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.
Ver-tĭg'i-noŭs-ly, adv. p. 1471In a vertiginous manner; with a whirling or giddiness.Ver-tĭg'i-nous-ness, n. p. 1471The state or quality of being vertiginous; a whirling, or sense of whirling; unsteadiness; giddiness.Vĕr'ti-go, n. p. 1471Dizziness or swimming of the head; an affection of the head, in which objects appear to move in various directions, though stationary, and the person affected finds it difficult to maintain an erect…Vĕr'ti-līn'e-ar, a. p. 1471Straight; rectilinear. [Rare.]Vêr'vain, n. p. 1471(Bot.) A plant of the genus Verbena.Vĕr'vain-măl'lōw, n. p. 1471(Bot.) A species of mallow; the Malva alcea.Vêrve, n. p. 1471Excitement of imagination such as animates a poet, artist, or musician, in composing or performing; rapture; enthusiasm; animation; spirit; energy.Vêr'vels, n. pl. p. 1471See VARVELS.Vĕr'y, a. p. 1471True; real; actual. “Whether thou be my very son Esau or not.” Gen. xxvii. 21. He that repeateth a matter separateth very friends. Prov. xvii. 9. I looked on the consideration of public service or…Vĕr'y, adv. p. 1471In a high degree; to no small extent; exceedingly; excessively; as, a very great mountain; a very bright sun; a very cold day; a very pernicious war; a very benevolent disposition; the river flows…Vĕs'i-cal, a. p. 1471(Anat.) Of, or pertaining to the bladder. Dunglison.Vĕs'i-cant, n. p. 1471(Med.) A blistering application; an epispastic. Bigelow.Vĕs'ĭ-cāte, v. t. p. 1471To raise little bladders or blisters upon; to inflame and separate the cuticle of; to blister; as, to vesicate the external parts of wounds. [Rare.] Wiseman.Vĕs/i-cā'tion, n. p. 1471The process of vesicating, or of raising blisters on the skin.Vĕs'i-ca-to-ry, n. p. 1471A blistering application or plaster; an epispastic.Vē'si-ca-to-ry, a. p. 1471Having a power to blister.Vĕs'i-cle, n. p. 1471A bladder-like vessel; a membranous cavity; a cyst; a cell; especially, (a.) (Bot.) A small bladder-like body in the substance of a vegetable, or upon the surface of a leaf. Gray. (b.) (Med.) A small…Ve-sic'ū-lar, a. p. 1471Of, pertaining to, or consisting of, vesicles. 2. Full of interstices; hollow. 3. Having little bladders or glands on the surface, as the leaf of a plant; bladdery; vesiculate.Ve-sic'ū-late, a. p. 1471Bladdery; full of bladders; vesicular.Ve-sĭc'ū-lōse' or Ve-sĭc'ū-lōūs, a. p. 1471Bladdery; vesicular; vesiculate.Vĕs'pa, n. p. 1471(Entom.) A genus of hymenopterous insects, including the wasps and hornets.Vĕs'per, n. p. 1471The evening star; Hesper; Venus; hence, the evening.Vēs'per, a. p. 1472Pertaining to the evening, or to the service of vespers; as, a vesper hymn.Vēs'pers, n. pl. p. 1472The evening song, or evening service, in the Roman Catholic church. Sicilian vespers. See SICILIAN.Vēs'per-tĭl'i-o, n. p. 1472(Zoöl.) A genus of animals, including the bat.Vĕs'per-tīne, a. p. 1472Of, or pertaining to, the evening; happening, or being, in the evening.Vēs'pi·a·ry, n. p. 1472The nest or habitation of insects of the wasp kind.Ves-pil'lo, n. p. 1472A grave-digger;—so called because he performed his office in the evening. [Obs.] Like vespilloes, or grave-makers, I am become stupid. Browne.Vēs'sel, n. p. 1472A utensil proper for holding any thing; a hollow dish of any kind, as a tun, a pipe, a puncheon, a hogshead, a barrel, a firkin, a bottle, a kettle, a cup, a dish, or the like. 2. Any structure made…Vĕs'sel, v. t. p. 1472To put into a vessel. [Obs.] Bacon.Vĕs'sel·ful, n. p. 1472As much as a vessel will hold; enough to fill a vessel.Vĕs'ses, n. p. 1472A kind of worsted cloth. [Eng.]Vēs'sets p. 1472Halliwell.Vĕs'sie-nŏn or Vĕs'sig-nŏn, n. p. 1472(Far.) A soft swelling on a horse's leg; a wind-gall.Vēst, n. p. 1472An article of clothing covering the person; an outer garment; a vestment; a dress; a vesture; a robe. Addressed her early steps to Cynthia's fane, In state attended by her maiden train, Who bore the…Vēst, v. t. p. 1472To clothe with a garment, or as if with a garment; to dress; to robe; to cover, surround, or encompass closely. “With ether vested, and a purple sky.” Dryden. “Came, vested all in white, pure as her…Vēst, v. i. p. 1472To come or descend; to be fixed; to take effect, as a title or right; as, upon the death of the ancestor, the estate, or the right to the estate, vests in the heir at law.Vĕs'tā p. 1472(Myth.) One of the great divinities of the ancients, both among the Greeks and Romans, being a virgin divinity, and the goddess of the hearth, and hence, also, of the fire on it, and the family round…Vĕs'tal, a. p. 1472Of, or pertaining to, Vesta, the goddess of fire among the Romans, and a virgin. 2. Hence, pure; chaste.Vĕs'tal, n. p. 1472(Rom. Antiq.) A virgin consecrated to Vesta, and to the service of watching the sacred fire, which was to be perpetually kept burning upon her altar. ☞ The Vestals were six in number. Their term of…Vēst'ed, p. a. p. 1472Not in a state of contingency or suspension; fixed; as, vested rights. Vested legacy (Law), a legacy the right to which commences in presenti, and does not depend on a contingency; as a legacy to one…Vĕs/ti-ā'/ri-an, a. p. 1472Of, or pertaining to, a wardrobe, or to dress.Vĕs'ti-a-ry, n. p. 1472A wardrobe. [Obs.] Fuller.Ves-tīb’ū-lar, a. p. 1472Of, pertaining to, or like, a vestibule.Vĕs'ti-būle, n. p. 1472The porch or entrance into a house; a hall or ante-chamber next the entrance, and from which doors open to the various rooms of the house; a lobby; a porch; a hall. Vestibule of the ear (Anat.), a…Vĕs'ti-gāte, v. t. p. 1472To investigate. [Obs.]Vē'stĭge, n. p. 1472The mark of the foot left on the earth; a track or footstep; trace; sign; hence, faint mark of something which has been or was present, but is lost or has perished; remains; as, the vestiges of…Vēst'ing, n. p. 1472Cloth for vests; a vest pattern.Vĕs'ti-tūre, n. p. 1472Investiture. [Rare.] 2. The act or process of making or preparing cloth. [Rare.] R. Park.Vĕst’ment, n. p. 1472A covering or garment; some part of clothing or dress; an article of dress; a dress; a robe. “Priests in holy vestments.” Shak. The sculptor could not give vestments suitable to the quality of the…Vēs'try, n. p. 1472A room appendant to a church, in which the sacerdotal vestments and sacred utensils are usually kept, and where parochial meetings are held. 2. (Church of Eng.) A parochial assembly; an assembly of…Vestry-board or Vestry-meeting p. 1472a vestry. See 2.— Vestry-meeting, the meeting of a vestry-board; also, a meeting of a parish held in a vestry or other place.Vēs'try-clērk, n. p. 1472An officer chosen by the vestry, who keeps the parish accounts and books.Vēs'try-man, n. p. 1472One belonging to a select number of persons in each parish, who manage its temporal concerns. See VESTRY.Vēst'ūre, n. p. 1472A garment; a robe; clothing; dress; apparel; vestment; habit; covering; envelope. “And kiss her sacred vesture’s hem.” Milton. “Rocks, precipices, and gulfs, appareled with a vesture of plants.”…Vēst'ūred, p. a. p. 1472Covered with vesture or garments; clothed; enveloped. “We be vestured with poor cloth.” Berners.Vēst'ūre-shroud, n. p. 1472A covering for a corpse; a shroud.Ve-sū'vi-an, a. p. 1472(Geog.) Of, or pertaining to, Vesuvius, a volcano near Naples.Ve-sū'vi-an, n. p. 1472(Min.) The same as IDOCRASE, q. v.Vĕtch, n. p. 1472(Bot.) A leguminous plant of the genus Vicia, some species of which are valuable for fodder, the common species being V. sativa. The name is also applied to many other leguminous plants of different…