Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Vas'tel, n. p. 1464See WASTEL. [Obs.] Fuller.Vas-tid'i-ty, n. p. 1464Vastness; immensity. [Obs. and rare.] “The world's vastidity.” Shak.Vāst'i-tūde, n. p. 1464Vastness; immense extent. [Rare.] Foster. 2. Destruction; vastation. [Obs.]Vāst'ly, adv. p. 1464To a vast extent or degree; very greatly; as, a space vastly extended; men differ vastly in their opinions and manners.Văst'ness, n. p. 1464The state or quality of being vast; great extent; immense bulk; enormous magnitude, amount, or importance; as, the vastness of the ocean or of space; the vastness of an army, or of the sums of money…Vāst'y, a. p. 1464Being of great extent; very spacious; immense; vast. [Rare.] I can call spirits from the vasty deep. Shak.Văt, n. p. 1464A large vessel or cistern; a large cask-like receptacle, especially one used for holding liquors as yet in an immature state, chemical preparations for dyeing, or for tanning leather, and the like.…Văt, v. t. p. 1464To put into a vat. [Rare.]Văt'ful, n. p. 1464As much as a vat will hold; enough to fill a vat.Vāt'i-can, n. p. 1464A magnificent assemblage of buildings, including one of the pope’s palaces, a museum, a library, &c., situated at the foot of one of the seven hills on which Rome is built, and adjoining the Church…Vāt'i-can-ist, n. p. 1464One who strongly adheres to the papal authority; a devoted Roman Catholic.Vāt'i-cīde, n. p. 1464The murder of a prophet. 2. One who murders a prophet.Va-tĭc'i-nal, a. p. 1464Of, pertaining to, or containing, prophecy; foretelling.Va-tĭc'i-nāte, v. i. p. 1464To prophesy; to foretell; to practice prediction. [Rare.] Howell.Va-tic'i-nāte, v. t. p. 1464To foretell; to prophesy.Va-tic′-i-nā′-tion, n. p. 1464Prediction; prophecy. Human nature utters itself with passion; but yet it is not a false utterance; it is a true, though an impetuous, vaticination. I. Taylor.Va-tĭc'/i-nā'/tor, n. p. 1464One who vaticinates; a prophet.Vāt'i-cīne, n. p. 1464A prediction; a vaticination. [Obs.]Vaude'ville, n. p. 1464A kind of song of a lively character, frequently embodying a satire on some person or event, sung to a familiar air in couplets with a refrain; a street song. 2. A theatrical piece, usually a comedy…Vau-dois’, n. sing. & pl. p. 1464(Geog.) An inhabitant, or the inhabitants, of the Swiss canton of Vaud. See WALDENSES.Vault, n. p. 1464A continued arch, or an arched roof or ceiling; a covering and enveloping arch. “That heaven’s vault should crack.” Shak. 2. An arched apartment; especially, a subterranean room, used for storing…Vault, v. t. p. 1464To form with a vault, or to cover with a vault; to give the shape of an arch (or to arch); as, to vault a passage to a court. “The shady arch that vaulted the broad green alley.” W. Scott. 2. To leap…Vault, v. i. p. 1464[O. Fr. volter, N. Fr. voltiger, Sp. & Pg. voltear, It. voltare, Lat. volutare, v. intens. from volvere, volutum, to roll, turn about. See supra.) 1. To leap; to bound; to jump; to spring. “Vaulting…Vault'age, n. p. 1464Vaulted work; an arched cellar. [Obs.] Shak.Vault'ed, a. p. 1464L. Arched; concave; as, a vaulted roof. 2. Covered with an arch or vault. 3. (Bot.) Arched like the roof of the mouth, as the upper lip of many ringent flowers.Vault'er, n. p. 1464One who vaults; a leaper; a tumbler.Vault'y, a. p. 1464Arched; concave. [Obs.]Väunçe, v. i. p. 1464To advance. [Obs.]Väunt, v. i. p. 1464To boast; to make a vain display of one's own worth, attainments, or decorations; to talk with vain ostentation; to brag. Pride . . . prompts a man to vaunt and overvalue what he is. Gov. of the…Väunt, v. t. p. 1464To boast of; to make a vain display of; to display with ostentation. Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. 1 Cor. xiii. 4. My vanquisher, spoiled of his vaunted spoil. Milton. 2. To put…Väunt, n. p. 1464A vain display of what one is, or has, or has done; ostentation from vanity; boast. Him I seduced With other vaunts and other promises. Milton.Vānt, n. p. 1464The first part. [Obs.] Shak.Vāunt'-courier, n. p. 1464An avant-courier; a precursor. [Obs.]Väunt'er, n. p. 1464One who vaunts; a boaster; a braggart; a man given to vain ostentation.Väunt'ful, a. p. 1464Given to vaunting or boasting; vainly ostentatious; boastful. [Rare.]Vāunt'ing-ly, adv. p. 1464In a vaunting manner.Väunt'-mūre, n. p. 1464(Fort.) A false wall; a work raised in front of the main wall. [Written also vaimure and ramure.] Camden.Vauque'lin-īte, n. p. 1464(Min.) Chromate of copper and lead, of various shades of green. Ure.Vaut, v. i. p. 1464To vault; to leap. [Obs.] Spenser.Vaut, n. p. 1464A vault. [Obs.] Spenser.Vaut'y, a. p. 1464Vaulted. “The vauty welkin.” Taylor.Vāv'a-sor, n. p. 1464(Feudal Law.) The vassal or tenant of a baron; one who held under a baron, and who also had tenants under him; one in dignity next to a baron. The term varasor first came into use in England after…Vāv'a-so-ry, n. p. 1464The quality or tenure of the fee held by a vavassor.Vā'ward, n. p. 1464The fore part; vanward; van; advance. [Obs.]Vē'a-dar, n. p. 1464The thirteenth month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year.Vēal, n. p. 1464The flesh of a calf killed for the table. Veal cutlet, a slice of veal cut off for frying or broiling.Vĕc'tion, n. p. 1464The act of carrying, or state of being carried. [Obs.]Vĕc'tis, n. p. 1464A lever. [Rare.]Vĕc'ti-tā'tion, n. p. 1464A carrying. [Obs.]Vĕc'tor, n. p. 1464The same as RADIUS VECTOR, q. v.Vĕct′ūre, n. p. 1464Conveyance by carrying; carrying; carriage. [Obs. and rare.] Bacon.Vē'dā or Vē'di, n. p. 1464The ancient sacred literature of the Hindoos; also, one of the four collections, called Rīg-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Sāma-Veda, and Atharva-Veda, constituting the most ancient portions and members of that…Vē-dān'tā, n. p. 1464A sect among the Hindoos, whose theory of philosophy is professedly founded upon the revelations contained in the Vedas.Ve-dĕtte’, n. p. 1464A sentinel, usually on horseback; a dragoon or horseman stationed on the outpost of an army, to watch an enemy and give notice of danger; a vidette.Veer, v. i. p. 1464To change direction; to turn; as, the wind veers to the west or north. And as he leads, the following navy veers. Dryden. We are in a war . . . not with an ordinary community which is hostile or…Veer, v. t. p. 1464To direct to a different course; to turn. To veer and haul (Naut.), to pull tight and slacken alternately. Totten. — To veer away, to let out; to slacken and let run; as, to veer away the cable. This…Veer'a-ble, a. p. 1464Changeable; shifting. Randolph.Veer'ing-ly, adv. p. 1464In a veering manner.Vē'gȧ, n. p. 1464(Astron.) A brilliant star of the first magnitude, the brightest of those constituting the constellation Lyra.Vēg'e-ta-bīl'i-ty, n. p. 1464State or quality of being vegetable; vegetable nature; the quality of growth without sensation. [Obs.]