Thomas Davidson

“ Van, van, n. the front: the front of an army or a fleet: the leaders of any movement. [Abbrev. of vanguard.]
Van, van, n. a fan for grain, &c.: a vane, wing: a test for ascertaining the value of an ore by washing a small quantity on a shovel.—v.t. ”

“ Vegetable physiology, that department of botany which treats of the growth and functions of plants. [O. Fr.,—Low L. vegetabilis, animating—L. vegetāre, to quicken—vegēre, to be lively; akin to vigēre, to be vigorous. Cf. Vigour.] ”

“ Vac′ūum-brake, a brake working on the principle of keeping up a vacuum in a continuous pipe or pipes extending under the train, and in brake-cylinders connected to them under each vehicle, the air being sucked out by ejectors or pumps on the locomotive; Vac′ūum-gauge, a gauge for indicating to what extent a vacuum is produced; Vac′ūum-pan, a vessel for boiling saccharine juices in a partial vacuum in sugar-making; Vac′ūum-tube, a sealed glass tube in which a vacuum has been made, employed to examine the effects of a discharge of electricity through air or gas rarefied or exhausted. ”

“ Venē′tian-blind, a blind for windows formed of thin slips of wood, so hung as to admit of being set either edgewise or overlapping.—adj. Venē′tianed, furnished with Venetian-blinds.—ns. Venē′tian-glass, a delicate and beautiful glass made by the craftsmen of Venice into mirrors, cups, goblets, &c., its forms reflecting its Oriental origin, famous since the middle ages; Venē′tian-style, the type of the Renaissance architecture developed in Venice, highly decorative and original.
Venew, ven′ū, Veney, ven′i, n. (Shak.) a bout at fencing, a thrust, a hit. [Venue.] ”

“ Vanilla, va-nil′a, n. the dried aromatic sheath-like pod or fruit of a tropical epiphytal orchid, a favourite confection.—adj. Vanill′ic. [Latinised from Fr. vanille—Sp. vainilla—vaina—L. vagina, a sheath.]
Vanish, van′ish, v.i. to pass away from a place, leaving it vacant or empty: to disappear: to be annihilated or lost: (math.) to become zero: (Shak.) ”

“ Vandal, van′dal, n. one of a fierce race from north-eastern Germany who entered Gaul about the beginning of the 5th century, crossed the Pyrenees into Spain (leaving their name in Andalusia=Vandalitia) , next under Genseric crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, and carried devastation and ruin from the shores of the Atlantic to the frontiers of Cyrene: any one hostile to arts or literature, a barbarian.—adjs. Van′dal, Vandal′ic, barbarous, rude.—n. Van′dalism, hostility to arts or literature. [Low L. Vandali, Vinduli—the Teut. name seen in Dut. Wenden, the Wends.]
Vandyke, van-dīk′, n. ”

“ Velvet, vel′vet, n. a cloth made from silk, with a close shaggy pile: a similar cloth made of cotton: the velvet-like covering of a growing antler: (slang) money gained by gambling.—adj. made of velvet: soft like velvet.—ns. Vel′veret, a poor quality of velvet, the web of cotton, the pile of silk; Velveteen′, a fustian made of twilled cotton with a pile of the same material: a kind of velvet made of silk and cotton mixed throughout; Vel′vet-flower, the love-lies-bleeding.—n.pl. Vel′vet-guards (Shak.) , velvet trimmings, applied metaphorically to the citizens who wore them.—ns. ”

“ Veg′etal, of the nature of a vegetable: pertaining to the vital functions of plants and animals, as growth, reproduction, &c.—ns. Veg′etaline, a substitute for ivory, &c., made by treating woody fibre with sulphuric acid, mixing with various ingredients, and pressing into any required form; Vegetal′ity, vegetable character, the vegetal functions collectively.—adj. Vegetā′rian, pertaining to those who abstain from animal food: consisting of vegetables.—n. one who holds that vegetables are the only proper food for man.—n. ”

“ Vē′nous, pertaining to or contained in veins: veined.—adv. Vē′nously. [Vein.]
Vent, vent, n. a small opening to let air, &c., escape: the flue of a chimney: the opening in the top of a barrel allowing air to pass in as the liquid is drawn out: a gimlet used to extract a little liquid from a barrel for sampling purposes: discharge: escape: passage into notice: publication, utterance, voice: the anus of birds and fishes: (mil.) the opening at the breech of a firearm through which fire is conveyed to the charge, the touch-hole.—v.t. ”

“ Vegetā′tion, process of growing, as a plant: vegetable growth: plants in general.—adj. Veg′etātive, growing, as plants: producing growth in plants: pertaining to unconscious or involuntary bodily functions as resembling the processes of vegetable growth: without intellectual activity, unprogressive.—adv. ”

“ Vel′veting, the nap of velvet: (pl.) velvet goods collectively; Vel′vet-leaf, the Indian mallow; Vel′vet-pā′per, flock paper; Vel′vet-pile, any material with a long, soft nap; Vel′vet-scō′ter, a kind of black duck with large white spot on the wings; Vel′vet-work, embroidery on velvet.—adj. Vel′vety, made of or like velvet: soft: soft in taste or touch.—Stand on velvet, to place one's bets in such a way as not to loose in any event. ”

“ Valuā′tor, one who sets a value upon: an appraiser.—adjs. Val′ued; Val′ueless.—n. Val′uer, one who values.—Value in exchange, exchange value: (pol. econ.) economic value (i.e. the amount of other commodities for which a thing can be exchanged in open market) as distinguished from its more general meaning of utility; Value received, a phrase indicating that a bill of exchange, &c., has been accepted for a valuable consideration.—Good value, full worth in exchange. [O. Fr. value, prop. the fem. of Fr. valu, pa.p. of valoir, to be worth—L. valēre.]
Valve, valv, n. ”

“ Verruca, ve-rū′ka, n. a wart, a glandular elevation: one of the wart-like sessile apothecia of some lichens.—adjs. Verrū′ciform, warty; Ver′rūcose, Ver′rūcous, covered with little knobs or wart-like prominences: warty; Verrū′culose, minutely verrucose. [L. verruca, a wart.]
Verrugas, ve-rōō′gas, n. an endemic disease of Peru, characterised by warty tumours on the skin. [Sp.,—L. verruca, a wart.] ”

“ Lay the venue, to specify the place where the trial is to be held. [A particular use of preceding word, but confused with O. Fr. visne, neighbourhood—L. vicinia, neighbourhood.]
Venus, vē′nus, n. (Roman myth.) the goddess of love, originally of spring, patron of flower-gardens, but identified with the Greek Aphrodite: beauty and love deified: sexual commerce, venery: the most brilliant of the planets, second in order from the sun.—Venus's flower-basket, a beautiful glass sponge; Venus's fly-trap (see Dionæa) ; Venus's girdle, a tæniate ctenophoran.—Mount of Venus (palm.) ”

“ Vermin, ver′min, n.sing. and pl. a worm: a name for all obnoxious insects, as bugs, fleas, and lice; troublesome animals, such as mice, rats; animals destructive to game, such as weasels, polecats, also hawks and owls: any contemptible person, or such collectively.—v.i. Ver′mināte, to breed vermin.—ns. Verminā′tion; Ver′min-kill′er.—adj. Ver′minous, infested with worms: like vermin.—adv. ”

“ Verjuice, ver′jōōs, n. the expressed juice of green or unripe fruit: sourness of temper.—v.t. to make sour or acid. [Fr. verjus—vert, green (cf. Verdant) , and Fr. jus, juice.]
Vermeil, Vermil, ver′mil, n. (Spens.) same as Vermilion: silver-gilt.—adj. Ver′meil-tinc′tured (Milt.) , tinged bright-red.
Vermes, ver′mēz, n.pl. worms: the name given by Linnæus to one of the classes in his zoological system, in which he included all the invertebrate animals, other than Insecta, whether of worm-like form or not.—ns. Vermeol′ogist, one skilled in vermeology ”

“ Ventrosity, ven-tros′i-ti, n. the state of having a pot-belly.
Venture, ven′tūr, n. chance, luck, hazard: that which is put to hazard (esp. goods sent by sea at the sender's risk) : an undertaking whose issue is uncertain or dangerous.—v.t. to send on a venture: to expose to hazard: to risk.—v.i. to make a venture: to run a risk: to dare.—n. Ven′tūrer.—adjs. Ven′tūrous, Ven′tūresome.—advs. Ven′tūrously, Ven′tūresomely.—ns. Ven′tūrousness, Ven′tūresomeness.—Venture on, upon, to dare to engage in.—At a venture, at hazard, random. [Short for adventure.]
Venue, ven′ū, n. ”

“ Venom, ven′um, n. any drink, juice, or liquid injurious or fatal to life: poison: spite: malice.—adj. (Shak.) venomous, poisonous.—v.t. to infect with poison.—n. Ven′om-duct, in a poisonous animal, the duct conveying venom from the sac or gland where it is secreted to the tooth or venom-fang whence it is discharged.—adjs. Ven′om-mouthed, having a venomous mouth: (Shak.) slanderous; Ven′omous, poisonous: spiteful: mischievous.—adv. Ven′omously.—n. Ven′omousness. [Fr. venin (It. veneno) —L. venenum.]
Venose, vē′nōs, adj. (bot.) having well-marked veins, veined.—n. ”

“ Vē′nally. [Fr.,—L. venalis—venus, sale; Gr. ōnē, purchase.]
Venal, vē′nal, adj. pertaining to a vein or veins: contained in the veins. [L. vena, a vein.]
Venatic, -al, vē-nat′ik, -al, adj. pertaining to hunting.—adv. Venat′ically.—adj. Venatō′rial. [Venery.]
Venation, ve-nā′shun, n. the way in which the leaves of plants are arranged: in insects, the distribution of the veins of the wings. [Vein.]
Vend, vend, v.t. to give for sale, to sell: to give for money: to make an object of trade.—ns. Vendee′, the person to whom a thing is sold; Ven′der, -dor, one who sells; Vendibil′ity.—adj. ”

“ Ven′trad (zool., anat.) , to or toward the belly, or ventral surface or aspect of the body; Ven′trally.—adj. Ven′tric.—n. Ven′tricle, a small cavity within an animal body, as in the heart or brain: (Shak.) the womb.—adjs. Ven′tricōse, Ven′tricous, swelling out in the middle: bellied; Ventric′ūlar. [L. ventralis—venter, the belly.]
Ventriculite, ven-trik′ū-līt, n. one of a genus of fossil sponges found in the cretaceous system, and often giving their shape to flint nodules. ”

“ Ventilā′tion, act or art of ventilating: state of being ventilated: free exposure to air: supply of air: act of examining and making public: public exposure.—adj. Ven′tilātive.—n. Ven′tilātor, that which ventilates: a contrivance for introducing fresh air. [L. ventilāre, -ātum—ventulus, dim. of ventus, the wind.]
Ventose, ven′tōs, adj. windy.—n. the sixth month of the French Revolutionary Calendar, 19th February to 20th March.—n. Ventos′ity, windiness: empty pride. [L. ventosus—ventus, wind.]
Ventral, ven′tral, adj. belonging to the belly: (bot.) ”

“ Vaginipenn′ate, Vaginopenn′ous, sheath-winged.—ns. Vaginis′mus, spasmodic contraction of the vagina; Vaginī′tis, inflammation of the vagina; Vaginot′omy, cutting of the vagina; Vagin′ūla, Vag′inule, a diminutive vagina.—adj. Vagin′ulate, having a vaginula, sheathed. [L., 'a sheath.']
Vagitus, vā-jī′tus, n. the cry of a new-born child. [L.,—vagīre, to cry.]
Vagous, vā′gus, adj. wandering.
Vagrant, vā′grant, adj. wandering without any settled dwelling: unsettled: uncertain, erratic: (med.) wandering.—n. one who has no settled home: an idle or disorderly person: a beggar.—ns. ”

“ Valetudinarian, val-ē-tū-di-nā′ri-an, adj. pertaining to ill-health: sickly: weak—also Valetū′dinary.—n. a person of weak health.—ns. Valetū′dinariness, Valetūdinā′rianism, the condition of a valetudinarian: weak health ”

“ Vac′uist, one who thinks there are empty spaces in nature; Vacū′ity, emptiness: space unoccupied: idleness, listlessness; Vac′uōle, a very small cavity in the tissue of organisms; Vac′uousness; Vac′ūum, vacant or empty space: a space empty or devoid of all matter:—pl. ”