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An American Dictionary of the English Language

Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)

Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865

Entries
95,912
Pages
1,538
Illustrations
2,133

Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.

  1. Ver-mif'ū-gal, a.p. 1470(Med.) Tending to prevent or destroy vermin, or to expel worms.
  2. Vĕr'mi-fūge, n.p. 1470(Med.) A medicine or substance that expels worms from animal bodies; an anthelmintic.
  3. Vēr'mil, n.p. 1470Vermilion; vermeil. [Obs.] Spenser.
  4. Ver-mil'ion, n.p. 1470A substance consisting of sulphuret or sulphide of mercury, especially when in the form of a fine powder. It is of a bright, beautiful red color, and is much used as a pigment, and to color wafers…
  5. Ver-mil'ion, v. t.p. 1470To color with vermilion, or as if with vermilion; to dye red; to cover with a delicate red.
  6. Vĕr'mi-ly, n.p. 1470Vermeil; vermilion. [Obs.] Spenser.
  7. Vēr'min, n. sing. & pl.p. 1470used chiefly as plural. [Fr. vermine, Pr. vermena, It. vermine, L. Lat. vermen, a worm, from Lat. vermis, a worm.] 1. An animal in general. [Obs.] “Wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of…
  8. Vēr′mi-nāte, v. i.p. 1470To breed vermin.
  9. Vĕr/mi-nā'tion, n.p. 1470Generation or breeding of vermin. Derham. 2. A griping of the bowels.
  10. Vĕr'min-ly, a.p. 1470Like vermin; of the nature of vermin. [Obs.]
  11. Vĕr'min-ly, adv.p. 1470In the manner of vermin; like vermin. [Obs.]
  12. Vĕr'min-oûs, a.p. 1470Tending to breed vermin; full of, or infested by, vermin. The verminous disposition of the body. Harvey. 2. Caused by, or arising from the presence of, vermin; as, verminous disease.
  13. Vēr'min-oûs-ly, adv.p. 1470In a verminous manner; so as to breed vermin; as if infested by vermin.
  14. Ver-mip’a-roûs, a.p. 1470Producing worms. Bronson.
  15. Ver-mív'o-roûs, a.p. 1470Devouring worms; feeding on worms; as, vermivorous birds.
  16. Ver-mŏnt'er, n.p. 1470(Geog.) A native or inhabitant of Vermont.
  17. Věr'mont·ēse, n. sing. & pl.p. 1470(Geog.) A native or inhabitant of Vermont; in the plural, the people of Vermont; — used in colloquial or humorous language.
  18. Ver-nă'cŭ-lar, a.p. 1470Belonging to the country of one's birth; one's own by birth or nature; native; as, English is our vernacular language. He became the favorite . . . of his instructor, whose regard he appears to have…
  19. Ver-năc'ē-lar, n.p. 1470The vernacular language; one's mother tongue.
  20. Ver-nā'cu-lar-ism, n.p. 1470A vernacular idiom.
  21. Ver-nāc'ē-lār-ly, adv.p. 1470In a vernacular manner; in the vernacular.
  22. Ver-năc'ū-lōus, a.p. 1470Vernacular; indigenous; native. 2. Scoffing; insolent; scurrilous. [A Latinism.] These men [are] subject to the petulancy of every vernaculous orator. — B. Jonson.
  23. Vĕr'nage, n.p. 1470A kind of sweet wine from Italy. [Obs.] — Chaucer.
  24. Vĕr'nal, a.p. 1470Belonging to the spring; appearing in spring; as, vernal bloom. “And purple all the ground with vernal flowers.” — Milton. Vernal flowers are preparatives to autumnal fruits. Rambler. 2. Hence…
  25. Vēr'nant, a.p. 1470Flourishing, as in spring; vernal. [Obs.] “Vernant flowers.” Milton.
  26. Vĕr'nāte, v. i.p. 1470To become young again. [Obs.]
  27. Ver-nā'tion, n.p. 1470(Bot.) The disposition of the leaves within the bud; prefoliation.
  28. Vĕr'ni-cōse', a.p. 1470(Bot.) Appearing as if varnished, as some leaves. — Gray.
  29. Vēr'nier, n.p. 1470A short scale made to slide along the divisions of a graduated instrument, as the limb of a sextant, or the scale of a barometer, for indicating parts of divisions. It is so graduated that a certain…
  30. Vēr'nīle, a.p. 1470Suiting a slave; servile. “The example hourly ringing in their ears of vernile scurrility.” De Quincey.
  31. Ver-nil'i-ty, n.p. 1470Fawning or obsequious behavior, like that of a slave; servility. [Obs.] — Bailey.
  32. Vēr'o-nēse', a.p. 1470(Geog.) Of, or pertaining to, Verona in Italy.
  33. Vĕr'/o-nēse', n. sing. & pl.p. 1470(Geog.) A native or inhabitant of Verona; in the plural, the people of Verona.
  34. Ve-rōn'i-cā, n.p. 1470A portrait or representation of the face of our Savior on handkerchiefs. 2. (Bot.) A genus of plants; speedwell.
  35. Vĕr'rel, n.p. 1470The ring at the end of a cane, ramrod, and the like; a ferrule. See FERRULE.
  36. Ver-rŭ'çi-form, a.p. 1470Having the shape of a wart.
  37. Vĕr'ru-cōse or Vĕr'ru-cous, a.p. 1470Having little knobs or warts on the surface; warty; as, a verrucous capsule.
  38. Ver-rŭ'cu-lōse', a.p. 1470Having minute, wart-like prominences.
  39. Vēr'sa-bil'i-ty, n.p. 1470The state or quality of being versable; capability of being turned round. [Obs.]
  40. Vĕr'sa-ble, a.p. 1470Capable of being turned. [Obs.]
  41. Vêr'sa-ble-ness, n.p. 1470The state or quality of being versatile; versability.
  42. Vĕr'sal, a.p. 1470Universal. [Obs. or low.]
  43. Vêr'sant, a.p. 1470Familiar, conversant. [Rare.] Men not versant with courts of justice will not believe it. Sydney Smith.
  44. Vĕr'sa-tile, a.p. 1470Capable of being turned round. [Rare.] Harte. 2. Liable to be turned in opinion; changeable; variable; unsteady; as, a man of versatile disposition. Conspicuous among the youths of high promise . . .…
  45. Vêr'sa-tile-ly, adv.p. 1470In a versatile manner.
  46. Vĕr'sa-tile-ness, n.p. 1470The state or quality of being versatile; versatility.
  47. Vĕr'sa-tĭl'i-ty, n.p. 1470The state or quality of being versatile; aptness to change; readiness to be turned; variableness. 2. The faculty of easily turning one's mind to new tasks or subjects; as, the versatility of genius.
  48. Vĕrse, n.p. 1470A line consisting of a certain number of long and short syllables, disposed according to metrical rules. ☞ Verses are of various kinds, as hexameter, pentameter, and tetrameter, &c., according to the…
  49. Vĕrse, v. t.p. 1470To tell in verse; to relate poetically. [Obs.] “Playing on pipes of corn, and versing love.” Shak.
  50. Vêrse, v. i.p. 1470To make verses; to versify. [Obs.] It is not rhyming and versing that maketh a poet. Sidney.
  51. Vĕrsed, p. a.p. 1470Acquainted or familiar, as the result of experience, study, practice, and the like; skilled; practiced. “Deep versed in books.” Milton. Those opinions which he derived from studying the Scriptures…
  52. Vĕrse'man or Vĕrse'mōn'ger, n.p. 1470A writer of verses; a manufacturer of poetry; a poetaster; — used humorously or in contempt. Prior.
  53. Vĕrs'er, n.p. 1470A maker of verses; a versifier; a verse-man, or versemonger. B. Jonson.
  54. Vĕrs'et, n.p. 1470A verse. [Obs. and rare.]
  55. Vĕr'si-cle, n.p. 1470A little verse. The psalms were in number fifteen . . . being digested into versicles. Stryne.
  56. Vĕr'si-cōl'or or Vĕr'si-cōl'ored, a.p. 1470Having various colors; changeable in color.
  57. Ver-sĭc'ū-lar, a.p. 1471Of, or pertaining to, verses; designating distinct divisions of a writing.
  58. Vĕr′si·fi·cā′tion, n.p. 1471The act, art, or practice, of versifying; construction of poetry; metrical composition.
  59. Vĕr'si-fi-cā'tor, n.p. 1471A versifier. [Rare.]
  60. Vĕr'si-fī'er, n.p. 1471One who versifies, or makes verses; as, not every versifier is a poet. 2. One who converts into verse; or one who expresses in verse the ideas of another written in prose; as, Dr. Watts was a…