Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Ven-tric'ū-loūs, a. p. 1468Somewhat distended in the middle.Vĕn’/tri-lo-cū’tĭon, n. p. 1468The act or art of speaking after the manner of a ventriloquist; ventriloquism.Vēn’tri-lō’qui-al, a. p. 1468Pertaining to ventriloquism.Ven-tril'o-quism, n. p. 1468The act, art, or practice of speaking in such a manner that the voice appears to come, not from the person, but from some other place, as from the opposite side of the room, from the cellar, &c.Ven-tril'o-quist, n. p. 1468One who speaks in such a manner that his voice appears to come from some distant or different place.Ven-tril'o-quize, v. i. p. 1468To practice ventriloquism.Ven-tril'o-quous, a. p. 1468Speaking in such a manner as to make the sound appear to come from a place remote from the speaker.Ven-tril'o-quy, n. p. 1468The same as VENTRILOQUISM.Vĕnt'ure (vĕnt'yūr), n. p. 1468An undertaking of chance or danger; the risking of something upon an event which can not be foreseen with certainty; a hazard. I, in this venture, double gains pursue. Dryden. 2. An event that is…Vĕnt'ūre, v. i. p. 1468To hazard one's self; to have the courage or presumption to do, undertake, or say something; to dare. 2. To run a hazard or risk. “Who freights a ship to venture on the seas.” Dryden. To venture at…Vĕnt'ūre, v. t. p. 1468To expose to hazard; to risk; as, to venture one's person in a balloon. I am afraid, yet I'll venture it. Shak. 2. To put or send on a venture or chance; as, to venture a horse to the West Indies. 3.…Vĕnt'ūr-er, n. p. 1468One who ventures or puts to hazard; an adventurer. 2. A strumpet; a prostitute. [Rare.] “Common venturer.” Webster, 1607.Vĕnt'ure-sōme, a. p. 1468Inclined to venture; not loth to run risk or danger; venturous; bold; daring; intrepid; as, a venturesome boy.Vĕnt'ūre-sŏme-ly, adv. p. 1468In a venturesome or daring manner; boldly; daringly.Vĕnt'ūre-sōme-ness, n. p. 1468The quality of being venturesome; boldness. Jeffrey.Vĕnt'ūr-ōūs, a. p. 1468Daring; bold; hardy; fearless; venturesome; intrepid; adventurous; as, a venturous soldier. With venturous arm He plucked, he tasted. Milton.Vĕnt'ūr-ous-ly, adv. p. 1468In a venturous manner; daringly; fearlessly; boldly.Vĕnt'ūr-ous-ness, n. p. 1468The quality of being venturous; boldness; hardiness; intrepidity.Vēn'ūe, n. p. 1468(Law.) A neighborhood or near place; the place or county in which an act or fact is alleged to have happened; the place where an action is laid. [Written also visne.] The twelve men who are to try…Vĕn'āe, n. p. 1468A bout; a hit; a turn; a veney. [Rare.] See VENEY.Vēn'ā-īte, n. p. 1468A petrified shell of the genus Venus. [Obs.]Vĕn'ū-lōse, a. p. 1468(Bot.) Full of small veins. Gray.Vē'nus, n. p. 1468(Myth.) The goddess of female beauty and of love; that is, beauty or love deified. 2. (Astron.) One of the planets, the second in order from the sun, its orbit lying between that of Mercury and that…Ve-năst', a. p. 1468Beautiful. [Rare.] Waterhouse.Ve-rā'ciōus, a. p. 1468Observant of truth; habitually disposed to speak truth; truthful. 2. Characterized by truth; true; not false. The young, ardent soul that enters on this world with heroic purpose, with veracious…Ve-rā'ciōŭs-ly, adv. p. 1468In a veracious manner; truthfully.Ve-răc'i-ty, n. p. 1468The state or quality of being veracious; habitual observance of truth; truthfulness; truth; as, a man of veracity. ☞ It is applied, with less propriety, to things; as, the veracity of a fact.Ve-răn'dă, n. p. 1468(Arch.) (a.) A kind of open portico, formed by extending a sloping roof beyond the main building. (b.) A light, open portico or outer gallery, with a sloping roof.Ve-rā'tri-ā p. 1468Vēra'tri'niä p. 1468Ve-rā'trīne p. 1468Lat. veratrum, hellebore. See infra.] (Chem.) A vegetable alkaloid, obtained from Veratrum sabadilla, V. album, &c. It is generally obtained as a crystalline powder, nearly white, very acrid and…Ve-rā'trum, n. p. 1468(Bot.) A genus of plants having very poisonous qualities, from which veratria is obtained.Vērb, n. p. 1468A word; a vocable. [Obs.] South. 2. (Gram.) A word which affirms or predicates something of some person or thing; a part of speech expressing being, action, or the suffering of action.Vẽr'bal, a. p. 1468Expressed in words; addressed to the ear; spoken; oral; not written; as, a verbal message; a verbal contract; verbal testimony. Made she no verbal question? Shak. 2. Consisting in, relating to, or…Vẽr'bal, n. p. 1468(Gram.) A noun derived from a verb.Vẽr'bal-ĭsm, n. p. 1468Something expressed verbally or orally.Vẽr'bal-ĭst, n. p. 1468A literal adherent to, or a minute critic of, words.Ver-băl'i-ty, n. p. 1468State or quality of being verbal; mere words; bare literal expression. [R.] Browne.Vēr'bal-i-zā'tion, n. p. 1468The act of verbalizing, or the state of being verbalized.Vĕr'bal-īze, v. t. p. 1468To convert into a verb; to make verbal; to verbify.Vēr'bal-ly, adv. p. 1468In a verbal manner; by words spoken; orally. South. 2. Word for word; as, to translate verbally.Ver-bā'ri-an, a. p. 1468Of, or pertaining to, words; verbal. [Rare.] “A verbarian attorney-general.” Coleridge.Ver-bās'cum, n. p. 1468(Bot.) A genus of plants, including the mullein.Ver-bā'tim, adv. p. 1468Word for word; in the same words; as, to tell a story verbatim as another has related it.Ver-bē'na, n. p. 1468(Bot.) A genus of plants, of which several species are extensively cultivated, some for their lemon-scented, fragrant foliage, and others for the great beauty of their flowers; vervain.Vēr'be-nāte, v. t. p. 1468To strew with vervain.Vĕr'ber-āte, v. t. p. 1468To beat; to strike. [Obs.]Vër'ber-ā'tion, n. p. 1469The act of verberating; a beating, or striking blows. Arbuthnot. 2. The impulse of a body, which causes sound.Vĕr'bi-age, n. p. 1469The use of many words without necessity; superabundance of words; profusion of expression with little substance or sense; verbosity; wordiness. The barren verbiage current among men. Tennyson.Vĕrb'i-fy, v. t. p. 1469To make into a verb; to use as a verb; to verbalize. [Rare.]Ver-bōse', a. p. 1469Abounding in words; using or containing more words than are necessary; tedious by a multiplicity of words; prolix; wordy; as, a verbose speaker; a verbose argument.Ver-bōse'ly, adv. p. 1469In a verbose manner; wordily.Ver-bōse'ness, n. p. 1469The state or quality of being verbose; verbosity.Ver-bōs'i-ty, n. p. 1469The quality of being verbose; employment of a superabundance of words; the use of more words than are necessary; prolixity. The worst fault, by far, is the extreme diffuseness and verbosity of his…Vērd, n. p. 1469(Forest Law.) (a.) The privilege of cutting green wood within a forest for fuel. (b.) The right of pasturing animals in the forest. Burrill. 2. Verdancy; greenness. [Obs.]Vĕr'dan-cy, n. p. 1469The quality or condition of being verdant; greenness. 2. Hence, rawness; inexperience; foolishness; liability to deception; as, the verdancy of a countryman.Vĕr'dant, a. p. 1469Covered with growing plants or grass; green; fresh; as, verdant fields; a verdant lawn. Let the earth Put forth the verdant grass. Milton. 2. Green in knowledge; ignorant of the ways of the world…Vĕrd'-an-tique', n. p. 1469A green incrustation on ancient coins, brass or copper, produced by the action of time. Fairholt. 2. (Min.) (a.) A mottled-green serpentine marble. (b.) A green porphyry, used as marble, and called…Vĕr'dant-ly, adv. p. 1469In a verdant manner; freshly; flourishingly.Vĕr'der-er or Vĕr'der-or, n. p. 1469(Eng. Law.) An officer who has the charge of the king’s forest, to preserve the vert and venison, keep the assizes, view, receive, and enroll attachments and presentments of all manner of trespasses.…