VIOLATIVEVi"o*la*tive, a.
Defn: Violating, or tending to violate.
VIOLATORVi"o*la`tor, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: One who violates; an infringer; a profaner; a ravisher.
VIOLEVi"ole, n.
Defn: A vial. [Obs.] Chaucer.
VIOLENCEVi"o*lence, n. Etym: [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.
VIOLENCEVi"o*lence, v. t.
Defn: To assault; to injure; also, to bring by violence; to compel.[Obs.] B. Jonson.
VIOLENT Vi"o*lent, a. Etym: [F., from L. violentus, from vis strength, force; probably akin to Gr.
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.
VIOLENTVi"o*lent, n.
Defn: An assailant. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.
VIOLENTVi"o*lent, v. t. Etym: [Cf. F. violenter.]
Defn: To urge with violence. [Obs.] Fuller.
VIOLENTVi"o*lent, v. i.
Defn: To be violent; to act violently. [Obs.] The grief is fine, full, perfect, that I taste, An violenteth in a sense as strong As that which causeth it. Shak.
VIOLENTLYVi"o*lent*ly, adv.
Defn: In a violent manner.
VIOLESCENTVi`o*les"cent, a. Etym: [L. viola a violet.]
Defn: Tending to a violet color; violascent.
VIOLET Vi"o*let, n. Etym: [F. violette a violet (cf. violet violet-colored), dim. of OF. viole a violet, L. viola; akin to Gr. Iodine.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: 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).
Note: 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.)
Defn: Any one of numerous species of small violet-colored butterflies belonging to Lycæna, or Rusticus, and allied genera.
Corn violet. See under Corn.— Dame's violet. (Bot.) See Damewort.— Dogtooth violet. (Bot.) See under Dogtooth.— Water violet (Bot.), an aquatic European herb (Hottoniapalustris) with pale purplish flowers and pinnatifid leaves.
VIOLETVi"o*let, a. Etym: [Cf. F. violet. See Violet, n.]
Defn: 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 Lanthina. — 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.
VIOLET-EARVi"o*let-ear`, n.
Defn: Any tropical humming bird of the genus Petasophora, having violet or purplish ear tufts.
VIOLET-TIPVi"o*let-tip", n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A very handsome American butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis). Its wings are mottled with various shades of red and brown and have violet tips.
VIOLINVi`o*lin", n. Etym: [It. violino, dim. of viola. See Viol.] (Mus.)
Defn: A small instrument with four strings, played with a bow; a fiddle.
Note: 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.
VIOLINE 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.
VIOLINIST Vi`o*lin"ist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. violiniste, violoniste, It. violonista.]
Defn: A player on the violin.
VIOLISTVi"ol*ist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. violiste.]
Defn: A player on the viol.
VIOLONCELLIST Vi`o*lon*cel"list, n. Etym: [Cf. F. violoncelliste, It. violoncellista.]
Defn: A player on the violoncello.
VIOLONCELLO Vi`o*lon*cel"lo, n. Etym: [It. violoncello, dim. of violone a bass viol. See Violone.] (Mus.)
Defn: 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.
VIOLONEVi`o*lo"ne, n. Etym: [It. violone, augment. of viola a viol. SeeViol.] (Mus.)
Defn: 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.]
VIOLOUSVi"o*lous, a.
Defn: Violent. [Obs.] J. Fletcher.
VIOLURICVi`o*lu"ric, a. Etym: [Violet + barbituric.] (Chem.)
Defn: 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.
VIPER Vi"per, n. Etym: [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.)
Defn: 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.
Note: 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.
VIPERINAVi`per*i"na, n. pl. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Viperoidea.
VIPERINEVi"per*ine, a. Etym: [L. viperinus: cf. F. vipérin.]
Defn: 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.
VIPERISHVi"per*ish, a.
Defn: Somewhat like a viper; viperous.
VIPEROIDVi"per*oid, a. [Viper + -oid.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Like or pertaining to the vipers.
VIPEROIDEA; VIPEROIDES Vi`per*oi"de*a, Vi`per*oi"des, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Viper, and - oid.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A division of serpents which includes the true vipers of the Old World and the rattlesnakes and moccasin snakes of America; — called also Viperina.
VIPEROUSVi"per*ous, a.
Defn: Having the qualities of a viper; malignant; venomous; as, a viperous tongue. "This viperous slander." Shak. — Vi"per*ous*ly, adv.
VIRAGINIANVi`ra*gin"i*an, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a virago; having the qualities of a virago.Milton.
VIRAGINITYVi`ra*gin"i*ty, n.
Defn: The qualities or characteristics of a virago.
VIRAGOVi*ra"go, n.; pl. Viragoes. Etym: [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.
VIREVire, n. Etym: [OF. vire, fr. virer to turn. Cf. Veer, Vireton.]
Defn: An arrow, having a rotary motion, formerly used with the crossbow. Cf. Vireton. Gower.
VIRELAYVir"e*lay, n. Etym: [F. virelai; virer to turn + lai a song, a lay.]
Defn: 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.
Note: "The virelay admitted only two rhymes, and, after employing one for some time, the poet was virer, or to turn, to the other." Nares.
VIRENTVi"rent, a. Etym: [L. virens, p. pr. of virere to be green.]
Defn: Green; not withered. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
VIREOVir"e*o, n. Etym: [L., a species of bird.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: 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.
Note: 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.
VIRESCENCEVi*res"cence, (Bot.)
Defn: The act or state of becoming green through the formation of chlorophyll.
VIRESCENT Vi*res"cent, a. Etym: [L. virescens, p. pr. of virescere to grow green, verb incho. fr. virere to be green.]
Defn: Beginning to be green; slightly green; greenish.
VIRETONVir"e*ton, n. Etym: [F. See Vire.]
Defn: An arrow or bolt for a crossbow having feathers or brass placed at an angle with the shaft to make it spin in flying.
VIRGALIEUVir"ga*lieu, n. Etym: [Cf. Virgouleuse.] (Bot.)
Defn: 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.]
VIRGATEVir"gate, a. Etym: [L. virgatus made of twigs, fr. virga a twig, rod.See Verge a rod.] (Bot.)
Defn: Having the form of a straight rod; wand-shaped; straight and slender.
VIRGATE Vir"gate, n. Etym: [LL. virgata, virgata terrae, so much land as virga terrae, a land measure, contains, fr. L. virga a twig, rod.]
Defn: A yardland, or measure of land varying from fifteen to forty acres. [Obs.] T. Warton.
VIRGATEDVir"ga*ted, a. Etym: [L. virgatus striped. See Virgate, a.]
Defn: Striped; streaked. [Obs.]
VIRGEVirge, n.
Defn: A wand. See Verge. [Obs.]
VIRGERVir"ger, n.
Defn: See Verger. [Obs.]
VIRGILIANVir*gil"i*an, a. Etym: [L. Virgilianus, better Vergilianus.]
Defn: 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.
VIRGIN Vir"gin, n. Etym: [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.)
Defn: See Virgo.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any one of several species of gossamer-winged butterflies of the family Lycænidæ.
5. (Zoöl.)
Defn: 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.
VIRGINVir"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.
VIRGINVir"gin, v. i.
Defn: To act the virgin; to be or keep chaste; — followed by it. SeeIt, 5. [Obs.] "My true lip hath virgined it e'er since [that kiss]."Shak.
VIRGINALVir"gin*al, a. Etym: [L. virginalis: cf. F. virginal.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a virgin; becoming a virgin; maidenly."Chastity and honor virginal." Spenser. Virginal generation (Biol.),parthenogenesis.— Virginal membrane (Anat.), the hymen.
VIRGINAL Vir"gin*al, n. Etym: [Cf. F. virginale; — probably so called from being used by young girls, or virgins.] (Mus.)
Defn: 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.
VIRGINALVir"gin*al, v. i.
Defn: To play with the fingers, as if on a virginal; to tap or pat.[Obs.] "Still virginaling upon his palm!" Shak.
VIRGINHOODVir"gin*hood, n.
Defn: Virginity; maidenhood.
VIRGINIAVir*gin"i*a, n.
Defn: One of the States of the United States of America.— a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the State of Virginia. Virginia cowslip(Bot.), the American lungwort (Mertensia Virginica).— Virginia creeper (Bot.), a common ornamental North American woodyvine (Ampelopsis quinquefolia), climbing extensively by means oftendrils; — called also woodbine, and American ivy. [U.S.] —Virginia fence. See Worm fence, under Fence.— Virginia nightingale (Zoöl.), the cardinal bird. See underCardinal.— Virginia quail (Zoöl.), the bobwhite.— Virginia reel, an old English contradance; — so called in theUnited States. Bartlett.— Virginia stock. (Bot.) See Mahon stock.
VIRGINITYVir*gin"i*ty, n. Etym: [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.
VIRGO Vir"go, n. Etym: [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 [ (b) A constellation of the zodiac, now occupying chiefly the sign Libra, and containing the bright star Spica.
VIRGOULEUSEVir"gou*leuse, n. Etym: [F. virgouleuse, from the village ofVirgoulée, near Limoges.] (Bot.)
Defn: An old French variety of pear, of little value.
VIRGULARIANVir`gu*la"ri*an, n. Etym: [From. L. virgula a small rod.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: 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.
VIRGULATEVir"gu*late, a.
Defn: Shaped like a little twig or rod.
VIRGULEVir"gule, n. Etym: [F. virgule, fr. L. virgula, dim. of virga. SeeVerge a rod.]
Defn: 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.
VIRIALVir"i*al, n. Etym: [L. vis, viris, force.] (Physics)
Defn: 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.
VIRIDVir"id, a. Etym: [L. viridis green. See Verdant.]
Defn: Green. [Obs.]The virid marjoram Her sparkling beauty did but see. Crompton.
VIRIDESCENCEVir`i*des"cence, n.
Defn: Quality or state of being viridescent.
VIRIDESCENT Vir`i*des"cent, a. Etym: [L. viridescens, p. pr. of viridescere to grow green.]
Defn: Slightly green; greenish.
VIRIDINEVir"i*dine, n. Etym: [L. viridis green.] (Chem.)
Defn: 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.
VIRIDITEVir"i*dite, n. Etym: [L. viridis green.] (Min.)
Defn: A greenish chloritic mineral common in certain igneous rocks, as diabase, as a result of alternation.
VIRIDITY Vi*rid"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. viriditas, fr. viridis green: cf. F. viridité. See Verdant.]
1. Greenness; verdure; the color of grass and foliage.
2. Freshness; soundness. [Obs.] Evelyn.
VIRIDNESSVir"id*ness, n.
Defn: Viridity; greenness.
VIRILE Vi"rile, a. Etym: [L. virilis, fr. vir a man; akin to AS. wer: cf. F. viril. See Werewolf, World, and cf. Decemvir, Virago, Virtue.]
Defn: 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.
VIRILITYVi*ril"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. virilitas: cf. F. virilité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being virile; developed manhood; manliness; specif., the power of procreation; as, exhaustion. "Virility of visage." Holland.
VIRIPOTENTVi*rip"o*tent, a. Etym: [L. vir man + potens fit for.]
Defn: Developed in manhood; hence, able to beget; marriageable.[Obs.]Being not of ripe years, not viripotent. Holinshed.
VIRMILIONVir*mil"ion, n.
Defn: See Vermilion. [R.]
VIROLEVi*role", n. Etym: [F., a ferrule. See Ferrule.] (Her.)
Defn: A ring surrounding a bugle or hunting horn.
VIROLEDVi*roled", a. (Her.)
Defn: 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.
VIROSEVi*rose", a. Etym: [L. virosus. See Virus.]
Defn: Having a nauseous odor; fetid; poisonous. [R.]
VIRTUVir*tu", n. Etym: [It. virtù virtue, excellence, from L. virtus. SeeVirtue.]
Defn: 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.
VIRTUALVir"tu*al, a. Etym: [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.
VIRTUALITYVir`tu*al"i*ty, n. Etym: [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.
VIRTUALLYVir"tu*al*ly, adv.
Defn: In a virtual manner; in efficacy or effect only, and not actually; to all intents and purposes; practically.
VIRTUATEVir"tu*ate, v. t.
Defn: To make efficacious; to give virtue of efficacy. [Obs.] Harvey.
VIRTUE Vir"tue, n. Etym: [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.
Defn: 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.
VIRTUELESSVir"tue*less, a.
Defn: Destitute of virtue; without efficacy or operating qualities;powerless.Virtueless she wished all herbs and charms. Fairfax.
VIRTUOSITYVir`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.
VIRTUOSOVir`tu*o"so, n.; pl. Virtuosos; It. Virtuosi. Etym: [It. SeeVirtuous.]
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.)
Defn: A performer on some instrument, as the violin or the piano, who excels in the technical part of his art; a brilliant concert player.
VIRTUOSOSHIPVir`tu*o"so*ship, n.
Defn: The condition, pursuits, or occupation of a virtuoso. Bp. Hurd.
VIRTUOUS Vir"tu*ous, a. Etym: [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.
VIRULENCE; VIRULENCY Vir"u*lence, Vir"u*len*cy, n. Etym: [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.
VIRULENT Vir"u*lent, a. Etym: [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.
VIRULENTEDVir"u*lent*ed, a.
Defn: Made virulent; poisoned. [Obs.]
VIRULENTLYVir"u*lent*ly, adv.
Defn: In a virulent manner.
VIRUS Vi"rus, n. Etym: [L., a slimy liquid, a poisonous liquid, poison, stench; akin to Gr. 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.
Note: 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.
VISVis, 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 Etym: [L.] (Mech.), force exerted, as in moving a body, or changing the direction of its motion; impressed force. — Vis inertiæ. Etym: [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 Etym: [L.] (Mech.), dead force; force doing no active work, but only producing pressure. — Vis vitæ, or Vis vitalis Etym: [L.] (Physiol.), vital force. — Vis viva Etym: [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.
VISAVi"sa, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: See Vis.
VISAVi"sa, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Visaed; p. pr. & vb. n. Visaing.]
Defn: To indorse, after examination, with the word visé, as a passport; to visé.
VISAGE Vis"age (; 48), n. Etym: [F. visage, from L. visus a seeing, a look, fr. videre, visum, to see. See Vision.]
Defn: 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.
VISAGEVis"age (; 48), v. t.
Defn: To face. [Obs.] Chaucer.
VISAGEDVis"aged, a.
Defn: Having a visage. Shak.
VISARDVis"ard, n.
Defn: A mask. See Visor.
VISARDVis"ard, v. t.
Defn: To mask.
VIS-A-VISVis`-a-vis", n. Etym: [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-VISVis`-a-vis", adv.
Defn: Face to face.
VISAYANVi*sa"yan, n. [Cf. Sp. Bisayo a Visayan.]
Defn: A member of the most numerous of the native races of thePhilippines, occupying the Visayan Islands and the northern coastMindanao; also, their language. The Visayans possessed a nativeculture and alphabet.
VISCACHA; VIZ-CACHAVis*ca"cha, Viz-ca"cha (, n. Etym: [Sp.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: 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.
VISCERAVis"ce*ra, n.,
Defn: pl. of Viscus.
VISCERALVis"cer*al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. viscéral, LL. visceralis.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: 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.
VISCERATEVis"cer*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Viscerated; p. pr. & vb. n.Viscerating.]
Defn: To deprive of the viscera, or entrails; to eviscerate; to disembowel.
VISCEROSKELETALVis`cer*o*skel"e*tal, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the framework, or skeleton, or skeleton, of the viscera; as, the visceroskeletal system of muscles. Mivart.
VISCID Vis"cid, a. Etym: [L. viscidus, fr. viscum the mistletoe, birdlime made from the berries of the mistletoe; akin to Gr. viscide.]
Defn: 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.
VISCIDITYVis*cid"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. viscidité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being viscid; also, that which is viscid; glutinous concretion; stickiness.
VISCINVis"cin, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A clear, viscous, tasteless substance extracted from the mucilaginous sap of the mistletoe (Viscum album), holly, etc., and constituting an essential ingredient of birdlime.
VISCOIDALVis*coid"al, a.
Defn: Somewhat viscous. Cf. Mobile, a., 2.
VISCOSIMETERVis`co*sim"e*ter, n. Etym: [Viscosity + -meter.]
Defn: An instrument for measuring the degree of viscosity of liquids, as solutions of gum.
VISCOSITYVis*cos"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. viscosité, LL. viscositas.]
1. The quality or state of being viscous.
2. (Physics)
Defn: A quality analogous to that of a viscous fluid, supposed to be caused by internal friction, especially in the case of gases.
VISCOUNTVis"count`, n. Etym: [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)
Defn: 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.
VISCOUNTCYVis"count`cy, n.
Defn: The dignity or jurisdiction of a viscount. Sir B. Burke.
VISCOUNTESSVis"count`ess, n. Etym: [F. vicomtesse, LL. vicecomitissa.]
Defn: The wife of a viscount.
VISCOUNTSHIP; VISCOUNTYVis"count`ship, Vis"count`y, n. Etym: [F. vicomté.]
Defn: The quality, rank, or office of a viscount.
VISCOUSVis"cous, a. Etym: [L. viscosus. See Viscid.]
Defn: Adhesive or sticky, and having a ropy or glutinous consistency; viscid; glutinous; clammy; tenacious; as, a viscous juice. — Vis"cous*ness, n.
Note: There is no well-defined distinction in meaning between viscous and viscid.
VISCUMVis"cum, n. Etym: [L.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of parasitic shrubs, including the mistletoe of Europe.
2. Birdlime, which is often made from the berries of the European mistletoe.
VISCUSVis"cus, n.; pl. Viscera. Etym: [L., perhaps akin to E. viscid.](Anat.)
Defn: 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 Vise, n. Etym: [F. vis a screw, winding stairs, OF. vis, viz, fr. L. vitis a vine; probably akin to E. withy.]
Defn: An instrument consisting of two jaws, closing by a screw, lever, cam, or the like, for holding work, as in filing. [Written also vice.]
VISE Vi*sé", n. Etym: [F. visé, p. p. of viser to put a visa to, fr. L. visus seen, p. p. of videre to see.]
Defn: 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.
VISEVi*sé", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Viséed; p. pr. & vb. n. Viséing.]
Defn: To examine and indorse, as a passport; to visa.
VISHNU Vish"nu, n. Etym: [Skr. Vish, from vish to pervade., to extend through nature.] (Hindoo Myth.)
Defn: A divinity of the modern Hindoo trimurti, or trinity. He is regarded as the preserver, while Brahma is the creator, and Siva the destroyer of the creation.
VISIBILITYVis`i*bil"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. visibilitas: cf. F. visibilité.]
Defn: The quality or state of being visible.
VISIBLE Vis"i*ble, a. Etym: [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.
VISIBLE SPEECHVis"i*ble speech". (Phon.)
Defn: A system of characters invented by Prof. Alexander Melville Bell to represent all sounds that may be uttered by the speech organs, and intended to be suggestive of the position of the organs of speech in uttering them.
VISIGOTHVis"i*goth, n. Etym: [L. Visegothae, pl. Cf. West, and Goth.]
Defn: One of the West Goths. See the Note under Goth.— Vis`i*goth"ic, a.
VISIONVi"sion, n. Etym: [OE. visioun, F. vision, fr. L. visio, from videre,visum, to see: akin to Gr. 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.)
Defn: 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.
VISIONVi"sion, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Visioned; p. pr. & vb. n. Visioning.]
Defn: To see in a vision; to dream. For them no visioned terrors daunt, Their nights no fancied specters haunt. Sir W. Scott.
VISIONALVi"sion*al, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a vision.
VISIONARINESSVi"sion*a*ri*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being visionary.
VISIONARYVi"sion*a*ry, a. Etym: [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.
VISIONARYVi"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.
VISIONEDVi"sioned, a.
Defn: Having the power of seeing visions; inspired; also, seen in visions. [R.] Shelley.
VISIONISTVi"sion*ist, n.
Defn: A visionary.
VISIONLESSVi"sion*less, a.
Defn: Destitute of vision; sightless.
VISITVis"it, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Visited; p. pr. & vb. n. Visiting.] Etym:[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.)
Defn: 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.
VISITVis"it, v. i.
Defn: To make a visit or visits; to maintain visiting relations; to practice calling on others.
VISITVis"it, n. Etym: [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.
VISITABLEVis"it*a*ble, a.
Defn: Liable or subject to be visited or inspected. "All hospitals built since the Reformation are visitable by the king or lord chancellor." Ayliffe.
VISITANTVis"it*ant, n. Etym: [L. visitans, -antis; p. pr.: cf. F. visitant.]
Defn: One who visits; a guest; a visitor.When the visitant comes again, he is no more a stranger. South.
VISITANTVis"it*ant, a.
Defn: Visiting. Wordsworth.
VISITATIONVis`it*a"tion, n. Etym: [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)
Defn: 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.)
Defn: A festival in honor of the visit of the Virgin Mary to Elisabeth, mother of John the Baptist, celebrated on the second of July. The Order of the Visitation of Our Lady (R. C. Ch.), a religious community of nuns, founded at Annecy, in Savoy, in 1610, and in 1808 established in the United States. In America these nuns are devoted to the education of girls.
VISITATORIAL Vis`it*a*to"ri*al, a. Etym: [Cf. LL. visitator a bishop temporarily put in place of another.]
Defn: 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.
VISITEVi*site", n. Etym: [F. See Visit, n.]
Defn: A light cape or short cloak of silk or lace worn by women in summer.
VISITERVis"it*er, n.
Defn: A visitor.
VISITINGVis"it*ing,
Defn: 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.
VISITORVis"it*or. Etym: [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.
VISITORIALVis`it*o"ri*al, a.
Defn: Same as Visitatorial.
VISIVEVi"sive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. visif, LL. visivus. See Vision.]
Defn: 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.
VIS MAJORVis ma"jor. [L. major greater.] (Law)
Defn: A superior force which under certain circumstances is held to exempt from contract obligations; inevitable accident; — a civil-law term used as nearly equivalent to, but broader than, the common-law term act of God (which see).
VISNEVisne, n. Etym: [OF. visné, veisiné, visnet, neighborhood, LL.vicinatus, fr. L. vicunus neighboring, a neighbor. See Vicinity.](Law)
Defn: Neighborhood; vicinity; venue. See Venue.
VISNOMYVis"no*my, n. Etym: [Contr. fr. physiognomy.]
Defn: Face; countenance. [Colloq.] Spenser. Lamb.
VISONVi"son, n. Etym: [F.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The mink.
VISORVis"or, n. Etym: [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 toassume 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.
VISOREDVis"ored, a.
Defn: Wearing a visor; masked.Visored falsehood and base forgery. Milton.
VISTA Vis"ta, n.; pl. Vistas. Etym: [It., sight, view, fr. vedere, p. p. visto, veduto, to see, fr. L. videre, visum. See View, Vision.]
Defn: 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.
VISTOVis"to, n.
Defn: A vista; a prospect. [R.] Gay.Through the long visto of a thousand years. Young.
VISUAL Vis"u*al, a. Etym: [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.
VISUALIZEVis"u*al*ize, v. t.
Defn: To make visual, or visible; to see in fancy. [Written alsovisualise.]No one who has not seen them [glaciers] can possibly visualize them.Lubbock.
VISUALIZERVis"u*al*iz`er, n.
Defn: One who visualizes or is proficient in visualization; esp.(Physiol.),
Defn: one whose mental imagery is prevailingly visualization.
VITAILLEVi*taille, n. Etym: [See Victuals.]
Defn: Food; victuals. [Obs.] Piers Plowman. Chaucer.
VITAL Vi"tal, a. Etym: [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, vitalblood.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.
VITALVi"tal, n.
Defn: A vital part; one of the vitals. [R.]
VITALICVi*tal"ic, a.
Defn: Pertaining to life; vital. [R.]
VITALISMVi"tal*ism, n. (Biol.)
Defn: The doctrine that all the functions of a living organism are due to an unknown vital principle distinct from all chemical and physical forces.
VITALISTVi`tal*ist, n. (Biol.)
Defn: A believer in the theory of vitalism; — opposed to physicist.
VITALISTICVi`tal*is"tic, a. (Biol.)
Defn: Pertaining to, or involving, vitalism, or the theory of a special vital principle.
VITALITYVi*tal"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. vitalitas: cf. F. vitalité.]
Defn: 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.
VITALIZATIONVi`tal*i*za"tion, n.
Defn: The act or process of vitalizing, or infusing the vital principle.
VITALIZEVi"tal*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vitalized; p. pr. & vb. n.Vitalizing.] Etym: [Cf. F. vitaliser.]
Defn: To endow with life, or vitality; to give life to; to make alive; as, vitalized blood.
VITALLYVi"tal*ly, adv.
Defn: In a vital manner.
VITALSVi"tals, n. pl.
1. Organs that are necessary for life; more especially, the heart, lungs, and brain.