6 letter word starting with v

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Words Parts of Speech Meaning/Definition/Similar Words
vacant adjective Deprived of contents; not filled; empty; as, a vacant room., Unengaged with business or care; unemployed; unoccupied; disengaged; free; as, vacant hours., Not filled or occupied by an incumbent, possessor, or officer; as, a vacant throne; a vacant parish., Empty of thought; thoughtless; not occupied with study or reflection; as, a vacant mind., Abandoned; having no heir, possessor, claimant, or occupier; as, a vacant estate.
vacate verb t. 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., 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., To defeat; to put an end to.
vacher noun A keeper of stock or cattle; a herdsman.
vacuna noun The goddess of rural leisure, to whom the husbandmen sacrificed at the close of the harvest. She was especially honored by the Sabines.
vacuum noun 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., 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.
vadium noun Pledge; security; bail. See Mortgage.
vagary noun A wandering or strolling., Hence, a wandering of the thoughts; a wild or fanciful freak; a whim; a whimsical purpose.
vagina noun A sheath; a theca; as, the vagina of the portal vein., Specifically, the canal which leads from the uterus to the external orifice if the genital canal, or to the cloaca., The terminal part of the oviduct in insects and various other invertebrates. See Illust., of Spermatheca., The basal expansion of certain leaves, which inwraps the stem; a sheath., The shaft of a terminus, from which the bust of figure seems to issue or arise.
vagous adjective Wandering; unsettled.
vailer noun One who vails.
vainly adverb In a vain manner; in vain.
vaisya noun 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.
vakeel noun A native attorney or agent; also, an ambassador.
valise noun 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.
vallar adjective Of or pertaining to a rampart., A vallar crown.
valley noun 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 place of meeting of two slopes of a roof, which have their plates running in different directions, and form on the plan a reentrant angle., The depression formed by the meeting of two slopes on a flat roof.
vallum noun A rampart; a wall, as in a fortification.
valued imp. & past participle of Value, Highly regarded; esteemed; prized; as, a valued contributor; a valued friend.
valuer noun One who values; an appraiser.
valure noun Value.
valved adjective Having a valve or valve; valvate.
vamose verb i. & t. To depart quickly; to depart from.
vamped imp. & past participle of Vamp
vamper noun One who vamps; one who pieces an old thing with something new; a cobbler., To swagger; to make an ostentatious show.
vamure noun See Vauntmure.
vandal noun 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., Hence, one who willfully destroys or defaces any work of art or literature., Alt. of Vandalic
vanglo noun Benne (Sesamum orientale); also, its seeds; — so called in the West Indies.
vanish verb i. 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., To be annihilated or lost; to pass away., 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.
vanity noun The quality or state of being vain; want of substance to satisfy desire; emptiness; unsubstantialness; unrealness; falsity., 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., 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., One of the established characters in the old moralities and puppet shows. See Morality, n., 5.
vanjas noun 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.
vanner noun A machine for concentrating ore. See Frue vanner.
vapory adjective Full of vapors; vaporous., Hypochondriacal; splenetic; peevish.
varied adjective Changed; altered; various; diversified; as, a varied experience; varied interests; varied scenery., of Vary
varier noun A wanderer; one who strays in search of variety.
varify verb t. To make different; to vary; to variegate.
varlet noun A servant, especially to a knight; an attendant; a valet; a footman., Hence, a low fellow; a scoundrel; a rascal; as, an impudent varlet., In a pack of playing cards, the court card now called the knave, or jack.
varuna noun 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.
varvel noun In falconry, one of the rings secured to the ends of the jesses.
vassal noun 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., A subject; a dependent; a servant; a slave., Resembling a vassal; slavish; servile., To treat as a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave.
vastel noun See Wastel.
vastly adverb To a vast extent or degree; very greatly; immensely.
vatted imp. & past participle of Vat
vatful noun As much as a vat will hold; enough to fill a vat.
vaulty adjective Arched; concave.
vaunce verb i. To advance.
vaward noun The fore part; van.
veadar noun The thirteenth, or intercalary, month of the Jewish ecclesiastical calendar, which is added about every third year.
vector noun Same as Radius vector., 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.
veered imp. & past participle of Veer
vegete adjective Lively; active; sprightly; vigorous.
vehmic adjective 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.
veiled imp. & past participle of Veil, Covered by, or as by, a veil; hidden.
veined imp. & past participle of Vein, Full of veins; streaked; variegated; as, veined marble., Having fibrovascular threads extending throughout the lamina; as, a veined leaf.
veinal adjective Pertaining to veins; venous.
velate adjective Having a veil; veiled.
vellet noun Velvet.
vellon noun A word occurring in the phrase real vellon. See the Note under Its Real.
vellum noun A fine kind of parchment, usually made from calfskin, and rendered clear and white, — used as for writing upon, and for binding books.
velure noun Velvet.
velvet noun 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., The soft and highly vascular deciduous skin which envelops and nourishes the antlers of deer during their rapid growth., Made of velvet; soft and delicate, like velvet; velvety., To pain velvet., To make like, or cover with, velvet.
venada noun The pudu.
venary adjective Of or, pertaining to hunting.
vended imp. & past participle of Vend
vendee noun The person to whom a thing is vended, or sold; — the correlative of vendor.
vender noun 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.
vendor noun A vender; a seller; the correlative of vendee.
vendue noun A public sale of anything, by outcry, to the highest bidder; an auction.
veneer verb t. 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., 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.
venene adjective Poisonous; venomous.
venery noun Sexual love; sexual intercourse; coition., The art, act, or practice of hunting; the sports of the chase.
venger noun An avenger.
venial adjective Capable of being forgiven; not heinous; excusable; pardonable; as, a venial fault or transgression., Allowed; permitted.
venite noun The 95th Psalm, which is said or sung regularly in the public worship of many churches. Also, a musical composition adapted to this Psalm.
venose adjective Having numerous or conspicuous veins; veiny; as, a venose frond.
venous adjective Of or pertaining to a vein or veins; as, the venous circulation of the blood., 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., Marked with veins; veined; as, a venous leaf.
vented imp. & past participle of Vent
venter noun One who vents; one who utters, reports, or publishes., The belly; the abdomen; — sometimes applied to any large cavity containing viscera., The uterus, or womb., A belly, or protuberant part; a broad surface; as, the venter of a muscle; the venter, or anterior surface, of the scapula., The lower part of the abdomen in insects., 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.
venule noun A small vein; a veinlet; specifically (Zool.), one of the small branches of the veins of the wings in insects.
venust adjective Beautiful.
verbal adjective Expressed in words, whether spoken or written, but commonly in spoken words; hence, spoken; oral; not written; as, a verbal contract; verbal testimony., 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., Having word answering to word; word for word; literal; as, a verbal translation., Abounding with words; verbose., 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., A noun derived from a verb.
verify verb t. To make into a verb; to use as a verb; to verbalize., To prove to be true or correct; to establish the truth of; to confirm; to substantiate., To confirm or establish the authenticity of by examination or competent evidence; to authenciate; as, to verify a written statement; to verify an account, a pleading, or the like., To maintain; to affirm; to support.
verdin noun A small yellow-headed bird (Auriparus flaviceps) of Lower California, allied to the titmice; — called also goldtit.
verdit noun Verdict.
verdoy adjective Charged with leaves, fruits, flowers, etc.; — said of a border.
verged imp. & past participle of Verge
verger noun One who carries a verge, or emblem of office., An attendant upon a dignitary, as on a bishop, a dean, a justice, etc., The official who takes care of the interior of a church building., A garden or orchard.
verily adverb In very truth; beyond doubt or question; in fact; certainly.
verine noun An alkaloid obtained as a yellow amorphous substance by the decomposition of veratrine.
verity noun The quality or state of being true, or real; consonance of a statement, proposition, or other thing, with fact; truth; reality., That which is true; a true assertion or tenet; a truth; a reality.
vermes noun pl. 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 Linnaeus and his followers., A more restricted group, comprising only the helminths and closely allied orders.
vermil noun See Vermeil.
vermin noun sing. & pl. An animal, in general., A noxious or mischievous animal; especially, noxious little animals or insects, collectively, as squirrels, rats, mice, flies, lice, bugs, etc., Hence, in contempt, noxious human beings.
vernal adjective Of or pertaining to the spring; appearing in the spring; as, vernal bloom., Fig.: Belonging to youth, the spring of life.
verray adjective Very; true.
verrel noun See Ferrule.
versal adjective Universal.
versed imp. & past participle of Verse, Acquainted or familiar, as the result of experience, study, practice, etc.; skilled; practiced., Turned.
verser noun A versifier.
verset noun A verse.
versor noun The turning factor of a quaternion.
versus preposition Against; as, John Doe versus Richard Roe; — chiefly used in legal language, and abbreviated to v. or vs.
vertex noun A turning point; the principal or highest point; top; summit; crown; apex., The top, or crown, of the head., The zenith, or the point of the heavens directly overhead., 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.
vervel noun See Varvel.
vervet noun A South African monkey (Cercopithecus pygerythrus, / Lelandii). The upper parts are grayish green, finely specked with black. The cheeks and belly are reddish white.
vesica noun A bladder.
vesper noun The evening star; Hesper; Venus, when seen after sunset; hence, the evening., Of or pertaining to the evening, or to the service of vespers; as, a vesper hymn; vesper bells.
vessel noun 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., 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., 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., Any tube or canal in which the blood or other fluids are contained, secreted, or circulated, as the arteries, veins, lymphatics, etc., A continuous tube formed from superposed large cylindrical or prismatic cells (tracheae), which have lost their intervening partitions, and are usually marked with dots, pits, rings, or spirals by internal deposition of secondary membranes; a duct., To put into a vessel.
vesses noun Alt. of Vessets
vested imp. & past participle of Vest, Clothed; robed; wearing vestments., Not in a state of contingency or suspension; fixed; as, vested rights; vested interests.
vestal adjective Of or pertaining to Vesta, the virgin goddess of the hearth; hence, pure; chaste., A virgin consecrated to Vesta, and to the service of watching the sacred fire, which was to be perpetually kept burning upon her altar., A virgin; a woman pure and chaste; also, a nun.
vestry noun 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., A parochial assembly; an assembly of persons who manage parochial affairs; — so called because usually held in a vestry., A body, composed of wardens and vestrymen, chosen annually by a parish to manage its temporal concerns.
vetchy adjective Consisting of vetches or of pea straw., Abounding with vetches.
vetoes plural of Veto
vetoed imp. & past participle of Veto
vetust adjective Venerable from antiquity; ancient; old.
vexing present participle & vb. noun of Vex
v hook A gab at the end of an eccentric rod, with long jaws, shaped like the letter V.
viable adjective 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.
vialed imp. & past participle of Vial
viatic adjective Of or pertaining to a journey or traveling.
vibrio noun A genus of motile bacteria characterized by short, slightly sinuous filaments and an undulatory motion; also, an individual of this genus.
vicary noun A vicar.
vicing present participle & vb. noun of Vice
vicety noun Fault; defect; coarseness.
vicine adjective Near; neighboring; vicinal., An alkaloid ex tracted from the seeds of the vetch (Vicia sativa) as a white crystalline substance.
victim noun A living being sacrificed to some deity, or in the performance of a religious rite; a creature immolated, or made an offering of., 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., 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., Hence, one who is duped, or cheated; a dupe; a gull.
victor noun 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., A destroyer., Victorious.
victus noun Food; diet.
vicu–a noun Alt. of Vicugna
vidame noun One of a class of temporal officers who originally represented the bishops, but later erected their offices into fiefs, and became feudal nobles.
vidual adjective Of or pertaining to the state of a widow; widowed.
vielle noun An old stringed instrument played upon with a wheel; a hurdy-gurdy.
viewed imp. & past participle of View
viewer noun One who views or examines., A person appointed to inspect highways, fences, or the like, and to report upon the same., The superintendent of a coal mine.
viewly adjective Alt. of Viewsome
vigily noun A vigil.
viking noun One belonging to the pirate crews from among the Northmen, who plundered the coasts of Europe in the eighth, ninth, and tenth centuries.
vilany noun Villainy.
vilify verb t. To make vile; to debase; to degrade; to disgrace., To degrade or debase by report; to defame; to traduce; to calumniate., To treat as vile; to despise.
vility noun Vileness; baseness.
villas plural of Villa
villan noun A villain.
villus noun 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., Fine hairs on plants, resembling the pile of velvet.
vineal adjective Of or pertaining to vines; containing vines.
vinery noun A vineyard., A structure, usually inclosed with glass, for rearing and protecting vines; a grapery.
vinose adjective Vinous.
vinous adjective Of or pertaining to wine; having the qualities of wine; as, a vinous taste.
vintry noun A place where wine is sold.
violet noun 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 color of a violet, or that part of the spectrum farthest from red. It is the most refrangible part of the spectrum., In art, a color produced by a combination of red and blue in equal proportions; a bluish purple color., Any one of numerous species of small violet-colored butterflies belonging to Lycaena, or Rusticus, and allied genera., Dark blue, inclining to red; bluish purple; having a color produced by red and blue combined.
violin noun A small instrument with four strings, played with a bow; a fiddle.
virago noun A woman of extraordinary stature, strength, and courage; a woman who has the robust body and masculine mind of a man; a female warrior., Hence, a mannish woman; a bold, turbulent woman; a termagant; a vixen.
virent adjective Green; not withered.
virger noun See Verger.
virgin noun A woman who has had no carnal knowledge of man; a maid., A person of the male sex who has not known sexual indulgence., See Virgo., Any one of several species of gossamer-winged butterflies of the family Lycaenidae., A female insect producing eggs from which young are hatched, though there has been no fecundation by a male; a parthenogenetic insect., Being a virgin; chaste; of or pertaining to a virgin; becoming a virgin; maidenly; modest; indicating modesty; as, a virgin blush., Pure; undefiled; unmixed; fresh; new; as, virgin soil; virgin gold., Not yet pregnant; impregnant., To act the virgin; to be or keep chaste; — followed by it. See It, 5.
virial noun 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.
virile adjective 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.
virole noun A ring surrounding a bugle or hunting horn.
virose adjective Having a nauseous odor; fetid; poisonous.
virtue noun Manly strength or courage; bravery; daring; spirit; valor., 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., Energy or influence operating without contact of the material or sensible substance., Excellence; value; merit; meritoriousness; worth., Specifically, moral excellence; integrity of character; purity of soul; performance of duty., A particular moral excellence; as, the virtue of temperance, of charity, etc., Specifically: Chastity; purity; especially, the chastity of women; virginity., One of the orders of the celestial hierarchy.
visaed imp. & past participle of Visa
visage noun The face, countenance, or look of a person or an animal; — chiefly applied to the human face., To face.
visard noun A mask. See Visor., To mask.
viscid adjective 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.
viscin noun A clear, viscous, tasteless substance extracted from the mucilaginous sap of the mistletoe (Viscum album), holly, etc., and constituting an essential ingredient of birdlime.
viscum noun A genus of parasitic shrubs, including the mistletoe of Europe., Birdlime, which is often made from the berries of the European mistletoe.
viscus noun 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.
viseed imp. & past participle of Vise
vishnu noun 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.
vision verb The act of seeing external objects; actual sight., 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., That which is seen; an object of sight., 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., Hence, something unreal or imaginary; a creation of fancy., To see in a vision; to dream.
visite noun A light cape or short cloak of silk or lace worn by women in summer.
visive adjective Of or pertaining to the sight; visual.
vistas plural of Vista
visual adjective Of or pertaining to sight; used in sight; serving as the instrument of seeing; as, the visual nerve., That can be seen; visible.
vitals noun pl. Organs that are necessary for life; more especially, the heart, lungs, and brain., Fig.: The part essential to the life or health of anything; as, the vitals of a state.
vitric adjective Having the nature and qualities of glass; glasslike; — distinguished from ceramic.
vittae plural of Vitta
vivace adjective & adverb Brisk; vivacious; with spirit; — a direction to perform a passage in a brisk and lively manner.
vivary noun A vivarium.
vively adverb In a lively manner.
vivers noun pl. Provisions; victuals.
vivify verb t. To endue with life; to make to be living; to quicken; to animate.
vizard noun A mask; a visor.
vizier noun A councilor of state; a high executive officer in Turkey and other Oriental countries.
v moth A common gray European moth (Halia vauaria) having a V-shaped spot of dark brown on each of the fore wings.
vocule noun A short or weak utterance; a faint or feeble sound, as that heard on separating the lips in pronouncing p or b.
voiced imp. & past participle of Voice, Furnished with a voice; expressed by the voice., Uttered with voice; pronounced with vibrations of the vocal cords; sonant; — said of a sound uttered with the glottis narrowed.
voided imp. & past participle of Void, Emptied; evacuated., Annulled; invalidated., 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.
voider noun One who, or that which, voids, /mpties, vacates, or annuls., 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., A servant whose business is to void, or clear away, a table after a meal., One of the ordinaries, much like the flanch, but less rounded and therefore smaller.
volage adjective Light; giddy.
volant adjective Passing through the air upon wings, or as if upon wings; flying; hence, passing from place to place; current., Nimble; light and quick; active; rapid., Represented as flying, or having the wings spread; as, an eagle volant.
volary noun See Volery.
volery noun A flight of birds., A large bird cage; an aviary.
volley noun A flight of missiles, as arrows, bullets, or the like; the simultaneous discharge of a number of small arms., A burst or emission of many things at once; as, a volley of words., A return of the ball before it touches the ground., A sending of the ball full to the top of the wicket., To discharge with, or as with, a volley., 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., To return the ball before it touches the ground., To send the ball full to the top of the wicket.
volume noun A roll; a scroll; a written document rolled up for keeping or for use, after the manner of the ancients., 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., Anything of a rounded or swelling form resembling a roll; a turn; a convolution; a coil., 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., Amount, fullness, quantity, or caliber of voice or tone.
voluta noun Any one of numerous species of large, handsome marine gastropods belonging to Voluta and allied genera.
volute noun 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., A spiral turn, as in certain shells., Any voluta.
volvox noun 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.
volyer noun A lurcher.
vomica noun An abscess cavity in the lungs., An abscess in any other parenchymatous organ.
vomito noun The yellow fever in its worst form, when it is usually attended with black vomit. See Black vomit.
voodoo noun See Voodooism., One who practices voodooism; a negro sorcerer., Of or pertaining to voodooism, or a voodoo; as, voodoo incantations.
vortex noun 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., 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., Any one of numerous species of small Turbellaria belonging to Vortex and allied genera. See Illustration in Appendix.
votary adjective Consecrated by a vow or promise; consequent on a vow; devoted; promised., 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.
voting present participle & vb. noun of Vote, a. & n. from Vote, v.
votist noun One who makes a vow.
votive adjective Given by vow, or in fulfillment of a vow; consecrated by a vow; devoted; as, votive offerings; a votive tablet.
vowing present participle & vb. noun of Vow
voyage noun 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., The act or practice of traveling., Course; way., To take a voyage; especially, to sail or pass by water., To travel; to pass over; to traverse.
vulcan noun The god of fire, who presided over the working of metals; — answering to the Greek Hephaestus.
vulgar adjective Of or pertaining to the mass, or multitude, of people; common; general; ordinary; public; hence, in general use; vernacular., 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., 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., One of the common people; a vulgar person., The vernacular, or common language.
vulpes noun A genus of Carnivora including the foxes.
vulpic adjective 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.