Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
- Pages
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- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
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.…Ver'dict, n. p. 1469(Law.) The answer of a jury given to the court concerning any matter of fact in any cause, civil or criminal, committed to their examination and determination; the finding or decision of a jury on…Vĕr'di-grīs, n. p. 1469(Chem.) The bibasic acetate of copper. In an impure state, it is much used as a green pigment; in a pure state, it is employed in medicine. Verdigris green, clear bluish green, the color of verdigris.