E. fane weathercock, banner, AS. fana a banner, flag; akin to D. vaan, G. fahne, OHG. fano cloth, gund fano flag, Icel. fni, Sw. fana, Dan. fane, Goth. fana cloth, L. pannus, and perhaps to Gr.&?; a web, &?; a bobbin, spool. Cf. Fanon, Pane a compartment, panel.]

<! p. 1594 !>

1. A contrivance attached to some elevated object for the purpose of showing which way the wind blows; a weathercock. It is usually a plate or strip of metal, or slip of wood, often cut into some fanciful form, and placed upon a perpendicular axis around which it moves freely.

Aye undiscreet, and changing as a vane.

Chaucer.

2. Any flat, extended surface attached to an axis and moved by the wind; as, the vane of a windmill; hence, a similar fixture of any form moved in or by water, air, or other fluid; as, the vane of a screw propeller, a fan blower, an anemometer, etc.

3. (Zoöl.) The rhachis and web of a feather taken together.

4. One of the sights of a compass, quadrant, etc.

Vane of a leveling staff. (Surv.) Same as Target, 3.

||Van*es"sa (?), n. [Probably from Swift's poem of Cadenus and Vanessa. ||See Vanessa, in the Dictionary of Noted Names in Fiction.] (Zoöl.) ||Any one of numerous species of handsomely colored butterflies ||belonging to Vanessa and allied genera. Many of these species have ||the edges of the wings irregularly scalloped. || Van*es"si*an (?), n. (Zoöl.) A vanessa.

Van"fess` (?), n. [F. avant- fossé; avant before + fossé ditch. Cf. Fosse.] (Fort.) A ditch on the outside of the counterscarp, usually full of water.

Vang (?), n. [D. vangen to catch, seize. See Fang.] (Naut.) A rope to steady the peak of a gaff.

Van"glo (?), n. (Bot.) Benne (Sesamum orientale); also, its seeds; — so called in the West Indies.

Van"guard` (?), n. [For vantguard, avantguard, F. avant-garde; avant before, fore + garde guard. See Avant, Ab-,Ante-, and Guard, and cf. Advance, Vamp, Van of an army, Vaward.] (Mil.) The troops who march in front of an army; the advance guard; the van.

Va*nil"la (?), n. [NL., fr. Sp. vainilla, dim. of Sp. vaina a sheath, a pod, L. vagina; because its grains, or seeds, are contained in little pods.]

1. (Bot.) A genus of climbing orchidaceous plants, natives of tropical America.

2. The long podlike capsules of Vanilla planifolia, and V. claviculata, remarkable for their delicate and agreeable odor, for the volatile, odoriferous oil extracted from them; also, the flavoring extract made from the capsules, extensively used in confectionery, perfumery, etc.

As a medicine, vanilla is supposed to possess powers analogous to valerian, while, at the same time, it is far more grateful.

Cuban vanilla, a sweet-scented West Indian composite shrub (Eupatorium Dalea). — Vanilla bean, the long capsule of the vanilla plant. — Vanilla grass. Same as Holy grass, under Holy.

Va*nil"late (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of vanillic acid.

Va*nil"lic (?), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, vanilla or vanillin; resembling vanillin; specifically, designating an alcohol and an acid respectively, vanillin being the intermediate aldehyde.

Va*nil"lin (?), n. (Chem.) A white crystalline aldehyde having a burning taste and characteristic odor of vanilla. It is extracted from vanilla pods, and is also obtained by the decomposition of coniferin, and by the oxidation of eugenol.

Va*nil"loes (?), n. pl. An inferior kind of vanilla, the pods of Vanilla Pompona.

Va*nil"lyl (?), n. [Vanillic + - yl.] (Chem.) The hypothetical radical characteristic of vanillic alcohol.

Va*nil"o*quence (?), n. [L. vaniloquentia; vanus vain + loquentia talk, loqui to speak.] Vain or foolish talk. [Obs.]

Van"ish (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Vanished (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vanishing.] [OE. vanissen, OF. vanir (in comp.): cf. OF. envanir, esvanir, esvanuïr, F. s'évanouir; fr. L. vanus empty, vain; cf. L. vanescere, evanescere, to vanish. See Vain, and cf. Evanescent,-ish.]

1. To pass from a visible to an invisible state; to go out of sight; to disappear; to fade; as, vapor vanishes from the sight by being dissipated; a ship vanishes from the sight of spectators on land.

The horse vanished . . . out of sight.

Chaucer.

Go; vanish into air; away!

Shak.

The champions vanished from their posts with the speed of lightning.

Sir W. Scott.

Gliding from the twilight past to vanish among realities.

Hawthorne.

2. To be annihilated or lost; to pass away. "All these delights will vanish." Milton.

Van"ish (?), n. (Phon.) The brief terminal part of vowel or vocal element, differing more or less in quality from the main part; as, a as in ale ordinarily ends with a vanish of i as in ill, o as in old with a vanish of oo as in foot. Rush.

The vanish is included by Mr. Bell under the general term glide.

Van"ish*ing (?), a. & n. from Vanish, v.

Vanishing fraction (Math.), a fraction which reduces to the form for a particular value of the variable which enters it, usually in consequence of the existence of a common factor in both terms of the fraction, which factor becomes 0 for this particular value of the variable. Math. Dict. — Vanishing line (Persp.), the intersection of the parallel of any original plane and picture; one of the lines converging to the vanishing point. — Vanishing point (Persp.), the point to which all parallel lines in the same plane tend in the representation. Gwilt. — Vanishing stress (Phon.), stress of voice upon the closing portion of a syllable. Rush.

Van"ish*ment (?), n. A vanishing. [Obs.]

Van"i*ty (?), n.; pl. Vanities (#). [OE. vanite, vanité, L. vanitas, fr. vanus empty, vain. See Vain.]

1. The quality or state of being vain; want of substance to satisfy desire; emptiness; unsubstantialness; unrealness; falsity.

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

Eccl. i. 2.

Here I may well show the vanity of that which is reported in the story of Walsingham.

Sir J. Davies.

2. An inflation of mind upon slight grounds; empty pride inspired by an overweening conceit of one's personal attainments or decorations; an excessive desire for notice or approval; pride; ostentation; conceit.

The exquisitely sensitive vanity of Garrick was galled.

Macaulay.

3. That which is vain; anything empty, visionary, unreal, or unsubstantial; fruitless desire or effort; trifling labor productive of no good; empty pleasure; vain pursuit; idle show; unsubstantial enjoyment.

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher.

Eccl. i. 2.

Vanity possesseth many who are desirous to know the certainty of things to come.

Sir P. Sidney.

[Sin] with vanity had filled the works of men.

Milton.

Think not, when woman's transient breath is fled, That all her vanities at once are dead; Succeeding vanities she still regards.

Pope.

4. One of the established characters in the old moralities and puppet shows. See Morality, n., 5.

You . . . take vanity the puppet's part.

Shak.

Syn. — Egotism; pride; emptiness; worthlessness; self- sufficiency. See Egotism, and Pride.

Van"jas (?), n. (Zoöl.) The Australian pied crow shrike (Strepera graculina). It is glossy bluish black, with the under tail coverts and the tips and bases of the tail feathers white.

Van"ner (?), n. (Mining) A machine for concentrating ore. See Frue vanner.

Van"ner hawk` (?). The kestrel. [Prov. Eng.]

Van"ning, n. (Mining) A process by which ores are washed on a shovel, or in a vanner.

Van"quish (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vanquished (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vanquishing.] [OE. venquishen, venquissen, venkisen,F. vaincre, pret. vainquis, OF. veintre, pret. venqui, venquis (cf. an OF. infin. vainquir), fr. L. vincere; akin to AS. wg war, battle, wgant a warrior, wgan to fight, Icel. vg battle, Goth. weihan to fight, contend. Cf. Convince, Evict, Invincible, Victor.]

1. To conquer, overcome, or subdue in battle, as an enemy. Hakluyt.

They . . . Vanquished the rebels in all encounters.

Clarendon.

2. Hence, to defeat in any contest; to get the better of; to put down; to refute.

This bold assertion has been fully vanquished in a late reply to the Bishop of Meaux's treatise.

Atterbury.

For e'en though vanquished, he could argue still.

Goldsmith.

Syn. — To conquer; surmount; overcome; confute; silence. See Conquer.

Van"quish, n. (Far.) A disease in sheep, in which they pine away. [Written also vinquish.]

Van"quish*a*ble (?), a. That may be vanquished.

Van"quish*er (?), n. One who, or that which, vanquishes. Milton.

Van"quish*ment (?), n. The act of vanquishing, or the state of being vanquished. Bp. Hall.

Van"sire (?), n. [The native name: cf. F. vansire.] (Zoöl.) An ichneumon (Herpestes galera) native of Southern Africa and Madagascar. It is reddish brown or dark brown, grizzled with white. Called also vondsira, and marsh ichneumon.

Vant (?), v. i. See Vaunt. [Obs.]

Van"tage (vn"tj; 48), n. [Aphetic form of OE. avantage, fr. F. avantage. See Advantage.]

1. superior or more favorable situation or opportunity; gain; profit; advantage. [R.]

O happy vantage of a kneeling knee!

Shak.

2. (Lawn Tennis) The first point after deuce.

When the server wins this point, it is called vantage in; when the receiver, or striker out, wins, it is called vantage out.

To have at vantage, to have the advantage of; to be in a more favorable condition than. "He had them at vantage, being tired and harassed with a long march." Bacon. — Vantage ground, superiority of state or place; the place or condition which gives one an advantage over another. "The vantage ground of truth. Bacon.

It is these things that give him his actual standing, and it is from this vantage ground that he looks around him.

I. Taylor.

Van"tage, v. t. To profit; to aid. [Obs.] Spenser.

{ Vant"brace (?), Vant"brass (?), } n. [F. avant fore + bras arm: cf. F. brassard armor for the arm, brace, forearm. Cf. Vambrace.] (Anc. Armor) Armor for the arm; vambrace. Milton.

{ Vant"-cou`ri*er (?), n. } An avant- courier. See Van-courier. [Obs.] Holland.

Van"ward (?), a. Being on, or towards, the van, or front. "The vanward frontier." De Quincey.

Vap (vp), n. [See Vapid.] That which is vapid, insipid, or lifeless; especially, the lifeless part of liquor or wine. [Obs.]

In vain it is to wash a goblet, if you mean to put into it nothing but the dead lees and vap of wine.

Jer. Taylor.

Vap"id (?), a. [L. vapidus having lost its lire and spirit, vapid; akin to vappa vapid wine, vapor vapor. See Vapor.] Having lost its life and spirit; dead; spiritless; insipid; flat; dull; unanimated; as, vapid beer; a vapid speech; a vapid state of the blood.

A cheap, bloodless reformation, a guiltless liberty, appear flat and vapid to their taste.

Burke.

— Vap"id*ly (#), adv. — Vap"id*ness, n.

Va*pid"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being vapid; vapidness.

Va"por (?), n. [OE. vapour, OF. vapour, vapor, vapeur, F. vapeur, L. vapor; probably for cvapor, and akin to Gr. &?; smoke, &?; to breathe forth, Lith. kvepti to breathe, smell, Russ. kopote fine soot. Cf. Vapid.] [Written also vapour.]

1. (Physics) Any substance in the gaseous, or aëriform, state, the condition of which is ordinarily that of a liquid or solid.

The term vapor is sometimes used in a more extended sense, as identical with gas; and the difference between the two is not so much one of kind as of degree, the latter being applied to all permanently elastic fluids except atmospheric air, the former to those elastic fluids which lose that condition at ordinary temperatures. The atmosphere contains more or less vapor of water, a portion of which, on a reduction of temperature, becomes condensed into liquid water in the form of rain or dew. The vapor of water produced by boiling, especially in its economic relations, is called steam.

Vapor is any substance in the gaseous condition at the maximum of density consistent with that condition. This is the strict and proper meaning of the word vapor.

Nichol.

2. In a loose and popular sense, any visible diffused substance floating in the atmosphere and impairing its transparency, as smoke, fog, etc.

The vapour which that fro the earth glood [glided].

Chaucer.

Fire and hail; snow and vapors; stormy wind fulfilling his word.

Ps. cxlviii. 8.

3. Wind; flatulence. [Obs.] Bacon.

4. Something unsubstantial, fleeting, or transitory; unreal fancy; vain imagination; idle talk; boasting.

For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

James iv. 14.

5. pl. An old name for hypochondria, or melancholy; the blues. "A fit of vapors." Pope.

6. (Pharm.) A medicinal agent designed for administration in the form of inhaled vapor. Brit. Pharm.

Vapor bath. (a) A bath in vapor; the application of vapor to the body, or part of it, in a close place; also, the place itself. (b) (Chem.) A small metallic drying oven, usually of copper, for drying and heating filter papers, precipitates, etc.; — called also air bath. A modified form is provided with a jacket in the outside partition for holding water, or other volatile liquid, by which the temperature may be limited exactly to the required degree. — Vapor burner, a burner for burning a vaporized hydrocarbon. — Vapor density (Chem.), the relative weight of gases and vapors as compared with some specific standard, usually hydrogen, but sometimes air. The vapor density of gases and vaporizable substances as compared with hydrogen, when multiplied by two, or when compared with air and multiplied by 28.8, gives the molecular weight. — Vapor engine, an engine worked by the expansive force of a vapor, esp. a vapor other than steam.

Va"por, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Vapored (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vaporing.] [From Vapor, n.: cf. L. vaporare.] [Written also vapour.]

1. To pass off in fumes, or as a moist, floating substance, whether visible or invisible, to steam; to be exhaled; to evaporate.

2. To emit vapor or fumes. [R.]

Running waters vapor not so much as standing waters.

Bacon.

3. To talk idly; to boast or vaunt; to brag.

Poets used to vapor much after this manner.

Milton.

We vapor and say, By this time Matthews has beaten them.

Walpole.

Va"por, v. t. To send off in vapor, or as if in vapor; as, to vapor away a heated fluid. [Written also vapour.]

He'd laugh to see one throw his heart away, Another, sighing, vapor forth his soul.

B. Jonson.

Vap`o*ra*bil"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being vaporable.

Vap"o*ra*ble (?), a. Capable of being converted into vapor by the agency of heat; vaporizable.

Vap"o*rate (?), v. i. [L. vaporare, vaporatum. See Vapor.] To emit vapor; to evaporate. [R.]

Vap`o*ra"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. vaporation, L. vaporatio.] The act or process of converting into vapor, or of passing off in vapor; evaporation. [R.]

Va"pored (?), a. 1. Wet with vapors; moist.

2. Affected with the vapors. See Vapor, n., 5.

Va"por*er (?), n. One who vapors; a braggart.

Vaporer moth. (Zoöl.) See Orgyia.

Vap`o*rif"er*ous (?), a. [L. vaporifer; vapor + ferre to bear.] Conveying or producing vapor.

Vap`o*rif"ic (?), a. [L. vapor vapor + facere to make.] (Chem.) Producing vapor; tending to pass, or to cause to pass, into vapor; thus, volatile fluids are vaporific; heat is a vaporific agent.

Va*por"i*form (?), a. Existing in a vaporous form or state; as, steam is a vaporiform substance.

Vap`o*rim"e*ter (?), n. [Vapor + - meter.] An instrument for measuring the volume or the tension of any vapor; specifically, an instrument of this sort used as an alcoholometer in testing spirituous liquors.

Va"por*ing (?), a. Talking idly; boasting; vaunting. — Va"por*ing*ly, adv.

Va"por*ish, a. 1. Full of vapors; vaporous.

2. Hypochondriacal; affected by hysterics; splenetic; peevish; humorsome.

Pallas grew vap'rish once and odd.

Pope.

Vap"o*ri`za*ble (?; 110), a. Capable of being vaporized into vapor.

Vap`o*ri*za"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. vaporisation.] The act or process of vaporizing, or the state of being converted into vapor; the artificial formation of vapor; specifically, the conversion of water into steam, as in a steam boiler.

<! p. 1595 !>

Vap"o*rize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vaporized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vaporizing (?).] [Cf. F. vaporiser.] To convert into vapor, as by the application of heat, whether naturally or artificially.

Vaporizing surface. (Steam Boilers) See Evaporating surface, under Evaporate, v. t.

Vap"o*rize, v. i. To pass off in vapor.

Vap"o*ri`zer (?), n. One who, or that which, vaporizes, or converts into vapor.

Va"por*ose` (?), a. Full of vapor; vaporous.

Va"por*ous (?), a. [L. vaporosus: cf. vaporeux.]

1. Having the form or nature of vapor. Holland.

2. Full of vapors or exhalations. Shak.

The warmer and more vaporous air of the valleys.

Derham.

3. Producing vapors; hence, windy; flatulent. Bacon.

The food which is most vaporous and perspirable is the most easily digested.

Arbuthnot.

4. Unreal; unsubstantial; vain; whimsical.

Such vaporous speculations were inevitable.

Carlyle.

Va"por*ous*ness, n. The quality of being vaporous.

Va"por*y (?), a. 1. Full of vapors; vaporous.

2. Hypochondriacal; splenetic; peevish.

Vap`u*la"tion (?), n. [L. vapulare to be &?;ogged.] The act of beating or whipping. [Obs.]

||Va*que"ro (?), n. [Sp., cowherd, fr. vaca a cow, L. vacca. Cf. ||Vacher.] One who has charge of cattle, horses, etc.; a herdsman. ||[Southwestern U. S.] || ||Va"ra (?), n. [Sp. See 1st Vare.] A Spanish measure of length equal ||to about one yard. The vara now in use equals 33.385 inches. ||Johnson's Cyc. || Va"ran (?), n. [F.] (Zoöl.) The monitor. See Monitor, 3.

Va*ran"gi*an (?), n. One of the Northmen who founded a dynasty in Russia in the 9th century; also, one of the Northmen composing, at a later date, the imperial bodyguard at Constantinople.

||Va*ra"nus (?), n. [NL., fr. Ar. waran, waral; cf. F. varan, from the ||Arabic.] (Zoöl.) A genus of very large lizards native of Asia and ||Africa. It includes the monitors. See Monitor, 3. || Vare (?), n. [Sp. vara staff, wand, L. vara forked pole.] A wand or staff of authority or justice. [Obs.]

His hand a vare of justice did uphold.

Dryden.

Vare, n. (Zoöl.) A weasel. [Prov. Eng.]

Vare widgeon (Zoöl.), a female or young male of the smew; a weasel duck; — so called from the resemblance of the head to that of a vare, or weasel. [Prov. Eng.]

Var"ec (?), n. [F. varech; of Teutonic origin. See Wrack seaweed, wreck.] The calcined ashes of any coarse seaweed used for the manufacture of soda and iodine; also, the seaweed itself; fucus; wrack.

||Va"ri (?), n. [Cf. F. vari.] (Zoöl.) The ringtailed lemur (Lemur ||catta) of Madagascar. Its long tail is annulated with black and white. || Va`ri*a*bil"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. variabilité.]

1. The quality or state of being variable; variableness.

2. (Biol.) The power possessed by living organisms, both animal and vegetable, of adapting themselves to modifications or changes in their environment, thus possibly giving rise to ultimate variation of structure or function.

Va"ri*a*ble (?), a. [L. variabilis: cf. F. variable.]

1. Having the capacity of varying or changing; capable of alternation in any manner; changeable; as, variable winds or seasons; a variable quantity.

2. Liable to vary; too susceptible of change; mutable; fickle; unsteady; inconstant; as, the affections of men are variable; passions are variable.

Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.

Shak.

His heart, I know, how variable and vain!

Milton.

Variable exhaust (Steam Eng.), a blast pipe with an adjustable opening. — Variable quantity (Math.), a variable. — Variable stars (Astron.), fixed stars which vary in their brightness, usually in more or less uniform periods.

Syn. — Changeable; mutable; fickle; wavering; unsteady; versatile; inconstant.

Va"ri*a*ble, n. 1. That which is variable; that which varies, or is subject to change.

2. (Math.) A quantity which may increase or decrease; a quantity which admits of an infinite number of values in the same expression; a variable quantity; as, in the equation x2 - y2 = R2, x and y are variables.

3. (Naut.) (a) A shifting wind, or one that varies in force. (b) pl. Those parts of the sea where a steady wind is not expected, especially the parts between the trade-wind belts.

Independent variable (Math.), that one of two or more variables, connected with each other in any way whatever, to which changes are supposed to be given at will. Thus, in the equation x2 - y2 = R2, if arbitrary changes are supposed to be given to x, then x is the independent variable, and y is called a function of x. There may be two or more independent variables in an equation or problem. Cf. Dependent variable, under Dependent.

Va"ri*a*ble*ness, n. The quality or state of being variable; variability. James i. 17.

Va"ri*a*bly, adv. In a variable manner.

Va"ri*ance (?), n. [L. variantia.]

1. The quality or state of being variant; change of condition; variation.

2. Difference that produce dispute or controversy; disagreement; dissension; discord; dispute; quarrel.

That which is the strength of their amity shall prove the immediate author of their variance.

Shak.

3. (Law) A disagreement or difference between two parts of the same legal proceeding, which, to be effectual, ought to agree, — as between the writ and the declaration, or between the allegation and the proof. Bouvier.

A variance, in disagreement; in a state of dissension or controversy; at enmity. "What cause brought him so soon at variance with himself?" Milton.

Va"ri*ant (?), a. [L. varians, p. pr. of variare to change: cf. F. variant. See Vary.]

1. Varying in from, character, or the like; variable; different; diverse.

2. Changeable; changing; fickle. [Obs.]

He is variant, he abit [abides] nowhere.

Chaucer.

Va"ri*ant (?), n. [Cf. F. variante.] Something which differs in form from another thing, though really the same; as, a variant from a type in natural history; a variant of a story or a word.

Va"ri*ate (?), v. t. & i. [L. variatus, p. p. of variare. See Vary.] To alter; to make different; to vary.

Va`ri*a"tion (?), n. [OE. variatioun, F. variation, L. variatio. See Vary.]

1. The act of varying; a partial change in the form, position, state, or qualities of a thing; modification; alternation; mutation; diversity; deviation; as, a variation of color in different lights; a variation in size; variation of language.

The essences of things are conceived not capable of any such variation.

Locke.

2. Extent to which a thing varies; amount of departure from a position or state; amount or rate of change.

3. (Gram.) Change of termination of words, as in declension, conjugation, derivation, etc.

4. (Mus.) Repetition of a theme or melody with fanciful embellishments or modifications, in time, tune, or harmony, or sometimes change of key; the presentation of a musical thought in new and varied aspects, yet so that the essential features of the original shall still preserve their identity.

5. (Alg.) One of the different arrangements which can be made of any number of quantities taking a certain number of them together.

Annual variation (Astron.), the yearly change in the right ascension or declination of a star, produced by the combined effects of the precession of the equinoxes and the proper motion of the star. — Calculus of variations. See under Calculus. — Variation compass. See under Compass. — Variation of the moon (Astron.), an inequality of the moon's motion, depending on the angular distance of the moon from the sun. It is greater at the octants, and zero at the quadratures. — Variation of the needle (Geog. & Naut.), the angle included between the true and magnetic meridians of a place; the deviation of the direction of a magnetic needle from the true north and south line; — called also declination of the needle.

Syn. — Change; vicissitude; variety; deviation.

Var`i*cel"la (?), n. [NL., dim. of LL. variola smallpox.] (Med.) Chicken pox.

||Var"i*ces (?), n. pl. See Varix. || Va*ric"i*form (?), a. [Varix + - form.] (Med.) Resembling a varix.

Var"i*co*cele (?), n. [Varix a dilated vein + Gr. &?; tumor: cf. F. varicocèle.] (Med.) A varicose enlargement of the veins of the spermatic cord; also, a like enlargement of the veins of the scrotum.

Var"i*cose` (?; 277), a. [L. varicosus, from varix, -icis, a dilated vein; cf. varus bent, stretched, crooked.]

1. Irregularly swollen or enlarged; affected with, or containing, varices, or varicosities; of or pertaining to varices, or varicosities; as, a varicose nerve fiber; a varicose vein; varicose ulcers.

2. (Med.) Intended for the treatment of varicose veins; — said of elastic stockings, bandages. and the like.

Var`i*cos"i*ty (?), n. 1. The quality or state of being varicose.

2. An enlargement or swelling in a vessel, fiber, or the like; a varix; as, the varicosities of nerve fibers.

Var"i*cous (?), a. Varicose. [Obs.]

Va"ried (?), a. Changed; altered; various; diversified; as, a varied experience; varied interests; varied scenery. — Va"ried*ly, adv.

The varied fields of science, ever new.

Cowper.

Va"ri*e*gate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Variegated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Variegating.] [L. variegatus, p. p. of variegare to variegate; varius various + agere to move, make. See Various, and Agent.] To diversify in external appearance; to mark with different colors; to dapple; to streak; as, to variegate a floor with marble of different colors.

The shells are filled with a white spar, which variegates and adds to the beauty of the stone.

Woodward.

Va"ri*e*ga`ted (?), a. Having marks or patches of different colors; as, variegated leaves, or flowers.

Ladies like variegated tulips show.

Pope.

Va`ri*e*ga"tion (?), n. The act of variegating or diversifying, or the state of being diversified, by different colors; diversity of colors.

Va"ri*er (?), n. [From Vary.] A wanderer; one who strays in search of variety. [Poetic]

Pious variers from the church.

Tennyson.

Va*ri"e*tal (?), a. Of or pertaining to a variety; characterizing a variety; constituting a variety, in distinction from an individual or species.

Perplexed in determining what differences to consider as specific, and what as varietal.

Darwin.

||Va*ri"e*tas (?), n. [L.] A variety; — used in giving scientific ||names, and often abbreviated to var. || Va*ri"e*ty (?), n.; pl. Varieties (#). [L. varietas: cf. F. variété. See Various.]

1. The quality or state of being various; intermixture or succession of different things; diversity; multifariousness.

Variety is nothing else but a continued novelty.

South.

The variety of colors depends upon the composition of light.

Sir I. Newton.

For earth this variety from heaven.

Milton.

There is a variety in the tempers of good men.

Atterbury.

2. That which is various. Specifically: —

(a) A number or collection of different things; a varied assortment; as, a variety of cottons and silks.

He . . . wants more time to do that variety of good which his soul thirsts after.

Law.

(b) Something varying or differing from others of the same general kind; one of a number of things that are akin; a sort; as, varieties of wood, land, rocks, etc.

(c) (Biol.) An individual, or group of individuals, of a species differing from the rest in some one or more of the characteristics typical of the species, and capable either of perpetuating itself for a period, or of being perpetuated by artificial means; hence, a subdivision, or peculiar form, of a species.

Varieties usually differ from species in that any two, however unlike, will generally propagate indefinitely (unless they are in their nature unfertile, as some varieties of rose and other cultivated plants); in being a result of climate, food, or other extrinsic conditions or influences, but generally by a sudden, rather than a gradual, development; and in tending in many cases to lose their distinctive peculiarities when the individuals are left to a state of nature, and especially if restored to the conditions that are natural to typical individuals of the species. Many varieties of domesticated animals and of cultivated plants have been directly produced by man.

(d) In inorganic nature, one of those forms in which a species may occur, which differ in minor characteristics of structure, color, purity of composition, etc.

These may be viewed as variations from the typical species in its most perfect and purest form, or, as is more commonly the case, all the forms, including the latter, may rank as Varieties. Thus, the sapphire is a blue variety, and the ruby a red variety, of corundum; again, calcite has many Varieties differing in form and structure, as Iceland spar, dogtooth spar, satin spar, and also others characterized by the presence of small quantities of magnesia, iron, manganese, etc. Still again, there are Varieties of granite differing in structure, as graphic granite, porphyritic granite, and other Varieties differing in composition, as albitic granite, hornblendic, or syenitic, granite, etc.

Geographical variety (Biol.), a variety of any species which is coincident with a geographical region, and is usually dependent upon, or caused by, peculiarities of climate. — Variety hybrid (Biol.), a cross between two individuals of different varieties of the same species; a mongrel.

Syn. — Diversity; difference; kind. — Variety, Diversity. A man has a variety of employments when he does many things which are not a mere repetition of the same act; he has a diversity of employments when the several acts performed are unlike each other, that is, diverse. In most cases, where there is variety there will be more or less of diversity, but not always. One who sells railroad tickets performs a great variety of acts in a day, while there is but little diversity in his employment.

All sorts are here that all the earth yields! Variety without end.

Milton.

But see in all corporeal nature's scene, What changes, what diversities, have been!

Blackmore.

Va"ri*form (?), a. [L. varius various + -form.] Having different shapes or forms.

Va"ri*formed (?), a. Formed with different shapes; having various forms; variform.

Va"ri*fy (?), v. t. [L. varius various + -fly.] To make different; to vary; to variegate. [R.] Sylvester.

Va*ri"o*la (?), n. [LL., fr. L. varius various. See Various.] (Med.) The smallpox.

Va*ri"o*lar (?), a. (Med.) Variolous.

Va`ri*o*la"tion (?), n. (Med.) Inoculation with smallpox.

Va`ri*ol"ic (?), a. (Med.) Variolous.

Va"ri*o*lite (?), n. [L. varius various + -lite: cf. F. variolite.] (Geol.) A kind of diorite or diabase containing imbedded whitish spherules, which give the rock a spotted appearance.

Va`ri*o*lit"ic (?), a. [From Variola.]

1. Thickly marked with small, round specks; spotted.

2. (Geol.) Of, pertaining to, or resembling, variolite.

Va"ri*o*loid (?; 277), a. [Variola + -oid: cf. F. varioloïde.] (Med.) Resembling smallpox; pertaining to the disease called varioloid.

Va"ri*o*loid, n. [Cf. F. varioloïde. See Varioloid, a.] (Med.) The smallpox as modified by previous inoculation or vaccination.

It is almost always a milder disease than smallpox, and this circumstance, with its shorter duration, exhibits the salutary effects of previous vaccination or inoculation. Dunglison.

Va*ri"o*lous (?), a. [LL. variolosus, fr. variola the smallpox: cf. F. varioleux.] (Med.) Of or pertaining to the smallpox; having pits, or sunken impressions, like those of the smallpox; variolar; variolic.

||Va`ri*o"rum (?), a. [L., abbrev. fr. cum notis variorum with notes of ||various persons.] Containing notes by different persons; — applied to ||a publication; as, a variorum edition of a book. || Va"ri*ous (?), a. [L. varius. Cf. Vair.]

1. Different; diverse; several; manifold; as, men of various names; various occupations; various colors.

So many and so various laws are given.

Milton.

A wit as various, gay, grave, sage, or wild.

Byron.

2. Changeable; uncertain; inconstant; variable.

A man so various, that he seemed to be Not one, but all mankind's epitome.

Dryden.

The names of mixed modes . . . are very various.

Locke.

3. Variegated; diversified; not monotonous.

A happy rural seat of various view.

Milton.

Va"ri*ous*ly, adv. In various or different ways.

Var"is*cite (?), n. [So called from Variscia in Germany.] (Min.) An apple-green mineral occurring in reniform masses. It is a hydrous phosphate of alumina.

Va*risse" (?), n. [Cf. F. varice varix. Cf. Varix.] (Far.) An imperfection on the inside of the hind leg in horses, different from a curb, but at the same height, and frequently injuring the sale of the animal by growing to an unsightly size. Craig.

||Va"rix (?), n.; pl. Varices (#). [L.] || 1. (Med.) A uneven, permanent dilatation of a vein.

Varices are owing to local retardation of the venous circulation, and in some cases to relaxation of the parietes of the veins. They are very common in the superficial veins of the lower limbs. Dunglison.

<! p. 1596 !>

2. (Zoöl.) One of the prominent ridges or ribs extending across each of the whorls of certain univalve shells.

The varices usually indicate stages of growth, each one showing a former position of the outer lip of the aperture.

||Vark (?), n. [D. varken a pig.] (Zoöl.) The bush hog, or boshvark. || Var"let (?), n. [OF. varlet, vaslet, vallet, servant, young man, young noble, dim of vassal. See Vassal, and cf. Valet.]

1. A servant, especially to a knight; an attendant; a valet; a footman. [Obs.] Spenser. Tusser.

2. Hence, a low fellow; a scoundrel; a rascal; as, an impudent varlet.

What a brazen-faced varlet art thou !

Shak.

3. In a pack of playing cards, the court card now called the knave, or jack. [Obs.]

Var"let*ry (?), n. [Cf. OF. valeterie the young unmarried nobles.] The rabble; the crowd; the mob.

Shall they hoist me up, And show me to the shouting varletry Of censuring Rome.

Shak.

Var"nish (?), n. [OE. vernish, F. vernis, LL. vernicium; akin to F. vernir to varnish, fr. (assumed) LL. vitrinire to glaze, from LL. vitrinus glassy, fr. L. vitrum glass. See Vitreous.]

1. A viscid liquid, consisting of a solution of resinous matter in an oil or a volatile liquid, laid on work with a brush, or otherwise. When applied the varnish soon dries, either by evaporation or chemical action, and the resinous part forms thus a smooth, hard surface, with a beautiful gloss, capable of resisting, to a greater or less degree, the influences of air and moisture.

According to the sorts of solvents employed, the ordinary kinds of varnish are divided into three classes: spirit, turpentine, and oil varnishes. Encyc. Brit

2. That which resembles varnish, either naturally or artificially; a glossy appearance.

The varnish of the holly and ivy.

Macaulay.

3. An artificial covering to give a fair appearance to any act or conduct; outside show; gloss.

And set a double varnish on the fame The Frenchman gave you.

Shak.

Varnish tree (Bot.), a tree or shrub from the juice or resin of which varnish is made, as some species of the genus Rhus, especially R. vernicifera of Japan. The black varnish of Burmah is obtained from the Melanorrhœa usitatissima, a tall East Indian tree of the Cashew family. See Copal, and Mastic.

Var"nish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Varnished (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Varnishing.] [Cf. F. vernir, vernisser. See Varnish, n.]

1. To lay varnish on; to cover with a liquid which produces, when dry, a hard, glossy surface; as, to varnish a table; to varnish a painting.

2. To cover or conceal with something that gives a fair appearance; to give a fair coloring to by words; to gloss over; to palliate; as, to varnish guilt. "Beauty doth varnish age." Shak.

Close ambition, varnished o'er with zeal.

Milton.

Cato's voice was ne'er employed To clear the guilty and to varnish crimes.

Addison.

Var"nish*er (?), n. 1. One who varnishes; one whose occupation is to varnish.

2. One who disguises or palliates; one who gives a fair external appearance. Pope.

Var"nish*ing, n. The act of laying on varnish; also, materials for varnish.

Var"ta*bed (?), n. [Armen., a doctor, master, preceptor.] (Eccl.) A doctor or teacher in the Armenian church. Members of this order of ecclesiastics frequently have charge of dioceses, with episcopal functions.

||Va*ru"na (v*r"n), n. [Skr. Varua.] (Hindu Myth.) The god of the ||waters; the Indian Neptune. He is regarded as regent of the west, and ||lord of punishment, and is represented as riding on a sea monster, ||holding in his hand a snaky cord or noose with which to bind ||offenders, under water. || Var"vel (?), n. [F. vervelle.] In falconry, one of the rings secured to the ends of the jesses. [Written also vervel.]

Var"veled (?), a. Having varvels, or rings. [Written also varvelled, and vervelled.]

In heraldry, when the jesses attached to the legs of hawks hang loose, or have pendent ends with rings at the tips, the blazon is a hawk (or a hawk's leg) jessed and varveled.

Va"ry (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Varied (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Varying.] [OE. varien, F. varier, L. variare, fr. varius various. See Various, and cf. Variate.]

1. To change the aspect of; to alter in form, appearance, substance, position, or the like; to make different by a partial change; to modify; as, to vary the properties, proportions, or nature of a thing; to vary a posture or an attitude; to vary one's dress or opinions.

Shall we vary our device at will, Even as new occasion appears?

Spenser.

2. To change to something else; to transmute; to exchange; to alternate.

Gods, that never change their state, Vary oft their love and hate.

Waller.

We are to vary the customs according to the time and country where the scene of action lies.

Dryden.

3. To make of different kinds; to make different from one another; to diversity; to variegate.

God hath varied their inclinations.

Sir T. Browne.

God hath here Varied his bounty so with new delights.

Milton.

4. (Mus.) To embellish; to change fancifully; to present under new aspects, as of form, key, measure, etc. See Variation, 4.

Va"ry (?), v. i. 1. To alter, or be altered, in any manner; to suffer a partial change; to become different; to be modified; as, colors vary in different lights.

That each from other differs, first confess; Next, that he varies from himself no less.

Pope.

2. To differ, or be different; to be unlike or diverse; as, the laws of France vary from those of England.

3. To alter or change in succession; to alternate; as, one mathematical quantity varies inversely as another.

While fear and anger, with alternate grace, Pant in her breast, and vary in her face.

Addison.

4. To deviate; to depart; to swerve; — followed by from; as, to vary from the law, or from reason. Locke.

5. To disagree; to be at variance or in dissension; as, men vary in opinion.

The rich jewel which we vary for.

Webster (1623).

Va"ry, n. Alteration; change. [Obs.] Shak.

Va"ry*ing, a. & n. from Vary.

Varying hare (Zoöl.), any hare or rabbit which becomes white in winter, especially the common hare of the Northern United States and Canada.

||Vas (?), n.; pl. Vasa (#). [L., a vessel. See Vase.] (Anat.) A ||vessel; a duct. || ||Vas deferens; pl. Vasa deferentia. [L. vas vessel + deferens carrying ||down.] (Anat.) The excretory duct of a testicle; a spermatic duct. || Vas"cu*lar (?), a. [L. vasculum a small vessel, dim. of vas vessel: cf. F. vasculaire. See Vase, and cf. Vessel.]

1. (Biol.) (a) Consisting of, or containing, vessels as an essential part of a structure; full of vessels; specifically (Bot.), pertaining to, or containing, special ducts, or tubes, for the circulation of sap. (b) Operating by means of, or made up of an arrangement of, vessels; as, the vascular system in animals, including the arteries, veins, capillaries, lacteals, etc. (c) Of or pertaining to the vessels of animal and vegetable bodies; as, the vascular functions.

2. (Bot.) Of or pertaining to the higher division of plants, that is, the phænogamous plants, all of which are vascular, in distinction from the cryptogams, which to a large extent are cellular only.

Vascular plants (Bot.), plants composed in part of vascular tissue, as all flowering plants and the higher cryptogamous plants, or those of the class Pteridophyta. Cf. Cellular plants, Cellular. — Vascular system (Bot.), the body of associated ducts and woody fiber; the fibrovascular part of plants. — Vascular tissue (Bot.), vegetable tissue composed partly of ducts, or sap tubes. — Water vascular system (Zoöl.), a system of vessels in annelids, nemerteans, and many other invertebrates, containing a circulating fluid analogous to blood, but not of the same composition. In annelids the fluid which they contain is usually red, but in some it is green, in others yellow, or whitish.

Vas`cu*lar"i*ty (?), n.; pl. Vascularities (&?;). (Biol.) The quality or state of being vascular.

Vas"cu*lose` (?), n. (Bot.) One of the substances of which vegetable tissue is composed, differing from cellulose in its solubility in certain media.

||Vas"cu*lum (?), n.; pl. Vascula (#). [L., a small vessel.] 1. (Bot.) ||Same as Ascidium, n., 1. || 2. A tin box, commonly cylindrical or flattened, used in collecting plants.

Vase (vs or väz; 277), n. [F. vase; cf. Sp. & It. vaso; fr. L. vas, vasum. Cf. Vascular, Vessel.] 1. A vessel adapted for various domestic purposes, and anciently for sacrificial uses; especially, a vessel of antique or elegant pattern used for ornament; as, a porcelain vase; a gold vase; a Grecian vase. See Illust. of Portland vase, under Portland.

No chargers then were wrought in burnished gold, Nor silver vases took the forming mold.

Pope.

2. (Arch.) (a) A vessel similar to that described in the first definition above, or the representation of one in a solid block of stone, or the like, used for an ornament, as on a terrace or in a garden. See Illust. of Niche. (b) The body, or naked ground, of the Corinthian and Composite capital; — called also tambour, and drum.

Until the time of Walker (1791), vase was made to rhyme with base,, case, etc., and it is still commonly so pronounced in the United States. Walker made it to rhyme with phrase, maze, etc. Of modern English practice, Mr. A. J. Ellis (1874) says: "Vase has four pronunciations in English: vz, which I most commonly say, is going out of use, väz I hear most frequently, vz very rarely, and vs I only know from Cull's marking. On the analogy of case, however, it should be the regular sound."

3. (Bot.) The calyx of a plant.

Vas"e*line (?), n. [Said by the manufacturer to be derived from G. wasser water + Gr. 'e`laion olive oil.] A yellowish translucent substance, almost odorless and tasteless, obtained as a residue in the purification of crude petroleum, and consisting essentially of a mixture of several of the higher members of the paraffin series. It is used as an unguent, and for various purposes in the arts. See the Note under Petrolatum. [Written also vaselin.]

Vase"-shaped` (?), a. Formed like a vase, or like a common flowerpot.

Vas"i*form (?), a. [L. vas a vessel + -form.] (Biol.) Having the form of a vessel, or duct.

Vasiform tissue (Bot.), tissue containing vessels, or ducts.

Vas`o*con*strict"or (?), a. (Physiol.) Causing constriction of the blood vessels; as, the vasoconstrictor nerves, stimulation of which causes constriction of the blood vessels to which they go. These nerves are also called vasohypertonic.

Vas`o*den"tine (?), n. [L. vas a vessel + E. dentine.] (Anat.) A modified form of dentine, which is permeated by blood capillaries; vascular dentine.

Vas`o*di*lat"or (?), a.[L. vas a vessel + dilator.] (Physiol.) Causing dilation or relaxation of the blood vessels; as, the vasodilator nerves, stimulation of which causes dilation of the blood vessels to which they go. These nerves are also called vaso-inhibitory, and vasohypotonic nerves, since their stimulation causes relaxation and rest.

Vas`o*form"a*tive (?), a. [L. vas a vessel + formative] (Physiol.) Concerned in the development and formation of blood vessels and blood corpuscles; as, the vasoformative cells.

Vas`o-in*hib"i*to*ry (?), a. (Physiol.) See Vasodilator.

Vas`o*mo"tor (?), a. [L. vas a vessel + motor that which moves fr. movere to move.] (Physiol.) Causing movement in the walls of vessels; as, the vasomotor mechanisms; the vasomotor nerves, a system of nerves distributed over the muscular coats of the blood vessels.

Vasomotor center, the chief dominating or general center which supplies all the unstriped muscles of the arterial system with motor nerves, situated in a part of the medulla oblongata; a center of reflex action by the working of which afferent impulses are changed into efferent, — vasomotor impulses leading either to dilation or constriction of the blood vessels.

Vas"sal (?), n. [F., fr. LL. vassallus, vassus; of Celtic origin; cf. W. & Corn. gwas a youth, page, servant, Arm. gwaz a man, a male. Cf. Valet, Varlet, Vavasor.]

1. (Feud. Law) The grantee of a fief, feud, or fee; one who holds land of superior, and who vows fidelity and homage to him; a feudatory; a feudal tenant. Burrill.

2. A subject; a dependent; a servant; a slave. "The vassals of his anger." Milton.

Rear vassal, the vassal of a vassal; an arriere vassal.

Vas"sal, a. Resembling a vassal; slavish; servile.

The sun and every vassal star.

Keble.

Vas"sal, v. t. To treat as a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.

Vas"sal*age (?), n. [OE. vassalage, F. vasselage, LL. vassallaticum.]

1. The state of being a vassal, or feudatory.

2. Political servitude; dependence; subjection; slavery; as, the Greeks were held in vassalage by the Turks.

3. A territory held in vassalage. "The Countship of Foix, with six territorial vassalages." Milman.

4. Vassals, collectively; vassalry. [R.] Shak.

5. Valorous service, such as that performed by a vassal; valor; prowess; courage. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Vas"sal*ess, n. A female vassal. [R.] Spenser.

Vas"sal*ry (?), n. The body of vassals. [R.]

Vast (?), a. [Compar. Vaster (?); superl. Vastest.] [L. vastus empty, waste, enormous, immense: cf. F. vaste. See Waste, and cf. Devastate.]

1. Waste; desert; desolate; lonely. [Obs.]

The empty, vast, and wandering air.

Shak.

2. Of great extent; very spacious or large; also, huge in bulk; immense; enormous; as, the vast ocean; vast mountains; the vast empire of Russia.

Through the vast and boundless deep.

Milton.

3. Very great in numbers, quantity, or amount; as, a vast army; a vast sum of money.

4. Very great in importance; as, a subject of vast concern.

Syn. — Enormous; huge; immense; mighty.

Vast, n. A waste region; boundless space; immensity. "The watery vast." Pope.

Michael bid sound The archangel trumpet. Through the vast of heaven It sounded.

Milton.

Vas*ta"tion (?), n. [L. vastatio, fr. vastare to lay waste, fr. vastus empty, waste.] A laying waste; waste; depopulation; devastation. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

Vas"tel (?), n. See Wastel. [Obs.] Fuller.

Vas*tid"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. OF. vastité, L. vastitas.] Vastness; immensity. [Obs.] "All the world's vastidity." Shak.

Vas"ti*tude (?), n. [L. vastitudo.] 1. Vastness; immense extent. [R.]

2. Destruction; vastation. [Obs.] Joye.

Vast"i*ty (?), n. [L. vastitas.] Vastness. [Obs.]

The huge vastity of the world.

Holland.

Vast"ly, adv. To a vast extent or degree; very greatly; immensely. Jer. Taylor.

Vast"ness, n. The quality or state of being vast.

Vas"ty (?), a. [From Vast.] Vast; immense. [R.]

I can call spirits from the vasty deep.

Shak.

||Va"sum (?), n. [L., a vase. See Vase.] (Zoöl.) A genus including ||several species of large marine gastropods having massive pyriform ||shells, with conspicuous folds on the columella. || Vat (?), n. [A dialectic form for fat, OE. fat, AS. fæt; akin to D. vat, OS. fat, G. fass, OHG. faz, Icel. & Sw. fat, Dan. fad, Lith. p&?;das a pot, and probably to G. fassen to seize, to contain, OHG. fazz&?;n, D. vatten. Cf. Fat a vat.]

<! p. 1597 !>

1. A large vessel, cistern, or tub, especially one used for holding in an immature state, chemical preparations for dyeing, or for tanning, or for tanning leather, or the like.

Let him produce his vase and tubs, in opposition to heaps of arms and standards.

Addison.

2. A measure for liquids, and also a dry measure; especially, a liquid measure in Belgium and Holland, corresponding to the hectoliter of the metric system, which contains 22.01 imperial gallons, or 26.4 standard gallons in the United States.

The old Dutch grain vat averaged 0.762 Winchester bushel. The old London coal vat contained 9 bushels. The solid-measurement vat of Amsterdam contains 40 cubic feet; the wine vat, 241.57 imperial gallons, and the vat for olive oil, 225.45 imperial gallons.

3. (Metal.) (a) A wooden tub for washing ores and mineral substances in. (b) A square, hollow place on the back of a calcining furnace, where tin ore is laid to dry.

4. (R. C. Ch.) A vessel for holding holy water.

Vat (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vatted (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vatting.] To put or transfer into a vat.

Vat"ful (?), n.; pl. Vatfuls (&?;). As much as a vat will hold; enough to fill a vat.

Vat"ic*al (?), a. [L. vates a prophet.] Of or pertaining to a prophet; prophetical. Bp. Hall.

Vat"i*can (?), n. [L. Vaticanus, mons, or collis, Vaticanus, the Vatican hill, in Rome, on the western bank of the Tiber: cf. F. Vatican, It. Vaticano.] A magnificent assemblage of buildings at Rome, near the church of St. Peter, including the pope's palace, a museum, a library, a famous chapel, etc.

The word is often used to indicate the papal authority.

Thunders of the Vatican, the anathemas, or denunciations, of the pope.

Vat"i*can*ism (?), n. The doctrine of papal supremacy; extreme views in support of the authority of the pope; ultramontanism; — a term used only by persons who are not Roman Catholics.

Vat"i*can*ist, n. One who strongly adheres to the papal authority; an ultramontanist.

Vat"i*cide (?), n. [L. vates a prophet + caedere to kill.] The murder, or the murderer, of a prophet. "The caitiff vaticide." Pope.

Va*tic"i*nal (?), a. [See Vaticinate.] Of or pertaining to prophecy; prophetic. T. Warton.

Va*tic"i*nate (?), v. i. & t. [L. vaticinatus, p. p. of vaticinari to prophesy, fr. vaticinus prophetical, fr. vates a prophet.] To prophesy; to foretell; to practice prediction; to utter prophecies.

Va*tic`i*na"tion (?), n. [L. vaticinatio.] Prediction; prophecy.

It is not a false utterance; it is a true, though an impetuous, vaticination.

I. Taylor.

Va*tic"i*na`tor (?), n. [L.] One who vaticinates; a prophet.

Vat"i*cine (?), n. [L. vaticinium.] A prediction; a vaticination. [Obs.] Holinshed.

||Vaude"ville (?), n. [F., fr. Vau-de- vire, a village in Normandy, ||where Olivier Basselin, at the end of the 14th century, composed such ||songs.] [Written also vaudevil.] || 1. A kind of song of a lively character, frequently embodying a satire on some person or event, sung to a familiar air in couplets with a refrain; a street song; a topical song.

2. A theatrical piece, usually a comedy, the dialogue of which is intermingled with light or satirical songs, set to familiar airs.

The early vaudeville, which is the forerunner of the opera bouffe, was light, graceful, and piquant.

Johnson's Cyc.

||Vau*dois (v*dwä"), n. sing. & pl. [F.] 1. An inhabitant, or the ||inhabitants, of the Swiss canton of Vaud. || 2. A modern name of the Waldenses.

Vau*doux" (?), n. & a. See Voodoo.

Vault (vlt; see Note, below), n. [OE. voute, OF. voute, volte, F. voûte, LL. volta, for voluta, volutio, fr. L. volvere, volutum, to roll, to turn about. See Voluble, and cf. Vault a leap, Volt a turn, Volute.]

1. (Arch.) An arched structure of masonry, forming a ceiling or canopy.

The long-drawn aisle and fretted vault.

Gray.

2. An arched apartment; especially, a subterranean room, use for storing articles, for a prison, for interment, or the like; a cell; a cellar. "Charnel vaults." Milton.

The silent vaults of death.

Sandys.

To banish rats that haunt our vault.

Swift.

3. The canopy of heaven; the sky.

That heaven's vault should crack.

Shak.

4. [F. volte, It. volta, originally, a turn, and the same word as volta an arch. See the Etymology above.] A leap or bound. Specifically: — (a) (Man.) The bound or leap of a horse; a curvet. (b) A leap by aid of the hands, or of a pole, springboard, or the like.

The l in this word was formerly often suppressed in pronunciation.

Barrel, Cradle, Cylindrical, or Wagon, vault (Arch.), a kind of vault having two parallel abutments, and the same section or profile at all points. It may be rampant, as over a staircase (see Rampant vault, under Rampant), or curved in plan, as around the apse of a church. — Coved vault. (Arch.) See under 1st Cove, v. t. — Groined vault (Arch.), a vault having groins, that is, one in which different cylindrical surfaces intersect one another, as distinguished from a barrel, or wagon, vault. — Rampant vault. (Arch.) See under Rampant. — Ribbed vault (Arch.), a vault differing from others in having solid ribs which bear the weight of the vaulted surface. True Gothic vaults are of this character. — Vault light, a partly glazed plate inserted in a pavement or ceiling to admit light to a vault below.

Vault (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vaulted; p. pr. & vb. n. Vaulting.] [OE. vouten, OF. volter, vouter, F. voûter. See Vault an arch.]

1. To form with a vault, or to cover with a vault; to give the shape of an arch to; to arch; as, vault a roof; to vault a passage to a court.

The shady arch that vaulted the broad green alley.

Sir W. Scott.

2. [See Vault, v. i.] To leap over; esp., to leap over by aid of the hands or a pole; as, to vault a fence.

I will vault credit, and affect high pleasures.

Webster (1623).

Vault, v. i. [Cf. OF. volter, F. voltiger, It. volt&?;re turn. See Vault, n., 4.]

1. To leap; to bound; to jump; to spring.

Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself.

Shak.

Leaning on his lance, he vaulted on a tree.

Dryden.

Lucan vaulted upon Pegasus with all the heat and intrepidity of youth.

Addison.

2. To exhibit feats of tumbling or leaping; to tumble.

Vault"age (?), n. Vaulted work; also, a vaulted place; an arched cellar. [Obs.] Shak.

Vault"ed, a. 1. Arched; concave; as, a vaulted roof.

2. Covered with an arch, or vault.

3. (Bot.) Arched like the roof of the mouth, as the upper lip of many ringent flowers.

Vault"er (?), n. One who vaults; a leaper; a tumbler. B. Jonson.

Vault"ing, n. 1. The act of constructing vaults; a vaulted construction.

2. Act of one who vaults or leaps.

Vault"y (?), a. Arched; concave. [Obs.] "The vaulty heaven." Shak.

Vaunce (?), v. i. [See Advance.] To advance. [Obs.] Spenser.

Vaunt (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Vaunted; p. pr. & vb. n. Vaunting.] [F. vanter, LL. vanitare, fr. L. vanus vain. See Vain.] To boast; to make a vain display of one's own worth, attainments, decorations, or the like; to talk ostentatiously; to brag.

Pride, which prompts a man to vaunt and overvalue what he is, does incline him to disvalue what he has.

Gov. of Tongue.

Vaunt, v. t. To boast of; to make a vain display of; to display with ostentation.

Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.

1 Cor. xiii. 4.

My vanquisher, spoiled of his vaunted spoil.

Milton.

Vaunt, n. A vain display of what one is, or has, or has done; ostentation from vanity; a boast; a brag.

The spirits beneath, whom I seduced With other promises and other vaunts.

Milton.

Vaunt, n. [F. avant before, fore. See Avant, Vanguard.] The first part. [Obs.] Shak.

Vaunt, v. t. [See Avant, Advance.] To put forward; to display. [Obs.] "Vaunted spear." Spenser.

And what so else his person most may vaunt.

Spenser.

Vaunt"-cou`ri*er (?), n. See Van- courier. [Obs.] Shak.

Vaunt"er (?), n. One who vaunts; a boaster.

Vaunt"ful (?), a. Given to vaunting or boasting; vainly ostentatious; boastful; vainglorious.

Vaunt"ing*ly, adv. In a vaunting manner.

Vaunt"mure` (?), n. [F. avant-mur. See Vanguard, and Mure.] (Fort.) A false wall; a work raised in front of the main wall. [Written also vaimure, and vamure.] Camden.

Vauque"lin*ite (?), n. [So called after the French chemist Vauquelin, who died in 1829: cf. F. vauquelinite.] (Min.) Chromate of copper and lead, of various shades of green.

Vaut (?), v. i. To vault; to leap. [Obs.] Spenser.

Vaut, n. A vault; a leap. [Obs.] Spenser.

Vaut"y (?), a. Vaulted. "The haughty vauty welkin." [Obs.] Taylor (1611).

Vav"a*sor (?), n. [OE. vavasour, OF. vavassor, vavassour, F. vavasseur, LL. vavassor, probably contr. from vassus vassorum vassal of the vassals. See Vassal.] (Feud. Law) The vassal or tenant of a baron; one who held under a baron, and who also had tenants under him; one in dignity next to a baron; a title of dignity next to a baron. Burrill. "A worthy vavasour." Chaucer. [Also written vavasour, vavassor, valvasor, etc.]

Vavasours subdivide again to vassals, exchanging land and cattle, human or otherwise, against fealty.

Motley.

Vav"a*so*ry (?), n. [F. vavassorie.] (Feud. Law) The quality or tenure of the fee held by a vavasor; also, the lands held by a vavasor.

Va"ward` (?), n. [For vanward, equivalent to vanguard. See Vanguard, Ward guard.] The fore part; van. [Obs.]

Since we have the vaward of the day.

Shak.

Va"za par`rot (?). (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of parrots of the genus Coracopsis, native of Madagascar; — called also vasa parrot.

Ve"a*dar (?), n. The thirteenth, or intercalary, month of the Jewish ecclesiastical calendar, which is added about every third year.

Veal (?), n.[OE. veel, OF. veel, F. veau, L. vitellus, dim. of vitulus a calf; akin to E. wether. See Wether, and cf. Vellum, Vituline.] The flesh of a calf when killed and used for food.

Vec"tion (?), n. [L. vectio, from vehere, vectum, to carry.] Vectitation. [Obs.]

Vec`ti*ta"tion (?), n. [L. vectitatus born&?; about, fr. ve&?;tare, v. intens. fr. vehere, vectum, to carry.] The act of carrying, or state of being carried. [Obs.]

Vec"tor (?), n. [L., a bearer, carrier. fr. vehere, vectum, to carry.] 1. Same as Radius vector.

2. (Math.) A directed quantity, as a straight line, a force, or a velocity. Vectors are said to be equal when their directions are the same their magnitudes equal. Cf. Scalar.

In a triangle, either side is the vector sum of the other two sides taken in proper order; the process finding the vector sum of two or more vectors is vector addition (see under Addition).

Vec"ture (?), n. [L. vectura, from vehere, vectum, to carry. Cf. Vettura, Voiture.] The act of carrying; conveyance; carriage. [Obs.] Bacon.

Ve"da (?; 277), n. [Skr. v&?;da, properly, knowledge, from vid to know. See Wit.] The ancient sacred literature of the Hindus; also, one of the four collections, called Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda, and Atharva-Veda, constituting the most ancient portions of that literature.

The language of the Vedas is usually called Vedic Sanskrit, as distinguished from the later and more settled form called classical Sanskrit.

Ve*dan"ta (?), n. [Skr. V&?;danta.] A system of philosophy among the Hindus, founded on scattered texts of the Vedas, and thence termed the "Anta," or end or substance. Balfour (Cyc. of India.)

Ve*dan"tic (?), a. Of or pertaining to the Vedas.

Ve*dan"tist (?), n. One versed in the doctrines of the Vedantas.

Ve*dette" (?), n. [F. vedette, It. vedetta, for veletta (influenced by vedere to see, L. videre), from It. veglia watch, L. vigilia. See Vigil.] A sentinel, usually on horseback, stationed on the outpost of an army, to watch an enemy and give notice of danger; a vidette.

Ve"dro (?), n. [Russ.] A Russian liquid measure, equal to 3.249 gallons of U. S. standard measure, or 2.706 imperial gallons. McElrath.

Veer (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Veered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Veering.] [F. virer (cf. Sp. virar, birar), LL. virare; perhaps fr. L. vibrare to brandish, vibrate (cf. Vibrate); or cf. L. viriae armlets, bracelets, viriola a little bracelet (cf. Ferrule). Cf. Environ.] To change direction; to turn; to shift; as, wind veers to the west or north. "His veering gait." Wordsworth.

And as he leads, the following navy veers.

Dryden.

an ordinary community which is hostile or friendly as passion or as interest may veer about.

Burke.

To veer and haul (Naut.), to vary the course or direction; — said of the wind, which veers aft and hauls forward. The wind is also said to veer when it shifts with the sun.

Veer, v. t. To direct to a different course; to turn; to wear; as, to veer, or wear, a vessel.

To veer and haul (Naut.), to pull tight and slacken alternately. Totten. — To veer away or out (Naut.), to let out; to slacken and let run; to pay out; as, to veer away the cable; to veer out a rope.

Veer"ing, a. Shifting. — Veer"ing*ly, adv.

Veer"y (?), n. (Zoöl.) An American thrush (Turdus fuscescens) common in the Northern United States and Canada. It is light tawny brown above. The breast is pale buff, thickly spotted with brown. Called also Wilson's thrush.

Sometimes I hear the veery's clarion.

Thoreau.

Ve"ga (v"g), n. (Astron.) [Ar. wgi', properly, falling: cf. F. Wéga.] A brilliant star of the first magnitude, the brightest of those constituting the constellation Lyra.

Veg`e*ta*bil"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being vegetable. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Veg`e*ta*ble (?), a. [F. végétable growing, capable of growing, formerly also, as a noun, a vegetable, from L. vegetabilis enlivening, from vegetare to enliven, invigorate, quicken, vegetus enlivened, vigorous, active, vegere to quicken, arouse, to be lively, akin to vigere to be lively, to thrive, vigil watchful, awake, and probably to E. wake, v. See Vigil, Wake, v.]

1. Of or pertaining to plants; having the nature of, or produced by, plants; as, a vegetable nature; vegetable growths, juices, etc.

Blooming ambrosial fruit Of vegetable gold.

Milton.

2. Consisting of, or comprising, plants; as, the vegetable kingdom.

Vegetable alkali (Chem.), an alkaloid. — Vegetable brimstone. (Bot.) See Vegetable sulphur, below. — Vegetable butter (Bot.), a name of several kinds of concrete vegetable oil; as that produced by the Indian butter tree, the African shea tree, and the Pentadesma butyracea, a tree of the order Guttiferæ, also African. Still another kind is pressed from the seeds of cocoa (Theobroma). — Vegetable flannel, a textile material, manufactured in Germany from pine-needle wool, a down or fiber obtained from the leaves of the Pinus sylvestris. — Vegetable ivory. See Ivory nut, under Ivory. — Vegetable jelly. See Pectin. — Vegetable kingdom. (Nat. Hist.) See the last Phrase, below. — Vegetable leather. (a) (Bot.) A shrubby West Indian spurge (Euphorbia punicea), with leathery foliage and crimson bracts. (b) See Vegetable leather, under Leather. — Vegetable marrow (Bot.), an egg-shaped gourd, commonly eight to ten inches long. It is noted for the very tender quality of its flesh, and is a favorite culinary vegetable in England. It has been said to be of Persian origin, but is now thought to have been derived from a form of the American pumpkin. — Vegetable oyster (Bot.), the oyster plant. See under Oyster. — Vegetable parchment, papyrine. — Vegetable sheep (Bot.), a white woolly plant (Raoulia eximia) of New Zealand, which grows in the form of large fleecy cushions on the mountains. — Vegetable silk, a cottonlike, fibrous material obtained from the coating of the seeds of a Brazilian tree (Chorisia speciosa). It us used for various purposes, as for stuffing, and the like, but is incapable of being spun on account of a want of cohesion among the fibers. — Vegetable sponge. See 1st Loof. — Vegetable sulphur, the fine highly inflammable spores of the club moss (Lycopodium clavatum); witch. — Vegetable tallow, a substance resembling tallow, obtained from various plants; as, Chinese vegetable tallow, obtained from the seeds of the tallow tree. Indian vegetable tallow is a name sometimes given to piney tallow. — Vegetable wax, a waxy excretion on the leaves or fruits of certain plants, as the bayberry.

<! p. 1598 !>

Vegetable kingdom (Nat. Hist.), that primary division of living things which includes all plants. The classes of the vegetable kingdom have been grouped differently by various botanists. The following is one of the best of the many arrangements of the principal subdivisions.

I. Phænogamia (called also Phanerogamia). Plants having distinct flowers and true seeds. { 1. Dicotyledons (called also Exogens). — Seeds with two or more cotyledons. Stems with the pith, woody fiber, and bark concentrically arranged. Divided into two subclasses: Angiosperms, having the woody fiber interspersed with dotted or annular ducts, and the seed contained in a true ovary; Gymnosperms, having few or no ducts in the woody fiber, and the seeds naked. 2. Monocotyledons (called also Endogens). — Seeds with single cotyledon. Stems with slender bundles of woody fiber not concentrically arranged, and with no true bark.}

II. Cryptogamia. Plants without true flowers, and reproduced by minute spores of various kinds, or by simple cell division. { 1. Acrogens. — Plants usually with distinct stems and leaves, existing in two alternate conditions, one of which is nonsexual and sporophoric, the other sexual and oöphoric. Divided into Vascular Acrogens, or Pteridophyta, having the sporophoric plant conspicuous and consisting partly of vascular tissue, as in Ferns, Lycopods, and Equiseta, and Cellular Acrogens, or Bryophyta, having the sexual plant most conspicuous, but destitute of vascular tissue, as in Mosses and Scale Mosses. 2. Thallogens. — Plants without distinct stem and leaves, consisting of a simple or branched mass of cellular tissue, or educed to a single cell. Reproduction effected variously. Divided into Algæ, which contain chlorophyll or its equivalent, and which live upon air and water, and Fungi, which contain no chlorophyll, and live on organic matter. (Lichens are now believed to be fungi parasitic on included algæ.}

Many botanists divide the Phænogamia primarily into Gymnosperms and Angiosperms, and the latter into Dicotyledons and Monocotyledons. Others consider Pteridophyta and Bryophyta to be separate classes. Thallogens are variously divided by different writers, and the places for diatoms, slime molds, and stoneworts are altogether uncertain.

For definitions, see these names in the Vocabulary.

Veg"e*ta*ble (?), n. 1. (Biol.) A plant. See Plant.

2. A plant used or cultivated for food for man or domestic animals, as the cabbage, turnip, potato, bean, dandelion, etc.; also, the edible part of such a plant, as prepared for market or the table.

Vegetables and fruits are sometimes loosely distinguished by the usual need of cooking the former for the use of man, while the latter may be eaten raw; but the distinction often fails, as in the case of quinces, barberries, and other fruits, and lettuce, celery, and other vegetables. Tomatoes if cooked are vegetables, if eaten raw are fruits.

Veg"e*tal (?), a. [F. végétal. See Vegetable.]

1. Of or pertaining to vegetables, or the vegetable kingdom; of the nature of a vegetable; vegetable.

All creatures vegetal, sensible, and rational.

Burton.

2. (Biol.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, that class of vital phenomena, such as digestion, absorption, assimilation, secretion, excretion, circulation, generation, etc., which are common to plants and animals, in distinction from sensation and volition, which are peculiar to animals.

Veg"e*tal, n. [F.] A vegetable. [R.] B. Jonson.

Veg`e*tal"i*ty (?), n. 1. The quality or state of being vegetal, or vegetable. [R.]

2. (Biol.) The quality or state of being vegetal, or exhibiting those physiological phenomena which are common to plants and animals. See Vegetal, a., 2.

Veg`e*ta"ri*an (?), n. One who holds that vegetables and fruits are the only proper food for man. Strict vegetarians eat no meat, eggs, or milk.

Veg`e*ta"ri*an, a. Of or pertaining to vegetarianism; as, a vegetarian diet.

Veg`e*ta"ri*an*ism (?), n. The theory or practice of living upon vegetables and fruits.

Veg"e*tate (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Vegetated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vegetating.] [L. vegetatus, p. p. of vegetare to enliven. See Vegetable.]

1. To grow, as plants, by nutriment imbibed by means of roots and leaves; to start into growth; to sprout; to germinate.

See dying vegetables life sustain, See life dissolving vegetate again.

Pope.

2. Fig.: To lead a live too low for an animate creature; to do nothing but eat and grow. Cowper.

Persons who . . . would have vegetated stupidly in the places where fortune had fixed them.

Jeffrey.

3. (Med.) To grow exuberantly; to produce fleshy or warty outgrowths; as, a vegetating papule.

Veg`e*ta"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. végétation, L. vegetatio an enlivening. See Vegetable.]

1. The act or process of vegetating, or growing as a plant does; vegetable growth.

2. The sum of vegetable life; vegetables or plants in general; as, luxuriant vegetation.

3. (Med.) An exuberant morbid outgrowth upon any part, especially upon the valves of the heart.

Vegetation of salts (Old Chem.), a crystalline growth of an arborescent form.

Veg"e*ta*tive (?), a. [Cf. F. végétatif.]

1. Growing, or having the power of growing, as plants; capable of vegetating.

2. Having the power to produce growth in plants; as, the vegetative properties of soil.

3. (Biol.) Having relation to growth or nutrition; partaking of simple growth and enlargement of the systems of nutrition, apart from the sensorial or distinctively animal functions; vegetal.

— Veg"e*ta*tive*ly, adv. — Veg"e*ta*tive*ness, n.

Ve*gete" (?), a. [L. vegetus. See Vegetable.] Lively; active; sprightly; vigorous. [Obs.]

Even her body was made airy and vegete.

Jer. Taylor.

Veg"e*tive (?), a. [See Vegetate, and Vegetative.] Having the nature of a plant; vegetable; as, vegetive life. [R.] Tusser.

Veg"e*tive, n. A vegetable. [Obs.]

The blest infusions That dwell in vegetives, in metals, stones.

Shak.

Veg"e*to-an"i*mal (?), a. (Biol.) Partaking of the nature both of vegetable and animal matter; — a term sometimes applied to vegetable albumen and gluten, from their resemblance to similar animal products.

Veg"e*tous (?), a. [L. vegetus. See Vegete.] Vigorous; lively; active; vegete. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Ve"he*mence (?), n. [L. vehementia: cf. F. véhémence.]

1. The quality pr state of being vehement; impetuous force; impetuosity; violence; fury; as, the vehemence.

2. Violent ardor; great heat; animated fervor; as, the vehemence of love, anger, or other passions.

I . . . tremble at his vehemence of temper.

Addison.

Ve"he*men*cy (?), n. Vehemence. [R.]

The vehemency of your affection.

Shak.

Ve"he*ment (?), a. [L. vehemens, the first part of which is perhaps akin to vehere to carry, and the second mens mind: cf. F. véhément. Cf. Vehicle, and Mental.]

1. Acting with great force; furious; violent; impetuous; forcible; mighty; as, vehement wind; a vehement torrent; a vehement fire or heat.

2. Very ardent; very eager or urgent; very fervent; passionate; as, a vehement affection or passion. "Vehement instigation." Shak. "Vehement desire." Milton.

Syn. — Furious; violent; raging; impetuous; passionate; ardent; eager; hot; fervid; burning.

Ve"he*ment*ly, adv. In a vehement manner.

Ve"hi*cle (?), n. [L. vehiculum, fr. vehere to carry; akin to E. way, wain. See Way, n., and cf. Convex, Inveigh, Veil, Vex.]

1. That in or on which any person or thing is, or may be, carried, as a coach, carriage, wagon, cart, car, sleigh, bicycle, etc.; a means of conveyance; specifically, a means of conveyance upon land.

2. That which is used as the instrument of conveyance or communication; as, matter is the vehicle of energy.

A simple style forms the best vehicle of thought to a popular assembly.

Wirt.

3. (Pharm.) A substance in which medicine is taken.

4. (Paint.) Any liquid with which a pigment is applied, including whatever gum, wax, or glutinous or adhesive substance is combined with it.

Water is used in fresco and in water-color painting, the colors being consolidated with gum arabic; size is used in distemper painting. In oil painting, the fixed oils of linseed, nut, and poppy, are used; in encaustic, wax is the vehicle. Fairholt.

Ve"hi*cled (?), a. Conveyed in a vehicle; furnished with a vehicle. M. Green.

Ve*hic"u*lar (?), a. [L. vehicularis: cf. F. véhiculaire.] Of or pertaining to a vehicle; serving as a vehicle; as, a vehicular contrivance.

Ve*hic"u*la*ry (?), a. Vehicular.

Ve*hic"u*late, v. t. & i. To convey by means of a vehicle; to ride in a vehicle. Carlyle.

Ve*hic`u*la"tion (?), n. Movement of vehicles.

Ve*hic"u*la*to*ry (?), a. Vehicular. Carlyle.

Veh"mic (v"mk or v-; 277), a. [G. vehm, fehm, fehme, a secret tribunal of punishment, MHG. veime, veme: cf. F. vehmique.] Of, pertaining to, or designating, certain secret tribunals which flourished in Germany from the end of the 12th century to the middle of the 16th, usurping many of the functions of the government which were too weak to maintain law and order, and inspiring dread in all who came within their jurisdiction. Encyc. Brit.

Veil (vl), n. [OE. veile, OF. veile, F. voile, L. velum a sail, covering, curtain, veil, probably fr. vehere to bear, carry, and thus originally, that which bears the ship on. See Vehicle, and cf. Reveal.] [Written also vail.]

1. Something hung up, or spread out, to intercept the view, and hide an object; a cover; a curtain; esp., a screen, usually of gauze, crape, or similar diaphnous material, to hide or protect the face.

The veil of the temple was rent in twain.

Matt. xxvii. 51.

She, as a veil down to the slender waist, Her unadornéd golden tresses wore.

Milton.

2. A cover; disguise; a mask; a pretense.

[I will] pluck the borrowed veil of modesty from the so seeming Mistress Page.

Shak.

3. (Bot.) (a) The calyptra of mosses. (b) A membrane connecting the margin of the pileus of a mushroom with the stalk; — called also velum.

4. (Eccl.) A covering for a person or thing; as, a nun's veil; a paten veil; an altar veil.

5. (Zoöl.) Same as Velum, 3.

To take the veil (Eccl.), to receive or be covered with, a veil, as a nun, in token of retirement from the world; to become a nun.

Veil (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Veiled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Veiling.] [Cf. OF. veler, F. voiler, L. velarc. See Veil, n.] [Written also vail.]

1. To throw a veil over; to cover with a veil.

Her face was veiled; yet to my fancied sight, Love, sweetness, goodness, in her person shined.

Milton.

2. Fig.: To invest; to cover; to hide; to conceal.

To keep your great pretenses veiled.

Shak.

Veiled (?), a. Covered by, or as by, a veil; hidden. "Words used to convey a veiled meaning." Earle.

Veil"ing (?), n. A veil; a thin covering; also, material for making veils.

Veil"less, a. Having no veil. Tennyson.

Vein (?), n. [OE. veine, F. veine, L. vena.]

1. (Anat.) One of the vessels which carry blood, either venous or arterial, to the heart. See Artery, 2.

2. (Bot.) One of the similar branches of the framework of a leaf.

3. (Zoöl.) One of the ribs or nervures of the wings of insects. See Venation.

4. (Geol. or Mining) A narrow mass of rock intersecting other rocks, and filling inclined or vertical fissures not corresponding with the stratification; a lode; a dike; — often limited, in the language of miners, to a mineral vein or lode, that is, to a vein which contains useful minerals or ores.

5. A fissure, cleft, or cavity, as in the earth or other substance. "Down to the veins of earth." Milton.

Let the glass of the prisms be free from veins.

Sir I. Newton.

6. A streak or wave of different color, appearing in wood, and in marble and other stones; variegation.

7. A train of association, thoughts, emotions, or the like; a current; a course.

He can open a vein of true and noble thinking.

Swift.

8. Peculiar temper or temperament; tendency or turn of mind; a particular disposition or cast of genius; humor; strain; quality; also, manner of speech or action; as, a rich vein of humor; a satirical vein. Shak.

Certain discoursing wits which are of the same veins.

Bacon.

Invoke the Muses, and improve my vein.

Waller.

Vein, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Veined (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Veining.] To form or mark with veins; to fill or cover with veins. Tennyson.

Vein"al (?), a. Pertaining to veins; venous. [R.]

Veined (?), a. 1. Full of veins; streaked; variegated; as, veined marble. "Veined follies." Ford.

2. (Bot.) Having fibrovascular threads extending throughout the lamina; as, a veined leaf.

Vein"less (?), a. Having no veins; as, a veinless leaf.

Vein"let (?), n. A small vein.

Vein"ous (?), a. Marked with veins; veined; veiny.

The excellent old gentleman's nails are long and leaden, and his hands lean and veinous.

Dickens.

Vein"stone` (?), n. The nonmetalliferous mineral or rock material which accompanies the ores in a vein, as quartz, calcite, barite, fluor spar, etc.; — called also veinstuff.

Vein"y (?), a. [From Vein: cf. F. veiné.] Full of veins; veinous; veined; as, veiny marble.

Ve"lar (?), a. [See Velum.]

1. Of or pertaining to a velum; esp. (Anat.) of or pertaining to the soft palate.

2. (Phon.) Having the place of articulation on the soft palate; guttural; as, the velar consonants, such as k and hard q.

||Ve*la"ri*um (?), n.; pl. Velaria (#). [L., a covering.] (Zoöl.) The ||marginal membrane of certain medusæ belonging to the Discophora. || Ve"late (?), a. [L. velatus, p. p. of velare to veil. See Veil.] (Bot.) Having a veil; veiled.

Vele (?), n. A veil. [Obs.] Spenser.

||Ve*lel"la (?), n. [NL., dim. from L. velum a veil, a sail.] (Zoöl.) ||Any species of oceanic Siphonophora belonging to the genus Velella. || These creatures are brilliantly colored and float at the surface of the sea. They have an oblong, disklike body, supported by a thin chitinous plate, from which rises a thin diagonal crest which acts as a sail. The feeding and reproductive zooids hang down from the under side of the disk.

Ve*lif"er*ous (?), a. [L. velifer; velum a sail + ferre to bear.] Carrying or bearing sails. [Obs.] "Veliferous chariots." Evelyn.

<! p. 1599 !>

||Vel"i*ger (?), n. [NL., fr. L. velum a veil + gerere bear.] (Zoöl.) ||Any larval gastropod or bivalve mollusk in the state when it is ||furnished with one or two ciliated membranes for swimming. || Vel`i*ta"tion (?), n. [L. velitatio, fr. velitari, velitatus, to skirmish, from veles, - itis, a light-armed soldier.] A dispute or contest; a slight contest; a skirmish. [R.] Sir M. Hale.

After a short velitation we parted.

Evelyn.

Ve*liv"o*lant (?), a. [L. velivolans; velum a sail + volare to fly.] Flying with sails; passing under full sail. [R.]

Vell (?), n. [Cf. L. vellus the skin of a sheep with the wool on it, a fleece, a hide or pelt, or E. fell a hide.] The salted stomach of a calf, used in making cheese; a rennet bag. [Prov. Eng.]

Vell, v. i. [Cf. Vell, n.] To cut the turf from, as for burning. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Vel*le"i*ty (?), n. [F. velléité (cf. It. velleità), fr. L. velle to will, to be willing.] The lowest degree of desire; imperfect or incomplete volition. Locke.

Vel"let (?), n. Velvet. [Obs.] Spenser.

Vel"li*cate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vellicated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vellicating.] [L. vellicatus, p. p. of vellicare to twitch, fr. vellere to pluck, pull.] To twitch; to cause to twitch convulsively.

Convulsions, arising from something vellicating a nerve in its extremity, are not very dangerous.

Arbuthnot.

Vel"li*cate, v. i. To move spasmodically; to twitch; as, a nerve vellicates.

Vel`li*ca"tion (?), [L. vellicatio.] 1. The act of twitching, or of causing to twitch.

2. (Med.) A local twitching, or convulsive motion, of a muscular fiber, especially of the face.

Vel"li*ca*tive (?), a. Having the power of vellicating, plucking, or twitching; causing vellication.

||Vel*lon" (?), n. [Sp.] A word occurring in the phrase real vellon. ||See the Note under Its Real. || Vel"lum (?), n. [OE. velim, F. vélin, fr. L. vitulinus of a calf, fr. vitulus a calf. See Veal.] A fine kind of parchment, usually made from calfskin, and rendered clear and white, — used as for writing upon, and for binding books.

Vellum cloth, a fine kind of cotton fabric, made very transparent, and used as a tracing cloth.

Vel"lum*y (?), a. Resembling vellum.

Vel`o*cim"e*ter (?), n. [L. velox, -ocis, rapid + -meter.] An apparatus for measuring speed, as of machinery or vessels, but especially of projectiles.

Ve*loc"i*pede (?), n. [L. velox, - ocis, swift + pes, pedis, a foot. See Velocity, and Foot.] A light road carriage propelled by the feet of the rider. Originally it was propelled by striking the tips of the toes on the roadway, but commonly now by the action of the feet on a pedal or pedals connected with the axle of one or more of the wheels, and causing their revolution. They are made in many forms, with two, three, or four wheels. See Bicycle, and Tricycle.

Ve*loc"i*pe`dist (?), n. One who rides on a velocipede.

Ve*loc"i*ty (?), n.; pl. Velocities (#). [L. velocitas, from velox, -ocis, swift, quick; perhaps akin to v&?;lare to fly (see Volatile): cf. F. vélocité.]

1. Quickness of motion; swiftness; speed; celerity; rapidity; as, the velocity of wind; the velocity of a planet or comet in its orbit or course; the velocity of a cannon ball; the velocity of light.

In such phrases, velocity is more generally used than celerity. We apply celerity to animals; as, a horse or an ostrich runs with celerity; but bodies moving in the air or in ethereal space move with greater or less velocity, not celerity. This usage is arbitrary, and perhaps not universal.

2. (Mech.) Rate of motion; the relation of motion to time, measured by the number of units of space passed over by a moving body or point in a unit of time, usually the number of feet passed over in a second. See the Note under Speed.

Angular velocity. See under Angular. - - Initial velocity, the velocity of a moving body at starting; especially, the velocity of a projectile as it leaves the mouth of a firearm from which it is discharged. — Relative velocity, the velocity with which a body approaches or recedes from another body, whether both are moving or only one. — Uniform velocity, velocity in which the same number of units of space are described in each successive unit of time. — Variable velocity, velocity in which the space described varies from instant, either increasing or decreasing; — in the former case called accelerated velocity, in the latter, retarded velocity; the acceleration or retardation itself being also either uniform or variable. — Virtual velocity. See under Virtual.

In variable velocity, the velocity, strictly, at any given instant, is the rate of motion at that instant, and is expressed by the units of space, which, if the velocity at that instant were continued uniform during a unit of time, would be described in the unit of time; thus, the velocity of a falling body at a given instant is the number of feet which, if the motion which the body has at that instant were continued uniformly for one second, it would pass through in the second. The scientific sense of velocity differs from the popular sense in being applied to all rates of motion, however slow, while the latter implies more or less rapidity or quickness of motion.

Syn. — Swiftness; celerity; rapidity; fleetness; speed.

Ve*lours" (?), n. [F. See Velure.] One of many textile fabrics having a pile like that of velvet.

Velt"fare (?), n. [See Fieldfare.] (Zoöl.) The fieldfare. [Prov. Eng.]

||Ve"lum (?), n.; pl. Vela (#). [L., an awning, a veil. See Veil.] || 1. (Anat.) Curtain or covering; — applied to various membranous partitions, especially to the soft palate. See under Palate.

2. (Bot.) (a) See Veil, n., 3 (b). (b) A thin membrane surrounding the sporocarps of quillworts Isoetes).

3. (Zoöl.) A veil-like organ or part. Especially: (a) The circular membrane that partially incloses the space beneath the umbrella of hydroid medusæ. (b) A delicate funnel-like membrane around the flagellum of certain Infusoria. See Illust. a of Protozoa.

Vel"ure (?), n. [F. velours, OF. velous, from L. villosus hairy. See Velvet.] Velvet. [Obs.] "A woman's crupper of velure." Shak.

Vel`u*ti"na (?), n. [NL. See Velvet.] (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of marine gastropods belonging to Velutina and allied genera.

Ve*lu"ti*nous (?), a. [It. velluto velvet. See Velvet.] (Bot.) Having the surface covered with a fine and dense silky pubescence; velvety; as, a velutinous leaf.

Vel"verd (?), n. The veltfare. [Prov. Eng.]

Vel`ver*et" (?), n. A kind of velvet having cotton back.

Vel"vet (?), n. [OE. velouette, veluet, velwet; cf. OF. velluau, LL. velluetum, vellutum, It. velluto, Sp. velludo; all fr. (assumed) LL. villutus shaggy, fr L. villus shaggy hair; akin to vellus a fleece, and E. wool. See Wool, and cf. Villous.]

1. A silk fabric, having a short, close nap of erect threads. Inferior qualities are made with a silk pile on a cotton or linen back.

2. The soft and highly vascular deciduous skin which envelops and nourishes the antlers of deer during their rapid growth.

Cotton velvet, an imitation of velvet, made of cotton. — Velvet cork, the best kind of cork bark, supple, elastic, and not woody or porous. — Velvet crab a European crab (Portunus puber). When adult the black carapace is covered with a velvety pile. Called also lady crab, and velvet fiddler. — Velvet dock (Bot.), the common mullein. — Velvet duck. (Zoöl.) (a) A large European sea duck, or scoter (Oidemia fusca). The adult male is glossy, velvety black, with a white speculum on each wing, and a white patch behind each eye. (b) The American whitewinged scoter. See Scoter. — Velvet flower (Bot.), love-lies-bleeding. See under Love. — Velvet grass (Bot.), a tall grass (Holcus lanatus) with velvety stem and leaves; — called also soft grass. — Velvet runner (Zoöl.), the water rail; — so called from its quiet, stealthy manner of running. [Prov. Eng.] — Velvet scoter. (Zoöl.) Same as Velvet duck, above. — Velvet sponge. (Zoöl.) See under Sponge.

Vel"vet, a. Made of velvet; soft and delicate, like velvet; velvety. " The cowslip's velvet head." Milton.

Vel"vet, v. i. To pain velvet. [R.] Peacham.

Vel"vet, v. t. To make like, or cover with, velvet. [R.]

Vel"vet*breast` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The goosander. [Local, U. S.]

Vel`vet*een" (?), n. [Cf. F. velvetine. See Velvet.] A kind of cloth, usually cotton, made in imitation of velvet; cotton velvet.

Vel"vet*ing (?), n. The fine shag or nap of velvet; a piece of velvet; velvet goods.

Vel"vet*leaf` (?), n. (Bot.) A name given to several plants which have soft, velvety leaves, as the Abutilon Avicennæ, the Cissampelos Pareira, and the Lavatera arborea, and even the common mullein.

Vel"vet*y (?), a. Made of velvet, or like velvet; soft; smooth; delicate.

||Ve"na (?), n.; pl. Venæ (#). [L. See Vein.] A vein. || Vena cava; pl. Venæ cavæ. [L., literally, hollow vein.] (Anat.) Any one of the great systemic veins connected directly with the heart.— Vena contracta. [L., literally, contracted vein.] (Hydraulics) The contracted portion of a liquid jet at and near the orifice from which it issues. — Vena portæ; pl. VenÆ portæ. [L., literally, vein of the entrance.] (Anat.) The portal vein of the liver. See under Portal.

Ve*na"da (?), N. [Cf. Sp. venado a does, stag.] (Zoöl.) The pudu.

Ve"nal (?), a. [L. vena a vein.] Of or pertaining to veins; venous; as, venal blood. [R.]

Ve"nal, a. [L. venalis, from venus sale; akin to Gr. &?; price, Skr. vasna: cf. F. vénal.] Capable of being bought or obtained for money or other valuable consideration; made matter of trade or barter; held for sale; salable; mercenary; purchasable; hireling; as, venal services. " Paid court to venal beauties." Macaulay.

The venal cry and prepared vote of a passive senate.

Burke.

Syn. — Mercenary; hireling; vendible. — Venal, Mercenary. One is mercenary who is either actually a hireling (as, mercenary soldiers, a mercenary judge, etc.), or is governed by a sordid love of gain; hence, we speak of mercenary motives, a mercenary marriage, etc. Venal goes further, and supposes either an actual purchase, or a readiness to be purchased, which places a person or thing wholly in the power of the purchaser; as, a venal press. Brissot played ingeniously on the latter word in his celebrated saying, " My pen is venal that it may not be mercenary," meaning that he wrote books, and sold them to the publishers, in order to avoid the necessity of being the hireling of any political party.

Thus needy wits a vile revenue made, And verse became a mercenary trade.

Dryden.

This verse be thine, my friend, nor thou refuse This, from no venal or ungrateful muse.

Pope.

Ve*nal"i*ty (?), n. [L. venalitas: cf. F. vénalité.] The quality or state of being venal, or purchasable; mercenariness; prostitution of talents, offices, or services, for money or reward; as, the venality of a corrupt court; the venality of an official.

Complaints of Roman venality became louder.

Milton.

Ve"nal*ly (?), adv. In a venal manner.

||Ve*nan"tes (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L. venans, p. pr. of venari to ||hunt.] (Zoöl.) The hunting spiders, which run after, or leap upon, ||their prey. || Ven"a*ry (?), a. [LL. venarius, fr. L. venari, p. p. venatus, to hunt.] Of or, pertaining to hunting.

{Ve*nat"ic (?), Ve*nat"ic*al (?), } a. [L. venaticus, fr. venatus hunting, fr. venari, p. p. venatus, to hunt.] Of or pertaining to hunting; used in hunting. [R.] " Venatical pleasure." Howell.

Ve*nat"i*ca (?), n. See Vinatico.

Ve*na"tion (?), n. [L. vena a vein.] The arrangement or system of veins, as in the wing of an insect, or in the leaves of a plant. See Illust. in Appendix.

Ve*na"tion, n. [L. venatio, fr. venari, p. p. venatus, to hunt. See Venison.] The act or art of hunting, or the state of being hunted. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Ven`a*to"ri*al (?), a. [L. venatorius.] Or or pertaining to hunting; venatic. [R.]

Vend (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vended; p. pr. & vb. n. Vending.] [F. vendre, L. vendere, from venum dare; venus sale + dare to give. See 2d Venal, Date, time.] To transfer to another person for a pecuniary equivalent; to make an object of trade; to dispose of by sale; to sell; as, to vend goods; to vend vegetables.

Vend differs from barter. We vend for money; we barter for commodities. Vend is used chiefly of wares, merchandise, or other small articles, not of lands and tenements.

Vend, n. 1. The act of vending or selling; a sale.

2. The total sales of coal from a colliery. [Eng.]

Ven"dace (?), n. (Zoöl.) A European lake whitefish (Coregonus Willughbii, or C. Vandesius) native of certain lakes in Scotland and England. It is regarded as a delicate food fish. Called also vendis.

Vend*ee" (?), n. The person to whom a thing is vended, or sold; — the correlative of vendor.

||Ven`dé`miaire" (?), n. [F., fr. L. vindemia vintage.] The first month ||of the French republican calendar, dating from September 22, 1792. || This calendar was substituted for the ordinary calendar, dating from the Christian era, by a decree of the National Convention in 1793. The 22d of September, 1792, which had been fixed upon as the day of the foundation of the republic, was also the date of the new calendar. In this calendar, the year, which began at midnight of the day of the autumnal equinox, was divided into twelve months of thirty days, with five additional days for festivals, and every fourth year six. Each month was divided into three decades of ten days each, the week being abolished. The names of the months in their order were, Vendémiaire, Brumaire, Frimaire Nivose, Pluviose, Ventose, Germinal, Floréal, Prairial, Messidor, Thermidor (sometimes called Fervidor), and Fructidor. This calendar was abolished December 31, 1805, and the ordinary one restored January 1, 1806.

Vend"er (?), n. [From Vend: cf. F. vendeur, OF. vendeor. Cf. Vendor.] One who vends; one who transfers the exclusive right of possessing a thing, either his own, or that of another as his agent, for a price or pecuniary equivalent; a seller; a vendor.

||Ven*det"ta (?), n. [It.] A blood feud; private revenge for the murder ||of a kinsman. || Vend`i*bil"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being vendible, or salable.

Vend"i*ble (?), a. [L. vendibilis: cf. OF. vendible, F. vendable.] Capable of being vended, or sold; that may be sold; salable.

The regulating of prices of things vendible.

Bacon.

Vendible differs from marketable; the latter signifies proper or fit for market, according to the laws or customs of a place. Vendible has no reference to such legal fitness.

Vend"i*ble, n. Something to be sold, or offered for sale. — Vend"i*ble*ness, n. - - Vend"i*bly, adv.

Ven"di*tate (?), v. t. [See Venditation.] To cry up. as if for sale; to blazon. [Obs.] Holland.

Ven`di*ta"tion (?), n. [L. venditatio, fr. venditare, venditatum, to offer again and again for sale, v. freq. of vendere. See Vend.] The act of setting forth ostentatiously; a boastful display. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Ven*di"tion (?), n. [L. venditio: cf. F. vendition.] The act of vending, or selling; sale.

<! p. 1600 !>

Vend"or (?), n. [See Vender.] A vender; a seller; the correlative of vendee.

Vends (?), n. pl. (Ethnol.) See Wends.

Ven*due" (?), n. [OF. vendue, from F. vendre, p. p. vendu, vendue, to sell.] A public sale of anything, by outcry, to the highest bidder; an auction. [Obsoles.]

Vendue master, one who is authorized to sell any property by vendue; an auctioneer. [Obsoles.]

Ve*neer" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Veneered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Veneering.] [G. furnieren, fourniren, fr. F. fournir to furnish. See Furnish.] To overlay or plate with a thin layer of wood or other material for outer finish or decoration; as, to veneer a piece of furniture with mahogany. Used also figuratively.

As a rogue in grain Veneered with sanctimonious theory.

Tennyson.

Ve*neer", n. [Cf. G. furnier or fournier. See Veneer, v. t.] A thin leaf or layer of a more valuable or beautiful material for overlaying an inferior one, especially such a thin leaf of wood to be glued to a cheaper wood; hence, external show; gloss; false pretense.

Veneer moth (Zoöl.), any moth of the genus Chilo; — so called because the mottled colors resemble those of veneering.

Ve*neer"ing, n. 1. The act or art of one who veneers.

2. Thin wood or other material used as a veneer.

Ve*nef"ic*al (?), a. [L. veneficus.] Veneficial. [Obs.] "Venefical instruments." B. Jonson.

Ven"e*fice (?), n. [L. veneficium, fr. veneficus poisoning; venenum poison + facere to make: cf. F. vénéfice.] The act or practice of poisoning. [Obs.]

{ Ven`e*fi"cial (?), Ven`e*fi"cious (?), } a. Acting by poison; used in poisoning or in sorcery. [Obs.] "An old veneficious practice." Sir T. Browne. — Ven`e*fi"cious*ly, adv. [Obs.]

Ven"e*mous (?), a. Venomous. [Obs.]

Ven"e*nate (?), v. t. [L. veneatus, p. p. venenare to poison, from venenum poison. Cf. Venom.] To poison; to infect with poison. [R.] Harvey.

Ven"e*nate (?), a. Poisoned. Woodward.

Ven`e*na"tion (?), n. 1. The act of poisoning.

2. Poison; venom. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Ve*nene" (?), a. Poisonous; venomous. [Obs.]

Ven"e*nose` (?), a. [L. venenosus, fr. venenum poison. Cf. Venomous.] Poisonous. [Obs.]

Ven`er*a*bil"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being venerable; venerableness. Dr. H. More.

Ven"er*a*ble (?), a. [L. venerabilis: cf. F. vénérable.] 1. Capable of being venerated; worthy of veneration or reverence; deserving of honor and respect; — generally implying an advanced age; as, a venerable magistrate; a venerable parent.

He was a man of eternal self-sacrifice, and that is always venerable.

De Quincey.

Venerable men! you have come down to us from a former generation.

D. Webster.

2. Rendered sacred by religious or other associations; that should be regarded with awe and treated with reverence; as, the venerable walls of a temple or a church.

This word is employed in the Church of England as a title for an archdeacon. In the Roman Catholic Church, venerable is applied to those who have attained to the lowest of the three recognized degrees of sanctity, but are not among the beatified, nor the canonized.

— Ven"er*a*ble*ness, n. — Ven"er*a*bly, adv.

||Ven`e*ra"ce*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See Venus.] (Zoöl.) An extensive tribe ||of bivalve mollusks of which the genus Venus is the type. The shells ||are usually oval, or somewhat heartshaped, with a conspicuous lunule. ||See Venus. || Ven"er*ate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Venerated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Venerating.] [L. veneratus, p. p. of venerari to venerate; akin to Venus Venus, Skr. van to like, to wish, and E. winsome. See Winsome.] To regard with reverential respect; to honor with mingled respect and awe; to reverence; to revere; as, we venerate parents and elders.

And seemed to venerate the sacred shade.

Dryden.

I do not know a man more to be venerated for uprightness of heart and loftiness of genius.

Sir W. Scott.

Syn. — To reverence; revere; adore; respect.

Ven`er*a"tion (?), n. [L. veneratio: cf. F. vénération.] The act of venerating, or the state of being venerated; the highest degree of respect and reverence; respect mingled with awe; a feeling or sentimental excited by the dignity, wisdom, or superiority of a person, by sacredness of character, by consecration to sacred services, or by hallowed associations.

We find a secret awe and veneration for one who moves about us in regular and illustrious course of virtue.

Addison.

Syn. — Awe; reverence; respect. See Reverence.

Ven"er*a`tor (?), n. [L.] One who venerates. Jer. Taylor

Ve*ne"re*al (?), a. [L. venereus, venerius, fr. Venus, Veneris, Venus, the goddess of love. See Venerate.] 1. Of or pertaining to venery, or sexual love; relating to sexual intercourse.

Into the snare I fell Of fair, fallacious looks, venereal trains, Softened with pleasure and voluptuous life.

Milton.

2. (Med.) (a) Arising from sexual intercourse; as, a venereal disease; venereal virus or poison. (b) Adapted to the cure of venereal diseases; as, venereal medicines.

3. Adapted to excite venereal desire; aphrodisiac.

4. Consisting of, or pertaining to, copper, formerly called by chemists Venus. [Obs.] Boyle.

Ve*ne"re*al, n. (Med.) The venereal disease; syphilis.

Ve*ne"re*an (?), a. [Cf. F. vénérien.] Devoted to the offices of Venus, or love; venereal. [Obs.] "I am all venerean in feeling." Chaucer.

Ve*ne"re*ous (?), a. [L. venereus.] 1. Venereal; exciting lust; aphrodisiac. [Obs.]

2. Lustful; lascivious; libidinous. [R.] Derham.

Ven"er*ous (?), a. Venereous. [Obs.] Burton.

Ven"er*y (?), n. [L. Venus, Veneris, the goddess of love.] Sexual love; sexual intercourse; coition.

Contentment, without the pleasure of lawful venery, is continence; of unlawful, chastity.

Grew.

Ven"er*y, n. [OE. venerie, F. vénerie, fr. OF. vener to hunt, L. venari. See Venison.] The art, act, or practice of hunting; the sports of the chase. "Beasts of venery and fishes." Sir T. Browne.

I love hunting and venery.

Chaucer.

Ve`ne*sec"tion (?), n. [NL. venaesectio; L. vena vein + sectio section.] (Med.) The act or operation of opening a vein for letting blood; bloodletting; phlebotomy.

Ve*ne"tian (?), a. [Cf. It. Veneziano, L. Venetianus.] Of or pertaining to Venice in Italy.

Venetian blind, a blind for windows, doors, etc., made of thin slats, either fixed at a certain angle in the shutter, or movable, and in the latter case so disposed as to overlap each other when close, and to show a series of open spaces for the admission of air and light when in other positions. — Venetian carpet, an inexpensive carpet, used for passages and stairs, having a woolen warp which conceals the weft; the pattern is therefore commonly made up of simple stripes. — Venetian chalk, a white compact or steatite, used for marking on cloth, etc. — Venetian door (Arch.), a door having long, narrow windows or panes of glass on the sides. — Venetian glass, a kind of glass made by the Venetians, for decorative purposes, by the combination of pieces of glass of different colors fused together and wrought into various ornamental patterns. — Venetian red, a brownish red color, prepared from sulphate of iron; — called also scarlet ocher. — Venetian soap. See Castile soap, under Soap. — Venetian sumac (Bot.), a South European tree (Rhus Cotinus) which yields the yellow dyewood called fustet; — also called smoke tree. — Venetian window (Arch.), a window consisting of a main window with an arched head, having on each side a long and narrow window with a square head.

Ve*ne"tian, n. A native or inhabitant of Venice.

Ven"ew (?), n. [F. venue, lit., an arrival, from venir, p. p. venu, venue, to come. See Venue.] A bout, or turn, as at fencing; a thrust; a hit; a veney. [Obs.] Fuller.

Ven"ey (?; 277), n. [Cf. Venew or Visne.] A bout; a thrust; a venew. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.

Three veneys for a dish of stewed prunes.

Shak.

Venge (?), v. t. [F. venger. See Vengeance.] To avenge; to punish; to revenge. [Obs.] See Avenge, and Revenge. Chaucer. "To venge me, as I may." Shak.

Venge"a*ble (?), a. Revengeful; deserving revenge. [Obs.] Spenser. — Venge"a*bly, adv. [Obs.]

Venge"ance (?), n. [F. vengeance, fr. venger to avenge, L. vindicare to lay claim to, defend, avenge, fr. vindex a claimant, defender, avenger, the first part of which is of uncertain origin, and the last part akin to dicere to say. See Diction, and cf. Avenge, Revenge, Vindicate.] 1. Punishment inflicted in return for an injury or an offense; retribution; — often, in a bad sense, passionate or unrestrained revenge.

To me belongeth vengeance and recompense.

Deut. xxxii. 35.

To execute fierce vengeance on his foes.

Milton.

2. Harm; mischief. [Obs.] Shak.

What a vengeance, or What the vengeance, what! — emphatically. [Obs.] "But what a vengeance makes thee fly!" Hudibras. "What the vengeance! Could he not speak 'em fair?" Shak. — With a vengeance, with great violence; as, to strike with a vengeance. [Colloq.]

Venge"ance*ly, adv. Extremely; excessively. [Obs.] "He loves that vengeancely." Beau. & Fl.

Venge"ful (?), a. Vindictive; retributive; revengeful. "Vengeful ire." Milton. — Venge"ful*ly, adv.

Venge"ment (?), n. [OF. vengement.] Avengement; penal retribution; vengeance. [Obs.] Spenser.

Ven"ger (?), n. An avenger. [Obs.] Spenser.

Ve"ni*a*ble (?), a. [L. veniabilis, fr. venia forgiveness, pardon.] Venial; pardonable. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne. — Ve"ni*a*bly, adv. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Ve"ni*al (?), a. [OF. venial, F. véniel, L. venialis, from venia forgiveness, pardon, grace, favor, kindness; akin to venerari to venerate. See Venerate.] 1. Capable of being forgiven; not heinous; excusable; pardonable; as, a venial fault or transgression.

So they do nothing, 't is a venial slip.

Shak.

2. Allowed; permitted. [Obs.] "Permitting him the while venial discourse unblamed." Milton.

Venial sin (R. C. Theol.), a sin which weakens, but does not wholly destroy, sanctifying grace, as do mortal, or deadly, sins.

— Ve"ni*al*ly, adv. — Ve"ni*al*ness, n. Bp. Hall.

Ve`ni*al"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being venial; venialness. Jer. Taylor.

||Ve*ni"re fa"ci*as (?). [L., make, or cause, to come.] (Law) (a) A ||judicial writ or precept directed to the sheriff, requiring him to ||cause a certain number of qualified persons to appear in court at a ||specified time, to serve as jurors in said court. (b) A writ in the ||nature of a summons to cause the party indicted on a penal statute to ||appear. Called also venire. || Ven"i*son (?; 277), n. [OE. veneison, veneson, venison, OF. veneison, F. venaison, L. venatio hunting, the chase, game, fr. venari, p. p. venatus, to hunt; perhaps akin to OHG. weidin&?;n, weidenen, to pasture, to hunt, G. weide pasturage. Cf. Gain to acquire, Venation.] 1. Beasts of the chase. [Obs.] Fabyan.

2. Formerly, the flesh of any of the edible beasts of the chase, also of game birds; now, the flesh of animals of the deer kind exclusively.

||Ve*ni"te (?), n. [L., come, imperative 2d person pl. So called from ||its opening word in the Latin version.] (Eccl.) The 95th Psalm, which ||is said or sung regularly in the public worship of many churches. ||Also, a musical composition adapted to this Psalm. || Ven"om (?), n. [OE. venim, OF. venim, F. venin, L. veneum. Cf. Venenate.] 1. Matter fatal or injurious to life; poison; particularly, the poisonous, the poisonous matter which certain animals, such as serpents, scorpions, bees, etc., secrete in a state of health, and communicate by thing or stinging.

Or hurtful worm with cankered venom bites.

Milton.

2. Spite; malice; malignity; evil quality. Chaucer. "The venom of such looks." Shak.

Syn. — Venom; virus; bane. See Poison.

Ven"om, v. t. [OE. venimen, OF. venimer, L. venenare. See Venom, n.] To infect with venom; to envenom; to poison. [R.] "Venomed vengeance." Shak.

Ven"om*ous (?), a. [OE. venemous, venimous, F. venimeux, L. venenosus, fr. venenum poison. See Venom, and cf. Venenose.] 1. Full of venom; noxious to animal life; poisonous; as, the bite of a serpent may be venomous.

2. (Zoöl.) Having a poison gland or glands for the secretion of venom, as certain serpents and insects.

3. Noxious; mischievous; malignant; spiteful; as, a venomous progeny; a venomous writer.

Venomous snake (Zoöl.), any serpent which has poison glands and fangs, whether dangerous to man or not. These serpents constitute two tribes, the viperine serpents, or Solenoglypha, and the cobralike serpents, or Proteroglypha. The former have perforated, erectile fangs situated in the front part of the upper jaw, and are without ordinary teeth behind the fangs; the latter have permanently erect and grooved fangs, with ordinary maxillary teeth behind them.

— Ven"om*ous*ly, adv. — Ven"om*ous*ness, n.

Ve*nose" (?), a. [See Venous.] Having numerous or conspicuous veins; veiny; as, a venose frond.

Ve*nos"i*ty (?), n. 1. The quality or state of being venous.

2. (Med.) A condition in which the circulation is retarded, and the entire mass of blood is less oxygenated than it normally is.

Ven"ous (?), a. [L. venosus, from vena a vein. See Vein.] 1. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to a vein or veins; as, the venous circulation of the blood.

2. Contained in the veins, or having the same qualities as if contained in the veins, that is, having a dark bluish color and containing an insufficient amount of oxygen so as no longer to be fit for oxygenating the tissues; — said of the blood, and opposed to arterial.

3. Marked with veins; veined; as, a venous leaf.

Venous leaf (Bot.), a leaf having vessels branching, or variously divided, over its surface. — Venous hum (Med.), a humming sound, or bruit, heard during auscultation of the veins of the neck in anæmia. — Venous pulse (Physiol.), the pulse, or rhythmic contraction, sometimes seen in a vein, as in the neck, when there is an obstruction to the passage of blood from the auricles to the ventricles, or when there is an abnormal rigidity in the walls of the greater vessels. There is normally no pulse in a vein.

Vent (?), n. [F. vente, fr. L. vendere, -itum, to sell; perh. confused with E. vent an opening. See Vend.] Sale; opportunity to sell; market. [Obs.] Shelton.

There is no vent for any commodity but of wool.

Sir W. Temple.

Vent, v. t. To sell; to vend. [Obs.]

Therefore did those nations vent such spice.

Sir W. Raleigh.

Vent, n. [Sp. venta a poor inn, sale, market. See Vent sale.] A baiting place; an inn. [Obs.]

Vent, v. i. [Cf. F. venter to blow, vent wind (see Ventilate); but prob influenced by E. vent an opening.] To snuff; to breathe or puff out; to snort. [Obs.] Spenser.

Vent (?), n. [OE. fent, fente, a slit, F. fente a slit, cleft, fissure, from fendre to split, L. findere; but probably confused with F. vent wind, L. ventus. See Fissure, and cf. Vent to snuff.] 1. A small aperture; a hole or passage for air or any fluid to escape; as, the vent of a cask; the vent of a mold; a volcanic vent.

Look, how thy wounds do bleed at many vents.

Shak.

Long't was doubtful, both so closely pent, Which first should issue from the narrow vent.

Pope.

2. Specifically: —

(a) (Zoöl.) The anal opening of certain invertebrates and fishes; also, the external cloacal opening of reptiles, birds, amphibians, and many fishes.

(b) (Gun.) The opening at the breech of a firearm, through which fire is communicated to the powder of the charge; touchhole.

(c) (Steam Boilers) Sectional area of the passage for gases divided by the length of the same passage in feet.

3. Fig.: Opportunity of escape or passage from confinement or privacy; outlet.

4. Emission; escape; passage to notice or expression; publication; utterance.

Without the vent of words.

Milton.

Thou didst make tolerable vent of thy travel.

Shak.

To give vent to, to suffer to escape; to let out; to pour forth; as, to give vent to anger. — To take vent, to escape; to be made public. [R.] — Vent feather (Zoöl.), one of the anal, or crissal, feathers of a bird. — Vent field (Gun.), a flat raised surface around a vent. — Vent piece. (Gun.) (a) A bush. See 4th Bush, n., 2. (b) A breech block.

Vent, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vented; p. pr. & vb. n. Venting.] 1. To let out at a vent, or small aperture; to give passage or outlet to.

2. To suffer to escape from confinement; to let out; to utter; to pour forth; as, to vent passion or complaint.

The queen of heaven did thus her fury vent.

Dryden.

3. To utter; to report; to publish. [Obs.]

By mixing somewhat true to vent more lies.

Milton.

Thou hast framed and vented very curious orations.

Barrow.

4. To scent, as a hound. [Obs.] Turbervile.

5. To furnish with a vent; to make a vent in; as, to vent. a mold.

<! p. 1601 !>

Vent"age (?), n. A small hole, as the stop in a flute; a vent. Shak.

Vent"ail (?), n. [OF. ventaille, F. ventail. See Ventilate, and cf. Aventail.] That part of a helmet which is intended for the admission of air, — sometimes in the visor. Spenser.

Her ventail up so high that he descried Her goodly visage and her beauty's pride.

Fairfax.

Vent"er (?), n. One who vents; one who utters, reports, or publishes. [R.] Barrow.

||Vent"er (?), n. [L.] 1. (Anat.) (a) The belly; the abdomen; — ||sometimes applied to any large cavity containing viscera. (b) The ||uterus, or womb. (c) A belly, or protuberant part; a broad surface; ||as, the venter of a muscle; the venter, or anterior surface, of the ||scapula. || 2. (Zoöl.) The lower part of the abdomen in insects.

3. (Rom. & O. E. Law) A pregnant woman; a mother; as, A has a son B by one venter, and a daughter C by another venter; children by different venters.

Vent"hole (?), n. A touchhole; a vent.

Ven"ti*duct (?), n. [L. ventus wind + ductus a leading, conduit, fr. ducere, ductum, to lead.] A passage for wind or air; a passage or pipe for ventilating apartments. Gwilt.

Ven"ti*late (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ventilated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Ventilating.] [L. ventilatus, p. p. of ventilare to toss, brandish in the air, to fan, to winnow, from ventus wind; akin to E. wind. See Wind rushing air.] 1. To open and expose to the free passage of air; to supply with fresh air, and remove impure air from; to air; as, to ventilate a room; to ventilate a cellar; to ventilate a mine.

2. To provide with a vent, or escape, for air, gas, etc.; as, to ventilate a mold, or a water-wheel bucket.

3. To change or renew, as the air of a room. Harvey.

4. To winnow; to fan; as, to ventilate wheat.

5. To sift and examine; to bring out, and subject to penetrating scrutiny; to expose to examination and discussion; as, to ventilate questions of policy. Ayliffe.

6. To give vent; to utter; to make public.

Macaulay took occasion to ventilate one of those starling, but not very profound, paradoxes.

J. C. Shairp.

Ven`ti*la"tion (?), n. [L. ventilatio: cf. F. ventilation.] 1. The act of ventilating, or the state of being ventilated; the art or process of replacing foul air by that which is pure, in any inclosed place, as a house, a church, a mine, etc.; free exposure to air.

Insuring, for the laboring man, better ventilation.

F. W. Robertson.

2. The act of refrigerating, or cooling; refrigeration; as, ventilation of the blood. [Obs.] Harvey.

3. The act of fanning, or winnowing, for the purpose of separating chaff and dust from the grain.

4. The act of sifting, and bringing out to view or examination; free discussion; public exposure.

The ventilation of these points diffused them to the knowledge of the world.

Bp. Hall.

5. The act of giving vent or expression. "Ventilation of his thoughts." Sir H. Wotton.

Ven"ti*la*tive (?), a. Of or pertaining to ventilation; adapted to secure ventilation; ventilating; as, ventilative apparatus.

Ven"ti*la`tor (?), n. [Cf. F. ventilateur, L. ventilator a winnower.] A contrivance for effecting ventilation; especially, a contrivance or machine for drawing off or expelling foul or stagnant air from any place or apartment, or for introducing that which is fresh and pure.

Ven*tose" (?), n. A ventouse. [Obs.] Holland.

Ven*tose", a. [L. ventosus windy. See Ventilate.] Windy; flatulent. Richardson (Dict.).

||Ven`tose" (?), n. [F. ventôse. See Ventose, a.] The sixth month of ||the calendar adopted by the first French republic. It began February ||19, and ended March 20. See Vend&?;miaire. || Ven*tos"i*ty (?), n. [L. ventositas: cf. F. ventosité. See Ventose, n.] Quality or state of being ventose; windiness; hence, vainglory; pride. Bacon.

Ven"touse (?), n. [F.] A cupping glass. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Ven"touse, v. t. & i. To cup; to use a cupping glass. [Obs.] [Written also ventuse.] Chaucer.

Ven"trad (?), adv. [L. venter belly + ad to.] (Anat.) Toward the ventral side; on the ventral side; ventrally; — opposed to dorsad.

Ven"tral (?), a. [L. ventralis, fr. venter the belly; perhaps akin to G. wanst: cf. F. ventral.] 1. (Anat.) Of, pertaining to, or situated near, the belly, or ventral side, of an animal or of one of its parts; hemal; abdominal; as, the ventral fin of a fish; the ventral root of a spinal nerve; — opposed to dorsal.

2. (Bot.) (a) Of or pertaining to that surface of a carpel, petal, etc., which faces toward the center of a flower. (b) Of or pertaining to the lower side or surface of a creeping moss or other low flowerless plant. Opposed to dorsal.

Ventral fins (Zoöl.), the posterior pair of fins of a fish. They are often situated beneath the belly, but sometimes beneath the throat. — Ventral segment. (Acoustics) See Loop, n., 5.

Ven"tri*cle (?), n. [L. ventriculus the stomach, a ventricle, dim. of venter the belly: cf. F. ventricule. See Ventral.] 1. (Anat.) A cavity, or one of the cavities, of an organ, as of the larynx or the brain; specifically, the posterior chamber, or one of the two posterior chambers, of the heart, which receives the blood from the auricle and forces it out from the heart. See Heart.

The principal ventricles of the brain are the fourth in the medulla, the third in the midbrain, the first and second, or lateral, ventricles in the cerebral hemispheres, all of which are connected with each other, and the fifth, or pseudocœle, situated between the hemispheres, in front of, or above, the fornix, and entirely disconnected with the other cavities. See Brain, and Cœlia.

2. The stomach. [Obs.]

Whether I will or not, while I live, my heart beats, and my ventricle digests what is in it.

Sir M. Hale.

3. Fig.: Any cavity, or hollow place, in which any function may be conceived of as operating.

These [ideas] are begot on the ventricle of memory.

Shak.

{ Ven"tri*cose` (?), Ven"tri*cous (?), } a. [NL. ventricosus, fr. L. venter belly.] (Nat. Hist.) Swelling out on one side or unequally; bellied; ventricular; as, a ventricose corolla.

Ventricose shell. (Zoöl.) (a) A spiral shell having the body whorls rounded or swollen in the middle. (b) A bivalve shell in which the valves are strongly convex.

Ven*tric"u*lar (?), a. [Cf. F. ventriculaire.] Of or pertaining to a ventricle; bellied.

||Ven*tric"u*lite (?), n. [See Ventriculus.] (Paleon.) Any one of ||numerous species of siliceous fossil sponges belonging to ||Ventriculites and allied genera, characteristic of the Cretaceous ||period. || Many of them were shaped like vases, others like mushrooms. They belong to the hexactinellids, and are allied to the Venus's basket of modern seas.

Ven*tric"u*lous (?), a. [L. ventriculosus of the belly.] Somewhat distended in the middle; ventricular.

||Ven*tric"u*lus (?), n.; pl. Ventriculi (#). [L., belly, dim. fr. ||venter belly.] (Zoöl.) (a) One of the stomachs of certain insects. ||(b) The body cavity of a sponge. || Ven`tri*lo*cu"tion (?), n. [See Ventriloquous.] Ventriloquism.

Ven`tri*lo"qui*al (?), a. Ventriloquous.

Ven*tril"o*quism (?), n. [See Ventriloquous.] The act, art, or practice of speaking in such a manner that the voice appears to come, not from the person speaking, but from some other source, as from the opposite side of the room, from the cellar, etc.

Ven*tril"o*quist (?), n. One who practices, or is skilled in, ventriloquism.

Ventriloquist monkey (Zoöl.), the onappo; — so called from the character of its cry.

Ven*tril"o*quize (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Ventriloquized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Ventriloquizing .] To practice ventriloquism; to speak like a ventriloquist.

Ven*tril"o*quous (?), a. [L. ventriloquus a ventriloquist; venter the belly + loqui, p. p. locutus, to speak. See Ventral, and Loquacious.] Of or pertaining to a ventriloquist or ventriloquism.

Ven*tril"o*quy (?), n. [Cf. F. ventriloquie.] Same as Ventriloquism.

||Ven`tri*mes"on (?), n. [NL. See Venter, and Meson.] (Anat.) See Meson. || Ven"tro- (&?;). [L. venter belly.] A combining form used in anatomy to indicate connection with, or relation to, the abdomen; also, connection with, relation to, or direction toward, the ventral side; as, ventrolateral; ventro-inguinal.

Ven`tro-in"gui*nal (?), a. (Anat.) Pertaining both to the abdomen and groin, or to the abdomen and inguinal canal; as, ventro-inguinal hernia.

Ven"ture (?; 135), n. [Aphetic form of OE. aventure. See Adventure.] 1. An undertaking of chance or danger; the risking of something upon an event which can not be foreseen with certainty; a hazard; a risk; a speculation.

I, in this venture, double gains pursue.

Dryden.

2. An event that is not, or can not be, foreseen; an accident; chance; hap; contingency; luck. Bacon.

3. The thing put to hazard; a stake; a risk; especially, something sent to sea in trade.

My ventures are not in one bottom trusted.

Shak.

At a venture, at hazard; without seeing the end or mark; without foreseeing the issue; at random.

A certain man drew a bow at a venture.

1 Kings xxii. 34.

A bargain at a venture made.

Hudibras.

The phrase at a venture was originally at aventure, that is, at adventure.

Ven"ture, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Ventured (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Venturing.] 1. To hazard one's self; to have the courage or presumption to do, undertake, or say something; to dare. Bunyan.

2. To make a venture; to run a hazard or risk; to take the chances.

Who freights a ship to venture on the seas.

J. Dryden, Jr.

To venture at, or To venture on or upon, to dare to engage in; to attempt without any certainty of success; as, it is rash to venture upon such a project. "When I venture at the comic style." Waller.

Ven"ture, v. t. 1. To expose to hazard; to risk; to hazard; as, to venture one's person in a balloon.

I am afraid; and yet I'll venture it.

Shak.

2. To put or send on a venture or chance; as, to venture a horse to the West Indies.

3. To confide in; to rely on; to trust. [R.]

A man would be well enough pleased to buy silks of one whom he would not venture to feel his pulse.

Addison.

Ven"tur*er (?), n. 1. One who ventures, or puts to hazard; an adventurer. Beau. & Fl.

2. A strumpet; a prostitute. [R.] J. Webster (1607).

Ven"ture*some (?), a. Inclined to venture; not loth to run risk or danger; venturous; bold; daring; adventurous; as, a venturesome boy or act. — Ven"ture*some*ly, adv. — Ven"ture*some*ness, n.

Ven"tur*ine (?), n. [Cf. Aventurine.] (Japanning) Gold powder for covering varnished surfaces.

Ven"tur*ous (?), a. [Aphetic form of OE. aventurous. See Adventurous, Venture, n.] Daring; bold; hardy; fearless; venturesome; adveturous; as, a venturous soldier. Spenser.

This said, he paused not, but with venturous arm He plucked, he tasted.

Milton.

— Ven"tur*ous*ly, adv. — Ven"tur*ous*ness, n.

Ven"tuse (?), v. t. & i. See Ventouse. [Obs.]

Ven"ue (?), n. [F. venue a coming, arrival, fr. venir to come, L. venire; hence, in English, the place whither the jury are summoned to come. See Come, and cf. Venew, Veney.] 1. (Law) A neighborhood or near place; the place or county in which anything is alleged to have happened; also, the place where an action is laid.

The twelve men who are to try the cause must be of the same venue where the demand is made.

Blackstone.

In certain cases, the court has power to change the venue, which is to direct the trial to be had in a different county from that where the venue is laid.

2. A bout; a hit; a turn. See Venew. [R.]

To lay a venue (Law), to allege a place.

Ven"ule (?), n. [L. venula, dim. from vena vein.] A small vein; a veinlet; specifically (Zoöl.), one of the small branches of the veins of the wings in insects.

Ven"u*lose` (?), a. Full of venules, or small veins.

Ve"nus (?), n. [L. Venus, - eris, the goddess of love, the planet Venus.] 1. (Class. Myth.) The goddess of beauty and love, that is, beauty or love deified.

2. (Anat.) One of the planets, the second in order from the sun, its orbit lying between that of Mercury and that of the Earth, at a mean distance from the sun of about 67,000,000 miles. Its diameter is 7,700 miles, and its sidereal period 224.7 days. As the morning star, it was called by the ancients Lucifer; as the evening star, Hesperus.

3. (Alchem.) The metal copper; — probably so designated from the ancient use of the metal in making mirrors, a mirror being still the astronomical symbol of the planet Venus. [Archaic]

4. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of marine bivalve shells of the genus Venus or family Veneridæ. Many of these shells are large, and ornamented with beautiful frills; others are smooth, glossy, and handsomely colored. Some of the larger species, as the round clam, or quahog, are valued for food.

Venus's basin (Bot.), the wild teasel; — so called because the connate leaf bases form a kind of receptacle for water, which was formerly gathered for use in the toilet. Also called Venus's bath. — Venus's basket (Zoöl.), an elegant, cornucopia-shaped, hexactinellid sponge (Euplectella speciosa) native of the East Indies. It consists of glassy, transparent, siliceous fibers interwoven and soldered together so as to form a firm network, and has long, slender, divergent anchoring fibers at the base by means of which it stands erect in the soft mud at the bottom of the sea. Called also Venus's flower basket, and Venus's purse. — Venus's comb. (a) (Bot.) Same as Lady's comb. (b) (Zoöl.) A species of Murex (M. tenuispinus). It has a long, tubular canal, with a row of long, slender spines along both of its borders, and rows of similar spines covering the body of the shell. Called also Venus's shell. — Venus's fan (Zoöl.), a common reticulated, fanshaped gorgonia (Gorgonia flabellum) native of Florida and the West Indies. When fresh the color is purple or yellow, or a mixture of the two. — Venus's flytrap. (Bot.) See Flytrap, 2. — Venus's girdle (Zoöl.), a long, flat, ribbonlike, very delicate, transparent and iridescent ctenophore (Cestum Veneris) which swims in the open sea. Its form is due to the enormous development of two spheromeres. See Illust. in Appendix. — Venus's hair (Bot.), a delicate and graceful fern (Adiantum Capillus-Veneris) having a slender, black and shining stem and branches. — Venus's hair stone (Min.), quartz penetrated by acicular crystals of rutile. — Venus's looking-glass (Bot.), an annual plant of the genus Specularia allied to the bellflower; — also called lady's looking-glass. — Venus's navelwort (Bot.), any one of several species of Omphalodes, low boraginaceous herbs with small blue or white flowers. — Venus's pride (Bot.), an old name for Quaker ladies. See under Quaker. — Venus's purse. (Zoöl.) Same as Venus's basket, above. — Venus's shell. (Zoöl.) (a) Any species of Cypræa; a cowrie. (b) Same as Venus's comb, above. (c) Same as Venus, 4. — Venus's slipper. (a) (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Cypripedium. See Lady's slipper. (b) (Zoöl.) Any heteropod shell of the genus Carinaria. See Carinaria.

<! p. 1602 !>

Ve*nust" (?), a. [L. venustus, from Venus the goddess of love.] Beautiful. [R.] E. Waterhouse.

Ve*ra"cious (?), a. [L. verax, - acis, fr. verus true. See Very.] 1. Observant of truth; habitually speaking truth; truthful; as, veracious historian.

The Spirit is most perfectly and absolutely veracious.

Barrow.

2. Characterized by truth; not false; as, a veracious account or narrative.

The young, ardent soul that enters on this world with heroic purpose, with veracious insight, will find it a mad one.

Carlyle.

Ve*ra"cious*ly, adv. In a veracious manner.

Ve*rac"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. véracité.] The quality or state of being veracious; habitual observance of truth; truthfulness; truth; as, a man of veracity.

Ve*ran"da (?), n. [A word brought by the English from India; of uncertain origin; cf. Skr. vara&?;&?;a, Pg. varanda, Sp. baranda, Malay baranda.] (Arch.) An open, roofed gallery or portico, adjoining a dwelling house, forming an out-of-door sitting room. See Loggia.

The house was of adobe, low, with a wide veranda on the three sides of the inner court.

Mrs. H. H. Jackson.

Ver`a*tral"bine (?), n. (Chem.) A yellowish amorphous alkaloid extracted from the rootstock of Veratrum album.

Ve*ra"trate (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of veratric acid.

||Ve*ra"tri*a (?), n. [NL.] (Chem.) Veratrine. || Ve*ra"tric (?), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, plants of the genus Veratrum.

Veratric acid (Chem.), an acid occurring, together with veratrine, in the root of white hellebore (Veratrum album), and in sabadilla seed; — extracted as a white crystalline substance which is related to protocatechuic acid.

||Ver`a*tri"na (?), n. [NL.] (Chem.) Same as Veratrine. || Ve*ra"trine (?; 277), n. [Cf. F. vératrine. See Veratrum.] (Chem.) A poisonous alkaloid obtained from the root hellebore (Veratrum) and from sabadilla seeds as a white crystalline powder, having an acrid, burning taste. It is sometimes used externally, as in ointments, in the local treatment of neuralgia and rheumatism. Called also veratria, and veratrina.

Ve*ra"trol (?), n. [Veratric + ol.] (Chem.) A liquid hydrocarbon obtained by the decomposition of veratric acid, and constituting the dimethyl ether of pyrocatechin.

||Ve*ra"trum (?), n. [L. veratrum hellebore.] (Bot.) A genus of coarse ||liliaceous herbs having very poisonous qualities. || Veratrum album of Europe, and Veratrum viride of America, are both called hellebore. They grow in wet land, have large, elliptical, plicate leaves in three vertical ranks, and bear panicles of greenish flowers.

Verb (?), n. [F. verbe, L. verbum a word, verb. See Word.] 1. A word; a vocable. [Obs.] South.

2. (Gram.) A word which affirms or predicates something of some person or thing; a part of speech expressing being, action, or the suffering of action.

A verb is a word whereby the chief action of the mind [the assertion or the denial of a proposition] finds expression. Earle.

Active verb, Auxiliary verb, Neuter verb, etc. See Active, Auxiliary, Neuter, etc.

Ver"bal (?), a. [F., fr. L. verbalis. See Verb.] 1. Expressed in words, whether spoken or written, but commonly in spoken words; hence, spoken; oral; not written; as, a verbal contract; verbal testimony.

Made she no verbal question?

Shak.

We subjoin an engraving . . . which will give the reader a far better notion of the structure than any verbal description could convey to the mind.

Mayhew.

2. Consisting in, or having to do with, words only; dealing with words rather than with the ideas intended to be conveyed; as, a verbal critic; a verbal change.

And loses, though but verbal, his reward.

Milton.

Mere verbal refinements, instead of substantial knowledge.

Whewell.

3. Having word answering to word; word for word; literal; as, a verbal translation.

4. Abounding with words; verbose. [Obs.] Shak.

5. (Gram.) Of or pertaining to a verb; as, a verbal group; derived directly from a verb; as, a verbal noun; used in forming verbs; as, a verbal prefix.

Verbal inspiration. See under Inspiration. — Verbal noun (Gram.), a noun derived directly from a verb or verb stem; a verbal. The term is specifically applied to infinitives, and nouns ending in -ing, esp. to the latter. See Gerund, and -ing, 2. See also, Infinitive mood, under Infinitive.

Ver"bal, n. (Gram.) A noun derived from a verb.

Ver"bal*ism (?), n. Something expressed verbally; a verbal remark or expression.

Ver"bal*ist, n. A literal adherent to, or a minute critic of, words; a literalist.

Ver*bal"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being verbal; mere words; bare literal expression. [R.] "More verbality than matter." Bp. Hall.

Ver`bal*i*za"tion (?), n. The act of verbalizing, or the state of being verbalized.

Ver"bal*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Verbalized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Verbalizing (?).] [Cf. F. verbaliser.] To convert into a verb; to verbify.

Ver"bal*ize, v. i. To be verbose.

Ver"bal*ly, adv. 1. In a verbal manner; orally.

2. Word for word; verbatim. Dryden.

Ver*ba"ri*an (?), a. Of or pertaining to words; verbal. [R.] Coleridge.

Ver*ba"ri*an, n. One who coins words. [R.]

Southey gives himself free scope as a verbarian.

Fitzed. Hall.

Ver*ba"ri*um (?), n. [NL., fr. L. verbum word.] A game in word making. See Logomachy, 2.

||Ver*ba"tim (?), adv. [LL., fr. L. verbum word.] Word for word; in the ||same words; verbally; as, to tell a story verbatim as another has ||related it. || Verbatim et literatim [LL.], word for word, and letter for letter.

Ver*be"na (?), n. [L. See Vervain.] (Bot.) A genus of herbaceous plants of which several species are extensively cultivated for the great beauty of their flowers; vervain.

Verbena, or vervain, was used by the Greeks, the Romans, and the Druids, in their sacred rites. Brewer.

Essence of verbena, Oil of verbena, a perfume prepared from the lemon verbena; also, a similar perfume properly called grass oil. See Grass oil, under Grass. — Lemon, or Sweet, verbena, a shrubby verbenaceous plant (Lippia citriodora), with narrow leaves which exhale a pleasant, lemonlike fragrance when crushed.

Ver`be*na"ceous (?), a. (Bot.) Of or pertaining to a natural order (Verbenaceæ) of gamopetalous plants of which Verbena is the type. The order includes also the black and white mangroves, and many plants noted for medicinal use or for beauty of bloom.

Ver"be*nate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Verbenated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Verbenating.] [L. verbenatus crowned with a wreath of sacred boughs. See Verbena.] To strew with verbena, or vervain, as in ancient sacrifices and rites.

Ver"ber*ate (?), v. t. [L. verberatus, p. p. of verberare to beat, from verber a lash, a whip.] To beat; to strike. [Obs.] "The sound . . . rebounds again and verberates the skies." Mir. for Mag.

Ver`ber*a"tion (?), n. [L. verberatio: cf. F. verbération.] 1. The act of verberating; a beating or striking. Arbuthnot.

2. The impulse of a body; which causes sound. [R.]

Ver"bi*age (?; 48), n. [F. verbiage, from OF. verbe a word. See Verb.] The use of many words without necessity, or with little sense; a superabundance of words; verbosity; wordiness.

Verbiage may indicate observation, but not thinking.

W. Irving.

This barren verbiage current among men.

Tennyson.

Verb"i*fy (?), v. t. [Verb + - fy.] To make into a verb; to use as a verb; to verbalize. [R.] Earle.

Ver*bose" (?), a. [L. verbosus, from verbum a word. See Verb.] Abounding in words; using or containing more words than are necessary; tedious by a multiplicity of words; prolix; wordy; as, a verbose speaker; a verbose argument.

Too verbose in their way of speaking.

Ayliffe.

— Ver*bose"ly, adv. — Ver*bose"ness, n.

Ver*bos"i*ty (?), n.; pl. Verbosities (#). [L. verbositas: cf. F. verbosité.] The quality or state of being verbose; the use of more words than are necessary; prolixity; wordiness; verbiage.

The worst fault, by far, is the extreme diffuseness and verbosity of his style.

Jeffrey.

Verd (?), n. [See Vert, Verdant.] 1. (Eng. Forest Law) (a) The privilege of cutting green wood within a forest for fuel. (b) The right of pasturing animals in a forest. Burrill.

2. Greenness; freshness. [Obs.] Nares.

Ver"dan*cy (?), n. The quality or state of being verdant.

Ver"dant (?), a. [F. verdoyant, p. pr. of verdoyer to be verdant, to grow green, OF. verdoier, verdeier, fr. verd, vert, green, fr. L. viridis green, fr. virere to be green: cf. OF. verdant verdant, L. viridans, p. pr. of viridare to make green. Cf. Farthingale, Verjuice, Vert.] 1. Covered with growing plants or grass; green; fresh; flourishing; as, verdant fields; a verdant lawn.

Let the earth Put forth the verdant grass.

Milton.

2. Unripe in knowledge or judgment; unsophisticated; raw; green; as, a verdant youth. [Colloq.]

Verd` an*tique" (?). [F. vert antique a kind of marble; verd, vert, green + antique ancient: cf. It. verde antico.] (Min.) (a) A mottled-green serpentine marble. (b) A green porphyry called oriental verd antique.

Ver"dant*ly (?), adv. In a verdant manner.

{ Ver"der*er (?), Ver"der*or (?), } n. [F. verdier, LL. viridarius, fr. L. viridis green.] (Eng. Forest Law) An officer who has the charge of the king's forest, to preserve the vert and venison, keep the assizes, view, receive, and enroll attachments and presentments of all manner of trespasses. Blackstone.

Ver"dict (?), n. [OE. verdit, OF. verdit, veirdit, LL. verdictum, veredictum; L. vere truly (fr. verus true) + dictum a saying, a word, fr. dicere, dictum, to say. See Very, and Dictum.] 1. (Law) The answer of a jury given to the court concerning any matter of fact in any cause, civil or criminal, committed to their examination and determination; the finding or decision of a jury on the matter legally submitted to them in the course of the trial of a cause.

The decision of a judge or referee, upon an issue of fact, is not called a verdict, but a finding, or a finding of fact. Abbott.

2. Decision; judgment; opinion pronounced; as, to be condemned by the verdict of the public.

These were enormities condemned by the most natural verdict of common humanity.

South.

Two generations have since confirmed the verdict which was pronounced on that night.

Macaulay.

Ver"di*gris (?), n. [F. vert-de-gris, apparently from verd, vert, green + de of + gris gray, but really a corruption of LL. viride aeris (equivalent to L. aerugo), from L. viridis green + aes, aeris, brass. See Verdant, and 2d Ore.] 1. (Chem.) A green poisonous substance used as a pigment and drug, obtained by the action of acetic acid on copper, and consisting essentially of a complex mixture of several basic copper acetates.

2. The green rust formed on copper. [Colloq.]

This rust is a carbonate of copper, and should not be confounded with true verdigris. U. S. Disp.

Blue verdigris (Chem.), a verdigris having a blue color, used a pigment, etc. — Distilled verdigris (Old Chem.), an acid copper acetate; — so called because the acetic acid used in making it was obtained from distilled vinegar. — Verdigris green, clear bluish green, the color of verdigris.

Ver"di*gris, v. t. To cover, or coat, with verdigris. [R.] "An old verdigrised brass bugle." Hawthorne.

Ver"din (?), n. [Cf. Sp. verdino bright green, F. verdin the yellow-hammer.] (Zoöl.) A small yellow-headed bird (Auriparus flaviceps) of Lower California, allied to the titmice; — called also goldtit.

Ver"dine (?), n. [F. verd, vert, green.] (Chem.) A commercial name for green aniline dye.

Ver"din*gale (?), n. See Farthingale. [Spelled also verdingall.] [Obs.]

Ver"dit (?), n. Verdict. Chaucer.

Ver"di*ter (?), n. [F. vert-de-terre, literally, green of earth.] (Chem.) (a) Verdigris. [Obs.] (b) Either one of two pigments (called blue verditer, and green verditer) which are made by treating copper nitrate with calcium carbonate (in the form of lime, whiting, chalk, etc.) They consist of hydrated copper carbonates analogous to the minerals azurite and malachite.

Verditer blue, a pale greenish blue color, like that of the pigment verditer.

Ver"di*ture (?; 135), n. [Cf. Verditer.] The faintest and palest green.

Ver"doy (?), a. [F. verdoyer to become green. See Verdant.] (Her.) Charged with leaves, fruits, flowers, etc.; — said of a border.

Ver"dure (?), n. [F., fr. L. viridis green. See Verdant.] Green; greenness; freshness of vegetation; as, the verdure of the meadows in June.

A wide expanse of living verdure, cultivated gardens, shady groves, fertile cornfields, flowed round it like a sea.

Motley.

Ver"dured (?), a. Covered with verdure. Poe.

Ver"dure*less (?), a. Destitute of verdure.

Ver"dur*ous (?), a. Covered with verdure; clothed with the fresh green of vegetation; verdured; verdant; as, verdurous pastures. Milton.

Ver"e*cund (?), a. [L. verecundus, fr. vereri to feel awe.] Rashful; modest. [Obs.]

Ver`e*cun"di*ous (?), a. Verecund. [Obs.] "Verecundious generosity." Sir H. Wotton.

Ver`e*cun"di*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being verecund; modesty. [Obs.]

||Ver`e*til"lum (?), n. [L., dim. of veretrum the private parts.] ||(Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of club-shaped, compound ||Alcyonaria belonging to Veretillum and allied genera, of the tribe ||Pennatulacea. The whole colony can move about as if it were a simple ||animal. || { Ver"ga*lien, Ver"ga*loo } (?), n. [Cf. Virgouleuse.] (Bot.) See Virgalieu.

Verge (?), n. [F. verge, L. virga; perhaps akin to E. wisp.] 1. A rod or staff, carried as an emblem of authority; as, the verge, carried before a dean.

2. The stick or wand with which persons were formerly admitted tenants, they holding it in the hand, and swearing fealty to the lord. Such tenants were called tenants by the verge. [Eng.]

3. (Eng. Law) The compass of the court of Marshalsea and the Palace court, within which the lord steward and the marshal of the king's household had special jurisdiction; — so called from the verge, or staff, which the marshal bore.

4. A virgate; a yardland. [Obs.]

5. A border, limit, or boundary of a space; an edge, margin, or brink of something definite in extent.

Even though we go to the extreme verge of possibility to invent a supposition favorable to it, the theory . . . implies an absurdity.

J. S. Mill.

But on the horizon's verge descried, Hangs, touched with light, one snowy sail.

M. Arnold.

6. A circumference; a circle; a ring.

The inclusive verge Of golden metal that must round my brow.

Shak.

7. (Arch.) (a) The shaft of a column, or a small ornamental shaft. Oxf. Gloss. (b) The edge of the tiling projecting over the gable of a roof. Encyc. Brit.

8. (Horol.) The spindle of a watch balance, especially one with pallets, as in the old vertical escapement. See under Escapement.

9. (Hort.) (a) The edge or outside of a bed or border. (b) A slip of grass adjoining gravel walks, and dividing them from the borders in a parterre.

10. The penis.

11. (Zoöl.) The external male organ of certain mollusks, worms, etc. See Illustration in Appendix.

Syn. — Border; edge; rim; brim; margin; brink.

<! p. 1603 !>

Verge (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Verged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Verging (?).] [L. vergere to bend, turn, incline; cf. Skr. v&?;j to turn.] 1. To border upon; to tend; to incline; to come near; to approach.

2. To tend downward; to bend; to slope; as, a hill verges to the north.

Our soul, from original instinct, vergeth towards him as its center.

Barrow.

I find myself verging to that period of life which is to be labor and sorrow.

Swift.

Verge"board` (?), n. [Verge + board. Cf. Bargeboard.] (Arch.) The ornament of woodwork upon the gable of a house, used extensively in the 15th century. It was generally suspended from the edge of the projecting roof (see Verge, n., 4), and in position parallel to the gable wall. Called also bargeboard.

Ver"gen*cy (?), n. 1. The act of verging or approaching; tendency; approach. [R.]

2. (Opt.) The reciprocal of the focal distance of a lens, used as measure of the divergence or convergence of a pencil of rays. [R.] Humphrey Lloyd.

Ver"ger (?), n. [F. verger, from verge a rod. See 1st Verge.] One who carries a verge, or emblem of office. Specifically: —

(a) An attendant upon a dignitary, as on a bishop, a dean, a justice, etc. [Eng.] Strype.

(b) The official who takes care of the interior of a church building.

Ver"ger, n. A garden or orchard. [Obs.]

Ver`get`té" (?), a. [Cf. F. vergeté.] Divided by pallets, or pales; paly. W. Berry.

Ver*gette" (?), n. (Her.) A small pale.

Ve*rid"ic*al (?), a. [L. veridicus; verus true + dicere to say, tell.] Truth-telling; truthful; veracious. [R.] Carlyle.

Ver"i*fi`a*ble (?), a. Capable of being verified; confirmable. Bp. Hall.

Ver`i*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. vérification.] 1. The act of verifying, or the state of being verified; confirmation; authentication.

2. (Law) (a) Confirmation by evidence. (b) A formal phrase used in concluding a plea.

Verification of an equation (Math.), the operation of testing the equation of a problem, to see whether it expresses truly the conditions of the problem. Davies & Peck. (Math. Dict.)

Ver"i*fi*ca*tive (?), a. Serving to verify; verifying; authenticating; confirming.

Ver"i*fi`er (?), n. One who, or that which, verifies.

Ver"i*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Verified (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Verifying.] [F. vérifier, LL. verificare, from L. verus true + -ficare to make. See Very, and - fy.] 1. To prove to be true or correct; to establish the truth of; to confirm; to substantiate.

This is verified by a number of examples.

Bacon.

So shalt thou best fulfill, best verify. The prophets old, who sung thy endless reign.

Milton.

2. To confirm or establish the authenticity of by examination or competent evidence; to authenticate; as, to verify a written statement; to verify an account, a pleading, or the like.

To verify our title with their lives.

Shak.

3. To maintain; to affirm; to support. [Obs.] Shak.

Ve*ril"o*quent (?), a. [L. verus true + loquens speaking.] Speaking truth; truthful. [Obs.]

Ver"i*ly (?), adv. [From Very.] In very truth; beyond doubt or question; in fact; certainly. Bacon.

Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

Ps. xxxvii. 3.

Ver"ine (?), n. [Contr. from veratrine.] (Chem.) An alkaloid obtained as a yellow amorphous substance by the decomposition of veratrine.

Ver`i*sim"i*lar (?), a. [L. verisimilis; verus true + similis like, similar. See Very, and Similar.] Having the appearance of truth; probable; likely. "How verisimilar it looks." Carlyle.

Ver`i*si*mil"i*tude (?), n. [L. verisimilitudo: cf. OF. verisimilitude. See Verisimilar.] The quality or state of being verisimilar; the appearance of truth; probability; likelihood.

Verisimilitude and opinion are an easy purchase; but true knowledge is dear and difficult.

Glanvill.

All that gives verisimilitude to a narrative.

Sir. W. Scott.

Ver`i*si*mil"i*ty (?), n. Verisimilitude. [Obs.]

The verisimility or probable truth.

Sir T. Browne.

Ver`i*sim"i*lous (?), a. Verisimilar. [Obs.]

Ver"i*ta*ble (?), a. [F. véritable. See Verity.] Agreeable to truth or to fact; actual; real; true; genuine. "The veritable Deity." Sir W. Hamilton. — Ver"i*ta*bly, adv.

Ver"i*tas (?), n. [Cf. F. véritas. See Verity.] The Bureau Veritas. See under Bureau.

Ver"i*ty (?), n.; pl. Verities (#). [F. vérité, L. veritas, fr. verus true. See Very.] 1. The quality or state of being true, or real; consonance of a statement, proposition, or other thing, with fact; truth; reality. "The verity of certain words." Shak.

It is a proposition of eternal verity, that none can govern while he is despised.

South.

2. That which is true; a true assertion or tenet; a truth; a reality.

Mark what I say, which you shall find By every syllable a faithful verity.

Shak.

Ver"juice` (?), n. [OE. vergeous, F. verjus, that is, the juice of green fruits; verd, vert, green + jus juice. See Verdant, and Juice.] 1. The sour juice of crab apples, of green or unripe grapes, apples, etc.; also, an acid liquor made from such juice.

2. Tartness; sourness, as of disposition.

Ver"meil (?), n. [F., vermilion, fr. LL. vermiculus, fr. L. vermiculus a little worm, the coccus Indicus, from vermis a worm. See Worm, and cf. Vermicule.] 1. Vermilion; also, the color of vermilion, a bright, beautiful red. [Poetic & R.]

In her cheeks the vermeil red did show Like roses in a bed of lilies shed.

Spenser.

2. Silver gilt or gilt bronze.

3. A liquid composition applied to a gilded surface to give luster to the gold. Knight.

Ver`me*ol"o*gist (?), n. One who treats of vermes, or worms; a helminthologist.

Ver`me*ol"o*gy (?), n. [L. vermes worms + -logy.] (Zoöl.) A discourse or treatise on worms; that part of zoölogy which treats of worms; helminthology. [R.]

||Ver"mes (?), n. pl. [L. vermes, pl. of vermis a worm.] (Zoöl.) (a) An ||extensive artificial division of the animal kingdom, including the ||parasitic worms, or helminths, together with the nemerteans, ||annelids, and allied groups. By some writers the branchiopods, the ||bryzoans, and the tunicates are also included. The name was used in a ||still wider sense by Linnæus and his followers. (b) A more restricted ||group, comprising only the helminths and closely allied orders. || Ver"me*tid (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any species of vermetus.

||Ver*me"tus (?), n. [NL., from L. vermis worm.] (Zoöl.) Any one of ||many species of marine gastropods belonging to Vermetus and allied ||genera, of the family Vermetidæ. Their shells are regularly spiral ||when young, but later in life the whorls become separate, and the ||shell is often irregularly bent and contorted like a worm tube. || Ver`mi*cel"li (?), n. [It., pl. of vermicello, literally, a little worm, dim. of verme a worm, L. vermis. See Worm, and cf. Vermicule, Vermeil.] The flour of a hard and small-grained wheat made into dough, and forced through small cylinders or pipes till it takes a slender, wormlike form, whence the Italian name. When the paste is made in larger tubes, it is called macaroni.

Ver"mi*cide (?), n. [L. vermis a worm + caedere to kill.] A medicine which destroys intestinal worms; a worm killer. Pereira.

Ver*mi"cious (?), a. [L. vermis a worm.] Of or pertaining to worms; wormy.

Ver*mic"u*lar (?), a. [L. vermiculus a little worm, dim. of vermis a worm: cf. F. vermiculaire. See Vermicelli.] Of or pertaining to a worm or worms; resembling a worm; shaped like a worm; especially, resembling the motion or track of a worm; as, the vermicular, or peristaltic, motion of the intestines. See Peristaltic. "A twisted form vermicular." Cowper.

Ver*mic"u*late (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vermiculated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vermiculating.] [L. vermiculatus inlaid so as to resemble the tracks of worms, p. p. of vermiculari to be full of worms, vermiculus a little worm. See Vermicular.] To form or work, as by inlaying, with irregular lines or impressions resembling the tracks of worms, or appearing as if formed by the motion of worms.

Ver*mic"u*late (?), a. 1. Wormlike in shape; covered with wormlike elevations; marked with irregular fine lines of color, or with irregular wavy impressed lines like worm tracks; as, a vermiculate nut.

2. Crawling or creeping like a worm; hence, insinuating; sophistical. "Vermiculate questions." Bacon. "Vermiculate logic." R. Choate.

Ver*mic"u*la`ted (?), a. Made or marked with irregular wavy lines or impressions; vermiculate.

Vermiculated work, or Vermicular work (Arch.), rustic work so wrought as to have the appearance of convoluted worms, or of having been eaten into by, or covered with tracks of, worms. Gwilt.

Ver*mic`u*la"tion (?), n. [L. vermiculatio a being worm-eaten.] 1. The act or operation of moving in the manner of a worm; continuation of motion from one part to another; as, the vermiculation, or peristaltic motion, of the intestines.

2. The act of vermiculating, or forming or inlaying so as to resemble the motion, track, or work of a worm.

3. Penetration by worms; the state of being wormeaten.

4. (Zoöl.) A very fine wavy crosswise color marking, or a patch of such markings, as on the feathers of birds.

Ver"mi*cule (?), n. [L. vermiculus, dim. of vermis a worm. See Vermicular.] A small worm or insect larva; also, a wormlike body. [R.] Derham.

Ver*mic"u*lite (?), n. [L. vermiculus, dim. of vermis worm.] (Min.) A group of minerals having, a micaceous structure. They are hydrous silicates, derived generally from the alteration of some kind of mica. So called because the scales, when heated, open out into wormlike forms.

{ Ver*mic"u*lose` (?), Ver*mic"u*lous (?), } a. [L. vermiculosus. See Vermicule.] Containing, or full of, worms; resembling worms.

Ver"mi*form (?), a. [L. vermis a worm + -form.] Resembling a worm in form or motions; vermicular; as, the vermiform process of the cerebellum.

Vermiform appendix (Anat.), a slender blind process of the cæcum in man and some other animals; — called also vermiform appendage, and vermiform process. Small solid bodies, such as grape seeds or cherry stones, sometimes lodge in it, causing serious, or even fatal, inflammation. See Illust. under Digestion.

||Ver`mi*for"mi*a (?), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoöl.) A tribe of worms including ||Phoronis. See Phoronis. || Ver*mif"u*gal (?), a. [L. vermis a worm + fugare to drive away, fr. fugere to flee. See Worm, and Fugitive.] (Med.) Tending to prevent, destroy, or expel, worms or vermin; anthelmintic.

Ver"mi*fuge (?), n. [Cf. F. vermifuge. See Vermifugal.] (Med.) A medicine or substance that expels worms from animal bodies; an anthelmintic.

Ver"mil (?), n. See Vermeil. [Obs.] Spenser.

||Ver`mi*lin"gui*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L. vermis worm + lingua ||tongue.] [Called also Vermilingues.] (Zoöl.) (a) A tribe of edentates ||comprising the South American ant-eaters. The tongue is long, ||slender, exsertile, and very flexible, whence the name. (b) A tribe ||of Old World lizards which comprises the chameleon. They have long, ||flexible tongues. || Ver*mil"ion (?), n. [F. vermillon. See Vermeil.] 1. (Chem.) A bright red pigment consisting of mercuric sulphide, obtained either from the mineral cinnabar or artificially. It has a fine red color, and is much used in coloring sealing wax, in printing, etc.

The kermes insect has long been used for dyeing red or scarlet. It was formerly known as the worm dye, vermiculus, or vermiculum, and the cloth was called vermiculatia. Hence came the French vermeil for any red dye, and hence the modern name vermilion, although the substance it denotes is very different from the kermes, being a compound of mercury and sulphur. R. Hunt.

2. Hence, a red color like the pigment; a lively and brilliant red; as, cheeks of vermilion.

Ver*mil"ion, v. t. To color with vermilion, or as if with vermilion; to dye red; to cover with a delicate red.

Ver"mi*ly (?), n. Vermeil. [Obs.] Spenser.

Ver"min (?), n. sing. & pl.; used chiefly as plural. [OE. vermine, F. vermine, from L. vermis a worm; cf. LL. vermen a worm, L. verminosus full of worms. See Vermicular, Worm.] 1. An animal, in general. [Obs.]

Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and vermin, and worms, and fowls.

Acts x. 12. (Geneva Bible).

This crocodile is a mischievous fourfooted beast, a dangerous vermin, used to both elements.

Holland.

2. A noxious or mischievous animal; especially, noxious little animals or insects, collectively, as squirrels, rats, mice, flies, lice, bugs, etc. "Cruel hounds or some foul vermin." Chaucer.

Great injuries these vermin, mice and rats, do in the field.

Mortimer.

They disdain such vermin when the mighty boar of the forest . . . is before them.

Burke.

3. Hence, in contempt, noxious human beings.

You are my prisoners, base vermin.

Hudibras.

Ver"mi*nate (?), v. i. [L. verminare to have worms, fr. vermis a worm.] To breed vermin.

Ver`mi*na"tion (?), n. [L. verminatio the worms, a disease of animals, a crawling, itching pain.] 1. The generation or breeding of vermin. Derham.

2. A griping of the bowels.

Ver"min*ly (?), a. & adv. Resembling vermin; in the manner of vermin. [Obs.] Gauden.

Ver"min*ous (?), a. [L. verminosus, fr. vermis a worm: cf. F. vermineux.] 1. Tending to breed vermin; infested by vermin.

Some . . . verminous disposition of the body.

Harvey.

2. Caused by, or arising from the presence of, vermin; as, verminous disease.

Ver"min*ous*ly, adv. In a verminous manner.

Ver*mip"a*rous (?), a. [L. vermis a worm + parere to bring forth.] Producing or breeding worms. "Vermiparous animals." Sir T. Browne.

Ver*miv"o*rous (?), a. [L. vermis a worm + vorare to devour: cf. F. vermivore.] (Zoöl.) Devouring worms; feeding on worms; as, vermivorous birds.

Ver"muth (?), n. [F. vermout.] A liqueur made of white wine, absinthe, and various aromatic drugs, used to excite the appetite. [Written also vermouth.]

Ver"na*cle (?), n. See Veronica, 1. [Obs.]

Ver*nac"u*lar (?), a. [L. vernaculus born in one's house, native, fr. verna a slave born in his master's house, a native, probably akin to Skr. vas to dwell, E. was.] Belonging to the country of one's birth; one's own by birth or nature; native; indigenous; — now used chiefly of language; as, English is our vernacular language. "A vernacular disease." Harvey.

His skill the vernacular dialect of the Celtic tongue.

Fuller.

Which in our vernacular idiom may be thus interpreted.

Pope.

Ver*nac"u*lar, n. The vernacular language; one's mother tongue; often, the common forms of expression in a particular locality.

Ver*nac"u*lar*ism (?), n. A vernacular idiom.

Ver*nac"u*lar*i*za"tion (?), n. The act or process of making vernacular, or the state of being made vernacular. Fitzed. Hall.

Ver*nac"u*lar*ly (?), adv. In a vernacular manner; in the vernacular. Earle.

Ver*nac"u*lous (?), a. [L. vernaculus. See Vernacular.] 1. Vernacular. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

2. [L. vernaculi, pl., buffoons, jesters.] Scoffing; scurrilous. [A Latinism. Obs.] "Subject to the petulancy of every vernaculous orator." B. Jonson.

Ver"nage (?), n. [It. vernaccia.] A kind of sweet wine from Italy. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Ver"nal (?), a. [L. vernalis, fr. vernus vernal, ver spring; akin to Gr. &?;, Skr. vasanta, Icel. vr, and E. Easter, east.] 1. Of or pertaining to the spring; appearing in the spring; as, vernal bloom.

2. Fig.: Belonging to youth, the spring of life.

When after the long vernal day of life.

Thomson.

And seems it hard thy vernal years Few vernal joys can show?

Keble.

<! p. 1604 !>

Vernal equinox (Astron.), the time when the sun crosses the equator when proceeding northward. — Vernal grass (Bot.), a low, soft grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum), producing in the spring narrow spikelike panicles, and noted for the delicious fragrance which it gives to new-mown hay; — also called sweet vernal grass. See Illust. in Appendix. — Vernal signs (Astron.), the signs, Aries, Taurus, and Gemini, in which the sun appears between the vernal equinox and summer solstice.

Ver"nant (?), a. [L. vernans, p. pr. vernare to flourish, from ver spring.] Flourishing, as in spring; vernal. [Obs.] "Vernant flowers." Milton.

Ver"nate (?), v. i. [See Vernant.] To become young again. [Obs.]

Ver*na"tion (?), n. [F. vernation: cf. L. vernatio the sloughing of the skin of snakes.] (Bot.) The arrangement of the leaves within the leaf bud, as regards their folding, coiling, rolling, etc.; prefoliation.

Ver"ni*cle (?), n. A Veronica. See Veronica, 1. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.

A vernicle had he sowed upon his cap.

Chaucer.

Ver"ni*cose` (?), a. [See Varnish.] (Bot.) Having a brilliantly polished surface, as some leaves.

Ver"ni*er (?), n. [So named after the inventor, Pierre Vernier.] A short scale made to slide along the divisions of a graduated instrument, as the limb of a sextant, or the scale of a barometer, for indicating parts of divisions. It is so graduated that a certain convenient number of its divisions are just equal to a certain number, either one less or one more, of the divisions of the instrument, so that parts of a division are determined by observing what line on the vernier coincides with a line on the instrument.

Vernier calipers, Vernier gauge, a gauge with a graduated bar and a sliding jaw bearing a vernier, used for accurate measurements. — Vernier compass, a surveyor's compass with a vernier for the accurate adjustment of the zero point in accordance with magnetic variation. — Vernier transit, a surveyor's transit instrument with a vernier compass.

Ver"nile (?), a. [L. vernilis servile. See Vernacular.] Suiting a salve; servile; obsequious. [R.]

The example . . . of vernile scurrility.

De Quincey.

Ver*nil"i*ty (?), n. [L. vernilitas.] Fawning or obsequious behavior; servility. [R.] Bailey.

Ver"nine (?), n. [Vernal + - ine.] (Chem.) An alkaloid extracted from the shoots of the vetch, red clover, etc., as a white crystalline substance.

Ver"nish (?), n. & v. Varnish. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Ver"no*nin (?), n. (Chem.) A glucoside extracted from the root of a South African plant of the genus Vernonia, as a deliquescent powder, and used as a mild heart tonic.

||Ver`o*nese" (?), a. [It. Veronese.] Of or pertaining to Verona, in ||Italy. — n. sing. & pl. A native of Verona; collectively, the people ||of Verona. || Ve*ron"i*ca (?), n. [LL.; — so called from Veronica, a woman who, according to an old legend, as Christ was carrying the cross, wiped his face with a cloth, which received an impression of his countenance; Veronica is fr. MGr. &?;, fr. Macedonian &?;, for Gr. &?;, literally, carrying off victory, victorious.] 1. A portrait or representation of the face of our Savior on the alleged handkerchief of Saint Veronica, preserved at Rome; hence, a representation of this portrait, or any similar representation of the face of the Savior. Formerly called also Vernacle, and Vernicle.

2. (Bot.) A genus scrophulariaceous plants; the speedwell. See Speedwell.

Several herbaceous species are common in both Europe and America, most of which have small blue flowers. A few shrubby species from New Zealand are sometimes found in cultivation.

Ver"ray (?), a. Very; true. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Ver"ray*ment (?), adv. [OF. veraiement. See Very.] Verily; truly. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Ver"rel (?), n. See Ferrule. [Obs.]

Ver*ric"u*late (?), a. [L. verriculum a net, seine.] (Zoöl.) Having thickset tufts of parallel hairs, bristles, or branches.

Ver*ru"ci*form (?), a. [L. verruca wart + -form.] Shaped like a wart or warts.

Ver"ru*cose` (?), a. [L. verrucosus, fr. verruca a wart.] Covered with wartlike elevations; tuberculate; warty; verrucous; as, a verrucose capsule.

Ver"ru*cous (?), a. Verrucose.

Ver*ru"cu*lose` (?), a. [L. verrucula, dim. of verruca a wart.] Minutely verrucose; as, a verruculose leaf or stalk.

Vers (?), n. sing. & pl. A verse or verses. See Verse. [Obs.] "Ten vers or twelve." Chaucer.

Ver`sa*bil"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being versable. [R.] Sterne

Ver"sa*ble (?), a. [L. versabilis: cf. F. versable. See Versatile.] Capable of being turned. [R.]

Ver"sa*ble*ness, n. Versability. [R.]

Ver"sal (?), a. Universal. [Obs. or Colloq.] Shak.

Ver"sant (?), a. [L. versans, p. pr. versare to turn abound frequently, to turn over in the mind, to meditate. See Versatile.] Familiar; conversant. [R.]

Men not versant with courts of justice.

Sydney Smith.

Ver"sant, n. [F.] The slope of a side of a mountain chain; hence, the general slope of a country; aspect.

Ver"sa*tile (?), a. [L. versatilis, fr. versare to turn around, v. freq. of vertere: cf. F. versatile. See Verse.] 1. Capable of being turned round. Harte.

2. Liable to be turned in opinion; changeable; variable; unsteady; inconstant; as versatile disposition.

3. Turning with ease from one thing to another; readily applied to a new task, or to various subjects; many-sided; as, versatile genius; a versatile politician.

Conspicuous among the youths of high promise . . . was the quick and versatile [Charles] Montagu.

Macaulay.

4. (Nat. Hist.) Capable of turning; freely movable; as, a versatile anther, which is fixed at one point to the filament, and hence is very easily turned around; a versatile toe of a bird.

— Ver"sa*tile*ly, adv. — — Ver"sa*tile*ness, n.

Ver`sa*til"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. versatilité.] The quality or state of being versatile; versatileness.

||Vers` de so`cié`té" (?). [F.] See Society verses, under Society. || Verse (?), n. [OE. vers, AS. fers, L. versus a line in writing, and, in poetry, a verse, from vertere, versum, to turn, to turn round; akin to E. worth to become: cf. F. vers. See Worth to become, and cf. Advertise, Averse, Controversy, Convert, Divers, Invert, Obverse, Prose, Suzerain, Vortex.] 1. A line consisting of a certain number of metrical feet (see Foot, n., 9) disposed according to metrical rules.

Verses are of various kinds, as hexameter, pentameter, tetrameter, etc., according to the number of feet in each. A verse of twelve syllables is called an Alexandrine. Two or more verses form a stanza or strophe.

2. Metrical arrangement and language; that which is composed in metrical form; versification; poetry.

Such prompt eloquence Flowed from their lips in prose or numerous verse.

Milton.

Virtue was taught in verse.

Prior.

Verse embalms virtue.

Donne.

3. A short division of any composition. Specifically: —

(a) A stanza; a stave; as, a hymn of four verses.

Although this use of verse is common, it is objectionable, because not always distinguishable from the stricter use in the sense of a line.

(b) (Script.) One of the short divisions of the chapters in the Old and New Testaments.

The author of the division of the Old Testament into verses is not ascertained. The New Testament was divided into verses by Robert Stephens [or Estienne], a French printer. This arrangement appeared for the first time in an edition printed at Geneva, in 1551.

(c) (Mus.) A portion of an anthem to be performed by a single voice to each part.

4. A piece of poetry. "This verse be thine." Pope.

Blank verse, poetry in which the lines do not end in rhymes. — Heroic verse. See under Heroic.

Verse, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Versed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Versing.] To tell in verse, or poetry. [Obs.]

Playing on pipes of corn and versing love.

Shak.

Verse, v. i. To make verses; to versify. [Obs.]

It is not rhyming and versing that maketh a poet.

Sir P. Sidney.

Versed (?), a. [Cf. F. versé, L. versatus, p. p. of versari to turn about frequently, to turn over, to be engaged in a thing, passive of versare. See Versant, a.] Acquainted or familiar, as the result of experience, study, practice, etc.; skilled; practiced.

Deep versed in books and shallow in himself.

Milton.

Opinions . . . derived from studying the Scriptures, wherein he was versed beyond any person of his age.

Southey.

These men were versed in the details of business.

Macaulay.

Versed, a. [L. versus turned, p. p. vertere. See 1st Versed.] (Math.) Turned.

Versed sine. See under Sine, and Illust. of Functions.

Verse"man (?), n. Same as Versemonger. Prior.

Verse"mon`ger (?), n. A writer of verses; especially, a writer of commonplace poetry; a poetaster; a rhymer; — used humorously or in contempt.

Vers"er (?), n. A versifier. B. Jonson.

Vers"et (?), n. [F.] A verse. [Obs.] Milton.

Ver"si*cle (?), n. [L. versiculus, dim. of versus. See Verse.] A little verse; especially, a short verse or text said or sung in public worship by the priest or minister, and followed by a response from the people.

The psalms were in number fifteen, . . . being digested into versicles.

Strype.

{ Ver"si*col`or (?), Ver"si*col`ored (?), } a. [L. versicolor; versare to change + color color.] Having various colors; changeable in color. "Versicolor, sweet-smelling flowers." Burton.

Ver*sic"u*lar (?), a. [See Versicle.] Of or pertaining to verses; designating distinct divisions of a writing.

Ver`si*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [L. versificatio: cf. F. versification.] The act, art, or practice, of versifying, or making verses; the construction of poetry; metrical composition.

Ver"si*fi*ca`tor (?), n. [L.] A versifier. [R.] "The best versificator next Virgil." Dryden.

Ver"si*fi`er (?), n. 1. One who versifies, or makes verses; as, not every versifier is a poet. Dryden.

2. One who converts into verse; one who expresses in verse the ideas of another written in prose; as, Dr. Watts was a versifier of the Psalms.

Ver"si*fy (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Versified (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Versifying (?).] [OE. versifien, F. versifier, L. versificare; versus a verse + -ficare to make. See Verse, and -fy.] To make verses.

I'll versify in spite, and do my best.

Dryden.

Ver"si*fy, v. t. 1. To relate or describe in verse; to compose in verse.

I'll versify the truth, not poetize.

Daniel.

2. To turn into verse; to render into metrical form; as, to versify the Psalms. Chaucer.

Ver"sion (?), n. [F., from L. vertere, versum, to turn, to change, to translate. See Verse.] 1. A change of form, direction, or the like; transformation; conversion; turning.

The version of air into water.

Bacon.

2. (Med.) A condition of the uterus in which its axis is deflected from its normal position without being bent upon itself. See Anteversion, and Retroversion.

3. The act of translating, or rendering, from one language into another language.

4. A translation; that which is rendered from another language; as, the Common, or Authorized, Version of the Scriptures (see under Authorized); the Septuagint Version of the Old Testament.

5. An account or description from a particular point of view, especially as contrasted with another account; as, he gave another version of the affair.

Ver"sion*ist, n. One who makes or favors a version; a translator. [R.]

Ver"so (?), n. [L. versus, p. p. of vertere to turn: cf. F. verso.] (Print.) The reverse, or left-hand, page of a book or a folded sheet of paper; — opposed to recto.

Ver"sor (?), n. [NL., fr. L. vertere, versus, to turn. See Version.] (Geom.) The turning factor of a quaternion.

The change of one vector into another is considered in quaternions as made up of two operations; 1st, the rotation of the first vector so that it shall be parallel to the second; 2d, the change of length so that the first vector shall be equal to the second. That which expresses in amount and kind the first operation is a versor, and is denoted geometrically by a line at right angles to the plane in which the rotation takes place, the length of this line being proportioned to the amount of rotation. That which expresses the second operation is a tensor. The product of the versor and tensor expresses the total operation, and is called a quaternion. See Quaternion.

Quadrantal versor. See under Quadrantal.

Verst (?), n. [Russ. versta: cf. F. verste.] A Russian measure of length containing 3,500 English feet. [Written also werst.]

Ver"su*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to a verse.

||Ver"sus (?), prep. [L., toward, turned in the direction of, from ||vertere, versum, to turn. See Verse.] Against; as, John Doe versus ||Richard Roe; — chiefly used in legal language, and abbreviated to v. ||or vs. || Ver*sute" (?), a. [L. versutus, fr. vertere, versum, to turn.] Crafty; wily; cunning; artful. [R.]

Vert (?), n. [F., green, from L. viridis. See Verdant, and cf. Verd.] 1. (Eng. Forest Law) (a) Everything that grows, and bears a green leaf, within the forest; as, to preserve vert and venison is the duty of the verderer. (b) The right or privilege of cutting growing wood.

2. (Her.) The color green, represented in a drawing or engraving by parallel lines sloping downward toward the right.

Ver"te*ber (?), n. A vertebra. [Obs.]

||Ver"te*bra (?), n.; pl. Vertebræ (#). [L. vertebra, fr. vertere to ||turn, change. See Verse.] || 1. (Anat.) One of the serial segments of the spinal column.

In many fishes the vertebræ are simple cartilaginous disks or short cylinders, but in the higher vertebrates they are composed of many parts, and the vertebræ in different portions of the same column vary very greatly. A well-developed vertebra usually consists of a more or less cylindrical and solid body, or centrum, which is surmounted dorsally by an arch, leaving an opening which forms a part of the canal containing the spinal cord. From this dorsal, or neural, arch spring various processes, or apophyses, which have received special names: a dorsal, or neural, spine, spinous process, or neurapophysis, on the middle of the arch; two anterior and two posterior articular processes, or zygapophyses; and one or two transverse processes on each side. In those vertebræ which bear well-developed ribs, a tubercle near the end of the rib articulates at a tubercular facet on the transverse process (diapophysis), while the end, or head, of the rib articulates at a more ventral capitular facet which is sometimes developed into a second, or ventral, transverse process (parapophysis). In vertebrates with well-developed hind limbs, the spinal column is divided into five regions in each of which the vertebræ are specially designated: those vertebræ in front of, or anterior to, the first vertebra which bears ribs connected with the sternum are cervical; all those which bear ribs and are back of the cervicals are dorsal; the one or more directly supporting the pelvis are sacral and form the sacrum; those between the sacral and dorsal are lumbar; and all those back of the sacral are caudal, or coccygeal. In man there are seven cervical vertebræ, twelve dorsal, five lumbar, five sacral, and usually four, but sometimes five and rarely three, coccygeal.

2. (Zoöl.) One of the central ossicles in each joint of the arms of an ophiuran.

<! p. 1605 !>

Ver"te*bral (?), a. [Cf. F. vertébral.] 1. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to a vertebræ, or the vertebral column; spinal; rachidian.

2. Vertebrate.

Ver"te*bral, n. (Zoöl.) A vertebrate. [R.]

Ver"te*bral*ly, adv. (Anat.) At or within a vertebra or vertebræ; — distinguished from interverterbrally.

Ver`te*brar*te"ri*al (?), a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to a vertebræ and an artery; — said of the foramina in the transverse processes of cervical vertebræ and of the canal which they form for the vertebral artery and vein.

||Ver`te*bra"ta (?), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoöl.) One of the grand divisions of ||the animal kingdom, comprising all animals that have a backbone ||composed of bony or cartilaginous vertebræ, together with Amphioxus ||in which the backbone is represented by a simple undivided notochord. ||The Vertebrata always have a dorsal, or neural, cavity above the ||notochord or backbone, and a ventral, or visceral, cavity below it. ||The subdivisions or classes of Vertebrata are Mammalia, Aves, ||Reptilia, Amphibia, Pisces, Marsipobranchia, and Leptocardia. || Ver"te*brate (?), n. (Zoöl.) One of the Vertebrata.

{ Ver"te*brate (?), Ver"te*bra`ted (?), } a. [L. vertebratus.] 1. (Anat.) Having a backbone, or vertebral column, containing the spinal marrow, as man, quadrupeds, birds, amphibia, and fishes.

2. (Bot.) Contracted at intervals, so as to resemble the spine in animals. Henslow.

3. (Zoöl.) Having movable joints resembling vertebræ; — said of the arms ophiurans.

4. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Vertebrata; — used only in the form vertebrate.

Ver"te*bre (?), n. (Anat.) A vertebra. [Obs.]

Ver"te*bro- (?). A combining form used in anatomy to indicate connection with, or relation to, a vertebra, vertebræ, or vertebral column; as in vertebrocostal.

Ver"te*bro-il"i*ac (?), a. (Anat.) Iliolumbar.

Ver"tex (?), n.; pl. Vertexes (#), L. Vertices (#). [L. vertex, -icis, a whirl, top of the head, top, summit, from vertere to turn. See Verse, and cf. Vortex.] A turning point; the principal or highest point; top; summit; crown; apex. Specifically: —

(a) (Anat.) The top, or crown, of the head.

(b) (Anat.) The zenith, or the point of the heavens directly overhead.

(c) (Math.) The point in any figure opposite to, and farthest from, the base; the terminating point of some particular line or lines in a figure or a curve; the top, or the point opposite the base.

The principal vertex of a conic section is, in the parabola, the vertex of the axis of the curve: in the ellipse, either extremity of either axis, but usually the left-hand vertex of the transverse axis; in the hyperbola, either vertex, but usually the right- hand vertex of the transverse axis.

Vertex of a curve (Math.), the point in which the axis of the curve intersects it. — Vertex of an angle (Math.), the point in which the sides of the angle meet. — Vertex of a solid, or of a surface of revolution (Math.), the point in which the axis pierces the surface.

Ver"ti*cal (?), a. [Cf. F. vertical. See Vertex.]

1. Of or pertaining to the vertex; situated at the vertex, or highest point; directly overhead, or in the zenith; perpendicularly above one.

Charity . . . is the vertical top of all religion.

Jer. Taylor.

2. Perpendicular to the plane of the horizon; upright; plumb; as, a vertical line.

Vertical angle (Astron. & Geod.), an angle measured on a vertical circle, called an angle of elevation, or altitude, when reckoned from the horizon upward, and of depression when downward below the horizon. — Vertical anthers (Bot.), such anthers as stand erect at the top of the filaments. — Vertical circle (Astron.), an azimuth circle. See under Azimuth. — Vertical drill, an drill. See under Upright. — Vertical fire (Mil.), the fire, as of mortars, at high angles of elevation. — Vertical leaves (Bot.), leaves which present their edges to the earth and the sky, and their faces to the horizon, as in the Australian species of Eucalyptus. — Vertical limb, a graduated arc attached to an instrument, as a theodolite, for measuring vertical angles. — Vertical line. (a) (Dialing) A line perpendicular to the horizon. (b) (Conic Sections) A right line drawn on the vertical plane, and passing through the vertex of the cone. (c) (Surv.) The direction of a plumb line; a line normal to the surface of still water. (d) (Geom., Drawing, etc.) A line parallel to the sides of a page or sheet, in distinction from a horizontal line parallel to the top or bottom. — Vertical plane. (a) (Conic Sections) A plane passing through the vertex of a cone, and through its axis. (b) (Projections) Any plane which passes through a vertical line. (c) (Persp.) The plane passing through the point of sight, and perpendicular to the ground plane, and also to the picture. — Vertical sash, a sash sliding up and down. Cf. French sash, under 3d Sash. — Vertical steam engine, a steam engine having the crank shaft vertically above or below a vertical cylinder.

Ver"ti*cal, n. 1. Vertical position; zenith. [R.]

2. (Math.) A vertical line, plane, or circle.

Prime vertical, Prime vertical dial. See under Prime, a.

Ver`ti*cal"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being vertical; verticalness. [R.]

The different points of the verticality.

Sir T. Browne.

Ver"ti*cal*ly (?), adv. In a vertical manner, position, or direction; perpendicularly; as, to look down vertically; to raise a thing vertically.

Ver"ti*cal*ness, n. Quality or state of being vertical.

Ver"ti*cil (?), n. [L. verticillus, dim. of vertex a whirl: cf. F. verticille. See Vertex.] (Bot.) A circle either of leaves or flowers about a stem at the same node; a whorl. [Written also verticel.]

Ver`ti*cil*las"ter (?), a. [NL., fr. L. verticillus a whirl + aster a star.] (Bot.) A whorl of flowers apparently of one cluster, but composed of two opposite axillary cymes, as in mint. See Illust. of Whorl.

{ Ver*tic"il*late (?; 277), Ver*tic"il*la`ted (?), } a. [See Verticil.] (Bot. & Zoöl.) Arranged in a transverse whorl or whorls like the rays of a wheel; as, verticillate leaves of a plant; a verticillate shell.

||Ver`ti*cil"lus (?), n. [L., a whirl.] (Bot.) A whorl; a verticil. || Ver*tic"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. verticité. See Vertex.] The quality or power of turning; revolution; rotation. [R.] Locke.

I hardly believe he hath from elder times unknown the verticity of the loadstone.

Sir T. Browne.

Ver"ti*cle (?), n. [L. verticula a joint.] An axis; hinge; a turning point. E. Waterhouse.

Ver*tig"i*nate (?), a. Turned round; giddy. [R.] Coleridge.

Ver*tig"i*nous (?), a. [L. vertiginosus, fr. vertigo a whirling around, giddiness: cf. F. vertigineux. See Vertig&?;&?;.] 1. Turning round; whirling; rotary; revolving; as, vertiginous motion.

Some vertiginous whirl of fortune.

De Quincey.

2. Affected with vertigo; giddy; dizzy.

They [the angels] grew vertiginous, and fell from the battlements of heaven.

Jer. Taylor.

— Ver*tig"i*nous*ly, adv. — Ver*tig"i*nous*ness, n.

Ver"ti*go (?; 277), n.; pl. E. Vertigoes (#), L. Vertigines (#). [L., fr. vertere to turn. See Verse.] 1. (Med.) Dizziness or swimming of the head; an affection of the head in which objects, though stationary, appear to move in various directions, and the person affected finds it difficult to maintain an erect posture; giddiness. Quian.

2. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small land snails belonging to the genus Vertigo, having an elongated or conical spiral shell and usually teeth in the aperture.

Ver`ti*lin"e*ar (?), a. [Vertical + linear.] Straight; rectilinear. [R.]

Ver"tu (?), n. 1. Virtue; power. See Virtue. [Obs.] Chaucer.

2. See Virtu.

Ver"tu*ous (?), a. Virtuous; powerful. [Obs.] Spenser.

||Ver`u*mon*ta"num (?), n. [NL.] (Anat.) An elevation, or crest, in the ||wall of the urethra where the seminal ducts enter it. || This is sometimes written veru montanum.

Ver"vain (?), n. [OE. verveine, F. verveine, fr. L. verbena, pl. verbenae sacred boughs of laurel, olive, or myrtle, a class of plants; cf. verbenaca vervain. Cf. Verbena.] (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Verbena.

Vervain mallow (Bot.), a species of mallow (Malva Alcea) with rose-colored flowers.

||Verve, n. [F.] Excitement of imagination such as animates a poet, ||artist, or musician, in composing or performing; rapture; enthusiasm; ||spirit; energy. || Ver"vel (?), n. See Varvel.

Ver"vet (?), n. (Zoöl.) A South African monkey (Cercopithecus pygerythrus, or Lelandii). The upper parts are grayish green, finely specked with black. The cheeks and belly are reddish white.

Ver"y (?), a. [Compar. Verier (?); superl. Veriest.] [OE. verai, verray, OF. verai, vrai, F. vrai, (assumed) LL. veracus, for L. verax true, veracious, fr. verus true; akin to OHG. & OS. wr, G. wahr, D. waar; perhaps originally, that is or exists, and akin to E. was. Cf. Aver, v. t., Veracious, Verdict, Verity.] True; real; actual; veritable.

Whether thou be my very son Esau or not.

Gen. xxvii. 21.

He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

Prov. xvii. 9.

The very essence of truth is plainness and brightness.

Milton.

I looked on the consideration of public service or public ornament to be real and very justice.

Burke.

Very is sometimes used to make the word with which it is connected emphatic, and may then be paraphrased by same, self- same, itself, and the like. "The very hand, the very words." Shak. "The very rats instinctively have quit it." Shak. "Yea, there where very desolation dwells." Milton. Very is used occasionally in the comparative degree, and more frequently in the superlative. "Was not my lord the verier wag of the two?" Shak. "The veriest hermit in the nation." Pope. "He had spoken the very truth, and transformed it into the veriest falsehood." Hawthorne.

Very Reverend. See the Note under Reverend.

Ver"y (?), adv. In a high degree; to no small extent; exceedingly; excessively; extremely; as, a very great mountain; a very bright sum; a very cold day; the river flows very rapidly; he was very much hurt.

Ves"bi*um (?), n. [NL., from L. Vesuvius, contr. Vesbius, Vesuvius.] (Chem.) A rare metallic element of which little is known. It is said by Scacchi to have been extracted from a yellowish incrustation from the cracks of a Vesuvian lava erupted in 1631.

Vese (?), n. [Cf. Frese, n.] Onset; rush; violent draught or wind. [Obs.] Chaucer.

||Ve*si"ca (?), n. [L.] A bladder. || Vesica piscis. [L., dish bladder.] (Eccl. Art) A glory, or aureole, of oval shape, or composed of two arcs of circles usually represented as surrounding a divine personage. More rarely, an oval composed of two arcs not representing a glory; a solid oval, etc.

Ves"i*cal (?), a. [L. vesica bladder.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the bladder. Dunglison.

Ves"i*cant (?), n. [L. vesica blister: cf. F. vésicant.] (Med.) A vesicatory.

Ves"i*cate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vesicated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vesicating.] [See Vesicant.] (Med.) To raise little bladders or blisters upon; to inflame and separate the cuticle of; to blister. Wiseman.

Ves`i*ca"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. vésication.] (Med.) The process of vesicating, or of raising blisters.

Ves"i*ca*to*ry (?; 277), a. [Cf. F. vésicatoire.] (Med.) Tending, or having power, to raise a blister. — n. A blistering application or plaster; a vesicant; an epispastic.

Ves"i*cle (?), n. [L. vesicula, dim. of vesica a bladder, blister; akin to Skr. vasti bladder: cf. F. vésicule.] A bladderlike vessel; a membranous cavity; a cyst; a cell. Specifically: —

(a) (Bot.) A small bladderlike body in the substance of vegetable, or upon the surface of a leaf.

(b) (Med.) A small, and more or less circular, elevation of the cuticle, containing a clear watery fluid.

(c) (Anat.) A cavity or sac, especially one filled with fluid; as, the umbilical vesicle.

(d) (Zoöl.) A small convex hollow prominence on the surface of a shell or a coral.

(e) (Geol.) A small cavity, nearly spherical in form, and usually of the size of a pea or smaller, such as are common in some volcanic rocks. They are produced by the liberation of watery vapor in the molten mass.

Ves"i*co- (?). A combining form used in anatomy to indicate connection with, or relation to, the bladder; as in vesicoprostatic, vesicovaginal.

Ves`i*co*pro*stat"ic (?), a. (Anat.) Of a pertaining to the bladder and the prostrate gland.

Ves`i*co*u"ter*ine (?), a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the bladder and the uterus.

Ves`i*co*vag"i*nal (?), a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the bladder and the vagina.

||Ve*sic"u*la (?), n.; pl. Vesiculæ . [L., dim. of vesica.] (Anat. & ||Med.) A vesicle. || Ve*sic"u*lar (?), a. [Cf. F. vésiculaire.] 1. Of or pertaining to vesicles; esp., of or pertaining to the air vesicles, or air cells, of the lungs; as, vesicular breathing, or normal breathing, in which the air enters freely the air vesicles of the lungs.

2. Containing, or composed of, vesicles or vesiclelike structures; covered with vesicles or bladders; vesiculate; as, vesicular coral; vesicular lava; a vesicular leaf.

3. Having the form or structure of a vesicle; as, a vesicular body.

Vesicular column (Anat.), a series of nerve cells forming one of the tracts distinguished in the spinal; — also called the ganglionic column. — Vesicular emphysema (Med.), emphysema of the lungs, in which the air vesicles are distended and their walls ruptured. — Vesicular murmur (Med.), the sound, audible on auscultation of the chest, made by the air entering and leaving the air vesicles of the lungs in respiration.

||Ve*sic`u*la"ri*a (?), n. [NL. See Vesicle.] (Zoöl.) Any one of ||numerous species of marine Bryozoa belonging to Vesicularia and ||allied genera. They have delicate tubular cells attached in clusters ||to slender flexible stems. || ||Ve*sic`u*la"ta (?), n. pl. [NL. See Vesicle.] (Zoöl.) The ||campanularian medusæ. || Ve*sic"u*late (?), a. Bladdery; full of, or covered with, bladders; vesicular.

Ve*sic"u*late (?), v. t. To form vesicles in, as lava.

Ve*sic`u*la"tion (?), n. (Geol.) The state of containing vesicles, or the process by which vesicles are formed.

{ Ve*sic"u*lose` (?), Ve*sic"u*lous (?), } a. [L. vesiculosus: cf. F. vésiculeux.] Bladdery; vesicular; vesiculate; composed of vesicles; covered with vesicles; as, a vesiculose shell.

||Ves"pa (?), n. [L., wasp.] (Zoöl.) A genus of Hymenoptera including ||the common wasps and hornets. || <! p. 1606 !>

Ves"per (?), n. [L., the evening, the evening star, the west; akin to Gr. &?;, &?;, and perhaps to E. west. Cf. Hesperian, Vespers.] The evening star; Hesper; Venus, when seen after sunset; hence, the evening. Shak.

Ves"per, a. Of or pertaining to the evening, or to the service of vespers; as, a vesper hymn; vesper bells.

Vesper sparrow, the grass finch. See under Grass.

Ves"per*al (?), a. Vesper; evening. [R.]

Ves"pers (?), n. pl. [OF. vespres, F. vêpres, LL. vesperae, fr. L. vespera evening. See Vesper, n.] (R. C. Ch.) (a) One of the little hours of the Breviary. (b) The evening song or service.

Sicilian vespers. See under Sicilian, a.

||Ves`per*til"i*o (?), n. [L., a bat.] (Zoöl.) A genus of bats ||including some of the common small insectivorous species of North ||America and Europe. || Ves`per*til`i*o"nes (?), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoöl.) A tribe of bats including the common insectivorous bats of America and Europe, belonging to Vespertilio and allied genera. They lack a nose membrane.

Ves`per*til`i*o"nine (?), a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Vespertiliones.

Ves"per*ti`nal (?), a. Vespertine. Lowell.

Ves"per*tine (?), a. [L. vespertinus. See Vesper.] 1. Of or pertaining to the evening; happening or being in the evening. Gray.

2. (Bot.) Blossoming in the evening.

Ves"pi*a*ry (?), n. [L. vespa a wasp.] A nest, or habitation, of insects of the wasp kind.

Ves*pil"lo (?), n.; pl. Vespilloes (#). [L.] (Rom. Antiq.) One who carried out the dead bodies of the poor at night for burial.

Like vespilloes or grave makers.

Sir T. Browne.

Ves"sel, n. [OF. vessel, veissel, vaissel, vaissiel, F. vascellum, dim. of vasculum, dim. of vas a vessel. Cf. Vascular, Vase.] 1. A hollow or concave utensil for holding anything; a hollow receptacle of any kind, as a hogshead, a barrel, a firkin, a bottle, a kettle, a cup, a bowl, etc.

[They drank] out of these noble vessels.

Chaucer.

2. A general name for any hollow structure made to float upon the water for purposes of navigation; especially, one that is larger than a common rowboat; as, a war vessel; a passenger vessel.

[He] began to build a vessel of huge bulk.

Milton.

3. Fig.: A person regarded as receiving or containing something; esp. (Script.), one into whom something is conceived as poured, or in whom something is stored for use; as, vessels of wrath or mercy.

He is a chosen vessel unto me.

Acts ix. 15.

[The serpent] fit vessel, fittest imp of fraud, in whom To enter.

Milton.

4. (Anat.) Any tube or canal in which the blood or other fluids are contained, secreted, or circulated, as the arteries, veins, lymphatics, etc.

5. (Bot.) A continuous tube formed from superposed large cylindrical or prismatic cells (tracheæ), which have lost their intervening partitions, and are usually marked with dots, pits, rings, or spirals by internal deposition of secondary membranes; a duct.

Acoustic vessels. See under Acoustic. — Weaker vessel, a woman; — now applied humorously. "Giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel." 1 Peter iii. 7. "You are the weaker vessel." Shak.

Ves"sel, v. t. To put into a vessel. [Obs.] Bacon.

Ves"sel*ful (?), n.; pl. Vesselfuls (&?;). As much as a vessel will hold; enough to fill a vessel.

{ Ves"ses (?), Ves"sets (?), } n. A kind of worsted; also, a worsted cloth. [Prov. Eng.]

{ Ves"sic*non (?), Ves"sig*non (?), } n. [F. vessigon, fr. L. vesica a bladder, blister.] (Far.) A soft swelling on a horse's leg; a windgall.

Vest (?), n. [L. vestis a garment, vesture; akin to Goth. wasti, and E. wear: cf. F. veste. See Wear to carry on the person, and cf. Divest, Invest, Travesty.]

1. An article of clothing covering the person; an outer garment; a vestment; a dress; a vesture; a robe.

In state attended by her maiden train, Who bore the vests that holy rites require.

Dryden.

2. Any outer covering; array; garb.

Not seldom clothed in radiant vest Deceitfully goes forth the morn.

Wordsworth.

3. Specifically, a waistcoat, or sleeveless body garment, for men, worn under the coat.

Syn. — Garment; vesture; dress; robe; vestment; waistcoat. — Vest, Waistcoat. In England, the original word waistcoat is generally used for the body garment worn over the shirt and immediately under the coat. In the United States this garment is commonly called a vest, and the waistcoat is often improperly given to an under-garment.

Vest, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vested; p. pr. & vb. n. Vesting.] [Cf. L. vestire, vestitum, OF. vestir, F. vêtir. See Vest, n.] 1. To clothe with, or as with, a vestment, or garment; to dress; to robe; to cover, surround, or encompass closely.

Came vested all in white, pure as her mind.

Milton.

With ether vested, and a purple sky.

Dryden.

2. To clothe with authority, power, or the like; to put in possession; to invest; to furnish; to endow; — followed by with before the thing conferred; as, to vest a court with power to try cases of life and death.

Had I been vested with the monarch's power.

Prior.

3. To place or give into the possession or discretion of some person or authority; to commit to another; — with in before the possessor; as, the power of life and death is vested in the king, or in the courts.

Empire and dominion was [were] vested in him.

Locke.

4. To invest; to put; as, to vest money in goods, land, or houses. [R.]

5. (Law) To clothe with possession; as, to vest a person with an estate; also, to give a person an immediate fixed right of present or future enjoyment of; as, an estate is vested in possession. Bouvier.

Vest (?), v. i. To come or descend; to be fixed; to take effect, as a title or right; — followed by in; as, upon the death of the ancestor, the estate, or the right to the estate, vests in the heir at law.

Ves"ta (?), n. [L. Vesta, akin to Gr. &?; Vesta, &?; the hearth of the house, and perhaps to Skr. ush to burn (see East), or perhaps to Skr. vas to dwell, and E. was.] 1. (Rom. Myth.) One of the great divinities of the ancient Romans, identical with the Greek Hestia. She was a virgin, and the goddess of the hearth; hence, also, of the fire on it, and the family round it.

2. (Astron.) An asteroid, or minor planet, discovered by Olbers in 1807.

3. A wax friction match. Simmonds.

Ves"tal (?), a. [L. Vestalis belonging to Vesta, vestal. See Vesta.] Of or pertaining to Vesta, the virgin goddess of the hearth; hence, pure; chaste.

Ves"tal, n. [L. Vestalis (sc. virgo): cf. F. vestale. See Vestal, a.] 1. (Rom. Antiq.) A virgin consecrated to Vesta, and to the service of watching the sacred fire, which was to be perpetually kept burning upon her altar.

The Vestals were originally four, but afterward six, in number. Their term of service lasted thirty years, the period of admission being from the sixth to the tenth year of the candidate's age.

2. A virgin; a woman pure and chaste; also, a nun.

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!

Pope.

||Ves*ta"les (?), n. pl. [NL. See Vestal.] (Zoöl.) A group of ||butterflies including those known as virgins, or gossamer-winged ||butterflies. || Vest"ed (?), a. 1. Clothed; robed; wearing vestments. "The vested priest." Milton.

2. (Law) Not in a state of contingency or suspension; fixed; as, vested rights; vested interests.

Vested legacy (Law), a legacy the right to which commences in præsenti, and does not depend on a contingency; as, a legacy to one to be paid when he attains to twenty-one years of age is a vested legacy, and if the legatee dies before the testator, his representative shall receive it. Blackstone. — Vested remainder (Law), an estate settled, to remain to a determined person, after the particular estate is spent. Blackstone. Kent.

Ves`ti*a"ri*an (?), a. [See Vestiary.] Of or pertaining to a vestiary or vestments.

Ves"ti*a*ry (?), n. [L. vestiarium. See Vestry.] A wardrobe; a robing room; a vestry. Fuller.

Ves"ti*a*ry, a. Pertaining to clothes, or vestments.

Ves*tib"u*lar (?), a. Of or pertaining to a vestibule; like a vestibule.

Ves"ti*bule (?), n. [L. vestibulum, of uncertain origin: cf. F. vestibule.] The porch or entrance into a house; a hall or antechamber next the entrance; a lobby; a porch; a hall.

Vestibule of the ear. (Anat.) See under Ear. — Vestibule of the vulva (Anat.), a triangular space between the nymphæ, in which the orifice of the urethra is situated. — Vestibule train (Railroads), a train of passenger cars having the space between the end doors of adjacent cars inclosed, so as to admit of leaving the doors open to provide for intercommunication between all the cars.

Syn. — Hall; passage. — Vestibule, Hall, Passage. A vestibule is a small apartment within the doors of a building. A hall is the first large apartment beyond the vestibule, and, in the United States, is often long and narrow, serving as a passage to the several apartments. In England, the hall is generally square or oblong, and a long, narrow space of entrance is called a passage, not a hall, as in America. Vestibule is often used in a figurative sense to denote a place of entrance. "The citizens of Rome placed the images of their ancestors in the vestibules of their houses." Bolingbroke

||Ves*tib"u*lum (?), n.; pl. Vestibula (#). [L., vestibule.] (Zoöl.) A ||cavity into which, in certain bryozoans, the esophagus and anus open. || Ves"ti*gate (?), v. t. [L. vestigatus, p. p. of vestigare. See Vestige.] To investigate. [Obs.]

Ves"tige (?), n. [F., from L. vestigium footprint, trace, sign; the last part (-stigium) is probably akin to E. sty, v. i. Cf. Investigate.] The mark of the foot left on the earth; a track or footstep; a trace; a sign; hence, a faint mark or visible sign left by something which is lost, or has perished, or is no longer present; remains; as, the vestiges of ancient magnificence in Palmyra; vestiges of former population.

What vestiges of liberty or property have they left?

Burke.

Ridicule has followed the vestiges of Truth, but never usurped her place.

Landor.

Syn. — Trace; mark; sign; token. — Vestige, Trace. These words agree in marking some indications of the past, but differ to some extent in their use and application. Vestige is used chiefly in a figurative sense, for the remains something long passed away; as, the vestiges of ancient times; vestiges of the creation. A trace is literally something drawn out in a line, and may be used in this its primary sense, or figuratively, to denote a sign or evidence left by something that has passed by, or ceased to exist. Vestige usually supposes some definite object of the past to be left behind; while a trace may be a mere indication that something has been present or is present; as, traces of former population; a trace of poison in a given substance.

Ves*tig"i*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to a vestige or remnant; like a vestige.

Vest"ing (?), n. Cloth for vests; a vest pattern.

Ves"ti*ture (?; 135), n. [See Vesture.] In vestiture. [R.]

Vest"let (?), n. [Dim. of vest.] (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of actinians belonging to the genus Cerianthus. These animals have a long, smooth body tapering to the base, and two separate circles of tentacles around the mouth. They form a tough, flexible, feltlike tube with a smooth internal lining, in which they dwell, whence the name.

Vest"ment (?), n. [OE. vestement, vestiment, OF. vestement, vestiment, F. vêtement, fr. L. vestimentum, fr. vestire to clothe, fr. vestis a garment, clothing. See Vest.] A covering or garment; some part of clothing or dress; specifically (Eccl.), any priestly garment. "Royal vestiment." Chaucer. "Priests in holy vestments." Shak.

The sculptor could not give vestments suitable to the quality of the persons represented.

Dryden.

Ves"try (?), n.; pl. Vestries (#). [OE. vestrye, F. vestiaire, L. vestiarium, fr. vestiarius belonging to clothes, fr. vestis a garment. See Vest, n., and cf. Vestiary.] 1. A room appendant to a church, in which sacerdotal vestments and sacred utensils are sometimes kept, and where meetings for worship or parish business are held; a sacristy; — formerly called revestiary.

He said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshipers of Baal.

2 Kings x. 22.

2. (Ch. of Eng.) A parochial assembly; an assembly of persons who manage parochial affairs; — so called because usually held in a vestry.

3. (Prot. Epis. Ch.) A body, composed of wardens and vestrymen, chosen annually by a parish to manage its temporal concerns.

Metropolitan vestry, in the city of London, and certain specified parishes and places in England, a body composed of householders who pay poor rates. Its duties include the repair of churches, care of highways, the appointment of certain officers, etc. — Select vestry, a select number of persons chosen in large and populous English parishes to represent and manage the concerns of the parish for one year. Mozley & W. — Vestry board (Ch. of Eng.), a vestry. See def. 2, above. — Vestry clerk, an officer chosen by the vestry, who keeps a record of its proceedings; also, in England, one who keeps the parish accounts and books. — Vestry meeting, the meeting of a vestry or vestry board; also, a meeting of a parish held in a vestry or other place.

Ves"try*man (?), n.; pl. Vestrymen (&?;). A member of a vestry; especially (Prot. Epis. Ch.), a member other than a warden. See Vestry.

Ves"ture (?; 135), n. [OF. vesture, vesteure, F. vêture, LL. vestitura, from L. vestire to clothe, dress. See Vest, v. t., and cf. Vestiture.] 1. A garment or garments; a robe; clothing; dress; apparel; vestment; covering; envelope. Piers Plowman.

Approach, and kiss her sacred vesture's hem.

Milton.

Rocks, precipices, and gulfs, appareled with a vesture of plants.

Bentley.

There polished chests embroidered vestures graced.

Pope.

2. (O. Eng. Law) (a) The corn, grass, underwood, stubble, etc., with which land was covered; as, the vesture of an acre. (b) Seizin; possession.

Ves"tured (?), a. Covered with vesture or garments; clothed; enveloped.

We be vestured with poor cloth.

Ld. Berners.

Ve*su"vi*an (?), a. [Cf. F. Vésuvien, It. Vesuviano.] Of or pertaining to Vesuvius, a volcano near Naples.

Ve*su"vi*an, n. [G. vesuvian. See Vesuvian, a.] (Min.) Vesuvianite.

Ve*su"vi*an*ite (?), n. (Min.) A mineral occurring in tetragonal crystals, and also massive, of a brown to green color, rarely sulphur yellow and blue. It is a silicate of alumina and lime with some iron magnesia, and is common at Vesuvius. Also called idocrase.

Ve*su"vine (?), n. A trade name for a brown dyestuff obtained from certain basic azo compounds of benzene; — called also Bismarck brown, Manchester brown, etc.

Vetch (?), n. [Also fitch; OE. ficche, feche, for veche, OF. veche, vecce, vesche, vesce, F. vesce, fr. L. vicia.] (Bot.) Any leguminous plant of the genus Vicia, some species of which are valuable for fodder. The common species is V. sativa.

The name is also applied to many other leguminous plants of different genera; as the chichling vetch, of the genus Lathyrus; the horse vetch, of the genus Hippocrepis; the kidney vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria); the milk vetch, of the genus Astragalus; the licorice vetch, or wild licorice (Abrus precatorius).

Vetch"ling (?), n. [Vetch + - ling.] (Bot.) Any small leguminous plant of the genus Lathyrus, especially L. Nissolia.

Vetch"y (?), a. 1. Consisting of vetches or of pea straw. "A vetchy bed." Spenser.

2. Abounding with vetches.

Vet"er*an (?), a. [L. veteranus, from vetus, veteris, old; akin to Gr. &?; year, Skr. vatsara. See Wether.] Long exercised in anything, especially in military life and the duties of a soldier; long practiced or experienced; as, a veteran officer or soldier; veteran skill.

The insinuating eloquence and delicate flattery of veteran diplomatists and courtiers.

Macaulay.

<! p. 1607 !>

Vet"er*an (?), n. [L. veteranus (sc. miles): cf. F. vétéran.] One who has been long exercised in any service or art, particularly in war; one who has had.

Ensigns that pierced the foe's remotest lines, The hardy veteran with tears resigns.

Addison.

In the United States, during the civil war, soldiers who had served through one term of enlistment and had reënlisted were specifically designated veterans.

Vet"er*an*ize (?), v. i. To reënlist for service as a soldier. [U. S.] Gen. W. T. Sherman.

Vet`er*i*na"ri*an (?), n. [L. veterinarius. See Veterinary.] One skilled in the diseases of cattle or domestic animals; a veterinary surgeon.

Vet"er*i*na*ry (?), a. [L. veterinarius of or belonging to beasts of burden an draught, fr. veterinus, probably originally, of or pertaining to yearlings: cf. F. vétérinaire. See Veteran, Wether.] Of or pertaining to the art of healing or treating the diseases of domestic animals, as oxen, horses, sheep, etc.; as, a veterinary writer or school.

Vet"i*ver (?), n. (Bot.) An East Indian grass (Andropogon muricatus); also, its fragrant roots which are much used for making mats and screens. Also called kuskus, and khuskhus. [Sometimes written vetivert, and vitivert.]

Ve"to (?), n.; pl. Vetoes (&?;). [L. veto I forbid.]

1. An authoritative prohibition or negative; a forbidding; an interdiction.

This contemptuous veto of her husband's on any intimacy with her family.

G. Eliot.

2. Specifically: —

(a) A power or right possessed by one department of government to forbid or prohibit the carrying out of projects attempted by another department; especially, in a constitutional government, a power vested in the chief executive to prevent the enactment of measures passed by the legislature. Such a power may be absolute, as in the case of the Tribunes of the People in ancient Rome, or limited, as in the case of the President of the United States. Called also the veto power.

(b) The exercise of such authority; an act of prohibition or prevention; as, a veto is probable if the bill passes.

(c) A document or message communicating the reasons of the executive for not officially approving a proposed law; — called also veto message. [U. S.]

Veto is not a term employed in the Federal Constitution, but seems to be of popular use only. Abbott.

Ve"to, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vetoed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vetoing.] To prohibit; to negative; also, to refuse assent to, as a legislative bill, and thus prevent its enactment; as, to veto an appropriation bill.

Ve"to*ist, n. One who uses, or sustains the use of, the veto.

||Vet*tu"ra (?), n.; pl. Vetture (#). [It. vettura, fr. L. vectura ||conveyance. Cf. Vecture.] An Italian four-wheeled carriage, esp. one ||let for hire; a hackney coach. || ||Vet`tu*ri"no (?), n.; pl. Vetturini (#). [It.] 1. One who lets or ||drives a vettura. || 2. A vettura.

Ve*tust" (?), a. [L. vetustus old, ancient.] Venerable from antiquity; ancient; old. [Obs.]

Vex (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vexed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vexing.] [F. vexer, L. vexare, vexatum, to vex, originally, to shake, toss, in carrying, v. intens. fr. vehere, vectum, to carry. See Vehicle.] 1. To to&?;s back and forth; to agitate; to disquiet.

White curl the waves, and the vexed ocean roars.

Pope.

2. To make angry or annoyed by little provocations; to irritate; to plague; to torment; to harass; to afflict; to trouble; to tease. "I will not vex your souls." Shak.

Then thousand torments vex my heart.

Prior.

3. To twist; to weave. [R.]

Some English wool, vexed in a Belgian loom.

Dryden.

Syn. — See Tease.

Vex, v. i. To be irritated; to fret. [R.] Chapman.

Vex*a"tion (?), n. [L. vexatio: cf. F. vexation.] 1. The act of vexing, or the state of being vexed; agitation; disquiet; trouble; irritation.

Passions too violent . . . afford us nothing but vexation and pain.

Sir W. Temple.

Those who saw him after a defeat looked in vain for any trace of vexation.

Macaulay.

2. The cause of trouble or disquiet; affliction.

Your children were vexation to your youth.

Shak.

3. A harassing by process of law; a vexing or troubling, as by a malicious suit. Bacon.

Syn. — Chagrin; agitation; mortification; uneasiness; trouble; grief; sorrow; distress. See Chagrin.

Vex*a"tious (?), a. [See Vexation.] 1. Causing vexation; agitating; afflictive; annoying; as, a vexatious controversy; a vexatious neighbor. "Continual vexatious wars." South.

2. Full or vexation, trouble, or disquiet; disturbed.

He leads a vexatious life.

Sir K. Digby.

Vexatious suit (Law), a suit commenced for the purpose of giving trouble, or without cause.

— Vex*a"tious*ly, adv. — Vex*a"tious*ness, n.

Vexed (?), a. 1. Annoyed; harassed; troubled.

2. Much debated or contested; causing discussion; as, a vexed question.

Vex"er (?), n. One who vexes or troubles.

Vex"il (?), n. A vexillum.

{ Vex"il*lar (?), Vex"il*la*ry (?), }[Cf. F. vexillaire, L. vexillarius a standard bearer.]

1. Of or pertaining to an ensign or standard.

2. (Bot.) Of or pertaining to the vexillum, or upper petal of papilionaceous flowers.

Vexilary æstivation (Bot.), a mode of æstivation in which one large upper petal folds over, and covers, the other smaller petals, as in most papilionaceous plants.

Vex"il*la*ry (?), n. [L. vexillarius: cf. F. vexillaire.] A standard bearer. Tennyson.

Vex`il*la"tion (?), n. [L. vexillatio.] (Rom. Antiq.) A company of troops under one vexillum.

||Vex*il"lum (?), n.; pl. Vexilla (#). [L., a standard, a flag.] 1. ||(Rom. Antiq.) (a) A flag or standard. (b) A company of troops serving ||under one standard. || 2. (Eccl.) (a) A banner. (b) The sign of the cross.

3. (Bot.) The upper petal of a papilionaceous flower; the standard.

4. (Zoöl.) The rhachis and web of a feather taken together; the vane.

Vex"ing*ly (?), adv. In a vexing manner; so as to vex, tease, or irritate. Tatler.

V" hook` (?). (Steam Engine) A gab at the end of an eccentric rod, with long jaws, shaped like the letter V.

||Vi"a (?), n. [L. See Way.] A road way. || Via Lactea [L.] (Anat.), the Milky Way, or Galaxy. See Galaxy, 1. — Via media [L.] (Theol.), the middle way; — a name applied to their own position by the Anglican high-churchmen, as being between the Roman Catholic Church and what they term extreme Protestantism.

Vi"a, prep. [L., ablative of via way. See Way.] By the way of; as, to send a letter via Queenstown to London.

Vi`a*bil"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being viable. Specifically: —

(a) (Law) The capacity of living after birth. Bouvier.

(b) The capacity of living, or being distributed, over wide geographical limits; as, the viability of a species.

Vi"a*ble (?), a. [F., from vie life, L. vita. See Vital.] (Law) Capable of living; born alive and with such form and development of organs as to be capable of living; — said of a newborn, or a prematurely born, infant.

Unless he [an infant] is born viable, he acquires no rights, and can not transmit them to his heirs, and is considered as if he had never been born. Bouvier.

Vi`a*duct (?), n. [L. via a way + - duct, as in aqueduct: cf. F. viaduc. See Via, and Aqueduct.] A structure of considerable magnitude, usually with arches or supported on trestles, for carrying a road, as a railroad, high above the ground or water; a bridge; especially, one for crossing a valley or a gorge. Cf. Trestlework.

Vi"age (?), n. [See Voyage.] A voyage; a journey. [Obs.] Chaucer. Gower.

Vi"al (?), n. [OE. viole, fiole, F. fiole. See Phial.] A small bottle, usually of glass; a little glass vessel with a narrow aperture intended to be closed with a stopper; as, a vial of medicine. [Written also phial.]

Take thou this vial, being then in bed, And this distilled liquor thou off.

Shak.

Vi"al, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vialed (?) or Vialled; p. pr. & vb. n. Vialing or Vialling.] To put in a vial or vials. "Precious vialed liquors." Milton.

Vi*am"e*ter (?), n. [L. via a way + -meter.] An odometer; — called also viatometer.

Vi"and (?), n. [F. viande meat, food, LL. vianda, vivanda, vivenda, properly, things to live on, fr. L. vivere to live; akin to vivus living. See Vivid, and cf. Victualis.] An article of food; provisions; food; victuals; — used chiefly in the plural. Cowper.

Viands of various kinds allure the taste.

Pope.

Vi"and*er (?), n. A feeder; an eater; also, one who provides viands, or food; a host. [Obs.] Holinshed.

Vi"-ap`ple (?), n. See Otaheite apple.

Vi"a*ry (?), a. [L. viarius, fr. via a way, road.] Of or pertaining to roads; happening on roads. [Obs.]

Vi"a*tec`ture (?; 135), n. [L. via way + -tecture, as in architecture.] The art of making roads or ways for traveling, including the construction of bridges, canals, viaducts, etc. [R.] R. Park.

Vi*at"ic (?), a. [L. viaticus, fr. via a way. See Voyage.] Of or pertaining to a journey or traveling.

Vi*at"i*cum (?), n. [L., from viaticus, a. See Viatic.] 1. (Rom. Antiq.) An allowance for traveling expenses made to those who were sent into the provinces to exercise any office or perform any service.

2. Provisions for a journey. Davies (Wit's Pilgr.).

3. (R. C. Ch.) The communion, or eucharist, when given to persons in danger of death.

Vi`a*tom"e*ter (?), n. A viameter.

||Vi*bi"ces (?), n. pl. [L., pl. of vibex, -icis, the mark of a blow.] ||(Med.) More or less extensive patches of subcutaneous extravasation ||of blood. || ||Vi*brac"u*lum (?), n.; pl. Vibracula (#). [NL., dim. from L. vibrare ||to vibrate.] (Zoöl.) One of the movable, slender, spinelike organs or ||parts with which certain bryozoans are furnished. They are regarded ||as specially modified zooids, of nearly the same nature as Avicularia. || Vi"bran*cy (?), n. The state of being vibrant; resonance.

Vi"brant (?), a. [L. vibrans, p. pr.: cf. F. vibrant. See Vibrate.] Vibrating; tremulous; resonant; as, vibrant drums. Longfellow.

Vi"brate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vibrate (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vibrating.] [L. vibratus, p. p. of vibrare, v. t. & v. i., to snake, brandish, vibrate; akin to Skr. vip to tremble, Icel. veifa to wave, vibrate. See Waive and cf. Whip, v. t.] 1. To brandish; to move to and fro; to swing; as, to vibrate a sword or a staff.

2. To mark or measure by moving to and fro; as, a pendulum vibrating seconds.

3. To affect with vibratory motion; to set in vibration.

Breath vocalized, that is, vibrated or undulated, may . . . impress a swift, tremulous motion.

Holder.

Star to star vibrates light.

Tennyson.

Vi"brate (?), v. i. 1. To move to and fro, or from side to side, as a pendulum, an elastic rod, or a stretched string, when disturbed from its position of rest; to swing; to oscillate.

2. To have the constituent particles move to and fro, with alternate compression and dilation of parts, as the air, or any elastic body; to quiver.

3. To produce an oscillating or quivering effect of sound; as, a whisper vibrates on the ear. Pope.

4. To pass from one state to another; to waver; to fluctuate; as, a man vibrates between two opinions.

Vi"bra*tile (?), a. [Cf. F. vibratile.] Adapted to, or used in, vibratory motion; having the power of vibrating; vibratory; as, the vibratile organs of insects.

Vi`bra*til"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. vibratilité.] The quality or state of being vibratile; disposition to vibration or oscillation. Rush.

Vi*bra"tion (?), n. [L. vibratio: cf. F. vibration.] 1. The act of vibrating, or the state of being vibrated, or in vibratory motion; quick motion to and fro; oscillation, as of a pendulum or musical string.

As a harper lays his open palm Upon his harp, to deaden its vibrations.

Longfellow.

2. (Physics) A limited reciprocating motion of a particle of an elastic body or medium in alternately opposite directions from its position of equilibrium, when that equilibrium has been disturbed, as when a stretched cord or other body produces musical notes, or particles of air transmit sounds to the ear. The path of the particle may be in a straight line, in a circular arc, or in any curve whatever.

Vibration and oscillation are both used, in mechanics, of the swinging, or rising and falling, motion of a suspended or balanced body; the latter term more appropriately, as signifying such motion produced by gravity, and of any degree of slowness, while the former applies especially to the quick, short motion to and fro which results from elasticity, or the action of molecular forces among the particles of a body when disturbed from their position of rest, as in a spring.

Amplitude of vibration, the maximum displacement of a vibrating particle or body from its position of rest. — Phase of vibration, any part of the path described by a particle or body in making a complete vibration, in distinction from other parts, as while moving from one extreme to the other, or on one side of the line of rest, in distinction from the opposite. Two particles are said to be in the same phase when they are moving in the same direction and with the same velocity, or in corresponding parts of their paths.

Vi*bra"ti*un`cle (?), a. [Dim. of vibration.] A small vibration. [R.] Chambers.

Vi"bra*tive (?), a. Vibrating; vibratory. "A vibrative motion." Sir I. Newton.

Vi"bra*to*ry (?), a. [Cf. F. vibratoire.] Consisting in, or causing, vibration, or oscillation; vibrating; as, a vibratory motion; a vibratory power.

||Vib"ri*o (?), n.; pl. E. Vibrios (#), L. Vibriones (#). [NL., fr. L. ||vibrare to vibrate, to move by undulations.] (Biol.) A genus of ||motile bacteria characterized by short, slightly sinuous filaments ||and an undulatory motion; also, an individual of this genus. || ||Vi*bris"sa (?), n.; pl. Vibrissæ (#). [L. vibrissae, pl., the hairs ||in the nostrils of man, fr. vibrare to vibrate; — so called because ||touching them tickles a person, and causes him to shake his head.] 1. ||(Anat.) One of the specialized or tactile hairs which grow about the ||nostrils, or on other parts of the face, in many animals, as the ||so-called whiskers of the cat, and the hairs of the nostrils of man. || 2. (Zoöl.) The bristlelike feathers near the mouth of many birds.

Vi"bro*scope (?), n. 1. An instrument for observing or tracing vibrations.

2. An instrument resembling the phenakistoscope.

||Vi*bur"num (?), n. [L., the wayfaring tree.] (Bot.) A genus of shrubs ||having opposite, petiolate leaves and cymose flowers, several species ||of which are cultivated as ornamental, as the laurestine and the ||guelder-rose. || Vic"ar (?), n. [OE. vicar, viker, vicair, F. vicaire, fr. L. vicarius. See Vicarious.] 1. One deputed or authorized to perform the functions of another; a substitute in office; a deputy. [R.]

2. (Eng. Eccl. Law) The incumbent of an appropriated benefice.

The distinction between a parson [or rector] and vicar is this: The parson has, for the most part, the whole right to the ecclesiastical dues in his parish; but a vicar has generally an appropriator over him, entitled to the best part of the profits, to whom he is in fact perpetual curate with a standing salary. Burrill.

Apostolic vicar, or Vicar apostolic. (R. C. Ch.) (a) A bishop to whom the Roman pontiff delegates a portion of his jurisdiction. (b) Any ecclesiastic acting under a papal brief, commissioned to exercise episcopal authority. (c) A titular bishop in a country where there is no episcopal see, or where the succession has been interrupted. — Vicar forane. [Cf. LL. foraneus situated outside of the episcopal city, rural. See Vicar, and Foreign.] (R. C. Ch.) A dignitary or parish priest appointed by a bishop to exercise a limited jurisdiction in a particular town or district of a diocese. Addis & Arnold. — Vicar-general. (a) (Ch. of Eng.) The deputy of the Archbishop of Canterbury or York, in whose court the bishops of the province are confirmed. Encyc. Brit. (b) (R. C. Ch.) An assistant to a bishop in the discharge of his official functions. — Vicar of Jesus Christ (R. C. Ch.), the pope as representing Christ on earth.

<! p. 1608 !>

Vic"ar*age (?; 48), n. 1. The benefice of a vicar.

2. The house or residence of a vicar.

Vi*ca"ri*al (?), a. [Cf. F. vicarial.] 1. Of or pertaining to a vicar; as, vicarial tithes.

2. Delegated; vicarious; as, vicarial power.

Vi*ca"ri*an (?), n. A vicar. [Obs.] Marston.

Vi*ca"ri*ate (?), a. Having delegated power, as a vicar; vicarious. Barrow.

Vi*ca"ri*ate, n. [LL. vicariatus, or F. vicariat.] Delegated office or power; vicarship; the office or oversight of a vicar.

The vicariate of that part of Germany which is governed by the Saxon laws devolved on the elector of Saxony.

Robertson.

Vi*ca"ri*ous (?), a. [L. vicarius, from vicis change, alternation, turn, the position, place, or office of one person as assumed by another; akin to Gr. &?; to yield, give way, G. wechsel a change, and probably also to E. weak. See Weak, and cf. Vice, prep.] 1. Of or pertaining to a vicar, substitute, or deputy; deputed; delegated; as, vicarious power or authority.

2. Acting of suffering for another; as, a vicarious agent or officer.

The soul in the body is but a subordinate efficient, and vicarious . . . in the hands of the Almighty.

Sir M. Hale.

3. Performed of suffered in the place of another; substituted; as, a vicarious sacrifice; vicarious punishment.

The vicarious work of the Great Deliverer.

I. Taylor.

4. (Med.) Acting as a substitute; — said of abnormal action which replaces a suppressed normal function; as, vicarious hemorrhage replacing menstruation.

Vi*ca"ri*ous*ly, adv. In a vicarious manner.

Vic"ar*ship (?), n. The office or dignity of a vicar.

Vic"ar*y (?), n. [L. vicarius.] A vicar. [Obs.]

Vice (?), n. [F., from L. vitium.] 1. A defect; a fault; an error; a blemish; an imperfection; as, the vices of a political constitution; the vices of a horse.

Withouten vice of syllable or letter.

Chaucer.

Mark the vice of the procedure.

Sir W. Hamilton.

2. A moral fault or failing; especially, immoral conduct or habit, as in the indulgence of degrading appetites; customary deviation in a single respect, or in general, from a right standard, implying a defect of natural character, or the result of training and habits; a harmful custom; immorality; depravity; wickedness; as, a life of vice; the vice of intemperance.

I do confess the vices of my blood.

Shak.

Ungoverned appetite . . . a brutish vice.

Milton.

When vice prevails, and impious men bear sway, The post of honor is a private station.

Addison.

3. The buffoon of the old English moralities, or moral dramas, having the name sometimes of one vice, sometimes of another, or of Vice itself; — called also Iniquity.

This character was grotesquely dressed in a cap with ass's ears, and was armed with a dagger of lath: one of his chief employments was to make sport with the Devil, leaping on his back, and belaboring him with the dagger of lath till he made him roar. The Devil, however, always carried him off in the end. Nares.

How like you the Vice in the play? . . . I would not give a rush for a Vice that has not a wooden dagger to snap at everybody.

B. Jonson.

Syn. — Crime; sin; iniquity; fault. See Crime.

Vice, n. [See Vise.] 1. (Mech.) A kind of instrument for holding work, as in filing. Same as Vise.

2. A tool for drawing lead into cames, or flat grooved rods, for casements. [Written also vise.]

3. A gripe or grasp. [Obs.] Shak.

Vice, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Viced (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vicing (?).] To hold or squeeze with a vice, or as if with a vice. Shak.

The coachman's hand was viced between his upper and lower thigh.

De Quincey.

||Vi"ce (?), prep. [L., abl. of vicis change, turn. See Vicarious.] In ||the place of; in the stead; as, A. B. was appointed postmaster vice ||C. D. resigned. || Vice (?), a. [Cf. F. vice-. See Vice, prep.] Denoting one who in certain cases may assume the office or duties of a superior; designating an officer or an office that is second in rank or authority; as, vice president; vice agent; vice consul, etc.

Vice admiral. [Cf. F. vice-amiral.] (a) An officer holding rank next below an admiral. By the existing laws, the rank of admiral and vice admiral in the United States Navy will cease at the death of the present incumbents. (b) A civil officer, in Great Britain, appointed by the lords commissioners of the admiralty for exercising admiralty jurisdiction within their respective districts. — Vice admiralty, the office of a vice admiral. — Vice-admiralty court, a court with admiralty jurisdiction, established by authority of Parliament in British possessions beyond the seas. Abbott. — Vice chamberlain, an officer in court next in rank to the lord chamberlain. [Eng.] - - Vice chancellor. (a) (Law) An officer next in rank to a chancellor. (b) An officer in a university, chosen to perform certain duties, as the conferring of degrees, in the absence of the chancellor. (c) (R. C. Ch.) The cardinal at the head of the Roman Chancery. — Vice consul [cf. F. vice- consul], a subordinate officer, authorized to exercise consular functions in some particular part of a district controlled by a consul. — Vice king, one who acts in the place of a king; a viceroy. — Vice legate [cf. F. vice-légat], a legate second in rank to, or acting in place of, another legate. — Vice presidency, the office of vice president. — Vice president [cf. F. vice-président], an officer next in rank below a president.

Viced (?), a. Vicious; corrupt. [Obs.] Shak.

Vice*ge"ren*cy (?), n. The office of a vicegerent. South.

Vice*ge"rent (?), a. [Vice, a. + gerent: cf. F. vicegérant.] Having or exercising delegated power; acting by substitution, or in the place of another. Milton.

Vice*ge"rent (?), a. [Vice, a. + gerent: cf. F. vicegérant.] Having or exercising delegated power; acting by substitution, or in the place of another. Milton.

Vice*ge"rent, n. An officer who is deputed by a superior, or by proper authority, to exercise the powers of another; a lieutenant; a vicar. Bacon.

The symbol and vicegerent of the Deity.

C. A. Young.

Vice"man (?), n.; pl. Vicemen (&?;). A smith who works at the vice instead of at the anvil.

Vic"e*na*ry (?; 277), a. [L. vicenarius, fr. viceni twenty each; akin to viginti twenty.] Of or pertaining to twenty; consisting of twenty.

Vi*cen"ni*al (?), a. [L. vicennium a period of twenty years; viceni twenty + annus year.] 1. Lasting or comprising twenty years.

2. Happening once in twenty years; as, a vicennial celebration.

Vice`-re"gal (?), a. Of or pertaining to a viceroy or viceroyalty. Macaulay.

Vice"roy (?), n. [F. vice-roi; pref. vice- in the place of (L. vice) + roi a king, L. rex. See Vice, prep. and Royal.] 1. The governor of a country or province who rules in the name of the sovereign with regal authority, as the king's substitute; as, the viceroy of India.

2. (Zoöl.) A large and handsome American butterfly (Basilarchia, or Limenitis, archippus). Its wings are orange-red, with black lines along the nervures and a row of white spots along the outer margins. The larvæ feed on willow, poplar, and apple trees.

Vice*roy"al*ty (?), n. The dignity, office, or jurisdiction of a viceroy.

Vice"roy*ship (?), n. Viceroyalty.

Vi"ce*ty (?), n. [From Vice a fault.] Fault; defect; coarseness. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Vi"chy wa`ter (?). A mineral water found at Vichy, France. It is essentially an effervescent solution of sodium, calcium, and magnetism carbonates, with sodium and potassium chlorides; also, by extension, any artificial or natural water resembling in composition the Vichy water proper. Called also, colloquially, Vichy.

Vi"ci*ate (?), v. t. See Vitiate. [R.]

Vic"i*nage (?; 48), n. [OF. veisinage, F. voisinage, from OF. veisin, F. voisin, neighboring, a neighbor, L. vicunus. See Vicinity.] The place or places adjoining or near; neighborhood; vicinity; as, a jury must be of the vicinage. "To summon the Protestant gentleman of the vicinage." Macaulay.

Civil war had broken up all the usual ties of vicinage and good neighborhood.

Sir W. Scott.

Vic"i*nal (?; 277), a. [L. vicinalis: cf. F. vicinal.] Near; vicine. T. Warton.

Vicinal planes (Min.), subordinate planes on a crystal, which are very near to the fundamental planes in angles, and sometimes take their place. They have in general very complex symbols.

Vic"ine (?), a. [L. vicinus: cf. F. voisin.] Near; neighboring; vicinal. [R.] Glanvill.

Vic"ine (?), n. (Chem.) An alkaloid ex tracted from the seeds of the vetch (Vicia sativa) as a white crystalline substance.

Vi*cin"i*ty (v*sn"*t; 277), n. [L. vicinitas, from vicinus neighboring, near, from vicus a row of houses, a village; akin to Gr. o'i^kos a house, Skr. vça a house, viç to enter, Goth. weihs town: cf. OF. vicinité. Cf. Diocese, Economy, Parish, Vicinage, Wick a village.]

1. The quality or state of being near, or not remote; nearness; propinquity; proximity; as, the value of the estate was increased by the vicinity of two country seats.

A vicinity of disposition and relative tempers.

Jer. Taylor.

2. That which is near, or not remote; that which is adjacent to anything; adjoining space or country; neighborhood. "The vicinity of the sun." Bentley.

Syn. — Neighborhood; vicinage. See Neighborhood.

Vi`ci*os"i*ty (?), n. Vitiosity. [R.]

Vi"cious (?), a. [OF. vicious, F. vicieux, fr. L. vitiosus, fr. vitium vice. See Vice a fault.] 1. Characterized by vice or defects; defective; faulty; imperfect.

Though I perchance am vicious in my guess.

Shak.

The title of these lords was vicious in its origin.

Burke.

A charge against Bentley of vicious reasoning.

De Quincey.

2. Addicted to vice; corrupt in principles or conduct; depraved; wicked; as, vicious children; vicious examples; vicious conduct.

Who . . . heard this heavy curse, Servant of servants, on his vicious race.

Milton.

3. Wanting purity; foul; bad; noxious; as, vicious air, water, etc. Dryden.

4. Not correct or pure; corrupt; as, vicious language; vicious idioms.

5. Not well tamed or broken; given to bad tricks; unruly; refractory; as, a vicious horse.

6. Bitter; spiteful; malignant. [Colloq.]

Syn. — Corrupt; faulty; wicked; depraved.

— Vi"cious*ly, adv. — Vi"cious*ness, n.

Vi*cis"si*tude (?), n. [L. vicissitudo, fr. vicis change, turn: cf. F. vicissitude. See Vicarious.]

1. Regular change or succession from one thing to another; alternation; mutual succession; interchange.

God made two great lights . . . To illuminate the earth and rule the day In their vicissitude, and rule the night.

Milton.

2. Irregular change; revolution; mutation.

This man had, after many vicissitudes of fortune, sunk at last into abject and hopeless poverty.

Macaulay.

Vi*cis`si*tu"di*na*ry (?), a. Subject to vicissitudes. Donne.

Vi*cis`si*tu"di*nous (?), a. Full of, or subject to, changes.

Vi*cis"sy duck` (?). (Zoöl.) A West Indian duck, sometimes domesticated.

Vi*con"ti*el (?), a. [From OE. vicounte a viscount. See Viscount.] (O. Eng. Law) Of or pertaining to the viscount or sheriff of a country.

Vicontiel rents. See Vicontiels. — Vicontiel writs, such writs as were triable in the sheriff, or county, court.

Vi*con"ti*els (?), n. pl. [See Vicontiel.] (O. Eng. Law) Things belonging to the sheriff; especially, farms (called also vicontiel rents) for which the sheriff used to pay rent to the king.

Vi"count (?), n. See Viscount.

Vic"tim (?), n. [L. victima: cf. F. victime.]

1. A living being sacrificed to some deity, or in the performance of a religious rite; a creature immolated, or made an offering of.

Led like a victim, to my death I'll go.

Dryden.

2. A person or thing destroyed or sacrificed in the pursuit of an object, or in gratification of a passion; as, a victim to jealousy, lust, or ambition.

3. A person or living creature destroyed by, or suffering grievous injury from, another, from fortune or from accident; as, the victim of a defaulter; the victim of a railroad accident.

4. Hence, one who is duped, or cheated; a dupe; a gull. [Colloq.]

Vic"tim*ate, v. t. [L. victimatus, p. p. of victimare to sacrifice.] To make a victim of; to sacrifice; to immolate. [Obs.] Bullokar.

Vic"tim*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Victimized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Victimizing (?).] To make a victim of, esp. by deception; to dupe; to cheat.

Vic"tor (?), n. [L. victor, fr. vincere, victum, to vanquish, to conquer. See Vanquish.] 1. The winner in a contest; one who gets the better of another in any struggle; esp., one who defeats an enemy in battle; a vanquisher; a conqueror; — often followed by art, rarely by of.

In love, the victors from the vanquished fly; They fly that wound, and they pursue that die.

Waller.

2. A destroyer. [R. & Poetic]

There, victor of his health, of fortune, friends, And fame, this lord of useless thousands ends.

Pope.

Vic"tor, a. Victorious. "The victor Greeks." Pope.

Vic"tor*ess (?), n. A victress. [Obs.] Spenser.

Vic*to"ri*a (?), n. [NL.] 1. (Bot.) A genus of aquatic plants named in honor of Queen Victoria. The Victoria regia is a native of Guiana and Brazil. Its large, spreading leaves are often over five feet in diameter, and have a rim from three to five inches high; its immense rose-white flowers sometimes attain a diameter of nearly two feet.

2. A kind of low four-wheeled pleasure carriage, with a calash top, designed for two persons and the driver who occupies a high seat in front.

3. (Astron.) An asteroid discovered by Hind in 1850; — called also Clio.

Victoria cross, a bronze Maltese cross, awarded for valor to members of the British army or navy. It was first bestowed in 1857, at the close of the Crimean war. The recipients also have a pension of £10 a year. — Victoria green. (Chem.) See Emerald green, under Green. — Victoria lily (Bot.), the Victoria regia. See def. 1, above.

Vic*to"ri*an (?), a. Of or pertaining to the reign of Queen Victoria of England; as, the Victorian poets.

Victorian period. See Dionysian period, under Dyonysian.

Vic`tor*ine" (?), n. A woman's fur tippet.

Vic*to"ri*ous (?), a. [L. victoriosus: cf. F. victorieux. See Victory.] Of or pertaining to victory, or a victor' being a victor; bringing or causing a victory; conquering; winning; triumphant; as, a victorious general; victorious troops; a victorious day.

But I shall rise victorious, and subdue My vanquisher.

Milton.

Now are our brows bound wind victorious wreaths.

Shak.

— Vic*to"ri*ous*ly, adv. — Vic*to"ri*ous*ness, n.

Vic"to*ry (?), n.; pl. Victories (#). [OE. victorie, OF. victorie, victoire, F. victoire, L. victoria. See Victor.] The defeat of an enemy in battle, or of an antagonist in any contest; a gaining of the superiority in any struggle or competition; conquest; triumph; — the opposite of defeat.

Death is swallowed up in victory.

1 Cor. xv. 54.

God on our side, doubt not of victory.

Shak.

Victory may be honorable to the arms, but shameful to the counsels, of a nation.

Bolingbroke.

Vic"tress (?), n. [Cf. L. victrix.] A woman who wins a victory; a female victor.

Vic"trice (?), n. A victress. [R.] B. Jonson.

Vic"trix (?), n. [L.] Victress. C. Bronté.

Vict"ual (?), n. 1. Food; — now used chiefly in the plural. See Victuals. 2 Chron. xi. 23. Shak.

He was not able to keep that place three days for lack of victual.

Knolles.

There came a fair-hair'd youth, that in his hand Bare victual for the movers.

Tennyson.

Short allowance of victual.

Longfellow.

2. Grain of any kind. [Scot.] Jamieson.

Vict"ual (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Victualed (?) or Victualled; p. pr. & vb. n. Victualing or Victualling.] To supply with provisions for subsistence; to provide with food; to store with sustenance; as, to victual an army; to victual a ship.

I must go victual Orleans forthwith.

Shak.

Vict"ual*age (?; 48), n. Victuals; food. [R.] "With my cargo of victualage." C. Bronté.

<! p. 1609 !>

Vict"ual*er (?), n. [F. victuailleur.] [Written also victualler.] 1. One who furnishes victuals.

2. One who keeps a house of entertainment; a tavern keeper; an innkeeper. Shak.

3. A vessel employed to carry provisions, usually for military or naval use; a provision use; a provision ship.

4. One who deals in grain; a corn factor. [Scot.]

Licensed victualer. See under Licensed.

Vict"ual*ing, a. Of or pertaining to victuals, or provisions; supplying provisions; as, a victualing ship.

Vict"uals (?), n. pl. [OE. vitaille, OF. vitaille, F. victuaille, pl. victuailles, fr. L. victualia, pl. of. victualis belonging to living or nourishment, fr. victus nourishment, from vivere, victum, to live; akin to vivus living. See Vivid.] Food for human beings, esp. when it is cooked or prepared for the table; that which supports human life; provisions; sustenance; meat; viands.

Then had we plenty of victuals.

Jer. xliv. 17.

||Vic"tus (?), n. [L.] (Zoöl.) Food; diet. || { ||Vi*cu"ña, ||Vi*cu"gna } (?), n. [Sp. vicuña. Cf. Vigonia.] (Zoöl.) A South American mammal (Auchenia vicunna) native of the elevated plains of the Andes, allied to the llama but smaller. It has a thick coat of very fine reddish brown wool, and long, pendent white hair on the breast and belly. It is hunted for its wool and flesh.

Vid"a finch` (?). (Zoöl.) The whidah bird.

||Vi*dame" (?), n. [F., fr. LL. vice- dominus, fr. L. vice instead of + ||dominus master, lord.] (Fr. Feud. Law) One of a class of temporal ||officers who originally represented the bishops, but later erected ||their offices into fiefs, and became feudal nobles. || ||Vi"de (?), imperative sing. of L. videre, to see; — used to direct ||attention to something; as, vide supra, see above. || ||Vi*del"i*cet (?), adv. [L., contr. fr. videre licet, literally, it is ||easy to see, one may or can see.] To wit; namely; — often abbreviated ||to viz. || Vi*dette" (?), n. (Mil.) Same Vedette.

Vi*do"ni*a (?), n. [Cf. Pg. vidonho the quality of grapes, Sp. veduño.] A dry white wine, of a tart flavor, produced in Teneriffe; — called also Teneriffe.

Vid"u*age (?), n. [See Vidual.] The state of widows or of widowhood; also, widows, collectively.

Vid"u*al (?), a. [L. vidualis, fr. vidua a widow, fr. viduus widowed. See Widow.] Of or pertaining to the state of a widow; widowed. [R.] Jer. Taylor.

Vid`u*a"tion (?), n. The state of being widowed or bereaved; loss; bereavement. [R.]

Vi*du"i*ty (?), n. [L. viduitas: cf. F. viduité.] Widowhood. [R.] "Chaste viduity." Ld. Ellenborough.

Vie (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Vied (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vying (?).] [OE. vien, shortened fr. envien, OF. envier to invite, to challenge, a word used in gambling, L. invitare to invite; of uncertain origin. Cf. Invite, Envie.] 1. To stake a sum upon a hand of cards, as in the old game of gleek. See Revie. [Obs.]

2. To strive for superiority; to contend; to use emulous effort, as in a race, contest, or competition.

In a trading nation, the younger sons may be placed in such a way of life as . . . to vie with the best of their family.

Addison.

While Waterloo with Cannæ's carnage vies.

Byron.

Vie, v. t. 1. To stake; to wager. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

2. To do or produce in emulation, competition, or rivalry; to put in competition; to bandy. [Obs.]

She hung about my neck; and kiss on kiss She vied so fast.

Shak.

Nor was he set over us to vie wisdom with his Parliament, but to be guided by them.

Milton.

And vying malice with my gentleness, Pick quarrels with their only happiness.

Herbert.

Vie, n. A contest for superiority; competition; rivalry; strife; also, a challenge; a wager. [Obs.]

We 'll all to church together instantly, And then a vie for boys.

J. Fletcher.

Vi*elle" (?), n. [F. Cf. Viol.] An old stringed instrument played upon with a wheel; a hurdy- gurdy.

Vi*en"na paste` (?). (Pharm.) A caustic application made up of equal parts of caustic potash and quicklime; — called also Vienna caustic.

Vi`en*nese" (?), a. Of or pertaining to Vienna, or people of Vienna. — n. sing. & pl. An inhabitant, or the inhabitants, of Vienna.

View (?), n. [OF. veue, F. vue, fr. OF. veoir to see, p. p. veu, F. voir, p. p. vu, fr. L. videre to see. See Vision, and cl. Interview, Purview, Review, Vista.] 1. The act of seeing or beholding; sight; look; survey; examination by the eye; inspection.

Thenceforth I thought thee worth my nearer view.

Milton.

Objects near our view are thought greater than those of a larger size are more remote.

Locke.

Surveying nature with too nice a view.

Dryden.

2. Mental survey; intellectual perception or examination; as, a just view of the arguments or facts in a case.

I have with exact view perused thee, Hector.

Shak.

3. Power of seeing, either physically or mentally; reach or range of sight; extent of prospect.

The walls of Pluto's palace are in view.

Dryden.

4. That which is seen or beheld; sight presented to the natural or intellectual eye; scene; prospect; as, the view from a window.

'T is distance lends enchantment to the view.

Campbell.

5. The pictorial representation of a scene; a sketch, &?;ither drawn or painted; as, a fine view of Lake George.

6. Mode of looking at anything; manner of apprehension; conception; opinion; judgment; as, to state one's views of the policy which ought to be pursued.

To give a right view of this mistaken part of liberty.

Locke.

7. That which is looked towards, or kept in sight, as object, aim, intention, purpose, design; as, he did it with a view of escaping.

No man sets himself about anything but upon some view or other which serves him for a reason.

Locke.

8. Appearance; show; aspect. [Obs.]

[Graces] which, by the splendor of her view Dazzled, before we never knew.

Waller.

Field of view. See under Field. — Point of view. See under Point. — To have in view, to have in mind as an incident, object, or aim; as, to have one's resignation in view. - - View halloo, the shout uttered by a hunter upon seeing the fox break cover. — View of frankpledge (Law), a court of record, held in a hundred, lordship, or manor, before the steward of the leet. Blackstone. — View of premises (Law), the inspection by the jury of the place where a litigated transaction is said to have occurred.

View (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Viewed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Viewing.] 1. To see; to behold; especially, to look at with attention, or for the purpose of examining; to examine with the eye; to inspect; to explore.

O, let me view his visage, being dead.

Shak.

Nearer to view his prey, and, unespied, To mark what of their state he more might learn.

Milton.

2. To survey or examine mentally; to consider; as, to view the subject in all its aspects.

The happiest youth, viewing his progress through.

Shak.

View"er (?), n. 1. One who views or examines.

2. (Law) A person appointed to inspect highways, fences, or the like, and to report upon the same.

3. The superintendent of a coal mine. [Eng.]

View"i*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being viewy, or of having unpractical views.

View"less, a. Not perceivable by the eye; invisible; unseen. "Viewless winds." Shak.

Swift through the valves the visionary fair Repassed, and viewless mixed with common air.

Pope.

{ View"ly (?), View"some (?), } a. Pleasing to the sight; sightly. [Prov. Eng.]

View"y (?), a. 1. Having peculiar views; fanciful; visionary; unpractical; as, a viewy person.

2. Spectacular; pleasing to the eye or the imagination.

A government intent on showy absurdities and viewy enterprises rather than solid work.

London Spectator.

Vif"da (?), n. In the Orkney and Shetland Islands, beef and mutton hung and dried, but not salted. [Scot.] [Written also vivda.] Jamieson.

Vi*ges"i*mal (?), a. [L. vigesimus twentieth, from viginti twenty.] Twentieth; divided into, or consisting of, twenties or twenty parts. Tylor.

Vi*ges`i*ma"tion (?), n. The act of putting to death every twentieth man. [R.]

Vi*ges"i*mo-quar"to (?), a. [L. vigesimus quartus twenty-fourth. Cf. Duodecimo.] Having twenty-four leaves to a sheet; as, a vigesimo-quarto form, book, leaf, size, etc.

Vi*ges"i*mo-quar"to, n.; pl. - tos (&?;). A book composed of sheets each of which is folded into twenty-four leaves; hence, indicating more or less definitely a size of book so made; — usually written 24mo, or 24°.

Vig"il (?), n. [OE. vigile, L. vigilia, from vigil awake, watchful, probably akin to E. wake: cf. F. vigile. See Wake, v. i., and cf. Reveille, Surveillance, Vedette, Vegetable, Vigor.] 1. Abstinence from sleep, whether at a time when sleep is customary or not; the act of keeping awake, or the state of being awake, or the state of being awake; sleeplessness; wakefulness; watch. "Worn out by the labors and vigils of many months." Macaulay.

Nothing wears out a fine face like the vigils of the card table and those cutting passions which attend them.

Addison.

2. Hence, devotional watching; waking for prayer, or other religious exercises.

So they in heaven their odes and vigils tuned.

Milton.

Be sober and keep vigil, The Judge is at the gate.

Neale (Rhythm of St. Bernard).

3. (Eccl.) (a) Originally, the watch kept on the night before a feast. (b) Later, the day and the night preceding a feast.

He that shall live this day, and see old age, Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors, And say, "To-morrow is St. Crispian."

Shak.

(c) A religious service performed in the evening preceding a feast.

Vigils, or Watchings, of flowers (Bot.), a peculiar faculty belonging to the flowers of certain plants of opening and closing their petals as certain hours of the day. [R.]

Vig"i*lance (?), n. [L. vigilantia: cf. F. vigilance.] 1. The quality or state of being vigilant; forbearance of sleep; wakefulness.

2. Watchfulness in respect of danger; care; caution; circumspection. Cowper.

And flaming ministers to watch and tend Their earthly charge; of these the vigilance I dread.

Milton.

3. Guard; watch. [Obs.] "In at this gate none pass the vigilance here placed." Milton.

Vigilance committee, a volunteer committee of citizens for the oversight and protection of any interest, esp. one organized for the summary suppression and punishment of crime, as when the processes of law appear inadequate.

Vig"i*lan*cy (?), n. Vigilance. [Obs.] Fuller.

Vig"i*lant (?), a. [L. vigilans, - antis, p. pr. of vigilare to watch, fr. vigil awake: cf. F. vigilant. See Vigil.] Attentive to discover and avoid danger, or to provide for safety; wakeful; watchful; circumspect; wary. "Be sober, be vigilant." 1 Pet. v. 8.

Sirs, take your places, and be vigilant.

Shak.

Vig"i*lant*ly, adv. In a vigilant manner.

Vig"i*ly (?), n. [L. vigilia.] A vigil. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Vi`gin*tiv"i*rate (?), n. [L. vigintiviratus, fr. vigintiviri; viginti twenty + vir a man.] The office of the vigintiviri, a body of officers of government consisting of twenty men; also, the vigintiviri. [R.]

Vi*gnette" (?; 277), n. [F. vignette, fr. vigne a vine. See Vine, and cf. Vinette.] 1. (Arch.) A running ornament consisting of leaves and tendrils, used in Gothic architecture.

2. A decorative design, originally representing vine branches or tendrils, at the head of a chapter, of a manuscript or printed book, or in a similar position; hence, by extension, any small picture in a book; hence, also, as such pictures are often without a definite bounding line, any picture, as an engraving, a photograph, or the like, which vanishes gradually at the edge.

Vi*gnette", v. t. To make, as an engraving or a photograph, with a border or edge insensibly fading away.

Vi*go"ni*a (?), a. [Cf. F. vigogne vicuña. See Vicuña.] Of or pertaining to the vicuña; characterizing the vicuña; — said of the wool of that animal, used in felting hats, and for other purposes. Prescott.

Vig"or (?), n. [OE. vigour, vigor, OF. vigor, vigur, vigour, F. vigueur, fr. L. vigor, fr. vigere to be lively or strong. See Vegetable, Vigil.] 1. Active strength or force of body or mind; capacity for exertion, physically, intellectually, or morally; force; energy.

The vigor of this arm was never vain.

Dryden.

2. Strength or force in animal or force in animal or vegetable nature or action; as, a plant grows with vigor.

3. Strength; efficacy; potency.

But in the fruithful earth . . . His beams, unactive else, their vigor find.

Milton.

Vigor and its derivatives commonly imply active strength, or the power of action and exertion, in distinction from passive strength, or strength to endure.

Vig"or, v. t. To invigorate. [Obs.] Feltham.

Vig"or*ite (?), n. [L. vigor strength.] An explosive containing nitroglycerin. It is used in blasting.

||Vig`o*ro"so (?), a. & adv. [It.] (Mus.) Vigorous; energetic; with ||energy; — a direction to perform a passage with energy and force. || Vig"or*ous (?), a. [Cf. OF. vigoros, F. vigoureux, LL. vigorosus.] 1. Possessing vigor; full of physical or mental strength or active force; strong; lusty; robust; as, a vigorous youth; a vigorous plant.

Famed for his valor, young, At sea successful, vigorous and strong.

Waller.

2. Exhibiting strength, either of body or mind; powerful; strong; forcible; energetic; as, vigorous exertions; a vigorous prosecution of a war.

The beginnings of confederacies have been always vigorous and successful.

Davenant.

— Vig"or*ous*ly, adv. — Vig"or*ous*ness, n.

Vi"king (?), n. [Icel. vkingr, fr. vk a bay, inlet.] One belonging to the pirate crews from among the Northmen, who plundered the coasts of Europe in the eighth, ninth, and tenth centuries.

Of grim Vikings, and the rapture Of the sea fight, and the capture, And the life of slavery.

Longfellow.

Vikings differs in meaning from sea king, with which frequently confounded. "The sea king was a man connected with a royal race, either of the small kings of the country, or of the Haarfager family, and who, by right, received the title of king as soon he took the command of men, although only of a single ship's crew, and without having any land or kingdom . . . Vikings were merely pirates, alternately peasants and pirates, deriving the name of viking from the vicks, wicks, or inlets, on the coast in which they harbored with their long ships or rowing galleys." Laing.

Vil"a*ny (?), n. Villainy. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Vi`la*yet" (?), n. [Turk., from Ar. wilyah.] One of the chief administrative divisions or provinces of the Ottoman Empire; — formerly called eyalet.

Vild (?), a. [As if the p. p. of a verb to vile. See Vile, a.] Vile. [Obs.] "That vild race." Spenser. — Vild"ly, adv. [Obs.] Spenser.

Vile (?), a. [Comp. Viler (?); superl. Vilest.] [OE. vil, F. vil, from L. vilis cheap, worthless, vile, base.]

1. Low; base; worthless; mean; despicable.

A poor man in vile raiment.

James ii. 2.

The craft either of fishing, which was Peter's, or of making tents, which was Paul's, were [was] more vile than the science of physic.

Ridley.

The inhabitants account gold but as a vile thing.

Abp. Abbot.

2. Morally base or impure; depraved by sin; hateful; in the sight of God and men; sinful; wicked; bad. "Such vile base practices." Shak.

Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee ?

Job xl. 4.

Syn. — See Base.

— Vile"ly, adv. — Vile"ness, n.

Viled (?), a. [See Vild.] Abusive; scurrilous; defamatory; vile. [Obs.] "Viled speeches." Hayward.

Vil"eyns (?), a. [See Villain.] Villainous. [Obs.] "Vileyns sinful deeds make a churl." Chaucer.

Vil`i*fi*ca"tion (?), n. The act of vilifying or defaming; abuse. South.

Vil"i*fi`er (?), n. One who vilifies or defames.

Vil"i*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vilified (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vilifying.] [L. vilis vile + -fly; cf. L. vilificare to esteem of little value.] 1. To make vile; to debase; to degrade; to disgrace. [R.]

When themselves they vilified To serve ungoverned appetite.

Milton.

2. To degrade or debase by report; to defame; to traduce; to calumniate. I. Taylor.

Many passions dispose us to depress and vilify the merit of one rising in the esteem of mankind.

Addison.

3. To treat as vile; to despise. [Obs.]

I do vilify your censure.

Beau. & Fl.

<! p. 1610 !>

Vil"i*pend (?), v. t. [L. vilipendere; vilis vile + pendere to weigh, to value: cf. F. vilipender.] To value lightly; to depreciate; to slight; to despise.

To vilipend the art of portrait painting.

Longfellow.

Vil"i*pend"en*cy (?), n. Disesteem; slight; disparagement. [R.] E. Waterhouse.

Vil"i*ty (?), n. [L. vilitas: cf. F. vileté, vilité, OF. vilté.] Vileness; baseness. [Obs.] Kennet.

Vill (?), n. [OF. ville, vile, a village, F. ville a town, city. See Villa.] A small collection of houses; a village. "Every manor, town, or vill." Sir M. Hale.

Not should e'er the crested fowl From thorp or vill his matins sound for me.

Wordsworth.

A word of various significations in English, law; as, a manor; a tithing; a town; a township; a parish; a part of a parish; a village. The original meaning of vill, in England, seems to have been derived from the Roman sense of the term villa, a single country residence or farm; a manor. Later, the term was applied only to a collection of houses more than two, and hence came to comprehend towns. Burrill. The statute of Exeter, 14 Edward I., mentions entire- vills, demivills, and hamlets.

Vil"la (?), n.; pl. Villas (#). [L. villa, LL. also village, dim. of L. vicus a village: cf. It. & F. villa. See Vicinity, and cf. Vill, Village, Villain.] A country seat; a country or suburban residence of some pretensions to elegance. Dryden. Cowper.

Vil"lage (?; 48), n. [F., fr. L. villaticus belonging to a country house or villa. See Villa, and cf. Villatic.] A small assemblage of houses in the country, less than a town or city.

Village cart, a kind of two-wheeled pleasure carriage without a top.

Syn. — Village, Hamlet, Town, City. In England, a hamlet denotes a collection of houses, too small to have a parish church. A village has a church, but no market. A town has both a market and a church or churches. A city is, in the legal sense, an incorporated borough town, which is, or has been, the place of a bishop's see. In the United States these distinctions do not hold.

Vil"la*ger (?), n. An inhabitant of a village.

Brutus had rather be a villager Than to repute himself a son of Rome Under these hard condition.

Shak.

Vil"lage*ry (?), n. Villages; a district of villages. [Obs.] "The maidens of the villagery." Shak.

Vil"lain (?), n. [OE. vilein, F. vilain, LL. villanus, from villa a village, L. villa a farm. See Villa.]

1. (Feudal Law) One who holds lands by a base, or servile, tenure, or in villenage; a feudal tenant of the lowest class, a bondman or servant. [In this sense written also villan, and villein.]

If any of my ansectors was a tenant, and a servant, and held his lands as a villain to his lord, his posterity also must do so, though accidentally they become noble.

Jer. Taylor.

Villains were of two sorts; villains regardant, that is, annexed to the manor (LL. adscripti glebæ); and villains in gross, that is, annexed to the person of their lord, and transferable from one to another. Blackstone.

2. A baseborn or clownish person; a boor. [R.]

Pour the blood of the villain in one basin, and the blood of the gentleman in another, what difference shall there be proved?

Becon.

3. A vile, wicked person; a man extremely depraved, and capable or guilty of great crimes; a deliberate scoundrel; a knave; a rascal; a scamp.

Like a villain with a smiling cheek.

Shak.

Calm, thinking villains, whom no faith could fix.

Pope.

Vil"lain, a. [F. vilain.] Villainous. [R.] Shak.

Vil"lain, v. t. To debase; to degrade. [Obs.] Sir T. More.

Vil"lain*ous (?), a. [Written also villanous.]

1. Base; vile; mean; depraved; as, a villainous person or wretch.

2. Proceeding from, or showing, extreme depravity; suited to a villain; as, a villainous action.

3. Sorry; mean; mischievous; — in a familiar sense. "A villainous trick of thine eye." Shak.

Villainous judgment (O. E. Law), a judgment that casts reproach on the guilty person.

—- Vil"lain*ous*ly, adv. Vil"lain*ous*ness, n.

Vil"lain*y (?), n.; pl. Villainies (#). [OE. vilanie, OF. vilanie, vilainie, vileinie, vilanie, LL. villania. See Villain, n.] [Written also villany.] 1. The quality or state of being a villain, or villainous; extreme depravity; atrocious wickedness; as, the villainy of the seducer. "Lucre of vilanye." Chaucer.

The commendation is not in his wit, but in his villainy.

Shak.

2. Abusive, reproachful language; discourteous speech; foul talk. [Archaic]

He never yet not vileinye ne said In all his life, unto no manner wight.

Chaucer.

In our modern language, it [foul language] is termed villainy, as being proper for rustic boors, or men of coarsest education and employment.

Barrow.

Villainy till a very late day expressed words foul and disgraceful to the utterer much oftener than deeds.

Trench.

3. The act of a villain; a deed of deep depravity; a crime.

Such villainies roused Horace into wrath.

Dryden.

That execrable sum of all villainies commonly called a slave trade.

John Wesley.

Vil"la*kin (?), n. A little villa. [R.] Gay.

Vil"lan (?), n. A villain. [R.]

Vil"lan*age (?; 48), n. [OF. villenage, vilenage. See Villain.] 1. (Feudal Law) The state of a villain, or serf; base servitude; tenure on condition of doing the meanest services for the lord. [In this sense written also villenage, and villeinage.]

I speak even now as if sin were condemned in a perpetual villanage, never to be manumitted.

Milton.

Some faint traces of villanage were detected by the curious so late as the days of the Stuarts.

Macaulay.

2. Baseness; infamy; villainy. [Obs.] Dryden.

Vil`la*nel" (?), n. [See Villanelle.] A ballad. [Obs.] Cotton.

||Vil`la*nel"la (?), n.; pl. Villanelle (#). [It., a pretty country ||girl.] (Mus.) An old rustic dance, accompanied with singing. || ||Vil`la*nelle" (?), n. [F.] A poem written in tercets with but two ||rhymes, the first and third verse of the first stanza alternating as ||the third verse in each successive stanza and forming a couplet at ||the close. E. W. Gosse. || Vil`la*nette" (?), n. [Dim. of villa; formed on the analogy of the French.] A small villa. [R.]

Vil"lan*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Villanized; p. pr. & vb. n. Villanizing (?).] To make vile; to debase; to degrade; to revile. [R.]

Were virtue by descent, a noble name Could never villanize his father's fame.

Dryden.

Vil"lan*i`zer (?), n. One who villanizes. [R.]

Vil"lan*ous (?), a. Vil"lan*ous*ly, adv., Vil"lan*ous*ness, n., See Villainous, etc.

Vil"lan*y (?), n. See Villainy.

Vil*lat"ic (?), a. [L. villaticus belonging to a country house. See Village.] Of or pertaining to a farm or a village; rural. "Tame villatic fowl." Milton.

Vil"lein (?), n. (Feudal Law) See Villain, 1.

Vil"len*age (?), n. [See Villanage.] (Feudal Law) Villanage. Blackstone.

Vil"len*ous (?), a. Of or pertaining to a villein.

||Vil"li (?), n., pl. of Villus. || Vil"li*form (?), a. [Villus + - form.] Having the form or appearance of villi; like close-set fibers, either hard or soft; as, the teeth of perch are villiform.

Vil*lose" (?), a. (Bot.) See Villous.

Vil*los"i*ty (?), n. 1. State of being villous.

2. (Bot.) A coating of long, slender hairs.

3. (Anat.) A villus.

Vil"lous (?), a. [L. villosus: cf. F. villeux. Cf. Velvet.] 1. Abounding in, or covered with, fine hairs, or a woolly substance; shaggy with soft hairs; nappy.

2. (Anat.) Furnished or clothed with villi.

||Vil"lus (?), n.; pl. Villi (#). [L., shaggy hair, a tuft of hair.] 1. ||(Anat.) One of the minute papillary processes on certain vascular ||membranes; a villosity; as, villi cover the lining of the small ||intestines of many animals and serve to increase the absorbing ||surface. || 2. pl. (Bot.) Fine hairs on plants, resembling the pile of velvet.

Vim (?), n. [L., accusative of vis strength.] Power; force; energy; spirit; activity; vigor. [Colloq.]

||Vi"men (?), n. [L., a twig.] (Bot.) A long, slender, flexible shoot ||or branch. || Vim"i*nal (?; 277), a. [L. viminalis pertaining to osiers, fr. vimen a pliant twig, osier.] Of or pertaining to twigs; consisting of twigs; producing twigs.

Vi*min"e*ous (?; 277), a. [L. vimineus, fr. vimen pliant twig.] 1. Of or pertaining to twigs; made of pliant twigs. "In the hive's vimineous dome." Prior.

2. (Bot.) Producing long, slender twigs or shoots.

Vi*na"ceous (?; 277), a. [L. vinaceus. See Vine.] 1. Belonging to, or like, wine or grapes.

2. Of the color of wine, especially of red wine.

Vin`ai*grette" (?), n. [F., fr. vinaigre vinegar.] 1. (Cookery) A sauce, made of vinegar, oil, and other ingredients, — used esp. for cold meats.

2. A small perforated box for holding aromatic vinegar contained in a sponge, or a smelling bottle for smelling salts; — called also vinegarette.

3. A small, two-wheeled vehicle, like a Bath chair, to be drawn or pushed by a boy or man. [R.]

Vin"ai*grous (?), a. [F. vinaigre vinegar.] 1. Resembling vinegar; sour.

2. Fig.: Unamiable; morose. Carlyle.

Vi*nasse" (?), n. [F.] (Chem.) The waste liquor remaining in the process of making beet sugar, — used in the manufacture of potassium carbonate.

Vi*nat"i*co (?), n. [Pg. vinhatico.] Madeira mahogany; the coarse, dark-colored wood of the Persea Indica.

Vin*cen"tian (?), a. Of or pertaining to Saint Vincent de Paul, or founded by him. [R.]

Vin*cen"tian, n. (R. C. Ch.) (a) Same as Lazarist. (b) A member of certain charitable sisterhoods.

Vin`ce*tox"in (?), n. (Chem.) A glucoside extracted from the root of the white swallowwort (Vincetoxicum officinale, a plant of the Asclepias family) as a bitter yellow amorphous substance; — called also asclepiadin, and cynanchin.

Vin`ci*bil"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being vincible, vincibleness.

Vin"ci*ble (?), a. [L. vincibilis, fr. vincere to vanquish, conquer: cf. F. vincible. See Victor.] Capable of being overcome or subdued; conquerable. "He, not vincible in spirit . . . drew his sword." Hayward. "Vincible by human aid." Paley.

Vincible ignorance (Theol.), ignorance within the individual's control and for which, therefore, he is responsible before God.

Vin"ci*ble*ness, n. The quality or state of being vincible.

Vinc"ture (?; 135), n. [L. vinctura, fr. vincire, vinctum, to bind.] A binding. [Obs.]

||Vin"cu*lum (?), n.; pl. L. Vincula (#), E. Vinculums (#). [L., from ||vincire, vinctum, to bind.] 1. A bond of union; a tie. || 2. (Math.) A straight, horizontal mark placed over two or more members of a compound quantity, which are to be subjected to the same operation, as in the expression x2 + y2 - x + y.

3. (Anat.) A band or bundle of fibers; a frænum.

4. (Zoöl.) A commissure uniting the two main tendons in the foot of certain birds.

Vin*de"mi*al (?), a. [L. vindemialis, fr. vindemia a vintage. See Vintage.] Of or pertaining to a vintage, or grape harvest. [R.]

Vin*de"mi*ate (?), v. i. [L. vindemiare. See Vindemial.] To gather the vintage. [Obs.] Evelyn.

Vin*de`mi*a"tion (?), n. [LL. vindemiatio.] The operation of gathering grapes. [Obs.] Bailey.

Vin"di*ca*ble (?), a. Capable of being vindicated. — Vin`di*ca*bil"i*ty (#), n.

Vin"di*cate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vindicated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vindicating.] [L. vindicatus, p. p. of vindicare to lay claim to, defend, avenge. See Vengeance.] 1. To lay claim to; to assert a right to; to claim. [R.]

Is thine alone the seed that strews the plain? The birds of heaven shall vindicate their grain.

Pope.

2. To maintain or defend with success; to prove to be valid; to assert convincingly; to sustain against assault; as, to vindicate a right, claim, or title.

3. To support or maintain as true or correct, against denial, censure, or objections; to defend; to justify.

When the respondent denies any proposition, the opponent must directly vindicate . . . that proposition.

I. Watts.

Laugh where we must, be candid where we can, But vindicate the ways of God to man.

Pope.

4. To maintain, as a law or a cause, by overthrowing enemies. Milton.

5. To liberate; to set free; to deliver. [Obs.]

I am confident he deserves much more That vindicates his country from a tyrant Than he that saves a citizen.

Massinger.

6. To avenge; to punish; as, a war to vindicate or punish infidelity. [Obs.] Bacon.

God is more powerful to exact subjection and to vindicate rebellion.

Bp. Pearson.

Syn. — To assert; maintain; claim. See Assert.

Vin`di*ca"tion (?), n. [L. vindicatio a laying claim, defense, vindication. See Vindicate.] 1. The act of vindicating, or the state of being vindicated; defense; justification against denial or censure; as, the vindication of opinions; his vindication is complete.

Occasion for the vindication of this passage in my book.

Locke.

2. (Civil Law) The claiming a thing as one's own; the asserting of a right or title in, or to, a thing. Burrill.

Vin"di*ca*tive (?; 277), a. [Cf. F. vindicatif. Cf. Vindictive.] 1. Tending to vindicate; vindicating; as, a vindicative policy.

2. Revengeful; vindictive. [Obs.]

Vindicative persons live the life of witches, who, as they are mischievous, so end they infortunate.

Bacon.

— Vin"di*ca*tive*ness, n.

Vin"di*ca`tor (?), n. [LL., an avenger.] One who vindicates; one who justifies or maintains. Locke.

Vin"di*ca*to*ry (?), a. 1. Tending or serving to vindicate or justify; justificatory; vindicative.

2. Inflicting punishment; avenging; punitory.

The afflictions of Job were no vindicatory punishments to take vengeance of his sins.

Abp. Bramhall.

Vin*dic"tive (?), a. [For vindicative, confused with L. vindicta revenge, punishment, fr. vindicare to vindicate. Cf. Vindicative.] 1. Disposed to revenge; prompted or characterized by revenge; revengeful.

I am vindictive enough to repel force by force.

Dryden.

2. Punitive. [Obs.]

Vindictive damages. (Law) See under Damage, n.

— Vin*dic"tive*ly, adv. — Vin*dic"tive*ness, n.

Vine (?), n. [F. vigne, L. vinea a vineyard, vine from vineus of or belonging to wine, vinum wine, grapes. See Wine, and cf. Vignette.] (Bot.) (a) Any woody climbing plant which bears grapes. (b) Hence, a climbing or trailing plant; the long, slender stem of any plant that trails on the ground, or climbs by winding round a fixed object, or by seizing anything with its tendrils, or claspers; a creeper; as, the hop vine; the bean vine; the vines of melons, squashes, pumpkins, and other cucurbitaceous plants.

There shall be no grapes on the vine.

Jer. viii. 13.

And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds.

2 Kings iv. 89.

Vine apple (Bot.), a small kind of squash. Roger Williams. — Vine beetle (Zoöl.), any one of several species of beetles which are injurious to the leaves or branches of the grapevine. Among the more important species are the grapevine fidia (see Fidia), the spotted Pelidnota (see Rutilian), the vine fleabeetle (Graptodera chalybea), the rose beetle (see under Rose), the vine weevil, and several species of Colaspis and Anomala. — Vine borer. (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of several species of beetles whose larvæ bore in the wood or pith of the grapevine, especially Sinoxylon basilare, a small species the larva of which bores in the stems, and Ampeloglypter sesostris, a small reddish brown weevil (called also vine weevil), which produces knotlike galls on the branches. (b) A clearwing moth (Ægeria polistiformis), whose larva bores in the roots of the grapevine and is often destructive. — Vine dragon, an old and fruitless branch of a vine. [Obs.] Holland. — Vine forester (Zoöl.), any one of several species of moths belonging to Alypia and allied genera, whose larvæ feed on the leaves of the grapevine. — Vine fretter (Zoöl.), a plant louse, esp. the phylloxera that injuries the grapevine. — Vine grub (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of insect larvæ that are injurious to the grapevine. — Vine hopper (Zoöl.), any one of several species of leaf hoppers which suck the sap of the grapevine, especially Erythroneura vitis. See Illust. of Grape hopper, under Grape. — Vine inchworm (Zoöl.), the larva of any species of geometrid moths which feed on the leaves of the grapevine, especially Cidaria diversilineata. — Vine-leaf rooer (Zoöl.), a small moth (Desmia maculalis) whose larva makes a nest by rolling up the leaves of the grapevine. The moth is brownish black, spotted with white. — Vine louse (Zoöl.), the phylloxera. — Vine mildew (Bot.), a fungous growth which forms a white, delicate, cottony layer upon the leaves, young shoots, and fruit of the vine, causing brown spots upon the green parts, and finally a hardening and destruction of the vitality of the surface. The plant has been called Oidium Tuckeri, but is now thought to be the conidia-producing stage of an Erysiphe. — Vine of Sodom (Bot.), a plant named in the Bible (Deut. xxxii. 32), now thought to be identical with the apple of Sodom. See Apple of Sodom, under Apple. — Vine sawfly (Zoöl.), a small black sawfiy (Selandria vitis) whose larva feeds upon the leaves of the grapevine. The larvæ stand side by side in clusters while feeding. — Vine slug (Zoöl.), the larva of the vine sawfly. — Vine sorrel (Bot.), a climbing plant (Cissus acida) related to the grapevine, and having acid leaves. It is found in Florida and the West Indies. — Vine sphinx (Zoöl.), any one of several species of hawk moths. The larvæ feed on grapevine leaves. — Vine weevil. (Zoöl.) See Vine borer (a) above, and Wound gall, under Wound.

<! p. 1611 !>

Vi"ne*al (?), a. [L. vinealis.] Of or pertaining to vines; containing vines. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

Vine"-clad` (?), a. Covered with vines.

Vined (?), a. Having leaves like those of the vine; ornamented with vine leaves. "Vined and figured columns." Sir H. Wotton.

Vine"dress`er (?), n. One who cultivates, prunes, or cares for, grapevines; a laborer in a vineyard.

The sons of the shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

Isa. lxi. 5.

Vin"e*gar (?), n. [OE. vinegre, F. vinaigre; vin wine (L. vinum) + aigre sour. See Wine, and Eager, a.] 1. A sour liquid used as a condiment, or as a preservative, and obtained by the spontaneous (acetous) fermentation, or by the artificial oxidation, of wine, cider, beer, or the like.

The characteristic sourness of vinegar is due to acetic acid, of which it contains from three to five per cent. Wine vinegar contains also tartaric acid, citric acid, etc.

2. Hence, anything sour; — used also metaphorically.

Here's the challenge: . . . I warrant there's vinegar and pepper in't.

Shak.

Aromatic vinegar, strong acetic acid highly flavored with aromatic substances. — Mother of vinegar. See 4th Mother. — Radical vinegar, acetic acid. — Thieves' vinegar. See under Thief. — Vinegar eel (Zoöl.), a minute nematode worm (Leptodera oxophila, or Anguillula acetiglutinis), commonly found in great numbers in vinegar, sour paste, and other fermenting vegetable substances; — called also vinegar worm. — Vinegar lamp (Chem.), a fanciful name of an apparatus designed to oxidize alcohol to acetic acid by means of platinum. — Vinegar plant. See 4th Mother. — Vinegar tree (Bot.), the stag-horn sumac (Rhus typhina), whose acid berries have been used to intensify the sourness of vinegar. — Wood vinegar. See under Wood.

Vin"e*gar, v. t. To convert into vinegar; to make like vinegar; to render sour or sharp. [Obs.]

Hoping that he hath vinegared his senses As he was bid.

B. Jonson.

Vin`e*gar*ette" (?), n. See Vinaigrette, n., 2.

Vin"e*gar*y (?), a. Having the nature of vinegar; sour; unamiable.

Vin"er (?), n. A vinedresser. [Obs.]

Vin"er*y (?), n. 1. A vineyard. [Obs.] "The vinery of Ramer." Fabyan.

2. A structure, usually inclosed with glass, for rearing and protecting vines; a grapery.

Vi*nette" (?), n. [Cf. Vignette.] A sprig or branch. [Archaic] Halliwell.

Vin"ewed (?), a. Same as Vinnewed.

Vine"yard (?), n. [For OE. winyard, AS. wngeard; influenced by E. vine. See Wine, and Yard an inclosure.] An inclosure or yard for grapevines; a plantation of vines producing grapes.

Vine"yard*ist, n. One who cultivates a vineyard.

||Vingt` et` un" (?). [F., twenty and one.] A game at cards, played by ||two or more persons. The fortune of each player depends upon ||obtaining from the dealer such cards that the sum of their pips, or ||spots, is twenty-one, or a number near to it. || Vingt`un" (?), n. Contraction for Vingt et un.

Vin"ic (?), a. (Chem.) Of or pertaining to wine; as, vinic alcohol.

Vin"i*cul`ture (?), n. [L. vinum wine + cultura culture.] The cultivation of the vine, esp. for making wine; viticulture.

Vin"newed (?), a. [See Fenowed.] Moldy; musty. [Written also vinewed.] [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

— Vin"newed*ness, n. [Obs.]

Many of Chaucer's words are become, as it were, vinnewed and hoary with over-long lying.

F. Beaumont.

Vin"ny (?), a. Vinnewed. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Vin"o*len*cy (?), n. [L. vinolentina. See Vinolent.] Drunkennes. [Obs.]

Vin"o*lent (?), a. [L. vinolentus, fr. vinum wine.] Given to wine; drunken; intemperate. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Vin*om"e*ter (?), n. [L. vinum vine + -meter.] An instrument for determining the strength or purity of wine by measuring its density.

||Vin` or`di`naire" (?). [F., lit., common wine.] A cheap claret, used ||as a table wine in France. || Vi*nose" (?), a. Vinous.

Vi*nos"i*ty (?), n. [L. vinositas: cf. F. vinosité.] The quality or state of being vinous.

Vi"nous (?), a. [L. vinosus, fr. vinum wine: cf. F. vineux. See Wine.] Of or pertaining to wine; having the qualities of wine; as, a vinous taste.

Vin"quish (?), n. (Far.) See Vanquish, n.

Vint"age (?; 48), n. [Corrupted by influence of vintner, vintry, from OE. vindage, vendage, for vendange, OF. vendenge, F. vendange, from L. vindemia; vinum wine, grapes + demere to take off; de + emere, originally, to take. See Wine, Redeem, and cf. Vindemial.] 1. The produce of the vine for one season, in grapes or in wine; as, the vintage is abundant; the vintage of 1840.

2. The act or time of gathering the crop of grapes, or making the wine for a season.

Vintage spring, a wine fount. — Vintage time, the time of gathering grapes and making wine. Milton.

Vint"a*ger (?), n. [From Vintage: cf. F. vendangeur.] One who gathers the vintage.

Vint"a*ging (?), n. The act of gathering the vintage, or crop of grapes.

Vint"ner (?), n. [OE. vintener, viniter, OF. vinetier, vinotier, LL. vinetarius, fr. L. vinetum a vineyard, fr. vinum wine. See Wine.] One who deals in wine; a wine seller, or wine merchant.

Vint"ry (?), n. [OE. viniterie, from OF. vinotier, vinetier, wine merchant. See Vintner.] A place where wine is sold. [Obs.] Ainsworth.

Vin"y (?), a. Of or pertaining to vines; producing, or abounding in, vines. P. Fletcher.

Vi"nyl (?), n. [L. vinum wine + - yl.] (Chem.) The hypothetical radical C2H3, regarded as the characteristic residue of ethylene and that related series of unsaturated hydrocarbons with which the allyl compounds are homologous.

Vi"ol (?), n. [F. viole; cf. Pr. viola, viula, Sp., Pg., & It. viola, LL. vitula; of uncertain origin; perhaps from L. vitulari to celebrate a festival, keep holiday, be joyful, perhaps originally, to sacrifice a calf (vitulus; cf. Veal). Cf. Fiddle, Vielle, 2d Viola, Violin.]

1. (Mus.) A stringed musical instrument formerly in use, of the same form as the violin, but larger, and having six strings, to be struck with a bow, and the neck furnished with frets for stopping the strings.

Me softer airs befit, and softer strings Of lute, or viol still, more apt for mournful things.

Milton.

The name is now applied as a general term to designate instruments of the violin kind, as tenor viol, bass viol, etc.

2. (Naut.) A large rope sometimes used in weighing anchor. [Written also voyal, and voyal.] Totten.

||Vi"o*la (?), n. [L., a violet. See Violet.] (Bot.) A genus of ||polypetalous herbaceous plants, including all kinds of violets. || Vi"o*la (?), n. [It. See Viol.] (Mus.) An instrument in form and use resembling the violin, but larger, and a fifth lower in compass.

||Viola da braccio [It., viol for the arm], the tenor viol, or viola, a ||fifth lower than the violin. Its part is written in the alto clef, ||hence it is sometimes called the alto. — ||Viola da gamba [It., viol ||for the leg], an instrument resembling the viola, but larger, and ||held between the knees. It is now rarely used. — ||Viola da spalla ||[It., viol for the shoulder], an instrument formerly used, resembling ||the viola, and intermediate in size between the viola and the viola ||da gamba. — ||Viola di amore [It., viol of love: cf. F. viole ||d'amour], a viol, larger than the viola, having catgut strings upon, ||and brass or steel wires under, the keyboard. These, sounding ||sympathetically with the strings, yield a peculiarly soft and silvery ||sound. It is now seldom used. || Vi"o*la*ble (?), a. [L. violabilis: cf. F. violable. See Violate.] Capable of being violated, broken, or injured. — Vi"o*la*bly, adv.

Vi`o*la"ceous (?), a. [L. violaceus, fr. viola a violet.] 1. Resembling violets in color; bluish purple.

2. (Bot.) Of or pertaining to a natural order of plants, of which the violet is the type. It contains about twenty genera and two hundred and fifty species.

Vi`o*lan"i*line (?), n. [Violet + aniline.] (Chem.) A dyestuff of the induline group, made from aniline, and used as a substitute for indigo in dyeing wool and silk a violet-blue or a gray-blue color.

Vi`o*lan"tin (?), n. [See Violuric.] (Chem.) A complex nitrogenous substance, produced as a yellow crystalline substance, and regarded as a complex derivative of barbituric acid.

Vi`o*la*quer"cit*rin (?), n. (Chem.) A yellow crystalline glucoside obtained from the pansy (Viola tricolor), and decomposing into glucose and quercitrin.

Vi`o*las"cent (?), a. Violescent. [R.]

Vi"o*late (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Violates (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Violating.] [L. violatus, p. p. of violare to violate, fr. vis strength, force. See Violent.] 1. To treat in a violent manner; to abuse.

His wife Boadicea violated with stripes, his daughters with rape.

Milton.

2. To do violence to, as to anything that should be held sacred or respected; to profane; to desecrate; to break forcibly; to trench upon; to infringe.

Violated vows 'Twixt the souls of friend and friend.

Shak.

Oft have they violated The temple, oft the law, with foul affronts.

Milton.

3. To disturb; to interrupt. "Employed, it seems, to violate sleep." Milton.

4. To commit rape on; to ravish; to outrage.

Syn. — To injure; disturb; interrupt; infringe; transgress; profane; deflour; debauch; dishonor.

Vi`o*la"tion (?), n. [L. violatio: cf. F. violation.] The act of violating, treating with violence, or injuring; the state of being violated. Specifically: —

(a) Infringement; transgression; nonobservance; as, the violation of law or positive command, of covenants, promises, etc. "The violation of my faith." Shak.

(b) An act of irreverence or desecration; profanation or contemptuous treatment of sacred things; as, the violation of a church. Udall.

(c) Interruption, as of sleep or peace; disturbance.

(d) Ravishment; rape; outrage. Shak.

Vi"o*la*tive (?), a. Violating, or tending to violate.

Vi"o*la`tor (?), n. [L.] One who violates; an infringer; a profaner; a ravisher.

Vi"ole (?), n. A vial. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Vi"o*lence (?), n. [F., fr. L. violentia. See Violent.] 1. The quality or state of being violent; highly excited action, whether physical or moral; vehemence; impetuosity; force.

That seal You ask with such a violence, the king, Mine and your master, with his own hand gave me.

Shak.

All the elements At least had gone to wrack, disturbed and torn With the violence of this conflict.

Milton.

2. Injury done to that which is entitled to respect, reverence, or observance; profanation; infringement; unjust force; outrage; assault.

Do violence to do man.

Luke iii. 14.

We can not, without offering violence to all records, divine and human, deny an universal deluge.

T. Burnet.

Looking down, he saw The whole earth filled with violence.

Milton.

3. Ravishment; rape; constupration.

To do violence on, to attack; to murder. "She . . . did violence on herself." Shak. — To do violence to, to outrage; to injure; as, he does violence to his own opinions.

Syn. — Vehemence; outrage; fierceness; eagerness; violation; infraction; infringement; transgression; oppression.

Vi"o*lence, v. t. To assault; to injure; also, to bring by violence; to compel. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Vi"o*lent (?), a. [F., from L. violentus, from vis strength, force; probably akin to Gr. &?; a muscle, strength.] 1. Moving or acting with physical strength; urged or impelled with force; excited by strong feeling or passion; forcible; vehement; impetuous; fierce; furious; severe; as, a violent blow; the violent attack of a disease.

Float upon a wild and violent sea.

Shak.

A violent cross wind from either coast.

Milton.

2. Acting, characterized, or produced by unjust or improper force; outrageous; unauthorized; as, a violent attack on the right of free speech.

To bring forth more violent deeds.

Milton.

Some violent hands were laid on Humphrey's life.

Shak.

3. Produced or effected by force; not spontaneous; unnatural; abnormal.

These violent delights have violent ends.

Shak.

No violent state can be perpetual.

T. Burnet.

Ease would recant Vows made in pain, as violent and void.

Milton.

Violent presumption (Law), presumption of a fact that arises from proof of circumstances which necessarily attend such facts. — Violent profits (Scots Law), rents or profits of an estate obtained by a tenant wrongfully holding over after warning. They are recoverable in a process of removing.

Syn. — Fierce; vehement; outrageous; boisterous; turbulent; impetuous; passionate; severe; extreme.

Vi"o*lent, n. An assailant. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

Vi"o*lent, v. t. [Cf. F. violenter.] To urge with violence. [Obs.] Fuller.

Vi"o*lent, v. i. To be violent; to act violently. [Obs.]

The grief is fine, full, perfect, that I taste, And violenteth in a sense as strong As that which causeth it.

Shak.

Vi"o*lent*ly, adv. In a violent manner.

Vi`o*les"cent (?), a. [L. viola a violet.] Tending to a violet color; violascent.

Vi"o*let (?), n. [F. violette a violet (cf. violet violet-colored), dim. of OF. viole a violet, L. viola; akin to Gr. &?;. Cf. Iodine.] 1. (Bot.) Any plant or flower of the genus Viola, of many species. The violets are generally low, herbaceous plants, and the flowers of many of the species are blue, while others are white or yellow, or of several colors, as the pansy (Viola tricolor).

The cultivated sweet violet is Viola odorata of Europe. The common blue violet of the eastern United States is V. cucullata; the sand, or bird-foot, violet is V. pedata.

2. The color of a violet, or that part of the spectrum farthest from red. It is the most refrangible part of the spectrum.

3. In art, a color produced by a combination of red and blue in equal proportions; a bluish purple color. Mollett.

4. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small violet-colored butterflies belonging to Lycæna, or Rusticus, and allied genera.

<! p. 1612 !>

Corn violet. See under Corn. — Dame's violet. (Bot.) See Damewort. — Dogtooth violet. (Bot.) See under Dogtooth. — Water violet (Bot.), an aquatic European herb (Hottonia palustris) with pale purplish flowers and pinnatifid leaves.

Vi"o*let (?), a. [Cf. F. violet. See Violet, n.] Dark blue, inclining to red; bluish purple; having a color produced by red and blue combined.

Violet shell (Zoöl.), any species of Ianthina; — called also violet snail. See Ianthina. — Violet wood, a name given to several kinds of hard purplish or reddish woods, as king wood, myall wood, and the wood of the Andira violacea, a tree of Guiana.

Vi"o*let-tip" (?), n. (Zoöl.) A very handsome American butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis). Its wings are mottled with various shades of red and brown and have violet tips.

Vi`o*lin" (?), n. [It. violino, dim. of viola. See Viol.] (Mus.) A small instrument with four strings, played with a bow; a fiddle.

The violin is distinguished for the brilliancy and gayety, as well as the power and variety, of its tones, and in the orchestra it is the leading and most important instrument.

Vi"o*line (?), n. (Chem.) (a) A pale yellow amorphous substance of alkaloidal nature and emetic properties, said to have been extracted from the root and foliage of the violet (Viola). (b) Mauve aniline. See under Mauve.

Vi`o*lin"ist (?), n. [Cf. F. violiniste, violoniste, It. violonista.] A player on the violin.

Vi"ol*ist (?), n. [Cf. F. violiste.] A player on the viol.

Vi`o*lon*cel"list (?), n. [Cf. F. violoncelliste, It. violoncellista.] A player on the violoncello.

Vi`o*lon*cel"lo (?; 277), n. [It. violoncello, dim. of violone a bass viol. See Violone.] (Mus.) A stringed instrument of music; a bass viol of four strings, or a bass violin with long, large strings, giving sounds an octave lower than the viola, or tenor or alto violin.

||Vi`o*lo"ne (?), n. [It. violone, augment. of viola a viol. See Viol.] ||(Mus.) The largest instrument of the bass-viol kind, having strings ||tuned an octave below those of the violoncello; the contrabasso; — ||called also double bass. [Written also violono.] || Vi"o*lous (?), a. Violent. [Obs.] J. Fletcher.

Vi`o*lu"ric (?), a. [Violet + barbituric.] (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, a complex nitroso derivative of barbituric acid. It is obtained as a white or yellow crystalline substance, and forms characteristic yellow, blue, and violet salts.

Vi"per (?), n. [F. vipère, L. vipera, probably contr. fr. vivipera; vivus alive + parere to bring forth, because it was believed to be the only serpent that brings forth living young. Cf. Quick, a., Parent, Viviparous, Wivern, Weever.]

1. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of Old World venomous makes belonging to Vipera, Clotho, Daboia, and other genera of the family Viperidæ.

There came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

Acts xxviii. 3.

Among the best-known species are the European adder (Pelias berus), the European asp (Vipera aspis), the African horned viper (V. cerastes), and the Indian viper (Daboia Russellii).

2. A dangerous, treacherous, or malignant person.

Who committed To such a viper his most sacred trust Of secrecy.

Milton.

Horned viper. (Zoöl.) See Cerastes. — Red viper (Zoöl.), the copperhead. — Viper fish (Zoöl.), a small, slender, phosphorescent deep-sea fish (Chauliodus Sloanii). It has long ventral and dorsal fins, a large mouth, and very long, sharp teeth. — Viper's bugloss (Bot.), a rough-leaved biennial herb (Echium vulgare) having showy purplish blue flowers. It is sometimes cultivated, but has become a pestilent weed in fields from New York to Virginia. Also called blue weed. — Viper's grass (Bot.), a perennial composite herb (Scorzonera Hispanica) with narrow, entire leaves, and solitary heads of yellow flowers. The long, white, carrot-shaped roots are used for food in Spain and some other countries. Called also viper grass.

||Vi`per*i"na (?), n. pl. (Zoöl.) See Viperoidea. || Vi"per*ine (?; 277), a. [L. viperinus: cf. F. vipérin.] Of or pertaining to a viper or vipers; resembling a viper.

Viperine snake. (Zoöl.) (a) Any venomous snake of the family Viperidæ. (b) A harmless snake resembling a viper in form or color, esp. Tropidonotus viperinus, a small European species which resembles the viper in color.

Vi"per*ish, a. Somewhat like a viper; viperous.

{ ||Vi`per*oi"de*a (?), Vi`per*oi"des (?), } n. pl. [NL. See Viper, and -oid.] (Zoöl.) A division of serpents which includes the true vipers of the Old World and the rattlesnakes and moccasin snakes of America; — called also Viperina.

Vi"per*ous (?), a. Having the qualities of a viper; malignant; venomous; as, a viperous tongue. "This viperous slander." Shak. — Vi"per*ous*ly, adv.

Vi`ra*gin"i*an (?), a. Of or pertaining to a virago; having the qualities of a virago. Milton.

Vi`ra*gin"i*ty (?), n. The qualities or characteristics of a virago.

Vi*ra"go (?; 277), n.; pl. Viragoes (#). [L. virago, -intis, from vir a man. See Virile.] 1. A woman of extraordinary stature, strength, and courage; a woman who has the robust body and masculine mind of a man; a female warrior.

To arms! to arms! the fierce virago cries.

Pope.

2. Hence, a mannish woman; a bold, turbulent woman; a termagant; a vixen.

Virago . . . serpent under femininity.

Chaucer.

Vire (?), n. [OF. vire, fr. virer to turn. Cf. Veer, Vireton.] An arrow, having a rotary motion, formerly used with the crossbow. Cf. Vireton. Gower.

Vir"e*lay (?), n. [F. virelai; virer to turn + lai a song, a lay.] An ancient French song, or short poem, wholly in two rhymes, and composed in short lines, with a refrain.

Of such matter made he many lays, Songs, complains, roundels, virelayes.

Chaucer.

To which a lady sung a virelay.

Dryden.

"The virelay admitted only two rhymes, and, after employing one for some time, the poet was virer, or to turn, to the other." Nares.

Vi"rent (?), a. [L. virens, p. pr. of virere to be green.] Green; not withered. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

Vir"e*o (?), n. [L., a species of bird.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of American singing birds belonging to Vireo and allied genera of the family Vireonidæ. In many of the species the back is greenish, or olive-colored. Called also greenlet.

In the Eastern United States the most common species are the white-eyed vireo (Vireo Noveboracensis), the redeyed vireo (V. olivaceus), the blue-headed, or solitary, vireo (V. solitarius), the warbling vireo (V. gilvus), and the yellow-throated vireo (V. flavifrons). All these are noted for the sweetness of their songs.

Vi*res"cence (?), (Bot.) The act or state of becoming green through the formation of chlorophyll.

Vi*res"cent (?), a. [L. virescens, p. pr. of virescere to grow green, verb incho. fr. virere to be green.] Beginning to be green; slightly green; greenish.

Vir"e*ton (?), n. [F. See Vire.] An arrow or bolt for a crossbow having feathers or brass placed at an angle with the shaft to make it spin in flying.

Vir"ga*lieu (?), n. [Cf. Virgouleuse.] (Bot.) A valuable kind of pear, of an obovate shape and with melting flesh of delicious flavor; — more properly called White Doyenné. [Written also virgaloo, vergalieu, vergaloo, etc.]

Vir"gate (?), a. [L. virgatus made of twigs, fr. virga a twig, rod. See Verge a rod.] (Bot.) Having the form of a straight rod; wand-shaped; straight and slender.

Vir"gate, n. [LL. virgata, virgata terrae, so much land as virga terrae, a land measure, contains, fr. L. virga a twig, rod.] A yardland, or measure of land varying from fifteen to forty acres. [Obs.] T. Warton.

Vir"ga*ted (?), a. [L. virgatus striped. See Virgate, a.] Striped; streaked. [Obs.]

Virge (?), n. A wand. See Verge. [Obs.]

Vir"ger (?), n. See Verger. [Obs.]

Vir*gil"i*an (?), a. [L. Virgilianus, better Vergilianus.] Of or pertaining to Virgil, the Roman poet; resembling the style of Virgil. [Spelt also Vergilian.]

The rich Virgilian rustic measure Of Lari Maxume.

Tennyson.

Vir"gin (?), n. [L. virgo, - inis: cf. OF. virgine, virgene, virge, vierge, F. vierge.] 1. A woman who has had no carnal knowledge of man; a maid.

2. A person of the male sex who has not known sexual indulgence. [Archaic] Wyclif.

These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.

Rev. xiv. 4.

He his flesh hath overcome; He was a virgin, as he said.

Gower.

3. (Astron.) See Virgo.

4. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of gossamer-winged butterflies of the family Lycænidæ.

5. (Zoöl.) A female insect producing eggs from which young are hatched, though there has been no fecundation by a male; a parthenogenetic insect.

The Virgin, or The Blessed Virgin, the Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord. — Virgin's bower (Bot.), a name given to several climbing plants of the genus Clematis, as C. Vitalba of Europe, and C. Virginiana of North America.

Vir"gin (?), a. 1. Being a virgin; chaste; of or pertaining to a virgin; becoming a virgin; maidenly; modest; indicating modesty; as, a virgin blush. "Virgin shame." Cowley.

Innocence and virgin modesty . . . That would be wooed, and unsought be won.

Milton.

2. Pure; undefiled; unmixed; fresh; new; as, virgin soil; virgin gold. "Virgin Dutch." G. W. Cable.

The white cold virgin snow upon my heart.

Shak.

A few ounces of mutton, with a little virgin oil.

Landor.

3. Not yet pregnant; impregnant. Milton.

Vir"gin, v. i. To act the virgin; to be or keep chaste; — followed by it. See It, 5. [Obs.] "My true lip hath virgined it e'er since [that kiss]." Shak.

Vir"gin*al (?), a. [L. virginalis: cf. F. virginal.] Of or pertaining to a virgin; becoming a virgin; maidenly. "Chastity and honor virginal." Spenser.

Virginal generation (Biol.), parthenogenesis. — Virginal membrane (Anat.), the hymen.

Vir"gin*al, n. [Cf. F. virginale; — probably so called from being used by young girls, or virgins.] (Mus.) An instrument somewhat resembling the spinet, but having a rectangular form, like the small piano. It had strings and keys, but only one wire to a note. The instrument was used in the sixteenth century, but is now wholly obsolete. It was sometimes called a pair of virginals.

Vir"gin*al, v. i. To play with the fingers, as if on a virginal; to tap or pat. [Obs.] "Still virginaling upon his palm!" Shak.

Vir"gin*hood (?), n. Virginity; maidenhood.

Vir*gin"i*a (?), n. One of the States of the United States of America. — a. Of or pertaining to the State of Virginia.

Virginia cowslip (Bot.), the American lungwort (Mertensia Virginica). — Virginia creeper (Bot.), a common ornamental North American woody vine (Ampelopsis quinquefolia), climbing extensively by means of tendrils; — called also woodbine, and American ivy. [U. S.] — Virginia fence. See Worm fence, under Fence. — Virginia nightingale (Zoöl.), the cardinal bird. See under Cardinal. — Virginia quail (Zoöl.), the bobwhite. — Virginia reel, an old English contradance; — so called in the United States. Bartlett. — Virginia stock. (Bot.) See Mahon stock.

Vir*gin"i*ty (?), n. [OE. virgintee, F. virginité, L. virginitas.] 1. The quality or state of being a virgin; undefiled purity or chastity; maidenhood.

2. The unmarried life; celibacy. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Vir"go (?), n. [L. virgo a virgin, the constellation Virgo in the zodiac. See Virgin.] (Astron.) (a) A sign of the zodiac which the sun enters about the 21st of August, marked thus [] in almanacs. (b) A constellation of the zodiac, now occupying chiefly the sign Libra, and containing the bright star Spica.

Vir"gou*leuse (?), n. [F. virgouleuse, from the village of Virgoulée, near Limoges.] (Bot.) An old French variety of pear, of little value.

Vir`gu*la"ri*an (?), n. [From. L. virgula a small rod.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of long, slender Alcyonaria belonging to Virgularia and allied genera of the family Virgularidæ. These corals are allied to the sea-pens, but have a long rodlike rhachis inclosing a slender, round or square, calcareous axis. The polyps are arranged in transverse rows or clusters along each side of the rhachis.

Vir"gu*late (?), a. Shaped like a little twig or rod.

Vir"gule (?), n. [F. virgule, fr. L. virgula, dim. of virga. See Verge a rod.] A comma. [R.]

In the MSS. of Chaucer, the line is always broken by a cæsura in the middle, which is pointed by a virgule.

Hallam.

Vir"i*al (?), n. [L. vis, viris, force.] (Physics) A certain function relating to a system of forces and their points of application, — first used by Clausius in the investigation of problems in molecular physics.

Vir"id (?), a. [L. viridis green. See Verdant.] Green. [Obs.]

The virid marjoram Her sparkling beauty did but see.

Crompton.

Vir`i*des"cence (?), n. Quality or state of being viridescent.

Vir`i*des"cent (?), a. [L. viridescens, p. pr. of viridescere to grow green.] Slightly green; greenish.

Vir"i*dine (?), n. [L. viridis green.] (Chem.) A greenish, oily, nitrogenous hydrocarbon, C12H19N7, obtained from coal tar, and probably consisting of a mixture of several metameric compounds which are higher derivatives of the base pyridine.

Vir"i*dite (?), n. [L. viridis green.] (Min.) A greenish chloritic mineral common in certain igneous rocks, as diabase, as a result of alternation.

Vi*rid"i*ty (?), n. [L. viriditas, fr. viridis green: cf. F. viridité. See Verdant.] 1. Greenness; verdure; the color of grass and foliage.

2. Freshness; soundness. [Obs.] Evelyn.

Vir"id*ness (?), n. Viridity; greenness.

Vi"rile (?; 277), a. [L. virilis, fr. vir a man; akin to AS. wer: cf. F. viril. See Werewolf, World, and cf. Decemvir, Virago, Virtue.] Having the nature, properties, or qualities, of an adult man; characteristic of developed manhood; hence, masterful; forceful; specifically, capable of begetting; — opposed to womanly, feminine, and puerile; as, virile age, virile power, virile organs.

<! p. 1613 !>

Vi*ril"i*ty (?), n. [L. virilitas: cf. F. virilité.] The quality or state of being virile; developed manhood; manliness; specif., the power of procreation; as, exhaustion. "Virility of visage." Holland.

Vi*rip"o*tent (?), a. [L. vir man + potens fit for.] Developed in manhood; hence, able to beget; marriageable. [Obs.]

Being not of ripe years, not viripotent.

Holinshed.

Vir*mil"ion (?), n. See Vermilion. [R.]

Vi*role" (?), n. [F., a ferrule. See Ferrule.] (Her.) A ring surrounding a bugle or hunting horn.

Vi*roled" (?), a. (Her.) Furnished with a virole or viroles; — said of a horn or a bugle when the rings are of different tincture from the rest of the horn.

Vi*rose" (?), a. [L. virosus. See Virus.] Having a nauseous odor; fetid; poisonous. [R.]

Vir*tu" (?; 277), n. [It. virtù virtue, excellence, from L. virtus. See Virtue.] A love of the fine arts; a taste for curiosities. J. Spence.

An article, or piece, of virtu, an object of art or antiquity; a curiosity, such as those found in museums or private collections.

I had thoughts, in my chambers to place it in view, To be shown to my friends as a piece of virtù.

Goldsmith.

Vir"tu*al (?; 135), a. [Cf. F. virtuel. See Virtue.] 1. Having the power of acting or of invisible efficacy without the agency of the material or sensible part; potential; energizing.

Heat and cold have a virtual transition, without communication of substance.

Bacon.

Every kind that lives, Fomented by his virtual power, and warmed.

Milton.

2. Being in essence or effect, not in fact; as, the virtual presence of a man in his agent or substitute.

A thing has a virtual existence when it has all the conditions necessary to its actual existence.

Fleming.

To mask by slight differences in the manners a virtual identity in the substance.

De Quincey.

Principle of virtual velocities (Mech.), the law that when several forces are in equilibrium, the algebraic sum of their virtual moments is equal to zero. — Virtual focus (Opt.), the point from which rays, having been rendered divergent by reflection of refraction, appear to issue; the point at which converging rays would meet if not reflected or refracted before they reach it. — Virtual image. (Optics) See under Image. — Virtual moment (of a force) (Mech.), the product of the intensity of the force multiplied by the virtual velocity of its point of application; — sometimes called virtual work. — Virtual velocity (Mech.), a minute hypothetical displacement, assumed in analysis to facilitate the investigation of statical problems. With respect to any given force of a number of forces holding a material system in equilibrium, it is the projection, upon the direction of the force, of a line joining its point of application with a new position of that point indefinitely near to the first, to which the point is conceived to have been moved, without disturbing the equilibrium of the system, or the connections of its parts with each other. Strictly speaking, it is not a velocity but a length. — Virtual work. (Mech.) See Virtual moment, above.

Vir`tu*al"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. virtualité.] 1. The quality or state of being virtual.

2. Potentiality; efficacy; potential existence. [Obs.]

In one grain of corn, there lieth dormant a virtuality of many other.

Sir T. Browne.

Vir"tu*al*ly (?), adv. In a virtual manner; in efficacy or effect only, and not actually; to all intents and purposes; practically.

Vir"tu*ate (?), v. t. To make efficacious; to give virtue of efficacy. [Obs.] Harvey.

Vir"tue (?; 135), n. [OE. vertu, F. vertu, L. virtus strength, courage, excellence, virtue, fr. vir a man. See Virile, and cf. Virtu.] 1. Manly strength or courage; bravery; daring; spirit; valor. [Obs.] Shak.

Built too strong For force or virtue ever to expugn.

Chapman.

2. Active quality or power; capacity or power adequate to the production of a given effect; energy; strength; potency; efficacy; as, the virtue of a medicine.

Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about.

Mark v. 30.

A man was driven to depend for his security against misunderstanding, upon the pure virtue of his syntax.

De Quincey.

The virtue of his midnight agony.

Keble.

3. Energy or influence operating without contact of the material or sensible substance.

She moves the body which she doth possess, Yet no part toucheth, but by virtue's touch.

Sir. J. Davies.

4. Excellence; value; merit; meritoriousness; worth.

I made virtue of necessity.

Chaucer.

In the Greek poets, . . . the economy of poems is better observed than in Terence, who thought the sole grace and virtue of their fable the sticking in of sentences.

B. Jonson.

5. Specifically, moral excellence; integrity of character; purity of soul; performance of duty.

Virtue only makes our bliss below.

Pope.

If there's Power above us, And that there is all nature cries aloud Through all her works, he must delight in virtue.

Addison.

6. A particular moral excellence; as, the virtue of temperance, of charity, etc. "The very virtue of compassion." Shak. "Remember all his virtues." Addison.

7. Specifically: Chastity; purity; especially, the chastity of women; virginity.

H. I believe the girl has virtue. M. And if she has, I should be the last man in the world to attempt to corrupt it.

Goldsmith.

8. pl. One of the orders of the celestial hierarchy.

Thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues, powers.

Milton.

Cardinal virtues. See under Cardinal, a. — In, or By, virtue of, through the force of; by authority of. "He used to travel through Greece by virtue of this fable, which procured him reception in all the towns." Addison. "This they shall attain, partly in virtue of the promise made by God, and partly in virtue of piety." Atterbury. — Theological virtues, the three virtues, faith, hope, and charity. See 1 Cor. xiii. 13.

Vir"tue*less (?), a. Destitute of virtue; without efficacy or operating qualities; powerless.

Virtueless she wished all herbs and charms.

Fairfax.

Vir`tu*os"i*ty (?), n. 1. The quality or state of being a virtuoso; in a bad sense, the character of one in whom mere artistic feeling or æsthetic cultivation takes the place of religious character; sentimentalism.

This famous passage . . . over which the virtuosity of modern times, rejoicing in evil, has hung so fondly.

C. Kingsley.

2. Virtuosos, collectively. Carlyle.

3. An art or study affected by virtuosos.

Vir`tu*o"so (?), n.; pl. Virtuosos (#); It. Virtuosi (#). [It. See Virtuous.] 1. One devoted to virtu; one skilled in the fine arts, in antiquities, and the like; a collector or ardent admirer of curiosities, etc.

Virtuoso the Italians call a man who loves the noble arts, and is a critic in them.

Dryden.

2. (Mus.) A performer on some instrument, as the violin or the piano, who excels in the technical part of his art; a brilliant concert player.

Vir`tu*o"so*ship, n. The condition, pursuits, or occupation of a virtuoso. Bp. Hurd.

Vir"tu*ous (?; 135), a. [OE. vertuous, OF. vertuos, vertuous, F. vertueux, fr. L. Virtuous. See Virtue, and cf. Virtuoso.] 1. Possessing or exhibiting virtue. Specifically: —

(a) Exhibiting manly courage and strength; valorous; valiant; brave. [Obs.]

Old Priam's son, amongst them all, was chiefly virtuous.

Chapman.

(b) Having power or efficacy; powerfully operative; efficacious; potent. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Lifting up his virtuous staff on high, He smote the sea, which calméd was with speed.

Spenser.

Every virtuous plant and healing herb.

Milton.

(c) Having moral excellence; characterized by morality; upright; righteous; pure; as, a virtuous action.

The virtuous mind that ever walks attended By a strong siding champion, conscience.

Milton.

2. Chaste; pure; — applied especially to women.

Mistress Ford . . . the virtuous creature, that hath the jealous fool to her husband.

Shak.

— Vir"tu*ous*ly, adv. — Vir"tu*ous*ness, n.

{ Vir"u*lence (?), Vir"u*len*cy (?), } n. [Cf. F. virulence, L. virulentia an offensive odor, a stench.] 1. The quality or state of being virulent or venomous; poisonousness; malignancy.

2. Extreme bitterness or malignity of disposition. "Refuted without satirical virulency." Barrow.

The virulence of one declaimer, or the profundities and sublimities of the other.

I. Taylor.

Vir"u*lent (?), a. [L. virulentus, fr. virus poison: cf. F. virulent. See Virus.] 1. Extremely poisonous or venomous; very active in doing injury.

A contagious disorder rendered more virulent by uncleanness.

Sir W. Scott.

2. Very bitter in enmity; actuated by a desire to injure; malignant; as, a virulent invective.

Vir"u*lent*ed, a. Made virulent; poisoned. [Obs.]

Vir"u*lent*ly, adv. In a virulent manner.

Vi"rus (?), n. [L., a slimy liquid, a poisonous liquid, poison, stench; akin to Gr. &?; poison, Skr. visha. Cf. Wizen, v. i.] 1. (Med.) (a) Contagious or poisonous matter, as of specific ulcers, the bite of snakes, etc.; — applied to organic poisons. (b) The special contagion, inappreciable to the senses and acting in exceedingly minute quantities, by which a disease is introduced into the organism and maintained there.

The specific virus of diseases is now regarded as a microscopic living vegetable organism which multiplies within the body, and, either by its own action or by the associated development of a chemical poison, causes the phenomena of the special disease.

2. Fig.: Any morbid corrupting quality in intellectual or moral conditions; something that poisons the mind or the soul; as, the virus of obscene books.

||Vis (?), n. 1. Force; power. || 2. (Law) (a) Physical force. (b) Moral power.

Principle of vis viva (Mech.), the principle that the difference between the aggregate work of the accelerating forces of a system and that of the retarding forces is equal to one half the vis viva accumulated or lost in the system while the work is being done. — Vis impressa [L.] (Mech.), force exerted, as in moving a body, or changing the direction of its motion; impressed force. — Vis inertiæ. [L.] (a) The resistance of matter, as when a body at rest is set in motion, or a body in motion is brought to rest, or has its motion changed, either in direction or in velocity. (b) Inertness; inactivity. Vis intertiæ and inertia are not strictly synonymous. The former implies the resistance itself which is given, while the latter implies merely the property by which it is given. — Vis mortua [L.] (Mech.), dead force; force doing no active work, but only producing pressure. — Vis vitæ, or Vis vitalis [L.] (Physiol.), vital force. — Vis viva [L.] (Mech.), living force; the force of a body moving against resistance, or doing work, in distinction from vis mortua, or dead force; the kinetic energy of a moving body; the capacity of a moving body to do work by reason of its being in motion. See Kinetic energy, in the Note under Energy. The term vis viva is not usually understood to include that part of the kinetic energy of the body which is due to the vibrations of its molecules.

||Vi"sa (?), n. [F.] See Vis&?;. || Vi"sa, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Visaed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Visaing.] To indorse, after examination, with the word visé, as a passport; to visé.

Vis"age (?; 48), n. [F. visage, from L. visus a seeing, a look, fr. videre, visum, to see. See Vision.] The face, countenance, or look of a person or an animal; — chiefly applied to the human face. Chaucer. "A visage of demand." Shak.

His visage was so marred more than any man.

Isa. lii. 14.

Love and beauty still that visage grace.

Waller.

Vis"age (?; 48), v. t. To face. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Vis"aged (?), a. Having a visage. Shak.

Vis"ard (?), n. A mask. See Visor.

Vis"ard, v. t. To mask.

||Vis`-a-vis" (?), n. [F., opposite, face to face.] 1. One who, or that ||which, is face to face with another; esp., one who faces another in ||dancing. || 2. A carriage in which two persons sit face to face. Also, a form of sofa with seats for two persons, so arranged that the occupants are face to face while sitting on opposite sides.

Vis`-a-vis", adv. Face to face.

||Vis*ca"cha (?), ||Viz-ca"cha (&?;), n. [Sp.] (Zoöl.) A large ||burrowing South American rodent (Lagostomus trichodactylus) allied to ||the chinchillas, but much larger. Its fur is soft and rather long, ||mottled gray above, white or yellowish white beneath. There is a ||white band across the muzzle, and a dark band on each cheek. It ||inhabits grassy plains, and is noted for its extensive burrows and ||for heaping up miscellaneous articles at the mouth of its burrows. ||Called also biscacha, bizcacha, vischacha, vishatscha. || ||Vis"ce*ra (?), n., pl. of Viscus. || Vis"cer*al (?), a. [Cf. F. viscéral, LL. visceralis.] 1. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the viscera; splanchnic.

2. Fig.: Having deep sensibility. [R.] Bp. Reynolds.

Visceral arches (Anat.), the bars or ridges between the visceral clefts. — Visceral cavity or tube (Anat.), the ventral cavity of a vertebrate, which contains the alimentary canal, as distinguished from the dorsal, or cerebro-spinal, canal. — Visceral clefts (Anat.), transverse clefts on the sides just back of the mouth in the vertebrate embryo, which open into the pharyngeal portion of the alimentary canal, and correspond to the branchial clefts in adult fishes.

Vis"cer*ate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Viscerated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Viscerating.] To deprive of the viscera, or entrails; to eviscerate; to disembowel.

Vis`cer*o*skel"e*tal (?), a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the framework, or skeleton, or skeleton, of the viscera; as, the visceroskeletal system of muscles. Mivart.

Vis"cid (?), a. [L. viscidus, fr. viscum the mistletoe, birdlime made from the berries of the mistletoe; akin to Gr. &?;: cf. F. viscide.] Sticking or adhering, and having a ropy or glutinous consistency; viscous; glutinous; sticky; tenacious; clammy; as, turpentine, tar, gums, etc., are more or less viscid.

Vis*cid"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. viscidité.] The quality or state of being viscid; also, that which is viscid; glutinous concretion; stickiness.

Vis"cin (?), n. (Chem.) A clear, viscous, tasteless substance extracted from the mucilaginous sap of the mistletoe (Viscum album), holly, etc., and constituting an essential ingredient of birdlime.

Vis*coid"al (?), a. Somewhat viscous. Cf. Mobile, a., 2.

Vis`co*sim"e*ter (?), n. [Viscosity + -meter.] An instrument for measuring the degree of viscosity of liquids, as solutions of gum.

Vis*cos"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. viscosité, LL. viscositas.] 1. The quality or state of being viscous.

2. (Physics) A quality analogous to that of a viscous fluid, supposed to be caused by internal friction, especially in the case of gases.

Vis"count` (?), n. [OE. vicounte, OF. visconte, vescunte, F. vicomte, LL. vicecomes; L. vice (see Vice, a.) + comes a companion, LL., a count. See Count.] 1. (O. Eng. Law) An officer who formerly supplied the place of the count, or earl; the sheriff of the county.

2. A nobleman of the fourth rank, next in order below an earl and next above a baron; also, his degree or title of nobility. See Peer, n., 3. [Eng.] Chaucer.

Vis"count`cy (?), n. The dignity or jurisdiction of a viscount. Sir B. Burke.

Vis"count`ess (?), n. [F. vicomtesse, LL. vicecomitissa.] The wife of a viscount.

{ Vis"count`ship, Vis"count`y (?), } n. [F. vicomté.] The quality, rank, or office of a viscount.

Vis"cous (?), a. [L. viscosus. See Viscid.] Adhesive or sticky, and having a ropy or glutinous consistency; viscid; glutinous; clammy; tenacious; as, a viscous juice. — Vis"cous*ness, n.

There is no well-defined distinction in meaning between viscous and viscid.

||Vis"cum (?), n. [L.] 1. (Bot.) A genus of parasitic shrubs, including ||the mistletoe of Europe. || 2. Birdlime, which is often made from the berries of the European mistletoe.

||Vis"cus (?), n.; pl. Viscera (#). [L., perhaps akin to E. viscid.] ||(Anat.) One of the organs, as the brain, heart, or stomach, in the ||great cavities of the body of an animal; — especially used in the ||plural, and applied to the organs contained in the abdomen. || Vise (?), n. [F. vis a screw, winding stairs, OF. vis, viz, fr. L. vitis a vine; probably akin to E. withy.] An instrument consisting of two jaws, closing by a screw, lever, cam, or the like, for holding work, as in filing. [Written also vice.]

||Vi*sé" (?), n. [F. visé, p. p. of viser to put a visa to, fr. L. ||visus seen, p. p. of videre to see.] An indorsement made on a ||passport by the proper authorities of certain countries on the ||continent of Europe, denoting that it has been examined, and that the ||person who bears it is permitted to proceed on his journey; a visa. || <! p. 1614 !>

Vi*sé" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Viséed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Viséing.] To examine and indorse, as a passport; to visa.

||Vish"nu (?), n. [Skr. Vish&?;u, from vish to pervade., to extend ||through nature.] (Hindu Myth.) A divinity of the modern Hindu ||trimurti, or trinity. He is regarded as the preserver, while Brahma ||is the creator, and Siva the destroyer of the creation. || Vis`i*bil"i*ty (?), n. [L. visibilitas: cf. F. visibilité.] The quality or state of being visible.

Vis"i*ble (?), a. [L. visibilis, fr. videre, visum, to see: cf. F. visible. See Vision.] 1. Perceivable by the eye; capable of being seen; perceptible; in view; as, a visible star; the least spot is visible on white paper.

Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

Bk. of Com. Prayer.

Virtue made visible in outward grace.

Young.

2. Noticeable; apparent; open; conspicuous. Shak.

The factions at court were greater, or more visible, than before.

Clarendon.

Visible church (Theol.), the apparent church of Christ on earth; the whole body of professed believers in Christ, as contradistinguished from the invisible, or real, church, consisting of sanctified persons. — Visible horizon. Same as Apparent horizon, under Apparent.

— Vis"i*ble*ness, n. — Vis"i*bly, adv.

Vis"i*goth (?), n. [L. Visegothae, pl. Cf. West, and Goth.] One of the West Goths. See the Note under Goth. — Vis`i*goth"ic (#), a.

Vi"sion (?), n. [OE. visioun, F. vision, fr. L. visio, from videre, visum, to see: akin to Gr. &?; to see, &?; I know, and E. wit. See Wit, v., and cf. Advice, Clairvoyant, Envy, Evident, Provide, Revise, Survey, View, Visage, Visit.] 1. The act of seeing external objects; actual sight.

Faith here is turned into vision there.

Hammond.

2. (Physiol.) The faculty of seeing; sight; one of the five senses, by which colors and the physical qualities of external objects are appreciated as a result of the stimulating action of light on the sensitive retina, an expansion of the optic nerve.

3. That which is seen; an object of sight. Shak.

4. Especially, that which is seen otherwise than by the ordinary sight, or the rational eye; a supernatural, prophetic, or imaginary sight; an apparition; a phantom; a specter; as, the visions of Isaiah.

The baseless fabric of this vision.

Shak.

No dreams, but visions strange.

Sir P. Sidney.

5. Hence, something unreal or imaginary; a creation of fancy. Locke.

Arc of vision (Astron.), the arc which measures the least distance from the sun at which, when the sun is below the horizon, a star or planet emerging from his rays becomes visible. — Beatific vision (Theol.), the immediate sight of God in heaven. — Direct vision (Opt.), vision when the image of the object falls directly on the yellow spot (see under Yellow); also, vision by means of rays which are not deviated from their original direction. — Field of vision, field of view. See under Field. — Indirect vision (Opt.), vision when the rays of light from an object fall upon the peripheral parts of the retina. — Reflected vision, or Refracted vision, vision by rays reflected from mirrors, or refracted by lenses or prisms, respectively. — Vision purple. (Physiol.) See Visual purple, under Visual.

Vi"sion, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Visioned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Visioning.] To see in a vision; to dream.

For them no visioned terrors daunt, Their nights no fancied specters haunt.

Sir W. Scott.

Vi"sion*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to a vision.

Vi"sion*a*ri*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being visionary.

Vi"sion*a*ry (?), a. [Cf. F. visionnaire.] 1. Of or pertaining to a visions or visions; characterized by, appropriate to, or favorable for, visions.

The visionary hour When musing midnight reigns.

Thomson.

2. Affected by phantoms; disposed to receive impressions on the imagination; given to reverie; apt to receive, and act upon, fancies as if they were realities.

Or lull to rest the visionary maid.

Pope.

3. Existing in imagination only; not real; fanciful; imaginary; having no solid foundation; as, visionary prospect; a visionary scheme or project. Swift.

Syn. — Fanciful; fantastic; unreal. See Fanciful.

Vi"sion*a*ry, n.; pl. Visionaries (&?;). 1. One whose imagination is disturbed; one who sees visions or phantoms.

2. One whose imagination overpowers his reason and controls his judgment; an unpractical schemer; one who builds castles in the air; a daydreamer.

Vi"sioned (?), a. Having the power of seeing visions; inspired; also, seen in visions. [R.] Shelley.

Vi"sion*ist (?), n. A visionary.

Vi"sion*less, a. Destitute of vision; sightless.

Vis"it (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Visited; p. pr. & vb. n. Visiting.] [F. visiter, L. visitare, fr. visere to go to see, to visit, fr. videre, visum to see. See Vision.]

1. To go or come to see, as for the purpose of friendship, business, curiosity, etc.; to attend; to call upon; as, the physician visits his patient.

2. Specifically: To go or come to see for inspection, examination, correction of abuses, etc.; to examine, to inspect; as, a bishop visits his diocese; a superintendent visits persons or works under his charge.

3. (Script.) To come to for the purpose of chastising, rewarding, comforting; to come upon with reward or retribution; to appear before or judge; as, to visit in mercy; to visit one in wrath.

[God] hath visited and redeemed his people.

Like i. 68.

Vis"it (?), v. i. To make a visit or visits; to maintain visiting relations; to practice calling on others.

Vis"it, n. [Cf. F. visite. See Visit, v. t., and cf. Visite.] 1. The act of visiting, or going to see a person or thing; a brief stay of business, friendship, ceremony, curiosity, or the like, usually longer than a call; as, a visit of civility or respect; a visit to Saratoga; the visit of a physician.

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

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

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.

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.

Vis"it*ant, a. Visiting. Wordsworth.

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.

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.

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

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

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

Visiting ant. (Zoöl.) See Driver ant, under Driver. — Visiting book, a book in which a record of visits received, made, and to be made, is kept. Thackeray. — Visiting card. See under Card.

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.

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

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 (?; 277), n. [OF. visné, veisiné, visnet, neighborhood, LL. vicinatus, fr. L. vicunus neighboring, a neighbor. See Vicinity.] (Law) Neighborhood; vicinity; venue. See Venue.

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

Vi"son (?), n. [F.] (Zoöl.) The mink.

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

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

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

Sir P. Sidney.

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

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

Visored falsehood and base forgery.

Milton.

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.

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

Through the long visto of a thousand years.

Young.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

Vi*tal"i*ty (?; 277), n. [L. vitalitas: cf. F. vitalité.] 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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Vit`el*lig"e*nous (?), a. (Zoöl.) 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.

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.

<! p. 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.

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

||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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

||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. || 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.]

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

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

The perverseness and vitiosity of man's will.

South.

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

||Vi"tis (?), n. [L., a vine.] (Bot.) A genus of plants including all ||true grapevines. || Vi"to*e (?), a. (Zoöl.) See Durukuli.

||Vi*trel"la (?), n. [NL., dim. of L. vitrum glass.] (Zoöl.) One of the ||transparent lenslike cells in the ocelli of certain arthropods. || Vit`re-o-e*lec"tic (?), a. [See Vitreous, and Electric.] (Physics) Containing or exhibiting positive, or vitreous, electricity.

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 (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of siliceous sponges having, often fibrous, glassy spicules which are normally six-rayed; a hexactinellid sponge. See Venus's basket, under Venus.

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

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.

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

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

Vit"ric (?), a. [L. vitrum glass.] Having the nature and qualities of glass; glasslike; — distinguished from ceramic.

Vit`ri*fac"tion (?), n. [Cf. Vitrification.] The act, art, or process of vitrifying; also, the state of being vitrified.

Vit`ri*fac"ture (?; 135), n. [L. vitrum glass + facere, factum, to make.] The manufacture of glass and glassware.

Vit"ri*fi`a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F. vitrifiable.] Capable of being vitrified, or converted into glass by heat and fusion; as, flint and alkalies are vitrifiable.

Vi*trif"i*ca*ble (?), a. Vitrifiable. [Obs.]

Vit"ri*fi*cate (?), v. t. To convert into glass; to vitrify. [Obs.] Bacon.

Vit`ri*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [See Vitrify.] Same as Vitrifaction. Sir T. Browne. Ure.

Vit"ri*fied (?), a. Converted into glass.

Vit"ri*form (?), a. [L. vitrum glass + -form.] Having the form or appearance of glass; resembling glass; glasslike.

Vit"ri*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vitrified (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vitrifying (?).] [F. vitrifier; L. vitrum glass + - ficare to make. See Vitreous, -fy.] To convert into, or cause to resemble, glass or a glassy substance, by heat and fusion.

Vit"ri*fy, v. t. To become glass; to be converted into glass.

Chymists make vessels of animal substances, calcined, which will not vitrify in the fire.

Arbuthnot.

||Vi*tri"na (?), n. [NL., fr. L. vitrum glass.] (Zoöl.) A genus of ||terrestrial gastropods, having transparent, very thin, and delicate ||shells, — whence the name. || Vit"ri*ol (?), n. [F. vitriol; cf. Pr. vitriol, vetriol, Sp. & Pg. vitriolo, It. vitriuolo; fr. L. vitreolus of glass, vitreus vitreous. See Vitreous.] (Chem.) (a) A sulphate of any one of certain metals, as copper, iron, zinc, cobalt. So called on account of the glassy appearance or luster. (b) Sulphuric acid; — called also oil of vitriol. So called because first made by the distillation of green vitriol. See Sulphuric acid, under Sulphuric. [Colloq.]

Blue vitriol. See under Blue. — Green vitriol, ferrous sulphate; copperas. See under Green. — Oil of vitriol, sulphuric or vitriolic acid; — popularly so called because it has the consistency of oil. — Red vitriol, a native sulphate of cobalt. — Vitriol of Mars, ferric sulphate, a white crystalline substance which dissolves in water, forming a red solution. — White vitriol, zinc sulphate, a white crystalline substance used in medicine and in dyeing. It is usually obtained by dissolving zinc in sulphuric acid, or by roasting and oxidizing certain zinc ores. Formerly called also vitriol of zinc.

Vit"ri*o*late (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vitriolated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vitriolating.] (Old Chem.) (a) To convert into, or change to, a vitriol; to make into sulphuric acid or a sulphate. (b) To subject to the action of, or impregnate with, vitriol.

Vit"ri*o*late (?), a. Vitriolated. [R.]

Vit"ri*o*late, n. (Old Chem.) A sulphate.

Vit"ri*o*la`ted (?), a. (Old Chem.) Changed into a vitriol or a sulphate, or subjected to the action of sulphuric acid or of a sulphate; as, vitriolated potash, i. e., potassium sulphate.

Vit`ri*o*la"tion (?), n. (Old Chem.) The act, process, or result of vitriolating.

Vit`ri*ol"ic (?), a. [Cf. F. vitriolique.] (Chem.) Of or pertaining to vitriol; derived from, or resembling, vitriol; vitriolous; as, a vitriolic taste. Cf. Vitriol.

Vitriolic acid (Old Chem.), (a) sulphuric acid. See Vitriol (b). [Colloq.]

Vit"ri*ol*i`za*ble (?), a. Capable of being converted into a vitriol.

Vit`ri*ol*i*za"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. vitriolisation.] (Old Chem.) The act of vitriolizing, or the state of being vitriolized; vitriolation.

Vit"ri*ol*ize (?), v. t. [Cf. F. vitrioliser.] To convert into a vitriol; to vitriolate.

Vi*tri"o*lous (?), a. See Vitriolic. [Obs.]

Vit"rite (?), n. [L. vitrum glass.] A kind of glass which is very hard and difficult to fuse, used as an insulator in electrical lamps and other apparatus.

Vi*tru"vi*an (?), a. Of or pertaining to Vitruvius, an ancient Roman architect.

Vitruvian scroll (Arch.), a name given to a peculiar pattern of scrollwork, consisting of convolved undulations. It is used in classical architecture. Oxf. Gloss.

||Vit"ta (?), n.; pl. Vittæ (#). [L. vitta ribbon, fillet.] 1. (Bot.) ||One of the oil tubes in the fruit of umbelliferous plants. || 2. (Zoöl.) A band, or stripe, of color.

Vit"tate (?), a. [L. vittatus bound with a fillet, fr. vitta fillet.] 1. (Bot.) Bearing or containing vittæ.

2. Striped longitudinally.

Vit"u*line (?; 277), a. [L. vitulinus, fr. vitulus a calf. See Veal.] Of or pertaining to a calf or veal.

Vi*tu"per*a*ble (?), a. [L. vituperabilis: cf. F. vitupérable.] Liable to, or deserving, vituperation, or severe censure.

Vi*tu"per*ate (?; 277), v. t. [L. vituperatus, p. p. of vituperare to blame, vituperate; vitium a fault + parare to prepare. See Vice a fault, and Pare, v. t.] To find fault with; to scold; to overwhelm with wordy abuse; to censure severely or abusively; to rate.

Vi*tu`per*a"tion (?), n. [L. vituperatio: cf. OF. vituperation. See Vituperate.] The act of vituperating; abuse; severe censure; blame.

When a man becomes untractable and inaccessible by fierceness and pride, then vituperation comes upon him.

Donne.

Vi*tu"per*a*tive (?), a. Uttering or writing censure; containing, or characterized by, abuse; scolding; abusive. — Vi*tu"per*a*tive*ly, adv.

Vituperative appellations derived from their real or supposed ill qualities.

B. Jonson.

Vi*tu"per*a`tor (?), n. [L.] One who vituperates, or censures abusively.

Vi`tu*per"ri*ous (?), a. Worthy of vituperation; shameful; disgraceful. [Obs.]

||Vi*va"ce (?), a. & adv. [It.] (Mus.) Brisk; vivacious; with spirit; — ||a direction to perform a passage in a brisk and lively manner. || Vi*va"cious (?; 277), a. [L. vívax, -acis, fr. vivere to live. See Vivid.] 1. Having vigorous powers of life; tenacious of life; long-lived. [Obs.]

Hitherto the English bishops have been vivacious almost to wonder. . . . But five died for the first twenty years of her [Queen Elizabeth's] reign.

Fuller.

The faith of Christianity is far more vivacious than any mere ravishment of the imagination can ever be.

I. Taylor.

2. Sprightly in temper or conduct; lively; merry; as, a vivacious poet. "Vivacious nonsense." V. Knox.

3. (Bot.) Living through the winter, or from year to year; perennial. [R.]

Syn. — Sprightly; active; animated; sportive; gay; merry; jocund; light-hearted.

— Vi*va"cious*ly, adv. — Vi*va"cious*ness, n.

Vi*vac"i*ty (?), n. [L. vivicitas: cf. F. vivacité.] The quality or state of being vivacious. Specifically: —

(a) Tenacity of life; vital force; natural vigor. [Obs.]

The vivacity of some of these pensioners is little less than a miracle, they lived so long.

Fuller.

(b) Life; animation; spiritedness; liveliness; sprightliness; as, the vivacity of a discourse; a lady of great vivacity; vivacity of countenance.

Syn. — Liveliness; gayety. See Liveliness.

||Vi`van`dière" (?), n. [F. See Viand.] In Continental armies, ||especially in the French army, a woman accompanying a regiment, who ||sells provisions and liquor to the soldiers; a female sutler. || ||Vi*va"ri*um (?), n.; pl. E. Vivariums (#), L. Vivaria (#). [L., fr. ||vivarius belonging to living creatures, fr. vivus alive, living. See ||Vivid.] A place artificially arranged for keeping or raising living ||animals, as a park, a pond, an aquarium, a warren, etc. || Vi"va*ry (v"v*r), n.; pl. Vivaries (-rz). A vivarium. "That . . . vivary of fowls and beasts." Donne.

||Vi"va vo"ce (v>imac/"v v"s). [L.] By word of mouth; orally. || Viv"da (vv"d), n. See Vifda.

||Vive (vv). [F., imperative sing. pres. fr. vivre to live, L. vivere.] ||Long live, that is, success to; as, vive le roi, long live the king; ||vive la bagatelle, success to trifles or sport. || Vive (vv), a. [L. vivus: cf. F. vif. See Vivid.] Lively; animated; forcible. [Obs.] Bacon.

Vive"ly, adv. In a lively manner. [Obs.]

If I see a thing vively represented on the stage.

B. Jonson.

Vi"ven*cy (?), n. [L. vivens, p. pr. of vivere to live.] Manner of supporting or continuing life or vegetation. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

||Vi*ver"ra (?), n. [L., a ferret.] (Zoöl.) A genus of carnivores which ||comprises the civets. || Vi*ver"rine (?), a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Viverridæ, or Civet family.

Vi"vers (?), n. pl. [F. vivres, pl. of vivre, orig., to live.] Provisions; victuals. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

I 'll join you at three, if the vivers can tarry so long.

Sir W. Scott.

Vives (?), n. [OF. vives, F. avives (cf. Sp. abivas, adiva) fr. Ar. ad- dhba. Cf. Fives vives.] (Far.) A disease of brute animals, especially of horses, seated in the glands under the ear, where a tumor is formed which sometimes ends in suppuration.

Viv"i*an*ite (?), n. [So called by Werner after the English mineralogist F. G. Vivian.] (Min.) A hydrous phosphate of iron of a blue to green color, growing darker on exposure. It occurs in monoclinic crystals, also fibrous, massive, and earthy.

Viv"id (?), a. [L. vividus, from vivere to life; akin to vivus living. See Quick, a., and cf. Revive, Viand, Victuals, Vital.] 1. True to the life; exhibiting the appearance of life or freshness; animated; spirited; bright; strong; intense; as, vivid colors.

In dazzling streaks the vivid lightnings play.

Cowper.

Arts which present, with all the vivid charms of painting, the human face and human form divine.

Bp. Hobart.

2. Forming brilliant images, or painting in lively colors; lively; sprightly; as, a vivid imagination.

Body is a fit workhouse for sprightly, vivid faculties to exercise . . . themselves in.

South.

Syn. — Clear; lucid; bright; strong; striking; lively; quick; sprightly; active.

— Viv"id*ly, adv. — Viv"id*ness, n.

Vi*vid"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being vivid; vividness. [R.]

{ Vi*vif"ic (?), Vi*vif"ic*al (?), } a. [L. vivificus: cf. F. vivifique. See Vivify.] Giving life; reviving; enlivening. [R.]

Vi*vif"i*cate (?), v. t. [L. vivificatus, p. p. vivificare. See Vivify.] 1. To give life to; to animate; to revive; to vivify. [R.]

God vivificates and actuates the whole world.

Dr. H. More.

2. (Chem.) To bring back a metal to the metallic form, as from an oxide or solution; to reduce. [Obs.]

Viv`i*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [L. vivificatio: cf. vivification.] 1. The act of vivifying, or the state of being vivified; restoration of life; revival. Bacon.

2. (Physiol.) One of the changes of assimilation, in which proteid matter which has been transformed, and made a part of the tissue or tissue cells, is endowed with life, and thus enabled to manifest the phenomena of irritability, contractility, etc. McKendrick.

3. (Chem.) The act or process of vivificating. [Obs.]

Viv"i*fi*ca*tive (?), a. Able or tending to vivify, animate, or give life; vivifying.

Viv"i*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vivified (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vivifying (?).] [F. vivifier, L. vivificare. See Vivid, -fy; cf. Vivificate.] To endue with life; to make to be living; to quicken; to animate.

Sitting on eggs doth vivify, not nourish.

Bacon.

||Vi*vip"a*ra (?), n. pl. [NL. See Viviparous.] (Zoöl.) An artificial ||division of vertebrates including those that produce their young ||alive; — opposed to Ovipara. || Viv`i*par"i*ty (?), n. (Biol.) The quality or condition of being viviparous. H. Spencer.

<! p. 1616 !>

Vi*vip"a*rous (?), a. [L. viviparus; vivus alive + parere to bear, bring forth. Cf. Viper.] (Biol.) Producing young in a living state, as most mammals, or as those plants the offspring of which are produced alive, either by bulbs instead of seeds, or by the seeds themselves germinating on the plant, instead of falling, as they usually do; — opposed to oviparous.

Viviparous fish. (Zoöl.) See Embiotocoid. — Viviparous shell (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of operculated fresh- water gastropods belonging to Viviparus, Melantho, and allied genera. Their young, when born, have a well-developed spiral shell.

Vi*vip"a*rous*ly, adv. (Biol.) In a viviparous manner.

Vi*vip"a*rous*ness, n. (Biol.) The quality of being viviparous; viviparity.

Viv"i*sect` (?), v. t. To perform vivisection upon; to dissect alive. [Colloq.] Pop. Sci. Monthly.

Viv`i*sec"tion (?), n. [L. vivus alive + E. section: cf. F. vivisection. See Vivid, and Section.] The dissection of an animal while alive, for the purpose of making physiological investigations.

Viv`i*sec"tion*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to vivisection.

Viv`i*sec"tion*ist, n. One who practices or advocates vivisection; a vivisector.

Viv`i*sec"tor (?), n. A vivisectionist.

Vix"en (?), n. [AS. fixen a she-fox, for fyxen, fem. of fox. See Fox.] 1. A female fox. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

2. A cross, ill-tempered person; — formerly used of either sex, now only of a woman. Barrow.

She was a vixen when she went to school.

Shak.

Vix"en*ish, a. Of or pertaining to a vixen; resembling a vixen.

Vix"en*ly, a. Like a vixen; vixenish. Barrow.

Viz (?), adv. [Contr. fr. videlicet.] To wit; that is; namely.

Viz"ard (?), n. [See Visor.] A mask; a visor. [Archaic] "A grotesque vizard." Sir W. Scott.

To mislead and betray them under the vizard of law.

Milton.

Viz"ard*ed, a. Wearing a vizard. [R.] Shak.

||Viz*ca"cha (?), n. [Sp.] (Zoöl.) Same as Viscacha. || Viz"ier (?), n. [Ar. wezr, wazr, properly, a bearer of burdens, a porter, from wazara to bear a burden: cf. F. vizir, visir. Cf. Alguazil.] A councilor of state; a high executive officer in Turkey and other Oriental countries. [Written also visier, vizir, and vizer.]

Grand vizier, the chief minister of the Turkish empire; — called also vizier-azem.

Viz"ier*ate (?), n. [Cf. F. vizirat.] The office, dignity, or authority of a vizier.

||Vi*zier`-a*zem" (?), n. [Ar. azam great. See Vizier.] A grand vizier. ||See under Vizier. || Vi*zier"i*al (?), a. [Cf. F. vizirial.] Of, pertaining to, or issued by, a vizier. [Written also vizirial.]

Vi*zir" (?), n. See Vizier.

Viz"or (?), n. See Visor.

Vliss*ma"ki (?), n. [From the native name.] (Zoöl.) The diadem indris. See Indris.

V" moth` (?). (Zoöl.) A common gray European moth (Halia vauaria) having a V-shaped spot of dark brown on each of the fore wings.

Vo"ca*ble (?), n. [L. vocabulum an appellation, designation, name, fr. vocare to call, fr. vox, vocis, a voice, a word: cf. F. vocable. See Voice.] A word; a term; a name; specifically, a word considered as composed of certain sounds or letters, without regard to its meaning.

Swamped near to drowning in a tide of ingenious vocables.

Carlyle.

Vo*cab"u*la*ry (?), n.; pl. Vocabularies (#). [LL. vocabularium, vocabularius: cf. F. vocabulaire. See Vocable.] 1. A list or collection of words arranged in alphabetical order and explained; a dictionary or lexicon, either of a whole language, a single work or author, a branch of science, or the like; a word-book.

2. A sum or stock of words employed.

His vocabulary seems to have been no larger than was necessary for the transaction of business.

Macaulay.

Vo*cab"u*list (?), n. [Cf. F. vocabuliste.] The writer or maker of a vocabulary; a lexicographer.

Vo"cal (?), a. [L. vocalis, fr. vox, vocis, voice: cf. F. vocal. See Voice, and cf. Vowel.] 1. Of or pertaining to the voice or speech; having voice; endowed with utterance; full of voice, or voices.

To hill or valley, fountain, or fresh shade, Made vocal by my song.

Milton.

2. Uttered or modulated by the voice; oral; as, vocal melody; vocal prayer. "Vocal worship." Milton.

3. Of or pertaining to a vowel or voice sound; also, &?;poken with tone, intonation, and resonance; sonant; sonorous; — said of certain articulate sounds.

4. (Phon.) (a) Consisting of, or characterized by, voice, or tone produced in the larynx, which may be modified, either by resonance, as in the case of the vowels, or by obstructive action, as in certain consonants, such as v, l, etc., or by both, as in the nasals m, n, ng; sonant; intonated; voiced. See Voice, and Vowel, also Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 199-202. (b) Of or pertaining to a vowel; having the character of a vowel; vowel.

Vocal cords or chords. (Anat.) See Larynx, and the Note under Voice, n., 1. — Vocal fremitus [L. fremitus a dull roaring or murmuring] (Med.), the perceptible vibration of the chest wall, produced by the transmission of the sonorous vibrations during the act of using the voice. — Vocal music, music made by the voice, in distinction from instrumental music; hence, music or tunes set to words, to be performed by the human voice. — Vocal tube (Anat.), the part of the air passages above the inferior ligaments of the larynx, including the passages through the nose and mouth.

Vo"cal (?), n. [Cf. F. vocal, LL. vocalis.]

1. (Phon.) A vocal sound; specifically, a purely vocal element of speech, unmodified except by resonance; a vowel or a diphthong; a tonic element; a tonic; — distinguished from a subvocal, and a nonvocal.

2. (R. C. Ch.) A man who has a right to vote in certain elections.

Vo*cal"ic (?), a. [L. vocalis (sc. littera) a vowel. See Vocal, a.] Of or pertaining to vowel sounds; consisting of the vowel sounds. Earle.

The Gaelic language being uncommonly vocalic.

Sir W. Scott.

Vo"cal*ism (?), n. 1. The exercise of the vocal organs; vocalization.

2. A vocalic sound. [R.]

Vo"cal*ist, n. [Cf. F. vocaliste.] A singer, or vocal musician, as opposed to an instrumentalist.

Vo*cal"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. L. vocalitas euphony.] 1. The quality or state of being vocal; utterableness; resonance; as, the vocality of the letters.

2. The quality of being a vowel; vocalic character.

Vo`cal*i*za"tion (?), n. 1. The act of vocalizing, or the state of being vocalized.

2. The formation and utterance of vocal sounds.

Vo"cal*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vocalized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vocalizing (?).] [Cf. F. vocaliser.] 1. To form into voice; to make vocal or sonant; to give intonation or resonance to.

It is one thing to give an impulse to breath alone, another thing to vocalize that breath.

Holder.

2. To practice singing on the vowel sounds.

Vo"cal*ly, adv. 1. In a vocal manner; with voice; orally; with audible sound.

2. In words; verbally; as, to express desires vocally.

Vo"cal*ness, n. The quality of being vocal; vocality.

Vo*ca"tion (?), n. [L. vocatio a bidding, invitation, fr. vocare to call, fr. vox, vocis, voice: cf. F. vocation. See Vocal.] 1. A call; a summons; a citation; especially, a designation or appointment to a particular state, business, or profession.

What can be urged for them who not having the vocation of poverty to scribble, out of mere wantonness make themselves ridiculous?

Dryden.

2. Destined or appropriate employment; calling; occupation; trade; business; profession.

He would think his service greatly rewarded, if he might obtain by that means to live in the sight of his prince, and yet practice his own chosen vocation.

Sir. P. Sidney.

3. (Theol.) A calling by the will of God. Specifically: —

(a) The bestowment of God's distinguishing grace upon a person or nation, by which that person or nation is put in the way of salvation; as, the vocation of the Jews under the old dispensation, and of the Gentiles under the gospel. "The golden chain of vocation, election, and justification." Jer. Taylor.

(b) A call to special religious work, as to the ministry.

Every member of the same [the Church], in his vocation and ministry.

Bk. of Com. Prayer.

Voc"a*tive (?), a. [L. vocativus, fr. vocare to call.] Of or pertaining to calling; used in calling; specifically (Gram.), used in address; appellative; — said of that case or form of the noun, pronoun, or adjective, in which a person or thing is addressed; as, Domine, O Lord.

Voc"a*tive, n. [L. vocativus (sc. casus): cf. F. vocatif.] (Gram.) The vocative case.

Vo*cif"er*ance (?), n. Vociferation; noise; clamor. [R.] R. Browning.

Vo*cif"er*ant (?), a. [L. vociferans, p. pr.] Noisy; clamorous. Gauden. R. Browning.

Vo*cif"er*ate (?), v. i. [L. vociferatus, p. p. vociferari to vociferate; vox, vocis, voice + ferre to bear. See Voice, and Bear to carry.] To cry out with vehemence; to exclaim; to bawl; to clamor. Cowper.

Vo*cif"er*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vociferated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vociferating.] To utter with a loud voice; to shout out.

Though he may vociferate the word liberty.

V. Knox.

Vo*cif`er*a"tion (?), n. [L. vociferatio: cf. F. vocifération.] The act of vociferating; violent outcry; vehement utterance of the voice.

Violent gesture and vociferation naturally shake the hearts of the ignorant.

Spectator.

Plaintive strains succeeding the vociferations of emotion or of pain.

Byron.

Vo*cif"er*a`tor (?), n. One who vociferates, or is clamorous. [R.]

Vo*cif"er*ous (?), a. [Cf. F. vocifère.] Making a loud outcry; clamorous; noisy; as, vociferous heralds. — Vo*cif"er*ous*ly, adv. — Vo*cif"er*ous*ness, n.

Voc"ule (?), n. [L. vocula, dim. of vox, vocis, voice.] (Phon.) A short or weak utterance; a faint or feeble sound, as that heard on separating the lips in pronouncing p or b. Rush. — Voc"u*lar (#), a.

Vo*da"ni*um (?), n. [NL.] (Old Chem.) A supposed element, afterward found to be a mixture of several metals, as copper, iron, lead, nickel, etc.

Vod"ka (?), n. [Russ.] A Russian drink distilled from rye.

Voe (?), n. [Cf. Icel ver sea, vöar a fenced-in landing place.] An inlet, bay, or creek; — so called in the Orkney and Shetland Islands. Jamieson.

Vo"gle (?), n. (Mining) Same as Vugg.

Vogue (?), n. [F. vogue a rowing, vogue, fashion, It. voga, fr. vogare to row, to sail; probably fr. OHG. wag&?;n to move, akin to E. way. Cf. Way.] 1. The way or fashion of people at any particular time; temporary mode, custom, or practice; popular reception for the time; — used now generally in the phrase in vogue.

One vogue, one vein, One air of thoughts usurps my brain.

Herbert.

Whatsoever its vogue may be, I still flatter myself that the parents of the growing generation will be satisfied with what &?;&?; to be taught to their children in Westminster, in Eton, or in Winchester.

Burke.

Use may revive the obsoletest words, And banish those that now are most in vogue.

Roscommon.

2. Influence; power; sway. [Obs.] Strype.

Voice (?), n. [OE. vois, voys, OF. vois, voiz, F. voix, L. vox, vocis, akin to Gr. &?; a word, &?; a voice, Skr. vac to say, to speak, G. erwähnen to mention. Cf. Advocate, Advowson, Avouch, Convoke, Epic, Vocal, Vouch, Vowel.] 1. Sound uttered by the mouth, especially that uttered by human beings in speech or song; sound thus uttered considered as possessing some special quality or character; as, the human voice; a pleasant voice; a low voice.

He with a manly voice saith his message.

Chaucer.

Her voice was ever soft, Gentle, and low; an excellent thing in woman.

Shak.

Thy voice is music.

Shak.

Join thy voice unto the angel choir.

Milton.

2. (Phon.) Sound of the kind or quality heard in speech or song in the consonants b, v, d, etc., and in the vowels; sonant, or intonated, utterance; tone; — distinguished from mere breath sound as heard in f, s, sh, etc., and also whisper.

Voice, in this sense, is produced by vibration of the so-called vocal cords in the larynx (see Illust. of Larynx) which act upon the air, not in the manner of the strings of a stringed instrument, but as a pair of membranous tongues, or reeds, which, being continually forced apart by the outgoing current of breath, and continually brought together again by their own elasticity and muscular tension, break the breath current into a series of puffs, or pulses, sufficiently rapid to cause the sensation of tone. The power, or loudness, of such a tone depends on the force of the separate pulses, and this is determined by the pressure of the expired air, together with the resistance on the part of the vocal cords which is continually overcome. Its pitch depends on the number of aërial pulses within a given time, that is, on the rapidity of their succession. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 5, 146, 155.

3. The tone or sound emitted by anything.

After the fire a still small voice.

1 Kings xix. 12.

Canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

Job xl. 9.

The floods have lifted up their voice.

Ps. xciii. 3.

O Marcus, I am warm'd; my heart Leaps at the trumpet's voice.

Addison.

4. The faculty or power of utterance; as, to cultivate the voice.

5. Language; words; speech; expression; signification of feeling or opinion.

I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

Gal. iv. 20.

My voice is in my sword.

Shak.

Let us call on God in the voice of his church.

Bp. Fell.

6. Opinion or choice expressed; judgment; a vote.

Sic. How now, my masters! have you chose this man? 1 Cit. He has our voices, sir.

Shak.

Some laws ordain, and some attend the choice Of holy senates, and elect by voice.

Dryden.

7. Command; precept; — now chiefly used in scriptural language.

So shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God.

Deut. viii. 20.

8. One who speaks; a speaker. "A potent voice of Parliament." Tennyson.

9. (Gram.) A particular mode of inflecting or conjugating verbs, or a particular form of a verb, by means of which is indicated the relation of the subject of the verb to the action which the verb expresses.

Active voice (Gram.), that form of the verb by which its subject is represented as the agent or doer of the action expressed by it. — Chest voice (Phon.), a kind of voice of a medium or low pitch and of a sonorous quality ascribed to resonance in the chest, or thorax; voice of the thick register. It is produced by vibration of the vocal cords through their entire width and thickness, and with convex surfaces presented to each other. — Head voice (Phon.), a kind of voice of high pitch and of a thin quality ascribed to resonance in the head; voice of the thin register; falsetto. In producing it, the vibration of the cords is limited to their thin edges in the upper part, which are then presented to each other. — Middle voice (Gram.), that form of the verb by which its subject is represented as both the agent, or doer, and the object of the action, that is, as performing some act to or upon himself, or for his own advantage. — Passive voice. (Gram.) See under Passive, a. — Voice glide (Pron.), the brief and obscure neutral vowel sound that sometimes occurs between two consonants in an unaccented syllable (represented by the apostrophe), as in able (a"b'l). See Glide, n., 2. — Voice stop. See Voiced stop, under Voiced, a. — With one voice, unanimously. "All with one voice . . . cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians." Acts xix. 34.

Voice, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Voiced (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Voicing (?).] 1. To give utterance or expression to; to utter; to publish; to announce; to divulge; as, to voice the sentiments of the nation. "Rather assume thy right in silence and . . . then voice it with claims and challenges." Bacon.

It was voiced that the king purposed to put to death Edward Plantagenet.

Bacon.

2. (Phon.) To utter with sonant or vocal tone; to pronounce with a narrowed glottis and rapid vibrations of the vocal cords; to speak above a whisper.

3. To fit for producing the proper sounds; to regulate the tone of; as, to voice the pipes of an organ.

4. To vote; to elect; to appoint. [Obs.] Shak.

Voice, v. i. To clamor; to cry out. [Obs.] South.

Voiced (?), a. 1. Furnished with a voice; expressed by the voice.

2. (Phon.) Uttered with voice; pronounced with vibrations of the vocal cords; sonant; — said of a sound uttered with the glottis narrowed.

Voiced stop, Voice stop (Phon.), a stopped consonant made with tone from the larynx while the mouth organs are closed at some point; a sonant mute, as b, d, g hard.

<! p. 1617 !>

Voice"ful (?), a. Having a voice or vocal quality; having a loud voice or many voices; vocal; sounding.

Beheld the Iliad and the Odyssey Rise to the swelling of the voiceful sea.

Coleridge.

Voice"less, a. 1. Having no voice, utterance, or vote; silent; mute; dumb.

I live and die unheard, With a most voiceless thought, sheathing it as a sword.

Byron.

2. (Phon.) Not sounded with voice; as, a voiceless consonant; surd.

Voiceless stop (Phon.), a consonant made with no audible sound except in the transition to or from another sound; a surd mute, as p, t, k.

— Voice"less*ly, adv. — Voice"less*ness, n.

Void (?), a. [OE. voide, OF. voit, voide, vuit, vuide, F. vide, fr. (assumed) LL. vocitus, fr. L. vocare, an old form of vacare to be empty, or a kindred word. Cf. Vacant, Avoid.] 1. Containing nothing; empty; vacant; not occupied; not filled.

The earth was without form, and void.

Gen. i. 2.

I 'll get me to a place more void.

Shak.

I 'll chain him in my study, that, at void hours, I may run over the story of his country.

Massinger.

2. Having no incumbent; unoccupied; — said of offices and the like.

Divers great offices that had been long void.

Camden.

3. Being without; destitute; free; wanting; devoid; as, void of learning, or of common use. Milton.

A conscience void of offense toward God.

Acts xxiv. 16.

He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbor.

Prov. xi. 12.

4. Not producing any effect; ineffectual; vain.

[My word] shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please.

Isa. lv. 11.

I will make void the counsel of Judah.

Jer. xix. 7.

5. Containing no immaterial quality; destitute of mind or soul. "Idol, void and vain." Pope.

6. (Law) Of no legal force or effect, incapable of confirmation or ratification; null. Cf. Voidable, 2.

Void space (Physics), a vacuum.

Syn. — Empty; vacant; devoid; wanting; unfurnished; unsupplied; unoccupied.

Void, n. An empty space; a vacuum.

Pride, where wit fails, steps in to our defense, And fills up all the mighty void of sense.

Pope.

Void, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Voided; p. pr. & vb. n. Voiding.] [OF. voidier, vuidier. See Void, a.] 1. To remove the contents of; to make or leave vacant or empty; to quit; to leave; as, to void a table.

Void anon her place.

Chaucer.

If they will fight with us, bid them come down, Or void the field.

Shak.

2. To throw or send out; to evacuate; to emit; to discharge; as, to void excrements.

A watchful application of mind in voiding prejudices.

Barrow.

With shovel, like a fury, voided out The earth and scattered bones.

J. Webster.

3. To render void; to make to be of no validity or effect; to vacate; to annul; to nullify.

After they had voided the obligation of the oath he had taken.

Bp. Burnet.

It was become a practice . . . to void the security that was at any time given for money so borrowed.

Clarendon.

Void, v. i. To be emitted or evacuated. Wiseman.

Void"a*ble (?), a. 1. Capable of being voided, or evacuated.

2. (Law) Capable of being avoided, or of being adjudged void, invalid, and of no force; capable of being either avoided or confirmed.

If the metropolitan . . . grants letters of administration, such administration is not, but voidable by sentence.

Ayliffe.

A voidable contract may be ratified and confirmed; to render it null and of no effect, it must be avoided; a void contract can not be ratified.

Void"ance (?), n. 1. The act of voiding, emptying, ejecting, or evacuating.

2. (Eccl.) A ejection from a benefice.

3. The state of being void; vacancy, as of a benefice which is without an incumbent.

4. Evasion; subterfuge. [Obs.] Bacon.

Void"ed, a. 1. Emptied; evacuated.

2. Annulled; invalidated.

3. (Her.) Having the inner part cut away, or left vacant, a narrow border being left at the sides, the tincture of the field being seen in the vacant space; — said of a charge.

Void"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, voids, &?;mpties, vacates, or annuls.

2. A tray, or basket, formerly used to receive or convey that which is voided or cleared away from a given place; especially, one for carrying off the remains of a meal, as fragments of food; sometimes, a basket for containing household articles, as clothes, etc.

Piers Plowman laid the cloth, and Simplicity brought in the voider.

Decker.

The cloth whereon the earl dined was taken away, and the voider, wherein the plate was usually put, was set upon the cupboard's head.

Hist. of Richard Hainam.

3. A servant whose business is to void, or clear away, a table after a meal. [R.] Decker.

4. (Her.) One of the ordinaries, much like the flanch, but less rounded and therefore smaller.

Void"ing, n. 1. The act of one who, or that which, v&?;ids. Bp. Hall.

2. That which is voided; that which is ejected or evacuated; a remnant; a fragment. [R.] Rowe.

Voiding knife, a knife used for gathering up fragments of food to put them into a voider.

Void"ing, a. Receiving what is ejected or voided. "How in our voiding lobby hast thou stood?" Shak.

Void"ness, n. The quality or state of being void; &?;mptiness; vacuity; nullity; want of substantiality.

||Voir dire (?). [OF., to say the truth, fr. L. verus true + dicere to ||say.] (Law) An oath administered to a witness, usually before being ||sworn in chief, requiring him to speak the truth, or make true ||answers in reference to matters inquired of, to ascertain his ||competency to give evidence. Greenleaf. Ld. Abinger. || Voi"ture (?), n. [F., fr. L. vectura a carrying, conveying. Cf. Vettura.] A carriage. Arbuthnot.

Voi"vode (?), n. See Waywode. Longfellow.

Vo*la"cious (?), a. [L. volare to fly.] Apt or fit to fly. [R.]

||Vo*la*dor" (?), n. [Sp.] (Zoöl.) (a) A flying fish of California ||(Exocœtus Californicus): — called also volator. (b) The Atlantic ||flying gurnard. See under Flying. || Vo*lage" (?), a. [F.] Light; giddy. [Obs.]

They wroughten all their lust volage.

Chaucer.

Vo"lant (?; 277), a. [L. volans, - antis, p. pr. of volare to fly: cf. F. volant.] 1. Passing through the air upon wings, or as if upon wings; flying; hence, passing from place to place; current.

English silver now was current, and our gold volant in the pope's court.

Fuller.

2. Nimble; light and quick; active; rapid. "His volant touch." Milton.

3. (Her.) Represented as flying, or having the wings spread; as, an eagle volant.

Volant piece (Anc. Armor), an adjustable piece of armor, for guarding the throat, etc., in a joust.

||Vo*lan"te (?), n. [Sp., prop., flying.] A cumbrous two-wheeled ||pleasure carriage used in Cuba. || Vol`a*pük" (?), n. Literally, world's speech; the name of an artificial language invented by Johan Martin Schleyer, of Constance, Switzerland, about 1879.

Vol`a*pük"ist, n. One who is conversant with, or who favors adoption of, Volapük.

Vo"lar (?), a. [L. vola the palm of the hand, the sole of the foot.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the palm of the hand or the sole of the foot.

Vol"a*ry (?), n. See Volery. [Obs.]

Vol"a*tile (?), a. [F. volatil, L. volatilis, fr. volare to fly, perhaps akin to velox swift, E. velocity. Cf. Volley.] 1. Passing through the air on wings, or by the buoyant force of the atmosphere; flying; having the power to fly. [Obs.]

2. Capable of wasting away, or of easily passing into the aëriform state; subject to evaporation.

Substances which affect the smell with pungent or fragrant odors, as musk, hartshorn, and essential oils, are called volatile substances, because they waste away on exposure to the atmosphere. Alcohol and ether are called volatile liquids for a similar reason, and because they easily pass into the state of vapor on the application of heat. On the contrary, gold is a fixed substance, because it does not suffer waste, even when exposed to the heat of a furnace; and oils are called fixed when they do not evaporate on simple exposure to the atmosphere.

3. Fig.: Light-hearted; easily affected by circumstances; airy; lively; hence, changeable; fickle; as, a volatile temper.

You are as giddy and volatile as ever.

Swift.

Volatile alkali. (Old Chem.) See under Alkali. — Volatile liniment, a liniment composed of sweet oil and ammonia, so called from the readiness with which the latter evaporates. — Volatile oils. (Chem.) See Essential oils, under Essential.

Vol"a*tile, n. [Cf. F. volatile.] A winged animal; wild fowl; game. [Obs.] Chaucer. Sir T. Browne.

{Vol"a*tile*ness, Vol`a*til"i*ty (?), } n. [Cf. F. volatilité.] Quality or state of being volatile; disposition to evaporate; changeableness; fickleness.

Syn. — See Levity.

Vol"a*til*i`za*ble (?), a. [Cf. F. volatisable.] Capable of being volatilized.

Vol`a*til*i*za"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. volatilisation.] The act or process of volatilizing, or rendering volatile; the state of being volatilized.

Vol"a*til*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Volatilized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Volatilizing (?).] [Cf. F. volatiliser.] To render volatile; to cause to exhale or evaporate; to cause to pass off in vapor.

The water . . . dissolving the oil, and volatilizing it by the action.

Sir I. Newton.

||Vo*la"tor (?), n. [NL.] (Zoöl.) Same as Volador, 1. || ||Vol`-au`-vent" (?), n. [F.] (Cookery) A light puff paste, with a ||raised border, filled, after baking, usually with a ragout of fowl, ||game, or fish. || Vol"borth*ite (?), n. [So named after Volborth, who first discovered it.] (Min.) A mineral occurring in small six-sided tabular crystals of a green or yellow color. It is a hydrous vanadate of copper and lime.

Vol*ca"ni*an (?), a. Volcanic. [R.] Keats.

Vol*can"ic (?), a. [Cf. F. volcanique, It. vulcanico.] 1. Of or pertaining to a volcano or volcanoes; as, volcanic heat.

2. Produced by a volcano, or, more generally, by igneous agencies; as, volcanic tufa.

3. Changed or affected by the heat of a volcano.

Volcanic bomb, a mass ejected from a volcano, often of molten lava having a rounded form. — Volcanic cone, a hill, conical in form, built up of cinders, tufa, or lava, during volcanic eruptions. — Volcanic foci, the subterranean centers of volcanic action; the points beneath volcanoes where the causes producing volcanic phenomena are most active. — Volcanic glass, the vitreous form of lava, produced by sudden cooling; obsidian. See Obsidian. — Volcanic mud, fetid, sulphurous mud discharged by a volcano. — Volcanic rocks, rocks which have been produced from the discharges of volcanic matter, as the various kinds of basalt, trachyte, scoria, obsidian, etc., whether compact, scoriaceous, or vitreous.

Vol*can"ic*al*ly (?), adv. Like a volcano.

Vol`can*ic"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. volcanicité.] Quality or state of being volcanic; volcanic power.

Vol"can*ism (?), n. Volcanic power or action; volcanicity.

Vol"can*ist, n. [Cf. F. volcaniste, vulcaniste.] 1. One versed in the history and phenomena of volcanoes.

2. One who believes in the igneous, as opposed to the aqueous, origin of the rocks of the earth's crust; a vulcanist. Cf. Neptunist.

Vol*can"i*ty (?), n. [See Volcanic, and Volcanicity.] The quality or state of being volcanic, or volcanic origin; volcanicity. [R.]

Vol`can*i*za"tion (?), n. The act of volcanizing, or the state of being volcanized; the process of undergoing volcanic heat, and being affected by it.

Vol"can*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Volcanized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Volcanizing (?).] [Cf. Vulcanize.] To subject to, or cause to undergo, volcanic heat, and to be affected by its action.

Vol*ca"no (?), n.; pl. Volcanoes (#). [It. volcano, vulcano, fr. L. Vulcanus Vulkan, the god of fire. See Vulkan.] (Geol.) A mountain or hill, usually more or less conical in form, from which lava, cinders, steam, sulphur gases, and the like, are ejected; — often popularly called a burning mountain.

Volcanoes include many of the most conspicuous and lofty mountains of the earth, as Mt. Vesuvius in Italy (4,000 ft. high), Mt. Loa in Hawaii (14,000 ft.), Cotopaxi in South America (nearly 20,000 ft.), which are examples of active volcanoes. The crater of a volcano is usually a pit-shaped cavity, often of great size. The summit crater of Mt. Loa has a maximum length of 13,000 ft., and a depth of nearly 800 feet. Beside the chief crater, a volcano may have a number of subordinate craters.

Vole (?), n. [F.] A deal at cards that draws all the tricks. Swift.

Vole, v. i. (Card Playing) To win all the tricks by a vole. Pope.

Vole, n. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of micelike rodents belonging to Arvicola and allied genera of the subfamily Arvicolinæ. They have a thick head, short ears, and a short hairy tail.

The water vole, or water rat, of Europe (Arvicola amphibius) is a common large aquatic species. The short-tailed field vole (A. agrestis) of Northern and Central Europe, and Asia, the Southern field vole (A. arvalis), and the Siberian root vole (A. œconomus), are important European species. The common species of the Eastern United States (A. riparius) (called also meadow mouse) and the prairie mouse (A. austerus) are abundant, and often injurious to vegetation. Other species are found in Canada.

Vol"er*y (?), n. [F. volerie a flying, volière a large bird cage, fr. voler to fly, L. volare. See Volatile.]

1. A flight of birds. [R.] Locke.

2. A large bird cage; an aviary.

Volge (?), n. [L. vulgus.] The common sort of people; the crowd; the mob. [Obs.] Fuller.

Vol"i*ta*ble (?), a. Volatilizable. [Obs.]

Vol`i*ta"tion (?), n. [L. volitare, volitatum, to fly to and fro, v. freq. from volare to fly.] The act of flying; flight. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

Vo*li"tient (?), a. [See Volition.] Exercising the will; acting from choice; willing, or having power to will. "What I do, I do volitient, not obedient." Mrs. Browning.

Vo*li"tion (?), n. [F., fr. L. volo I will, velle to will, be willing. See Voluntary.] 1. The act of willing or choosing; the act of forming a purpose; the exercise of the will.

Volition is the actual exercise of the power the mind has to order the consideration of any idea, or the forbearing to consider it.

Locke.

Volition is an act of the mind, knowingly exerting that dominion it takes itself to have over any part of the man, by employing it in, or withholding it from, any particular action.

Locke.

2. The result of an act or exercise of choosing or willing; a state of choice.

3. The power of willing or determining; will.

Syn. — Will; choice; preference; determination; purpose. — Volition, Choice. Choice is the familiar, and volition the scientific, term for the same state of the will; viz., an "elective preference." When we have "made up our minds" (as we say) to a thing, i. e., have a settled state of choice respecting it, that state is called an immanent volition; when we put forth any particular act of choice, that act is called an emanent, or executive, or imperative, volition. When an immanent, or settled state of, choice, is one which controls or governs a series of actions, we call that state a predominant volition; while we give the name of subordinate volitions to those particular acts of choice which carry into effect the object sought for by the governing or "predominant volition." See Will.

Vo*li"tion*al (?), a. Belonging or relating to volition. "The volitional impulse." Bacon.

Vol"i*tive (?), a. [See Volition.] 1. Of or pertaining to the will; originating in the will; having the power to will. "They not only perfect the intellectual faculty, but the volitive." Sir M. Hale.

2. (Gram.) Used in expressing a wish or permission as, volitive proposition.

||Volks"lied (?), n.; pl. Volkslieder (#). [G.] (Mus.) A popular song, ||or national air. || Vol"ley (?), n.; pl. Volleys (#). [F. volée; flight, a volley, or discharge of several guns, fr. voler to fly, L. volare. See Volatile.] 1. A flight of missiles, as arrows, bullets, or the like; the simultaneous discharge of a number of small arms.

Fiery darts in flaming volleys flew.

Milton.

Each volley tells that thousands cease to breathe.

Byron.

2. A burst or emission of many things at once; as, a volley of words. "This volley of oaths." B. Jonson.

Rattling nonsense in full volleys breaks.

Pope.

3. (a) (Tennis) A return of the ball before it touches the ground. (b) (Cricket) A sending of the ball full to the top of the wicket.

<! p. 1618 !>

Half volley. (a) (Tennis) A return of the ball immediately after is has touched the ground. (b) (Cricket) A sending of the ball so that after touching the ground it flies towards the top of the wicket. R. A. Proctor. — On the volley, at random. [Obs.] "What we spake on the volley begins work." Massinger. — Volley gun, a gun with several barrels for firing a number of shots simultaneously; a kind of mitrailleuse.

Vol"ley (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Volleyed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Volleying.] To discharge with, or as with, a volley.

Vol"ley, v. i. 1. To be thrown out, or discharged, at once; to be discharged in a volley, or as if in a volley; to make a volley or volleys. Tennyson.

2. (a) (Tennis) To return the ball before it touches the ground. (b) (Cricket) To send the ball full to the top of the wicket. R. A. Proctor.

Vol"leyed (?), a. Discharged with a sudden burst, or as if in a volley; as, volleyed thunder.

Vol"ow (?), v. t. [From the answer, Volo I will, in the baptismal service. Richardson (Dict.).] To baptize; — used in contempt by the Reformers. [Obs.] Tyndale.

Volt (?), n. [F. volte; cf. It. volta. See Vault.]

1. (Man.) A circular tread; a gait by which a horse going sideways round a center makes two concentric tracks.

2. (Fencing) A sudden movement to avoid a thrust.

Volt, n. [After Alessandro Volta, the Italian electrician.] (Elec.) The unit of electro-motive force; — defined by the International Electrical Congress in 1893 and by United States Statute as, that electro-motive force which steadily applied to a conductor whose resistance is one ohm will produce a current of one ampère. It is practically equivalent to the electro- motive force of a standard Clark's cell at a temperature of 15° C.

||Vol"ta (?), n.; pl. Volte (#). [It. volta a turn, turning, a time. ||See Volt a tread.] (Mus.) A turning; a time; — chiefly used in ||phrases signifying that the part is to be repeated one, two, or more ||times; as, una volta, once. Seconda volta, second time, points to ||certain modifications in the close of a repeated strain. || Vol"ta-e*lec"tric (?), a. Of or pertaining to voltaic electricity, or voltaism.

Vol`ta-e`lec*trom"e*ter (?), n. An instrument for the exact measurement of electric currents.

Vol"tage (?), n. (Elec.) Electric potential or potential difference, expressed in volts.

Vol*tag"ra*phy (?), n. [Voltaic + - graphy.] In electrotypy, the act or art of copying, in metals deposited by electrolytic action, a form or pattern which is made the negative electrode. [R.]

Vol*ta"ic (?), a. [Cf. F. voltaïque, It. voltaico.]

1. Of or pertaining to Alessandro Volta, who first devised apparatus for developing electric currents by chemical action, and established this branch of electric science; discovered by Volta; as, voltaic electricity.

2. Of or pertaining to voltaism, or voltaic electricity; as, voltaic induction; the voltaic arc.

See the Note under Galvanism.

Voltaic arc, a luminous arc, of intense brilliancy, formed between carbon points as electrodes by the passage of a powerful voltaic current. — Voltaic battery, an apparatus variously constructed, consisting of a series of plates or pieces of dissimilar metals, as copper and zinc, arranged in pairs, and subjected to the action of a saline or acid solution, by which a current of electricity is generated whenever the two poles, or ends of the series, are connected by a conductor; a galvanic battery. See Battery, 4. (b), and Note. — Voltaic circuit. See under Circuit. — Voltaic couple or element, a single pair of the connected plates of a battery. — Voltaic electricity. See the Note under Electricity. — Voltaic pile, a kind of voltaic battery consisting of alternate disks of dissimilar metals, separated by moistened cloth or paper. See 5th Pile. — Voltaic protection of metals, the protection of a metal exposed to the corrosive action of sea water, saline or acid liquids, or the like, by associating it with a metal which is positive to it, as when iron is galvanized, or coated with zinc.

Vol*tair"e*an (?), a. [Cf. F. voltairien.] Of or relating to Voltaire, the French author. J. Morley.

Vol*tair"ism (?), n. The theories or practice of Voltaire. J. Morley.

Vol"ta*ism (?), n. [Cf. F. voltaïsme.] (Physics) That form of electricity which is developed by the chemical action between metals and different liquids; voltaic electricity; also, the science which treats of this form of electricity; — called also galvanism, from Galvani, on account of his experiments showing the remarkable influence of this agent on animals.

Vol*tam"e*ter (?), n. [Voltaic + - meter.] (Physics) An instrument for measuring the voltaic electricity passing through it, by its effect in decomposing water or some other chemical compound acting as an electrolyte.

Vol"ta*plast (?), n. [Voltaic + Gr. &?; molded.] A form of voltaic, or galvanic, battery suitable for use electrotyping. G. Francis.

Vol"ta*type (?), n. [Voltaic + type.] An electrotype. [R.]

||Vol"ti (?), imperative. [It., fr. voltare to turn. See Volt a tread.] ||(Mus.) Turn, that is, turn over the leaf. || Volti subito [It.] (Mus.), turn over quickly.

||Vol`ti*geur (?), n. [F., fr. voltiger to vault, It. volteggiare. See ||Volt a tread.] 1. A tumbler; a leaper or vaulter. || 2. (Mil.) One of a picked company of irregular riflemen in each regiment of the French infantry.

Volt"me`ter (?), n. [2d volt + - meter.] (elec.) An instrument for measuring in volts the differences of potential between different points of an electrical circuit.

Voltz"ite (?), n. [So named in honor of Voltz, a French engineer.] (Min.) An oxysulphide of lead occurring in implanted spherical globules of a yellowish or brownish color; — called also voltzine.

{ Vo*lu"bi*late (?), Vol"u*bile (?)}, a. [See Voluble.] Turning, or whirling; winding; twining; voluble.

Vol`u*bil"i*ty (?), n. [L. volubilitas: cf. F. volubilité.] The quality or state of being voluble (in any of the senses of the adjective).

Vol"u*ble (?), a. [L. volubilis, fr. volvere, volutum, to roll, to turn round; akin to Gr. &?; to infold, to inwrap, &?; to roll, G. welle a wave: cf. F. voluble. Cf. F. Well of water, Convolvulus, Devolve, Involve, Revolt, Vault an arch, Volume, Volute.]

1. Easily rolling or turning; easily set in motion; apt to roll; rotating; as, voluble particles of matter.

2. Moving with ease and smoothness in uttering words; of rapid speech; nimble in speaking; glib; as, a flippant, voluble, tongue.

[Cassio,] a knave very voluble.

Shak.

Voluble was used formerly to indicate readiness of speech merely, without any derogatory suggestion. "A grave and voluble eloquence." Bp. Hacket.

3. Changeable; unstable; fickle. [Obs.]

4. (Bot.) Having the power or habit of turning or twining; as, the voluble stem of hop plants.

Voluble stem (Bot.), a stem that climbs by winding, or twining, round another body.

— Vol"u*ble*ness, n. — Vol"u*bly, adv.

Vol"ume (?), n. [F., from L. volumen a roll of writing, a book, volume, from volvere, volutum, to roll. See Voluble.] 1. A roll; a scroll; a written document rolled up for keeping or for use, after the manner of the ancients. [Obs.]

The papyrus, and afterward the parchment, was joined together [by the ancients] to form one sheet, and then rolled upon a staff into a volume (volumen).

Encyc. Brit.

2. Hence, a collection of printed sheets bound together, whether containing a single work, or a part of a work, or more than one work; a book; a tome; especially, that part of an extended work which is bound up together in one cover; as, a work in four volumes.

An odd volume of a set of books bears not the value of its proportion to the set.

Franklin.

4. Anything of a rounded or swelling form resembling a roll; a turn; a convolution; a coil.

So glides some trodden serpent on the grass, And long behind wounded volume trails.

Dryden.

Undulating billows rolling their silver volumes.

W. Irving.

4. Dimensions; compass; space occupied, as measured by cubic units, that is, cubic inches, feet, yards, etc.; mass; bulk; as, the volume of an elephant's body; a volume of gas.

5. (Mus.) Amount, fullness, quantity, or caliber of voice or tone.

Atomic volume, Molecular volume (Chem.), the ratio of the atomic and molecular weights divided respectively by the specific gravity of the substance in question. — Specific volume (Physics & Chem.), the quotient obtained by dividing unity by the specific gravity; the reciprocal of the specific gravity. It is equal (when the specific gravity is referred to water at 4° C. as a standard) to the number of cubic centimeters occupied by one gram of the substance.

Vol"umed (?), a. 1. Having the form of a volume, or roil; as, volumed mist.

The distant torrent's rushing sound Tells where the volumed cataract doth roll.

Byron.

2. Having volume, or bulk; massive; great.

Vol`u*me*nom"e*ter (?), n. [L. volumen volume + -meter.] (Physics) An instrument for measuring the volume of a body, especially a solid, by means of the difference in tension caused by its presence and absence in a confined portion of air.

Vol`u*me*nom"e*try (?), n. (Chem. & Physics) The method or process of measuring volumes by means of the volumenometer.

Vo*lu"me*scope (?), n. [Volume + - scope.] (Physics) An instrument consisting essentially of a glass tube provided with a graduated scale, for exhibiting to the eye the changes of volume of a gas or gaseous mixture resulting from chemical action, and the like.

Vo*lu"me*ter (?), n. [Cf. F. volumètre. See Volumetric.] (Physics) An instrument for measuring the volumes of gases or liquids by introducing them into a vessel of known capacity.

Vol`u*met"ric (?), a. [Volume + - metric.] Of or pertaining to the measurement of volume.

Volumetric analysis (Chem.), that system of the quantitative analysis of solutions which employs definite volumes of standardized solutions of reagents, as measured by burettes, pipettes, etc.; also, the analysis of gases by volume, as by the eudiometer.

Vol`u*met"ric*al (?), a. Volumetric. — Vol`u*met"ric*al*ly, adv.

Vo*lu"mi*nous (?), a. [L. voluminosus: cf. F. volumineux.] Of or pertaining to volume or volumes. Specifically: —

(a) Consisting of many folds, coils, or convolutions.

But ended foul in many a scaly fold, Voluminous and vast.

Milton.

Over which dusky draperies are hanging, and voluminous curtains have long since fallen.

De Quincey.

(b) Of great volume, or bulk; large. B. Jonson.

(c) Consisting of many volumes or books; as, the collections of Muratori are voluminous.

(d) Having written much, or produced many volumes; copious; diffuse; as, a voluminous writer.

— Vo*lu"mi*nous*ly, adv. — Vo*lu"mi*nous*ness, n.

Vol"u*mist (?), n. One who writes a volume; an author. [Obs.] Milton.

Vol"un*ta*ri*ly (?), adv. In a voluntary manner; of one's own will; spontaneously.

Vol"un*ta*ri*ness, n. The quality or state of being voluntary; spontaneousness; specifically, the quality or state of being free in the exercise of one's will.

Vol"un*ta*ry (?), a. [L. voluntarius, fr. voluntas will, choice, from the root of velle to will, p. pr. volens; akin to E. will: cf. F. volontaire, Of. also voluntaire. See Will, v. t., and cf. Benevolent, Volition, Volunteer.] 1. Proceeding from the will; produced in or by an act of choice.

That sin or guilt pertains exclusively to voluntary action is the true principle of orthodoxy.

N. W. Taylor.

2. Unconstrained by the interference of another; unimpelled by the influence of another; not prompted or persuaded by another; done of his or its own accord; spontaneous; acting of one's self, or of itself; free.

Our voluntary service he requires.

Milton.

She fell to lust a voluntary prey.

Pope.

3. Done by design or intention; intentional; purposed; intended; not accidental; as, if a man kills another by lopping a tree, it is not voluntary manslaughter.

4. (Physiol.) Of or pertaining to the will; subject to, or regulated by, the will; as, the voluntary motions of an animal, such as the movements of the leg or arm (in distinction from involuntary motions, such as the movements of the heart); the voluntary muscle fibers, which are the agents in voluntary motion.

5. Endowed with the power of willing; as, man is a voluntary agent.

God did not work as a necessary, but a voluntary, agent, intending beforehand, and decreeing with himself, that which did outwardly proceed from him.

Hooker.

6. (Law) Free; without compulsion; according to the will, consent, or agreement, of a party; without consideration; gratuitous; without valuable consideration.

7. (Eccl.) Of or pertaining to voluntaryism; as, a voluntary church, in distinction from an established or state church.

Voluntary affidavit or oath (Law), an affidavit or oath made in extrajudicial matter. - - Voluntary conveyance (Law), a conveyance without valuable consideration. — Voluntary escape (Law), the escape of a prisoner by the express consent of the sheriff. — Voluntary jurisdiction. (Eng. Eccl. Law) See Contentious jurisdiction, under Contentious. — Voluntary waste. (Law) See Waste, n., 4.

Syn. — See Spontaneous.

Vol"un*ta*ry, n.; pl. Voluntaries (&?;). 1. One who engages in any affair of his own free will; a volunteer. [R.] Shak.

2. (Mus.) A piece played by a musician, often extemporarily, according to his fancy; specifically, an organ solo played before, during, or after divine service.

3. (Eccl.) One who advocates voluntaryism.

Vol"un*ta*ry*ism (?), n. (Eccl.) The principle of supporting a religious system and its institutions by voluntary association and effort, rather than by the aid or patronage of the state.

Vol`un*teer" (?), n. [F. volontaire. See Voluntary, a.]

1. One who enters into, or offers for, any service of his own free will.

2. (Mil.) One who enters into service voluntarily, but who, when in service, is subject to discipline and regulations like other soldiers; — opposed to conscript; specifically, a voluntary member of the organized militia of a country as distinguished from the standing army.

3. (Law) A grantee in a voluntary conveyance; one to whom a conveyance is made without valuable consideration; a party, other than a wife or child of the grantor, to whom, or for whose benefit, a voluntary conveyance is made. Burrill.

Vol`un*teer", a. Of or pertaining to a volunteer or volunteers; consisting of volunteers; voluntary; as, volunteer companies; volunteer advice.

Vol`un*teer", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Volunteered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Volunteering.] To offer or bestow voluntarily, or without solicitation or compulsion; as, to volunteer one's services.

Vol`un*teer", v. i. To enter into, or offer for, any service of one's own free will, without solicitation or compulsion; as, he volunteered in that undertaking.

Vol"u*pere (?), n. [Cf. Envelop.] A woman's cap. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Vo*lup"tu*a*ry (?; 135), n.; pl. Voluptuaries (#). [L. voluptuarius or voluptarius, fr. voluptas pleasure.] A voluptuous person; one who makes his physical enjoyment his chief care; one addicted to luxury, and the gratification of sensual appetites.

A good-humored, but hard-hearted, voluptuary.

Sir W. Scott.

Syn. — Sensualist; epicure.

Vo*lup"tu*a*ry, a. Voluptuous; luxurious.

Vo*lup"tu*ous (?), a. [F. voluptueux, L. voluptuosus, fr. voluptas pleasure, volup agreeably, delightfully; probably akin to Gr. &?; to hope, &?; hope, and to L. velle to wish. See Voluntary.] 1. Full of delight or pleasure, especially that of the senses; ministering to sensuous or sensual gratification; exciting sensual desires; luxurious; sensual.

Music arose with its voluptuous swell.

Byron.

Sink back into your voluptuous repose.

De Quincey.

2. Given to the enjoyments of luxury and pleasure; indulging to excess in sensual gratifications. "The jolly and voluptuous livers." Atterbury.

Softened with pleasure and voluptuous life.

Milton.

— Vo*lup"tu*ous*ly, adv. — Vo*lup"tu*ous*ness, n.

<! p. 1619 !>

Vo*lup"ty (?), n. [Cf. F. volupté pleasure. See Voluptuous.] Voluptuousness. [Obs.]

Vo*lu"ta (?), n.; pl. E. Volutas (#), L. Volutæ (#). [L., a spiral scroll. See Volute.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of large, handsome marine gastropods belonging to Voluta and allied genera.

Vol`u*ta"tion (?), n. [L. volutatio, from volutare to roll, wallow, verb freq. volvere, volutum, to roll.] A rolling of a body; a wallowing. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

Vo*lute" (?), n. [F. volute (cf. It. voluta), L. voluta, from volvere, volutum, to roll. See Voluble.]

1. (Arch.) A spiral scroll which forms the chief feature of the Ionic capital, and which, on a much smaller scale, is a feature in the Corinthian and Composite capitals. See Illust. of Capital, also Helix, and Stale.

2. (Zoöl.) A spiral turn, as in certain shells.

3. (Zoöl.) Any voluta.

Volute spiring, a spring formed of a spiral scroll of plate, rod, or wire, extended or extensible in the direction of the axis of the coil, in which direction its elastic force is exerted and employed.

Vo*lut"ed, a. Having a volute, or spiral scroll.

Vo*lu"tion (?), n. [Cf. LL. volutio an arch, vault.]

1. A spiral turn or wreath.

2. (Zoöl.) A whorl of a spiral shell.

||Vol"va (?), n. [L. volva, vulva, covering.] (Bot.) A saclike envelope ||of certain fungi, which bursts open as the plant develops. || ||Vol"vox (?), n. (Bot.) A genus of minute, pale-green, globular, ||organisms, about one fiftieth of an inch in diameter, found rolling ||through water, the motion being produced by minute colorless cilia. ||It has been considered as belonging to the flagellate Infusoria, but ||is now referred to the vegetable kingdom, and each globule is ||considered a colony of many individuals. The commonest species is ||Volvox globator, often called globe animalcule. || ||Vol"vu*lus (?), n. [NL., fr. L. volvere to turn about, to roll.] ||(Med.) (a) The spasmodic contraction of the intestines which causes ||colic. (b) Any twisting or displacement of the intestines causing ||obstruction; ileus. See Ileus. || Vol"yer (?), n. (Zoöl.) A lurcher. [Prov. Eng.]

||Vo"mer (?), n. [L., a plowshare.] (Anat.) (a) A bone, or one of a ||pair of bones, beneath the ethmoid region of the skull, forming a ||part a part of the partition between the nostrils in man and other ||mammals. (b) The pygostyle. || Vo"mer*ine (?), a. Of or pertaining to the vomer.

||Vom"i*ca (?), n. [L., fr. vomere to throw up, vomit.] (Med.) (a) An ||abscess cavity in the lungs. (b) An abscess in any other ||parenchymatous organ. || Vom"i*cine (?), n. [From nux vomica.] (Chem.) See Brucine.

Vom"ic nut` (?). [Cf. F. noix vomique.] Same as Nux vomica.

Vom"it (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Vomited; p. pr. & vb. n. Vomiting.] [Cf. L. vomere, vomitum, and v. freq. vomitare. See Vomit, n.] To eject the contents of the stomach by the mouth; to puke; to spew.

Vom"it, v. t. 1. To throw up; to eject from the stomach through the mouth; to disgorge; to puke; to spew out; — often followed by up or out.

The fish . . . vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Jonah ii. 10.

2. Hence, to eject from any hollow place; to belch forth; to emit; to throw forth; as, volcanoes vomit flame, stones, etc.

Like the sons of Vulcan, vomit smoke.

Milton.

Vom"it, n. [L. vomitus, from vomere, vomitum, to vomit; akin to Gr. &?;, Skr. vam, Lith. vemiti. Cf. Emetic, Vomito.]

1. Matter that is vomited; esp., matter ejected from the stomach through the mouth.

Like vomit from his yawning entrails poured.

Sandys.

2. (Med.) That which excites vomiting; an emetic.

He gives your Hollander a vomit.

Shak.

Black vomit. (Med.) See in the Vocabulary. — Vomit nut, nux vomica.

Vom"it*ing, n. The spasmodic ejection of matter from the stomach through the mouth.

Vo*mi"tion (?), n. [L. vomitio.] The act or power of vomiting. Grew.

Vom"i*tive (?), a. [Cf. F. vomitif.] Causing the ejection of matter from the stomach; emetic.

||Vo*mi"to (?), n. [Sp. vómito, fr. L. vomitus. See Vomit, n.] (Med.) ||The yellow fever in its worst form, when it is usually attended with ||black vomit. See Black vomit. || Vom"i*to*ry (?), a. [L. vomitorious.] Causing vomiting; emetic; vomitive.

Vom"i*to*ry, n.; pl. Vomitories (&?;). 1. An emetic; a vomit. Harvey.

2. [L. vomitorium.] (Arch.) A principal door of a large ancient building, as of an amphitheater.

Sixty-four vomitories . . . poured forth the immense multitude.

Gibbon.

Vom`i*tu*ri"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. vomiturition.] (Med.) (a) An ineffectual attempt to vomit. (b) The vomiting of but little matter; also, that vomiting which is effected with little effort. Dunglison.

Vond*si"ra (?), n. (Zoöl.) Same as Vansire.

Voo"doo (?), n. 1. See Voodooism.

2. One who practices voodooism; a negro sorcerer.

Voo"doo, a. Of or pertaining to voodooism, or a voodoo; as, voodoo incantations.

Voo"doo*ism (?), n. [Probably (through Creole French vaudoux a negro sorcerer) fr. F. Vaudois Waldensian, because the Waldenses were accused of sorcery.] A degraded form of superstition and sorcery, said to include human sacrifices and cannibalism in some of its rites. It is prevalent among the negroes of Hayti, and to some extent in the United States, and is regarded as a relic of African barbarism.

Vo*ra"cious (?), a. [L. vorax, - acis, fr. vorare to devour; akin to Gr. &?; meat, food, &?; to devour, Skr. gar. Cf. Devour.] Greedy in eating; very hungry; eager to devour or swallow; ravenous; gluttonous; edacious; rapacious; as, a voracious man or appetite; a voracious gulf or whirlpool. Dampier. — Vo*ra"cious*ly, adv. — Vo*ra"cious*ness, n.

Vo*rac"i*ty (?), n. [L. voracitas: cf. F. voracité.] The quality of being voracious; voraciousness.

Vo*rag"i*nous (?), a. [L. voraginosus, fr. vorago an abyss, fr. vorare to swallow up.] Pertaining to a gulf; full of gulfs; hence, devouring. [R.] Mallet.

Vor"tex (?), n.; pl. E. Vortexes (#), L. Vortices (#). [L. vortex, vertex, -icis, fr. vortere, vertere, to turn. See Vertex.]

1. A mass of fluid, especially of a liquid, having a whirling or circular motion tending to form a cavity or vacuum in the center of the circle, and to draw in towards the center bodies subject to its action; the form assumed by a fluid in such motion; a whirlpool; an eddy.

2. (Cartesian System) A supposed collection of particles of very subtile matter, endowed with a rapid rotary motion around an axis which was also the axis of a sun or a planet. Descartes attempted to account for the formation of the universe, and the movements of the bodies composing it, by a theory of vortices.

3. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small Turbellaria belonging to Vortex and allied genera. See Illustration in Appendix.

Vortex atom (Chem.), a hypothetical ring- shaped mass of elementary matter in continuous vortical motion. It is conveniently regarded in certain mathematical speculations as the typical form and structure of the chemical atom. — Vortex wheel, a kind of turbine.

Vor"ti*cal (?), a. Of or pertaining to a vortex or vortexes; resembling a vortex in form or motion; whirling; as, a vortical motion. — Vor"ti*cal*ly, adv.

Vor"ti*cel (?), n. [Cf. F. vorticelle. See Vortex.] (Zoöl.) A vorticella.

Vor`ti*cel"la (?), n.; pl. E. Vorticellas (&?;), L. Vorticellæ (&?;). [NL., dim. fr. L. vortex. See Vortex.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of ciliated Infusoria belonging to Vorticella and many other genera of the family Vorticellidæ. They have a more or less bell-shaped body with a circle of vibrating cilia around the oral disk. Most of the species have slender, contractile stems, either simple or branched.

Vor"ti*cose` (?), a. [L. vorticosus.] Vortical; whirling; as, a vorticose motion.

Vor*tig"i*nous (?), a. [Cf. Vertiginous.] Moving rapidly round a center; vortical. [R.] Cowper.

Vo"ta*ress (?), n. [See Votary, n.] A woman who is a votary. Shak.

Vo"ta*rist (?), n. [See Votary.] A votary.

Like a sad votarist in palmer's weed.

Milton.

Vo"ta*ry (?), a. [From L. votus, p. p. vovere to vow, to devote. See Vote, Vow.] Consecrated by a vow or promise; consequent on a vow; devoted; promised.

Votary resolution is made equipollent to custom.

Bacon.

Vo"ta*ry, n.; pl. Votaries (&?;). One devoted, consecrated, or engaged by a vow or promise; hence, especially, one devoted, given, or addicted, to some particular service, worship, study, or state of life. "You are already love's firm votary." Shak.

'T was coldness of the votary, not the prayer, that was in fault.

Bp. Fell.

But thou, my votary, weepest thou?

Emerson.

Vote (?), n. [L. votum a vow, wish, will, fr. vovere, votum, to vow: cf. F. vote. See Vow.]

1. An ardent wish or desire; a vow; a prayer. [Obs.] Massinger.

2. A wish, choice, or opinion, of a person or a body of persons, expressed in some received and authorized way; the expression of a wish, desire, will, preference, or choice, in regard to any measure proposed, in which the person voting has an interest in common with others, either in electing a person to office, or in passing laws, rules, regulations, etc.; suffrage.

3. That by means of which will or preference is expressed in elections, or in deciding propositions; voice; a ballot; a ticket; as, a written vote.

The freeman casting with unpurchased hand The vote that shakes the turrets of the land.

Holmes.

4. Expression of judgment or will by a majority; legal decision by some expression of the minds of a number; as, the vote was unanimous; a vote of confidence.

5. Votes, collectively; as, the Tory vote; the labor vote.

Casting vote, Cumulative vote, etc. See under Casting, Cumulative, etc.

Vote (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Voted; p. pr. & vb. n. Voting.] [Cf. F. voter.] To express or signify the mind, will, or preference, either viva voce, or by ballot, or by other authorized means, as in electing persons to office, in passing laws, regulations, etc., or in deciding on any proposition in which one has an interest with others.

The vote for a duelist is to assist in the prostration of justice, and, indirectly, to encourage the crime.

L. Beecher.

To vote on large principles, to vote honestly, requires a great amount of information.

F. W. Robertson.

Vote, v. t. 1. To choose by suffrage; to elec&?;; as, to vote a candidate into office.

2. To enact, establish, grant, determine, etc., by a formal vote; as, the legislature voted the resolution.

Parliament voted them one hundred thousand pounds.

Swift.

3. To declare by general opinion or common consent, as if by a vote; as, he was voted a bore. [Colloq.]

4. To condemn; to devote; to doom. [Obs.] Glanvill.

Vot"er (?), n. One who votes; one who has a legal right to vote, or give his suffrage; an elector; a suffragist; as, an independent voter.

Vot"ing, a. & n. from Vote, v.

Voting paper, a form of ballot containing the names of more candidates than there are offices to be filled, the voter making a mark against the preferred names. [Eng.]

Vot"ist, n. One who makes a vow. [Obs.] Chapman.

Vo"tive (?), a. [L. votivus, fr. votum a vow: cf. F. votif. See Vow.] Given by vow, or in fulfillment of a vow; consecrated by a vow; devoted; as, votive offerings; a votive tablet. "Votive incense." Keble.

We reached a votive stone, that bears the name Of Aloys Reding.

Wordsworth.

Embellishments of flowers and votive garlands.

Motley.

Votive medal, a medal struck in grateful commemoration of some auspicious event. — Votive offering, an offering in fulfillment of a religious vow, as of one's person or property.

— Vo"tive*ly, adv. — Vo"tive*ness, n.

Vo"tress (?), n. A votaress. Dryden.

Vouch (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vouched (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vouching.] [OE. vouchen, OF. vochier to call, fr. L. vocare to call, fr. vox, vocis, voice. See Voice, and cf. Avouch.]

1. To call; to summon. [Obs.]

[They] vouch (as I might say) to their aid the authority of the writers.

Sir T. Elyot.

2. To call upon to witness; to obtest.

Vouch the silent stars and conscious moon.

Dryden.

3. To warrant; to maintain by affirmations; to attest; to affirm; to avouch.

They made him ashamed to vouch the truth of the relation, and afterwards to credit it.

Atterbury.

4. To back; to support; to confirm; to establish.

Me damp horror chilled At such bold words vouched with a deed so bold.

Milton.

5. (Law) To call into court to warrant and defend, or to make good a warranty of title.

He vouches the tenant in tail, who vouches over the common vouchee.

Blackstone.

Syn. — To obtest; declare; affirm; attest; warrant; confirm; asseverate; aver; protest; assure.

Vouch, v. i. 1. To bear witness; to give testimony or full attestation.

He will not believe her until the elector of Hanover shall vouch for the truth of what she has . . . affirmed.

Swift.

2. To assert; to aver; to declare. Shak.

Vouch, n. Warrant; attestation. [Obs.]

The vouch of very malice itself.

Shak.

Vouch*ee" (?), n. (Law) The person who is vouched, or called into court to support or make good his warranty of title in the process of common recovery. Blackstone.

Vouch"er (?), n. 1. One who vouches, or gives witness or full attestation, to anything.

Will his vouchers vouch him no more?

Shak.

The great writers of that age stand up together as vouchers for one another's reputation.

Spectator.

2. A book, paper, or document which serves to vouch the truth of accounts, or to confirm and establish facts of any kind; also, any acquittance or receipt showing the payment of a debt; as, the merchant's books are his vouchers for the correctness of his accounts; notes, bonds, receipts, and other writings, are used as vouchers in proving facts.

3. (Law) (a) The act of calling in a person to make good his warranty of title in the old form of action for the recovery of lands. (b) The tenant in a writ of right; one who calls in another to establish his warranty of title. In common recoveries, there may be a single voucher or double vouchers. Blackstone.

Vouch"ment (?), n. A solemn assertion. [R.]

Vouch"or (?), n. (Law) Same as Voucher, 3 (b).

Vouch*safe" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vouchsafed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vouchsafing.] [Vouch + safe, that is, to vouch or answer for safety.]

1. To condescend to grant; to concede; to bestow.

If ye vouchsafe that it be so.

Chaucer.

Shall I vouchsafe your worship a word or two?

Shak.

It is not said by the apostle that God vouchsafed to the heathens the means of salvation.

South.

2. To receive or accept in condescension. [Obs.] Shak.

Vouch*safe", v. i. To condescend; to deign; to yield; to descend or stoop. Chaucer.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.

Bk. of Com. Prayer.

Vouchsafe, illustrious Ormond, to behold What power the charms of beauty had of old.

Dryden.

Vouch*safe"ment (?), n. The act of vouchsafing, or that which is vouchsafed; a gift or grant in condescension. Glanvill.

||Vous`soir" (?), n. [F., akin to voûte an arch, a vault.] (Arch.) One ||of the wedgelike stones of which an arch is composed. || <! p. 1620 !>

Vow (?), n. [OE. vou, OF. vou, veu, vo, vu, F. v&?;u, from L. votum, from vovere, to vow. Cf. Avow, Devout, Vote.]

1. A solemn promise made to God, or to some deity; an act by which one consecrates or devotes himself, absolutely or conditionally, wholly or in part, for a longer or shorter time, to some act, service, or condition; a devotion of one's possessions; as, a baptismal vow; a vow of poverty. "Nothing . . . that may . . . stain my vow of Nazarite." Milton.

I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow.

2 Sam. xv. 7.

I am combined by a sacred vow.

Shak.

2. Specifically, a promise of fidelity; a pledge of love or affection; as, the marriage vow.

Knights of love, who never broke their vow; Firm to their plighted faith.

Dryden.

Vow (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vowed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vowing.] [OE. vouen, OF. vouer, voer, F. vouer, LL. votare. See Vow, n.]

1. To give, consecrate, or dedicate to God, or to some deity, by a solemn promise; to devote; to promise solemnly. "When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it." Eccl. v. 4.

[Men] that vow a long and weary pilgrimage.

Shak.

2. To assert solemnly; to asseverate.

Vow, v. i. To make a vow, or solemn promise.

Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

Eccl. v. 5.

Vow"el (?), n. [F. voyelle, or an OF. form without y, L. vocalis (sc. littera), from vocalis sounding, from vox, vocis, a voice, sound. See Vocal.] (Phon.) A vocal, or sometimes a whispered, sound modified by resonance in the oral passage, the peculiar resonance in each case giving to each several vowel its distinctive character or quality as a sound of speech; — distinguished from a consonant in that the latter, whether made with or without vocality, derives its character in every case from some kind of obstructive action by the mouth organs. Also, a letter or character which represents such a sound. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 5, 146-149.

In the English language, the written vowels are a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes w and y. The spoken vowels are much more numerous.

Close vowel. See under Close, a. — Vowel point. See under Point, n.

Vow"el, a. Of or pertaining to a vowel; vocal.

Vow"eled (?), a. Furnished with vowels. [Written also vowelled.] Dryden.

Vow"el*ish (?), a. Of the nature of a vowel. [R.] "The power [of w] is always vowelish." B. Jonson.

Vow"el*ism (?), n. The use of vowels. [R.]

Vow"el*ize (?), v. t. To give the quality, sound, or office of a vowel to.

Vow"er (?), n. One who makes a vow. Bale.

Vow"-fel`low (?), n. One bound by the same vow as another. [R.] Shak.

||Vox (?), n. [L. See Voice.] A voice. || Vox humana (&?;) [L., human voice] (Mus.), a reed stop in an organ, made to imitate the human voice.

Voy"age (?; 48), n. [OE. veage, viage, OF. veage, viage, veiage, voiage, F. voyage, LL. viaticum, fr. L. viaticum traveling money, provision for a journey, from viaticus belonging to a road or journey, fr. via way, akin to E. way. See Way, n., and cf. Convey, Deviate, Devious, Envoy, Trivial, Viaduct, Viaticum.]

1. Formerly, a passage either by sea or land; a journey, in general; but not chiefly limited to a passing by sea or water from one place, port, or country, to another; especially, a passing or journey by water to a distant place or country.

I love a sea voyage and a blustering tempest.

J. Fletcher.

So steers the prudent crane Her annual voyage, borne on winds.

Milton.

All the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

Shak.

2. The act or practice of traveling. [Obs.]

Nations have interknowledge of one another by voyage into foreign parts, or strangers that come to them.

Bacon.

3. Course; way. [Obs.] Shak.

Voy"age, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Voyaged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Voyaging (?).] [Cf. F. voyager.] To take a voyage; especially, to sail or pass by water.

A mind forever Voyaging through strange seas of thought alone.

Wordsworth.

Voy"age, v. t. To travel; to pass over; to traverse.

With what pain [I] voyaged the unreal, vast, unbounded deep.

Milton.

Voy"age*a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F. voyageable.] That may be sailed over, as water or air; navigable.

Voy"a*ger (?), n. [Cf. F. voyager traveling.] One who voyages; one who sails or passes by sea or water.

||Voy`a`geur" (?), n. [F., fr. voyager to travel. See Voyage.] A ||traveler; — applied in Canada to a man employed by the fur companies ||in transporting goods by the rivers and across the land, to and from ||the remote stations in the Northwest. || Voy"ol (?), n. (Naut.) (a) See Viol, 2. (b) The block through which a messenger passes. [Written also viol, and voyal.]

||Vrai`sem`blance" (?), n. [F.] The appearance of truth; verisimilitude. || { Vugg, Vugh } (?), n. (Mining) A cavity in a lode; — called also vogle.

Vul"can (?), n. [L. Vulcanus, Volcanus: cf. Skr. ulk a firebrand, meteor. Cf. Volcano.] (Rom. Myth.) The god of fire, who presided over the working of metals; — answering to the Greek Hephæstus.

Vul*ca"ni*an (?), a. [L. Vulcanius.]

1. Of or pertaining to Vulcan; made by Vulcan; hence, of or pertaining to works in iron or other metals.

Ingenious allusions to the Vulcanian panoply which Achilles lent to his feebler friend.

Macaulay.

2. (Geol.) Volcanic.

Vul*can"ic (?), a. 1. Of or pertaining to Vulcan; made by Vulcan; Vulcanian.

2. Of or pertaining to volcanoes; specifically, relating to the geological theory of the Vulcanists, or Plutonists.

Vul`can*ic"i*ty (?), n. Volcanicity.

Vul"can*ism (?), n. Volcanism.

Vul"can*ist, n. A volcanist.

Vul"can*ite (?), n. Hard rubber produced by vulcanizing with a large proportion of sulphur.

Vul`can*i*za"tion (?), n. [See Vulcan.] The act or process of imparting to caoutchouc, gutta- percha, or the like, greater elasticity, durability, or hardness by heating with sulphur under pressure.

Vul"can*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vulcanized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vulcanizing (?).] To change the properties of, as caoutchouc, or India rubber, by the process of vulcanization.

Vulcanized fiber, paper, paper pulp, or other fiber, chemically treated, as with metallic chlorides, so as to form a substance resembling ebonite in texture, hardness, etc. Knight. — Vulcanized rubber, India rubber, vulcanized.

Vul"can*i`zer (?), n. One who, or that which, vulcanizes; esp., an apparatus for vulcanizing caoutchouc.

Vul*ca"no (?), n. A volcano. [Obs.]

Vul`can*ol"o*gy (?), n. [See Vulcan, and -logy.] The science which treats of phenomena due to plutonic action, as in volcanoes, hot springs, etc. [R.]

Vul"gar (?), a. [L. vulgaris, from vulgus the multitude, the common people; of uncertain origin: cf. F. vulgaire. Cf. Divulge.]

1. Of or pertaining to the mass, or multitude, of people; common; general; ordinary; public; hence, in general use; vernacular. "As common as any the most vulgar thing to sense. " Shak.

Things vulgar, and well-weighed, scarce worth the praise.

Milton.

It might be more useful to the English reader . . . to write in our vulgar language.

Bp. Fell.

The mechanical process of multiplying books had brought the New Testament in the vulgar tongue within the reach of every class.

Bancroft.

2. Belonging or relating to the common people, as distinguished from the cultivated or educated; pertaining to common life; plebeian; not select or distinguished; hence, sometimes, of little or no value. "Like the vulgar sort of market men." Shak.

Men who have passed all their time in low and vulgar life.

Addison.

In reading an account of a battle, we follow the hero with our whole attention, but seldom reflect on the vulgar heaps of slaughter.

Rambler.

3. Hence, lacking cultivation or refinement; rustic; boorish; also, offensive to good taste or refined feelings; low; coarse; mean; base; as, vulgar men, minds, language, or manners.

Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.

Shak.

Vulgar fraction. (Arith.) See under Fraction.

Vul"gar, n. [Cf. F. vulgaire.]

1. One of the common people; a vulgar person. [Obs.]

These vile vulgars are extremely proud.

Chapman.

2. The vernacular, or common language. [Obs.]

Vul*ga"ri*an (?), n. A vulgar person; one who has vulgar ideas. Used also adjectively.

Vul"gar*ism (?), n. [Cf. F. vulgarisme.]

1. Grossness; rudeness; vulgarity.

2. A vulgar phrase or expression.

A fastidious taste will find offense in the occasional vulgarisms, or what we now call "slang," which not a few of our writers seem to have affected.

Coleridge.

Vul*gar"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. vulgarité, L. vulgaritas the multitude.]

1. The quality or state of being vulgar; mean condition of life; the state of the lower classes of society. Sir T. Browne.

2. Grossness or clownishness of manners of language; absence of refinement; coarseness.

The reprobate vulgarity of the frequenters of Bartholomew Fair.

B. Jonson.

Vul`gar*i*za"tion (?), n. The act or process of making vulgar, or common.

Vul"gar*ize (?), v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Vulgarized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Vulgarizing (?).] [Cf. F. vulgariser, LL. vulgarizare.] To make vulgar, or common.

Exhortation vulgarized by low wit.

V. Knox.

Vul"gar*ly, adv. In a vulgar manner.

Vul"gar*ness, n. The quality of being vulgar.

Vul"gate (?), n. [NL. vulgata, from L. vulgatus usual, common, p. p. of vulgare to make general, or common, fr. vulgus the multitude: cf. F. vulgate. See Vulgar, a.] An ancient Latin version of the Scripture, and the only version which the Roman Church admits to be authentic; — so called from its common use in the Latin Church.

The Vulgate was made by Jerome at the close of the 4th century. The Old Testament he translated mostly from the Hebrew and Chaldaic, and the New Testament he revised from an older Latin version. The Douay version, so called, is an English translation from the Vulgate. See Douay Bible.

Vul"gate (?), a. Of or pertaining to the Vulgate, or the old Latin version of the Scriptures.

Vul`ner*a*bil"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being vulnerable; vulnerableness.

Vul"ner*a*ble (?), a. [L. vulnerabilis wounding, injurious, from vulnerare to wound, vulnus a wound; akin to Skr. vra&?;a: cf. F. vulnérable.]

1. Capable of being wounded; susceptible of wounds or external injuries; as, a vulnerable body.

Achilles was vulnerable in his heel; and there will be wanting a Paris to infix the dart.

Dr. T. Dwight.

2. Liable to injury; subject to be affected injuriously; assailable; as, a vulnerable reputation.

His skill in finding out the vulnerable parts of strong minds was consummate.

Macaulay.

Vul"ner*a*ble*ness, n. The quality or state of being vulnerable; vulnerability.

Vul"ner*a*ry (?), a. [L. vulnearius: cf. F. vulnéraire.] Useful in healing wounds; adapted to the cure of external injuries; as, vulnerary plants or potions. "Such vulnerary remedies." Sir W. Scott. — n. [Cf. F. vulnéraire.] (Med.) A vulnerary remedy.

Vul"ner*ate (?), v. t. [L. vulneratus, p. p. of vulnerare to wound.] To wound; to hurt. [Obs.]

Vul`ner*a"tion (?), n. [L. vulneratio.] The act of wounding, or the state of being wounded. [Obs.]

Vul"ner*ose` (?), a. Full of wounds; wounded.

{ Vul*nif"ic (?), Vul*nif"ic*al (?), } a. [L. vulnificus; vulnus a wound + facere to make.] Causing wounds; inflicting wounds; wounding.

Vul*nose" (?), a. Having wounds; vulnerose. [R.]

||Vul"pes (?), n. [L., a fox.] (Zoöl.) A genus of Carnivora including ||the foxes. || Vul"pic (?), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or designating, an acid obtained from a lichen (Cetraria vulpina) as a yellow or red crystalline substance which on decomposition yields pulvinic acid.

Vul"pi*cide (?), n. [L. vulpes a fox + caedere to kill.] One who kills a fox, except in hunting; also, the act of so killing a fox. [Written also vulpecide.]

Vul"pine (?; 277), a. [L. vulpinus, from vulpes a fox.] Of or pertaining to the fox; resembling the fox; foxy; cunning; crafty; artful.

Vulpine phalangist (Zoöl.), an Australian carnivorous marsupial (Phalangista, or Trichosurus, vulpina); — called also vulpine phalanger, and vulpine opossum.

Vul*pin"ic (?), a. (Chem.) Same as Vulpic.

Vul"pin*ism (?), n. The quality of being cunning like the fox; craft; artfulness. [R.]

He was without guile, and had no vulpinism at all.

Carlyle.

Vul"pi*nite (?), n. [So called after Vulpino, in Italy.] (Min.) A scaly granular variety of anhydrite of a grayish white color, used for ornamental purposes.

Vul"tern (?), n. (Zoöl.) The brush turkey (Talegallus Lathami) of Australia. See Brush turkey.

Vul"ture (?; 135), n. [OE. vultur, L. vultur: cf. OF. voltour, F. vautour.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of rapacious birds belonging to Vultur, Cathartes, Catharista, and various other genera of the family Vulturidæ.

In most of the species the head and neck are naked or nearly so. They feed chiefly on carrion. The condor, king vulture, turkey buzzard, and black vulture (Catharista atrata) are well known American species. The griffin, lammergeir, and Pharaoh's chicken, or Egyptian vulture, are common Old World vultures.

Vul"tur*ine (?; 277), a. [L. vulturinus.] Of or pertaining to a vulture; resembling a vulture in qualities or looks; as, the vulturine sea eagle (Gypohierax Angolensis); vulturine rapacity.

The vulturine nose, which smells nothing but corruption, is no credit to its possessor.

C. Kingsley.

Vul"tur*ish, a. Vulturous.

Vul"tur*ism (?), n. The quality or state of being like a vulture; rapaciousness.

Vul"tur*ous (?), a. Like a vulture; rapacious.

Vul"va (?), n. [L. vulva, volva, from volvere to roll.]

1. (Anat.) The external parts of the female genital organs; sometimes, the opening between the projecting parts of the external organs.

2. (Zoöl.) The orifice of the oviduct of an insect or other invertebrate.

Vul"vi*form (?), a. [L. vulva, volva, a wrapper + -form.] (Bot.) Like a cleft with projecting edges.

||Vul*vi"tis (?), n. [NL. See Vulva, and -itis.] (Med.) Inflammation of ||the vulva. || Vul`vo-u"ter*ine (?), a. (Anat.) Pertaining both to the vulva and the uterus.

Vul`vo*vag"i*nal (?), a. (Anat.) Pertaining both to the vulva and the vagina.

Vyce (?), n. [Cf. Vise.] (Coopering) A kind of clamp with gimlet points for holding a barrel head while the staves are being closed around it. Knight.

Vy"ing (?), a. & n. from Vie. — Vy"ing*ly, adv.

<! p. 1621 !>

W.

W (db"'l ), the twenty-third letter of the English alphabet, is usually a consonant, but sometimes it is a vowel, forming the second element of certain diphthongs, as in few, how. It takes its written form and its name from the repetition of a V, this being the original form of the Roman capital letter which we call U. Etymologically it is most related to v and u. See V, and U. Some of the uneducated classes in England, especially in London, confuse w and v, substituting the one for the other, as weal for veal, and veal for weal; wine for vine, and vine for wine, etc. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 266-268.

Waag (wäg), n. (Zoöl.) The grivet.

Waa*hoo" (wä*h"), n. (Bot.) The burning bush; — said to be called after a quack medicine made from it.

Wab"ble (wb"b'l), v. i. [Cf. Prov. G. wabbeln to wabble, and E. whap. Cf. Quaver.] To move staggeringly or unsteadily from one side to the other; to vacillate; to move the manner of a rotating disk when the axis of rotation is inclined to that of the disk; — said of a turning or whirling body; as, a top wabbles; a buzz saw wabbles.

Wab"ble, n. A hobbling, unequal motion, as of a wheel unevenly hung; a staggering to and fro.

Wab"bly (?), a. Inclined to wabble; wabbling.

{ Wack"e (?), Wack"y (?), } n. [G. wacke, MHG. wacke a large stone, OHG. waggo a pebble.] (Geol.) A soft, earthy, dark-colored rock or clay derived from the alteration of basalt.

Wad (?), n. [See Woad.] Woad. [Obs.]

Wad, n. [Probably of Scand. origin; cf. Sw. vadd wadding, Dan vat, D. & G. watte. Cf. Wadmol.]

1. A little mass, tuft, or bundle, as of hay or tow. Holland.

2. Specifically: A little mass of some soft or flexible material, such as hay, straw, tow, paper, or old rope yarn, used for retaining a charge of powder in a gun, or for keeping the powder and shot close; also, to diminish or avoid the effects of windage. Also, by extension, a dusk of felt, pasteboard, etc., serving a similar purpose.

3. A soft mass, especially of some loose, fibrous substance, used for various purposes, as for stopping an aperture, padding a garment, etc.

Wed hook, a rod with a screw or hook at the end, used for removing the wad from a gun.

Wad, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Waded; p. pr. & vb. n. Wadding.]

1. To form into a mass, or wad, or into wadding; as, to wad tow or cotton.

2. To insert or crowd a wad into; as, to wad a gun; also, to stuff or line with some soft substance, or wadding, like cotton; as, to wad a cloak.

{ Wad, Wadd, } n. (Min.) (a) An earthy oxide of manganese, or mixture of different oxides and water, with some oxide of iron, and often silica, alumina, lime, or baryta; black ocher. There are several varieties. (b) Plumbago, or black lead.

Wad"ding (?), n. [See Wad a little mass.]

1. A wad, or the materials for wads; any pliable substance of which wads may be made.

2. Any soft stuff of loose texture, used for stuffing or padding garments; esp., sheets of carded cotton prepared for the purpose.

Wad"dle (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waddled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Waddling (?).] [Freq. of wade; cf. AS. wædlian to beg, from wadan to go. See Wade.] To walk with short steps, swaying the body from one side to the other, like a duck or very fat person; to move clumsily and totteringly along; to toddle; to stumble; as, a child waddles when he begins to walk; a goose waddles. Shak.

She drawls her words, and waddles in her pace.

Young.

Wad"dle, v. t. To trample or tread down, as high grass, by walking through it. [R.] Drayton.

Wad"dler (?), n. One who, or that which, waddles.

Wad"dling*ly, adv. In a waddling manner.

Wade (?), n. Woad. [Obs.] Mortimer.

Wade (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waded; p. pr. & vb. n. Wading.] [OE. waden to wade, to go, AS. wadan; akin to OFries. wada, D. waden, OHG. watan, Icel. va&?;a, Sw. vada, Dan. vade, L. vadere to go, walk, vadum a ford. Cf. Evade, Invade, Pervade, Waddle.]

1. To go; to move forward. [Obs.]

When might is joined unto cruelty, Alas, too deep will the venom wade.

Chaucer.

Forbear, and wade no further in this speech.

Old Play.

2. To walk in a substance that yields to the feet; to move, sinking at each step, as in water, mud, sand, etc.

So eagerly the fiend . . . With head, hands, wings, or feet, pursues his way, And swims, or sinks, or wades, or creeps, or flies.

Milton.

3. Hence, to move with difficulty or labor; to proceed &?;lowly among objects or circumstances that constantly &?;inder or embarrass; as, to wade through a dull book.

And wades through fumes, and gropes his way.

Dryden.

The king's admirable conduct has waded through all these difficulties.

Davenant.

Wade, v. t. To pass or cross by wading; as, he waded &?;he rivers and swamps.

Wade (?), n. The act of wading. [Colloq.]

Wad"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, wades.

2. (Zoöl.) Any long-legged bird that wades in the water in search of food, especially any species of limicoline or grallatorial birds; — called also wading bird. See Illust. g, under Aves.

Wad"ing, a. & n. from Wade, v.

Wading bird. (Zoöl.) See Wader, 2.

Wad"mol (?), n. [Of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. va&?;ml a woollen stuff, Dan vadmel. Cf. Wad a small mass, and Woodmeil.] A coarse, hairy, woolen cloth, formerly used for garments by the poor, and for various other purposes. [Spelled also wadmal, wadmeal, wadmoll, wadmel, etc.] Beck (Draper's Dict.). Sir W. Scott.

Wad"set (?), n. [Scot. wad a pledge; akin to Sw. vad a wager. See Wed.] (Scots Law) A kind of pledge or mortgage. [Written also wadsett.]

Wad"set*ter (?), n. One who holds by a wadset.

Wad"y (?), n.; pl. Wadies (#). [Ar. wd a valley, a channel of a river, a river.] A ravine through which a brook flows; the channel of a water course, which is dry except in the rainy season.

Wae (?), n. A wave. [Obs.] Spenser.

Waeg (?), n. (Zoöl.) The kittiwake. [Scot.]

Wa"fer (?), n. [OE. wafre, OF. waufre, qaufre, F. qaufre; of Teutonic origin; cf. LG. & D. wafel, G. waffel, Dan. vaffel, Sw. våffla; all akin to G. wabe a honeycomb, OHG. waba, being named from the resemblance to a honeycomb. G. wabe is probably akin to E. weave. See Weave, and cf. Waffle, Gauffer.]

1. (Cookery) A thin cake made of flour and other ingredients.

Wafers piping hot out of the gleed.

Chaucer.

The curious work in pastry, the fine cakes, wafers, and marchpanes.

Holland.

A woman's oaths are wafers — break with making

B. Jonson.

2. (Eccl.) A thin cake or piece of bread (commonly unleavened, circular, and stamped with a crucifix or with the sacred monogram) used in the Eucharist, as in the Roman Catholic Church.

3. An adhesive disk of dried paste, made of flour, gelatin, isinglass, or the like, and coloring matter, — used in sealing letters and other documents.

Wafer cake, a sweet, thin cake. Shak. — Wafer irons, or Wafer tongs (Cookery), a pincher-shaped contrivance, having flat plates, or blades, between which wafers are baked. — Wafer woman, a woman who sold wafer cakes; also, one employed in amorous intrigues. Beau. & Fl.

Wa"fer, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wafered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wafering.] To seal or close with a wafer.

Wa"fer*er (?), n. A dealer in the cakes called wafers; a confectioner. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Waffle (?), n. [D. wafel. See Wafer.] 1. A thin cake baked and then rolled; a wafer.

2. A soft indented cake cooked in a waffle iron.

Waffle iron, an iron utensil or mold made in two parts shutting together, — used for cooking waffles over a fire.

Waft (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wafted; p. pr. & vb. n. Wafting.] [Prob. originally imp. & p. p. of wave, v. t. See Wave to waver.] 1. To give notice to by waving something; to wave the hand to; to beckon. [Obs.]

But soft: who wafts us yonder?

Shak.

2. To cause to move or go in a wavy manner, or by the impulse of waves, as of water or air; to bear along on a buoyant medium; as, a balloon was wafted over the channel.

A gentle wafting to immortal life.

Milton.

Speed the soft intercourse from soul to soul, And waft a sigh from Indus to the pole.

Pope.

3. To cause to float; to keep from sinking; to buoy. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

This verb is regular; but waft was formerly som&?;times used, as by Shakespeare, instead of wafted.

Waft, v. i. To be moved, or to pass, on a buoyant medium; to float.

And now the shouts waft near the citadel.

Dryden.

Waft, n. 1. A wave or current of wind. "Everywaft of the air." Longfellow.

In this dire season, oft the whirlwind's wing Sweeps up the burden of whole wintry plains In one wide waft.

Thomson.

2. A signal made by waving something, as a flag, in the air.

3. An unpleasant flavor. [Obs.]

4. (Naut.) A knot, or stop, in the middle of a flag. [Written also wheft.]

A flag with a waft in it, when hoisted at the staff, or half way to the gaff, means, a man overboard; at the peak, a desire to communicate; at the masthead, "Recall boats."

Waft"age (?), n. Conveyance on a buoyant medium, as air or water. Shak.

Boats prepared for waftage to and fro.

Drayton.

Waft"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, wafts.

O Charon, Thou wafter of the soul to bliss or bane.

Beau. & FL.

2. A boat for passage. Ainsworth.

Waf"ture (?), n. The act of waving; a wavelike motion; a waft. R. Browning.

An angry wafture of your hand.

Shak.

Wag (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wagged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wagging.] [OE. waggen; probably of Scand. origin; cf. Sw. vagga to rock a cradle, vagga cradle, Icel. vagga, Dan. vugge; akin to AS. wagian to move, wag, wegan to bear, carry, G. & D. bewegen to move, and E. weigh. √136. See Weigh.] To move one way and the other with quick turns; to shake to and fro; to move vibratingly; to cause to vibrate, as a part of the body; as, to wag the head.

No discerner durst wag his tongue in censure.

Shak.

Every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.

Jer. xviii. 16.

Wag expresses specifically the motion of the head and body used in buffoonery, mirth, derision, sport, and mockery.

Wag, v. i. 1. To move one way and the other; to be shaken to and fro; to vibrate.

The resty sieve wagged ne'er the more.

Dryden.

2. To be in action or motion; to move; to get along; to progress; to stir. [Colloq.]

"Thus we may see," quoth he, "how the world wags."

Shak.

3. To go; to depart; to pack oft. [R.]

I will provoke him to 't, or let him wag.

Shak.

Wag, n. [From Wag, v.]

1. The act of wagging; a shake; as, a wag of the head. [Colloq.]

2. [Perhaps shortened from wag-halter a rogue.] A man full of sport and humor; a ludicrous fellow; a humorist; a wit; a joker.

We wink at wags when they offend.

Dryden.

A counselor never pleaded without a piece of pack thread in his hand, which he used to twist about a finger all the while he was speaking; the wags used to call it the thread of his discourse.

Addison.

||Wa*ga"ti (?), n. (Zoöl.) A small East Indian wild cat (Felis wagati), ||regarded by some as a variety of the leopard cat. || Wage (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Waged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Waging (?).] [OE. wagen, OF. wagier, gagier, to pledge, promise, F. gager to wager, lay, bet, fr. LL. wadium a pledge; of Teutonic origin; cf. Goth. wadi a pledge, gawadjn to pledge, akin to E. wed, G. wette a wager. See Wed, and cf. Gage.]

1. To pledge; to hazard on the event of a contest; to stake; to bet, to lay; to wager; as, to wage a dollar. Hakluyt.

My life I never but as a pawn To wage against thy enemies.

Shak.

2. To expose one's self to, as a risk; to incur, as a danger; to venture; to hazard. "Too weak to wage an instant trial with the king." Shak.

To wake and wage a danger profitless.

Shak.

3. To engage in, as a contest, as if by previous gage or pledge; to carry on, as a war.

[He pondered] which of all his sons was fit To reign and wage immortal war with wit.

Dryden.

The two are waging war, and the one triumphs by the destruction of the other.

I. Taylor.

4. To adventure, or lay out, for hire or reward; to hire out. [Obs.] "Thou . . . must wage thy works for wealth." Spenser.

5. To put upon wages; to hire; to employ; to pay wages to. [Obs.]

Abundance of treasure which he had in store, wherewith he might wage soldiers.

Holinshed.

I would have them waged for their labor.

Latimer.

6. (O. Eng. Law) To give security for the performance of. Burrill.

To wage battle (O. Eng. Law), to give gage, or security, for joining in the duellum, or combat. See Wager of battel, under Wager, n. Burrill. - - To wage one's law (Law), to give security to make one's law. See Wager of law, under Wager, n.

Wage, v. i. To bind one's self; to engage. [Obs.]

Wage, n. [OF. wage, gage, guarantee, engagement. See Wage, v. t. ]

1. That which is staked or ventured; that for which one incurs risk or danger; prize; gage. [Obs.] "That warlike wage." Spenser.

2. That for which one labors; meed; reward; stipulated payment for service performed; hire; pay; compensation; — at present generally used in the plural. See Wages. "My day's wage." Sir W. Scott. "At least I earned my wage." Thackeray. "Pay them a wage in advance." J. Morley. "The wages of virtue." Tennyson.

By Tom Thumb, a fairy page, He sent it, and doth him engage, By promise of a mighty wage, It secretly to carry.

Drayton.

Our praises are our wages.

Shak.

Existing legislation on the subject of wages.

Encyc. Brit.

Wage is used adjectively and as the first part of compounds which are usually self-explaining; as, wage worker, or wage-worker; wage-earner, etc.

Board wages. See under 1st Board.

Syn. — Hire; reward; stipend; salary; allowance; pay; compensation; remuneration; fruit.

Wag"el (?), n. (Zoöl.) See Waggel.

Wa"gen*boom` (?), n. [D., literally, wagon tree.] (Bot.) A south African proteaceous tree (Protea grandiflora); also, its tough wood, used for making wagon wheels.

<! p. 1622 !>

Wa"ger (?), n. [OE. wager, wajour, OF. wagiere, or wageure, E. gageure. See Wage, v. t.]

1. Something deposited, laid, or hazarded on the event of a contest or an unsettled question; a bet; a stake; a pledge.

Besides these plates for horse races, the wagers may be as the persons please.

Sir W. Temple.

If any atheist can stake his soul for a wager against such an inexhaustible disproportion, let him never hereafter accuse others of credulity.

Bentley.

2. (Law) A contract by which two parties or more agree that a certain sum of money, or other thing, shall be paid or delivered to one of them, on the happening or not happening of an uncertain event. Bouvier.

At common law a wager is considered as a legal contract which the courts must enforce unless it be on a subject contrary to public policy, or immoral, or tending to the detriment of the public, or affecting the interest, feelings, or character of a third person. In many of the United States an action can not be sustained upon any wager or bet. Chitty. Bouvier.

3. That on which bets are laid; the subject of a bet.

Wager of battel, or Wager of battle (O. Eng. Law), the giving of gage, or pledge, for trying a cause by single combat, formerly allowed in military, criminal, and civil causes. In writs of right, where the trial was by champions, the tenant produced his champion, who, by throwing down his glove as a gage, thus waged, or stipulated, battle with the champion of the demandant, who, by taking up the glove, accepted the challenge. The wager of battel, which has been long in disuse, was abolished in England in 1819, by a statute passed in consequence of a defendant's having waged his battle in a case which arose about that period. See Battel. — Wager of law (Law), the giving of gage, or sureties, by a defendant in an action of debt, that at a certain day assigned he would take a law, or oath, in open court, that he did not owe the debt, and at the same time bring with him eleven neighbors (called compurgators), who should avow upon their oaths that they believed in their consciences that he spoke the truth. — Wager policy. (Insurance Law) See under Policy.

Wa"ger, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wagered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wagering.] To hazard on the issue of a contest, or on some question that is to be decided, or on some casualty; to lay; to stake; to bet.

And wagered with him Pieces of gold 'gainst this which he wore.

Shak.

Wa"ger, v. i. To make a bet; to lay a wager.

'T was merry when You wagered on your angling.

Shak.

Wa"ger*er (?), n. One who wagers, or lays a bet.

Wa"ger*ing, a. Hazarding; pertaining to the act of one who wagers.

Wagering policy. (Com.) See Wager policy, under Policy.

Wa"ges (?), n. plural in termination, but singular in signification. [Plural of wage; cf. F. gages, pl., wages, hire. See Wage, n.] A compensation given to a hired person for services; price paid for labor; recompense; hire. See Wage, n., 2.

The wages of sin is death.

Rom. vi. 23.

Wages fund (Polit. Econ.), the aggregate capital existing at any time in any country, which theoretically is unconditionally destined to be paid out in wages. It was formerly held, by Mill and other political economists, that the average rate of wages in any country at any time depended upon the relation of the wages fund to the number of laborers. This theory has been greatly modified by the discovery of other conditions affecting wages, which it does not take into account. Encyc. Brit.

Syn. — See under Wage, n.

Wag"gel (wg"gl), n. (Zoöl.) The young of the great black-backed gull (Larus marinus), formerly considered a distinct species. [Prov. Eng.]

Wag"ger*y (-gr*), n.; pl. Waggeries (#). [From Wag.] The manner or action of a wag; mischievous merriment; sportive trick or gayety; good-humored sarcasm; pleasantry; jocularity; as, the waggery of a schoolboy. Locke.

A drollery and lurking waggery of expression.

W. Irving.

Wag"gie (-g), n. The pied wagtail. [Prov. Eng.]

Wag"gish (-gsh), a. 1. Like a wag; mischievous in sport; roguish in merriment or good humor; frolicsome. "A company of waggish boys." L'Estrange.

2. Done, made, or laid in waggery or for sport; sportive; humorous; as, a waggish trick.

— Wag"gish*ly, adv. — Wag"gish*ness, n.

Wag"gle (?), v. i. [Freq. of wag; cf. D. waggelen, G. wackeln.] To reel, sway, or move from side to side; to move with a wagging motion; to waddle.

Why do you go nodding and waggling so?

L'Estrange.

Wag"gle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Waggled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Waggling (?).] To move frequently one way and the other; to wag; as, a bird waggles his tail.

Wag"-hal`ter (?), n. [Wag + halter.] One who moves or wears a halter; one likely to be hanged. [Colloq. & Obs.]

I can tell you, I am a mad wag-halter.

Marston.

Wag"ner*ite (?), n. (Min.) A fluophosphate of magnesia, occurring in yellowish crystals, and also in massive forms.

Wag"on (?), n. [D. wagen. √136. See Wain.]

1. A wheeled carriage; a vehicle on four wheels, and usually drawn by horses; especially, one used for carrying freight or merchandise.

In the United States, light wagons are used for the conveyance of persons and light commodities.

2. A freight car on a railway. [Eng.]

3. A chariot [Obs.] Spenser.

4. (Astron.) The Dipper, or Charles's Wain.

This word and its compounds are often written with two g's (waggon, waggonage, etc.), chiefly in England. The forms wagon, wagonage, etc., are, however, etymologically preferable, and in the United States are almost universally used.

Wagon boiler. See the Note under Boiler, 3. — Wagon ceiling (Arch.), a semicircular, or wagon-headed, arch or ceiling; — sometimes used also of a ceiling whose section is polygonal instead of semicircular. — Wagon master, an officer or person in charge of one or more wagons, especially of those used for transporting freight, as the supplies of an army, and the like. — Wagon shoe, a skid, or shoe, for retarding the motion of a wagon wheel; a drag. — Wagon vault. (Arch.) See under 1st Vault.

Wag"on (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wagoned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wagoning.] To transport in a wagon or wagons; as, goods are wagoned from city to city.

Wag"on, v. i. To wagon goods as a business; as, the man wagons between Philadelphia and its suburbs.

Wag"on*age (?), n. 1. Money paid for carriage or conveyance in wagon.

2. A collection of wagons; wagons, collectively.

Wagonage, provender, and a piece or two of cannon.

Carlyle.

Wag"on*er (?), n. 1. One who conducts a wagon; one whose business it is to drive a wagon.

2. (Astron.) The constellation Charles's Wain, or Ursa Major. See Ursa major, under Ursa.

Wag`on*ette" (?), n. A kind of pleasure wagon, uncovered and with seats extended along the sides, designed to carry six or eight persons besides the driver.

Wag"on*ful (?), n.; pl. Wagonfuls (&?;). As much as a wagon will hold; enough to fill a wagon; a wagonload.

Wag"on-head`ed (?), a. Having a top, or head, shaped like the top of a covered wagon, or resembling in section or outline an inverted U, thus &?;; as, a wagonheaded ceiling.

Wag"on*load` (?), n. Same as Wagonful.

Wag"on-roofed` (?), a. Having a roof, or top, shaped like an inverted U; wagon- headed.

Wag"on*ry (?), n. Conveyance by means of a wagon or wagons. [Obs.] Milton.

Wag"on*wright` (?), n. One who makes wagons.

Wag"tail` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of many species of Old World singing birds belonging to Motacilla and several allied genera of the family Motacillidæ. They have the habit of constantly jerking their long tails up and down, whence the name.

Field wagtail, any one of several species of wagtails of the genus Budytes having the tail shorter, the legs longer, and the hind claw longer and straighter, than do the water wagtails. Most of the species are yellow beneath. Called also yellow wagtail. — Garden wagtail, the Indian black-breasted wagtail (Nemoricola Indica). — Pied wagtail, the common European water wagtail (Motacilla lugubris). It is variegated with black and white. The name is applied also to other allied species having similar colors. Called also pied dishwasher. — Wagtail flycatcher, a true flycatcher (Sauloprocta motacilloides) common in Southern Australia, where it is very tame, and frequents stock yards and gardens and often builds its nest about houses; — called also black fantail. — Water wagtail. (a) Any one of several species of wagtails of the restricted genus Motacilla. They live chiefly on the shores of ponds and streams. (b) The American water thrush. See Water thrush. — Wood wagtail, an Asiatic wagtail; (Calobates sulphurea) having a slender bill and short legs.

Wah (wä), n. (Zoöl.) The panda.

Wa*ha"bee (?), n. [Ar. wahbi.] A follower of Abdel Wahab (b. 1691; d. 1787), a reformer of Mohammedanism. His doctrines prevail particularly among the Bedouins, and the sect, though checked in its influence, extends to most parts of Arabia, and also into India. [Written also Wahaby.]

Waid (?), a. [For weighed.] Oppressed with weight; crushed; weighed down. [Obs.] Tusser.

Waif (?), n. [OF. waif, gaif, as adj., lost, unclaimed, chose gaive a waif, LL. wayfium, res vaivae; of Scand. origin. See Waive.]

1. (Eng. Law.) Goods found of which the owner is not known; originally, such goods as a pursued thief threw away to prevent being apprehended, which belonged to the king unless the owner made pursuit of the felon, took him, and brought him to justice. Blackstone.

2. Hence, anything found, or without an owner; that which comes along, as it were, by chance. "Rolling in his mind old waifs of rhyme." Tennyson.

3. A wanderer; a castaway; a stray; a homeless child.

A waif Desirous to return, and not received.

Cowper.

Waift (?), n. A waif. [Obs.] Spenser.

Wail (?), v. t. [Cf. Icel. val choice, velja to choose, akin to Goth. waljan, G. wählen.] To choose; to select. [Obs.] "Wailed wine and meats." Henryson.

Wail, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wailed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wailing.] [OE. wailen, weilen, probably fr. Icel. væla; cf. Icel. væ, vei, woe, and E. wayment, also OE. wai, wei, woe. Cf. Woe.] To lament; to bewail; to grieve over; as, to wail one's death. Shak.

Wail, v. i. To express sorrow audibly; to make mournful outcry; to weep.

Therefore I will wail and howl.

Micah i. 8.

Wail, n. Loud weeping; violent lamentation; wailing. "The wail of the forest." Longfellow.

Wail"er (?), n. One who wails or laments.

Wail"er*ess (?), n. A woman who wails. [Obs.]

Wail"ful (?), a. Sorrowful; mournful. " Like wailful widows." Spenser. "Wailful sonnets." Shak.

Wail"ing*ly, adv. In a wailing manner.

Wail"ment (?), n. Lamentation; loud weeping; wailing. [Obs.] Bp. Hacket.

Wai"ment (?). v. & n. See Wayment. [Obs.]

Wain (?), n. [OE. wain, AS. wægn; akin to D. & G. wagen, OHG. wagan, Icel. & Sw. vagn, Dan. vogn, and E. way. &?;&?;&?;&?;. See Way, Weigh, and cf. Wagon.]

1. A four-wheeled vehicle for the transportation of goods, produce, etc.; a wagon.

The wardens see nothing but a wain of hay.

Jeffrey.

Driving in ponderous wains their household goods to the seashore.

Longfellow.

2. A chariot. [Obs.]

The Wain. (Astron.) See Charles's Wain, in the Vocabulary. — Wain rope, a cart rope. Shak.

Wain"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being plowed or cultivated; arable; tillable. [Obs.] Cowell.

Wain"age (?; 48), n. [From Wain.] A finding of carriages, carts, etc., for the transportation of goods, produce, etc. Ainsworth.

Wain"age, n. (O. Eng. Law) See Gainage, a.

Wain"bote` (?), n. [Wain + bote.] (O. Eng. Law) See Cartbote. See also the Note under Bote.

Wain"scot (?), n. [OD. waeghe-schot, D. wagen-schot, a clapboard, fr. OD. waeg, weeg, a wall (akin to AS. wah; cf. Icel. veggr) + schot a covering of boards (akin to E. shot, shoot).]

1. Oaken timber or boarding. [Obs.]

A wedge wainscot is fittest and most proper for cleaving of an oaken tree.

Urquhart.

Inclosed in a chest of wainscot.

J. Dart.

2. (Arch.) A wooden lining or boarding of the walls of apartments, usually made in panels.

3. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of European moths of the family Leucanidæ.

They are reddish or yellowish, streaked or lined with black and white. Their larvæ feed on grasses and sedges.

Wain"scot, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wainscoted; p. pr. & vb. n. Wainscoting.] To line with boards or panelwork, or as if with panelwork; as, to wainscot a hall.

Music soundeth better in chambers wainscoted than hanged.

Bacon.

The other is wainscoted with looking- glass.

Addison.

Wain"scot*ing, n. 1. The act or occupation of covering or lining with boards in panel.

2. The material used to wainscot a house, or the wainscot as a whole; panelwork.

Wain"wright` (?), n. Same as Wagonwright.

Wair (?), n. (Carp.) A piece of plank two yard&?; long and a foot broad. Bailey.

Waist (?), n. [OE. wast; originally, growth, akin to AS. weaxan to grow; cf. AS. wæstm growth. See Wax to grow.]

1. That part of the human body which is immediately below the ribs or thorax; the small part of the body between the thorax and hips. Chaucer.

I am in the waist two yards about.

Shak.

2. Hence, the middle part of other bodies; especially (Naut.), that part of a vessel's deck, bulwarks, etc., which is between the quarter-deck and the forecastle; the middle part of the ship.

3. A garment, or part of a garment, which covers the body from the neck or shoulders to the waist line.

4. A girdle or belt for the waist. [Obs.] Shak.

Waist anchor. See Sheet anchor, 1, in the Vocabulary.

Waist"band (?), n. 1. The band which encompasses the waist; esp., one on the upper part of breeches, trousers, pantaloons, skirts, or the like.

2. A sash worn by women around the waist. [R.]

Waist"cloth (?), n. 1. A cloth or wrapper worn about the waist; by extension, such a garment worn about the hips and passing between the thighs.

2. (Naut.) A covering of canvas or tarpaulin for the hammocks, stowed on the nettings, between the quarterdeck and the forecastle.

Waist"coat (?), n. (a) A short, sleeveless coat or garment for men, worn under the coat, extending no lower than the hips, and covering the waist; a vest. (b) A garment occasionally worn by women as a part of fashionable costume.

The waistcoat was a part of female attire as well as male . . . It was only when the waistcoat was worn without a gown or upper dress that it was considered the mark of a mad or profligate woman. Nares.

Syn. — See Vest.

Waist`coat*eer" (?), n. One wearing a waistcoat; esp., a woman wearing one uncovered, or thought fit for such a habit; hence, a loose woman; strumpet. [Obs.]

Do you think you are here, sir, Amongst your waistcoateers, your base wenches?

Beau. & Fl.

Waist"coat*ing, n. A fabric designed for waistcoats; esp., one in which there is a pattern, differently colored yarns being used.

Waist"er (?), n. (Naut.) A seaman, usually a green hand or a broken-down man, stationed in the waist of a vessel of war. R. H. Dana, Jr.

Wait (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waited; p. pr. & vb. n. Waiting.] [OE. waiten, OF. waitier, gaitier, to watch, attend, F. guetter to watch, to wait for, fr. OHG. wahta a guard, watch, G. wacht, from OHG. wahhn to watch, be awake. √134. See Wake, v. i.]

1. To watch; to observe; to take notice. [Obs.]

"But [unless] ye wait well and be privy, I wot right well, I am but dead," quoth she.

Chaucer.

2. To stay or rest in expectation; to stop or remain stationary till the arrival of some person or event; to rest in patience; to stay; not to depart.

All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

Job xiv. 14.

They also serve who only stand and wait.

Milton.

Haste, my dear father; 't is no time to wait.

Dryden.

<! p. 1623 !>

To wait on or upon. (a) To attend, as a servant; to perform services for; as, to wait on a gentleman; to wait on the table. "Authority and reason on her wait." Milton. "I must wait on myself, must I?" Shak. (b) To attend; to go to see; to visit on business or for ceremony. (c) To follow, as a consequence; to await. "That ruin that waits on such a supine temper." Dr. H. More. (d) To look watchfully at; to follow with the eye; to watch. [R.] "It is a point of cunning to wait upon him with whom you speak with your eye." Bacon. (e) To attend to; to perform. "Aaron and his sons . . . shall wait on their priest's office." Num. iii. 10. (f) (Falconry) To fly above its master, waiting till game is sprung; — said of a hawk. Encyc. Brit.

Wait (?), v. t. 1. To stay for; to rest or remain stationary in expectation of; to await; as, to wait orders.

Awed with these words, in camps they still abide, And wait with longing looks their promised guide.

Dryden.

2. To attend as a consequence; to follow upon; to accompany; to await. [Obs.]

3. To attend on; to accompany; especially, to attend with ceremony or respect. [Obs.]

He chose a thousand horse, the flower of all His warlike troops, to wait the funeral.

Dryden.

Remorse and heaviness of heart shall wait thee, And everlasting anguish be thy portion.

Rowe.

4. To cause to wait; to defer; to postpone; — said of a meal; as, to wait dinner. [Colloq.]

Wait, n. [OF. waite, guaite, gaite, F. guet watch, watching, guard, from OHG. wahta. See Wait, v. i.]

1. The act of waiting; a delay; a halt.

There is a wait of three hours at the border Mexican town of El Paso.

S. B. Griffin.

2. Ambush. "An enemy in wait." Milton.

3. One who watches; a watchman. [Obs.]

4. pl. Hautboys, or oboes, played by town musicians; not used in the singular. [Obs.] Halliwell.

5. pl. Musicians who sing or play at night or in the early morning, especially at Christmas time; serenaders; musical watchmen. [Written formerly wayghtes.]

Hark! are the waits abroad?

Beau & Fl.

The sound of the waits, rude as may be their minstrelsy, breaks upon the mild watches of a winter night with the effect of perfect harmony.

W. Irving.

To lay wait, to prepare an ambuscade. — To lie in wait. See under 4th Lie.

Wait"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, waits; an attendant; a servant in attendance, esp. at table.

The waiters stand in ranks; the yeomen cry, "Make room," as if a duke were passing by.

Swift.

2. A vessel or tray on which something is carried, as dishes, etc.; a salver.

Coast waiter. See under Coast, n.

Wait"ing, a. & n. from Wait, v.

In waiting, in attendance; as, lords in waiting. [Eng.] — Waiting gentlewoman, a woman who waits upon a person of rank. — Waiting maid, Waiting woman, a maid or woman who waits upon another as a personal servant.

Wait"ing*ly, adv. By waiting.

Wait"ress (?), n. A female waiter or attendant; a waiting maid or waiting woman.

Waive (?), n. [See Waive, v. t. ] 1. A waif; a castaway. [Obs.] Donne.

2. (O. Eng. Law) A woman put out of the protection of the law. See Waive, v. t., 3 (b), and the Note.

Waive, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Waived (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Waiving.] [OE. waiven, weiven, to set aside, remove, OF. weyver, quesver, to waive, of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. veifa to wave, to vibrate, akin to Skr. vip to tremble. Cf. Vibrate, Waif.] [Written also wave.]

1. To relinquish; to give up claim to; not to insist on or claim; to refuse; to forego.

He waiveth milk, and flesh, and all.

Chaucer.

We absolutely do renounce or waive our own opinions, absolutely yielding to the direction of others.

Barrow.

2. To throw away; to cast off; to reject; to desert.

3. (Law) (a) To throw away; to relinquish voluntarily, as a right which one may enforce if he chooses. (b) (O. Eng. Law) To desert; to abandon. Burrill.

The term was applied to a woman, in the same sense as outlaw to a man. A woman could not be outlawed, in the proper sense of the word, because, according to Bracton, she was never in law, that is, in a frankpledge or decennary; but she might be waived, and held as abandoned. Burrill.

Waive, v. i. To turn aside; to recede. [Obs.]

To waive from the word of Solomon.

Chaucer.

Waiv"er (?), n. (Law) The act of waiving, or not insisting on, some right, claim, or privilege.

Waiv"ure (?), n. See Waiver. [R.]

Wai"wode (?), n. See Waywode.

Wake (?), n. [Originally, an open space of water s&?;rrounded by ice, and then, the passage cut through ice for a vessel, probably of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. vök a hole, opening in ice, Sw. vak, Dan. vaage, perhaps akin to E. humid.] The track left by a vessel in the water; by extension, any track; as, the wake of an army.

This effect followed immediately in the wake of his earliest exertions.

De Quincey.

Several humbler persons . . . formed quite a procession in the dusty wake of his chariot wheels.

Thackeray.

Wake, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waked (?) or Woke (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Waking.] [AS. wacan, wacian; akin to OFries. waka, OS. wak&?;n, D. waken, G. wachen, OHG. wahh&?;n, Icel. vaka, Sw. vaken, Dan. vaage, Goth. wakan, v. i., uswakjan, v. t., Skr. vjay to rouse, to impel. &?;&?;&?;&?;. Cf. Vigil, Wait, v. i., Watch, v. i.]

1. To be or to continue awake; to watch; not to sleep.

The father waketh for the daughter.

Ecclus. xlii. 9.

Though wisdom wake, suspicion sleeps.

Milton.

I can not think any time, waking or sleeping, without being sensible of it.

Locke.

2. To sit up late festive purposes; to hold a night revel.

The king doth wake to-night, and takes his rouse, Keeps wassail, and the swaggering upspring reels.

Shak.

3. To be excited or roused from sleep; to awake; to be awakened; to cease to sleep; — often with up.

He infallibly woke up at the sound of the concluding doxology.

G. Eliot.

4. To be exited or roused up; to be stirred up from a dormant, torpid, or inactive state; to be active.

Gentle airs due at their hour To fan the earth now waked.

Milton.

Then wake, my soul, to high desires.

Keble.

Wake (?), v. t. 1. To rouse from sleep; to awake.

The angel . . . came again and waked me.

Zech. iv. 1.

2. To put in motion or action; to arouse; to excite. "I shall waken all this company." Chaucer.

Lest fierce remembrance wake my sudden rage.

Milton.

Even Richard's crusade woke little interest in his island realm.

J. R. Green.

3. To bring to life again, as if from the sleep of death; to reanimate; to revive.

To second life Waked in the renovation of the just.

Milton.

4. To watch, or sit up with, at night, as a dead body.

Wake, n. 1. The act of waking, or being awaked; also, the state of being awake. [Obs. or Poetic]

Making such difference 'twixt wake and sleep.

Shak.

Singing her flatteries to my morning wake.

Dryden.

2. The state of forbearing sleep, especially for solemn or festive purposes; a vigil.

The warlike wakes continued all the night, And funeral games played at new returning light.

Dryden.

The wood nymphs, decked with daises trim, Their merry wakes and pastimes keep.

Milton.

3. Specifically: (a) (Ch. of Eng.) An annual parish festival formerly held in commemoration of the dedication of a church. Originally, prayers were said on the evening preceding, and hymns were sung during the night, in the church; subsequently, these vigils were discontinued, and the day itself, often with succeeding days, was occupied in rural pastimes and exercises, attended by eating and drinking, often to excess.

Great solemnities were made in all churches, and great fairs and wakes throughout all England.

Ld. Berners.

And every village smokes at wakes with lusty cheer.

Drayton.

(b) The sitting up of persons with a dead body, often attended with a degree of festivity, chiefly among the Irish. "Blithe as shepherd at a wake." Cowper.

Wake play, the ceremonies and pastimes connected with a wake. See Wake, n., 3 (b), above. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Wake"ful (?), a. Not sleeping; indisposed to sleep; watchful; vigilant.

Dissembling sleep, but wakeful with the fright.

Dryden.

— Wake"ful*ly, adv. — Wake"ful*ness, n.

Wak"en (?), v. i. [imp. & p. pr. Wakened (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wakening.] [OE. waknen, AS. wæcnan; akin to Goth. gawaknan. See Wake, v. i.] To wake; to cease to sleep; to be awakened.

Early, Turnus wakening with the light.

Dryden.

Wak"en, v. t. 1. To excite or rouse from sleep; to wake; to awake; to awaken. "Go, waken Eve." Milton.

2. To excite; to rouse; to move to action; to awaken.

Then Homer's and Tyrtæus' martial muse Wakened the world.

Roscommon.

Venus now wakes, and wakens love.

Milton.

They introduce Their sacred song, and waken raptures high.

Milton.

Wak"en*er (?), n. One who wakens.

Wak"en*ing, n. 1. The act of one who wakens; esp., the act of ceasing to sleep; an awakening.

2. (Scots Law) The revival of an action. Burrill.

They were too much ashamed to bring any wakening of the process against Janet.

Sir W. Scott.

Wak"er (?), n. One who wakes.

Wake"-rob`in (?), n. (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Arum, especially, in England, the cuckoopint (Arum maculatum).

In America the name is given to several species of Trillium, and sometimes to the Jack-in-the-pulpit.

Wake"time` (?), n. Time during which one is awake. [R.] Mrs. Browning.

Wak"ing, n. 1. The act of waking, or the state or period of being awake.

2. A watch; a watching. [Obs.] "Bodily pain . . . standeth in prayer, in wakings, in fastings." Chaucer.

In the fourth waking of the night.

Wyclif (Matt. xiv. 25).

Wa"la*way (?), interj. See Welaway. [Obs.]

Wald (?), n. [AS. weald. See Wold.] A forest; — used as a termination of names. See Weald.

Wal*den"ses (?; 277), n. pl. [So called from Petrus Waldus, or Peter Waldo, a merchant of Lyons, who founded this sect about a. d. 1170.] (Eccl. Hist.) A sect of dissenters from the ecclesiastical system of the Roman Catholic Church, who in the 13th century were driven by persecution to the valleys of Piedmont, where the sect survives. They profess substantially Protestant principles.

Wal*den"sian (?), a. Of or pertaining to the Waldenses. — n. One Holding the Waldensian doctrines.

Wald"grave (?), n. [See Wald, and Margrave.] In the old German empire, the head forest keeper.

||Wald*hei"mi*a (?), n. [NL.] (Zoöl.) A genus of brachiopods of which ||many species are found in the fossil state. A few still exist in the ||deep sea. || Wale (?), n. [AS. walu a mark of stripes or blows, probably originally, a rod; akin to Icel. völr, Goth. walus a rod, staff. √146. Cf. Goal, Weal a wale.]

1. A streak or mark made on the skin by a rod or whip; a stripe; a wheal. See Wheal. Holland.

2. A ridge or streak rising above the surface, as of cloth; hence, the texture of cloth.

Thou 'rt rougher far, And of a coarser wale, fuller of pride.

Beau & Fl.

3. (Carp.) A timber bolted to a row of piles to secure them together and in position. Knight.

4. (Naut.) (a) pl. Certain sets or strakes of the outside planking of a vessel; as, the main wales, or the strakes of planking under the port sills of the gun deck; channel wales, or those along the spar deck, etc. (b) A wale knot, or wall knot.

Wale knot. (Naut.) See Wall knot, under 1st Wall.

Wale, v. t. 1. To mark with wales, or stripes.

2. To choose; to select; specifically (Mining), to pick out the refuse of (coal) by hand, in order to clean it. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Wal*hal"la (?), n. [Cf. G. walhalla, See Valhalla.] See Valhalla.

Wal"ing (?), n. (Naut.) Same as Wale, n., 4.

Walk (wk), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Walked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Walking.] [OE. walken, probably from AS. wealcan to roll, turn, revolve, akin to D. walken to felt hats, to work a hat, G. walken to full, OHG. walchan to beat, to full, Icel. vlka to roll, to stamp, Sw. valka to full, to roll, Dan. valke to full; cf. Skr. valg to spring; but cf. also AS. weallian to roam, ramble, G. wallen. √130.]

1. To move along on foot; to advance by steps; to go on at a moderate pace; specifically, of two-legged creatures, to proceed at a slower or faster rate, but without running, or lifting one foot entirely before the other touches the ground.

At the end of twelve months, he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.

Dan. iv. 29.

When Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

Matt. xiv. 29.

In the walk of quadrupeds, there are always two, and for a brief space there are three, feet on the ground at once, but never four.

2. To move or go on the feet for exercise or amusement; to take one's exercise; to ramble.

3. To be stirring; to be abroad; to go restlessly about; — said of things or persons expected to remain quiet, as a sleeping person, or the spirit of a dead person; to go about as a somnambulist or a specter.

I have heard, but not believed, the spirits of the dead May walk again.

Shak.

When was it she last walked?

Shak.

4. To be in motion; to act; to move; to wag. [Obs.] "Her tongue did walk in foul reproach." Spenser.

Do you think I'd walk in any plot?

B. Jonson.

I heard a pen walking in the chimney behind the cloth.

Latimer.

5. To behave; to pursue a course of life; to conduct one's self.

We walk perversely with God, and he will walk crookedly toward us.

Jer. Taylor.

6. To move off; to depart. [Obs. or Colloq.]

He will make their cows and garrans to walk.

Spenser.

To walk in, to go in; to enter, as into a house. — To walk after the flesh (Script.), to indulge sensual appetites, and to live in sin. Rom. viii. 1. — To walk after the Spirit (Script.), to be guided by the counsels and influences of the Spirit, and by the word of God. Rom. viii. 1. — To walk by faith (Script.), to live in the firm belief of the gospel and its promises, and to rely on Christ for salvation. 2 Cor. v. 7. — To walk in darkness (Script.), to live in ignorance, error, and sin. 1 John i. 6. — To walk in the flesh (Script.), to live this natural life, which is subject to infirmities and calamities. 2 Cor. x. 3. — To walk in the light (Script.), to live in the practice of religion, and to enjoy its consolations. 1 John i. 7. — To walk over, in racing, to go over a course at a walk; — said of a horse when there is no other entry; hence, colloquially, to gain an easy victory in any contest. — To walk through the fire (Script.), to be exercised with severe afflictions. Isa. xliii. 2. — To walk with God (Script.), to live in obedience to his commands, and have communion with him.

Walk, v. t. 1. To pass through, over, or upon; to traverse; to perambulate; as, to walk the streets.

As we walk our earthly round.

Keble.

2. To cause to walk; to lead, drive, or ride with a slow pace; as to walk one's horses. " I will rather trust . . . a thief to walk my ambling gelding." Shak.

3. [AS. wealcan to roll. See Walk to move on foot.] To subject, as cloth or yarn, to the fulling process; to full. [Obs. or Scot.]

To walk the plank, to walk off the plank into the water and be drowned; — an expression derived from the practice of pirates who extended a plank from the side of a ship, and compelled those whom they would drown to walk off into the water; figuratively, to vacate an office by compulsion. Bartlett.

Walk, n. 1. The act of walking, or moving on the feet with a slow pace; advance without running or leaping.

2. The act of walking for recreation or exercise; as, a morning walk; an evening walk.

3. Manner of walking; gait; step; as, we often know a person at a distance by his walk.

4. That in or through which one walks; place or distance walked over; a place for walking; a path or avenue prepared for foot passengers, or for taking air and exercise; way; road; hence, a place or region in which animals may graze; place of wandering; range; as, a sheep walk.

A woody mountain . . . with goodliest trees Planted, with walks and bowers.

Milton.

He had walk for a hundred sheep.

Latimer.

Amid the sound of steps that beat The murmuring walks like rain.

Bryant.

5. A frequented track; habitual place of action; sphere; as, the walk of the historian.

The mountains are his walks.

Sandys.

He opened a boundless walk for his imagination.

Pope.

6. Conduct; course of action; behavior.

7. The route or district regularly served by a vender; as, a milkman's walk. [Eng.]

<! p. 1624 !>

Walk"a*ble (?), a. Fit to be walked on; capable of being walked on or over. [R.] Swift.

Walk"er (?), n. 1. One who walks; a pedestrian.

2. That with which one walks; a foot. [Obs.]

Lame Mulciber, his walkers quite misgrown.

Chapman.

3. (Law) A forest officer appointed to walk over a certain space for inspection; a forester.

4. [AS. wealcere. See Walk, v. t., 3.] A fuller of cloth. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

She cursed the weaver and the walker The cloth that had wrought.

Percy's Reliques.

5. (Zoöl.) Any ambulatorial orthopterous insect, as a stick insect.

Walk"ing, a. & n. from Walk, v.

Walking beam. See Beam, 10. — Walking crane, a kind of traveling crane. See under Crane. — Walking fern. (Bot.) See Walking leaf, below. — Walking fish (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of Asiatic fishes of the genus Ophiocephalus, some of which, as O. marulius, become over four feet long. They have a special cavity over the gills lined with a membrane adapted to retain moisture to aid in respiration, and are thus able to travel considerable distances over the land at night, whence the name. They construct a curious nest for their young. Called also langya. — Walking gentleman (Theater), an actor who usually fills subordinate parts which require a gentlemanly appearance but few words. [Cant] — Walking lady (Theater), an actress who usually fills such parts as require only a ladylike appearance on the stage. [Cant] — Walking leaf. (a) (Bot.) A little American fern (Camptosorus rhizophyllus); — so called because the fronds taper into slender prolongations which often root at the apex, thus producing new plants. (b) (Zoöl.) A leaf insect. See under Leaf. — Walking papers, or Walking ticket, an order to leave; dismissal, as from office. [Colloq.] Bartlett. — Walking stick. (a) A stick or staff carried in the hand for hand for support or amusement when walking; a cane. (b) (Zoöl.) A stick insect; — called also walking straw. See Illust. of Stick insect, under Stick. — Walking wheel (Mach.), a prime mover consisting of a wheel driven by the weight of men or animals walking either in it or on it; a treadwheel.

Walk"-mill` (?), n. [Walk to Walking Leaf, or full + mill.] A fulling mill. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Walk"-o`ver (?), n. In racing, the going over a course by a horse which has no competitor for the prize; hence, colloquially, a one-sided contest; an uncontested, or an easy, victory.

Wal"kyr, n. (Scand. Myth.) See Valkyria.

Wall (?), n. (Naut.) A kind of knot often used at the end of a rope; a wall knot; a wale.

Wall knot, a knot made by unlaying the strands of a rope, and making a bight with the first strand, then passing the second over the end of the first, and the third over the end of the second and through the bight of the first; a wale knot. Wall knots may be single or double, crowned or double- crowned.

Wall (?), n. [AS. weall, from L. vallum a wall, vallus a stake, pale, palisade; akin to Gr. &?; a nail. Cf. Interval.]

1. A work or structure of stone, brick, or other materials, raised to some height, and intended for defense or security, solid and permanent inclosing fence, as around a field, a park, a town, etc., also, one of the upright inclosing parts of a building or a room.

The plaster of the wall of the King's palace.

Dan. v. 5.

2. A defense; a rampart; a means of protection; in the plural, fortifications, in general; works for defense.

The waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

Ex. xiv. 22.

In such a night, Troilus, methinks, mounted the Troyan walls.

Shak.

To rush undaunted to defend the walls.

Dryden.

3. An inclosing part of a receptacle or vessel; as, the walls of a steam-engine cylinder.

4. (Mining) (a) The side of a level or drift. (b) The country rock bounding a vein laterally. Raymond.

Wall is often used adjectively, and also in the formation of compounds, usually of obvious signification; as in wall paper, or wall-paper; wall fruit, or wall-fruit; wallflower, etc.

Blank wall, Blind wall, etc. See under Blank, Blind, etc. — To drive to the wall, to bring to extremities; to push to extremes; to get the advantage of, or mastery over. — To go to the wall, to be hard pressed or driven; to be the weaker party; to be pushed to extremes. — To take the wall. to take the inner side of a walk, that is, the side next the wall; hence, to take the precedence. "I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's." Shak. — Wall barley (Bot.), a kind of grass (Hordeum murinum) much resembling barley; squirrel grass. See under Squirrel. — Wall box. (Mach.) See Wall frame, below. — Wall creeper (Zoöl.), a small bright- colored bird (Tichodroma muraria) native of Asia and Southern Europe. It climbs about over old walls and cliffs in search of insects and spiders. Its body is ash-gray above, the wing coverts are carmine-red, the primary quills are mostly red at the base and black distally, some of them with white spots, and the tail is blackish. Called also spider catcher. — Wall cress (Bot.), a name given to several low cruciferous herbs, especially to the mouse-ear cress. See under Mouse-ear. — Wall frame (Mach.), a frame set in a wall to receive a pillow block or bearing for a shaft passing through the wall; — called also wall box. — Wall fruit, fruit borne by trees trained against a wall. — Wall gecko (Zoöl.), any one of several species of Old World geckos which live in or about buildings and run over the vertical surfaces of walls, to which they cling by means of suckers on the feet. — Wall lizard (Zoöl.), a common European lizard (Lacerta muralis) which frequents houses, and lives in the chinks and crevices of walls; — called also wall newt. — Wall louse, a wood louse. — Wall moss (Bot.), any species of moss growing on walls. — Wall newt (Zoöl.), the wall lizard. Shak. — Wall paper, paper for covering the walls of rooms; paper hangings. — Wall pellitory (Bot.), a European plant (Parictaria officinalis) growing on old walls, and formerly esteemed medicinal. — Wall pennywort (Bot.), a plant (Cotyledon Umbilicus) having rounded fleshy leaves. It is found on walls in Western Europe. — Wall pepper (Bot.), a low mosslike plant (Sedum acre) with small fleshy leaves having a pungent taste and bearing yellow flowers. It is common on walls and rocks in Europe, and is sometimes seen in America. — Wall pie (Bot.), a kind of fern; wall rue. — Wall piece, a gun planted on a wall. H. L. Scott. — Wall plate (Arch.), a piece of timber placed horizontally upon a wall, and supporting posts, joists, and the like. See Illust. of Roof. — Wall rock, granular limestone used in building walls. [U. S.] Bartlett. — Wall rue (Bot.), a species of small fern (Asplenium Ruta-muraria) growing on walls, rocks, and the like. — Wall spring, a spring of water issuing from stratified rocks. — Wall tent, a tent with upright cloth sides corresponding to the walls of a house. — Wall wasp (Zoöl.), a common European solitary wasp (Odynerus parietus) which makes its nest in the crevices of walls.

Wall (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Walled (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Walling.] 1. To inclose with a wall, or as with a wall. "Seven walled towns of strength." Shak.

The king of Thebes, Amphion, That with his singing walled that city.

Chaucer.

2. To defend by walls, or as if by walls; to fortify.

The terror of his name that walls us in.

Denham.

3. To close or fill with a wall, as a doorway.

Wal"la*ba (?), n. (Bot.) A leguminous tree (Eperua falcata) of Demerara, with pinnate leaves and clusters of red flowers. The reddish brown wood is used for palings and shingles. J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants).

Wal"la*by (?), n.; pl. Wallabies (#). [From a native name.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of kangaroos belonging to the genus Halmaturus, native of Australia and Tasmania, especially the smaller species, as the brush kangaroo (H. Bennettii) and the pademelon (H. thetidis). The wallabies chiefly inhabit the wooded district and bushy plains. [Written also wallabee, and whallabee.]

Wal"lah (?), n. (Zoöl.) A black variety of the jaguar; — called also tapir tiger. [Written also walla.]

Wal`la*roo" (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of kangaroos of the genus Macropus, especially M. robustus, sometimes called the great wallaroo.

Wall"bird` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The spotted flycatcher. [Prov. Eng.]

Wall"er (?), n. One who builds walls.

Wall"er, n. [G.] (Zoöl.) The wels.

Wal*le"ri*an de*gen`er*a"tion (?). (Med.) A form of degeneration occurring in nerve fibers as a result of their division; — so called from Dr. Waller, who published an account of it in 1850.

Wal"let (?), n. [OE. walet, probably the same word as OE. watel a bag. See Wattle.] 1. A bag or sack for carrying about the person, as a bag for carrying the necessaries for a journey; a knapsack; a beggar's receptacle for charity; a peddler's pack.

[His hood] was trussed up in his walet.

Chaucer.

2. A pocketbook for keeping money about the person.

3. Anything protuberant and swagging. "Wallets of flesh." Shak.

Wal`let*eer" (?), n. One who carries a wallet; a foot traveler; a tramping beggar. [Colloq.] Wright.

Wall"-eye` (?), n. [See Wall- eyed.]

1. An eye in which the iris is of a very light gray or whitish color; — said usually of horses. Booth.

Jonson has defined wall-eye to be "a disease in the crystalline humor of the eye; glaucoma." But glaucoma is not a disease of the crystalline humor, nor is wall-eye a disease at all, but merely a natural blemish. Tully. In the north of England, as Brockett states, persons are said to be wall-eyed when the white of the eye is very large and distorted, or on one side.

2. (Zoöl.) (a) An American fresh-water food fish (Stizostedion vitreum) having large and prominent eyes; — called also glasseye, pike perch, yellow pike, and wall-eyed perch. (b) A California surf fish (Holconotus argenteus). (c) The alewife; — called also wall-eyed herring.

Wall"-eyed` (?), a. [Icel. valdeygðr, or vagleygr; fr. vagl a beam, a beam in the eye (akin to Sw. vagel a roost, a perch, a sty in the eye) + eygr having eyes (from auga eye). See Eye.] Having an eye of a very light gray or whitish color. Booth.

Shakespeare, in using wall-eyed as a term of reproach (as "wall-eyed rage," a "wall-eyed wretch"), alludes probably to the idea of unnatural or distorted vision. See the Note under Wall- eye. It is an eye which is utterly and incurably perverted, an eye that knows no pity.

Wall"flow`er (?), n.

1. (Bot.) A perennial, cruciferous plant (Cheiranthus Cheiri), with sweet-scented flowers varying in color from yellow to orange and deep red. In Europe it very common on old walls.

The name is sometimes extended to other species of Cheiranthus and of the related genus Erysimum, especially the American Western wallflower (Erysimum asperum), a biennial herb with orange-yellow flowers.

2. A lady at a ball, who, either from choice, or because not asked to dance, remains a spectator. [Colloq.]

Wall"hick` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The lesser spotted woodpecker (Dryobates minor). [Prov. Eng.]

Wall"ing, n. 1. The act of making a wall or walls.

2. Walls, in general; material for walls.

Walling wax, a composition of wax and tallow used by etchers and engravers to make a bank, or wall, round the edge of a plate, so as to form a trough for holding the acid used in etching, and the like. Fairholt.

Wal*loons" (?), n. pl.; sing. Walloon (&?;). [Cf. F. wallon.] A Romanic people inhabiting that part of Belgium which comprises the provinces of Hainaut, Namur, Liége, and Luxembourg, and about one third of Brabant; also, the language spoken by this people. Used also adjectively. [Written also Wallons.] "A base Walloon . . . thrust Talbot with a spear." Shak.

Walloon guard, the bodyguard of the Spanish monarch; — so called because formerly consisting of Walloons.

Wal"lop (?), v. i. [Cf. OFlem. walop a gallop; of uncertain origin. Cf. Gallop.] To move quickly, but with great effort; to gallop. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Wal"lop, n. A quick, rolling movement; a gallop. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Wal"lop, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Walloped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Walloping.] [Probably fr. AS. weallan to spring up, to boil or bubble. √147. See Well, n. & v. i.]

1. To boil with a continued bubbling or heaving and rolling, with noise. [Prov. Eng.] Brockett.

2. To move in a rolling, cumbersome manner; to waddle. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

3. To be slatternly. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Wal"lop, v. t. 1. To beat soundly; to flog; to whip. [Prov. Eng., Scot., & Colloq. U. S.]

2. To wrap up temporarily. [Prov. Eng.]

3. To throw or tumble over. [Prov. Eng.]

Wal"lop, n. 1. A thick piece of fat. Halliwell.

2. A blow. [Prov. Eng., Scot., & Colloq. U. S.]

Wal"low (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wallowed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wallowing.] [OE. walwen, AS. wealwian; akin to Goth. walwjan (in comp.) to roll, L. volvere; cf. Skr. val to turn. √147. Cf. Voluble Well, n.]

1. To roll one's self about, as in mire; to tumble and roll about; to move lazily or heavily in any medium; to flounder; as, swine wallow in the mire.

I may wallow in the lily beds.

Shak.

2. To live in filth or gross vice; to disport one's self in a beastly and unworthy manner.

God sees a man wallowing in his native impurity.

South.

3. To wither; to fade. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Wal"low, v. t. To roll; esp., to roll in anything defiling or unclean. "Wallow thyself in ashes." Jer. vi. 26.

Wal"low, n. A kind of rolling walk.

One taught the toss, and one the new French wallow.

Dryden.

Wal"low*er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, wallows.

2. (Mach.) A lantern wheel; a trundle.

Wal"low*ish, a. [Scot. wallow to fade or wither.] Flat; insipid. [Obs.] Overbury.

Wall"-plat` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The spotted flycatcher. It builds its nest on walls. [Prov. Eng.]

Wall"-sid`ed (?), a. (Naut.) Having sides nearly perpendicular; — said of certain vessels to distinguish them from those having flaring sides, or sides tumbling home (see under Tumble, v. i.).

Wall"wort` (?), n. (Bot.) The dwarf elder, or danewort (Sambucus Ebulus).

Walm (?), v. i. [AS. weallan; cf. wælm, billow. √147.] To roll; to spout; to boil up. [Obs.] Holland.

Wal"nut (?), n. [OE. walnot, AS. wealh-hnutu a Welsh or foreign nut, a walnut; wealh foreign, strange, n., a Welshman, Celt (akin to OHG. Walh, properly, a Celt, from the name of a Celtic tribe, in L. Volcae) + hnutu a nut; akin to D. walnoot, G. walnuss, Icel. valhnot, Sw. valnöt, Dan valnöd. See Nut, and cf. Welsh.] (Bot.) The fruit or nut of any tree of the genus Juglans; also, the tree, and its timber. The seven or eight known species are all natives of the north temperate zone.

<! p. 1625 !>

In some parts of America, especially in New England, the name walnut is given to several species of hickory (Carya), and their fruit.

Ash-leaved walnut, a tree (Juglans fraxinifolia), native in Transcaucasia. — Black walnut, a North American tree (J. nigra) valuable for its purplish brown wood, which is extensively used in cabinetwork and for gunstocks. The nuts are thick-shelled, and nearly globular. — English, or European, walnut, a tree (J. regia), native of Asia from the Caucasus to Japan, valuable for its timber and for its excellent nuts, which are also called Madeira nuts. — Walnut brown, a deep warm brown color, like that of the heartwood of the black walnut. — Walnut oil, oil extracted from walnut meats. It is used in cooking, making soap, etc. — White walnut, a North American tree (J. cinerea), bearing long, oval, thick-shelled, oily nuts, commonly called butternuts. See Butternut.

Wal"rus (?), n. [D. walrus; of Scand. origin; cf. Dan valros, Sw. vallross, Norw. hvalros; literally, whale horse; akin to Icel. hrosshvalr, AS. horshwæl. See Whale, and Horse.] (Zoöl.) A very large marine mammal (Trichecus rosmarus) of the Seal family, native of the Arctic Ocean. The male has long and powerful tusks descending from the upper jaw. It uses these in procuring food and in fighting. It is hunted for its oil, ivory, and skin. It feeds largely on mollusks. Called also morse.

The walrus of the North Pacific and Behring Strait (Trichecus obesus) is regarded by some as a distinct species, by others as a variety of the common walrus.

Wal"ter (?), v. i. [See Welter.] To roll or wallow; to welter. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Wal"tron (?), n. A walrus. [Obs.] Woodward.

Wal"ty (?), a. [Cf. Walter to roll.] Liable to roll over; crank; as, a walty ship. [R.] Longfellow.

Waltz (?), n. [G. walzer, from walzen to roll, revolve, dance, OHG. walzan to roll; akin to AS. wealtan. See Welter.] A dance performed by two persons in circular figures with a whirling motion; also, a piece of music composed in triple measure for this kind of dance.

Waltz, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waltzed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Waltzing.] To dance a waltz.

Waltz"er (?), n. A person who waltzes.

Wal"we (?), v. To wallow. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Wa"ly (?), interj. [Cf. Welaway.] An exclamation of grief. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Wam"ble (?), v. i. [Cf. Dan. vamle, and vammel squeamish, ready to vomit, Icel. væma to feel nausea, væminn nauseous.] 1. To heave; to be disturbed by nausea; — said of the stomach. L'Estrange.

2. To move irregularly to and fro; to roll.

Wam"ble, n. Disturbance of the stomach; a feeling of nausea. Holland.

Wam"ble-cropped` (?), a. Sick at the stomach; also, crestfallen; dejected. [Slang]

Wam"mel (?), v. i. To move irregularly or awkwardly; to wamble, or wabble. [Prov. Eng.]

Wamp (?), n. [From the North American Indian name.] (Zoöl.) The common American eider.

Wam*pee" (?), n. (Bot.) (a) A tree (Cookia punctata) of the Orange family, growing in China and the East Indies; also, its fruit, which is about the size of a large grape, and has a hard rind and a peculiar flavor. (b) The pickerel weed. [Southern U. S.]

Wam"pum (?), n. [North American Indian wampum, wompam, from the Mass. wómpi, Del. wpe, white.] Beads made of shells, used by the North American Indians as money, and also wrought into belts, etc., as an ornament.

Round his waist his belt of wampum.

Longfellow.

Girded with his wampum braid.

Whittier.

These beads were of two kinds, one white, and the other black or dark purple. The term wampum is properly applied only to the white; the dark purple ones are called suckanhock. See Seawan. "It [wampum] consisted of cylindrical pieces of the shells of testaceous fishes, a quarter of an inch long, and in diameter less than a pipestem, drilled . . . so as to be strung upon a thread. The beads of a white color, rated at half the value of the black or violet, passed each as the equivalent of a farthing in transactions between the natives and the planters." Palfrey.

Wan (?), obs. imp. of Win. Won. Chaucer.

Wan (&?;), a. [AS. wann, wonn, wan, won, dark, lurid, livid, perhaps originally, worn out by toil, from winnan to labor, strive. See Win.] Having a pale or sickly hue; languid of look; pale; pallid. "Sad to view, his visage pale and wan." Spenser.

My color . . . [is] wan and of a leaden hue.

Chaucer.

Why so pale and wan, fond lover?

Suckling.

With the wan moon overhead.

Longfellow.

Wan, n. The quality of being wan; wanness. [R.]

Tinged with wan from lack of sleep.

Tennyson.

Wan (?), v. i. To grow wan; to become pale or sickly in looks. "All his visage wanned." Shak.

And ever he mutter'd and madden'd, and ever wann'd with despair.

Tennyson.

Wand (?), n. [Of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. vöndr, akin to Dan. vaand, Goth. wandus; perhaps originally, a pliant twig, and akin to E. wind to turn.] 1. A small stick; a rod; a verge.

With good smart blows of a wand on his back.

Locke.

2. Specifically: (a) A staff of authority.

Though he had both spurs and wand, they seemed rather marks of sovereignty than instruments of punishment.

Sir P. Sidney.

(b) A rod used by conjurers, diviners, magicians, etc.

Picus bore a buckler in his hand; His other waved a long divining wand.

Dryden.

Wand of peace (Scots Law), a wand, or staff, carried by the messenger of a court, which he breaks when deforced (that is, hindered from executing process), as a symbol of the deforcement, and protest for remedy of law. Burrill.

Wan"der (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wandered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wandering.] [OE. wandren, wandrien, AS. wandrian; akin to G. wandern to wander; fr. AS. windan to turn. See Wind to turn.]

1. To ramble here and there without any certain course or with no definite object in view; to range about; to stroll; to rove; as, to wander over the fields.

They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins.

Heb. xi. 37.

He wandereth abroad for bread.

Job xv. 23.

2. To go away; to depart; to stray off; to deviate; to go astray; as, a writer wanders from his subject.

When God caused me to wander from my father's house.

Gen. xx. 13.

O, let me not wander from thy commandments.

Ps. cxix. 10.

3. To be delirious; not to be under the guidance of reason; to rave; as, the mind wanders.

Syn. — To roam; rove; range; stroll; gad; stray; straggly; err; swerve; deviate; depart.

Wan"der, v. t. To travel over without a certain course; to traverse; to stroll through. [R.] "[Elijah] wandered this barren waste." Milton.

Wan"der*er (?), n. One who wanders; a rambler; one who roves; hence, one who deviates from duty.

Wan"der*ing, a. & n. from Wander, v.

Wandering albatross (Zoöl.), the great white albatross. See Illust. of Albatross. — Wandering cell (Physiol.), an animal cell which possesses the power of spontaneous movement, as one of the white corpuscles of the blood. — Wandering Jew (Bot.), any one of several creeping species of Tradescantia, which have alternate, pointed leaves, and a soft, herbaceous stem which roots freely at the joints. They are commonly cultivated in hanging baskets, window boxes, etc. — Wandering kidney (Med.), a morbid condition in which one kidney, or, rarely, both kidneys, can be moved in certain directions; — called also floating kidney, movable kidney. — Wandering liver (Med.), a morbid condition of the liver, similar to wandering kidney. — Wandering mouse (Zoöl.), the whitefooted, or deer, mouse. See Illust. of Mouse. — Wandering spider (Zoöl.), any one of a tribe of spiders that wander about in search of their prey.

Wan"der*ing*ly, adv. In a wandering manner.

Wan"der*ment (?), n. The act of wandering, or roaming. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

Wan`der*oo" (?), n. [Cingalese wanderu a monkey.] (Zoöl.) A large monkey (Macacus silenus) native of Malabar. It is black, or nearly so, but has a long white or gray beard encircling the face. Called also maha, silenus, neelbhunder, lion-tailed baboon, and great wanderoo. [Written also ouanderoo.]

The name is sometimes applied also to other allied species.

Wand"y (?), a. Long and flexible, like a wand. [Prov. Eng.] Brockett.

Wane (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Waning.] [OE. wanien, AS. wanian, wonian, from wan, won, deficient, wanting; akin to D. wan-, G. wahnsinn, insanity, OHG. wan, wana-, lacking, wan&?;n to lessen, Icel. vanr lacking, Goth. vans; cf. Gr. &?; bereaved, Skr. &?;na wanting, inferior. &?;&?;&?;&?;. Cf. Want lack, and Wanton.]

1. To be diminished; to decrease; — contrasted with wax, and especially applied to the illuminated part of the moon.

Like the moon, aye wax ye and wane. Waning moons their settled periods keep.

Addison.

2. To decline; to fail; to sink.

You saw but sorrow in its waning form.

Dryden.

Land and trade ever will wax and wane together.

Sir J. Child.

Wane, v. t. To cause to decrease. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Wane, n. 1. The decrease of the illuminated part of the moon to the eye of a spectator.

2. Decline; failure; diminution; decrease; declension.

An age in which the church is in its wane.

South.

Though the year be on the wane.

Keble.

3. An inequality in a board. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Wan"ey (?), n. A sharp or uneven edge on a board that is cut from a log not perfectly squared, or that is made in the process of squaring. See Wany, a.

Wang (?), n. [OE. wange, AS. wange, wonge, cheek, jaw; akin to D. wang, OS. & OHG. wanga, G. wange.]

1. The jaw, jawbone, or cheek bone. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

So work aye the wangs in his head.

Chaucer.

2. A slap; a blow. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Wang tooth, a cheek tooth; a molar. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Wang (?), n. See Whang. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Wan"gan (?), n. [American Indian.] A boat for conveying provisions, tools, etc.; — so called by Maine lumbermen. [Written also wangun.] Bartlett.

Wang"er (?), n. [AS. wangere. See 1st Wang.] A pillow for the cheek; a pillow. [Obs. & R.]

His bright helm was his wanger.

Chaucer.

Wang*hee" (?), n. [Chin. wang yellow + he&?; a root.] (Bot.) The Chinese name of one or two species of bamboo, or jointed cane, of the genus Phyllostachys. The slender stems are much used for walking sticks. [Written also whanghee.]

Wang"o (?), n. A boomerang.

Wan"hope` (?), n. [AS. wan, won, deficient, wanting + hopa hope: cf. D. wanhoop. &?;&?;&?;&?;. See Wane, and Hope.] Want of hope; despair; also, faint or delusive hope; delusion. [Obs.] Piers Plowman. "Wanhope and distress." Chaucer.

Wan"horn` (?), n. [Corruption fr. Siamese wanhom.] (Bot.) An East Indian plant (Kæmpferia Galanga) of the Ginger family. See Galanga.

Wan"i*and (?), n. [See Wanion.] The wane of the moon. [Obs.] Halliwell.

Wan"ing (?), n. The act or process of waning, or decreasing.

This earthly moon, the Church, hath fulls and wanings, and sometimes her eclipses.

Bp. Hall.

Wan"ion (?), n. [Probably for OE. waniand waning, p. pr. of wanien; hence, used of the waning of the moon, supposed to be an unlucky time. See Wane.] A word of uncertain signification, used only in the phrase with a wanion, apparently equivalent to with a vengeance, with a plague, or with misfortune. [Obs.] B. Jonson. Latimer.

Wan"kle (?), a. [AS. wancol.] Not to be depended on; weak; unstable. [Prov. Eng.] Grose.

Wan"ly (?), adv. In a wan, or pale, manner.

Wanned (?), a. Made wan, or pale.

Wan"ness (?), n. The quality or state of being wan; a sallow, dead, pale color; paleness; pallor; as, the wanness of the cheeks after a fever.

Wan"nish, a. Somewhat wan; of a pale hue.

No sun, but a wannish glare, In fold upon fold of hueless cloud.

Tennyson.

Want (277), n. [Originally an adj., from Icel. vant, neuter of vanr lacking, deficient. √139. See Wane, v. i.]

1. The state of not having; the condition of being without anything; absence or scarcity of what is needed or desired; deficiency; lack; as, a want of power or knowledge for any purpose; want of food and clothing.

And me, his parent, would full soon devour For want of other prey.

Milton.

From having wishes in consequence of our wants, we often feel wants in consequence of our wishes.

Rambler.

Pride is as loud a beggar as want, and more saucy.

Franklin.

2. Specifically, absence or lack of necessaries; destitution; poverty; penury; indigence; need.

Nothing is so hard for those who abound in riches, as to conceive how others can be in want.

Swift.

3. That which is needed or desired; a thing of which the loss is felt; what is not possessed, and is necessary for use or pleasure.

Habitual superfluities become actual wants.

Paley.

4. (Mining) A depression in coal strata, hollowed out before the subsequent deposition took place. [Eng.]

Syn. — Indigence; deficiency; defect; destitution; lack; failure; dearth; scarceness.

Want, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wanted; p. pr. & vb. n. Wanting.]

1. To be without; to be destitute of, or deficient in; not to have; to lack; as, to want knowledge; to want judgment; to want learning; to want food and clothing.

They that want honesty, want anything.

Beau. & Fl.

Nor think, though men were none, That heaven would want spectators, God want praise.

Milton.

The unhappy never want enemies.

Richardson.

2. To have occasion for, as useful, proper, or requisite; to require; to need; as, in winter we want a fire; in summer we want cooling breezes.

3. To feel need of; to wish or long for; to desire; to crave. " What wants my son?" Addison.

I want to speak to you about something.

A. Trollope.

Want, v. i. [Icel. vanta to be wanting. See Want to lack.]

1. To be absent; to be deficient or lacking; to fail; not to be sufficient; to fall or come short; to lack; — often used impersonally with of; as, it wants ten minutes of four.

The disposition, the manners, and the thoughts are all before it; where any of those are wanting or imperfect, so much wants or is imperfect in the imitation of human life.

Dryden.

2. To be in a state of destitution; to be needy; to lack.

You have a gift, sir (thank your education), Will never let you want.

B. Jonson.

For as in bodies, thus in souls, we find What wants in blood and spirits, swelled with wind.

Pope.

Want was formerly used impersonally with an indirect object. "Him wanted audience." Chaucer.

Wa'n't (?). A colloquial contraction of was not.

Want"age (?), n. That which is wanting; deficiency.

Want"ing, a. Absent; lacking; missing; also, deficient; destitute; needy; as, one of the twelve is wanting; I shall not be wanting in exertion.

<! p. 1626 !>

Want"less (?), a. Having no want; abundant; fruitful.

Wan"ton (?), a. [OE. wantoun, contr. from wantowen; pref. wan- wanting (see Wane, v. i.), hence expressing negation + towen, p. p., AS. togen, p. p. of teón to draw, to educate, bring up; hence, properly, ill bred. See Tug, v. t.]

1. Untrained; undisciplined; unrestrained; hence, loose; free; luxuriant; roving; sportive. "In woods and wanton wilderness." Spenser. "A wild and wanton herd." Shak.

A wanton and a merry [friar].

Chaucer.

[She] her unadorned golden tresses wore Disheveled, but in wanton ringlets waved.

Milton.

How does your tongue grow wanton in her praise!

Addison.

2. Wandering from moral rectitude; perverse; dissolute. "Men grown wanton by prosperity." Roscommon.

3. Specifically: Deviating from the rules of chastity; lewd; lustful; lascivious; libidinous; lecherous.

Not with wanton looking of folly.

Chaucer.

[Thou art] froward by nature, enemy to peace, Lascivious, wanton.

Shak.

4. Reckless; heedless; as, wanton mischief.

Wan"ton, n. 1. A roving, frolicsome thing; a trifler; — used rarely as a term of endearment.

I am afeard you make a wanton of me.

Shak.

Peace, my wantons; he will do More than you can aim unto.

B. Jonson.

2. One brought up without restraint; a pampered pet.

Anything, sir, That's dry and wholesome; I am no bred wanton.

Beau. & Fl.

3. A lewd person; a lascivious man or woman.

Wan"ton, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wantoned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wantoning.]

1. To rove and ramble without restraint, rule, or limit; to revel; to play loosely; to frolic.

Nature here wantoned as in her prime.

Milton.

How merrily we would sally into the fields, and strip under the first warmth of the sun, and wanton like young dace in the streams!

Lamb.

2. To sport in lewdness; to play the wanton; to play lasciviously.

Wan"ton, v. t. To cause to become wanton; also, to waste in wantonness. [Obs.]

Wan"ton*ize (?), v. i. To behave wantonly; to frolic; to wanton. [R.] Lamb.

Wan"ton*ly, adv. 1. In a wanton manner; without regularity or restraint; loosely; sportively; gayly; playfully; recklessly; lasciviously.

2. Unintentionally; accidentally. [Obs.] J. Dee.

Wan"ton*ness, n. The quality or state of being wanton; negligence of restraint; sportiveness; recklessness; lasciviousness. Gower.

The tumults threatened to abuse all acts of grace, and turn them into wantonness.

Eikon Basilike.

Young gentlemen would be as sad as night Only for wantonness.

Shak.

Wan"trust` (?), n. [Pref. wan- as in wanton + trust.] Failing or diminishing trust; want of trust or confidence; distrust. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Want"wit` (?), n. One destitute of wit or sense; a blockhead; a fool. [Obs.] Shak.

Wan"ty (?), n. [For womb tie, that is, belly&?;and. See Womb, and Tie.] A surcingle, or strap of leather, used for binding a load upon the back of a beast; also, a leather tie; a short wagon rope. [Prov. Eng.]

Wan"y (?), v. i. To wane. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Wan"y, a. 1. Waning or diminished in some parts; not of uniform size throughout; — said especially of sawed boards or timber when tapering or uneven, from being cut too near the outside of the log.

2. Spoiled by wet; — said of timber. Halliwell.

Wanze, v. i. To wane; to wither. [Obs.]

Wap (?), v. t. & i. [See Whap.] To beat; to whap. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Sir T. Malory.

Wap, n. A blow or beating; a whap. [Prov. Eng.]

Wap"a*cut (?), n. (Zoöl.) The American hawk owl. See under Hawk.

Wap"a*too` (?), n. (Bot.) The edible tuber of a species of arrowhead (Sagittaria variabilis); — so called by the Indians of Oregon. [Written also wappato.]

Waped (?), a. [Prov. E. wape pale, v., to stupefy, akin to wap to beat. Cf. Whap, and Wappened.] Cast down; crushed by misery; dejected. [Obs.]

Wap"en*take (?; 277), n. [AS. w&?;penge&?;&?;c, w&?;pentc, from Icel. vpnatk, literally, a weapon taking or weapon touching, hence an expression of assent ("si displicuit sententia fremitu aspernantur; sin placuit frameas concutiunt." Tacitus, "Germania," xi.). See Weapon, and Take. This name had its origin in a custom of touching lances or spears when the hundreder, or chief, entered on his office. "Cum quis accipiebat præfecturam wapentachii, die statuto in loco ubi consueverant congregari, omnes majores natu contra eum conveniebant, et descendente eo de equo suo, omnes assurgebant ei. Ipse vero, erecta lancea sua, ab omnibus secundum morem fœdus accipiebat; omnes enim quot-quot venissent cum lanceis suis ipsius hastam tangebant, et ita se confirmabant per contactum armorum, pace palam concessa. Wæpnu enim arma sonat; tac, tactus est — hac de causa totus ille conventus dicitur Wapentac, eo quod per tactum armorum suorum ad invicem confœderati sunt." L L. Edward Confessor, 33. D. Wilkins.] In some northern counties of England, a division, or district, answering to the hundred in other counties. Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire are divided into wapentakes, instead of hundreds. [Written also wapentac.] Selden. Blackstone.

Wap"in*schaw (?), n. [Scot. See Weapon, and Show.] An exhibition of arms. according to the rank of the individual, by all persons bearing arms; — formerly made at certain seasons in each district. [Scot.] Jamieson. Sir W. Scott.

Wap"i*ti (?), n. [Probably the Iroquois name. Bartlett.] (Zoöl.) The American elk (Cervus Canadensis). It is closely related to the European red deer, which it somewhat exceeds in size.

By some writers it is thought to be a variety of the red deer, but it is considered a distinct species by others. It is noted for the large, branching antlers of the male.

Wapp (?), n. [CF. Prov. E. wap to wrap up.] (Naut.) (a) A fair-leader. (b) A rope with wall knots in it with which the shrouds are set taut.

Wap"pa*to (?), n. (Bot.) See Wapatoo.

Wap"pened (?), a. [Cf. Waped, Wapper.] A word of doubtful meaning used once by Shakespeare.

This [gold] is it

That makes the wappen'd widow wed again.

It is conjectured by some that it is an error for wappered, meaning tremulous or exhausted.

Wap"per (?), v. t. & i. [freq. of wap, v.; cf. dial. G. wappern, wippern, to move up and down, to rock.] To cause to shake; to tremble; to move tremulously, as from weakness; to totter. [Obs.]

Wap"per (?), n. (Zoöl.) A gudgeon. [Prov. Eng.]

Wap"pet (?), n. A small yelping cur. [Prov. Eng.]

Wap"ping (?), n. Yelping. [R.] Fuller.

War (?), a. Ware; aware. [Obs.] Chaucer.

War (?), n. [OE. & AS. werre; akin to OHG. werra scandal, quarrel, sedition, werran to confound, mix, D. warren, G. wirren, verwirren, to embroil, confound, disturb, and perhaps to E. worse; cf. OF. werre war, F. querre, of Teutonic origin. Cf. Guerrilla, Warrior.]

1. A contest between nations or states, carried on by force, whether for defence, for revenging insults and redressing wrongs, for the extension of commerce, for the acquisition of territory, for obtaining and establishing the superiority and dominion of one over the other, or for any other purpose; armed conflict of sovereign powers; declared and open hostilities.

Men will ever distinguish war from mere bloodshed.

F. W. Robertson.

As war is the contest of nations or states, it always implies that such contest is authorized by the monarch or the sovereign power of the nation. A war begun by attacking another nation, is called an offensive war, and such attack is aggressive. War undertaken to repel invasion, or the attacks of an enemy, is called defensive.

2. (Law) A condition of belligerency to be maintained by physical force. In this sense, levying war against the sovereign authority is treason.

3. Instruments of war. [Poetic]

His complement of stores, and total war.

Prior.

4. Forces; army. [Poetic]

On their embattled ranks the waves return, And overwhelm their war.

Milton.

5. The profession of arms; the art of war.

Thou art but a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth.

1 Sam. xvii. 33.

6. a state of opposition or contest; an act of opposition; an inimical contest, act, or action; enmity; hostility. "Raised impious war in heaven." Milton.

The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart.

Ps. lv. 21.

Civil war, a war between different sections or parties of the same country or nation. — Holy war. See under Holy. — Man of war. (Naut.) See in the Vocabulary. — Public war, a war between independent sovereign states. — War cry, a cry or signal used in war; as, the Indian war cry. — War dance, a dance among savages preliminary to going to war. Among the North American Indians, it is begun by some distinguished chief, and whoever joins in it thereby enlists as one of the party engaged in a warlike excursion. Schoolcraft. — War field, a field of war or battle. — War horse, a horse used in war; the horse of a cavalry soldier; especially, a strong, powerful, spirited horse for military service; a charger. — War paint, paint put on the face and other parts of the body by savages, as a token of going to war. "Wash the war paint from your faces." Longfellow. — War song, a song of or pertaining to war; especially, among the American Indians, a song at the war dance, full of incitements to military ardor. — War whoop, a war cry, especially that uttered by the American Indians.

War, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Warred (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Warring.] 1. To make war; to invade or attack a state or nation with force of arms; to carry on hostilities; to be in a state by violence.

Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it.

Isa. vii. 1.

Why should I war without the walls of Troy?

Shak.

Our countrymen were warring on that day!

Byron.

2. To contend; to strive violently; to fight. "Lusts which war against the soul." 1 Pet. ii. 11.

War (?), v. t. 1. To make war upon; to fight. [R.]

To war the Scot, and borders to defend.

Daniel.

2. To carry on, as a contest; to wage. [R.]

That thou . . . mightest war a good warfare.

Tim. i. 18.

War"-beat`en (?), a. Warworn.

War"ble (?), n. [Cf. Wormil.]

1. (Far.) (a) A small, hard tumor which is produced on the back of a horse by the heat or pressure of the saddle in traveling. (b) A small tumor produced by the larvæ of the gadfly in the backs of horses, cattle, etc. Called also warblet, warbeetle, warnles.

2. (Zoöl.) See Wormil.

War"ble, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Warbled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Warbling (?).] [OE. werbelen, OF. werbler; of Teutonic origin; cf. G. wirbeln to turn, to warble, D. wervelen, akin to E. whirl. See Whirl.]

1. To sing in a trilling, quavering, or vibratory manner; to modulate with turns or variations; to trill; as, certain birds are remarkable for warbling their songs.

2. To utter musically; to modulate; to carol.

If she be right invoked in warbled song.

Milton.

Warbling sweet the nuptial lay.

Trumbull.

3. To cause to quaver or vibrate. "And touch the warbled string." Milton.

War"ble, v. i. 1. To be quavered or modulated; to be uttered melodiously.

Such strains ne'er warble in the linnet's throat.

Gay.

3. To sing in a trilling manner, or with many turns and variations. "Birds on the branches warbling." Milton.

3. To sing with sudden changes from chest to head tones; to yodel.

War"ble, n. A quavering modulation of the voice; a musical trill; a song.

And he, the wondrous child, Whose silver warble wild Outvalued every pulsing sound.

Emerson.

War"bler (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, warbles; a singer; a songster; — applied chiefly to birds.

In lulling strains the feathered warblers woo.

Tickell.

2. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small Old World singing birds belonging to the family Sylviidæ, many of which are noted songsters. The bluethroat, blackcap, reed warbler (see under Reed), and sedge warbler (see under Sedge) are well-known species.

3. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small, often bright colored, American singing birds of the family or subfamily Mniotiltidæ, or Sylvicolinæ. They are allied to the Old World warblers, but most of them are not particularly musical.

The American warblers are often divided, according to their habits, into bush warblers, creeping warblers, fly- catching warblers, ground warblers, wood warblers, wormeating warblers, etc.

Bush warbler (Zoöl.) any American warbler of the genus Opornis, as the Connecticut warbler (O. agilis). — Creeping warbler (Zoöl.), any one of several species of very small American warblers belonging to Parula, Mniotilta, and allied genera, as the blue yellow-backed warbler (Parula Americana), and the black- and-white creeper (Mniotilta varia). — Fly-catching warbler (Zoöl.), any one of several species of warblers belonging to Setophaga, Sylvania, and allied genera having the bill hooked and notched at the tip, with strong rictal bristles at the base, as the hooded warbler (Sylvania mitrata), the black- capped warbler (S. pusilla), the Canadian warbler (S. Canadensis), and the American redstart (see Redstart). — Ground warbler (Zoöl.), any American warbler of the genus Geothlypis, as the mourning ground warbler (G. Philadelphia), and the Maryland yellowthroat (see Yellowthroat). — Wood warbler (Zoöl.), any one of numerous American warblers of the genus Dendroica. Among the most common wood warblers in the Eastern States are the yellowbird, or yellow warbler (see under Yellow), the black- throated green warbler (Dendroica virens), the yellow-rumped warbler (D. coronata), the blackpoll (D. striata), the bay-breasted warbler (D. castanea), the chestnut-sided warbler (D. Pennsylvanica), the Cape May warbler (D. tigrina), the prairie warbler (see under Prairie), and the pine warbler (D. pinus). See also Magnolia warbler, under Magnolia, and Blackburnian warbler.

War"bling*ly, adv. In a warbling manner.

War"burg's tinc"ture (?). (Pharm.) A preparation containing quinine and many other ingredients, often used in the treatment of malarial affections. It was invented by Dr. Warburg of London.

{ -ward (wrd), -wards (wrdz) }. [AS. -weard, -weardes; akin to OS. & OFries. -ward. OHG. -wert, G. -wärts, Icel. -verðr, Goth. - vaírþs, L. vertere to turn, versus toward, and E. worth to become. √143. See Worth. v. i., and cf. Verse. Adverbs ending in -wards (AS. -weardes) and some other adverbs, such as besides, betimes, since (OE. sithens). etc., were originally genitive forms used adverbially.] Suffixes denoting course or direction to; motion or tendency toward; as in backward, or backwards; toward, or towards, etc.

Ward (?), n. [AS. weard, fem., guard, weard, masc., keeper, guard; akin to OS. ward a watcher, warden, G. wart, OHG. wart, Icel. vörðr a warden, a watch, Goth. -wards in daúrawards a doorkeeper, and E. wary; cf. OF. warde guard, from the German. See Ware, a., Wary, and cf. Guard, Wraith.] 1. The act of guarding; watch; guard; guardianship; specifically, a guarding during the day. See the Note under Watch, n., 1.

Still, when she slept, he kept both watch and ward.

Spenser.

2. One who, or that which, guards; garrison; defender; protector; means of guarding; defense; protection.

For the best ward of mine honor.

Shak.

The assieged castle's ward Their steadfast stands did mightily maintain.

Spenser.

For want of other ward, He lifted up his hand, his front to guard.

Dryden.

3. The state of being under guard or guardianship; confinement under guard; the condition of a child under a guardian; custody.

And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard.

Gen. xl. 3.

I must attend his majesty's command, to whom I am now in ward.

Shak.

It is also inconvenient, in Ireland, that the wards and marriages of gentlemen's children should be in the disposal of any of those lords.

Spenser.

4. A guarding or defensive motion or position, as in fencing; guard. "Thou knowest my old ward; here I lay, and thus I bore my point." Shak.

5. One who, or that which, is guarded. Specifically: —

(a) A minor or person under the care of a guardian; as, a ward in chancery. "You know our father's ward, the fair Monimia." Otway.

(b) A division of a county. [Eng. & Scot.]

(c) A division, district, or quarter of a town or city.

Throughout the trembling city placed a guard, Dealing an equal share to every ward.

Dryden.

(d) A division of a forest. [Eng.]

(e) A division of a hospital; as, a fever ward.

6. (a) A projecting ridge of metal in the interior of a lock, to prevent the use of any key which has not a corresponding notch for passing it. (b) A notch or slit in a key corresponding to a ridge in the lock which it fits; a ward notch. Knight.

The lock is made . . . more secure by attaching wards to the front, as well as to the back, plate of the lock, in which case the key must be furnished with corresponding notches.

Tomlinson.

<! p. 1627 !>

Ward penny (O. Eng. Law), money paid to the sheriff or castellan for watching and warding a castle. — Ward staff, a constable's or watchman's staff. [Obs.]

Ward (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Warded; p. pr. & vb. n. Warding.] [OE. wardien, AS. weardian to keep, protect; akin to OS. ward&?;n to watch, take care, OFries. wardia, OHG. wart&?;n, G. warten to wait, wait on, attend to, Icel. var&?;a to guarantee defend, Sw. vårda to guard, to watch; cf. OF. warder, of German origin. See Ward, n., and cf. Award, Guard, Reward.]

1. To keep in safety; to watch; to guard; formerly, in a specific sense, to guard during the day time.

Whose gates he found fast shut, no living wight To ward the same.

Spenser.

2. To defend; to protect.

Tell him it was a hand that warded him From thousand dangers.

Shak.

3. To defend by walls, fortifications, etc. [Obs.]

4. To fend off; to repel; to turn aside, as anything mischievous that approaches; — usually followed by off.

Now wards a felling blow, now strikes again.

Daniel.

The pointed javelin warded off his rage.

Addison.

It instructs the scholar in the various methods of warding off the force of objections.

I. Watts.

Ward, v. i. 1. To be vigilant; to keep guard.

2. To act on the defensive with a weapon.

She redoubling her blows drove the stranger to no other shift than to ward and go back.

Sir P. Sidney.

Ward"-corn` (?), n. [Ward + F. corne horn, L. cornu.] (O. Eng. Law) The duty of keeping watch and ward (see the Note under Watch, n., 1) with a horn to be blown upon any occasion of surprise. Burrill.

Ward"corps` (?), n. [Wars + corps.] Guardian; one set to watch over another. [Obs.] "Though thou preyedest Argus . . . to be my wardcorps." Chaucer.

Ward"en (?), n. [OE. wardein, OF. wardein, gardein, gardain, F. gardien. See Guardian, and Ward guard.]

1. A keeper; a guardian; a watchman.

He called to the warden on the . . . battlements.

Sir. W. Scott.

2. An officer who keeps or guards; a keeper; as, the warden of a prison.

3. A head official; as, the warden of a college; specifically (Eccl.), a churchwarden.

4. [Properly, a keeping pear.] A large, hard pear, chiefly used for baking and roasting. [Obs.]

I would have had him roasted like a warden.

Beau. & Fl.

Warden pie, a pie made of warden pears. [Obs.] Shak.

{ Ward"en*ry (?), Ward"en*ship, } n. The office or jurisdiction of a warden.

Ward"er (?), n. 1. One who wards or keeps; a keeper; a guard. "The warders of the gate." Dryden.

2. A truncheon or staff carried by a king or a commander in chief, and used in signaling his will.

When, lo! the king suddenly changed his mind, Casts down his warder to arrest them there.

Daniel.

Wafting his warder thrice about his head, He cast it up with his auspicious hand, Which was the signal, through the English spread, This they should charge.

Drayton.

Ward"i*an (?), a. Designating, or pertaining to, a kind of glass inclosure for keeping ferns, mosses, etc., or for transporting growing plants from a distance; as, a Wardian case of plants; — so named from the inventor, Nathaniel B. Ward, an Englishman.

Ward"mote` (?), n. Anciently, a meeting of the inhabitants of a ward; also, a court formerly held in each ward of London for trying defaults in matters relating to the watch, police, and the like. Brande & C. "Wards and wardmotes." Piers Plowman.

Ward"robe` (?), n. [OE. warderobe, OF. warderobe, F. garderobe; of German origin. See Ward, v. t., and Robe.]

1. A room or apartment where clothes are kept, or wearing apparel is stored; a portable closet for hanging up clothes.

2. Wearing apparel, in general; articles of dress or personal decoration.

Flowers that their gay wardrobe wear.

Milton.

With a pair of saddlebags containing his wardrobe.

T. Hughes.

3. A privy. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Ward"room` (?), n. 1. (Naut.) A room occupied as a messroom by the commissioned officers of a war vessel. See Gunroom. Totten.

2. A room used by the citizens of a city ward, for meetings, political caucuses, elections, etc. [U. S.]

-wards (?). See -ward.

Ward"ship (?), n. 1. The office of a ward or keeper; care and protection of a ward; guardianship; right of guardianship.

Wardship is incident to tenure in socage.

Blackstone.

2. The state of begin under a guardian; pupilage.

It was the wisest act . . . in my wardship.

B. Jonson.

Wards"man (?), n.; pl. Wardsmen (&?;). A man who keeps ward; a guard. [R.] Sydney Smith.

Ware (?), obs. imp. of Wear. Wore.

Ware, v. t. (Naut.) To wear, or veer. See Wear.

Ware, n. [AS. wr.] (Bot.) Seaweed. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Ware goose (Zoöl.), the brant; — so called because it feeds on ware, or seaweed. [Prov. Eng.]

Ware, n. [OE. ware, AS. waru; akin to D. waar, G. waare, Icel. & Sw. vara, Dan. vare; and probably to E. worth, a. See Worth, a.] Articles of merchandise; the sum of articles of a particular kind or class; style or class of manufactures; especially, in the plural, goods; commodities; merchandise. "Retails his wares at wakes." Shak. "To chaffer with them and eke to sell them their ware." Chaucer.

It the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the Sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the Sabbath, or on the holy day.

Neh. x. 31.

Although originally and properly a collective noun, it admits of a plural form, when articles of merchandise of different kinds are meant. It is often used in composition; as in hardware, glassware, tinware, etc.

Ware, a. [OE. war, AS. wær. √142. See Wary.] A ware; taking notice; hence, wary; cautious; on one's guard. See Beware. [Obs.]

She was ware and knew it bet [better] than he.

Chaucer.

Of whom be thou ware also.

2. Tim. iv. 15.

He is ware enough; he is wily and circumspect for stirring up any sedition.

Latimer.

The only good that grows of passed fear Is to be wise, and ware of like again.

Spenser.

Ware, n. [AS. waru caution.] The state of being ware or aware; heed. [Obs.] Wyclif.

Ware, v. t. [As. warian.] To make ware; to warn; to take heed of; to beware of; to guard against. "Ware that I say." Chaucer.

God . . . ware you for the sin of avarice.

Chaucer.

Then ware a rising tempest on the main.

Dryden.

Ware"ful (?), a. Wary; watchful; cautious. [Obs.]

Ware"ful*ness, n. Wariness; cautiousness. [Obs.] "Full of warefulness." Sir P. Sidney.

Wa*re"ga fly` (?). (Zoöl.) A Brazilian fly whose larvæ live in the skin of man and animals, producing painful sores.

Ware"house` (?), n.; pl. Warehouses (&?;). A storehouse for wares, or goods. Addison.

Ware"house` (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Warehoused (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Warehousing.]

1. To deposit or secure in a warehouse.

2. To place in the warehouse of the government or customhouse stores, to be kept until duties are paid.

Ware"house`man (?), n.; pl. Warehousemen (&?;). 1. One who keeps a warehouse; the owner or keeper of a dock warehouse or wharf store.

2. One who keeps a wholesale shop or store for Manchester or woolen goods. [Eng.]

Warehouseman's itch (Med.), a form of eczema occurring on the back of the hands of warehousemen.

Ware"hous`ing (?), n. The act of placing goods in a warehouse, or in a customhouse store.

Warehousing system, an arrangement for lodging imported articles in the customhouse stores, without payment of duties until they are taken out for home consumption. If reëxported, they are not charged with a duty. See Bonded warehouse, under Bonded, a.

Ware"less (?), a. [See Ware, n.] Unwary; incautious; unheeding; careless; unaware. [Obs.]

And wareless of the evil That by themselves unto themselves is wrought.

Spenser.

Ware"ly, adv. Cautiously; warily. [Obs.]

They bound him hand and foot with iron chains, And with continual watch did warely keep.

Spenser.

War"ence (?), n. [OF. warance. F. garance, LL. warentia, garantia.] (Bot.) Madder.

Ware"room` (?), n. A room in which goods are stored or exhibited for sale.

Wares (?), n. pl. See 4th Ware.

War"fare` (?), n. [War + OE. fare a journey, a passage, course, AS. faru. See Fare, n.]

1. Military service; military life; contest carried on by enemies; hostilities; war.

The Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel.

I Sam. xxviii. 1.

This day from battle rest; Faithful hath been your warfare.

Milton.

2. Contest; struggle.

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal.

2 Cor. x. 4.

War"fare`, v. i. To lead a military life; to carry on continual wars. Camden.

War"far`er (?), n. One engaged in warfare; a military man; a soldier; a warrior.

War"ha`ble (?), a. [War + hable.] Fit for war. [Obs.] "Warhable youth." Spenser.

War`i*an"gle (?), n. [OE. wariangel, weryangle; cf. AS. wearg outlaw, criminal, OHG, warg, warch, Goth. wargs (in comp.), G. würgengel, i. e., destroying angel, destroyer, killer, and E. worry.] (Zoöl.) The red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio); — called also würger, worrier, and throttler. [Written also warriangle, weirangle, etc.] [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Wa"ri*ly (?), adv. In a wary manner.

Wa"ri*ment (?), n. Wariness. [Obs.] Spenser.

War"ine (?), n. (Zoöl.) A South American monkey, one of the sapajous.

Wa"ri*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being wary; care to foresee and guard against evil; cautiousness. "An almost reptile wariness." G. W. Cable.

To determine what are little things in religion, great wariness is to be used.

Sprat.

Syn. — Caution; watchfulness; circumspection; foresight; care; vigilance; scrupulousness.

War"ish (?), v. t. [OF. warir to protect, heal, cure, F. guéri&?; to cure; of Teutonic origin; cf. OHG. werian, weren, to protect, to hinder. See Garret.] To protect from the effects of; hence, to cure; to heal. [Obs.]

My brother shall be warished hastily.

Chaucer.

Varro testifies that even at this day there be some who warish and cure the stinging of serpents with their spittle.

Holland.

War"ish, v. i. To be cured; to recover. [Obs.]

Your daughter . . . shall warish and escape.

Chaucer.

War"i*son (?), n. [OF. warison safety, supplies, cure, F. guérison cure. See Warish, v. t.]

1. Preparation; protection; provision; supply. [Obs.]

2. Reward; requital; guerdon. [Obs. or Scot.]

Wit and wisdom is good warysoun.

Proverbs of Hending.

Wark (?), n. [See Work.] Work; a building. [Obs. or Scot.] Spenser.

Wark"loom (?), n. A tool; an implement. [Scot.]

War"like` (?), a. 1. Fit for war; disposed for war; as, a warlike state; a warlike disposition.

Old Siward, with ten thousand warlike men.

Shak.

2. Belonging or relating to war; military; martial.

The great archangel from his warlike toil Surceased.

Milton.

Syn. — Martial; hostile; soldierly. See Martial.

War"like`ness, n. Quality of being warlike.

War"ling (?), n. One often quarreled with; — &?; word coined, perhaps, to rhyme with darling. [Obs.]

Better be an old man's darling than a young man's warling.

Camde&?;.

War"lock (?), n. [OE. warloghe a deceiver, a name or the Devil, AS. w&?;rloga a belier or breaker of his agreement, word, or pledge; w&?;r covenant, troth (aki&?; to L. verus true; see Very) + loga a liar (in comp.), leógan to lie. See 3d Lie.] A male witch; a wizard; a sprite; an imp. [Written also warluck.] Dryden.

It was Eyvind Kallda's crew Of warlocks blue, With their caps of darkness hooded!

Longfellow.

War"lock, a. Of or pertaining to a warlock or warlock; impish. [R.]

Thou shalt win the warlock fight.

J. R. Drak&?;.

War"lock*ry (?), n. Impishness; magic.

War"ly (?), a. Warlike. Burns.

Warm (?), a. [Compar. Warmer; superl. Warmest.] [AS. wearm; akin to OS., OFries., D., & G. warm, Icel. varmr, Sw. & Dan. varm, Goth. warmjan to warm; probably akin to Lith. virti to cook, boil; or perhaps to Skr. gharma heat, OL. formus warm. &?;&?;&?;, &?;&?;&?;.]

1. Having heat in a moderate degree; not cold as, warm milk. "Whose blood is warm within." Shak.

Warm and still is the summer night.

Longfellow.

2. Having a sensation of heat, esp. of gentle heat; glowing.

3. Subject to heat; having prevalence of heat, or little or no cold weather; as, the warm climate of Egypt.

4. Fig.: Not cool, indifferent, lukewarm, or the like, in spirit or temper; zealous; ardent; fervent; excited; sprightly; irritable; excitable.

Mirth, and youth, and warm desire!

Milton.

Each warm wish springs mutual from the heart.

Pope.

They say he's warm man and does not care to be mad&?; mouths at.

Addison.

I had been none of the warmest of partisans.

Hawthor&?;&?;.

5. Violent; vehement; furious; excited; passionate; as, a warm contest; a warm debate.

Welcome, daylight; we shall have warm work on't.

Dryden.

6. Being well off as to property, or in good circumstances; forehanded; rich. [Colloq.]

Warm householders, every one of them.

W. Irving.

You shall have a draft upon him, payable at sight: and let me tell you he as warm a man as any within five miles round him.

Goldsmith.

7. In children's games, being near the object sought for; hence, being close to the discovery of some person, thing, or fact concealed. [Colloq.]

Here, indeed, young Mr. Dowse was getting "warm," &?;&?; children say at blindman's buff.

Black.

8. (Paint.) Having yellow or red for a basis, or in their composition; — said of colors, and opposed to cold which is of blue and its compounds.

Syn. — Ardent; zealous; fervent; glowing; enthusiastic; cordial; keen; violent; furious; hot.

Warm, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Warmed (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Warming.] [AS. wearmian. See Warm, a.]

1. To communicate a moderate degree of heat to; to render warm; to supply or furnish heat to; as, a stove warms an apartment.

Then shall it [an ash tree] be for a man to burn; for he will take thereof and warm himself.

Isa. xliv 15

Enough to warm, but not enough to burn.

Longfellow.

2. To make engaged or earnest; to interest; to engage; to excite ardor or zeal; to enliven.

I formerly warmed my head with reading controversial writings.

Pope.

Bright hopes, that erst bosom warmed.

Keble.

<! p. 1628 !>

Warm (?), v. i. [AS. wearmian.]

1. To become warm, or moderately heated; as, the earth soon warms in a clear day summer.

There shall not be a coal to warm at.

Isa. xlvii. 14.

2. To become ardent or animated; as, the speake&?; warms as he proceeds.

Warm, n. The act of warming, or the state of being warmed; a warming; a heating. [Colloq.] Dickens.

Warm"-blood`ed (?), a. (Physiol.) Having warm blood; — applied especially to those animals, as birds and mammals, which have warm blood, or, more properly, the power of maintaining a nearly uniform temperature whatever the temperature of the surrounding air. See Homoiothermal.

Warm"er (?), n. One who, or that which, warms.

Warm"ful (?), a. Abounding in capacity to warm; giving warmth; as, a warmful garment. [R.] Chapman.

Warm"-heart`ed (?), a. Having strong affection; cordial; sincere; hearty; sympathetic. — Warm"- heart`ed*ness, n.

Warm"ing, a. & n. from Warm, v.

Warming pan, a long-handled covered pan into which live coals are put, — used for warming beds. Shak.

Warm"ly, adv. In a warm manner; ardently.

Warm"ness, n. Warmth. Chaucer.

War"mon`ger (?), n. One who makes ar a trade or business; a mercenary. [R.] Spenser.

War"mouth (?), n. (Zoöl.) An American freshwater bream, or sunfish (Chænobryttus gulosus); — called also red-eyed bream.

Warmth (?), n. 1. The quality or state of being warm; gentle heat; as, the warmth of the sun; the warmth of the blood; vital warmth.

Here kindly warmth their mounting juice ferments.

Addison.

2. A state of lively and excited interest; zeal; ardor; fervor; passion; enthusiasm; earnestness; as, the warmth of love or piety; he replied with much warmth. "Spiritual warmth, and holy fires." Jer. Taylor.

That warmth . . . which agrees with Christian zeal.

Sprat.

3. (Paint.) The glowing effect which arises from the use of warm colors; hence, any similar appearance or effect in a painting, or work of color.

Syn. — Zeal; ardor; fervor; fervency; heat; glow; earnestness; cordiality; animation; eagerness; excitement; vehemence.

Warmth"less, a. Being without warmth; not communicating warmth; cold. [R.] Coleridge.

Warn (wrn), v. t. [OE. wernen, AS. weornan, wyrnan. Cf. Warn to admonish.] To refuse. [Written also wern, worn.] [Obs.] Chaucer.

Warn, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Warned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Warning.] [OE. warnen, warnien, AS. warnian, wearnian, to take heed, to warn; akin to AS. wearn denial, refusal, OS. warning, wernian, to refuse, OHG. warnen, G. warnen to warn, OFries. warna, werna, Icel. varna to refuse; and probably to E. wary. &?;&?;&?;&?;.]

1. To make ware or aware; to give previous information to; to give notice to; to notify; to admonish; hence, to notify or summon by authority; as, to warn a town meeting; to warn a tenant to quit a house. "Warned of the ensuing fight." Dryden.

Cornelius the centurion . . . was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee.

Acts x. 22.

Who is it that hath warned us to the walls?

Shak.

2. To give notice to, of approaching or probable danger or evil; to caution against anything that may prove injurious. "Juturna warns the Daunian chief of Lausus' danger, urging swift relief." Dryden.

3. To ward off. [Obs.] Spenser.

Warn"er (?), n. One who warns; an admonisher.

Warn"er, n. A warrener. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.

Warn"ing, a. Giving previous notice; cautioning; admonishing; as, a warning voice.

That warning timepiece never ceased.

Longfellow.

Warning piece, Warning wheel (Horol.), a piece or wheel which produces a sound shortly before the clock strikes.

Warn"ing, n. 1. Previous notice. "At a month's warning." Dryden.

A great journey to take upon so short a warning.

L'Estrange.

2. Caution against danger, or against faults or evil practices which incur danger; admonition; monition.

Could warning make the world more just or wise.

Dryden.

Warn"ing*ly, adv. In a warning manner.

Warn"store (?), v. t. [Cf. OF. warnesture, garnesture, provisions, supplies, and E. garnish.] To furnish. [Obs.] "To warnstore your house." Chaucer.

Warp (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Warped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Warping.] [OE. warpen; fr. Icel. varpa to throw, cast, varp a casting, fr. verpa to throw; akin to Dan. varpe to warp a ship, Sw. varpa, AS. weorpan to cast, OS. werpan, OFries. werpa, D. & LG. werpen, G. werfen, Goth. waírpan; cf. Skr. vrj to twist. &?;&?;&?;&?;. Cf. Wrap.]

1. To throw; hence, to send forth, or throw out, as words; to utter. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.

2. To turn or twist out of shape; esp., to twist or bend out of a flat plane by contraction or otherwise.

The planks looked warped.

Coleridge.

Walter warped his mouth at this To something so mock solemn, that I laughed.

Tennyson.

3. To turn aside from the true direction; to cause to bend or incline; to pervert.

This first avowed, nor folly warped my mind.

Dryden.

I have no private considerations to warp me in this controversy.

Addison.

We are divested of all those passions which cloud the intellects, and warp the understandings, of men.

Southey.

4. To weave; to fabricate. [R. & Poetic.] Nares.

While doth he mischief warp.

Sternhold.

5. (Naut.) To tow or move, as a vessel, with a line, or warp, attached to a buoy, anchor, or other fixed object.

6. To cast prematurely, as young; — said of cattle, sheep, etc. [Prov. Eng.]

7. (Agric.) To let the tide or other water in upon (lowlying land), for the purpose of fertilization, by a deposit of warp, or slimy substance. [Prov. Eng.]

8. (Rope Making) To run off the reel into hauls to be tarred, as yarns.

9. (Weaving) To arrange (yarns) on a warp beam.

Warped surface (Geom.), a surface generated by a straight line moving so that no two of its consecutive positions shall be in the same plane. Davies & Peck.

Warp (?), v. i. 1. To turn, twist, or be twisted out of shape; esp., to be twisted or bent out of a flat plane; as, a board warps in seasoning or shrinking.

One of you will prove a shrunk panel, and, like green timber, warp, warp.

Shak.

They clamp one piece of wood to the end of another, to keep it from casting, or warping.

Moxon.

2. to turn or incline from a straight, true, or proper course; to deviate; to swerve.

There is our commission, From which we would not have you warp.

Shak.

3. To fly with a bending or waving motion; to turn and wave, like a flock of birds or insects.

A pitchy cloud Of locusts, warping on the eastern wind.

Milton.

4. To cast the young prematurely; to slink; — said of cattle, sheep, etc. [Prov. Eng.]

5. (Weaving) To wind yarn off bobbins for forming the warp of a web; to wind a warp on a warp beam.

Warp, n. [AS. wearp; akin to Icel. varp a casting, throwing, Sw. varp the draught of a net, Dan. varp a towline, OHG. warf warp, G. werft. See Warp, v.]

1. (Weaving) The threads which are extended lengthwise in the loom, and crossed by the woof.

2. (Naut.) A rope used in hauling or moving a vessel, usually with one end attached to an anchor, a post, or other fixed object; a towing line; a warping hawser.

3. (Agric.) A slimy substance deposited on land by tides, etc., by which a rich alluvial soil is formed. Lyell.

4. A premature casting of young; — said of cattle, sheep, etc. [Prov. Eng.]

5. Four; esp., four herrings; a cast. See Cast, n., 17. [Prov. Eng.] Wright.

6. [From Warp, v.] The state of being warped or twisted; as, the warp of a board.

Warp beam, the roller on which the warp is wound in a loom. — Warp fabric, fabric produced by warp knitting. — Warp frame, or Warp-net frame, a machine for making warp lace having a number of needles and employing a thread for each needle. — Warp knitting, a kind of knitting in which a number of threads are interchained each with one or more contiguous threads on either side; — also called warp weaving. — Warp lace, or Warp net, lace having a warp crossed by weft threads.

Warp"age (?), n. The act of warping; also, a charge per ton made on shipping in some harbors.

War"path` (?), n. The route taken by a party of Indians going on a warlike expedition. Schoolcraft.

On the warpath, on a hostile expedition; hence, colloquially, about to attack a person or measure.

Warp"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, warps or twists out of shape.

2. One who, or that which, forms yarn or thread into warps or webs for the loom.

Warp"ing, n. 1. The act or process of one who, or that which, warps.

2. The art or occupation of preparing warp or webs for the weaver. Craig.

Warping bank, a bank of earth raised round a field to retain water let in for the purpose of enriching land. Craig. — Warping hook, a hook used by rope makers for hanging the yarn on, when warping it into hauls for tarring. — Warping mill, a machine for warping yarn. — Warping penny, money, varying according to the length of the thread, paid to the weaver by the spinner on laying the warp. [Prov. Eng.] Wright. — Warping post, a strong post used in warping rope-yarn.

War"proof` (?), n. Valor tried by war.

War"ra*gal (?), n. (Zoöl.) The dingo.

War"ran*dice (?), n. [See Warrantise.] (Scots Law) The obligation by which a person, conveying a subject or a right, is bound to uphold that subject or right against every claim, challenge, or burden arising from circumstances prior to the conveyance; warranty. [Written also warrandise.] Craig.

War"rant (?), n. [OE. warant, OF. warant a warrant, a defender, protector, F. garant, originally a p. pr. pf German origin, fr. OHG. wern to grant, warrant, G. gewähren; akin to OFries. wera. Cf. Guarantee.]

1. That which warrants or authorizes; a commission giving authority, or justifying the doing of anything; an act, instrument, or obligation, by which one person authorizes another to do something which he has not otherwise a right to do; an act or instrument investing one with a right or authority, and thus securing him from loss or damage; commission; authority. Specifically: —

(a) A writing which authorizes a person to receive money or other thing.

(b) (Law) A precept issued by a magistrate authorizing an officer to make an arrest, a seizure, or a search, or do other acts incident to the administration of justice.

(c) (Mil. & Nav.) An official certificate of appointment issued to an officer of lower rank than a commissioned officer. See Warrant officer, below.

2. That which vouches or insures for anything; guaranty; security.

I give thee warrant of thy place.

Shak.

His worth is warrant for his welcome hither.

Shak.

3. That which attests or proves; a voucher.

4. Right; legality; allowance. [Obs.] Shak.

Bench warrant. (Law) See in the Vocabulary. — Dock warrant (Com.), a customhouse license or authority. — General warrant. (Law) See under General. — Land warrant. See under Land. — Search warrant. (Law) See under Search, n. — Warrant of attorney (Law), written authority given by one person to another empowering him to transact business for him; specifically, written authority given by a client to his attorney to appear for him in court, and to suffer judgment to pass against him by confession in favor of some specified person. Bouvier. — Warrant officer, a noncommissioned officer, as a sergeant, corporal, bandmaster, etc., in the army, or a quartermaster, gunner, boatswain, etc., in the navy. — Warrant to sue and defend. (a) (O. Eng. Law) A special warrant from the crown, authorizing a party to appoint an attorney to sue or defend for him. (b) A special authority given by a party to his attorney to commence a suit, or to appear and defend a suit in his behalf. This warrant is now disused. Burrill.

War"rant (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Warranted; p. pr. & vb. n. Warranting.] [OE. waranten, OF. warantir, garantir, guarantir, garentir, garandir, F. garantir to warrant, fr. OF. warant, garant, guarant, a warrant, a protector, a defender, F. garant. √142. See Warrant, n.]

1. To make secure; to give assurance against harm; to guarantee safety to; to give authority or power to do, or forbear to do, anything by which the person authorized is secured, or saved harmless, from any loss or damage by his action.

That show I first my body to warrant.

Chaucer.

I'll warrant him from drowning.

Shak.

In a place Less warranted than this, or less secure, I can not be.

Milton.

2. To support by authority or proof; to justify; to maintain; to sanction; as, reason warrants it.

True fortitude is seen in great exploits, That justice warrants, and that wisdom guides.

Addison.

How little while it is since he went forth out of his study, — chewing a Hebrew text of Scripture in his mouth, I warrant.

Hawthorne.

3. To give a warrant or warranty to; to assure as if by giving a warrant to.

[My neck is] as smooth as silk, I warrant ye.

L' Estrange.

4. (Law) (a) To secure to, as a grantee, an estate granted; to assure. (b) To secure to, as a purchaser of goods, the title to the same; to indemnify against loss. (c) To secure to, as a purchaser, the quality or quantity of the goods sold, as represented. See Warranty, n., 2. (d) To assure, as a thing sold, to the purchaser; that is, to engage that the thing is what it appears, or is represented, to be, which implies a covenant to make good any defect or loss incurred by it.

War"rant*a*ble (?), a. Authorized by commission, precept, or right; justifiable; defensible; as, the seizure of a thief is always warrantable by law and justice; falsehood is never warrantable.

His meals are coarse and short, his employment warrantable, his sleep certain and refreshing.

South.

— War"rant*a*ble*ness, n. — War"rant*bly, adv.

War`ran*tee" (?), n. (Law) The person to whom a warrant or warranty is made.

War"rant*er (?), n. 1. One who warrants, gives authority, or legally empowers.

2. (Law) One who assures, or covenants to assure; one who contracts to secure another in a right, or to make good any defect of title or quality; one who gives a warranty; a guarantor; as, the warranter of a horse.

War"rant*ise (?), n. [OF. warentise, warandise, garantise. See Warrant, n.] Authority; security; warranty. [Obs.] Shak.

War"rant*ise, v. t. To warrant. [Obs.] Hakluyt.

War"rant*or (?), n. (Law) One who warrants.

War"rant*y (?), n.; pl. Warranties (#). [OF. warantie, F. garantie. See Warrant, n., and cf. Guaranty.]

1. (Anc. Law) A covenant real, whereby the grantor of an estate of freehold and his heirs were bound to warrant and defend the title, and, in case of eviction by title paramount, to yield other lands of equal value in recompense. This warranty has long singe become obsolete, and its place supplied by personal covenants for title. Among these is the covenant of warranty, which runs with the land, and is in the nature of a real covenant. Kent.

2. (Modern Law) An engagement or undertaking, express or implied, that a certain fact regarding the subject of a contract is, or shall be, as it is expressly or impliedly declared or promised to be. In sales of goods by persons in possession, there is an implied warranty of title, but, as to the quality of goods, the rule of every sale is, Caveat emptor. Chitty. Bouvier.

3. (Insurance Law) A stipulation or engagement by a party insured, that certain things, relating to the subject of insurance, or affecting the risk, exist, or shall exist, or have been done, or shall be done. These warranties, when express, should appear in the policy; but there are certain implied warranties. Bouvier.

4. Justificatory mandate or precept; authority; warrant. [R.] Shak.

If they disobey precept, that is no excuse to us, nor gives us any warranty . . . to disobey likewise.

Kettlewe&?;&?;.

5. Security; warrant; guaranty.

The stamp was a warranty of the public.

Locke.

Syn. — See Guarantee.

War"rant*y, v. t. To warrant; to guarantee.

War"ray (?), v. t. [OF. werreier, werrier, guerroier, F. guerroyer, from OF. werre war, F. guerre; of German origin. See War.] To make war upon. [Obs.] Fairfax. "When a man warrayeth truth." Chaucer.

Warre (?), a. [OE. werre; of Scand. origin. See Worse.] Worse. [Obs.]

They say the world is much warre than it wont.

Spenser.

<! p. 1629 !>

War"ren (?), n. [Of. waresne, warenne, garene, F. garenne, from OF. warer, garer, to beware, to take care; of Teutonic origin; cf. OHG. war&?;n (in comp.), OS. war&?;n to take care, to observe, akin to E. wary. &?;&?;&?;&?;. See Wary.]

1. (Eng Law) (a) A place privileged, by prescription or grant the king, for keeping certain animals (as hares, conies, partridges, pheasants, etc.) called beasts and fowls of warren. Burrill. (b) A privilege which one has in his lands, by royal grant or prescription, of hunting and taking wild beasts and birds of warren, to the exclusion of any other person not entering by his permission. Spelman.

They wend both warren and in waste.

Piers Plowman.

The warren is the next franchise in degree to the park; and a forest, which is the highest in dignity, comprehends a chase, a park, and a free warren.

2. A piece of ground for the breeding of rabbits.

3. A place for keeping flash, in a river.

War"ren*er (?), n. The keeper of a warren.

War`ri*an"gle (?), n. (Zoöl.) See Wariangle. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

War"rie (?), v. t. See Warye. [Obs.]

War"rin (?), n. [From a native name.] (Zoöl.) An Australian lorikeet (Trichoglossus multicolor) remarkable for the variety and brilliancy of its colors; — called also blue-bellied lorikeet, and blue-bellied parrot.

War"rior (?; 277), n. [OE. werreour, OF. werreour, guerreor, from guerre, werre, war. See War, and Warray.] A man engaged or experienced in war, or in the military life; a soldier; a champion.

Warriors old with ordered spear and shield.

Milton.

Warrior ant (Zoöl.), a reddish ant (Formica sanguinea) native of Europe and America. It is one of the species which move in armies to capture and enslave other ants.

War"rior*ess, n. A female warrior. [Obs.] Spenser.

War"ry (?), v. t. See Warye. [Obs.]

War"saw (?), n. (Zoöl.) (a) The black grouper (Epinephelus nigritus) of the southern coasts of the United States. (b) The jewfish; — called also guasa.

Wart (?), n. [OE. werte, AS. wearte; akin to D. wrat, G. warze, OHG. warza, Icel. varta, Sw. vårta, Dan. vorte; perh. orig., a growth, and akin to E. wort; or cf. L. verruca wart.]

1. (Med.) A small, usually hard, tumor on the skin formed by enlargement of its vascular papillæ, and thickening of the epidermis which covers them.

2. An excrescence or protuberance more or less resembling a true wart; specifically (Bot.), a glandular excrescence or hardened protuberance on plants.

Fig wart, Moist wart (Med.), a soft, bright red, pointed or tufted tumor found about the genitals, often massed into groups of large size. It is a variety of condyloma. Called also pointed wart, venereal wart. L. A. Duhring. — Wart cress (Bot.), the swine's cress. See under Swine. — Wart snake (Zoöl.), any one of several species of East Indian colubrine snakes of the genus Acrochordus, having the body covered with wartlike tubercles or spinose scales, and lacking cephalic plates and ventral scutes. — Wart spurge (Bot.), a kind of wartwort (Euphorbia Helioscopia).

Wart"ed, a. (Bot.) Having little knobs on the surface; verrucose; as, a warted capsule.

Wart" hog` (?). (Zoöl.) Either one of two species of large, savage African wild hogs of the genus Phacochœrus. These animals have a pair of large, rough, fleshy tubercles behind the tusks and second pair behind the eyes. The tusks are large and strong, and both pairs curve upward. The body is scantily covered with bristles, but there is long dorsal mane. The South African species (Phacochœrus Æthiopicus) is the best known. Called also vlacke vark. The second species (P. Æliani) is native of the coasts of the Red Sea.

Wart"less, a. Having no wart.

Wart"weed` (?), n. (Bot.) Same as Wartwort.

Wart"wort` (?), n. (Bot.) A name given to several plants because they were thought to be a cure for warts, as a kind of spurge (Euphorbia Helioscopia), and the nipplewort (Lampsana communis).

Wart"y (?), a. 1. Having warts; full of warts; overgrow with warts; as, a warty leaf.

2. Of the nature of warts; as, a warty excrescence.

Warty egg (Zoöl.), a marine univalve shell (Ovulum verrucosum), having the surface covered with wartlike elevations.

War"wick*ite (?), n. (Min.) A dark brown or black mineral, occurring in prismatic crystals imbedded in limestone near Warwick, New York. It consists of the borate and titanate of magnesia and iron.

War"worn` (?), a. Worn with military service; as, a warworn soldier; a warworn coat. Shak.

Wa"ry (?), a. [Compar. Warier (?); superl. Wariest.] [OE. war, AS. wær; akin to Icel. v&?;rr, Dan. & Sw. var, Goth. wars, G. gewahr aware, OHG. wara notice, attention, Gr. &?; to see. Cf. Aware, Garment, Garnish, Garrison, Panorama, Ward, v. t. Ware, a., Warren.]

1. Cautious of danger; carefully watching and guarding against deception, artifices, and dangers; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous; careful. "Bear a wary eye." Shak.

We should be wary, therefore, what persecution we raise against the living labors of public men.

Milton.

2. Characterized by caution; guarded; careful.

It behoveth our words to be wary and few.

Hooker.

Syn. — Cautious; circumspect; watchful. See Cautious.

War"ye (?), v. t. [AS. wergian, wyrgean. Cf. Worry.] To curse; to curse; to execrate; to condemn; also, to vex. [Obs.] [Spelled also warrie, warry, and wary.] "Whom I thus blame and warye." Chaucer.

Was (wz). [AS. wæs, 2d pers. wre, 3d pers. wæs, pl. wron, with the inf. wesan to be; akin to D. wezen, imp. was, OHG. wesan, imp. was, G. wesen, n., a being, essence, war was, Icel. vera to be, imp. var, Goth. wisan to be, to dwell, to remain, imp. was, Skr. vas to remain, to dwell. √148. Cf. Vernacular, Wassail, Were, v.] The first and third persons singular of the verb be, in the indicative mood, preterit (imperfect) tense; as, I was; he was.

Wase (ws), n. [Cf. Sw. vase a sheaf.] A bundle of straw, or other material, to relieve the pressure of burdens carried upon the head. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Wash (wsh), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Washed (wsht); p. pr. & vb. n. Washing.] [OE. waschen, AS. wascan; akin to D. wasschen, G. waschen, OHG. wascan, Icel. & Sw. vaska, Dan. vaske, and perhaps to E. water. √150.] 1. To cleanse by ablution, or dipping or rubbing in water; to apply water or other liquid to for the purpose of cleansing; to scrub with water, etc., or as with water; as, to wash the hands or body; to wash garments; to wash sheep or wool; to wash the pavement or floor; to wash the bark of trees.

When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, . . . he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person.

Matt. xxvii. 24.

2. To cover with water or any liquid; to wet; to fall on and moisten; hence, to overflow or dash against; as, waves wash the shore.

Fresh-blown roses washed with dew.

Milton.

[The landscape] washed with a cold, gray mist.

Longfellow.

3. To waste or abrade by the force of water in motion; as, heavy rains wash a road or an embankment.

4. To remove by washing to take away by, or as by, the action of water; to drag or draw off as by the tide; — often with away, off, out, etc.; as, to wash dirt from the hands.

Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins.

Acts xxii. 16.

The tide will wash you off.

Shak.

5. To cover with a thin or watery coat of color; to tint lightly and thinly.

6. To overlay with a thin coat of metal; as, steel washed with silver.

To wash gold, etc., to treat earth or gravel, or crushed ore, with water, in order to separate the gold or other metal, or metallic ore, through their superior gravity. — To wash the hands of. See under Hand.

Wash, v. i. 1. To perform the act of ablution.

Wash in Jordan seven times.

2 Kings v. 10.

2. To clean anything by rubbing or dipping it in water; to perform the business of cleansing clothes, ore, etc., in water. "She can wash and scour." Shak.

3. To bear without injury the operation of being washed; as, some calicoes do not wash. [Colloq.]

4. To be wasted or worn away by the action of water, as by a running or overflowing stream, or by the dashing of the sea; — said of road, a beach, etc.

Wash, n. 1. The act of washing; an ablution; a cleansing, wetting, or dashing with water; hence, a quantity, as of clothes, washed at once.

2. A piece of ground washed by the action of a sea or river, or sometimes covered and sometimes left dry; the shallowest part of a river, or arm of the sea; also, a bog; a marsh; a fen; as, the washes in Lincolnshire. "The Wash of Edmonton so gay." Cowper.

These Lincoln washes have devoured them.

Shak.

3. Substances collected and deposited by the action of water; as, the wash of a sewer, of a river, etc.

The wash of pastures, fields, commons, and roads, where rain water hath a long time settled.

Mortimer.

4. Waste liquid, the refuse of food, the collection from washed dishes, etc., from a kitchen, often used as food for pigs. Shak.

5. (Distilling) (a) The fermented wort before the spirit is extracted. (b) A mixture of dunder, molasses, water, and scummings, used in the West Indies for distillation. B. Edwards.

6. That with which anything is washed, or wetted, smeared, tinted, etc., upon the surface. Specifically: —

(a) A liquid cosmetic for the complexion.

(b) A liquid dentifrice.

(c) A liquid preparation for the hair; as, a hair wash.

(d) A medical preparation in a liquid form for external application; a lotion.

(e) (Painting) A thin coat of color, esp. water color.

(j) A thin coat of metal laid on anything for beauty or preservation.

7. (Naut.) (a) The blade of an oar, or the thin part which enters the water. (b) The backward current or disturbed water caused by the action of oars, or of a steamer's screw or paddles, etc.

8. The flow, swash, or breaking of a body of water, as a wave; also, the sound of it.

9. Ten strikes, or bushels, of oysters. [Prov. Eng.]

Wash ball, a ball of soap to be used in washing the hands or face. Swift. — Wash barrel (Fisheries), a barrel nearly full of split mackerel, loosely put in, and afterward filled with salt water in order to soak the blood from the fish before salting. — Wash bottle. (Chem.) (a) A bottle partially filled with some liquid through which gases are passed for the purpose of purifying them, especially by removing soluble constituents. (b) A washing bottle. See under Washing. — Wash gilding. See Water gilding. — Wash leather, split sheepskin dressed with oil, in imitation of chamois, or shammy, and used for dusting, cleaning glass or plate, etc.; also, alumed, or buff, leather for soldiers' belts.

Wash, a. 1. Washy; weak. [Obs.]

Their bodies of so weak and wash a temper.

Beau. & Fl.

2. Capable of being washed without injury; washable; as, wash goods. [Colloq.]

Wash"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being washed without damage to fabric or color.

Wash"board` (?), n. 1. A fluted, or ribbed, board on which clothes are rubbed in washing them.

2. A board running round, and serving as a facing for, the walls of a room, next to the floor; a mopboard.

3. (Naut.) A broad, thin plank, fixed along the gunwale of boat to keep the sea from breaking inboard; also, a plank on the sill of a lower deck port, for the same purpose; — called also wasteboard. Mar. Dict.

Wash"bowl` (?), n. A basin, or bowl, to hold water for washing one's hands, face, etc.

Wash"dish` (?), n. 1. A washbowl.

2. (Zoöl.) Same as Washerwoman, 2. [Prov. Eng.]

Washed (?), a. (Zoöl.) Appearing as if overlaid with a thin layer of different color; — said of the colors of certain birds and insects.

Wash"en (?), obs. p. p. of Wash. Chaucer.

Wash"er (?), n. [AS. wæscere.]

1. One who, or that which, washes.

2. A ring of metal, leather, or other material, or a perforated plate, used for various purposes, as around a bolt or screw to form a seat for the head or nut, or around a wagon axle to prevent endwise motion of the hub of the wheel and relieve friction, or in a joint to form a packing, etc.

3. (Plumbing) A fitting, usually having a plug, applied to a cistern, tub, sink, or the like, and forming the outlet opening.

4. (Zoöl.) The common raccoon.

5. (Zoöl.) Same as Washerwoman, 2. [Prov. Eng.]

Wash"er*man (?), n.; pl. Washermen (&?;). A man who washes clothes, esp. for hire, or for others.

Wash"er*wom`an (?), n.; pl. Washerwomen (&?;).

1. A woman who washes clothes, especially for hire, or for others.

2. (Zoöl.) The pied wagtail; — so called in allusion to its beating the water with its tail while tripping along the leaves of water plants. [Prov. Eng.]

Wash"house` (?), n. An outbuilding for washing, esp. one for washing clothes; a laundry.

Wash"i*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being washy, watery, or weak.

Wash"ing, n. 1. The act of one who washes; the act of cleansing with water; ablution.

2. The clothes washed, esp. at one time; a wash.

Washing bear (Zoöl.), the raccoon. — Washing bottle (Chem.), a bottle fitted with glass tubes passing through the cork, so that on blowing into one of the tubes a stream of water issuing from the other may be directed upon anything to be washed or rinsed, as a precipitate upon a filter, etc. — Washing fluid, a liquid used as a cleanser, and consisting usually of alkaline salts resembling soaps in their action. — Washing machine, a machine for washing; specifically, a machine for washing clothes. — Washing soda. (Chem.) See Sodium carbonate, under Sodium. — Washing stuff, any earthy deposit containing gold enough to pay for washing it; — so called among gold miners.

Wash`ing*to"ni*an (?), a. 1. Pertaining to, or characteristic of, George Washington; as, a Washingtonian policy. Lowell.

2. Designating, or pertaining to, a temperance society and movement started in Baltimore in 1840 on the principle of total abstinence. — n. A member of the Washingtonian Society.

Wash"-off` (?), a. (Calico Printing) Capable of being washed off; not permanent or durable; — said of colors not fixed by steaming or otherwise.

Wash"out` (?), n. The washing out or away of earth, etc., especially of a portion of the bed of a road or railroad by a fall of rain or a freshet; also, a place, especially in the bed of a road or railroad, where the earth has been washed away.

Wash"pot` (?), n. 1. A pot or vessel in which anything is washed.

2. (Tin-Plate Manuf.) A pot containing melted tin into which the plates are dipped to be coated.

Wash"stand` (?), n. A piece of furniture holding the ewer or pitcher, basin, and other requisites for washing the person.

Wash"tub` (?), n. A tub in which clothes are washed.

Wash"y (?), a. [From Wash.] 1. Watery; damp; soft. "Washy ooze." Milton.

2. Lacking substance or strength; weak; thin; dilute; feeble; as, washy tea; washy resolutions.

A polish . . . not over thin and washy.

Sir H. Wotton.

3. Not firm or hardy; liable to sweat profusely with labor; as, a washy horse. [Local, U. S.]

Wa"site (?), n. [See Wasium.] (Min.) A variety of allanite from Sweden supposed to contain wasium.

Wa"si*um (?), n. [NL. So called from Wasa, or Vasa, the name of a former royal family of Sweden.] (Chem.) A rare element supposed by Bahr to have been extracted from wasite, but now identified with thorium.

Wasp (?), n. [OE. waspe, AS. wæps, wæfs; akin to D. wesp, G. wespe, OHG. wafsa, wefsa, Lith. vapsa gadfly, Russ. osa wasp, L. vespa, and perhaps to E. weave.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of stinging hymenopterous insects, esp. any of the numerous species of the genus Vespa, which includes the true, or social, wasps, some of which are called yellow jackets.

The social wasps make a complex series of combs, of a substance like stiff paper, often of large size, and protect them by a paperlike covering. The larvæ are reared in the cells of the combs, and eat insects and insect larvæ brought to them by the adults, but the latter feed mainly on the honey and pollen of flowers, and on the sweet juices of fruit. See Illust. in Appendix.

Digger wasp, any one of numerous species of solitary wasps that make their nests in burrows which they dig in the ground, as the sand wasps. See Sand wasp, under Sand. - - Mud wasp. See under Mud. — Potter wasp. See under Potter. — Wasp fly, a species of fly resembling a wasp, but without a sting.

<! p. 1630 !>

Wasp"ish (?), a. 1. Resembling a wasp in form; having a slender waist, like a wasp.

2. Quick to resent a trifling affront; characterized by snappishness; irritable; irascible; petulant; snappish.

He was naturally a waspish and hot man.

Bp. Hall.

Much do I suffer, much, to keep in peace This jealous, waspish, wrong-head, rhyming race.

Pope.

Syn. — Snappish; petulant; irritable; irascible; testy; peevish; captious.

— Wasp"ish*ly, adv. — Wasp"ish*ness, n.

Was"sail (?), n. [AS. wes hl (or an equivalent form in another dialect) be in health, which was the form of drinking a health. The form wes is imperative. See Was, and Whole.]

1. An ancient expression of good wishes on a festive occasion, especially in drinking to some one.

Geoffrey of Monmouth relates, on the authority of Walter Calenius, that this lady [Rowena], the daughter of Hengist, knelt down on the approach of the king, and, presenting him with a cup of wine, exclaimed, Lord king wæs heil, that is, literally, Health be to you.

N. Drake.

2. An occasion on which such good wishes are expressed in drinking; a drinking bout; a carouse. "In merry wassail he . . . peals his loud song." Sir W. Scott.

The king doth wake to-night and takes his rouse, Keeps wassail.

Shak.

The victors abandoned themselves to feasting and wassail.

Prescott.

3. The liquor used for a wassail; esp., a beverage formerly much used in England at Christmas and other festivals, made of ale (or wine) flavored with spices, sugar, toast, roasted apples, etc.; — called also lamb's wool.

A jolly wassail bowl, A wassail of good ale.

Old Song.

4. A festive or drinking song or glee. [Obs.]

Have you done your wassail! 'T is a handsome, drowsy ditty, I'll assure you.

Beau. & Fl.

Was"sail, a. Of or pertaining to wassail, or to a wassail; convivial; as, a wassail bowl. "Awassail candle, my lord, all tallow." Shak.

Wassail bowl, a bowl in which wassail was mixed, and placed upon the table. "Spiced wassail bowl." J. Fletcher. "When the cloth was removed, the butler brought in a huge silver vessel . . . Its appearance was hailed with acclamation, being the wassail bowl so renowned in Christmas festivity." W. Irving. — Wassail cup, a cup from which wassail was drunk.

Was"sail, v. i. To hold a wassail; to carouse.

Spending all the day, and good part of the night, in dancing, caroling, and wassailing.

Sir P. Sidney.

Was"sail*er (?), n. One who drinks wassail; one who engages in festivity, especially in drinking; a reveler.

The rudeness and swilled insolence Of such late wassailers.

Milton.

Wast (?). The second person singular of the verb be, in the indicative mood, imperfect tense; — now used only in solemn or poetical style. See Was.

Wast"age (?), n. Loss by use, decay, evaporation, leakage, or the like; waste.

Waste (?), a. [OE. wast, OF. wast, from L. vastus, influenced by the kindred German word; cf. OHG. wuosti, G. wüst, OS. w&?;sti, D. woest, AS. wste. Cf. Vast.]

1. Desolate; devastated; stripped; bare; hence, dreary; dismal; gloomy; cheerless.

The dismal situation waste and wild.

Milton.

His heart became appalled as he gazed forward into the waste darkness of futurity.

Sir W. Scott.

2. Lying unused; unproductive; worthless; valueless; refuse; rejected; as, waste land; waste paper.

But his waste words returned to him in vain.

Spenser.

Not a waste or needless sound, Till we come to holier ground.

Milton.

Ill day which made this beauty waste.

Emerson.

3. Lost for want of occupiers or use; superfluous.

And strangled with her waste fertility.

Milton.

Waste gate, a gate by which the superfluous water of a reservoir, or the like, is discharged. — Waste paper. See under Paper. — Waste pipe, a pipe for carrying off waste, or superfluous, water or other fluids. Specifically: (a) (Steam Boilers) An escape pipe. See under Escape. (b) (Plumbing) The outlet pipe at the bottom of a bowl, tub, sink, or the like. — Waste steam. (a) Steam which escapes the air. (b) Exhaust steam. — Waste trap, a trap for a waste pipe, as of a sink.

Waste, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wasted; p. pr. & vb. n. Wasting.] [OE. wasten, OF. waster, guaster, gaster, F. gâter to spoil, L. vastare to devastate, to lay waste, fr. vastus waste, desert, uncultivated, ravaged, vast, but influenced by a kindred German word; cf. OHG. wuosten, G. wüsten, AS. wstan. See Waste, a.]

1. To bring to ruin; to devastate; to desolate; to destroy.

Thou barren ground, whom winter's wrath hath wasted, Art made a mirror to behold my plight.

Spenser.

The Tiber Insults our walls, and wastes our fruitful grounds.

Dryden.

2. To wear away by degrees; to impair gradually; to diminish by constant loss; to use up; to consume; to spend; to wear out.

Until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness.

Num. xiv. 33.

O, were I able To waste it all myself, and leave ye none!

Milton.

Here condemned To waste eternal days in woe and pain.

Milton.

Wasted by such a course of life, the infirmities of age daily grew on him.

Robertson.

3. To spend unnecessarily or carelessly; to employ prodigally; to expend without valuable result; to apply to useless purposes; to lavish vainly; to squander; to cause to be lost; to destroy by scattering or injury.

The younger son gathered all together, and . . . wasted his substance with riotous living.

Luke xv. 13.

Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air.

Gray.

4. (Law) To damage, impair, or injure, as an estate, voluntarily, or by suffering the buildings, fences, etc., to go to decay.

Syn. — To squander; dissipate; lavish; desolate.

Waste (?), v. i. 1. To be diminished; to lose bulk, substance, strength, value, or the like, gradually; to be consumed; to dwindle; to grow less.

The time wasteth night and day.

Chaucer.

The barrel of meal shall not waste.

1 Kings xvii. 14.

But man dieth, and wasteth away.

Job xiv. 10.

2. (Sporting) To procure or sustain a reduction of flesh; — said of a jockey in preparation for a race, etc.

Waste, n. [OE. waste; cf. the kindred AS. w&?;sten, OHG. w&?;st, wuost, G. wüste. See Waste, a. & v.]

1. The act of wasting, or the state of being wasted; a squandering; needless destruction; useless consumption or expenditure; devastation; loss without equivalent gain; gradual loss or decrease, by use, wear, or decay; as, a waste of property, time, labor, words, etc. "Waste . . . of catel and of time." Chaucer.

For all this waste of wealth loss of blood.

Milton.

He will never . . . in the way of waste, attempt us again.

Shak.

Little wastes in great establishments, constantly occurring, may defeat the energies of a mighty capital.

L. Beecher.

2. That which is wasted or desolate; a devastated, uncultivated, or wild country; a deserted region; an unoccupied or unemployed space; a dreary void; a desert; a wilderness. "The wastes of Nature." Emerson.

All the leafy nation sinks at last, And Vulcan rides in triumph o'er the waste.

Dryden.

The gloomy waste of waters which bears his name is his tomb and his monument.

Bancroft.

3. That which is of no value; worthless remnants; refuse. Specifically: Remnants of cops, or other refuse resulting from the working of cotton, wool, hemp, and the like, used for wiping machinery, absorbing oil in the axle boxes of railway cars, etc.

4. (Law) Spoil, destruction, or injury, done to houses, woods, fences, lands, etc., by a tenant for life or for years, to the prejudice of the heir, or of him in reversion or remainder.

Waste is voluntary, as by pulling down buildings; or permissive, as by suffering them to fall for want of necessary repairs. Whatever does a lasting damage to the freehold is a waste. Blackstone.

5. (Mining) Old or abandoned workings, whether left as vacant space or filled with refuse.

Syn. — Prodigality; diminution; loss; dissipation; destruction; devastation; havoc; desolation; ravage.

Waste"bas`ket (?), n. A basket used in offices, libraries, etc., as a receptacle for waste paper.

Waste"board` (?), n. (Naut.) See Washboard, 3.

Waste"book` (?), n. (Com.) A book in which rough entries of transactions are made, previous to their being carried into the journal.

Waste"ful (?), a. 1. Full of waste; destructive to property; ruinous; as, wasteful practices or negligence; wasteful expenses.

2. Expending, or tending to expend, property, or that which is valuable, in a needless or useless manner; lavish; prodigal; as, a wasteful person; a wasteful disposition.

3. Waste; desolate; unoccupied; untilled. [Obs.]

In wilderness and wasteful desert strayed.

Spenser.

Syn. — Lavish; profuse; prodigal; extravagant.

— Waste"ful*ly, adv. — Waste"ful*ness, n.

Was"tel (?), n. [OF. wastel, gastel, F. gâteau, LL. wastellus, fr. MHG. wastel a kind of bread; cf. OHG. & AS. wist food.] A kind of white and fine bread or cake; — called also wastel bread, and wastel cake. [Obs.]

Roasted flesh or milk and wasted bread.

Chaucer.

The simnel bread and wastel cakes, which were only used at the tables of the highest nobility.

Sir W. Scott.

Waste"ness (?), n. 1. The quality or state of being waste; a desolate state or condition; desolation.

A day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness.

Zeph. i. 15.

2. That which is waste; a desert; a waste. [R.]

Through woods and wasteness wide him daily sought.

Spenser.

Wast"er (?), n. [OE. wastour, OF. wasteor, gasteor. See Waste, v. t.]

1. One who, or that which, wastes; one who squanders; one who consumes or expends extravagantly; a spendthrift; a prodigal.

He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.

Prov. xviii. 9.

Sconces are great wasters of candles.

Swift.

2. An imperfection in the wick of a candle, causing it to waste; — called also a thief. Halliwell.

3. A kind of cudgel; also, a blunt-edged sword used as a foil.

Half a dozen of veneys at wasters with a good fellow for a broken head.

Beau. & Fl.

Being unable to wield the intellectual arms of reason, they are fain to betake them unto wasters.

Sir T. Browne.

Waste"thrift` (?), n. A spendthrift. [Obs.]

Waste"weir` (?), n. An overfall, or weir, for the escape, or overflow, of superfluous water from a canal, reservoir, pond, or the like.

Wast"ing, a. Causing waste; also, undergoing waste; diminishing; as, a wasting disease; a wasting fortune.

Wasting palsy (Med.), progressive muscular atrophy. See under Progressive.

Wast"or, n. A waster; a thief. [Obs. or R.] [Written also wastour.] Chaucer. Southey.

Wast"o*rel (?), n. See Wastrel. [Obs.]

Wast"rel (?), n. 1. Any waste thing or substance; as: (a) Waste land or common land. [Obs.] Carew. (b) A profligate. [Prov. Eng.] (c) A neglected child; a street Arab. [Eng.]

2. Anything cast away as bad or useless, as imperfect bricks, china, etc. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Watch (wch), n. [OE. wacche, AS. wæcce, fr. wacian to wake; akin to D. wacht, waak, G. wacht, wache. √134. See Wake, v. i. ]

1. The act of watching; forbearance of sleep; vigil; wakeful, vigilant, or constantly observant attention; close observation; guard; preservative or preventive vigilance; formerly, a watching or guarding by night.

Shepherds keeping watch by night.

Milton.

All the long night their mournful watch they keep.

Addison.

Watch was formerly distinguished from ward, the former signifying a watching or guarding by night, and the latter a watching, guarding, or protecting by day Hence, they were not unfrequently used together, especially in the phrase to keep watch and ward, to denote continuous and uninterrupted vigilance or protection, or both watching and guarding. This distinction is now rarely recognized, watch being used to signify a watching or guarding both by night and by day, and ward, which is now rarely used, having simply the meaning of guard, or protection, without reference to time.

Still, when she slept, he kept both watch and ward.

Spenser.

Ward, guard, or custodia, is chiefly applied to the daytime, in order to apprehend rioters, and robbers on the highway . . . Watch, is properly applicable to the night only, . . . and it begins when ward ends, and ends when that begins.

Blackstone.

2. One who watches, or those who watch; a watchman, or a body of watchmen; a sentry; a guard.

Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch; go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

Matt. xxvii. 65.

3. The post or office of a watchman; also, the place where a watchman is posted, or where a guard is kept.

He upbraids Iago, that he made him Brave me upon the watch.

Shak.

4. The period of the night during which a person does duty as a sentinel, or guard; the time from the placing of a sentinel till his relief; hence, a division of the night.

I did stand my watch upon the hill.

Shak.

Might we but hear . . . Or whistle from the lodge, or village cock Count the night watches to his feathery dames.

Milton.

5. A small timepiece, or chronometer, to be carried about the person, the machinery of which is moved by a spring.

Watches are often distinguished by the kind of escapement used, as an anchor watch, a lever watch, a chronometer watch, etc. (see the Note under Escapement, n., 3); also, by the kind of case, as a gold or silver watch, an open-faced watch, a hunting watch, or hunter, etc.

6. (Naut.) (a) An allotted portion of time, usually four hour for standing watch, or being on deck ready for duty. Cf. Dogwatch. (b) That part, usually one half, of the officers and crew, who together attend to the working of a vessel for an allotted time, usually four hours. The watches are designated as the port watch, and the starboard watch.

Anchor watch (Naut.), a detail of one or more men who keep watch on deck when a vessel is at anchor. — To be on the watch, to be looking steadily for some event. — Watch and ward (Law), the charge or care of certain officers to keep a watch by night and a guard by day in towns, cities, and other districts, for the preservation of the public peace. Wharton. Burrill. — Watch and watch (Naut.), the regular alternation in being on watch and off watch of the two watches into which a ship's crew is commonly divided. — Watch barrel, the brass box in a watch, containing the mainspring. — Watch bell (Naut.), a bell struck when the half-hour glass is run out, or at the end of each half hour. Craig. — Watch bill (Naut.), a list of the officers and crew of a ship as divided into watches, with their stations. Totten. — Watch case, the case, or outside covering, of a watch; also, a case for holding a watch, or in which it is kept. — Watch chain. Same as watch guard, below. — Watch clock, a watchman's clock; see under Watchman. — Watch fire, a fire lighted at night, as a signal, or for the use of a watch or guard. — Watch glass. (a) A concavo-convex glass for covering the face, or dial, of a watch; — also called watch crystal. (b) (Naut.) A half-hour glass used to measure the time of a watch on deck. — Watch guard, a chain or cord by which a watch is attached to the person. — Watch gun (Naut.), a gun sometimes fired on shipboard at 8 p. m., when the night watch begins. — Watch light, a low-burning lamp used by watchers at night; formerly, a candle having a rush wick. — Watch night, The last night of the year; — so called by the Methodists, Moravians, and others, who observe it by holding religious meetings lasting until after midnight. — Watch paper, an old-fashioned ornament for the inside of a watch case, made of paper cut in some fanciful design, as a vase with flowers, etc. — Watch tackle (Naut.), a small, handy purchase, consisting of a tailed double block, and a single block with a hook.

Watch (?), v. i. [Cf. AS. wœccan, wacian. √134. See Watch, n., Wake, v. i. ]

1. To be awake; to be or continue without sleep; to wake; to keep vigil.

I have two nights watched with you.

Shak.

Couldest thou not watch one hour ?

Mark xiv. 37.

2. To be attentive or vigilant; to give heed; to be on the lookout; to keep guard; to act as sentinel.

Take ye heed, watch and pray.

Mark xiii. 33.

The Son gave signal high To the bright minister that watched.

Milton.

3. To be expectant; to look with expectation; to wait; to seek opportunity.

My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning.

Ps. cxxx. 6.

4. To remain awake with any one as nurse or attendant; to attend on the sick during the night; as, to watch with a man in a fever.

5. (Naut.) To serve the purpose of a watchman by floating properly in its place; — said of a buoy.

To watch over, to be cautiously observant of; to inspect, superintend, and guard.

Watch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Watched (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Watching.]

1. To give heed to; to observe the actions or motions of, for any purpose; to keep in view; not to lose from sight and observation; as, to watch the progress of a bill in the legislature.

Saul also sent messengers unto David's house to watch him, and to slay him.

1 Sam. xix. 11

I must cool a little, and watch my opportunity.

Landor.

In lazy mood I watched the little circles die.

Longfellow.

2. To tend; to guard; to have in keeping.

And flaming ministers, to watch and tend Their earthy charge.

Milton.

Paris watched the flocks in the groves of Ida.

Broome.

<! p. 1631 !>

Watch"dog` (wch"dg`), n. A dog kept to watch and guard premises or property, and to give notice of the approach of intruders.

Watch"er (-r), n. One who watches; one who sits up or continues; a diligent observer; specifically, one who attends upon the sick during the night.

Watch"es (-z), n. pl. (Bot.) The leaves of Saracenia flava. See Trumpets.

Watchet (-t), a. [Probably from F. vaciet bilberry, whortleberry; cf. L. vaccinium blueberry, whortleberry.] Pale or light blue. [Obs.] "Watchet mantles." Spenser.

Who stares in Germany at watchet eyes?

Dryden.

Watch"ful (?), a. Full of watch; vigilant; attentive; careful to observe closely; observant; cautious; — with of before the thing to be regulated or guarded; as, to be watchful of one's behavior; and with against before the thing to be avoided; as, to be watchful against the growth of vicious habits. "Many a watchful night." Shak. "Happy watchful shepherds." Milton.

'Twixt prayer and watchful love his heart dividing.

Keble.

Syn. — Vigilant; attentive; cautious; observant; circumspect; wakeful; heedful.

— Watch"ful*ly, adv. — Watch"ful*ness, n.

Watch"house` (?), n.; pl. Watchhouses (&?;). 1. A house in which a watch or guard is placed.

2. A place where persons under temporary arrest by the police of a city are kept; a police station; a lockup.

Watch"mak`er (?), n. One whose occupation is to make and repair watches.

Watch"man (?), n.; pl. Watchmen (&?;).

1. One set to watch; a person who keeps guard; a guard; a sentinel.

2. Specifically, one who guards a building, or the streets of a city, by night.

Watchman beetle (Zoöl.), the European dor. — Watchman's clock, a watchman's detector in which the apparatus for recording the times of visiting several stations is contained within a single clock. — Watchman's detector, or Watchman's time detector, an apparatus for recording the time when a watchman visits a station on his rounds. — Watchman's rattle, an instrument having at the end of a handle a revolving arm, which, by the action of a strong spring upon cogs, produces, when in motion, a loud, harsh, rattling sound.

Watch"tow`er (?), n. A tower in which a sentinel is placed to watch for enemies, the approach of danger, or the like.

Watch"word` (?), n. 1. A word given to sentinels, and to such as have occasion to visit the guards, used as a signal by which a friend is known from an enemy, or a person who has a right to pass the watch from one who has not; a countersign; a password.

2. A sentiment or motto; esp., one used as a rallying cry or a signal for action.

Nor deal in watchwords overmuch.

Tennyson.

Wa"ter (w"tr), n. [AS. wæter; akin to OS. watar, OFries. wetir, weter, LG. & D. water, G. wasser, OHG. wazzar, Icel. vatn, Sw. vatten, Dan. vand, Goth. wat, O. Slav. & Russ. voda, Gr. 'y`dwr, Skr. udan water, ud to wet, and perhaps to L. unda wave. √137. Cf. Dropsy, Hydra, Otter, Wet, Whisky.] 1. The fluid which descends from the clouds in rain, and which forms rivers, lakes, seas, etc. "We will drink water." Shak. "Powers of fire, air, water, and earth." Milton.

Pure water consists of hydrogen and oxygen, H2O, and is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, transparent liquid, which is very slightly compressible. At its maximum density, 39° Fahr. or 4° C., it is the standard for specific gravities, one cubic centimeter weighing one gram. It freezes at 32° Fahr. or 0° C. and boils at 212° Fahr. or 100° C. (see Ice, Steam). It is the most important natural solvent, and is frequently impregnated with foreign matter which is mostly removed by distillation; hence, rain water is nearly pure. It is an important ingredient in the tissue of animals and plants, the human body containing about two thirds its weight of water.

2. A body of water, standing or flowing; a lake, river, or other collection of water.

Remembering he had passed over a small water a poor scholar when first coming to the university, he kneeled.

Fuller.

3. Any liquid secretion, humor, or the like, resembling water; esp., the urine.

4. (Pharm.) A solution in water of a gaseous or readily volatile substance; as, ammonia water. U. S. Pharm.

5. The limpidity and luster of a precious stone, especially a diamond; as, a diamond of the first water, that is, perfectly pure and transparent. Hence, of the first water, that is, of the first excellence.

6. A wavy, lustrous pattern or decoration such as is imparted to linen, silk, metals, etc. See Water, v. t., 3, Damask, v. t., and Damaskeen.

7. An addition to the shares representing the capital of a stock company so that the aggregate par value of the shares is increased while their value for investment is diminished, or "diluted." [Brokers' Cant]

Water is often used adjectively and in the formation of many self-explaining compounds; as, water drainage; water gauge, or water-gauge; waterfowl, water-fowl, or water fowl; water-beaten; water-borne, water- circled, water-girdled, water-rocked, etc.

Hard water. See under Hard. — Inch of water, a unit of measure of quantity of water, being the quantity which will flow through an orifice one inch square, or a circular orifice one inch in diameter, in a vertical surface, under a stated constant head; also called miner's inch, and water inch. The shape of the orifice and the head vary in different localities. In the Western United States, for hydraulic mining, the standard aperture is square and the head from 4 to 9 inches above its center. In Europe, for experimental hydraulics, the orifice is usually round and the head from of an inch to 1 inch above its top. — Mineral water, waters which are so impregnated with foreign ingredients, such as gaseous, sulphureous, and saline substances, as to give them medicinal properties, or a particular flavor or temperature. — Soft water, water not impregnated with lime or mineral salts. — To hold water. See under Hold, v. t. — To keep one's head above water, to keep afloat; fig., to avoid failure or sinking in the struggles of life. [Colloq.] — To make water. (a) To pass urine. Swift. (b) (Naut.) To admit water; to leak. — Water of crystallization (Chem.), the water combined with many salts in their crystalline form. This water is loosely, but, nevertheless, chemically, combined, for it is held in fixed and definite amount for each substance containing it. Thus, while pure copper sulphate, CuSO4, is a white amorphous substance, blue vitriol, the crystallized form, CuSO4.5H2O, contains five molecules of water of crystallization. — Water on the brain (Med.), hydrocephalus. — Water on the chest (Med.), hydrothorax.

Other phrases, in which water occurs as the first element, will be found in alphabetical order in the Vocabulary.

Wa"ter (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Watered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Watering.] [AS. wæterian, gewæterian.]

1. To wet or supply with water; to moisten; to overflow with water; to irrigate; as, to water land; to water flowers.

With tears watering the ground.

Milton.

Men whose lives gilded on like rivers that water the woodlands.

Longfellow.

2. To supply with water for drink; to cause or allow to drink; as, to water cattle and horses.

3. To wet and calender, as cloth, so as to impart to it a lustrous appearance in wavy lines; to diversify with wavelike lines; as, to water silk. Cf. Water, n., 6.

4. To add water to (anything), thereby extending the quantity or bulk while reducing the strength or quality; to extend; to dilute; to weaken.

To water stock, to increase the capital stock of a company by issuing new stock, thus diminishing the value of the individual shares. Cf. Water, n., 7. [Brokers' Cant]

Wa"ter, v. i. 1. To shed, secrete, or fill with, water or liquid matter; as, his eyes began to water.

If thine eyes can water for his death.

Shak.

2. To get or take in water; as, the ship put into port to water.

The mouth waters, a phrase denoting that a person or animal has a longing desire for something, since the sight of food often causes one who is hungry to have an increased flow of saliva.

Wa"ter ad"der (?). (Zoöl.) (a) The water moccasin. (b) The common, harmless American water snake (Tropidonotus sipedon). See Illust. under Water Snake.

Wa"ter*age (?; 48), n. Money paid for transportation of goods, etc., by water. [Eng.]

Wa"ter ag"ri*mo*ny (?). (Bot.) A kind of bur marigold (Bidens tripartita) found in wet places in Europe.

Wa"ter al"oe (?). (Bot.) See Water soldier.

Wa"ter an"te*lope (?). See Water buck.

Wa"ter a"rum (?). (Bot.) An aroid herb (Calla palustris) having a white spathe. It is an inhabitant of the north temperate zone.

Wa"ter back` (?). See under 1st Back.

Wa"ter bail"iff (?). An officer of the customs, whose duty it is to search vessels. [Eng.]

Wa"ter bal"last (?). (Naut.) Water confined in specially constructed compartments in a vessel's hold, to serve as ballast.

Wa"ter ba*rom"e*ter (?). (Physics) A barometer in which the changes of atmospheric pressure are indicated by the motion of a column of water instead of mercury. It requires a column of water about thirty-three feet in height.

Wa"ter bath` (?). A device for regulating the temperature of anything subjected to heat, by surrounding the vessel containing it with another vessel containing water which can be kept at a desired temperature; also, a vessel designed for this purpose.

Wa"ter bat"ter*y (?). 1. (Elec.) A voltaic battery in which the exciting fluid is water.

2. (Mil.) A battery nearly on a level with the water.

Wa"ter bear` (?). (Zoöl.) Any species of Tardigrada, 2. See Illust. of Tardigrada.

Wa"ter-bear`er (?), n. (Astron.) The constellation Aquarius.

Wa"ter bed` (?). A kind of mattress made of, or covered with, waterproof fabric and filled with water. It is used in hospitals for bedridden patients.

Wa"ter beech` (?). (Bot.) The American hornbeam. See Hornbeam.

Wa"ter bee"tle (?). (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of aquatic beetles belonging to Dytiscus and allied genera of the family Dytiscidæ, and to various genera of the family Hydrophilidæ. These beetles swim with great agility, the fringed hind legs acting together like oars.

Wa"ter bel"lows (?). Same as Tromp.

Wa"ter bird` (?). (Zoöl.) Any aquatic bird; a water fowl.

Wa"ter black"bird (?). (Zoöl.) The European water ousel, or dipper.

Wa"ter*board` (?), n. A board set up to windward in a boat, to keep out water. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

Wa"ter boat`man (?). (Zoöl.) A boat bug.

Wa"ter*bok` (?), n. [D.] (Zoöl.) A water buck.

Wa"ter-bound` (?), a. Prevented by a flood from proceeding.

Wa"ter brain` (?). A disease of sheep; gid.

Wa"ter brash` (?). (Med.) See under Brash.

Wa"ter breath"er (?). (Zoöl.) Any arthropod that breathes by means of gills.

Wa"ter bridge` (?). (Steam Boilers) See Water table.

Wa"ter buck` (?). (Zoöl.) A large, heavy antelope (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) native of Central Africa. It frequents the banks of rivers and is a good swimmer. It has a white ring around the rump. Called also photomok, water antelope, and waterbok.

The name is also applied to other related species, as the leche (Kobus leche), which has similar habits.

Wa"ter buf"fa*lo (?). (Zoöl.) The European buffalo.

Wa"ter bug` (?). (Zoöl.) (a) The Croton bug. (b) Any one of numerous species of large, rapacious, aquatic, hemipterous insects belonging to Belostoma, Benacus, Zaitha, and other genera of the family Belostomatidæ. Their hind legs are long and fringed, and act like oars. Some of these insects are of great size, being among the largest existing Hemiptera. Many of them come out of the water and fly about at night.

Wa"ter butt` (?). A large, open-headed cask, set up on end, to contain water. Dickens.

Wa"ter cal"trop (?). (Bot.) The water chestnut.

Wa"ter can` (?). (Bot.) Any one of several species of Nuphar; the yellow frog lily; — so called from the shape of the seed vessel. See Nuphar, and cf. Candock. Dr. Prior.

Wa"ter can"ker (?). (Med.) See Canker, n., 1.

Wa"ter car"riage (?). 1. Transportation or conveyance by water; means of transporting by water.

2. A vessel or boat. [Obs.] Arbuthnot.

Wa"ter cart` (?). A cart carrying water; esp., one carrying water for sale, or for sprinkling streets, gardens, etc.

Wa"ter ca"vy (?). (Zoöl.) The capybara.

Wa"ter cel"er*y (?). (Bot.) A very acrid herb (Ranunculus sceleratus) growing in ditches and wet places; — called also cursed crowfoot.

Wa"ter cell` (?). A cell containing water; specifically (Zoöl.), one of the cells or chambers in which water is stored up in the stomach of a camel.

Wa"ter ce*ment" (?). Hydraulic cement.

Wa"ter chest"nut (?). (Bot.) The fruit of Trapa natans and Trapa bicornis, Old World water plants bearing edible nutlike fruits armed with several hard and sharp points; also, the plant itself; — called also water caltrop.

Wa"ter chev`ro*tain" (?). (Zoöl.) A large West African chevrotain (Hyæmoschus aquaticus). It has a larger body and shorter legs than the other allied species. Called also water deerlet.

Wa"ter chick"en (?). (Zoöl.) The common American gallinule.

Wa"ter chick"weed` (?). (Bot.) A small annual plant (Montia fontana) growing in wet places in southern regions.

Wa"ter chin"qua*pin (?). (Bot.) The American lotus, and its edible seeds, which somewhat resemble chinquapins. Cf. Yoncopin.

Wa"ter clock` (?). An instrument or machine serving to measure time by the fall, or flow, of a certain quantity of water; a clepsydra.

Wa"ter-clos`et (?), n. A privy; especially, a privy furnished with a contrivance for introducing a stream of water to cleanse it.

Wa"ter cock` (?). (Zoöl.) A large gallinule (Gallicrex cristatus) native of Australia, India, and the East Indies. In the breeding season the male is black and has a fleshy red caruncle, or horn, on the top of its head. Called also kora.

Wa"ter col`or (?). (Paint.) 1. A color ground with water and gum or other glutinous medium; a color the vehicle of which is water; — so called in distinction from oil color.

It preserves its consistency when dried in a solid cake, which is used by rubbing off a portion on a moistened palette. Moist water colors are water colors kept in a semifluid or pasty state in little metal tubes or pans.

2. A picture painted with such colors.

Wa"ter-col`or*ist, n. One who paints in water colors.

Wa"ter course` (?). 1. A stream of water; a river or brook. Isa. xliv. 4.

2. A natural channel for water; also, a canal for the conveyance of water, especially in draining lands.

3. (Law) A running stream of water having a bed and banks; the easement one may have in the flowing of such a stream in its accustomed course. A water course may be sometimes dry. Angell. Burrill.

Wa"ter craft` (?). Any vessel or boat plying on water; vessels and boats, collectively.

Wa"ter crake` (?). (Zoöl.) (a) The dipper. (b) The spotted crake (Porzana maruetta). See Illust. of Crake. (c) The swamp hen, or crake, of Australia.

<! p. 1632 !>

Wa"ter crane` (?). A goose-neck apparatus for supplying water from an elevated tank, as to the tender of a locomotive.

Wa"ter cress` (?). (Bot.) A perennial cruciferous herb (Nasturtium officinale) growing usually in clear running or spring water. The leaves are pungent, and used for salad and as an antiscorbutic.

Wa"ter crow` (?). [So called in allusion to its dark plumage.] (Zoöl.) (a) The dipper. (b) The European coot.

Wa"ter crow"foot` (?). (Bot.) An aquatic kind of buttercup (Ranunculus aquatilis), used as food for cattle in parts of England.

Great water crowfoot, an American water plant (Ranunculus multifidus), having deep yellow flowers.

Wa"ter cure` (?). 1. (Med.) Hydropathy.

2. A hydropathic institution.

Wa"ter deck` (?). A covering of painting canvas for the equipments of a dragoon's horse. Wilhelm.

Wa"ter deer` (?). (Zoöl.) (a) A small Chinese deer (Hydropotes inermis). Both sexes are destitute of antlers, but the male has large, descending canine tusks. (b) The water chevrotain.

Wa"ter deer"let (?). See Water chevrotain.

Wa"ter dev"il (?). (Zoöl.) The rapacious larva of a large water beetle (Hydrophilus piceus), and of other similar species. See Illust. of Water beetle.

Wa"ter dock` (?). (Bot.) A tall, coarse dock growing in wet places. The American water dock is Rumex orbiculatus, the European is R. Hydrolapathum.

Wa"ter doc"tor (?). (Med.) (a) One who professes to be able to divine diseases by inspection of the urine. (b) A physician who treats diseases with water; an hydropathist.

Wa"ter dog` (?). 1. (Zoöl.) A dog accustomed to the water, or trained to retrieve waterfowl. Retrievers, waters spaniels, and Newfoundland dogs are so trained.

2. (Zoöl.) The menobranchus.

3. A small floating cloud, supposed to indicate rain.

4. A sailor, esp. an old sailor; an old salt. [Colloq.]

Wa"ter drain` (?). A drain or channel for draining off water.

Wa"ter drain"age (?; 48). The draining off of water.

Wa"ter dress"ing (?). (Med.) The treatment of wounds or ulcers by the application of water; also, a dressing saturated with water only, for application to a wound or an ulcer.

Wa"ter drop"wort` (?). (Bot.) A European poisonous umbelliferous plant (Enanthe fistulosa) with large hollow stems and finely divided leaves.

Wa"ter ea"gle (?). (Zoöl.) The osprey.

Wa"ter el"der (?). (Bot.) The guelder- rose.

Wa"ter el"e*phant (?). (Zoöl.) The hippopotamus. [R.]

Wa"ter en"gine (?). An engine to raise water; or an engine moved by water; also, an engine or machine for extinguishing fires; a fire engine.

Wa"ter*er (?), n. One who, or that which, waters.

Wa"ter*fall` (?), n. 1. A fall, or perpendicular descent, of the water of a river or stream, or a descent nearly perpendicular; a cascade; a cataract.

2. (Hairdressing) An arrangement of a woman's back hair over a cushion or frame in some resemblance to a waterfall.

3. A certain kind of neck scarf. T. Hughes.

{ Wa"ter feath"er (?). Wa"ter feath"er-foil` (?). } (Bot.) The water violet (Hottonia palustris); also, the less showy American plant H. inflata.

Wa"ter flag` (?). (Bot.) A European species of Iris (Iris Pseudacorus) having bright yellow flowers.

Wa"ter flan"nel (?). (Bot.) A floating mass formed in pools by the entangled filaments of a European fresh-water alga (Cladophora crispata).

Wa"ter flea` (?). (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small aquatic Entomostraca belonging to the genera Cyclops, Daphnia, etc; — so called because they swim with sudden leaps, or starts.

Wa"ter*flood` (?), n. [AS. wæterfld.] A flood of water; an inundation.

Wa"ter floun"der (?). (Zoöl.) The windowpane (Pleuronectes maculatus). [Local, U. S.]

Wa"ter*fowl` (?), n. Any bird that frequents the water, or lives about rivers, lakes, etc., or on or near the sea; an aquatic fowl; — used also collectively.

Of aquatic fowls, some are waders, or furnished with long legs; others are swimmers, or furnished with webbed feet.

Wa"ter fox` (?). (Zoöl.) The carp; — so called on account of its cunning. Walton.

Wa"ter frame` (?). A name given to the first power spinning machine, because driven by water power.

Wa"ter fur"row (?). (Agric.) A deep furrow for conducting water from the ground, and keeping the surface soil dry.

Wa"ter-fur"row, v. t. To make water furrows in.

Wa"ter gage` (?). See Water gauge.

Wa"ter gall` (?). 1. A cavity made in the earth by a torrent of water; a washout.

2. A watery appearance in the sky, accompanying the rainbow; a secondary or broken rainbow.

These water galls, in her dim element, Foretell new storms to those already spent.

Shak.

False good news are [is] always produced by true good, like the water gall by the rainbow.

Walpole.

Wa"ter gang` (?). (O. E. Law) A passage for water, such as was usually made in a sea wall, to drain water out of marshes. Burrill.

Wa"ter gas` (?). (Chem.) See under Gas.

Wa"ter gate` (?). A gate, or valve, by which a flow of water is permitted, prevented, or regulated.

Wa"ter gauge` (?). [Written also water gage.]

1. A wall or bank to hold water back. Craig.

2. An instrument for measuring or ascertaining the depth or quantity of water, or for indicating the height of its surface, as in the boiler of a steam engine. See Gauge.

Wa"ter gav"el (?). (O. Eng. Law) A gavel or rent paid for a privilege, as of fishing, in some river or water.

Wa"ter ger*man"der (?). (Bot.) A labiate plant (Teucrium Scordium) found in marshy places in Europe.

Wa"ter gild"ing (?). The act, or the process, of gilding metallic surfaces by covering them with a thin coating of amalgam of gold, and then volatilizing the mercury by heat; — called also wash gilding.

Wa"ter glass` (?). (Chem.) See Soluble glass, under Glass.

Wa"ter god` (?). (Myth.) A fabulous deity supposed to dwell in, and preside over, some body of water.

Wa"ter gru"el (?). A liquid food composed of water and a small portion of meal, or other farinaceous substance, boiled and seasoned.

Wa"ter ham"mer (?). (Physics) 1. A vessel partly filled with water, exhausted of air, and hermetically sealed. When reversed or shaken, the water being unimpeded by air, strikes the sides in solid mass with a sound like that of a hammer.

2. A concussion, or blow, made by water in striking, as against the sides of a pipe or vessel containing it.

Wa"ter hare (?). (Zoöl.) A small American hare or rabbit (Lepus aquaticus) found on or near the southern coasts of the United States; — called also water rabbit, and swamp hare.

Wa"ter hem"lock (?). (Bot) (a) A poisonous umbelliferous plant (Cicuta virosa) of Europe; also, any one of several plants of that genus. (b) A poisonous plant (Œnanthe crocata) resembling the above.

Wa"ter hemp` (?). (Bot.) See under Hemp.

Wa"ter hen` (?). 1. (Zoöl.) Any gallinule.

2. (Zoöl.) The common American coot.

Wa"ter hog` (?). (Zoöl.) The capybara.

Wa"ter hore"hound` (?). (Bot.) Bugleweed.

Wa"ter*horse` (?), n. A pile of salted fish heaped up to drain.

Wa"ter hy"a*cinth (?). (Bot.) Either of several tropical aquatic plants of the genus Eichhornia, related to the pickerel weed.

Wa"ter ice` (?). Water flavored, sweetened, and frozen, to be eaten as a confection.

Wa"ter*ie (?), n. (Zoöl.) The pied wagtail; — so called because it frequents ponds.

Wa"ter inch` (?). Same as Inch of water, under Water.

Wa"ter*i*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being watery; moisture; humidity.

Wa"ter*ing, a. & n. from Water, v.

Watering call (Mil.), a sound of trumpet or bugle summoning cavalry soldiers to assemble for the purpose of watering their horses. — Watering cart, a sprinkling cart. See Water. — Watering place. (a) A place where water may be obtained, as for a ship, for cattle, etc. (b) A place where there are springs of medicinal water, or a place by the sea, or by some large body of water, to which people resort for bathing, recreation, boating, etc. - - Watering pot. (a) A kind of bucket fitted with a rose, or perforated nozzle, — used for watering flowers, paths, etc. (b) (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of marine bivalve shells of the genus Aspergillum, or Brechites. The valves are small, and consolidated with the capacious calcareous tube which incases the entire animal. The tube is closed at the anterior end by a convex disk perforated by numerous pores, or tubules, and resembling the rose of a watering pot. — Watering trough, a trough from which cattle, horses, and other animals drink.

Wa"ter*ish, a. [AS. wæterisc.] 1. Resembling water; thin; watery.

Feed upon such nice and waterish diet.

Shak.

2. Somewhat watery; moist; as, waterish land.

Wa"ter*ish*ness, n. The quality of being waterish.

Wa"ter joint` (?). (Arch.) A joint in a stone pavement where the stones are left slightly higher than elsewhere, the rest of the surface being sunken or dished. The raised surface is intended to prevent the settling of water in the joints.

Wa"ter jun"ket (?). (Zoöl.) The common sandpiper.

Wa"ter-laid` (?), a. Having a left-hand twist; — said of cordage; as, a water-laid, or left-hand, rope.

{ Wa`ter*land"er (?), Wa`ter*land"i*an (?) } n. (Eccl. Hist.) One of a body of Dutch Anabaptists who separated from the Mennonites in the sixteenth century; — so called from a district in North Holland denominated Waterland.

Wa"ter la"ver*ock (?). (Zoöl.) The common sandpiper.

Wa"ter*leaf` (?), n. (Bot.) Any plant of the American genus Hydrophyllum, herbs having white or pale blue bell-shaped flowers. Gray.

Wa"ter leg` (?). (Steam Boilers) See Leg, 7.

Wa"ter lem"on (?). (Bot.) The edible fruit of two species of passion flower (Passiflora laurifolia, and P. maliformis); — so called in the West Indies.

Wa"ter*less, a. Destitute of water; dry. Chaucer.

Wa"ter let"tuce (?). (Bot.) A plant (Pistia stratiotes) which floats on tropical waters, and forms a rosette of spongy, wedge-shaped leaves. J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants).

Wa"ter lev"el (?). 1. The level formed by the surface of still water.

2. A kind of leveling instrument. See under Level, n.

Wa"ter lil`y (?). (Bot.) A blossom or plant of any species of the genus Nymphæa, distinguished for its large floating leaves and beautiful flowers. See Nymphæa.

The name is extended to various plants of other related genera, as Nuphar, Euryale, Nelumbo, and Victoria. See Euryale, Lotus, and Victoria, 1.

Wa"ter lime` (?). Hydraulic lime.

Wa"ter line` (?). 1. (Shipbuilding) Any one of certain lines of a vessel, model, or plan, parallel with the surface of the water at various heights from the keel.

In a half-breadth plan, the water lines are outward curves showing the horizontal form of the ship at their several heights; in a sheer plan, they are projected as straight horizontal lines.

2. (Naut.) Any one of several lines marked upon the outside of a vessel, corresponding with the surface of the water when she is afloat on an even keel. The lowest line indicates the vessel's proper submergence when not loaded, and is called the light water line; the highest, called the load water line, indicates her proper submergence when loaded.

Water-line model (Shipbuilding), a model of a vessel formed of boards which are shaped according to the water lines as shown in the plans and laid upon each other to form a solid model.

Wa"ter liz"ard (?). (Zoöl.) Any aquatic lizard of the genus Varanus, as the monitor of the Nile. See Monitor, n., 3.

Wa"ter lo"cust (?). (Bot.) A thorny leguminous tree (Gleditschia monosperma) which grows in the swamps of the Mississippi valley.

Wa"ter-logged (?), a. Filled or saturated with water so as to be heavy, unmanageable, or loglike; — said of a vessel, when, by receiving a great quantity of water into her hold, she has become so heavy as not to be manageable by the helm.

Wa"ter*man, n.; pl. Watermen (&?;).

1. A man who plies for hire on rivers, lakes, or canals, or in harbors, in distinction from a seaman who is engaged on the high seas; a man who manages fresh-water craft; a boatman; a ferryman.

2. An attendant on cab stands, etc., who supplies water to the horses. [Eng.] Dickens.

3. A water demon. Tylor.

Wa"ter*mark` (?), n. 1. A mark indicating the height to which water has risen, or at which it has stood; the usual limit of high or low water.

2. A letter, device, or the like, wrought into paper during the process of manufacture.

"The watermark in paper is produced by bending the wires of the mold, or by wires bent into the shape of the required letter or device, and sewed to the surface of the mold; — it has the effect of making the paper thinner in places. The old makers employed watermarks of an eccentric kind. Those of Caxton and other early printers were an oxhead and star, a collared dog's head, a crown, a shield, a jug, etc. A fool's cap and bells, employed as a watermark, gave the name to foolscap paper; a postman's horn, such as was formerly in use, gave the name to post paper." Tomlinson.

3. (Naut.) See Water line, 2. [R.]

Wa"ter mead"ow (?). (Agric.) A meadow, or piece of low, flat land, capable of being kept in a state of fertility by being overflowed with water from some adjoining river or stream.

Wa"ter meas"ure (?). A measure formerly used for articles brought by water, as coals, oysters, etc. The water-measure bushel was three gallons larger than the Winchester bushel. Cowell.

Wa"ter meas"ur*er (?). (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of water; the skater. See Skater, n., 2.

Wa"ter*mel`on (?), n. (Bot.) The very large ovoid or roundish fruit of a cucurbitaceous plant (Citrullus vulgaris) of many varieties; also, the plant itself. The fruit sometimes weighs many pounds; its pulp is usually pink in color, and full of a sweet watery juice. It is a native of tropical Africa, but is now cultivated in many countries. See Illust. of Melon.

Wa"ter me"ter (?). A contrivance for measuring a supply of water delivered or received for any purpose, as from a street main.

Wa"ter mil"foil (?). (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Myriophyllum, aquatic herbs with whorled leaves, the submersed ones pinnately parted into capillary divisions.

Wa"ter mill` (?). A mill whose machinery is moved by water; — distinguished from a windmill, and a steam mill.

Wa"ter mint` (?). A kind of mint (Mentha aquatica) growing in wet places, and sometimes having a perfume resembling bergamot.

Wa"ter mite` (?). (Zoöl.) Any of numerous species of aquatic mites belonging to Hydrachna and allied genera of the family Hydrachnidæ, usually having the legs fringed and adapted for swimming. They are often red or red and black in color, and while young are parasites of fresh-water insects and mussels. Called also water tick, and water spider.

<! p. 1633 !>

Wa"ter moc"ca*sin (?). (Zoöl.) A venomous North American snake (Ancistrodon piscivorus) allied to the rattlesnake but destitute of a rattle. It lives in or about pools and ponds, and feeds largely of fishes. Called also water snake, water adder, water viper.

Wa"ter mole` (?). (Zoöl.) (a) The shrew mole. See under Shrew. (b) The duck mole. See under Duck.

Wa"ter mon"i*tor (?). (Zoöl.) A very large lizard (Varanaus salvator) native of India. It frequents the borders of streams and swims actively. It becomes five or six feet long. Called also two-banded monitor, and kabaragoya. The name is also applied to other aquatic monitors.

Wa"ter mo"tor (?). 1. A water engine.

2. A water wheel; especially, a small water wheel driven by water from a street main.

Wa"ter mouse` (?). (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of mice belonging to the genus Hydromys, native of Australia and Tasmania. Their hind legs are strong and their toes partially webbed. They live on the borders of streams, and swim well. They are remarkable as being the only rodents found in Australia.

Wa"ter mur"rain (?). A kind of murrain affecting cattle. Crabb.

Wa"ter newt` (?). (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of aquatic salamanders; a triton.

Wa"ter nymph` (?). 1. (Myth.) A goddess of any stream or other body of water, whether one of the Naiads, Nereids, or Oceanides.

2. (Bot.) A water lily (Nymphæa).

Wa"ter oat` (?). Indian rice. See under Rice.

Wa"ter o*pos"sum (?). (Zoöl.) See Yapock, and the Note under Opossum.

Wa"ter or"de*al (?). Same as Ordeal by water. See the Note under Ordeal, n., 1.

{ Wa"ter ou"sel (?), Wa"ter ou"zel }. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of small insessorial birds of the genus Cinclus (or Hydrobates), especially the European water ousel (C. aquaticus), and the American water ousel (C. Mexicanus). These birds live about the water, and are in the habit of walking on the bottom of streams beneath the water in search of food.

Wa"ter pars"nip (?). (Bot.) Any plant of the aquatic umbelliferous genus Sium, poisonous herbs with pinnate or dissected leaves and small white flowers.

Wa"ter par"tridge (?). (Zoöl.) The ruddy duck. [Local, U. S.]

Wa"ter pen"ny*wort` (?). (Bot.) Marsh pennywort. See under Marsh.

Wa"ter pep"per (?). (Bot.) (a) Smartweed. (b) Waterwort.

Wa"ter pheas"ant (?). (Zoöl.) (a) The pintail. See Pintail, n., 1. (b) The goosander. (c) The hooded merganser.

Wa"ter pi"et (?). (Zoöl.) The water ousel.

Wa"ter pig` (?). 1. (Zoöl.) The capybara.

2. (Zoöl.) The gourami.

Wa"ter pil"lar (?). A waterspout. [Obs.]

Wa"ter pim"per*nel (?). (Bot.) A small white- flowered shrub; brookweed.

Wa"ter pipe (?). A pipe for conveying water.

Wa"ter pitch"er (?). 1. A pitcher for water.

2. (Bot.) One of a family of plants having pitcher-shaped leaves. The sidesaddle flower (Sarracenia purpurea) is the type.

Wa"ter plant` (?). A plant that grows in water; an aquatic plant.

Wa"ter plan"tain (?). (Bot.) A kind of plant with acrid leaves. See under 2d Plantain.

Wa"ter plate` (?). A plate heated by hot water contained in a double bottom or jacket. Knight.

Wa"ter po"a (?). (Bot.) Meadow reed grass. See under Reed.

Wa"ter poise` (?). A hydrometer.

Wa"ter pore` (?), 1. (Zoöl.) A pore by which the water tubes of various invertebrates open externally.

2. (Bot.) One of certain minute pores in the leaves of some plants. They are without true guardian cells, but in other respects closely resemble ordinary stomata. Goodale.

Wa"ter*pot` (?), n. A vessel for holding or conveying water, or for sprinkling water on cloth, plants, etc.

Wa"ter pow"er (?). 1. The power of water employed to move machinery, etc.

2. A fall of water which may be used to drive machinery; a site for a water mill; a water privilege.

Wa"ter pox` (?). (Med.) A variety of chicken pox, or varicella. Dunglison.

Wa"ter priv"i*lege (?). The advantage of using water as a mechanical power; also, the place where water is, or may be, so used. See under Privilege.

Wa"ter*proof` (?), a. Proof against penetration or permeation by water; impervious to water; as, a waterproof garment; a waterproof roof.

Wa"ter*proof`, n. 1. A substance or preparation for rendering cloth, leather, etc., impervious to water.

2. Cloth made waterproof, or any article made of such cloth, or of other waterproof material, as rubber; esp., an outer garment made of such material.

Wa"ter*proof` (?), v. t. To render impervious to water, as cloth, leather, etc.

Wa"ter*proof`ing, n. 1. The act or process of making waterproof.

2. Same as Waterproof, n., 1.

Wa"ter purs"lane (?). (Bot.) See under Purslane.

Wa"ter qualm` (?). (Med.) See Water brash, under Brash.

Wa"ter rab"bit (?). (Zoöl.) See Water hare.

Wa"ter rad"ish (?). (Bot.) A coarse yellow-flowered plant (Nasturtium amphibium) related to the water cress and to the horse-radish.

Wa"ter rail` (?). (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of rails of the genus Rallus, as the common European species (Rallus aquaticus). See Illust. of Rail.

Wa"ter ram` (?). An hydraulic ram.

Wa"ter rat` (?). 1. (Zoöl.) (a) The water vole. See under Vole. (b) The muskrat. (c) The beaver rat. See under Beaver.

2. A thief on the water; a pirate.

Wa"ter rate` (?). A rate or tax for a supply of water.

{ Wa"ter rat"tle (?). Wa"ter rat"tler (?). } (Zoöl.) The diamond rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus); — so called from its preference for damp places near water.

Wa"ter-ret` (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Water-retted; p. pr. & vb. n. Water-retting.] To ret, or rot, in water, as flax; to water- rot.

Wa"ter rice" (?). Indian rice. See under Rice.

Wa"ter rock"et (?). 1. (Bot.) A cruciferous plant (Nasturtium sylvestre) with small yellow flowers.

2. A kind of firework to be discharged in the water.

Wa"ter-rot` (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Water-rotted; p. pr. & vb. n. Water-rotting.] To rot by steeping in water; to water-ret; as, to water-rot hemp or flax.

Wa"ter sail` (?). (Naut.) A small sail sometimes set under a studding sail or under a driver boom, and reaching nearly to the water.

Wa"ter sap"phire (?). [Equiv. to F. saphir d'eau.] (Min.) A deep blue variety of iolite, sometimes used as a gem; — called also saphir d'eau.

Wa"ter*scape" (?), n. [Cf. Landscape.] A sea view; — distinguished from landscape. [Jocose] Fairholt.

Wa"ter scor"pi*on (?). (Zoöl.) See Nepa.

Wa"ter screw` (?). A screw propeller.

Wa"ter*shed` (?), n. [Cf. G. wasserscheide; wasser water + scheide a place where two things separate, fr. scheiden to separate.]

1. The whole region or extent of country which contributes to the supply of a river or lake.

2. The line of division between two adjacent rivers or lakes with respect to the flow of water by natural channels into them; the natural boundary of a basin.

Wa"ter shield` (?). (Bot.) An aquatic American plant (Brasenia peltata) having floating oval leaves, and the covered with a clear jelly.

Wa"ter*shoot` (?), n. 1. A sprig or shoot from the root or stock of a tree. [Obs.]

2. (Arch.) That which serves to guard from falling water; a drip or dripstone.

3. A trough for discharging water.

Wa"ter shrew` (?). (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of shrews having fringed feet and capable of swimming actively. The two common European species (Crossopus fodiens, and C. ciliatus) are the best known. The most common American water shrew, or marsh shrew (Neosorex palustris), is rarely seen, owing to its nocturnal habits.

Wa"ter snail` (?). 1. (Zoöl.) Any aquatic pulmonate gastropod belonging to Planorbis, Limnæa, and allied genera; a pond snail.

2. (Mech.) The Archimedean screw. [R.]

Wa"ter snake` (?). (Zoöl.) (a) A common North American colubrine snake (Tropidonotus sipedon) which lives chiefly in the water. (b) Any species of snakes of the family Homalopsidæ, all of which are aquatic in their habits.

Wa"ter-soak` (?), v. t. To soak water; to fill the interstices of with water.

Wa"ter sol`dier (?). (Bot.) An aquatic European plant (Stratiotes aloides) with bayonet-shaped leaves.

Wa"ter souch`y (?). (Cookery) A dish consisting of small fish stewed and served in a little water. [Written also water souchet.] See Zoutch.

Wa"ter span"iel (?). A curly-haired breed of spaniels, naturally very fond of the water.

Wa"ter spar"row (?). (Zoöl.) (a) The reed warbler. [Prov. Eng.] (b) The reed bunting. [Prov. Eng.]

Wa"ter speed"well (?). (Bot.) A kind of speedwell (Veronica Anagallis) found in wet places in Europe and America.

Wa"ter spi"der (?). (Zoöl.) (a) An aquatic European spider (Argyoneta aquatica) which constructs its web beneath the surface of the water on water plants. It lives in a bell-shaped structure of silk, open beneath like a diving bell, and filled with air which the spider carries down in the form of small bubbles attached one at a time to the spinnerets and hind feet. Called also diving spider. (b) A water mite. (c) Any spider that habitually lives on or about the water, especially the large American species (Dolomedes lanceolatus) which runs rapidly on the surface of water; — called also raft spider.

Wa"ter spin`ner (?). (Zoöl.) The water spider.

Wa"ter*spout` (?), n. A remarkable meteorological phenomenon, of the nature of a tornado or whirlwind, usually observed over the sea, but sometimes over the land.

Tall columns, apparently of cloud, and reaching from the sea to the clouds, are seen moving along, often several at once, sometimes straight and vertical, at other times inclined and tortuous, but always in rapid rotation. At their bases, the sea is violently agitated and heaped up with a leaping or boiling motion, water, at least in some cases, being actually carried up in considerable quantity, and scattered round from a great height, as solid bodies are by tornadoes on land. Sir J. Herschel.

Wa"ter sprite` (?). A sprite, or spirit, imagined as inhabiting the water. J. R. Drake.

Wa"ter-stand`ing (?), a. Tear- filled. [R.] "Many an orphan's water-standing eye." Shak.

Wa"ter star" grass` (?). (Bot.) An aquatic plant (Schollera graminea) with grassy leaves, and yellow star-shaped blossoms.

Wa"ter star"wort` (?). See under Starwort.

Wa"ter sup*ply" (?). A supply of water; specifically, water collected, as in reservoirs, and conveyed, as by pipes, for use in a city, mill, or the like.

Wa"ter tab"by (?). A kind of waved or watered tabby. See Tabby, n., 1.

Wa"ter ta"ble (?). (Arch.) A molding, or other projection, in the wall of a building, to throw off the water, — generally used in the United States for the first table above the surface of the ground (see Table, n., 9), that is, for the table at the top of the foundation and the beginning of the upper wall.

Wa"ter*tath` (?), n. [Water + tath, n.] A kind of coarse grass growing in wet grounds, and supposed to be injurious to sheep. [Prov. Eng.]

Wa"ter ther*mom"e*ter (?). (Physics) A thermometer filled with water instead of mercury, for ascertaining the precise temperature at which water attains its maximum density. This is about 39° Fahr., or 4° Centigrade; and from that point down to 32° Fahr., or 0° Centigrade, or the freezing point, it expands.

Wa"ter thief` (?). A pirate. [R.] Shak.

Wa"ter thrush` (?). (Zoöl.) (a) A North American bird of the genus Seiurus, belonging to the Warbler family, especially the common species (S. Noveboracensis). (b) The European water ousel. (b) The pied wagtail.

Wa"ter thyme` (?). (Bot.) See Anacharis.

Wa"ter tick` (?). Same as Water mite.

Wa"ter ti"ger (?). (Zoöl.) A diving, or water, beetle, especially the larva of a water beetle. See Illust. b of Water beetle.

Wa"ter-tight` (?), a. So tight as to retain, or not to admit, water; not leaky.

Wa"ter torch` (?). (Bot.) The common cat-tail (Typha latifolia), the spike of which makes a good torch soaked in oil. Dr. Prior.

Wa"ter tow"er (?). A large metal pipe made to be extended vertically by sections, and used for discharging water upon burning buildings.

Wa"ter tree` (?). (Bot.) A climbing shrub (Tetracera alnifolia, or potatoria) of Western Africa, which pours out a watery sap from the freshly cut stems.

Wa"ter tre"foil` (?). (Bot.) The buck bean.

Wa"ter tube` (?). (Zoöl.) One of a system of tubular excretory organs having external openings, found in many invertebrates. They are believed to be analogous in function to the kidneys of vertebrates. See Illust. under Trematodea, and Sporocyst.

Wa"ter tu"pe*lo (?). (Bot.) A species of large tupelo (Nyssa aquatica) growing in swamps in the southern of the United States. See Ogeechee lime.

Wa"ter tur"key (?). (Zoöl.) The American snakebird. See Snakebird.

Wa"ter tu tu`yère" (?). A tuyère kept cool by water circulating within a casing. It is used for hot blast.

Wa"ter tu twist` (?). Yarn made by the throstle, or water frame.

<! p. 1634 !>

Wa"ter vine` (?). (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Phytocrene, climbing shrubs of Asia and Africa, the stems of which are singularly porous, and when cut stream with a limpid potable juice.

Wa"ter vi"o*let (?). (Bot.) See under Violet.

Wa"ter vi"per (?). (Zoöl.) See Water moccasin.

Wa"ter vole` (?). (Zoöl.) See under Vole.

Wa"ter wag"tail` (?). See under Wagtail.

Wa"ter*way` (?), n. (Naut.) Heavy plank or timber extending fore and aft the whole length of a vessel's deck at the line of junction with the sides, forming a channel to the scuppers, which are cut through it. In iron vessels the waterway is variously constructed.

Wa"ter way`. Same as Water course.

Wa"ter*weed` (?), n. (Bot.) See Anacharis.

Wa"ter wheel` (?). 1. Any wheel for propelling machinery or for other purposes, that is made to rotate by the direct action of water; — called an overshot wheel when the water is applied at the top, an undershot wheel when at the bottom, a breast wheel when at an intermediate point; other forms are called reaction wheel, vortex wheel, turbine wheel, etc.

2. The paddle wheel of a steam vessel.

3. A wheel for raising water; a noria, or the like.

Wa"ter wil`low (?). (Bot.) An American aquatic plant (Dianthera Americana) with long willowlike leaves, and spikes of small purplish flowers.

Wa"ter wing` (?). (Arch.) One of two walls built on either side of the junction of a bridge with the bank of a river, to protect the abutment of the bridge and the bank from the action of the current.

Wa"ter witch` (?). (Zoöl.) (a) The dabchick. (b) The stormy petrel. [Prov. Eng.]

Wa"ter-withe` (?), n. (Bot.) A vinelike plant (Vitis Caribæa) growing in parched districts in the West Indies, and containing a great amount of sap which is sometimes used for quenching thirst.

Wa"ter*work` (?), n. 1. (Paint.) Painting executed in size or distemper, on canvas or walls, — formerly, frequently taking the place of tapestry. Shak. Fairholt.

2. An hydraulic apparatus, or a system of works or fixtures, by which a supply of water is furnished for useful or ornamental purposes, including dams, sluices, pumps, aqueducts, distributing pipes, fountains, etc.; — used chiefly in the plural.

Wa"ter*worn` (?), a. Worn, smoothed, or polished by the action of water; as, waterworn stones.

Wa"ter*wort` (?), n. (Bot.) Any plant of the natural order Elatineæ, consisting of two genera (Elatine, and Bergia), mostly small annual herbs growing in the edges of ponds. Some have a peppery or acrid taste.

Wa"ter*y (?), a. [AS. wæterig.]

1. Of or pertaining to water; consisting of water. "The watery god." Dryden. "Fish within their watery residence." Milton.

2. Abounding with water; wet; hence, tearful.

3. Resembling water; thin or transparent, as a liquid; as, watery humors.

The oily and watery parts of the aliment.

Arbuthnot.

4. Hence, abounding in thin, tasteless, or insipid fluid; tasteless; insipid; vapid; spiritless.

Watt (?), n. [From the distinguished mechanician and scientist, James Watt.] (Physics) A unit of power or activity equal to 107 C.G.S. units of power, or to work done at the rate of one joule a second. An English horse power is approximately equal to 746 watts.

Wat"tle (?), n. [AS. watel, watul, watol, hurdle, covering, wattle; cf. OE. watel a bag. Cf. Wallet.]

1. A twig or flexible rod; hence, a hurdle made of such rods.

And there he built with wattles from the marsh A little lonely church in days of yore.

Tennyson.

2. A rod laid on a roof to support the thatch.

3. (Zoöl.) (a) A naked fleshy, and usually wrinkled and highly colored, process of the skin hanging from the chin or throat of a bird or reptile. (b) Barbel of a fish.

4. (a) The astringent bark of several Australian trees of the genus Acacia, used in tanning; — called also wattle bark. (b) (Bot.) The trees from which the bark is obtained. See Savanna wattle, under Savanna.

Wattle turkey. (Zoöl.) Same as Brush turkey.

Wat"tle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wattled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wattling (?).]

1. To bind with twigs.

2. To twist or interweave, one with another, as twigs; to form a network with; to plat; as, to wattle branches.

3. To form, by interweaving or platting twigs.

The folded flocks, penned in their wattled cotes.

Milton.

Wat"tle*bird` (?), n. 1. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of honey eaters belonging to Anthochæra and allied genera of the family Meliphagidæ. These birds usually have a large and conspicuous wattle of naked skin hanging down below each ear. They are natives of Australia and adjacent islands.

The best-known species (Anthochæra carunculata) has the upper parts grayish brown, with a white stripe on each feather, and the wing and tail quills dark brown or blackish, tipped with withe. Its wattles, in life, are light blood-red. Called also wattled crow, wattled bee-eater, wattled honey eater. Another species (A. inauris) is streaked with black, gray, and white, and its long wattles are white, tipped with orange. The bush wattlebirds, belonging to the genus Anellobia, are closely related, but lack conspicuous wattles. The most common species (A. mellivora) is dark brown, finely streaked with white. Called also goruck creeper.

2. (Zoöl.) The Australian brush turkey.

Wat"tled (?), a. Furnished with wattles, or pendent fleshy processes at the chin or throat.

The wattled cocks strut to and fro.

Longfellow.

Wat"tling (?), n. The act or process of binding or platting with twigs; also, the network so formed.

Made with a wattling of canes or sticks.

Dampier.

Watt"me`ter (?), n. [Watt + meter.] (Physics) An instrument for measuring power in watts, — much used in measuring the energy of an electric current.

{ Waucht, Waught } (?), n. [Cf. Quaff.] A large draught of any liquid. [Scot.] Jamieson.

Waul (?), v. i. [Of imitative origin.] To cry as a cat; to squall; to wail. [Written also wawl.]

The helpless infant, coming wauling and crying into the world.

Sir W. Scott.

Waur (?), a. [See Worse.] Worse. [Scot.]

Murder and waur than murder.

Sir W. Scott.

Wave (wv), v. t. See Waive. Sir H. Wotton. Burke.

Wave, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waved (wvd); p. pr. & vb. n. Waving.] [OE. waven, AS. wafian to waver, to hesitate, to wonder; akin to wæfre wavering, restless, MHG. wabern to be in motion, Icel. vafra to hover about; cf. Icel. vfa to vibrate. Cf. Waft, Waver.]

1. To play loosely; to move like a wave, one way and the other; to float; to flutter; to undulate.

His purple robes waved careless to the winds.

Trumbull.

Where the flags of three nations has successively waved.

Hawthorne.

2. To be moved to and fro as a signal. B. Jonson.

3. To fluctuate; to waver; to be in an unsettled state; to vacillate. [Obs.]

He waved indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good nor harm.

Shak.

Wave, v. t. 1. To move one way and the other; to brandish. "[Æneas] waved his fatal sword." Dryden.

2. To raise into inequalities of surface; to give an undulating form a surface to.

Horns whelked and waved like the enridged sea.

Shak.

3. To move like a wave, or by floating; to waft. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

4. To call attention to, or give a direction or command to, by a waving motion, as of the hand; to signify by waving; to beckon; to signal; to indicate.

Look, with what courteous action It waves you to a more removed ground.

Shak.

She spoke, and bowing waved Dismissal.

Tennyson.

Wave, n. [From Wave, v.; not the same word as OE. wawe, waghe, a wave, which is akin to E. wag to move. √136. See Wave, v. i.]

1. An advancing ridge or swell on the surface of a liquid, as of the sea, resulting from the oscillatory motion of the particles composing it when disturbed by any force their position of rest; an undulation.

The wave behind impels the wave before.

Pope.

2. (Physics) A vibration propagated from particle to particle through a body or elastic medium, as in the transmission of sound; an assemblage of vibrating molecules in all phases of a vibration, with no phase repeated; a wave of vibration; an undulation. See Undulation.

3. Water; a body of water. [Poetic] "Deep drank Lord Marmion of the wave." Sir W. Scott.

Build a ship to save thee from the flood, I 'll furnish thee with fresh wave, bread, and wine.

Chapman.

4. Unevenness; inequality of surface. Sir I. Newton.

5. A waving or undulating motion; a signal made with the hand, a flag, etc.

6. The undulating line or streak of luster on cloth watered, or calendered, or on damask steel.

7. Fig.: A swelling or excitement of thought, feeling, or energy; a tide; as, waves of enthusiasm.

Wave front (Physics), the surface of initial displacement of the particles in a medium, as a wave of vibration advances. — Wave length (Physics), the space, reckoned in the direction of propagation, occupied by a complete wave or undulation, as of light, sound, etc.; the distance from a point or phase in a wave to the nearest point at which the same phase occurs. - - Wave line (Shipbuilding), a line of a vessel's hull, shaped in accordance with the wave-line system. — Wave-line system, Wave-line theory (Shipbuilding), a system or theory of designing the lines of a vessel, which takes into consideration the length and shape of a wave which travels at a certain speed. — Wave loaf, a loaf for a wave offering. Lev. viii. 27. — Wave moth (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of small geometrid moths belonging to Acidalia and allied genera; — so called from the wavelike color markings on the wings. — Wave offering, an offering made in the Jewish services by waving the object, as a loaf of bread, toward the four cardinal points. Num. xviii. 11. — Wave of vibration (Physics), a wave which consists in, or is occasioned by, the production and transmission of a vibratory state from particle to particle through a body. — Wave surface. (a) (Physics) A surface of simultaneous and equal displacement of the particles composing a wave of vibration. (b) (Geom.) A mathematical surface of the fourth order which, upon certain hypotheses, is the locus of a wave surface of light in the interior of crystals. It is used in explaining the phenomena of double refraction. See under Refraction. — Wave theory. (Physics) See Undulatory theory, under Undulatory.

Waved (?), a. 1. Exhibiting a wavelike form or outline; undulating; intended; wavy; as, waved edge.

2. Having a wavelike appearance; marked with wavelike lines of color; as, waved, or watered, silk.

3. (Her.) Having undulations like waves; — said of one of the lines in heraldry which serve as outlines to the ordinaries, etc.

Wave"less (?), a. Free from waves; undisturbed; not agitated; as, the waveless sea.

Wave"let (?), n. A little wave; a ripple.

Wa"vel*lite (?), n. [After Dr. Wm. Wavel, the discoverer.] (Min.) A hydrous phosphate of alumina, occurring usually in hemispherical radiated forms varying in color from white to yellow, green, or black.

Wa"ver (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wavered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wavering.] [OE. waveren, from AS. wæfre wavering, restless. See Wave, v. i.]

1. To play or move to and fro; to move one way and the other; hence, to totter; to reel; to swing; to flutter.

With banners and pennons wavering with the wind.

Ld. Berners.

Thou wouldst waver on one of these trees as a terror to all evil speakers against dignities.

Sir W. Scott.

2. To be unsettled in opinion; to vacillate; to be undetermined; to fluctuate; as, to water in judgment.

Let us hold fast . . . without wavering.

Heb. x. 23.

In feeble hearts, propense enough before To waver, or fall off and join with idols.

Milton.

Syn. — To reel; totter; vacillate. See Fluctuate.

Wa"ver, n. [From Wave, or Waver, v.] A sapling left standing in a fallen wood. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Wa"ver*er (?), n. One who wavers; one who is unsettled in doctrine, faith, opinion, or the like. Shak.

Wa"ver*ing*ly, adv. In a wavering manner.

Wa"ver*ing*ness, n. The quality or state of wavering.

Wave"son (?), n. [From Wave; cf. Jetsam.] (O. Eng. Law) Goods which, after shipwreck, appear floating on the waves, or sea.

Wave"-worn` (?), a. Worn by the waves.

The shore that o'er his wave-worn basis bowed.

Shak.

Wa"vey (?), n. (Zoöl.) The snow goose. [Canadian, & Local U. S.]

Wav"i*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being wavy.

Wav"ure (?), n. See Waivure. [R.]

Wav"y (?), a. 1. Rising or swelling in waves; full of waves. "The wavy seas." Chapman.

2. Playing to and fro; undulating; as, wavy flames.

Let her glad valleys smile with wavy corn.

Prior.

3. (Bot.) Undulating on the border or surface; waved.

||Wa*was"keesh (?), n. [From an Indian name.] (Zoöl.) The wapiti, or ||wapiti, or American elk. || Wawe (w), n. [See Woe.] Woe. [Obs.]

Wawe (w), n. [OE. wawe, waghe; cf. Icel. vgr; akin to E. wag; not the same word as wave.] A wave. [Obs.] Chaucer. Spenser.

Wawl (?), v. i. See Waul. Shak.

Wax (?), v. i. [imp. Waxed (?); p. p. Waxed, and Obs. or Poetic Waxen (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Waxing.] [AS. weaxan; akin to OFries. waxa, D. wassen, OS. & OHG. wahsan, G. wachsen, Icel. vaxa, Sw. växa, Dan. voxe, Goth. wahsjan, Gr. &?; to increase, Skr. waksh, uksh, to grow. &?;&?;&?;. Cf. Waist.]

1. To increase in size; to grow bigger; to become larger or fuller; — opposed to wane.

The waxing and the waning of the moon.

Hakewill.

Truth's treasures . . . never shall wax ne wane.

P. Plowman.

2. To pass from one state to another; to become; to grow; as, to wax strong; to wax warmer or colder; to wax feeble; to wax old; to wax worse and worse.

Your clothes are not waxen old upon you.

Deut. xxix. 5.

Where young Adonis oft reposes, Waxing well of his deep wound.

Milton.

Waxing kernels (Med.), small tumors formed by the enlargement of the lymphatic glands, especially in the groins of children; — popularly so called, because supposed to be caused by growth of the body. Dunglison.

Wax, n. [AS. weax; akin to OFries. wax, D. was, G. wachs, OHG. wahs, Icel. & Sw. vax, Dan. vox, Lith. vaszkas, Russ. vosk'.]

1. A fatty, solid substance, produced by bees, and employed by them in the construction of their comb; — usually called beeswax. It is first excreted, from a row of pouches along their sides, in the form of scales, which, being masticated and mixed with saliva, become whitened and tenacious. Its natural color is pale or dull yellow.

Beeswax consists essentially of cerotic acid (constituting the more soluble part) and of myricyl palmitate (constituting the less soluble part).

2. Hence, any substance resembling beeswax in consistency or appearance. Specifically: —

(a) (Physiol.) Cerumen, or earwax. See Cerumen.

(b) A waxlike composition used for uniting surfaces, for excluding air, and for other purposes; as, sealing wax, grafting wax, etching wax, etc.

(c) A waxlike composition used by shoemakers for rubbing their thread.

(d) (Zoöl.) A substance similar to beeswax, secreted by several species of scale insects, as the Chinese wax. See Wax insect, below.

(e) (Bot.) A waxlike product secreted by certain plants. See Vegetable wax, under Vegetable.

(f) (Min.) A substance, somewhat resembling wax, found in connection with certain deposits of rock salt and coal; — called also mineral wax, and ozocerite.

(g) Thick sirup made by boiling down the sap of the sugar maple, and then cooling. [Local U. S.]

Japanese wax, a waxlike substance made in Japan from the berries of certain species of Rhus, esp. R. succedanea. — Mineral wax. (Min.) See Wax, 2 (f), above. — Wax cloth. See Waxed cloth, under Waxed. — Wax end. See Waxed end, under Waxed. — Wax flower, a flower made of, or resembling, wax. — Wax insect (Zoöl.), any one of several species of scale insects belonging to the family Coccidæ, which secrete from their bodies a waxlike substance, especially the Chinese wax insect (Coccus Sinensis) from which a large amount of the commercial Chinese wax is obtained. Called also pela. — Wax light, a candle or taper of wax. — Wax moth (Zoöl.), a pyralid moth (Galleria cereana) whose larvæ feed upon honeycomb, and construct silken galleries among the fragments. The moth has dusky gray wings streaked with brown near the outer edge. The larva is yellowish white with brownish dots. Called also bee moth. — Wax myrtle. (Bot.) See Bayberry. — Wax painting, a kind of painting practiced by the ancients, under the name of encaustic. The pigments were ground with wax, and diluted. After being applied, the wax was melted with hot irons and the color thus fixed. — Wax palm. (Bot.) (a) A species of palm (Ceroxylon Andicola) native of the Andes, the stem of which is covered with a secretion, consisting of two thirds resin and one third wax, which, when melted with a third of fat, makes excellent candles. (b) A Brazilian tree (Copernicia cerifera) the young leaves of which are covered with a useful waxy secretion. — Wax paper, paper prepared with a coating of white wax and other ingredients. — Wax plant (Bot.), a name given to several plants, as: (a) The Indian pipe (see under Indian). (b) The Hoya carnosa, a climbing plant with polished, fleshy leaves. (c) Certain species of Begonia with similar foliage. — Wax tree (Bot.) (a) A tree or shrub (Ligustrum lucidum) of China, on which certain insects make a thick deposit of a substance resembling white wax. (b) A kind of sumac (Rhus succedanea) of Japan, the berries of which yield a sort of wax. (c) A rubiaceous tree (Elæagia utilis) of New Grenada, called by the inhabitants "arbol del cera." — Wax yellow, a dull yellow, resembling the natural color of beeswax.

<! p. 1635 !>

Wax (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Waxed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Waxing.] To smear or rub with wax; to treat with wax; as, to wax a thread or a table.

Waxed cloth, cloth covered with a coating of wax, used as a cover, of tables and for other purposes; — called also wax cloth. — Waxed end, a thread pointed with a bristle and covered with shoemaker's wax, used in sewing leather, as for boots, shoes, and the like; — called also wax end. Brockett.

Wax"ber`ry (?), n. (Bot.) The wax-covered fruit of the wax myrtle, or bayberry. See Bayberry, and Candleberry tree.

Wax"bill` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of finchlike birds belonging to Estrelda and allied genera, native of Asia, Africa, and Australia. The bill is large, conical, and usually red in color, resembling sealing wax. Several of the species are often kept as cage birds.

Wax"bird` (?), (Zoöl.) The waxwing.

Wax"en (?), a. 1. Made of wax. "The female bee, that . . . builds her waxen cells." Milton.

2. Covered with wax; waxed; as, a waxen tablet.

3. Resembling wax; waxy; hence, soft; yielding.

Men have marble, women waxen, minds.

Shak.

Waxen chatterer (Zoöl.), the Bohemian chatterer.

Wax"i*ness (?), n. Quality or state of being waxy.

Wax"wing` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of small birds of the genus Ampelis, in which some of the secondary quills are usually tipped with small horny ornaments resembling red sealing wax. The Bohemian waxwing (see under Bohemian) and the cedar bird are examples. Called also waxbird.

Wax"work` (?), n. 1. Work made of wax; especially, a figure or figures formed or partly of wax, in imitation of real beings.

2. (Bot.) An American climbing shrub (Celastrus scandens). It bears a profusion of yellow berrylike pods, which open in the autumn, and display the scarlet coverings of the seeds.

Wax"work`er (?), n. 1. One who works in wax; one who makes waxwork.

2. A bee that makes or produces wax.

Wax"y (?), a. Resembling wax in appearance or consistency; viscid; adhesive; soft; hence, yielding; pliable; impressible. "Waxy to persuasion." Bp. Hall.

Waxy degeneration (Med.), amyloid degeneration. See under Amyloid. — Waxy kidney, Waxy liver, etc. (Med.), a kidney or liver affected by waxy degeneration.

Way (?), adv. [Aphetic form of away.] Away. [Obs. or Archaic] Chaucer.

To do way, to take away; to remove. [Obs.] "Do way your hands." Chaucer. — To make way with, to make away with. See under Away. [Archaic]

Way, n. [OE. wey, way, AS. weg; akin to OS., D., OHG., & G. weg, Icel. vegr, Sw. väg, Dan. vei, Goth. wigs, L. via, and AS. wegan to move, L. vehere to carry, Skr. vah. √136. Cf. Convex, Inveigh, Vehicle, Vex, Via, Voyage, Wag, Wagon, Wee, Weigh.]

1. That by, upon, or along, which one passes or processes; opportunity or room to pass; place of passing; passage; road, street, track, or path of any kind; as, they built a way to the mine. "To find the way to heaven." Shak.

I shall him seek by way and eke by street.

Chaucer.

The way seems difficult, and steep to scale.

Milton.

The season and ways were very improper for his majesty's forces to march so great a distance.

Evelyn.

2. Length of space; distance; interval; as, a great way; a long way.

And whenever the way seemed long, Or his heart began to fail.

Longfellow.

3. A moving; passage; procession; journey.

I prythee, now, lead the way.

Shak.

4. Course or direction of motion or process; tendency of action; advance.

If that way be your walk, you have not far.

Milton.

And let eternal justice take the way.

Dryden.

5. The means by which anything is reached, or anything is accomplished; scheme; device; plan.

My best way is to creep under his gaberdine.

Shak.

By noble ways we conquest will prepare.

Dryden.

What impious ways my wishes took!

Prior.

6. Manner; method; mode; fashion; style; as, the way of expressing one's ideas.

7. Regular course; habitual method of life or action; plan of conduct; mode of dealing. "Having lost the way of nobleness." Sir. P. Sidney.

Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

Prov. iii. 17.

When men lived in a grander way.

Longfellow.

8. Sphere or scope of observation. Jer. Taylor.

The public ministers that fell in my way.

Sir W. Temple.

9. Determined course; resolved mode of action or conduct; as, to have one's way.

10. (Naut.) (a) Progress; as, a ship has way. (b) pl. The timbers on which a ship is launched.

11. pl. (Mach.) The longitudinal guides, or guiding surfaces, on the bed of a planer, lathe, or the like, along which a table or carriage moves.

12. (Law) Right of way. See below.

By the way, in passing; apropos; aside; apart from, though connected with, the main object or subject of discourse. — By way of, for the purpose of; as being; in character of. — Covert way. (Fort.) See Covered way, under Covered. — In the family way. See under Family. — In the way, so as to meet, fall in with, obstruct, hinder, etc. — In the way with, traveling or going with; meeting or being with; in the presence of. — Milky way. (Astron.) See Galaxy, 1. — No way, No ways. See Noway, Noways, in the Vocabulary. — On the way, traveling or going; hence, in process; advancing toward completion; as, on the way to this country; on the way to success. — Out of the way. See under Out. — Right of way (Law), a right of private passage over another's ground. It may arise either by grant or prescription. It may be attached to a house, entry, gate, well, or city lot, as well as to a country farm. Kent. — To be under way, or To have way (Naut.), to be in motion, as when a ship begins to move. — To give way. See under Give. — To go one's way, or To come one's way, to go or come; to depart or come along. Shak. — To go the way of all the earth, to die. — To make one's way, to advance in life by one's personal efforts. — To make way. See under Make, v. t. — Ways and means. (a) Methods; resources; facilities. (b) (Legislation) Means for raising money; resources for revenue. — Way leave, permission to cross, or a right of way across, land; also, rent paid for such right. [Eng] — Way of the cross (Eccl.), the course taken in visiting in rotation the stations of the cross. See Station, n., 7 (c). — Way of the rounds (Fort.), a space left for the passage of the rounds between a rampart and the wall of a fortified town. — Way pane, a pane for cartage in irrigated land. See Pane, n., 4. [Prov. Eng.] — Way passenger, a passenger taken up, or set down, at some intermediate place between the principal stations on a line of travel. — Ways of God, his providential government, or his works. — Way station, an intermediate station between principal stations on a line of travel, especially on a railroad. — Way train, a train which stops at the intermediate, or way, stations; an accommodation train. — Way warden, the surveyor of a road.

Syn. — Street; highway; road. — Way, Street, Highway, Road. Way is generic, denoting any line for passage or conveyance; a highway is literally one raised for the sake of dryness and convenience in traveling; a road is, strictly, a way for horses and carriages; a street is, etymologically, a paved way, as early made in towns and cities; and, hence, the word is distinctively applied to roads or highways in compact settlements.

All keep the broad highway, and take delight With many rather for to go astray.

Spenser.

There is but one road by which to climb up.

Addison.

When night Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine.

Milton.

Way (?), v. t. To go or travel to; to go in, as a way or path. [Obs.] "In land not wayed." Wyclif.

Way, v. i. To move; to progress; to go. [R.]

On a time as they together wayed.

Spenser.

Way"bill` (?), n. A list of passengers in a public vehicle, or of the baggage or gods transported by a common carrier on a land route. When the goods are transported by water, the list is called a bill of lading.

Way"bread` (?), n. [AS. wegbr&?;de. See Way, and Broad.] (Bot.) The common dooryard plantain (Plantago major).

Way"bung` (?), n. (Zoöl.) An Australian insessorial bird (Corcorax melanorhamphus) noted for the curious actions of the male during the breeding season. It is black with a white patch on each wing.

Wayed (?), a. Used to the way; broken. [R.]

A horse that is not well wayed; he starts at every bird that flies out the hedge.

Selden.

Way"fare` (?), v. i. [Way + fare to go.] To journey; to travel; to go to and fro. [Obs.]

A certain Laconian, as he wayfared, came unto a place where there dwelt an old friend of his.

Holland.

Way"fare`, n. The act of journeying; travel; passage. [Obs.] Holland.

Way"far`er (?), n. One who travels; a traveler; a passenger.

Way"far`ing, a. Traveling; passing; being on a journey. "A wayfaring man." Judg. xix. 17.

Wayfaring tree (Bot.), a European shrub (Viburnum lantana) having large ovate leaves and dense cymes of small white flowers. — American wayfaring tree (Bot.), the (Viburnum lantanoides).

Way"gate` (?), n. The tailrace of a mill. Knight.

Way"-go`ing (?), a. Going away; departing; of or pertaining to one who goes away.

Way-going crop (Law of Leases), a crop of grain to which tenants for years are sometimes entitled by custom; grain sown in the fall to be reaped at the next harvest; a crop which will not ripen until after the termination of the lease. Burrill.

Way"-goose` (?), n. See Wayz- goose, n., 2. [Eng.]

Wayk (?), a. Weak. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Way"lay` (?; 277), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Waylaid (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Waylaying.] [Way + lay.] To lie in wait for; to meet or encounter in the way; especially, to watch for the passing of, with a view to seize, rob, or slay; to beset in ambush.

Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gadshill shall rob those men that we have already waylaid.

Shak.

She often contrived to waylay him in his walks.

Sir W. Scott.

Way"lay`er (?), n. One who waylays another.

Way"less, a. Having no road or path; pathless.

Way"le*way (?), interj. See Welaway. [Obs.]

Way"mak`er (?), n. One who makes a way; a precursor. [R.] Bacon.

Way"mark` (?), n. A mark to guide in traveling.

Way"ment (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waymented; p. pr. & vb. n. Waymenting.] [OE. waymenten, OF. waimenter, gaimenter, guaimenter, from wai, guai, woe! (of Teutonic origin; see Woe) and L. lamentari to lament. See Lament.] To lament; to grieve; to wail. [Written also waiment.] [Obs.]

Thilke science . . . maketh a man to waymenten.

Chaucer.

For what boots it to weep and wayment, When ill is chanced?

Spenser.

Way"ment, n. Grief; lamentation; mourning. [Written also waiment.] [Obs.] Spenser.

-ways (?). A suffix formed from way by the addition of the adverbial -s (see -wards). It is often used interchangeably with wise; as, endways or endwise; noways or nowise, etc.

Way" shaft` (?). 1. (Mach.) A rock shaft.

2. (Mining) An interior shaft, usually one connecting two levels. Raymond.

Way"side` (?), n. The side of the way; the edge or border of a road or path.

Way"side`, a. Of or pertaining to the wayside; as, wayside flowers. "A wayside inn." Longfellow.

Way"ward (?), a. [OE. weiward, for aweiward, i. e., turned away. See Away, and -ward.] Taking one's own way; disobedient; froward; perverse; willful.

My wife is in a wayward mood.

Shak.

Wayward beauty doth not fancy move.

Fairfax.

Wilt thou forgive the wayward thought?

Keble.

— Way"ward*ly, adv. — Way"ward*ness, n.

Way"-wise` (?), a. Skillful in finding the way; well acquainted with the way or route; wise from having traveled.

Way"wis`er (?), n. [Cf. G. wegweiser a waymark, a guide; weg way + weisen to show, direct.] An instrument for measuring the distance which one has traveled on the road; an odometer, pedometer, or perambulator.

The waywiser to a coach, exactly measuring the miles, and showing them by an index.

Evelyn.

Way"wode (?), n. [Russ. voevoda, or Pol. woiewoda; properly, a leader of an army, a leader in war. Cf. Vaivode.] Originally, the title of a military commander in various Slavonic countries; afterwards applied to governors of towns or provinces. It was assumed for a time by the rulers of Moldavia and Wallachia, who were afterwards called hospodars, and has also been given to some inferior Turkish officers. [Written also vaivode, voivode, waiwode, and woiwode.]

Way"wode*ship, n. The office, province, or jurisdiction of a waywode.

Way"worn` (?), a. Wearied by traveling.

Wayz"-goose` (?), n. [Wase stubble + goose.]

1. A stubble goose. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

2. An annual feast of the persons employed in a printing office. [Written also way-goose.] [Eng.]

We (w), pron.; pl. of I. [Poss. Our (our) or Ours (ourz); obj. Us (s). See I.] [As. w; akin to OS. w, OFries. & LG. wi, D. wij, G. wir, Icel. vr, Sw. & Dan. vi, Goth. weis, Skr. vayam. √190.] The plural nominative case of the pronoun of the first person; the word with which a person in speaking or writing denotes a number or company of which he is one, as the subject of an action expressed by a verb.

We is frequently used to express men in general, including the speaker. We is also often used by individuals, as authors, editors, etc., in speaking of themselves, in order to avoid the appearance of egotism in the too frequent repetition of the pronoun I. The plural style is also in use among kings and other sovereigns, and is said to have been begun by King John of England. Before that time, monarchs used the singular number in their edicts. The German and the French sovereigns followed the example of King John in a. d. 1200.

Weak (wk), a. [Compar. Weaker (-r); superl. Weakest.] [OE. weik, Icel. veikr; akin to Sw. vek, Dan. veg soft, flexible, pliant, AS. wc weak, soft, pliant, D. week, G. weich, OHG. weih; all from the verb seen in Icel. vkja to turn, veer, recede, AS. wcan to yield, give way, G. weichen, OHG. whhan, akin to Skr. vij, and probably to E. week, L. vicis a change, turn, Gr. e'i`kein to yield, give way. √132. Cf. Week, Wink, v. i. Vicissitude.]

1. Wanting physical strength. Specifically: —

(a) Deficient in strength of body; feeble; infirm; sickly; debilitated; enfeebled; exhausted.

A poor, infirm, weak, and despised old man.

Shak.

Weak with hunger, mad with love.

Dryden.

(b) Not able to sustain a great weight, pressure, or strain; as, a weak timber; a weak rope.

(c) Not firmly united or adhesive; easily broken or separated into pieces; not compact; as, a weak ship.

(d) Not stiff; pliant; frail; soft; as, the weak stalk of a plant.

(e) Not able to resist external force or onset; easily subdued or overcome; as, a weak barrier; as, a weak fortress.

(f) Lacking force of utterance or sound; not sonorous; low; small; feeble; faint.

A voice not soft, weak, piping, and womanish.

Ascham.

(g) Not thoroughly or abundantly impregnated with the usual or required ingredients, or with stimulating and nourishing substances; of less than the usual strength; as, weak tea, broth, or liquor; a weak decoction or solution; a weak dose of medicine.

(h) Lacking ability for an appropriate function or office; as, weak eyes; a weak stomach; a weak magistrate; a weak regiment, or army.

2. Not possessing or manifesting intellectual, logical, moral, or political strength, vigor, etc. Specifically: -

(a) Feeble of mind; wanting discernment; lacking vigor; spiritless; as, a weak king or magistrate.

To think every thing disputable is a proof of a weak mind and captious temper.

Beattie.

Origen was never weak enough to imagine that there were two Gods.

Waterland.

(b) Resulting from, or indicating, lack of judgment, discernment, or firmness; unwise; hence, foolish.

If evil thence ensue, She first his weak indulgence will accuse.

Milton.

(c) Not having full confidence or conviction; not decided or confirmed; vacillating; wavering.

Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

Rom. xiv. 1.

(d) Not able to withstand temptation, urgency, persuasion, etc.; easily impressed, moved, or overcome; accessible; vulnerable; as, weak resolutions; weak virtue.

Guard thy heart On this weak side, where most our nature fails.

Addison.

(e) Wanting in power to influence or bind; as, weak ties; a weak sense of honor of duty.

(f) Not having power to convince; not supported by force of reason or truth; unsustained; as, a weak argument or case. "Convinced of his weak arguing." Milton.

A case so weak . . . hath much persisted in.

Hooker.

(g) Wanting in point or vigor of expression; as, a weak sentence; a weak style.

(h) Not prevalent or effective, or not felt to be prevalent; not potent; feeble. "Weak prayers." Shak.

(i) Lacking in elements of political strength; not wielding or having authority or energy; deficient in the resources that are essential to a ruler or nation; as, a weak monarch; a weak government or state.

I must make fair weather yet awhile, Till Henry be more weak, and I more strong.

Shak.

(k) (Stock Exchange) Tending towards lower prices; as, a weak market.

3. (Gram.) (a) Pertaining to, or designating, a verb which forms its preterit (imperfect) and past participle by adding to the present the suffix -ed, -d, or the variant form -t; as in the verbs abash, abashed; abate, abated; deny, denied; feel, felt. See Strong, 19 (a). (b) Pertaining to, or designating, a noun in Anglo- Saxon, etc., the stem of which ends in -n. See Strong, 19 (b).

Weak is often used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, weak-eyed, weak-handed, weak-hearted, weak-minded, weak-spirited, and the like.

<! p. 1636 !>

Weak conjugation (Gram.), the conjugation of weak verbs; — called also new, or regular, conjugation, and distinguished from the old, or irregular, conjugation. — Weak declension (Anglo- Saxon Gram.), the declension of weak nouns; also, one of the declensions of adjectives. — Weak side, the side or aspect of a person's character or disposition by which he is most easily affected or influenced; weakness; infirmity. — Weak sore or ulcer (Med.), a sore covered with pale, flabby, sluggish granulations.

Weak (?), v. t. & i. [Cf. AS. w&?;can. wcian. See Weak, a.] To make or become weak; to weaken. [R.]

Never to seek weaking variety.

Marston.

Weak"en (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Weakened (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Weakening.]

1. To make weak; to lessen the strength of; to deprive of strength; to debilitate; to enfeeble; to enervate; as, to weaken the body or the mind; to weaken the hands of a magistrate; to weaken the force of an objection or an argument.

Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done.

Neh. vi. 9.

2. To reduce in quality, strength, or spirit; as, to weaken tea; to weaken any solution or decoction.

Weak"en, v. i. To become weak or weaker; to lose strength, spirit, or determination; to become less positive or resolute; as, the patient weakened; the witness weakened on cross-examination. "His notion weakens, his discernings are lethargied." Shak.

Weak"en*er (?), n. One who, or that which, weakens. "[Fastings] weakeners of sin." South.

Weak"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any fish of the genus Cynoscion; a squeteague; — so called from its tender mouth. See Squeteague.

Spotted weakfish (Zoöl.), the spotted squeteague.

Weak"-heart`ed (?), a. Having little courage; of feeble spirit; dispirited; faint-hearted. "Weak- hearted enemies." Shak.

Weak"ish, a. Somewhat weak; rather weak.

Weak"ish*ness, n. Quality or state of being weakish.

Weak"-kneed` (?), a. Having weak knees; hence, easily yielding; wanting resolution. H. James.

Weak"ling (?), n. [Weak + - ling.] A weak or feeble creature. Shak. "All looking on him as a weakling, which would post to the grave." Fuller.

We may not be weaklings because we have a strong enemy.

Latimer.

Weak"ling, a. Weak; feeble. Sir T. North.

Weak"ly, adv. In a weak manner; with little strength or vigor; feebly.

Weak"ly, a. [Compar. Weaklier (?); superl. Weakliest.] Not strong of constitution; infirm; feeble; as, a weakly woman; a man of a weakly constitution.

Weak"-mind`ed (?), a. Having a weak mind, either naturally or by reason of disease; feebleminded; foolish; idiotic. — Weak"-mind`ed*ness, n.

Weak"ness, n. 1. The quality or state of being weak; want of strength or firmness; lack of vigor; want of resolution or of moral strength; feebleness.

2. That which is a mark of lack of strength or resolution; a fault; a defect.

Many take pleasure in spreading abroad the weakness of an exalted character.

Spectator.

Syn. — Feebleness; debility; languor; imbecility; infirmness; infirmity; decrepitude; frailty; faintness.

Weal (?), n. The mark of a stripe. See Wale.

Weal, v. t. To mark with stripes. See Wale.

Weal, n. [OE. wele, AS. wela, weola, wealth, from wel well. See Well, adv., and cf. Wealth.]

1. A sound, healthy, or prosperous state of a person or thing; prosperity; happiness; welfare.

God . . . grant you wele and prosperity.

Chaucer.

As we love the weal of our souls and bodies.

Bacon.

To him linked in weal or woe.

Milton.

Never was there a time when it more concerned the public weal that the character of the Parliament should stand high.

Macaulay.

2. The body politic; the state; common wealth. [Obs.]

The special watchmen of our English weal.

Shak.

Weal, v. t. To promote the weal of; to cause to be prosperous. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.

Weal"-bal`anced (?), a. Balanced or considered with reference to public weal. [Obs.] Shak.

Weald (?), n. [AS. See Wold.] A wood or forest; a wooded land or region; also, an open country; — often used in place names.

Fled all night long by glimmering waste and weald, And heard the spirits of the waste and weald Moan as she fled.

Tennyson.

Weald clay (Geol.), the uppermost member of the Wealden strata. See Wealden.

Weald"en (?; 277), a. [AS. weald, wald, a forest, a wood. So called because this formation occurs in the wealds, or woods, of Kent and Sussex. See Weald.] (Geol.) Of or pertaining to the lowest division of the Cretaceous formation in England and on the Continent, which overlies the Oölitic series.

Weald"en, n. (Geol.) The Wealden group or strata.

Weald"ish, a. Of or pertaining to a weald, esp. to the weald in the county of Kent, England. [Obs.] Fuller.

Weal"ful (?), a. Weleful. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Weals"man (?), n.; pl. Wealsmen (#). [Weal + man.] A statesman; a politician. [R.] Shak.

Wealth (?), n. [OE. welthe, from wele; cf. D. weelde luxury. See Weal prosperity.]

1. Weal; welfare; prosperity; good. [Obs.] "Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth." 1 Cor. x. 24.

2. Large possessions; a comparative abundance of things which are objects of human desire; esp., abundance of worldly estate; affluence; opulence; riches.

I have little wealth to lose.

Shak.

Each day new wealth, without their care, provides.

Dryden.

Wealth comprises all articles of value and nothing else.

F. A. Walker.

Active wealth. See under Active.

Syn. — Riches; affluence; opulence; abundance.

Wealth"ful (?), a. Full of wealth; wealthy; prosperous. [R.] Sir T. More. — Wealth"ful*ly, adv. [R.]

Wealth"i*ly (?), adv. In a wealthy manner; richly.

I come to wive it wealthily in Padua.

Shak.

Wealth"i*ness, n. The quality or state of being wealthy, or rich; richness; opulence.

Wealth"y (?), a. [Compar. Wealthier (?); superl. Wealthiest.]

1. Having wealth; having large possessions, or larger than most men, as lands, goods, money, or securities; opulent; affluent; rich.

A wealthy Hebrew of my tribe.

Shak.

Thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.

Ps. lxvi. 12.

2. Hence, ample; full; satisfactory; abundant. [R.]

The wealthy witness of my pen.

B. Jonson.

Wean (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Weaned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Weaning.] [OE. wenen, AS. wenian, wennan, to accustom; akin to D. wennen, G. gewöhnen, OHG. giwennan, Icel. venja, Sw. vänja, Dan. vænne, Icel. vanr accustomed, wont; cf. AS. wenian to wean, G. entwöhnen. See Wont, a.]

1. To accustom and reconcile, as a child or other young animal, to a want or deprivation of mother's milk; to take from the breast or udder; to cause to cease to depend on the mother nourishment.

And the child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

Gen. xxi. 8.

2. Hence, to detach or alienate the affections of, from any object of desire; to reconcile to the want or loss of anything. "Wean them from themselves." Shak.

The troubles of age were intended . . . to wean us gradually from our fondness of life.

Swift.

Wean, n. A weanling; a young child.

I, being but a yearling wean.

Mrs. Browning.

Wean"ed*ness, n. Quality or state of being weaned.

Wean"el (?), n. A weanling. [Obs.] Spenser.

Wean"ling, a. & n. from Wean, v.

The weaning of the whelp is the great test of the skill of the kennel man.

J. H. Walsh.

Weaning brash. (Med.) See under Brash.

Wean"ling (?), n. [Wean + - ling.] A child or animal newly weaned; a wean.

Wean"ling, a. Recently weaned. Milton.

Weap"on (?; 277), n. [OE. wepen, AS. w&?;pen; akin to OS. w&?;pan, OFries. w&?;pin, w&?;pen, D. wapen, G. waffe, OHG. waffan, wfan, Icel. vpn, Dan. vaaben, Sw. vapen, Goth. w&?;pna, pl.; of uncertain origin. Cf. Wapentake.]

1. An instrument of offensive of defensive combat; something to fight with; anything used, or designed to be used, in destroying, defeating, or injuring an enemy, as a gun, a sword, etc.

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal.

2 Cor. x. 4.

They, astonished, all resistance lost, All courage; down their idle weapons dropped.

Milton.

2. Fig.: The means or instrument with which one contends against another; as, argument was his only weapon. "Woman's weapons, water drops." Shak.

3. (Bot.) A thorn, prickle, or sting with which many plants are furnished.

Concealed weapons. See under Concealed. — Weapon salve, a salve which was supposed to cure a wound by being applied to the weapon that made it. [Obs.] Boyle.

Weap"oned (?), a. Furnished with weapons, or arms; armed; equipped.

Weap"on*less (?), a. Having no weapon.

Weap"on*ry (?), n. Weapons, collectively; as, an array of weaponry. [Poetic]

Wear (?; 277), n. Same as Weir.

Wear (?), v. t. [Cf. Veer.] (Naut.) To cause to go about, as a vessel, by putting the helm up, instead of alee as in tacking, so that the vessel's bow is turned away from, and her stern is presented to, the wind, and, as she turns still farther, her sails fill on the other side; to veer.

Wear, v. t. [imp. Wore (?); p. p. Worn (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wearing. Before the 15th century wear was a weak verb, the imp. & p. p. being Weared.] [OE. weren, werien, AS. werian to carry, to wear, as arms or clothes; akin to OHG. werien, weren, to clothe, Goth. wasjan, L. vestis clothing, vestire to clothe, Gr. &?;, Skr. vas. Cf. Vest.]

1. To carry or bear upon the person; to bear upon one's self, as an article of clothing, decoration, warfare, bondage, etc.; to have appendant to one's body; to have on; as, to wear a coat; to wear a shackle.

What compass will you wear your farthingale?

Shak.

On her white breast a sparkling cross s&?;&?; wore, Which Jews might kiss, and infidels adore.

Pope.

2. To have or exhibit an appearance of, as an aspect or manner; to bear; as, she wears a smile on her countenance. "He wears the rose of youth upon him." Shak.

His innocent gestures wear A meaning half divine.

Keble.

3. To use up by carrying or having upon one's self; hence, to consume by use; to waste; to use up; as, to wear clothes rapidly.

4. To impair, waste, or diminish, by continual attrition, scraping, percussion, on the like; to consume gradually; to cause to lower or disappear; to spend.

That wicked wight his days doth wear.

Spenser.

The waters wear the stones.

Job xiv. 19.

5. To cause or make by friction or wasting; as, to wear a channel; to wear a hole.

6. To form or shape by, or as by, attrition.

Trials wear us into a liking of what, possibly, in the first essay, displeased us.

Locke.

To wear away, to consume; to impair, diminish, or destroy, by gradual attrition or decay. — To wear off, to diminish or remove by attrition or slow decay; as, to wear off the nap of cloth. — To wear on or upon, to wear. [Obs.] "[I] weared upon my gay scarlet gites [gowns.]" Chaucer. — To wear out. (a) To consume, or render useless, by attrition or decay; as, to wear out a coat or a book. (b) To consume tediously. "To wear out miserable days." Milton. (c) To harass; to tire. "[He] shall wear out the saints of the Most High." Dan vii. 25. (d) To waste the strength of; as, an old man worn out in military service. — To wear the breeches. See under Breeches. [Colloq.]

Wear, v. i. 1. To endure or suffer use; to last under employment; to bear the consequences of use, as waste, consumption, or attrition; as, a coat wears well or ill; - - hence, sometimes applied to character, qualifications, etc.; as, a man wears well as an acquaintance.

2. To be wasted, consumed, or diminished, by being used; to suffer injury, loss, or extinction by use or time; to decay, or be spent, gradually. "Thus wore out night." Milton.

Away, I say; time wears.

Shak.

Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou and this people that is with thee.

Ex. xviii. 18.

His stock of money began to wear very low.

Sir W. Scott.

The family . . . wore out in the earlier part of the century.

Beaconsfield.

To wear off, to pass away by degrees; as, the follies of youth wear off with age. — To wear on, to pass on; as, time wears on. G. Eliot. — To wear weary, to become weary, as by wear, long occupation, tedious employment, etc.

Wear, n. 1. The act of wearing, or the state of being worn; consumption by use; diminution by friction; as, the wear of a garment.

2. The thing worn; style of dress; the fashion.

Motley 's the only wear.

Shak.

Wear and tear, the loss by wearing, as of machinery in use; the loss or injury to which anything is subjected by use, accident, etc.

Wear"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being worn; suitable to be worn.

Wear"er (?), n. 1. One who wears or carries as appendant to the body; as, the wearer of a cloak, a sword, a crown, a shackle, etc.

Cowls, hoods, and habits, with their wearers, tossed, And fluttered into rags.

Milton.

2. That which wastes or diminishes.

Wea"ri*a*ble (?), a. That may be wearied.

Wea"ri*ful (?), a. Abounding in qualities which cause weariness; wearisome. — Wea"ri*ful*ly, adv.

Wea"ri*less, a. Incapable of being wearied.

Wea"ri*ly, adv. In a weary manner.

Wea"ri*ness, n. The quality or state of being weary or tried; lassitude; exhaustion of strength; fatigue.

With weariness and wine oppressed.

Dryden.

A man would die, though he were neither valiant nor miserable, only upon a weariness to do the same thing so oft over and over.

Bacon.

<! p. 1637 !>

Wear"ing (?), n. 1. The act of one who wears; the manner in which a thing wears; use; conduct; consumption.

Belike he meant to ward, and there to see his wearing.

Latimer.

2. That which is worn; clothes; garments. [Obs.]

Give me my nightly wearing and adieu.

Shak.

Wear"ing (?), a. Pertaining to, or designed for, wear; as, wearing apparel.

Wear"ish (?), a. [Etymol. uncertain, but perhaps akin to weary.]

1. Weak; withered; shrunk. [Obs.] "A wearish hand." Ford.

A little, wearish old man, very melancholy by nature.

Burton.

2. Insipid; tasteless; unsavory. [Obs.]

Wearish as meat is that is not well tasted.

Palsgrave.

Wea"ri*some (?), a. Causing weariness; tiresome; tedious; weariful; as, a wearisome march; a wearisome day's work; a wearisome book.

These high wild hills and rough uneven ways Draws out our miles, and makes them wearisome.

Shak.

Syn. — Irksome; tiresome; tedious; fatiguing; annoying; vexatious. See Irksome.

— Wea"ri*some*ly, adv. — Wea"ri*some*ness, n.

Wea"ry (?), a. [Compar. Wearier (?); superl. Weariest.] [OE. weri, AS. w&?;rig; akin to OS. w&?;rig, OHG. wu&?;rag; of uncertain origin; cf. AS. w&?;rian to ramble.]

1. Having the strength exhausted by toil or exertion; worn out in respect to strength, endurance, etc.; tired; fatigued.

I care not for my spirits if my legs were not weary.

Shak.

[I] am weary, thinking of your task.

Longfellow.

2. Causing weariness; tiresome. "Weary way." Spenser. "There passed a weary time." Coleridge.

3. Having one's patience, relish, or contentment exhausted; tired; sick; — with of before the cause; as, weary of marching, or of confinement; weary of study.

Syn. — Fatigued; tiresome; irksome; wearisome.

Wea"ry, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wearied (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wearying.]

1. To reduce or exhaust the physical strength or endurance of; to tire; to fatigue; as, to weary one's self with labor or traveling.

So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers.

Shak.

2. To make weary of anything; to exhaust the patience of, as by continuance.

I stay too long by thee; I weary thee.

Shak.

3. To harass by anything irksome.

I would not cease To weary him with my assiduous cries.

Milton.

To weary out, to subdue or exhaust by fatigue.

Syn. — To jade; tire; fatigue; fag. See Jade.

Wea"ry, v. i. To grow tired; to become exhausted or impatient; as, to weary of an undertaking.

Wea"sand (?), n. [OE. wesand, AS. wsend; akin to OFries. wsende, wsande; cf. OHG. weisunt.] The windpipe; — called also, formerly, wesil. [Formerly, written also, wesand, and wezand.]

Cut his weasand with thy knife.

Shak.

Wea"sel (?), n. [OE. wesele, AS. wesle; akin to D. wezel, G. wiesel, OHG. wisala, Icel. hreyivsla, Dan. väsel, Sw. vessla; of uncertain origin; cf. Gr. &?;, &?;, cat, weasel.] (Zoöl.) Any one of various species of small carnivores belonging to the genus Putorius, as the ermine and ferret. They have a slender, elongated body, and are noted for the quickness of their movements and for their bloodthirsty habit in destroying poultry, rats, etc. The ermine and some other species are brown in summer, and turn white in winter; others are brown at all seasons.

Malacca weasel, the rasse. — Weasel coot, a female or young male of the smew; — so called from the resemblance of the head to that of a weasel. Called also weasel duck. — Weasel lemur, a short-tailed lemur (Lepilemur mustelinus). It is reddish brown above, grayish brown below, with the throat white.

Wea"sel-faced` (?), a. Having a thin, sharp face, like a weasel.

Wea"ser (?), n. (Zoöl.) The American merganser; — called also weaser sheldrake. [Local, U. S.]

Wea"si*ness (?), n. Quality or state of being weasy; full feeding; sensual indulgence. [Obs.] Joye.

Wea"sy (?), a. [Cf. Weasand.] Given to sensual indulgence; gluttonous. [Obs.] Joye.

Weath"er (?), n. [OE. weder, AS. weder; akin to OS. wedar, OFries. weder, D. weder, weêr, G. wetter, OHG. wetar, Icel. veðr, Dan. veir, Sw. väder wind, air, weather, and perhaps to OSlav. vedro fair weather; or perhaps to Lith. vetra storm, Russ. vieter', vietr', wind, and E. wind. Cf. Wither.]

1. The state of the air or atmosphere with respect to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness, or any other meteorological phenomena; meteorological condition of the atmosphere; as, warm weather; cold weather; wet weather; dry weather, etc.

Not amiss to cool a man's stomach this hot weather.

Shak.

Fair weather cometh out of the north.

Job xxxvii. 22.

2. Vicissitude of season; meteorological change; alternation of the state of the air. Bacon.

3. Storm; tempest.

What gusts of weather from that gathering cloud My thoughts presage!

Dryden.

4. A light rain; a shower. [Obs.] Wyclif.

Stress of weather, violent winds; force of tempests. — To make fair weather, to flatter; to give flattering representations. [R.] — To make good, or bad, weather (Naut.), to endure a gale well or ill; — said of a vessel. Shak. — Under the weather, ill; also, financially embarrassed. [Colloq. U. S.] Bartlett. — Weather box. Same as Weather house, below. Thackeray. — Weather breeder, a fine day which is supposed to presage foul weather. — Weather bureau, a popular name for the signal service. See Signal service, under Signal, a. [U. S.] — Weather cloth (Naut.), a long piece of canvas or tarpaulin used to preserve the hammocks from injury by the weather when stowed in the nettings. — Weather door. (Mining) See Trapdoor, 2. — Weather gall. Same as Water gall, 2. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell. — Weather house, a mechanical contrivance in the form of a house, which indicates changes in atmospheric conditions by the appearance or retirement of toy images.

Peace to the artist whose ingenious thought Devised the weather house, that useful toy!

Cowper.

— Weather molding, or Weather moulding (Arch.), a canopy or cornice over a door or a window, to throw off the rain. — Weather of a windmill sail, the obliquity of the sail, or the angle which it makes with its plane of revolution. — Weather report, a daily report of meteorological observations, and of probable changes in the weather; esp., one published by government authority. — Weather spy, a stargazer; one who foretells the weather. [R.] Donne. — Weather strip (Arch.), a strip of wood, rubber, or other material, applied to an outer door or window so as to cover the joint made by it with the sill, casings, or threshold, in order to exclude rain, snow, cold air, etc.

Weath"er (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Weathered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Weathering.]

1. To expose to the air; to air; to season by exposure to air.

[An eagle] soaring through his wide empire of the air To weather his broad sails.

Spenser.

This gear lacks weathering.

Latimer.

2. Hence, to sustain the trying effect of; to bear up against and overcome; to sustain; to endure; to resist; as, to weather the storm.

For I can weather the roughest gale.

Longfellow.

You will weather the difficulties yet.

F. W. Robertson.

3. (Naut.) To sail or pass to the windward of; as, to weather a cape; to weather another ship.

4. (Falconry) To place (a hawk) unhooded in the open air. Encyc. Brit.

To weather a point. (a) (Naut.) To pass a point of land, leaving it on the lee side. (b) Hence, to gain or accomplish anything against opposition. — To weather out, to encounter successfully, though with difficulty; as, to weather out a storm.

Weath"er, v. i. To undergo or endure the action of the atmosphere; to suffer meteorological influences; sometimes, to wear away, or alter, under atmospheric influences; to suffer waste by weather.

The organisms . . . seem indestructible, while the hard matrix in which they are imbedded has weathered from around them.

H. Miller.

Weath"er, a. (Naut.) Being toward the wind, or windward — opposed to lee; as, weather bow, weather braces, weather gauge, weather lifts, weather quarter, weather shrouds, etc.

Weather gauge. (a) (Naut.) The position of a ship to the windward of another. (b) Fig.: A position of advantage or superiority; advantage in position.

To veer, and tack, and steer a cause Against the weather gauge of laws.

Hudibras.

— Weather helm (Naut.), a tendency on the part of a sailing vessel to come up into the wind, rendering it necessary to put the helm up, that is, toward the weather side. — Weather shore (Naut.), the shore to the windward of a ship. Totten. — Weather tide (Naut.), the tide which sets against the lee side of a ship, impelling her to the windward. Mar. Dict.

Weath"er-beat`en (?), a. Beaten or harassed by the weather; worn by exposure to the weather, especially to severe weather. Shak.

Weath"er-bit` (?), n. (Naut.) A turn of the cable about the end of the windlass, without the bits.

Weath"er*bit`, v. t. (Naut.) To take another turn with, as a cable around a windlass. Totten.

Weath"er-bit`ten (?), a. Eaten into, defaced, or worn, by exposure to the weather. Coleridge.

Weath"er*board` (?), n. 1. (Naut.) (a) That side of a vessel which is toward the wind; the windward side. (b) A piece of plank placed in a porthole, or other opening, to keep out water.

2. (a) (Arch.) A board extending from the ridge to the eaves along the slope of the gable, and forming a close junction between the shingling of a roof and the side of the building beneath. (b) A clapboard or feather-edged board used in weatherboarding.

Weath"er-board`, v. t. (Arch.) To nail boards upon so as to lap one over another, in order to exclude rain, snow, etc. Gwilt.

Weath"er*board`ing, n. (Arch.) (a) The covering or siding of a building, formed of boards lapping over one another, to exclude rain, snow, etc. (b) Boards adapted or intended for such use.

Weath"er-bound` (?), a. Kept in port or at anchor by storms; delayed by bad weather; as, a weather-bound vessel.

Weath"er*cock` (?), n. 1. A vane, or weather vane; — so called because originally often in the figure of a cock, turning on the top of a spire with the wind, and showing its direction. "As a wedercok that turneth his face with every wind." Chaucer.

Noisy weathercocks rattled and sang of mutation.

Longfellow.

2. Hence, any thing or person that turns easily and frequently; one who veers with every change of current opinion; a fickle, inconstant person.

Weath"er*cock`, v. t. To supply with a weathercock; to serve as a weathercock for.

Whose blazing wyvern weathercock the spire.

Tennyson.

Weath"er-driv`en (?), a. Driven by winds or storms; forced by stress of weather. Carew.

Weath"ered (?), a. 1. (Arch.) Made sloping, so as to throw off water; as, a weathered cornice or window sill.

2. (Geol.) Having the surface altered in color, texture, or composition, or the edges rounded off by exposure to the elements.

Weath"er-fend` (?), v. t. To defend from the weather; to shelter. Shak.

[We] barked the white spruce to weather-fend the roof.

Emerson.

Weath"er*glass` (?), n. An instrument to indicate the state of the atmosphere, especially changes of atmospheric pressure, and hence changes of weather, as a barometer or baroscope.

Poor man's weatherglass. (Bot.) See under Poor.

Weath"er*ing, n. (Geol.) The action of the elements on a rock in altering its color, texture, or composition, or in rounding off its edges.

Weath"er*li*ness (?), n. (Naut.) The quality of being weatherly.

Weath"er*ly, a. (Naut.) Working, or able to sail, close to the wind; as, a weatherly ship. Cooper.

Weath"er*most` (?), a. (Naut.) Being farthest to the windward.

Weath"er*proof` (?), a. Proof against rough weather.

Weath"er*wise` (?), a. Skillful in forecasting the changes of the weather. Hakluyt.

Weath"er*wis`er (?), n. [Cf. Waywiser.] Something that foreshows the weather. [Obs.] Derham.

Weath"er*worn` (?), a. Worn by the action of, or by exposure to, the weather.

Weave (?), v. t. [imp. Wove (?); p. p. Woven (?), Wove; p. pr. & vb. n. Weaving. The regular imp. & p. p. Weaved (&?;), is rarely used.] [OE. weven, AS. wefan; akin to D. weven, G. weben, OHG. weban, Icel. vefa, Sw. väfva, Dan. væve, Gr. &?;, v., &?; web, Skr. &?;r&?;avbhi spider, lit., wool weaver. Cf. Waper, Waffle, Web, Weevil, Weft, Woof.]

1. To unite, as threads of any kind, in such a manner as to form a texture; to entwine or interlace into a fabric; as, to weave wool, silk, etc.; hence, to unite by close connection or intermixture; to unite intimately.

This weaves itself, perforce, into my business.

Shak.

That in their green shops weave the smooth-haired silk To deck her sons.

Milton.

And for these words, thus woven into song.

Byron.

2. To form, as cloth, by interlacing threads; to compose, as a texture of any kind, by putting together textile materials; as, to weave broadcloth; to weave a carpet; hence, to form into a fabric; to compose; to fabricate; as, to weave the plot of a story.

When she weaved the sleided silk.

Shak.

Her starry wreaths the virgin jasmin weaves.

Ld. Lytton.

Weave, v. i. 1. To practice weaving; to work with a loom.

2. To become woven or interwoven.

Weave, n. A particular method or pattern of weaving; as, the cassimere weave.

Weav"er (?), n. 1. One who weaves, or whose occupation is to weave. "Weavers of linen." P. Plowman.

2. (Zoöl.) A weaver bird.

3. (Zoöl.) An aquatic beetle of the genus Gyrinus. See Whirling.

Weaver bird (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of Asiatic, Fast Indian, and African birds belonging to Ploceus and allied genera of the family Ploceidæ. Weaver birds resemble finches and sparrows in size, colors, and shape of the bill. They construct pensile nests composed of interlaced grass and other similar materials. In some of the species the nest is retort-shaped, with the opening at the bottom of the tube. — Weavers' shuttle (Zoöl.), an East Indian marine univalve shell (Radius volva); — so called from its shape. See Illust. of Shuttle shell, under Shuttle.

Weav"er*fish` (?), n. [See Weever.] (Zoöl.) See Weever.

Weav"ing, n. 1. The act of one who, or that which, weaves; the act or art of forming cloth in a loom by the union or intertexture of threads.

2. (Far.) An incessant motion of a horse's head, neck, and body, from side to side, fancied to resemble the motion of a hand weaver in throwing the shuttle. Youatt.

Wea"zand (?), n. See Weasand. [Obs.]

Wea"zen (?), a. [See Wizen.] Thin; sharp; withered; wizened; as, a weazen face.

They were weazen and shriveled.

Dickens.

Wea"zen*y (?), a. Somewhat weazen; shriveled. [Colloq.] "Weazeny, baked pears." Lowell.

Web (?), n. [OE. webbe, AS. webba. See Weave.] A weaver. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Web, n. [OE. web, AS. webb; akin to D. web, webbe, OHG. weppi, G. gewebe, Icel. vefr, Sw. väf, Dan. væv. See Weave.]

1. That which is woven; a texture; textile fabric; esp., something woven in a loom.

Penelope, for her Ulysses' sake, Devised a web her wooers to deceive.

Spenser.

Not web might be woven, not a shuttle thrown, or penalty of exile.

Bancroft.

2. A whole piece of linen cloth as woven.

3. The texture of very fine thread spun by a spider for catching insects at its prey; a cobweb. "The smallest spider's web." Shak.

4. Fig.: Tissue; texture; complicated fabrication.

The somber spirit of our forefathers, who wove their web of life with hardly a . . . thread of rose-color or gold.

Hawthorne.

Such has been the perplexing ingenuity of commentators that it is difficult to extricate the truth from the web of conjectures.

W. Irving.

5. (Carriages) A band of webbing used to regulate the extension of the hood.

6. A thin metal sheet, plate, or strip, as of lead.

And Christians slain roll up in webs of lead.

Fairfax.

Specifically: -

(a) The blade of a sword. [Obs.]

The sword, whereof the web was steel, Pommel rich stone, hilt gold.

Fairfax.

(b) The blade of a saw.

(c) The thin, sharp part of a colter.

(d) The bit of a key.

7. (Mach. & Engin.) A plate or thin portion, continuous or perforated, connecting stiffening ribs or flanges, or other parts of an object. Specifically: —

(a) The thin vertical plate or portion connecting the upper and lower flanges of an lower flanges of an iron girder, rolled beam, or railroad rail.

(b) A disk or solid construction serving, instead of spokes, for connecting the rim and hub, in some kinds of car wheels, sheaves, etc.

(c) The arm of a crank between the shaft and the wrist.

(d) The part of a blackmith's anvil between the face and the foot.

8. (Med.) Pterygium; — called also webeye. Shak.

9. (Anat.) The membrane which unites the fingers or toes, either at their bases, as in man, or for a greater part of their length, as in many water birds and amphibians.

10. (Zoöl.) The series of barbs implanted on each side of the shaft of a feather, whether stiff and united together by barbules, as in ordinary feathers, or soft and separate, as in downy feathers. See Feather.

<! p. 1638 !>

Pin and web (Med.), two diseases of the eye, caligo and pterygium; — sometimes wrongly explained as one disease. See Pin, n., 8, and Web, n., 8. "He never yet had pinne or webbe, his sight for to decay." Gascoigne. — Web member (Engin.), one of the braces in a web system. — Web press, a printing press which takes paper from a roll instead of being fed with sheets. — Web system (Engin.), the system of braces connecting the flanges of a lattice girder, post, or the like.

Web (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Webbed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Webbing.] To unite or surround with a web, or as if with a web; to envelop; to entangle.

Webbed (?), a. 1. Provided with a web.

2. (Zoöl.) Having the toes united by a membrane, or web; as, the webbed feet of aquatic fowls.

Web"ber (?), n. One who forms webs; a weaver; a webster. [Obs.]

Web"bing (?), n. A woven band of cotton or flax, used for reins, girths, bed bottoms, etc.

Web"by (?), a. Of or pertaining to a web or webs; like a web; filled or covered with webs.

Bats on their webby wings in darkness move.

Crabbe.

We"ber (?), n. [From the name of Professor Weber, a German electrician.] (Elec.) The standard unit of electrical quantity, and also of current. See Coulomb, and Amp&?;re. [Obs.]

Web"eye` (?), n. (Med.) See Web, n., 8.

Web"-fin`gered (?), a. Having the fingers united by a web for a considerable part of their length.

Web"foot` (?), n.; pl. Webfeet (&?;).

1. A foot the toes of which are connected by a membrane.

2. (Zoöl.) Any web-footed bird.

Web"-foot`ed, a. Having webbed feet; palmiped; as, a goose or a duck is a web-footed fowl.

Web"ster (?), n. [AS. webbestre. See Web, Weave, and -ster.] A weaver; originally, a female weaver. [Obs.] Brathwait.

Web"ster*ite (?), n. [So named after Webster, the geologist.] (Min.) A hydrous sulphate of alumina occurring in white reniform masses.

Web"-toed` (?), a. Having the toes united by a web for a considerable part of their length.

Web"worm` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of various species of moths whose gregarious larvæ eat the leaves of trees, and construct a large web to which they retreat when not feeding.

The most destructive webworms belong to the family Bombycidæ, as the fall webworm (Hyphantria textor), which feeds on various fruit and forest trees, and the common tent caterpillar, which feeds on various fruit trees (see Tent caterpillar, under Tent.) The grapevine webworm is the larva of a geometrid moth (see Vine inchworm, under Vine).

Wed (wd), n. [AS. wedd; akin to OFries. wed, OD. wedde, OHG, wetti, G. wette a wager, Icel. veð a pledge, Sw. vad a wager, an appeal, Goth. wadi a pledge, Lith. vadti to redeem (a pledge), LL. vadium, L. vas, vadis, bail, security, vadimonium security, and Gr. &?;, &?; a prize. Cf. Athlete, Gage a pledge, Wage.] A pledge; a pawn. [Obs.] Gower. Piers Plowman.

Let him be ware, his neck lieth to wed [i. e., for a security].

Chaucer.

Wed, v. t. [imp. Wedded; p. p. Wedded or Wed; p. pr. & vb. n. Wedding.] [OE. wedden, AS. weddian to covenant, promise, to wed, marry; akin to OFries. weddia to promise, D. wedden to wager, to bet, G. wetten, Icel. veðja, Dan. vedde, Sw. vädja to appeal, Goth. gawadjn to betroth. See Wed, n.]

1. To take for husband or for wife by a formal ceremony; to marry; to espouse.

With this ring I thee wed.

Bk. of Com. Prayer.

I saw thee first, and wedded thee.

Milton.

2. To join in marriage; to give in wedlock.

And Adam, wedded to another Eve, Shall live with her.

Milton.

3. Fig.: To unite as if by the affections or the bond of marriage; to attach firmly or indissolubly.

Thou art wedded to calamity.

Shak.

Men are wedded to their lusts.

Tillotson.

[Flowers] are wedded thus, like beauty to old age.

Cowper.

4. To take to one's self and support; to espouse. [Obs.]

They positively and concernedly wedded his cause.

Clarendon.

Wed (?), v. i. To contact matrimony; to marry. "When I shall wed." Shak.

Wed"dahs (?), n. pl. (Ethnol.) See Veddahs.

Wed"ded (?), a. 1. Joined in wedlock; married.

Let w&?;alth, let honor, wait the wedded dame.

Pope.

2. Of or pertaining to wedlock, or marriage. "Wedded love." Milton.

Wed"der (?), n. See Wether. Sir W. Scott.

Wed"ding (?), n. [AS. wedding.] Nuptial ceremony; nuptial festivities; marriage; nuptials.

Simple and brief was the wedding, as that of Ruth and of Boaz.

Longfellow.

Certain anniversaries of an unbroken marriage have received fanciful, and more or less appropriate, names. Thus, the fifth anniversary is called the wooden wedding; the tenth, the tin wedding; the fifteenth, the crystal wedding; the twentieth, the china wedding; the twenty-fifth, the silver wedding; the fiftieth, the golden wedding; the sixtieth, the diamond wedding. These anniversaries are often celebrated by appropriate presents of wood, tin, china, silver, gold, etc., given by friends.

Wedding is often used adjectively; as, wedding cake, wedding cards, wedding clothes, wedding day, wedding feast, wedding guest, wedding ring, etc.

Let her beauty be her wedding dower.

Shak.

Wedding favor, a marriage favor. See under Marriage.

Wed"er (?), n. Weather. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Wedge (?), n. [OE. wegge, AS. wecg; akin to D. wig, wigge, OHG. wecki, G. weck a (wedge-shaped) loaf, Icel. veggr, Dan. vægge, Sw. vigg, and probably to Lith. vagis a peg. Cf. Wigg.]

1. A piece of metal, or other hard material, thick at one end, and tapering to a thin edge at the other, used in splitting wood, rocks, etc., in raising heavy bodies, and the like. It is one of the six elementary machines called the mechanical powers. See Illust. of Mechanical powers, under Mechanical.

2. (Geom.) A solid of five sides, having a rectangular base, two rectangular or trapezoidal sides meeting in an edge, and two triangular ends.

3. A mass of metal, especially when of a wedgelike form. "Wedges of gold." Shak.

4. Anything in the form of a wedge, as a body of troops drawn up in such a form.

In warlike muster they appear, In rhombs, and wedges, and half-moons, and wings.

Milton.

5. The person whose name stands lowest on the list of the classical tripos; — so called after a person (Wedgewood) who occupied this position on the first list of 1828. [Cant, Cambridge Univ., Eng.] C. A. Bristed.

Fox wedge. (Mach. & Carpentry) See under Fox. — Spherical wedge (Geom.), the portion of a sphere included between two planes which intersect in a diameter.

Wedge, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wedged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wedging.]

1. To cleave or separate with a wedge or wedges, or as with a wedge; to rive. "My heart, as wedged with a sigh, would rive in twain." Shak.

2. To force or drive as a wedge is driven.

Among the crowd in the abbey where a finger Could not be wedged in more.

Shak.

He 's just the sort of man to wedge himself into a snug berth.

Mrs. J. H. Ewing.

3. To force by crowding and pushing as a wedge does; as, to wedge one's way. Milton.

4. To press closely; to fix, or make fast, in the manner of a wedge that is driven into something.

Wedged in the rocky shoals, and sticking fast.

Dryden.

5. To fasten with a wedge, or with wedges; as, to wedge a scythe on the snath; to wedge a rail or a piece of timber in its place.

6. (Pottery) To cut, as clay, into wedgelike masses, and work by dashing together, in order to expel air bubbles, etc. Tomlinson.

Wedge"bill` (?), n. (Zoöl.) An Australian crested insessorial bird (Sphenostoma cristatum) having a wedge-shaped bill. Its color is dull brown, like the earth of the plains where it lives.

Wedge"-formed` (?), a. Having the form of a wedge; cuneiform.

Wedge-formed characters. See Arrow-headed characters, under Arrowheaded.

Wedge"-shaped` (?), a. 1. Having the shape of a wedge; cuneiform.

2. (Bot.) Broad and truncate at the summit, and tapering down to the base; as, a wedge-shaped leaf.

Wedge"-shell` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small marine bivalves belonging to Donax and allied genera in which the shell is wedge- shaped.

Wedge"-tailed" (?), a. (Zoöl.) Having a tail which has the middle pair of feathers longest, the rest successively and decidedly shorter, and all more or less attenuate; — said of certain birds. See Illust. of Wood hoopoe, under Wood.

Wedge-tailed eagle, an Australian eagle (Aquila audax) which feeds on various small species of kangaroos, and on lambs; — called also mountain eagle, bold eagle, and eagle hawk. — Wedge-tailed gull, an arctic gull (Rhodostethia rosea) in which the plumage is tinged with rose; — called also Ross's gull.

Wedge"wise` (?), adv. In the manner of a wedge.

Wedg"wood` ware` (?). [From the name of the inventor, Josiah Wedgwood, of England.] A kind of fine pottery, the most remarkable being what is called jasper, either white, or colored throughout the body, and capable of being molded into the most delicate forms, so that fine and minute bas-reliefs like cameos were made of it, fit even for being set as jewels.

Wedg"y (?), a. Like a wedge; wedge- shaped.

Wed"lock (?), n. [AS. wedlc a pledge, be trothal; wedd a pledge + lc a gift, an offering. See Wed, n., and cf. Lake, v. i., Knowledge.]

1. The ceremony, or the state, of marriage; matrimony. "That blissful yoke . . . that men clepeth [call] spousal, or wedlock." Chaucer.

For what is wedlock forced but a hell, An age of discord or continual strife?

Shak.

2. A wife; a married woman. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Syn. — See Marriage.

Wed"lock, v. t. To marry; to unite in marriage; to wed. [R.] "Man thus wedlocked." Milton.

Wednes"day (?; 48), n. [OE. wednesdai, wodnesdei, AS. Wdnes dæg, i. e., Woden's day (a translation of L. dies Mercurii); fr. Wden the highest god of the Teutonic peoples, but identified with the Roman god Mercury; akin to OS. Wdan, OHG. Wuotan, Icel. Oðinn, D. woensdag Wednesday, Icel. ðinsdagr, Dan. & Sw. onsdag. See Day, and cf. Woden, Wood, a.] The fourth day of the week; the next day after Tuesday.

Ash Wednesday. See in the Vocabulary.

Wee (?), n. [OE. we a bit, in a little we, probably originally meaning, a little way, the word we for wei being later taken as synonymous with little. See Way.] A little; a bit, as of space, time, or distance. [Obs. or Scot.]

Wee, a. Very small; little. [Colloq. & Scot.]

A little wee face, with a little yellow beard.

Shak.

Weech"-elm` (?), n. (Bot.) The wych-elm. [Obs.] Bacon.

Weed (?), n. [OE. wede, AS. w&?;de, w&?;d; akin to OS. wdi, giwdi, OFries, w&?;de, w&?;d, OD. wade, OHG. wt, Icel. v&?;, Zend vadh to clothe.]

1. A garment; clothing; especially, an upper or outer garment. "Low&?;ly shepherd's weeds." Spenser. "Woman's weeds." Shak. "This beggar woman's weed." Tennyson.

He on his bed sat, the soft weeds he wore Put off.

Chapman.

2. An article of dress worn in token of grief; a mourning garment or badge; as, he wore a weed on his hat; especially, in the plural, mourning garb, as of a woman; as, a widow's weeds.

In a mourning weed, with ashes upon her head, and tears abundantly flowing.

Milton.

Weed, n. A sudden illness or relapse, often attended with fever, which attacks women in childbed. [Scot.]

Weed, n. [OE. weed, weod, AS. weód, wiód, akin to OS. wiod, LG. woden the stalks and leaves of vegetables D. wieden to weed, OS. wiodn.]

1. Underbrush; low shrubs. [Obs. or Archaic]

One rushing forth out of the thickest weed.

Spenser.

A wild and wanton pard . . . Crouched fawning in the weed.

Tennyson.

2. Any plant growing in cultivated ground to the injury of the crop or desired vegetation, or to the disfigurement of the place; an unsightly, useless, or injurious plant.

Too much manuring filled that field with weeds.

Denham.

The word has no definite application to any particular plant, or species of plants. Whatever plants grow among corn or grass, in hedges, or elsewhere, and are useless to man, injurious to crops, or unsightly or out of place, are denominated weeds.

3. Fig.: Something unprofitable or troublesome; anything useless.

4. (Stock Breeding) An animal unfit to breed from.

5. Tobacco, or a cigar. [Slang]

Weed hook, a hook used for cutting away or extirpating weeds. Tusser.

Weed, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Weeded; p. pr. & vb. n. Weeding.] [AS. weódian. See 3d Weed.]

1. To free from noxious plants; to clear of weeds; as, to weed corn or onions; to weed a garden.

2. To take away, as noxious plants; to remove, as something hurtful; to extirpate. "Weed up thyme." Shak.

Wise fathers . . . weeding from their children ill things.

Ascham.

Revenge is a kind of wild justice, which the more man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out.

Bacon.

3. To free from anything hurtful or offensive.

He weeded the kingdom of such as were devoted to Elaiana.

Howell.

4. (Stock Breeding) To reject as unfit for breeding purposes.

Weed"er (?), n. One who, or that which, weeds, or frees from anything noxious.

Weed"er*y (?), n. Weeds, collectively; also, a place full of weeds or for growing weeds. [R.] Dr. H. More.

Weed"ing, a. & n. from Weed, v.

Weeding chisel, a tool with a divided chisel-like end, for cutting the roots of large weeds under ground. — Weeding forceps, an instrument for taking up some sorts of plants in weeding. — Weeding fork, a strong, three-pronged fork, used in clearing ground of weeds; — called also weeding iron. — Weeding hook. Same as Weed hook, under 3d Weed. — Weeding iron. See Weeding fork, above. — Weeding tongs. Same as Weeding forceps, above.

Weed"ing-rhim` (?), n. [Cf. Prov. E. rim to remove.] A kind of implement used for tearing up weeds esp. on summer fallows. [Prov. Eng.]

Weed"less, a. Free from weeds or noxious matter.

Weed"y (?), a. [Compar. Weedier (?); superl. Weediest.]

1. Of or pertaining to weeds; consisting of weeds. "Weedy trophies." Shak.

2. Abounding with weeds; as, weedy grounds; a weedy garden; weedy corn.

See from the weedy earth a rivulet break.

Bryant.

3. Scraggy; ill-shaped; ungainly; — said of colts or horses, and also of persons. [Colloq.]

Weed"y, a. Dressed in weeds, or mourning garments. [R. or Colloq.]

She was as weedy as in the early days of her mourning.

Dickens.

<! p. 1639 !>

Week (?), n. [OE. weke, wike, woke, wuke AS. weocu, wicu, wucu; akin to OS. wika, OFries. wike, D. week, G. woche, OHG. wohha, wehha, Icel. vika, Sw. vecka, Dan. uge, Goth. wik&?;, probably originally meaning, a succession or change, and akin to G. wechsel change, L. vicis turn, alternation, and E. weak. Cf. Weak.] A period of seven days, usually that reckoned from one Sabbath or Sunday to the next.

I fast twice in the week.

Luke xviii. 12.

Although it [the week] did not enter into the calendar of the Greeks, and was not introduced at Rome till after the reign of Theodesius, it has been employed from time immemorial in almost all Eastern countries. Encyc. Brit.

Feast of Weeks. See Pentecost, 1. — Prophetic week, a week of years, or seven years. Dan. ix. 24. — Week day. See under Day.

Week"ly (?), a. 1. Of or pertaining to a week, or week days; as, weekly labor.

2. Coming, happening, or done once a week; hebdomadary; as, a weekly payment; a weekly gazette.

Week"ly, n.; pl. Weeklies (&?;). A publication issued once in seven days, or appearing once a week.

Week"ly, adv. Once a week; by hebdomadal periods; as, each performs service weekly.

Week"wam (?), n. See Wigwam. [R.]

Weel (?), a. & adv. Well. [Obs. or Scot.]

Weel, n. [AS. wl. √147.] A whirlpool. [Obs.]

{ Weel (?), Weel"y (?), }[Prov. E. weel, weal, a wicker basket to catch eels; prob. akin to willow, and so called as made of willow twigs.] A kind of trap or snare for fish, made of twigs. [Obs.] Carew.

Ween (?), v. i. [OE. wenen, AS. w&?;nan, fr. w&?;n hope, expectation, opinion; akin to D. waan, OFries. w&?;n, OS. & OHG. wn, G. wahn delusion, Icel. vn hope, expectation, Goth. w&?;ns, and D. wanen to fancy, G. wähnen, Icel. vna to hope, Goth. w&?;njan, and perhaps to E. winsome, wish.] To think; to imagine; to fancy. [Obs. or Poetic] Spenser. Milton.

I have lost more than thou wenest.

Chaucer.

For well I ween, Never before in the bowers of light Had the form of an earthly fay been seen.

J. R. Drake.

Though never a dream the roses sent Of science or love's compliment, I ween they smelt as sweet.

Mrs. Browning.

Weep (?), n. (Zoöl.) The lapwing; the wipe; — so called from its cry.

Weep, obs. imp. of Weep, for wept. Chaucer.

Weep, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wept (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Weeping.] [OE. wepen, AS. w&?;pan, from w&?;p lamentation; akin to OFries. w&?;pa to lament, OS. w&?;p lamentation, OHG. wuof, Icel. &?;p a shouting, crying, OS. w&?;pian to lament, OHG. wuoffan, wuoffen, Icel. &?;pa, Goth. w&?;pjan. &?;&?;&?;&?;.]

1. Formerly, to express sorrow, grief, or anguish, by outcry, or by other manifest signs; in modern use, to show grief or other passions by shedding tears; to shed tears; to cry.

And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck.

Acts xx. 37.

Phocion was rarely seen to weep or to laugh.

Mitford.

And eyes that wake to weep.

Mrs. Hemans.

And they wept together in silence.

Longfellow.

2. To lament; to complain. "They weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat." Num. xi. 13.

3. To flow in drops; to run in drops.

The blood weeps from my heart.

Shak.

4. To drop water, or the like; to drip; to be soaked.

5. To hang the branches, as if in sorrow; to be pendent; to droop; — said of a plant or its branches.

Weep, v. t. 1. To lament; to bewail; to bemoan. "I weep bitterly the dead." A. S. Hardy.

We wandering go Through dreary wastes, and weep each other's woe.

Pope.

2. To shed, or pour forth, as tears; to shed drop by drop, as if tears; as, to weep tears of joy.

Tears, such as angels weep, burst forth.

Milton.

Groves whose rich trees wept odorous gums and balm.

Milton.

Weep"er (?), n. 1. One who weeps; esp., one who sheds tears.

2. A white band or border worn on the sleeve as a badge of mourning. Goldsmith.

3. (Zoöl.) The capuchin. See Capuchin, 3 (a).

Weep"ful (?), a. Full of weeping or lamentation; grieving. [Obs.] Wyclif.

Weep"ing, n. The act of one who weeps; lamentation with tears; shedding of tears.

Weep"ing, a. 1. Grieving; lamenting; shedding tears. "Weeping eyes." I. Watts.

2. Discharging water, or other liquid, in drops or very slowly; surcharged with water. "Weeping grounds." Mortimer.

3. Having slender, pendent branches; — said of trees; as, weeping willow; a weeping ash.

4. Pertaining to lamentation, or those who weep.

Weeping cross, a cross erected on or by the highway, especially for the devotions of penitents; hence, to return by the weeping cross, to return from some undertaking in humiliation or penitence. — Weeping rock, a porous rock from which water gradually issues. — Weeping sinew, a ganglion. See Ganglion, n., 2. [Colloq.] — Weeping spring, a spring that discharges water slowly. — Weeping willow (Bot.), a species of willow (Salix Babylonica) whose branches grow very long and slender, and hang down almost perpendicularly.

Weep"ing*ly (?), adv. In a weeping manner.

Weep"ing-ripe` (?), a. Ripe for weeping; ready to weep. [Obs.] Shak.

Weer"ish (?), a. See Wearish. [Obs.]

Wee"sel (?), n. (Zoöl.) See Weasel.

Weet (?), a. & n. Wet. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Weet, v. i. [imp. Wot (?).] [See Wit to know.] To know; to wit. [Obs.] Tyndale. Spenser.

Weet"-bird` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The wryneck; — so called from its cry. [Prov. Eng.]

Weet"ing*ly, adv. Knowingly. [Obs.] Spenser.

Weet"less, a. Unknowing; also, unknown; unmeaning. [Obs.] Spenser.

Weet"-weet` (?), n. [So called from its piping cry when disturbed.] (Zoöl.) (a) The common European sandpiper. (b) The chaffinch. [Prov. Eng.]

Wee"ver (?), n. [Probably from F. vive, OF. vivre, a kind of fish, L. vipera viper. Cf. Viper.] (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of edible marine fishes belonging to the genus Trachinus, of the family Trachinidæ. They have a broad spinose head, with the eyes looking upward. The long dorsal fin is supported by numerous strong, sharp spines which cause painful wounds.

The two British species are the great, or greater, weever (Trachinus draco), which becomes a foot long (called also gowdie, sea cat, stingbull, and weaverfish), and the lesser weever (T. vipera), about half as large (called also otter pike, and stingfish).

Wee"vil (?), n. [OE. wivel, wevil, AS. wifel, wibil; akin to OD. wevel, OHG. wibil, wibel, G. wiebel, wibel, and probably to Lith. vabalas beetle, and E. weave. See Weave.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of snout beetles, or Rhynchophora, in which the head is elongated and usually curved downward. Many of the species are very injurious to cultivated plants. The larvæ of some of the species live in nuts, fruit, and grain by eating out the interior, as the plum weevil, or curculio, the nut weevils, and the grain weevil (see under Plum, Nut, and Grain). The larvæ of other species bore under the bark and into the pith of trees and various other plants, as the pine weevils (see under Pine). See also Pea weevil, Rice weevil, Seed weevil, under Pea, Rice, and Seed.

Wee"viled (?), a. Infested by weevils; as, weeviled grain. [Written also weevilled.]

Wee"vil*y (?), a. Having weevils; weeviled. [Written also weevilly.]

Wee"zel (?), n. (Zoöl.) See Weasel.

Weft (?), obs. imp. & p. p. of Wave.

Weft, n. [Cf. Waif.] A thing waved, waived, or cast away; a waif. [Obs.] "A forlorn weft." Spenser.

Weft, n. [AS. weft, wefta, fr. wefan, to weave. See Weave.]

1. The woof of cloth; the threads that cross the warp from selvage to selvage; the thread carried by the shuttle in weaving.

2. A web; a thing woven.

Weft"age (?), n. Texture. [Obs.] Grew.

We"go*tism (?), n. [From we, in imitation of egotism.] Excessive use of the pronoun we; — called also weism. [Colloq. or Cant]

{ Wehr"geld` (?), Wehr"gelt` (?), } n. (O. Eng. Law) See Weregild.

Wehr"wolf` (?), n. See Werewolf.

{ Wei"gel*a (?), Wei*ge"li*a (?), } n. [NL. So named after C. E. Weigel, a German naturalist.] (Bot.) A hardy garden shrub (Diervilla Japonica) belonging to the Honeysuckle family, with white or red flowers. It was introduced from China.

Weigh (w), n. (Naut.) A corruption of Way, used only in the phrase under weigh.

An expedition was got under weigh from New York.

Thackeray.

The Athenians . . . hurried on board and with considerable difficulty got under weigh.

Jowett (Thucyd.).

Weigh, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Weighed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Weighing.] [OE. weien, weyen, weghen, AS. wegan to bear, move; akin to D. wegen to weigh, G. wägen, wiegen, to weigh, bewegen to move, OHG. wegan, Icel. vega to move, carry, lift, weigh, Sw. väga to weigh, Dan. veie, Goth. gawigan to shake, L. vehere to carry, Skr. vah. &?;&?;&?;&?;. See Way, and cf. Wey.]

1. To bear up; to raise; to lift into the air; to swing up; as, to weigh anchor. "Weigh the vessel up." Cowper.

2. To examine by the balance; to ascertain the weight of, that is, the force with which a thing tends to the center of the earth; to determine the heaviness, or quantity of matter of; as, to weigh sugar; to weigh gold.

Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

Dan. v. 27.

3. To be equivalent to in weight; to counterbalance; to have the heaviness of. "A body weighing divers ounces." Boyle.

4. To pay, allot, take, or give by weight.

They weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.

Zech. xi. 12.

5. To examine or test as if by the balance; to ponder in the mind; to consider or examine for the purpose of forming an opinion or coming to a conclusion; to estimate deliberately and maturely; to balance.

A young man not weighed in state affairs.

Bacon.

Had no better weighed The strength he was to cope with, or his own.

Milton.

Regard not who it is which speaketh, but weigh only what is spoken.

Hooker.

In nice balance, truth with gold she weighs.

Pope.

Without sufficiently weighing his expressions.

Sir W. Scott.

6. To consider as worthy of notice; to regard. [Obs. or Archaic] "I weigh not you." Shak.

All that she so dear did weigh.

Spenser.

To weigh down. (a) To overbalance. (b) To oppress with weight; to overburden; to depress. "To weigh thy spirits down." Milton.

Weigh (?), v. i. 1. To have weight; to be heavy. "They only weigh the heavier." Cowper.

2. To be considered as important; to have weight in the intellectual balance.

Your vows to her and me . . . will even weigh.

Shak.

This objection ought to weigh with those whose reading is designed for much talk and little knowledge.

Locke.

3. To bear heavily; to press hard.

Cleanse the stuffed bosom of that perilous stuff Which weighs upon the heart.

Shak.

4. To judge; to estimate. [R.]

Could not weigh of worthiness aright.

Spenser.

To weigh down, to sink by its own weight.

Weigh, n. [See Wey.] A certain quantity estimated by weight; an English measure of weight. See Wey.

Weigh"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being weighed.

Weigh"age (?; 48), n. A duty or toil paid for weighing merchandise. Bouvier.

Weigh"beam` (?), n. A kind of large steelyard for weighing merchandise; — also called weighmaster's beam.

Weigh"board` (?), n. (Mining) Clay intersecting a vein. Weale.

Weigh"bridge` (?), n. A weighing machine on which loaded carts may be weighed; platform scales.

Weigh"er (?), n. One who weighs; specifically, an officer whose duty it is to weigh commodities.

Weigh"-house` (?), n.; pl. Weigh-houses (&?;). A building at or within which goods, and the like, are weighed.

Weigh"ing, a. & n. from Weigh, v.

Weighing cage, a cage in which small living animals may be conveniently weighed. — Weighing house. See Weigh-house. — Weighing machine, any large machine or apparatus for weighing; especially, platform scales arranged for weighing heavy bodies, as loaded wagons.

Weigh"lock` (?), n. A lock, as on a canal, in which boats are weighed and their tonnage is settled.

Weigh"mas`ter (?), n. One whose business it is to weigh ore, hay, merchandise, etc.; one licensed as a public weigher.

Weight (?), n. [OE. weght, wight, AS. gewiht; akin to D. gewigt, G. gewicht, Icel. vætt, Sw. vigt, Dan. vægt. See Weigh, v. t.]

1. The quality of being heavy; that property of bodies by which they tend toward the center of the earth; the effect of gravitative force, especially when expressed in certain units or standards, as pounds, grams, etc.

Weight differs from gravity in being the effect of gravity, or the downward pressure of a body under the influence of gravity; hence, it constitutes a measure of the force of gravity, and being the resultant of all the forces exerted by gravity upon the different particles of the body, it is proportional to the quantity of matter in the body.

2. The quantity of heaviness; comparative tendency to the center of the earth; the quantity of matter as estimated by the balance, or expressed numerically with reference to some standard unit; as, a mass of stone having the weight of five hundred pounds.

For sorrow, like a heavy-hanging bell, Once set on ringing, with his own weight goes.

Shak.

3. Hence, pressure; burden; as, the weight of care or business. "The weight of this said time." Shak.

For the public all this weight he bears.

Milton.

[He] who singly bore the world's sad weight.

Keble.

4. Importance; power; influence; efficacy; consequence; moment; impressiveness; as, a consideration of vast weight.

In such a point of weight, so near mine honor.

Shak.

5. A scale, or graduated standard, of heaviness; a mode of estimating weight; as, avoirdupois weight; troy weight; apothecaries' weight.

6. A ponderous mass; something heavy; as, a clock weight; a paper weight.

A man leapeth better with weights in his hands.

Bacon.

7. A definite mass of iron, lead, brass, or other metal, to be used for ascertaining the weight of other bodies; as, an ounce weight.

8. (Mech.) The resistance against which a machine acts, as opposed to the power which moves it. [Obs.]

Atomic weight. (Chem.) See under Atomic, and cf. Element. — Dead weight, Feather weight, Heavy weight, Light weight, etc. See under Dead, Feather, etc. — Weight of observation (Astron. & Physics), a number expressing the most probable relative value of each observation in determining the result of a series of observations of the same kind.

Syn. — Ponderousness; gravity; heaviness; pressure; burden; load; importance; power; influence; efficacy; consequence; moment; impressiveness.

Weight, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Weighted; p. pr. & vb. n. Weighting.]

1. To load with a weight or weights; to load down; to make heavy; to attach weights to; as, to weight a horse or a jockey at a race; to weight a whip handle.

The arrows of satire, . . . weighted with sense.

Coleridge.

2. (Astron. & Physics) To assign a weight to; to express by a number the probable accuracy of, as an observation. See Weight of observations, under Weight.

<! p. 1640 !>

Weight"i*ly (?), adv. In a weighty manner.

Weight"i*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being weighty; weight; force; importance; impressiveness.

Weight"less, a. Having no weight; imponderable; hence, light. Shak.

Weight"y (?), a. [Compar. Weightier (?); superl. Weightiest.]

1. Having weight; heavy; ponderous; as, a weighty body.

2. Adapted to turn the balance in the mind, or to convince; important; forcible; serious; momentous. "For sundry weighty reasons." Shak.

Let me have your advice in a weighty affair.

Swift.

3. Rigorous; severe; afflictive. [R.] "Attend our weightier judgment." Shak.

Syn. — Heavy; ponderous; burdensome; onerous; forcible; momentous; efficacious; impressive; cogent.

{ Weir (wr), Wear,} n. [OE. wer, AS. wer; akin to G. wehr, AS. werian to defend, protect, hinder, G. wehren, Goth. warjan; and perhaps to E. wary; or cf. Skr. v to check, hinder. √142. Cf. Garret.] 1. A dam in a river to stop and raise the water, for the purpose of conducting it to a mill, forming a fish pond, or the like.

2. A fence of stakes, brushwood, or the like, set in a stream, tideway, or inlet of the sea, for taking fish.

3. A long notch with a horizontal edge, as in the top of a vertical plate or plank, through which water flows, — used in measuring the quantity of flowing water.

Weird (wrd), n. [OE. wirde, werde, AS. wyrd fate, fortune, one of the Fates, fr. weorðan to be, to become; akin to OS. wurd fate, OHG. wurt, Icel. urðr. √143. See Worth to become.]

1. Fate; destiny; one of the Fates, or Norns; also, a prediction. [Obs. or Scot.]

2. A spell or charm. [Obs. or Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

Weird, a.

1. Of or pertaining to fate; concerned with destiny.

2. Of or pertaining to witchcraft; caused by, or suggesting, magical influence; supernatural; unearthly; wild; as, a weird appearance, look, sound, etc.

Myself too had weird seizures.

Tennyson.

Those sweet, low tones, that seemed like a weird incantation.

Longfellow.

Weird sisters, the Fates. [Scot.] G. Douglas.

Shakespeare uses the term for the three witches in Macbeth.

The weird sisters, hand in hand, Posters of the sea and land.

Shak.

Weird, v. t. To foretell the fate of; to predict; to destine to. [Scot.] Jamieson.

Weird"ness, n. The quality or state of being weird.

We"ism (?), n. Same as Wegotism.

Weive (?), v. t. See Waive. [Obs.] Gower.

We"ka (?), n. (Zoöl.) A New Zealand rail (Ocydromus australis) which has wings so short as to be incapable of flight.

We"kau (?), n. (Zoöl.) A small New Zealand owl (Sceloglaux albifacies). It has short wings and long legs, and lives chiefly on the ground.

We*keen" (?), n. (Zoöl.) The meadow pipit. [Prov. Eng.]

Wel"a*way (?), interj. [OE. welaway, walaway, weilawey; wei wo! (Icel. vei) + la lo! (AS. l) + wei wo!; cf. AS. w l w. See Woe.] Alas! [Obs.]

Then welaway, for she undone was clean.

Wyatt.

Wel"-be*gone` (?), a. [OE. wel-begon. See Well, and Begone.] Surrounded with happiness or prosperity. [Obs.]

Fair and rich and young and wel-begone.

Chaucer.

Welch (?), a. See Welsh. [R.]

Welch"er (?), n. See Welsher.

Welch"man (?), n. See Welshman. [R.]

Wel"come (?), a. [OE. welcome, welcume, wilcume, AS. wilcuma a welcome guest, from wil-, as a prefix, akin to willa will + cuma a comer, fr. cuman to come; hence, properly, one who comes so as to please another's will; cf. Icel. velkominn welcome, G. willkommen. See Will, n., and Come.]

1. Received with gladness; admitted willingly to the house, entertainment, or company; as, a welcome visitor.

When the glad soul is made Heaven's welcome guest.

Cowper.

2. Producing gladness; grateful; as, a welcome present; welcome news. "O, welcome hour!" Milton.

3. Free to have or enjoy gratuitously; as, you are welcome to the use of my library.

Welcome is used elliptically for you are welcome. "Welcome, great monarch, to your own." Dryden.

Welcome-to-our-house (Bot.), a kind of spurge (Euphorbia Cyparissias). Dr. Prior.

Wel"come, n.

1. Salutation to a newcomer. "Welcome ever smiles." Shak.

2. Kind reception of a guest or newcomer; as, we entered the house and found a ready welcome.

His warmest welcome at an inn.

Shenstone.

Truth finds an entrance and a welcome too.

South.

To bid welcome, to receive with professions of kindness.

To thee and thy company I bid A hearty welcome.

Shak.

Wel"come, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Welcomed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Welcoming.] [AS. wilcumian.] To salute with kindness, as a newcomer; to receive and entertain hospitably and cheerfully; as, to welcome a visitor; to welcome a new idea. "I welcome you to land." Addison.

Thus we salute thee with our early song, And welcome thee, and wish thee long.

Milton.

Wel"come*ly, adv. In a welcome manner.

Wel"come*ness, n. The quality or state of being welcome; gratefulness; agreeableness; kind reception.

Wel"com*er (?), n. One who welcomes; one who salutes, or receives kindly, a newcomer. Shak.

Weld (?), v. t. To wield. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Weld (?), n. [OE. welde; akin to Scot. wald, Prov. G. waude, G. wau, Dan. & Sw. vau, D. wouw.]

1. (Bot.) An herb (Reseda luteola) related to mignonette, growing in Europe, and to some extent in America; dyer's broom; dyer's rocket; dyer's weed; wild woad. It is used by dyers to give a yellow color. [Written also woald, wold, and would.]

2. Coloring matter or dye extracted from this plant.

Weld, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Welded; p. pr. & vb. n. Welding.] [Probably originally the same word as well to spring up, to gush; perhaps from the Scand.; cf. Sw. välla to weld, uppvälla to boil up, to spring up, Dan. vælde to gush, G. wellen to weld. See Well to spring.]

1. To press or beat into intimate and permanent union, as two pieces of iron when heated almost to fusion.

Very few of the metals, besides iron and platinum. are capable of being welded. Horn and tortoise shell possess this useful property.

2. Fig.: To unite closely or intimately.

Two women faster welded in one love.

Tennyson.

Weld, n. The state of being welded; the joint made by welding.

Butt weld. See under Butt. — Scarf weld, a joint made by overlapping, and welding together, the scarfed ends of two pieces.

Weld"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being welded.

Weld"er (?), n. One who welds, or unites pieces of iron, etc., by welding.

Weld"er, n.

1. One who welds, or wields. [Obs.]

2. A manager; an actual occupant. [Ireland. Obs.] "The welder . . . who . . . lives miserably." Swift.

Wel"don's proc"ess (?), (Chem.) A process for the recovery or regeneration of manganese dioxide in the manufacture of chlorine, by means of milk of lime and the oxygen of the air; — so called after the inventor.

Wele (?), n. [See Weal prosperity.] Prosperity; happiness; well-being; weal. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Wele"ful (?), a. Producing prosperity or happiness; blessed. [Obs.] Chaucer.

We"lew (?), v. t. To welk, or wither. [Obs.]

Wel"fare` (?), n. [Well + fare to go, to proceed, to happen.] Well-doing or well-being in any respect; the enjoyment of health and the common blessings of life; exemption from any evil or calamity; prosperity; happiness.

How to study for the people's welfare.

Shak.

In whose deep eyes Men read the welfare of the times to come.

Emerson.

Wel"far`ing, a. Faring well; prosperous; thriving. [Obs.] "A welfaring person." Chaucer.

Welk (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Welked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Welking.] [OE. welken; cf. D. & G. welken to wither, G. welk withered, OHG. welc moist. See Welkin, and cf. Wilt.] To wither; to fade; also, to decay; to decline; to wane. [Obs.]

When ruddy Ph&?;bus 'gins to welk in west.

Spenser.

The church, that before by insensible degrees welked and impaired, now with large steps went down hill decaying.

Milton.

Welk, v. t.

1. To cause to wither; to wilt. [Obs.]

Mot thy welked neck be to-broke [broken].

Chaucer.

2. To contract; to shorten. [Obs.]

Now sad winter welked hath the day.

Spenser.

3. To soak; also, to beat severely. [Prov. Eng.]

Welk, n. A pustule. See 2d Whelk.

Welk, n. (Zoöl.) A whelk. [R.]

Welked (?), v. t. See Whelked.

Wel"kin (?), n. [OE. welken, welkene, welkne, wolcne, weolcne, AS. wolcen, pl. wolcnu, a cloud; akin to D. wolk, OFries. wolken, OS. wolkan, G. wolke, OHG. wolchan, and probably to G. welk withered, OHG. welc moist, Russ. & OSlav. vlaga moisture, Lith. vilgyti to moisten.] The visible regions of the air; the vault of heaven; the sky.

On the welkne shoon the sterres lyght.

Chaucer.

The fair welkin foully overcast.

Spenser.

When storms the welkin rend.

Wordsworth.

Used adjectively by Shakespeare in the phase, "Your welkin eye," with uncertain meaning.

Well (?), n. [OE. welle, AS. wella, wylla, from weallan to well up, surge, boil; akin to D. wel a spring or fountain. &?;&?;&?;&?;. See Well, v. i.]

1. An issue of water from the earth; a spring; a fountain.

Begin, then, sisters of the sacred well.

Milton.

2. A pit or hole sunk into the earth to such a depth as to reach a supply of water, generally of a cylindrical form, and often walled with stone or bricks to prevent the earth from caving in.

The woman said unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.

John iv. 11.

3. A shaft made in the earth to obtain oil or brine.

4. Fig.: A source of supply; fountain; wellspring. "This well of mercy." Chaucer.

Dan Chaucer, well of English undefiled.

Spenser.

A well of serious thought and pure.

Keble.

5. (Naut.) (a) An inclosure in the middle of a vessel's hold, around the pumps, from the bottom to the lower deck, to preserve the pumps from damage and facilitate their inspection. (b) A compartment in the middle of the hold of a fishing vessel, made tight at the sides, but having holes perforated in the bottom to let in water for the preservation of fish alive while they are transported to market. (c) A vertical passage in the stern into which an auxiliary screw propeller may be drawn up out of water. (d) A depressed space in the after part of the deck; — often called the cockpit.

6. (Mil.) A hole or excavation in the earth, in mining, from which run branches or galleries.

7. (Arch.) An opening through the floors of a building, as for a staircase or an elevator; a wellhole.

8. (Metal.) The lower part of a furnace, into which the metal falls.

Artesian well, Driven well. See under Artesian, and Driven. — Pump well. (Naut.) See Well, 5 (a), above. — Well boring, the art or process of boring an artesian well. — Well drain. (a) A drain or vent for water, somewhat like a well or pit, serving to discharge the water of wet land. (b) A drain conducting to a well or pit. — Well room. (a) A room where a well or spring is situated; especially, one built over a mineral spring. (b) (Naut.) A depression in the bottom of a boat, into which water may run, and whence it is thrown out with a scoop. — Well sinker, one who sinks or digs wells. — Well sinking, the art or process of sinking or digging wells. — Well staircase (Arch.), a staircase having a wellhole (see Wellhole (b)), as distinguished from one which occupies the whole of the space left for it in the floor. — Well sweep. Same as Sweep, n., 12. — Well water, the water that flows into a well from subterraneous springs; the water drawn from a well.

Well (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Welled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Welling.] [OE. wellen, AS. wyllan, wellan, fr. weallan; akin to OFries. walla, OS. & OHG. wallan, G. wallen, Icel. vella, G. welle, wave, OHG. wella, walm, AS. wylm; cf. L. volvere to roll, Gr. &?; to inwrap, &?; to roll. Cf. Voluble, Wallop to boil, Wallow, Weld of metal.] To issue forth, as water from the earth; to flow; to spring. "[Blood] welled from out the wound." Dryden. "[Yon spring] wells softly forth." Bryant.

From his two springs in Gojam's sunny realm, Pure welling out, he through the lucid lake Of fair Dambea rolls his infant streams.

Thomson.

Well, v. t. To pour forth, as from a well. Spenser.

Well, adv. [Compar. and superl. wanting, the deficiency being supplied by better and best, from another root.] [OE. wel, AS. wel; akin to OS., OFries., & D. wel, G. wohl, OHG. wola, wela, Icel. & Dan. vel, Sw. väl, Goth. waíla; originally meaning, according to one's will or wish. See Will, v. t., and cf. Wealth.]

1. In a good or proper manner; justly; rightly; not ill or wickedly.

If thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.

Gen. iv. 7.

2. Suitably to one's condition, to the occasion, or to a proposed end or use; suitably; abundantly; fully; adequately; thoroughly.

Lot . . . beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere.

Gen. xiii. 10.

WE are wellable to overcome it.

Num. xiii. 30.

She looketh well to the ways of her household.

Prov. xxxi. 27.

Servant of God, well done! well hast thou fought The better fight.

Milton.

3. Fully or about; — used with numbers. [Obs.] "Well a ten or twelve." Chaucer.

Well nine and twenty in a company.

Chaucer.

4. In such manner as is desirable; so as one could wish; satisfactorily; favorably; advantageously; conveniently. "It boded well to you." Dryden.

Know In measure what the mind may well contain.

Milton.

All the world speaks well of you.

Pope.

5. Considerably; not a little; far.

Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age.

Gen. xviii. 11.

Well is sometimes used elliptically for it is well, as an expression of satisfaction with what has been said or done, and sometimes it expresses concession, or is merely expletive; as, well, the work is done; well, let us go; well, well, be it so.

Well, like above, ill, and so, is used before many participial adjectives in its usual adverbial senses, and subject to the same custom with regard to the use of the hyphen (see the Note under Ill, adv.); as, a well-affected supporter; he was well affected toward the project; a well- trained speaker; he was well trained in speaking; well- educated, or well educated; well-dressed, or well dressed; well-appearing; well-behaved; well- controlled; well-designed; well-directed; well-formed; well-meant; well-minded; well-ordered; well- performed; well-pleased; well-pleasing; well-seasoned; well-steered; well-tasted; well-told, etc. Such compound epithets usually have an obvious meaning, and since they may be formed at will, only a few of this class are given in the Vocabulary.

As well. See under As. — As well as, and also; together with; not less than; one as much as the other; as, a sickness long, as well as severe; London is the largest city in England, as well as the capital. — Well enough, well or good in a moderate degree; so as to give satisfaction, or so as to require no alteration. — Well off, in good condition; especially, in good condition as to property or any advantages; thriving; prosperous. — Well to do, well off; prosperous; — used also adjectively. "The class well to do in the world." J. H. Newman. — Well to live, in easy circumstances; well off; well to do. Shak.

Well, a.

1. Good in condition or circumstances; desirable, either in a natural or moral sense; fortunate; convenient; advantageous; happy; as, it is well for the country that the crops did not fail; it is well that the mistake was discovered.

It was well with us in Egypt.

Num. xi. 18.

2. Being in health; sound in body; not ailing, diseased, or sick; healthy; as, a well man; the patient is perfectly well. "Your friends are well." Shak.

Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake?

Gen. xliii. 27.

3. Being in favor; favored; fortunate.

He followed the fortunes of that family, and was well with Henry the Fourth.

Dryden.

4. (Marine Insurance) Safe; as, a chip warranted well at a certain day and place. Burrill.

Well"a*day (?), interj. [Corrupted from wela way.] Alas! Welaway! Shak.

Wel"lat (?), n. (Zoöl.) The king parrakeet See under King.

Well"-be`ing (?), n. The state or condition of being well; welfare; happiness; prosperity; as, virtue is essential to the well-being of men or of society.

Well"-born` (?), a. Born of a noble or respect able family; not of mean birth.

Well"-bred` (?), a. Having good breeding; refined in manners; polite; cultivated.

I am as well-bred as the earl's granddaughter.

Thackera&?;.

<! p. 1641 !>

Well"do`er (?), n. One who does well; one who does good to another; a benefactor.

Well"do`ing, n. A doing well; right performance of duties. Also used adjectively.

Well"drain` (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Welldrained (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Well-draining.] To drain, as land; by means of wells, or pits, which receive the water, and from which it is discharged by machinery.

Well"fare` (?), n. See Welfare. [Obs.]

Well"-fa"vored (?), a. Handsome; wellformed; beautiful; pleasing to the eye.

Rachel was beautiful and well-favored.

Gen. xxix. 17.

Well"head` (?), n. A source, spring, or fountain.

At the wellhead the purest streams arise.

Spenser.

Our public-school and university life is a great wellhead of new and irresponsible words.

Earle.

Well"hole` (?), n.

1. (Arch.) (a) The open space in a floor, to accommodate a staircase. (b) The open space left beyond the ends of the steps of a staircase.

2. A cavity which receives a counterbalancing weight in certain mechanical contrivances, and is adapted also for other purposes. W. M. Buchanan.

Well`-in*formed" (?), a. Correctly informed; provided with information; well furnished with authentic knowledge; intelligent.

Wel`ling*to"ni*a (?), n. [NL. So named after the Duke of Wellington.] (Bot.) A name given to the "big trees" (Sequoia gigantea) of California, and still used in England. See Sequoia.

Wel"ling*tons (?), n. pl. [After the Duke of Wellington.] A kind of long boots for men.

Well`-in*ten"tioned (?), a. Having upright intentions or honorable purposes.

Dutchmen who had sold themselves to France, as the wellintentioned party.

Macaulay.

Well"-known` (?), a. Fully known; generally known or acknowledged.

A church well known with a well-known rite.

M. Arnold.

Well"-lik`ing (?), a. Being in good condition. [Obs. or Archaic]

They also shall bring forth more fruit in their age, and shall be fat and well-liking.

Bk. of Com. Prayer (Ps. xcii.).

Well`-man"nered (?), a. Polite; well- bred; complaisant; courteous. Dryden.

Well"-mean`er (?), n. One whose intention is good. "Well-meaners think no harm." Dryden.

Well"-mean`ing, a. Having a good intention.

Well`-na"tured (?), a. Good-natured; kind.

Well-natured, temperate, and wise.

Denham.

Well"-nigh` (?), adv. Almost; nearly. Chaucer.

Well"-plight`ed (?), a. Being well folded. [Obs.] "Her well-plighted frock." Spenser.

Well"-read` (?), a. Of extensive reading; deeply versed; — often followed by in.

Well"-seen` (?), a. Having seen much; hence, accomplished; experienced. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.

Well-seen in arms and proved in many a fight.

Spenser.

Well"-set` (?), a.

1. Properly or firmly set.

2. Well put together; having symmetry of parts.

Well"-sped` (?), a. Having good success.

Well"-spo`ken (?), a. [Well + speak.]

1. Speaking well; speaking with fitness or grace; speaking kindly. "A knight well-spoken." Shak.

2. Spoken with propriety; as, well-spoken words.

Well"spring` (?), n. A fountain; a spring; a source of continual supply.

Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it; but the instruction of fools is folly.

Prov. xvi. 22.

Well"-will`er (?), n. One who wishes well, or means kindly. [R.] "A well-willer of yours." Brydges.

Well"-wish` (?), n. A wish of happiness. "A well-wish for his friends." Addison.

Well"wish`er (?), n. One who wishes another well; one who is benevolently or friendlily inclined.

We'll (?). Contraction for we will or we shall. "We'll follow them." Shak.

Wels (?), n. [G.] (Zoöl.) The sheatfish; — called also waller.

Welsh (?), a. [AS. wælisc, welisc, from wealh a stranger, foreigner, not of Saxon origin, a Welshman, a Celt, Gael; akin to OHG. walh, whence G. wälsch or welsch, Celtic, Welsh, Italian, French, Foreign, strange, OHG. walhisc; from the name of a Celtic tribe. See Walnut.] Of or pertaining to Wales, or its inhabitants. [Sometimes written also Welch.]

Welsh flannel, a fine kind of flannel made from the fleece of the flocks of the Welsh mountains, and largely manufactured by hand. — Welsh glaive, or Welsh hook, a weapon of war used in former times by the Welsh, commonly regarded as a kind of poleax. Fairholt. Craig. — Welsh mortgage (O. Eng. Law), a species of mortgage, being a conveyance of an estate, redeemable at any time on payment of the principal, with an understanding that the profits in the mean time shall be received by the mortgagee without account, in satisfaction of interest. Burrill. — Welsh mutton, a choice and delicate kind of mutton obtained from a breed of small sheep in Wales. — Welsh onion (Bot.), a kind of onion (Allium fistulosum) having hollow inflated stalks and leaves, but scarcely any bulb, a native of Siberia. It is said to have been introduced from Germany, and is supposed to have derived its name from the German term wälsch foreign. — Welsh parsley, hemp, or halters made from hemp. [Obs. & Jocular] J. Fletcher. — Welsh rabbit. See under Rabbit.

Welsh, n.

1. The language of Wales, or of the Welsh people.

2. pl. The natives or inhabitants of Wales.

The Welsh call themselves Cymry, in the plural, and a Welshman Cymro, and their country Cymru, of which the adjective is Cymreig, and the name of their language Cymraeg. They are a branch of the Celtic family, and a relic of the earliest known population of England, driven into the mountains of Wales by the Anglo- Saxon invaders.

Welsh"er (?), n. One who cheats at a horse race; one who bets, without a chance of being able to pay; one who receives money to back certain horses and absconds with it. [Written also welcher.] [Slang, Eng.]

Welsh"man (?), n.; pl. Welshmen (&?;).

1. A native or inhabitant of Wales; one of the Welsh.

2. (Zoöl.) (a) A squirrel fish. (b) The large-mouthed black bass. See Black bass. [Southern U. S.]

Wel"some (?), a. Prosperous; well. [Obs.] Wyclif. — Wel"some*ly, adv. Wyclif.

Welt (?), n. [OE. welte, probably fr. W. gwald a hem, a welt, gwaldu to welt or to hem.]

1. That which, being sewed or otherwise fastened to an edge or border, serves to guard, strengthen, or adorn it; as; (a) A small cord covered with cloth and sewed on a seam or border to strengthen it; an edge of cloth folded on itself, usually over a cord, and sewed down. (b) A hem, border, or fringe. [Obs.] (c) In shoemaking, a narrow strip of leather around a shoe, between the upper leather and sole. (d) In steam boilers and sheet-iron work, a strip riveted upon the edges of plates that form a butt joint. (e) In carpentry, a strip of wood fastened over a flush seam or joint, or an angle, to strengthen it. (f) In machine-made stockings, a strip, or flap, of which the heel is formed.

2. (Her.) A narrow border, as of an ordinary, but not extending around the ends.

Welt joint, a joint, as of plates, made with a welt, instead of by overlapping the edges. See Weld, n., 1 (d).

Welt, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Welted; p. pr. & vb. n. Welting.] To furnish with a welt; to sew or fasten a welt on; as, to welt a boot or a shoe; to welt a sleeve.

Welt, v. t. To wilt. [R.]

Welte (?), obs. imp. of Weld, to wield. Chaucer.

Wel"ter (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Weltered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Weltering.] [Freq. of OE. walten to roll over, AS. wealtan; akin to LG. weltern, G. walzen to roll, to waltz, sich wälzen to welter, OHG. walzan to roll, Icel. velta, Dan. vælte, Sw. vältra, välta; cf. Goth. waltjan; probably akin to E. wallow, well, v. i. &?;&?;&?;&?;. See Well, v. i., and cf. Waltz.]

1. To roll, as the body of an animal; to tumble about, especially in anything foul or defiling; to wallow.

When we welter in pleasures and idleness, then we eat and drink with drunkards.

Latimer.

These wizards welter in wealth's waves.

Spenser.

He must not float upon his watery bier Unwept, and welter to the parching wind, Without the meed of some melodious tear.

Milton.

The priests at the altar . . . weltering in their blood.

Landor.

2. To rise and fall, as waves; to tumble over, as billows. "The weltering waves." Milton.

Waves that, hardly weltering, die away.

Wordsworth.

Through this blindly weltering sea.

Trench.

Wel"ter, v. t. [Cf. Wilt, v. i.] To wither; to wilt. [R.]

Weltered hearts and blighted . . . memories.

I. Taylor.

Wel"ter, a. (Horse Racing) Of, pertaining to, or designating, the most heavily weighted race in a meeting; as, a welter race; the welter stakes.

Wel"ter, n.

1. That in which any person or thing welters, or wallows; filth; mire; slough.

The foul welter of our so-called religious or other controversies.

Carlyle.

2. A rising or falling, as of waves; as, the welter of the billows; the welter of a tempest.

||Wel*witsch"i*a (?), n. [NL. So named after the discoverer, Dr. ||Friedrich Welwitsch.] (Bot.) An African plant (Welwitschia mirabilis) ||belonging to the order Gnetaceæ. It consists of a short, woody, ||topshaped stem, and never more than two leaves, which are the ||cotyledons enormously developed, and at length split into diverging ||segments. || Wem (?), n. [Cf. Womb.] The abdomen; the uterus; the womb. [Obs.]

Wem, n. [AS. wam, wamm.] Spot; blemish; harm; hurt. [Obs.] Wyclif.

Withouten wem of you, through foul and fair.

Chaucer.

Wem, v. t. [AS. wemman.] To stain; to blemish; to harm; to corrupt. [Obs.]

Wem"less, a. Having no wem, or blemish; spotless. [Obs.] "Virgin wemless." Chaucer.

Wen (wn), n. [AS. wenn; akin to D. wen, LG. wenne.] (Med.) An indolent, encysted tumor of the skin; especially, a sebaceous cyst.

Wench (wnch), n. [OE. wenche, for older wenchel a child, originally, weak, tottering; cf. AS. wencle a maid, a daughter, wencel a pupil, orphan, wincel, winclu, children, offspring, wencel weak, wancol unstable, OHG. wanchol; perhaps akin to E. wink. See Wink.]

1. A young woman; a girl; a maiden. Shak.

Lord and lady, groom and wench.

Chaucer.

That they may send again My most sweet wench, and gifts to boot.

Chapman.

He was received by the daughter of the house, a pretty, buxom, blue-eyed little wench.

W. Black.

2. A low, vicious young woman; a drab; a strumpet.

She shall be called his wench or his leman.

Chaucer.

It is not a digression to talk of bawds in a discourse upon wenches.

Spectator.

3. A colored woman; a negress. [U. S.]

Wench (wnch), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wenched (wncht); p. pr. & vb. n. Wenching.] To frequent the company of wenches, or women of ill fame.

Wench"er (-r), n. One who wenches; a lewd man.

Wench"less, a. Being without a wench. Shak.

Wend (wnd), obs. p. p. of Wene. Chaucer.

Wend, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wended, Obs. Went; p. pr. & vb. n. Wending.] [AS. wendan to turn, to go, caus. of windan to wind; akin to OS. wendian, OFries. wenda, D. wenden to turn, G. wenden, Icel. venda, Sw. vända, Dan. vende, Goth. wandjan. See Wind to turn, and cf. Went.]

1. To go; to pass; to betake one's self. "To Canterbury they wend." Chaucer.

To Athens shall the lovers wend.

Shak.

2. To turn round. [Obs.] Sir W. Raleigh.

Wend, v. t. To direct; to betake; — used chiefly in the phrase to wend one's way. Also used reflexively. "Great voyages to wend." Surrey.

Wend, n. (O. Eng. Law) A large extent of ground; a perambulation; a circuit. [Obs.] Burrill.

Wende (?), obs. imp. of Wene. Chaucer.

{ Wend"ic (?), Wend"ish (?), } a. Of or pertaining the Wends, or their language.

Wend"ic (?), n. The language of the Wends.

Wends (?), n. pl.; sing. Wend. (Ethnol.) A Slavic tribe which once occupied the northern and eastern parts of Germany, of which a small remnant exists.

Wene (?), v. i. To ween. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Wen"lock group` (?), (Geol.) The middle subdivision of the Upper Silurian in Great Britain; — so named from the typical locality in Shropshire.

Wen"nel (?), n. See Weanel. [Obs.] Tusser.

{ Wen"nish (?), Wen"ny (?) }, a. [From Wen.] Having the nature of a wen; resembling a wen; as, a wennish excrescence.

We*no"na (?), n. (Zoöl.) A sand snake (Charina plumbea) of Western North America, of the family Erycidæ.

Went (?), imp. & p. p. of Wend; - - now obsolete except as the imperfect of go, with which it has no etymological connection. See Go.

To the church both be they went.

Chaucer.

Went, n. Course; way; path; journey; direction. [Obs.] "At a turning of a wente." Chaucer.

But here my weary team, nigh overspent, Shall breathe itself awhile after so long a went.

Spenser.

He knew the diverse went of mortal ways.

Spenser.

Wen"tle*trap` (?), n. [D. wenteltrap a winding staircase; cf. G. wendeltreppe.] [Obs.] Any one of numerous species of elegant, usually white, marine shells of the genus Scalaria, especially Scalaria pretiosa, which was formerly highly valued; — called also staircase shell. See Scalaria.

Wep (?), obs. imp. of Weep.

Wep"en (?), n. Weapon. [Obs.]

Wept (?), imp. & p. p. of Weep.

Werche (?), v. t. & i. To work. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Were (?), v. t. & i. To wear. See 3d Wear. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Were, n. A weir. See Weir. [Obs.] Chaucer. Sir P. Sidney.

Were, v. t. [AS. werian.] To guard; to protect. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Were (wr; 277). [AS. wre (thou) wast, wron (we, you, they) were, wre imp. subj. See Was.] The imperfect indicative plural, and imperfect subjunctive singular and plural, of the verb be. See Be.

Were (wr), n. [AS. wer; akin to OS. & OHG. wer, Goth. waír, L. vir, Skr. vra. Cf. Weregild, and Werewolf.]

1. A man. [Obs.]

2. A fine for slaying a man; the money value set upon a man's life; weregild. [Obs.]

Every man was valued at a certain sum, which was called his were.

Bosworth.

Were"gild` (?), n. [AS. wergild; wer a man, value set on a man's life + gild payment of money; akin to G. wehrgeld. √285. See Were a man, and Geld, n.] (O. Eng. Law) The price of a man's head; a compensation paid of a man killed, partly to the king for the loss of a subject, partly to the lord of a vassal, and partly to the next of kin. It was paid by the murderer. [Written also weregeld, weregelt, etc.] Blackstone.

Were"wolf` (?), n.; pl. Werewolves (#). [AS. werwulf; wer a man + wulf a wolf; cf. G. wärwolf, währwolf, wehrwolf, a werewolf, MHG. werwolf. √285. See Were a man, and Wolf, and cf. Virile, World.] A person transformed into a wolf in form and appetite, either temporarily or permanently, whether by supernatural influences, by witchcraft, or voluntarily; a lycanthrope. Belief in werewolves, formerly general, is not now extinct.

The werwolf went about his prey.

William of Palerne.

The brutes that wear our form and face, The werewolves of the human race.

Longfellow.

{Werk (?), n., Werke }, v. See Work. [Obs.]

Wern (?), v. t. [See 1st Warn.] To refuse. [Obs.]

He is too great a niggard that will wern A man to light a candle at his lantern.

Chaucer.

Wer*ne"ri*an (?), a. Of or pertaining to A. G. Werner, The German mineralogist and geologist, who classified minerals according to their external characters, and advocated the theory that the strata of the earth's crust were formed by depositions from water; designating, or according to, Werner's system.

Wer"ner*ite (?), n. [See Wernerian.] (Min.) The common grayish or white variety of soapolite.

We*roo"le (?), n. (Zoöl.) An Australian lorikeet (Ptilosclera versicolor) noted for the variety of its colors; — called also varied lorikeet.

Werre (?), n. War. [Obs.] Chaucer.

<! p. 1642 !>

Wer"rey (wr"r), v. t. To warray. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Werst (wrst), n. See Verst.

Wert (wrt), The second person singular, indicative and subjunctive moods, imperfect tense, of the verb be. It is formed from were, with the ending -t, after the analogy of wast. Now used only in solemn or poetic style.

Wert, n. A wart. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Wer`y*an"gle (?), n. See Wariangle. [Obs.] Chaucer.

We"sand (?), n. See Weasand. [Obs.]

Wesh (?), obs. imp. of Wash. Washed. Chaucer.

We"sil (?), n. See Weasand. [Obs.]

Wes"ley*an (?), a. [See Wesleyanism.] Of or pertaining to Wesley or Wesleyanism.

Wes"ley*an, n. (Eccl.) One who adopts the principles of Wesleyanism; a Methodist.

Wes"ley*an*ism (?), n. (Eccl.) The system of doctrines and church polity inculcated by John Wesley (b. 1703; d. 1791), the founder of the religious sect called Methodist; Methodism. See Methodist, n., 2.

West (?), n. [AS. west, adv.; akin to D. west, G. west, westen, OHG. westan, Icel. vestr, Sw. vest, vester, vestan, Dan. vest, vesten, and perhaps to L. vesper evening, Gr. &?;. &?;&?;&?;&?;. Cf. Vesper, Visigoth.]

1. The point in the heavens where the sun is seen to set at the equinox; or, the corresponding point on the earth; that one of the four cardinal points of the compass which is in a direction at right angles to that of north and south, and on the left hand of a person facing north; the point directly opposite to east.

And fresh from the west is the free wind's breath.

Bryant.

2. A country, or region of country, which, with regard to some other country or region, is situated in the direction toward the west.

3. Specifically: (a) The Westen hemisphere, or the New World so called, it having been discovered by sailing westward from Europe; the Occident. (b) (U. S. Hist. & Geog.) Formerly, that part of the United States west of the Alleghany mountains; now, commonly, the whole region west of the Mississippi river; esp., that part which is north of the Indian Territory, New Mexico, etc. Usually with the definite article.

West by north, West by south, according to the notation of the mariner's compass, that point which lies 11¼° to the north or south, respectively, of the point due west. — West northwest, West southwest, that point which lies 22½° to the north or south of west, or halfway between west and northwest or southwest, respectively. See Illust. of Compass.

West, a. Lying toward the west; situated at the west, or in a western direction from the point of observation or reckoning; proceeding toward the west, or coming from the west; as, a west course is one toward the west; an east and west line; a west wind blows from the west.

This shall be your west border.

Num. xxxiv. 6.

West end, the fashionable part of London, commencing from the east, at Charing Cross.

West, adv. [AS. west.] Westward.

West, v. i.

1. To pass to the west; to set, as the sun. [Obs.] "The hot sun gan to west." Chaucer.

2. To turn or move toward the west; to veer from the north or south toward the west.

West"er*ing (?), a. Passing to the west.

Toward heaven's descent had sloped his westering wheel.

Milton.

West"er*ly, a. Of or pertaining to the west; toward the west; coming from the west; western.

West"er*ly, adv. Toward the west; westward.

West"ern (?), a.

1. Of or pertaining to the west; situated in the west, or in the region nearly in the direction of west; being in that quarter where the sun sets; as, the western shore of France; the western ocean.

Far o'er the glowing western main.

Keble.

2. Moving toward the west; as, a ship makes a western course; coming from the west; as, a western breeze.

Western Church. See Latin Church, under Latin. — Western empire (Hist.), the western portion of the Roman empire, as divided, by the will of Theodosius the Great, between his sons Honorius and Arcadius, a. d. 395.

West"ern*er (?), n. A native or inhabitant of the west.

West"ern*most` (?), a. Situated the farthest towards the west; most western.

{ West` In"di*a (?), West` In"di*an (?).} Belonging or relating to the West Indies.

West India tea (Bot.), a shrubby plant (Capraria biflora) having oblanceolate toothed leaves which are sometimes used in the West Indies as a substitute for tea.

West` In"di*an. A native of, or a dweller in, the West Indies.

West"ing (?), n. (Naut. & Surv.) The distance, reckoned toward the west, between the two meridians passing through the extremities of a course, or portion of a ship's path; the departure of a course which lies to the west of north.

West"ling (?), n. A westerner. [R.]

West"min`ster As*sem"bly (?). See under Assembly.

West"most` (?), a. Lying farthest to the west; westernmost.

{ West"ward (?), West"wards (?), } adv. [AS. westweard. See West, and - ward. ] Toward the west; as, to ride or sail westward.

Westward the course of empire takes its way.

Berkeley.

West"ward, a. Lying toward the west.

Yond same star that's westward from the pole.

Shak.

West"ward, n. The western region or countries; the west.

West"ward*ly, adv. In a westward direction.

West"y (?), a. Dizzy; giddy. [Prov. Eng.]

Wet (wt), a. [Compar. Wetter (?); superl. Wettest.] [OE. wet, weet, AS. wt; akin to OFries. wt, Icel. vtr, Sw. våt, Dan. vaad, and E. water. √137. See Water.]

1. Containing, or consisting of, water or other liquid; moist; soaked with a liquid; having water or other liquid upon the surface; as, wet land; a wet cloth; a wet table. "Wet cheeks." Shak.

2. Very damp; rainy; as, wet weather; a wet season. "Wet October's torrent flood." Milton.

3. (Chem.) Employing, or done by means of, water or some other liquid; as, the wet extraction of copper, in distinction from dry extraction in which dry heat or fusion is employed.

4. Refreshed with liquor; drunk. [Slang] Prior.

Wet blanket, Wet dock, etc. See under Blanket, Dock, etc. — Wet goods, intoxicating liquors. [Slang]

Syn. — Nasty; humid; damp; moist. See Nasty.

Wet (?), n. [AS. wta. See Wet, a.]

1. Water or wetness; moisture or humidity in considerable degree.

Have here a cloth and wipe away the wet.

Chaucer.

Now the sun, with more effectual beams, Had cheered the face of earth, and dried the wet From drooping plant.

Milton.

2. Rainy weather; foggy or misty weather.

3. A dram; a drink. [Slang]

Wet, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wet (rarely Wetted); p. pr. & vb. n. Wetting.] [AS. wtan.] To fill or moisten with water or other liquid; to sprinkle; to cause to have water or other fluid adherent to the surface; to dip or soak in a liquid; as, to wet a sponge; to wet the hands; to wet cloth. "[The scene] did draw tears from me and wetted my paper." Burke.

Ye mists and exhalations, that now rise . . . Whether to deck with clouds the uncolored sky, Or wet the thirsty earth with falling showers.

Milton.

To wet one's whistle, to moisten one's throat; to drink a dram of liquor. [Colloq.]

Let us drink the other cup to wet our whistles.

Walton.

Wet"bird` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The chaffinch, whose cry is thought to foretell rain. [Prov. Eng.]

Weth"er (?), n. [OE. wether, AS. weðer; akin to OS. wethar, withar, a ram, D. weder, G. widder, OHG. widar, Icel. veðr, Sw. vädur, Dan. vædder, Goth. wiþrus a lamb, L. vitulus calf, Skr. vatsa, L. vetus old, Gr. 'e`tos year; — originally meaning, a yearling. Cf. Veal, Veteran.] A castrated ram.

Wet"ness (?), n. 1. The quality or state of being wet; moisture; humidity; as, the wetness of land; the wetness of a cloth.

2. A watery or moist state of the atmosphere; a state of being rainy, foggy, or misty; as, the wetness of weather or the season.

Wetness generally implies more water or liquid than is implied by humidness or moisture.

Wet" nurse` (?). A nurse who suckles a child, especially the child of another woman. Cf. Dry nurse.

Wet"-shod` (?), a. Having the feet, or the shoes on the feet, wet.

Wet"tish (?), a. Somewhat wet; moist; humid.

We"vil (?), n. See Weevil.

Wex (?), v. t. & i. To grow; to wax. [Obs.] Chaucer. "Each wexing moon." Dryden.

Wex, obs. imp. of Wex. Waxed. Chaucer.

Wex, n. Wax. [Obs.] "Yelwe as wex." Chaucer.

Wey (?), n. Way; road; path. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Wey, v. t. & i. To weigh. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Wey (?), n. [OE. weye, AS. w&?;ge weight. &?;&?;&?;&?;. See Weight.] A certain measure of weight. [Eng.] "A weye of Essex cheese." Piers Plowman.

A wey is 6&?; tods, or 182 pounds, of wool; a load, or five quarters, of wheat, 40 bushels of salt, each weighing 56 pounds; 32 cloves of cheese, each weighing seven pounds; 48 bushels of oats and barley; and from two cwt. to three cwt. of butter. Simmonds.

Weyle (?), v. t. & i. To wail. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Wey"le*way (?), interj. See Welaway. [Obs.]

Weyve (?), v. t. To waive. [Obs.] Chaucer.

We"zand (?), n. See Weasand. [Obs.]

Whaap (?), n. [So called from one of its notes.] (Zoöl.) (a) The European curlew; - - called also awp, whaup, great whaup, and stock whaup. (b) The whimbrel; — called also May whaup, little whaup, and tang whaup. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Whack (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whacked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Whacking.] [Cf. Thwack.] To strike; to beat; to give a heavy or resounding blow to; to thrash; to make with whacks. [Colloq.]

Rodsmen were whackingtheir way through willow brakes.

G. W. Cable.

Whack, v. i. To strike anything with a smart blow.

To whack away, to continue striking heavy blows; as, to whack away at a log. [Colloq.]

Whack, n. A smart resounding blow. [Colloq.]

Whack"er (?), n.

1. One who whacks. [Colloq.]

2. Anything very large; specif., a great lie; a whapper. [Colloq.] Halliwell.

Whack"ing, a. Very large; whapping. [Colloq.]

Wha*hoo" (?), n. (Bot.) An American tree, the winged elm. (Ulmus alata).

Whala (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whaled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Whaling.] [Cf. Wale. ] To lash with stripes; to wale; to thrash; to drub. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.] Halliwell. Bartlett.

Whale, n. [OE. whal, AS. hwæl; akin to D. walvisch, G. wal, walfisch, OHG. wal, Icel. hvalr, Dan. & Sw. hval, hvalfisk. Cf. Narwhal, Walrus.] (Zoöl.) Any aquatic mammal of the order Cetacea, especially any one of the large species, some of which become nearly one hundred feet long. Whales are hunted chiefly for their oil and baleen, or whalebone.

The existing whales are divided into two groups: the toothed whales (Odontocete), including those that have teeth, as the cachalot, or sperm whale (see Sperm whale); and the baleen, or whalebone, whales (Mysticete), comprising those that are destitute of teeth, but have plates of baleen hanging from the upper jaw, as the right whales. The most important species of whalebone whales are the bowhead, or Greenland, whale (see Illust. of Right whale), the Biscay whale, the Antarctic whale, the gray whale (see under Gray), the humpback, the finback, and the rorqual.

Whale bird. (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of several species of large Antarctic petrels which follow whaling vessels, to feed on the blubber and floating oil; especially, Prion turtur (called also blue petrel), and Pseudoprion desolatus. (b) The turnstone; — so called because it lives on the carcasses of whales. [Canada] — Whale fin (Com.), whalebone. Simmonds. — Whale fishery, the fishing for, or occupation of taking, whales. — Whale louse (Zoöl.), any one of several species of degraded amphipod crustaceans belonging to the genus Cyamus, especially C. ceti. They are parasitic on various cetaceans. — Whale's bone, ivory. [Obs.] — Whale shark. (Zoöl.) (a) The basking, or liver, shark. (b) A very large harmless shark (Rhinodon typicus) native of the Indian Ocean. It sometimes becomes sixty feet long. — Whale shot, the name formerly given to spermaceti. — Whale's tongue (Zoöl.), a balanoglossus.

Whale"boat` (?), n. (Naut.) A long, narrow boat, sharp at both ends, used by whalemen.

Whale"bone` (?), n. A firm, elastic substance resembling horn, taken from the upper jaw of the right whale; baleen. It is used as a stiffening in stays, fans, screens, and for various other purposes. See Baleen.

Whalebone is chiefly obtained from the bowhead, or Greenland, whale, the Biscay whale, and the Antarctic, or southern, whale. It is prepared for manufacture by being softened by boiling, and dyed black.

Whale"man (?), n.; pl. Whalemen (&?;). A man employed in the whale fishery.

Whal"er (?), n. A vessel or person employed in the whale fishery.

Whal"er, n. One who whales, or beats; a big, strong fellow; hence, anything of great or unusual size. [Colloq. U. S.]

Whal"ing, n. The hunting of whales.

Whal"ing, a. Pertaining to, or employed in, the pursuit of whales; as, a whaling voyage; a whaling vessel.

Whall (?), n. [See Wall-eye.] A light color of the iris in horses; wall-eye. [Written also whaul.]

Whall"y (?), a. Having the iris of light color; — said of horses. "Whally eyes." Spenser.

Whame (?), n. (Zoöl.) A breeze fly.

Wham"mel (?), v. t. [Cf. Whelm.] To turn over. [Prov. Eng.]

Whan (?), adv. When. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Whang (?), n. [Cf. Thong.] A leather thong. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.]

Whang, v. t. To beat. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.]

Whang*hee" (?), n. (Bot.) See Wanghee.

{ Whap (?), Whop }, v. i. [Cf. OE. quappen to palpitate, E. quob, quaver, wabble, awhape, wap.] To throw one's self quickly, or by an abrupt motion; to turn suddenly; as, she whapped down on the floor; the fish whapped over. Bartlett.

This word is used adverbially in the north of England, as in the United States, when anything vanishes, or is gone suddenly; as, whap went the cigar out of my mouth.

{ Whap, Whop }, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whapped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Whapping.] To beat or strike.

{ Whap, Whop }, n. A blow, or quick, smart stroke.

{ Whap"per (?), Whop"per }, n. [See Whap.] Something uncommonly large of the kind; something astonishing; — applied especially to a bold lie. [Colloq.]

{ Whap"ping (?), Whop"ping }, a. Very large; monstrous; astonishing; as, a whapping story. [Colloq.]

Wharf (?), n.; pl. Wharfs (#) or Wharves (#). [AS. hwerf, hwearf, a returning, a change, from hweorfan to turn, turn about, go about; akin to D. werf a wharf, G. werft, Sw. varf a shipbuilder's yard, Dan. verft wharf, dockyard, G. werben to enlist, to engage, woo, OHG. werban to turn about, go about, be active or occupied, Icel. hverfa to turn, Goth. hwaírban, hwarbn, to walk. Cf. Whirl.]

1. A structure or platform of timber, masonry, iron, earth, or other material, built on the shore of a harbor, river, canal, or the like, and usually extending from the shore to deep water, so that vessels may lie close alongside to receive and discharge cargo, passengers, etc.; a quay; a pier.

Commerce pushes its wharves into the sea.

Bancroft.

Out upon the wharfs they came, Knight and burgher, lord and dame.

Tennyson.

The plural of this word is generally written wharves in the United States, and wharfs in England; but many recent English writers use wharves.

2. [AS. hwearf.] The bank of a river, or the shore of the sea. [Obs.] "The fat weed that roots itself in ease on Lethe wharf." Shak.

Wharf boat, a kind of boat moored at the bank of a river, and used for a wharf, in places where the height of the water is so variable that a fixed wharf would be useless. [U. S.] Bartlett. — Wharf rat. (Zoöl.) (a) The common brown rat. (b) A neglected boy who lives around the wharfs. [Slang]

<! p. 1643 !>

Wharf (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wharfed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wharfing.]

1. To guard or secure by a firm wall of timber or stone constructed like a wharf; to furnish with a wharf or wharfs.

2. To place upon a wharf; to bring to a wharf.

Wharf"age (?), n.

1. The fee or duty paid for the privilege of using a wharf for loading or unloading goods; pierage, collectively; quayage.

2. A wharf or wharfs, collectively; wharfing.

Wharf"ing, n.

1. Wharfs, collectively.

2. (Hydraul. Engin.) A mode of facing sea walls and embankments with planks driven as piles and secured by ties. Knight.

Wharf"in*ger (?), n. [For wharfager.] A man who owns, or has the care of, a wharf.

{ Wharl (?), Wharl"ing, } n. A guttural pronunciation of the letter r; a burr. See Burr, n., 6.

A strange, uncouth wharling in their speech.

Fuller.

Wharp (?), n. A kind of fine sand from the banks of the Trent, used as a polishing powder. [Eng.]

What (?), pron., a., & adv. [AS. hwæt, neuter of hw who; akin to OS. hwat what, OFries. hwet, D. & LG. wat, G. was, OHG. waz, hwaz, Icel. hvat, Sw. & Dan. hvad, Goth. hwa. √182. See Who.]

1. As an interrogative pronoun, used in asking questions regarding either persons or things; as, what is this? what did you say? what poem is this? what child is lost?

What see'st thou in the ground?

Shak.

What is man, that thou art mindful of him?

Ps. viii. 4.

What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

Matt. viii. 27.

Originally, what, when, where, which, who, why, etc., were interrogatives only, and it is often difficult to determine whether they are used as interrogatives or relatives.

What in this sense, when it refers to things, may be used either substantively or adjectively; when it refers to persons, it is used only adjectively with a noun expressed, who being the pronoun used substantively.

2. As an exclamatory word: — (a) Used absolutely or independently; — often with a question following. "What welcome be thou." Chaucer.

What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Matt. xxvi. 40.

(b) Used adjectively, meaning how remarkable, or how great; as, what folly! what eloquence! what courage!

What a piece of work is man!

Shak.

O what a riddle of absurdity!

Young.

What in this use has a or an between itself and its noun if the qualitative or quantitative importance of the object is emphasized.

(c) Sometimes prefixed to adjectives in an adverbial sense, as nearly equivalent to how; as, what happy boys!

What partial judges are our love and hate!

Dryden.

3. As a relative pronoun: —

(a) Used substantively with the antecedent suppressed, equivalent to that which, or those [persons] who, or those [things] which; — called a compound relative.

With joy beyond what victory bestows.

Cowper.

I'm thinking Captain Lawton will count the noses of what are left before they see their whaleboats.

Cooper.

What followed was in perfect harmony with this beginning.

Macaulay.

I know well . . . how little you will be disposed to criticise what comes to you from me.

J. H. Newman.

(b) Used adjectively, equivalent to the . . . which; the sort or kind of . . . which; rarely, the . . . on, or at, which.

See what natures accompany what colors.

Bacon.

To restrain what power either the devil or any earthly enemy hath to work us woe.

Milton.

We know what master laid thy keel, What workmen wrought thy ribs of steel.

Longfellow.

(c) Used adverbially in a sense corresponding to the adjectival use; as, he picked what good fruit he saw.

4. Whatever; whatsoever; what thing soever; — used indefinitely. "What after so befall." Chaucer.

Whether it were the shortness of his foresight, the strength of his will, . . . or what it was.

Bacon.

5. Used adverbially, in part; partly; somewhat; — with a following preposition, especially, with, and commonly with repetition.

What for lust [pleasure] and what for lore.

Chaucer.

Thus, what with the war, what with the sweat, what with the gallows, and what with poverty, I am custom shrunk.

Shak.

The year before he had so used the matter that what by force, what by policy, he had taken from the Christians above thirty small castles.

Knolles.

In such phrases as I tell you what, what anticipates the following statement, being elliptical for what I think, what it is, how it is, etc. "I tell thee what, corporal Bardolph, I could tear her." Shak. Here what relates to the last clause, "I could tear her;" this is what I tell you.

What not is often used at the close of an enumeration of several particulars or articles, it being an abbreviated clause, the verb of which, being either the same as that of the principal clause or a general word, as be, say, mention, enumerate, etc., is omitted. "Men hunt, hawk, and what not." Becon. "Some dead puppy, or log, orwhat not." C. Kingsley. "Battles, tournaments, hunts, and what not." De Quincey. Hence, the words are often used in a general sense with the force of a substantive, equivalent to anything you please, a miscellany, a variety, etc. From this arises the name whatnot, applied to an étagère, as being a piece of furniture intended for receiving miscellaneous articles of use or ornament.

But what is used for but that, usually after a negative, and excludes everything contrary to the assertion in the following sentence. "Her needle is not so absolutely perfect in tent and cross stitch but what my superintendence is advisable." Sir W. Scott. "Never fear but what our kite shall fly as high." Ld. Lytton.

What ho! an exclamation of calling. — What if, what will it matter if; what will happen or be the result if. "What if it be a poison?" Shak. — What of this? that? it? etc., what follows from this, that, it, etc., often with the implication that it is of no consequence. "All this is so; but what of this, my lord?" Shak. "The night is spent, why, what of that?" Shak. — What though, even granting that; allowing that; supposing it true that. "What though the rose have prickles, yet't is plucked." Shak. — What time, or What time as, when. [Obs. or Archaic] "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." Ps. lvi. 3.

What time the morn mysterious visions brings.

Pope.

What (?), n. Something; thing; stuff. [Obs.]

And gave him for to feed, Such homely what as serves the simple &?;lown.

Spenser.

What, interrog. adv. Why? For what purpose? On what account? [Obs.]

What should I tell the answer of the knight.

Chaucer.

But what do I stand reckoning upon advantages and gains lost by the misrule and turbulency of the prelates? What do I pick up so thriftily their scatterings and diminishings of the meaner subject?

Milton.

What*e'er" (?), pron. A contraction of what-ever; — used in poetry. "Whate'er is in his way." Shak.

What*ev"er (?), pron. Anything soever which; the thing or things of any kind; being this or that; of one nature or another; one thing or another; anything that may be; all that; the whole that; all particulars that; — used both substantively and adjectively.

Whatever fortune stays from his word.

Shak.

Whatever Earth, all-bearing mother, yields.

Milton.

Whatever be its intrinsic value.

J. H. Newman.

Whatever often follows a noun, being used elliptically. "There being no room for any physical discovery whatever" [sc. it may be]. Whately.

What"not (?), n. [See the Note under What, pron., 5.] A kind of stand, or piece of furniture, having shelves for books, ornaments, etc.; an étagère.

What"so (?), indef. pron. Whatsoever; whosoever; whatever; anything that. [Obs.]

Whatso he were, of high or low estate.

Chaucer.

Whatso the heaven in his wide vault contains.

Spenser.

What`so*e'er" (?), pron. A contraction of whatsoever; — used in poetry. Shak.

What`so*ev"er (?), pron. & a. Whatever. "In whatsoever shape he lurk." Milton.

Whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

Gen. xxxi. 16.

The word is sometimes divided by tmesis. "What things soever ye desire." Mark xi. 24.

Whaul (?), n. Same as Whall.

Whaup (?), n. (Zoöl.) See Whaap. [Prov. Eng.]

Wheal (?), n. [OE. whele, AS. hwele putrefaction, hwelian to putrefy.] A pustule; a whelk. Wiseman.

Wheal, n. [Cf. Wale.]

1. A more or less elongated mark raised by a stroke; also, a similar mark made by any cause; a weal; a wale.

2. Specifically (Med.), a flat, burning or itching eminence on the skin, such as is produced by a mosquito bite, or in urticaria.

Wheal, n. [Cornish hwel.] (Mining) A mine.

Wheal"worm` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The harvest mite; — so called from the wheals, caused by its bite.

Wheat (hwt), n. [OE. whete, AS. hwte; akin to OS. hwti, D. weit, G. weizen, OHG. weizzi, Icel. hveiti, Sw. hvete, Dan. hvede, Goth. hwaiteis, and E. white. See White.] (Bot.) A cereal grass (Triticum vulgare) and its grain, which furnishes a white flour for bread, and, next to rice, is the grain most largely used by the human race.

Of this grain the varieties are numerous, as red wheat, white wheat, bald wheat, bearded wheat, winter wheat, summer wheat, and the like. Wheat is not known to exist as a wild native plant, and all statements as to its origin are either incorrect or at best only guesses.

Buck wheat. (Bot.) See Buckwheat. — German wheat. (Bot.) See 2d Spelt. — Guinea wheat (Bot.), a name for Indian corn. — Indian wheat, or Tartary wheat (Bot.), a grain (Fagopyrum Tartaricum) much like buckwheat, but only half as large. — Turkey wheat (Bot.), a name for Indian corn. — Wheat aphid, or Wheat aphis (Zoöl.), any one of several species of Aphis and allied genera, which suck the sap of growing wheat. — Wheat beetle. (Zoöl.) (a) A small, slender, rusty brown beetle (Sylvanus Surinamensis) whose larvæ feed upon wheat, rice, and other grains. (b) A very small, reddish brown, oval beetle (Anobium paniceum) whose larvæ eat the interior of grains of wheat. — Wheat duck (Zoöl.), the American widgeon. [Western U. S.] — Wheat fly. (Zoöl.) Same as Wheat midge, below. — Wheat grass (Bot.), a kind of grass (Agropyrum caninum) somewhat resembling wheat. It grows in the northern parts of Europe and America. — Wheat jointworm. (Zoöl.) See Jointworm. — Wheat louse (Zoöl.), any wheat aphid. — Wheat maggot (Zoöl.), the larva of a wheat midge. — Wheat midge. (Zoöl.) (a) A small two-winged fly (Diplosis tritici) which is very destructive to growing wheat, both in Europe and America. The female lays her eggs in the flowers of wheat, and the larvæ suck the juice of the young kernels and when full grown change to pupæ in the earth. (b) The Hessian fly. See under Hessian. — Wheat moth (Zoöl.), any moth whose larvæ devour the grains of wheat, chiefly after it is harvested; a grain moth. See Angoumois Moth, also Grain moth, under Grain. — Wheat thief (Bot.), gromwell; — so called because it is a troublesome weed in wheat fields. See Gromwell. — Wheat thrips (Zoöl.), a small brown thrips (Thrips cerealium) which is very injurious to the grains of growing wheat. — Wheat weevil. (Zoöl.) (a) The grain weevil. (b) The rice weevil when found in wheat.

Wheat"bird` (?), n. (Zoöl.) A bird that feeds on wheat, especially the chaffinch.

Wheat"ear` (?), n. (Zoöl.) A small European singing bird (Saxicola œnanthe). The male is white beneath, bluish gray above, with black wings and a black stripe through each eye. The tail is black at the tip and in the middle, but white at the base and on each side. Called also checkbird, chickell, dykehopper, fallow chat, fallow finch, stonechat, and whitetail.

Wheat"en (?), a. [AS. hwæten.] Made of wheat; as, wheaten bread. Cowper.

Wheat"sel bird` (?). (Zoöl.) The male of the chaffinch. [Prov. Eng.]

Wheat"stone's bridge` (?). (Elec.) See under Bridge.

Wheat"worm` (?), n. (Zoöl.) A small nematode worm (Anguillula tritici) which attacks the grains of wheat in the ear. It is found in wheat affected with smut, each of the diseased grains containing a large number of the minute young of the worm.

Whed"er (?), pron. & conj. Whether. [Obs.]

Whee"dle (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wheedled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wheedling (?).] [Cf. G. wedeln to wag with the tail, as a dog, wedel a fan, tail, brush, OHG. wadal; akin to G. wehen to blow, and E. wind, n.]

1. To entice by soft words; to cajole; to flatter; to coax.

The unlucky art of wheedling fools.

Dryden.

And wheedle a world that loves him not.

Tennyson.

2. To grain, or get away, by flattery.

A deed of settlement of the best part of her estate, which I wheedled out of her.

Congreve.

Whee"dle, v. i. To flatter; to coax; to cajole.

Wheel (?), n. [OE. wheel, hweol, AS. hweól, hweogul, hweowol; akin to D. wiel, Icel. hvl, Gr. ky`klos, Skr. cakra; cf. Icel. hjl, Dan. hiul, Sw. hjul. √218. Cf. Cycle, Cyclopedia.]

1. A circular frame turning about an axis; a rotating disk, whether solid, or a frame composed of an outer rim, spokes or radii, and a central hub or nave, in which is inserted the axle, — used for supporting and conveying vehicles, in machinery, and for various purposes; as, the wheel of a wagon, of a locomotive, of a mill, of a watch, etc.

The gasping charioteer beneath the wheel Of his own car.

Dryden.

2. Any instrument having the form of, or chiefly consisting of, a wheel. Specifically: —

(a) A spinning wheel. See under Spinning.

(b) An instrument of torture formerly used.

His examination is like that which is made by the rack and wheel.

Addison.

This mode of torture is said to have been first employed in Germany, in the fourteenth century. The criminal was laid on a cart wheel with his legs and arms extended, and his limbs in that posture were fractured with an iron bar. In France, where its use was restricted to the most atrocious crimes, the criminal was first laid on a frame of wood in the form of a St. Andrew's cross, with grooves cut transversely in it above and below the knees and elbows, and the executioner struck eight blows with an iron bar, so as to break the limbs in those places, sometimes finishing by two or three blows on the chest or stomach, which usually put an end to the life of the criminal, and were hence called coups-de-grace — blows of mercy. The criminal was then unbound, and laid on a small wheel, with his face upward, and his arms and legs doubled under him, there to expire, if he had survived the previous treatment. Brande.

(c) (Naut.) A circular frame having handles on the periphery, and an axle which is so connected with the tiller as to form a means of controlling the rudder for the purpose of steering.

(d) (Pottery) A potter's wheel. See under Potter.

Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

Jer. xviii. 3.

Turn, turn, my wheel! This earthen jar A touch can make, a touch can mar.

Longfellow.

(e) (Pyrotechny) A firework which, while burning, is caused to revolve on an axis by the reaction of the escaping gases.

(f) (Poetry) The burden or refrain of a song.

"This meaning has a low degree of authority, but is supposed from the context in the few cases where the word is found." Nares.

You must sing a-down a-down, An you call him a-down-a. O, how the wheel becomes it!

Shak.

<! p. 1644 !>

3. A bicycle or a tricycle; a velocipede.

4. A rolling or revolving body; anything of a circular form; a disk; an orb. Milton.

5. A turn revolution; rotation; compass.

According to the common vicissitude and wheel of things, the proud and the insolent, after long trampling upon others, come at length to be trampled upon themselves.

South.

[He] throws his steep flight in many an aëry wheel.

Milton.

A wheel within a wheel, or Wheels within wheels, a complication of circumstances, motives, etc. - - Balance wheel. See in the Vocab. — Bevel wheel, Brake wheel, Cam wheel, Fifth wheel, Overshot wheel, Spinning wheel, etc. See under Bevel, Brake, etc. — Core wheel. (Mach.) (a) A mortise gear. (b) A wheel having a rim perforated to receive wooden cogs; the skeleton of a mortise gear. — Measuring wheel, an odometer, or perambulator. — Wheel and axle (Mech.), one of the elementary machines or mechanical powers, consisting of a wheel fixed to an axle, and used for raising great weights, by applying the power to the circumference of the wheel, and attaching the weight, by a rope or chain, to that of the axle. Called also axis in peritrochio, and perpetual lever, — the principle of equilibrium involved being the same as in the lever, while its action is continuous. See Mechanical powers, under Mechanical. — Wheel animal, or Wheel animalcule (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of rotifers having a ciliated disk at the anterior end. — Wheel barometer. (Physics) See under Barometer. — Wheel boat, a boat with wheels, to be used either on water or upon inclined planes or railways. — Wheel bug (Zoöl.), a large North American hemipterous insect (Prionidus cristatus) which sucks the blood of other insects. So named from the curious shape of the prothorax. — Wheel carriage, a carriage moving on wheels. — Wheel chains, or Wheel ropes (Naut.), the chains or ropes connecting the wheel and rudder. — Wheel cutter, a machine for shaping the cogs of gear wheels; a gear cutter. — Wheel horse, one of the horses nearest to the wheels, as opposed to a leader, or forward horse; — called also wheeler. — Wheel lathe, a lathe for turning railway-car wheels. — Wheel lock. (a) A letter lock. See under Letter. (b) A kind of gunlock in which sparks were struck from a flint, or piece of iron pyrites, by a revolving wheel. (c) A kind of brake a carriage. — Wheel ore (Min.), a variety of bournonite so named from the shape of its twin crystals. See Bournonite. — Wheel pit (Steam Engine), a pit in the ground, in which the lower part of the fly wheel runs. — Wheel plow, or Wheel plough, a plow having one or two wheels attached, to render it more steady, and to regulate the depth of the furrow. — Wheel press, a press by which railway-car wheels are forced on, or off, their axles. — Wheel race, the place in which a water wheel is set. — Wheel rope (Naut.), a tiller rope. See under Tiller. — Wheel stitch (Needlework), a stitch resembling a spider's web, worked into the material, and not over an open space. Caulfeild & S. (Dict. of Needlework). — Wheel tree (Bot.), a tree (Aspidosperma excelsum) of Guiana, which has a trunk so curiously fluted that a transverse section resembles the hub and spokes of a coarsely made wheel. See Paddlewood. — Wheel urchin (Zoöl.), any sea urchin of the genus Rotula having a round, flat shell. — Wheel window (Arch.), a circular window having radiating mullions arranged like the spokes of a wheel. Cf. Rose window, under Rose.

Wheel (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wheeled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wheeling.]

1. To convey on wheels, or in a wheeled vehicle; as, to wheel a load of hay or wood.

2. To put into a rotatory motion; to cause to turn or revolve; to cause to gyrate; to make or perform in a circle. "The beetle wheels her droning flight." Gray.

Now heaven, in all her glory, shone, and rolled Her motions, as the great first mover's hand First wheeled their course.

Milton.

Wheel, v. i.

1. To turn on an axis, or as on an axis; to revolve; to more about; to rotate; to gyrate.

The moon carried about the earth always shows the same face to us, not once wheeling upon her own center.

Bentley.

2. To change direction, as if revolving upon an axis or pivot; to turn; as, the troops wheeled to the right.

Being able to advance no further, they are in a fair way to wheel about to the other extreme.

South.

3. To go round in a circuit; to fetch a compass.

Then wheeling down the steep of heaven he flies.

Pope.

4. To roll forward.

Thunder mixed with hail, Hail mixed with fire, must rend the Egyptian sky, And wheel on the earth, devouring where it rolls.

Milton.

Wheel"band` (?), n. The tire of a wheel.

Wheel"bar`row (?), n. A light vehicle for conveying small loads. It has two handles and one wheel, and is rolled by a single person.

Wheel"bird` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The European goatsucker. [Prov. Eng.]

Wheeled (?), a. Having wheels; — used chiefly in composition; as, a four-wheeled carriage.

Wheel"er (?), n.

1. One who wheels, or turns.

2. A maker of wheels; a wheelwright. [Obs.]

3. A wheel horse. See under Wheel.

4. (Naut.) A steam vessel propelled by a paddle wheel or by paddle wheels; — used chiefly in the terms side- wheeler and stern-wheeler.

5. A worker on sewed muslin. [Eng.]

6. (Zoöl.) The European goatsucker. [Prov. Eng.]

Wheel"house` (?), n. (Naut.) (a) A small house on or above a vessel's deck, containing the steering wheel. (b) A paddle box. See under Paddle.

Wheel"ing (?), n.

1. The act of conveying anything, or traveling, on wheels, or in a wheeled vehicle.

2. The act or practice of using a cycle; cycling.

3. Condition of a road or roads, which admits of passing on wheels; as, it is good wheeling, or bad wheeling.

4. A turning, or circular movement.

Wheel"man (?), n.; pl. Wheelmen (&?;). One who rides a bicycle or tricycle; a cycler, or cyclist.

Wheel"-shaped` (?), a.

1. Shaped like a wheel.

2. (Bot.) Expanding into a flat, circular border at top, with scarcely any tube; as, a wheel-shaped corolla.

Wheel"swarf` (?), n. See Swarf.

Wheel"work` (?), n. (Mach.) A combination of wheels, and their connection, in a machine or mechanism.

Wheel"-worn` (?), a. Worn by the action of wheels; as, a wheel-worn road.

Wheel"wright` (?), n. A man whose occupation is to make or repair wheels and wheeled vehicles, as carts, wagons, and the like.

Wheel"y (?), a. Circular; suitable to rotation.

Wheen (?), n. [Cf. AS. hw&?;ne, hw&?;ne, a little, somewhat, hw&?;n little, few.] A quantity; a goodly number. [Scot.] "A wheen other dogs." Sir W. Scott.

Wheeze (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wheezed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Wheezing.] [OE. whesen, AS. hw&?;san (cf. Icel. hvæsa to hiss, Sw. hväsa, Dan. hvæse); akin to AS. hw&?;sta a cough, D. hoest, G. husten, OHG. huosto, Icel. h&?;sti, Lith. kosti to cough, Skr. k&?;s. √43. Cf. Husky hoarse.] To breathe hard, and with an audible piping or whistling sound, as persons affected with asthma. "Wheezing lungs." Shak.

Wheeze, n. 1. A piping or whistling sound caused by difficult respiration.

2. (Phon.) An ordinary whisper exaggerated so as to produce the hoarse sound known as the "stage whisper." It is a forcible whisper with some admixture of tone.

Wheez"y (?), a. Breathing with difficulty and with a wheeze; wheezing. Used also figuratively.

Wheft (?), n. (Naut.) See Waft, n., 4.

Whelk (?), n. [OE. welk, wilk, AS. weoloc, weloc, wiloc. Cf. Whilk, and Wilk.] (Zoöl.) Any one numerous species of large marine gastropods belonging to Buccinum and allied genera; especially, Buccinum undatum, common on the coasts both of Europe and North America, and much used as food in Europe.

Whelk tingle, a dog whelk. See under Dog.

Whelk, n. [OE. whelke, dim. of whele. See Wheal a pustule.]

1. A papule; a pustule; acne. "His whelks white." Chaucer.

2. A stripe or mark; a ridge; a wale.

Chin whelk (Med.), sycosis. — Rosy whelk (Med.), grog blossom.

Whelked (?), a. Having whelks; whelky; as, whelked horns. Shak.

Whelk"y (?), a.

1. Having whelks, ridges, or protuberances; hence, streaked; striated.

2. Shelly. "Whelky pearls." Spenser.

Whelm (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whelmed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Whelming.] [OE. whelmen to turn over, akin to OE. whelven, AS. whelfan, hwylfan, in &?;whylfan, &?;whelfan, to overwhelm, cover over; akin to OS. bihwelbian, D. welven to arch, G. wölben, OHG. welben, Icel. hvelfa to overturn; cf. Gr. &?; bosom, a hollow, a gulf.]

1. To cover with water or other fluid; to cover by immersion in something that envelops on all sides; to overwhelm; to ingulf.

She is my prize, or ocean whelm them all!

Shak.

The whelming billow and the faithless oar.

Gay.

2. Fig.: To cover completely, as if with water; to immerse; to overcome; as, to whelm one in sorrows. "The whelming weight of crime." J. H. Newman.

3. To throw (something) over a thing so as to cover it. [Obs.] Mortimer.

Whelp (?), n. [AS. hwelp; akin to D. welp, G. & OHG. welf, Icel. hvelpr, Dan. hvalp, Sw. valp.]

1. One of the young of a dog or a beast of prey; a puppy; a cub; as, a lion's whelps. "A bear robbed of her whelps." 2 Sam. xvii. 8.

2. A child; a youth; — jocosely or in contempt.

That awkward whelp with his money bags would have made his entrance.

Addison.

3. (Naut.) One of the longitudinal ribs or ridges on the barrel of a capstan or a windless; — usually in the plural; as, the whelps of a windlass.

4. One of the teeth of a sprocket wheel.

Whelp, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whelped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Whelping.] To bring forth young; — said of the female of the dog and some beasts of prey.

Whelp, v. t. To bring forth, as cubs or young; to give birth to.

Unless she had whelped it herself, she could not have loved a thing better.

B. Jonson.

Did thy foul fancy whelp so black a scheme?

Young.

When (?), adv. [OE. when, whan, whenne, whanne, AS. hwænne, hwanne, hwonne; akin to OS. hwan, OD. wan, OHG. wanne, G. wann when, wenn if, when, Goth. hwan when, and to E. who. &?;&?;&?;&?;. See Who.]

1. At what time; — used interrogatively.

When shall these things be?

Matt. xxiv. 3.

See the Note under What, pron., 1.

2. At what time; at, during, or after the time that; at or just after, the moment that; — used relatively.

Kings may Take their advantage when and how they list.

Daniel.

Book lore ne'er served, when trial came, Nor gifts, when faith was dead.

J. H. Newman.

3. While; whereas; although; — used in the manner of a conjunction to introduce a dependent adverbial sentence or clause, having a causal, conditional, or adversative relation to the principal proposition; as, he chose to turn highwayman when he might have continued an honest man; he removed the tree when it was the best in the grounds.

4. Which time; then; — used elliptically as a noun.

I was adopted heir by his consent; Since when, his oath is broke.

Shak.

When was formerly used as an exclamation of surprise or impatience, like what!

Come hither; mend my ruff: Here, when! thou art such a tedious lady!

J. Webster.

When as, When that, at the time that; when. [Obs.]

When as sacred light began to dawn.

Milton.

When that mine eye is famished for a look.

Shak.

When"as` (?), conj. Whereas; while [Obs.]

Whenas, if they would inquire into themselves, they would find no such matter.

Barrow.

Whence (?), adv. [OE. whennes, whens (with adverbial s, properly a genitive ending; — see -wards), also whenne, whanene, AS. hwanan, hwanon, hwonan, hwanone; akin to D. when. See When, and cf. Hence, Thence.]

1. From what place; hence, from what or which source, origin, antecedent, premise, or the like; how; — used interrogatively.

Whence hath this man this wisdom?

Matt. xiii. 54.

Whence and what art thou?

Milton.

2. From what or which place, source, material, cause, etc.; the place, source, etc., from which; — used relatively.

Grateful to acknowledge whence his good Descends.

Milton.

All the words of this class, whence, where, whither, whereabouts, etc., are occasionally used as pronouns by a harsh construction.

O, how unlike the place from whence they fell?

Milton.

From whence, though a pleonasm, is fully authorized by the use of good writers.

From whence come wars and fightings among you?

James iv. 1.

Of whence, also a pleonasm, has become obsolete.

Whence*ev"er (?), adv. & conj. Whencesoever. [R.]

Whence`forth" (?), adv. From, or forth from, what or which place; whence. [Obs.] Spenser.

Whence`so*ev"er (?), adv. & conj. From what place soever; from what cause or source soever.

Any idea, whencesoever we have it.

Locke.

When*e'er (?), adv. & conj. Whenever.

When*ev"er (?), adv. & conj. At whatever time. "Whenever that shall be." Milton.

When"nes (?), adv. Whence. [Obs.] Chaucer.

When`so*ev"er (?), adv. & conj. At what time soever; at whatever time; whenever. Mark xiv. 7.

Wher (?), Where (&?;), pron. & conj. [See Whether.] Whether. [Sometimes written whe'r.] [Obs.] Piers Plowman.

Men must enquire (this is mine assent), Wher she be wise or sober or dronkelewe.

Chaucer.

Where (?), adv. [OE. wher, whar, AS. hw&?;r; akin to D. waar, OS. hw&?;r, OHG. hwr, wr, w, G. wo, Icel. and Sw. hvar, Dan. hvor, Goth. hwar, and E. who; cf. Skr. karhi when. √182. See Who, and cf. There.]

1. At or in what place; hence, in what situation, position, or circumstances; — used interrogatively.

God called unto Adam, . . . Where art thou?

Gen. iii. 9.

See the Note under What, pron., 1.

2. At or in which place; at the place in which; hence, in the case or instance in which; — used relatively.

She visited that place where first she was so happy.

Sir P. Sidney.

Where I thought the remnant of mine age Should have been cherished by her childlike duty.

Shak.

Where one on his side fights, thousands will fly.

Shak.

But where he rode one mile, the dwarf ran four.

Sir W. Scott.

3. To what or which place; hence, to what goal, result, or issue; whither; — used interrogatively and relatively; as, where are you going?

But where does this tend?

Goldsmith.

Lodged in sunny cleft, Where the gold breezes come not.

Bryant.

Where is often used pronominally with or without a preposition, in elliptical sentences for a place in which, the place in which, or what place.

The star . . . stood over where the young child was.

Matt. ii. 9.

The Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Matt. viii. 20.

Within about twenty paces of where we were.

Goldsmith.

Where did the minstrels come from?

Dickens.

Where is much used in composition with preposition, and then is equivalent to a pronoun. Cf. Whereat, Whereby, Wherefore, Wherein, etc.

Where away (Naut.), in what direction; as, where away is the land?

Syn. — See Whither.

Where, conj. Whereas.

And flight and die is death destroying death; Where fearing dying pays death servile breath.

Shak.

Where, n. Place; situation. [Obs. or Colloq.]

Finding the nymph asleep in secret where.

Spenser.

{ Where"a*bout` (?), Where"a*bouts` (?) }, adv.

1. About where; near what or which place; — used interrogatively and relatively; as, whereabouts did you meet him?

In this sense, whereabouts is the common form.

2. Concerning which; about which. "The object whereabout they are conversant." Hooker.

<! p. 1645 !>

{ Where"a*bout` (?), Where"a*bouts` (?), } n. The place where a person or thing is; as, they did not know his whereabouts. Shak.

A puzzling notice of thy whereabout.