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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- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Vĭs'or, n. p. 1480A part of a helmet, perforated for the purpose of seeing through. 2. A head-piece or mask used to disfigure and disguise. “I have visors for you all.” Shak. My weaker government since makes you pull…Vĭs'ored, a. p. 1480Wearing a visor; masked; disguised. “Visored falsehood and base forgery.” Milton.Vis'tă, n. p. 1480A view, especially a distant view, through or between intervening objects, as trees; a view or prospect through an avenue, or the like; hence, the trees or other things that form the avenue. “The…Vĭs'to, n. p. 1480A vista. [Rare.] “Through the long visto of a thousand years.” Young.Vĭs′u-al, a. p. 1480Belonging or relating to sight; used in sight; serving as the instrument of seeing; as, the visual nerve. The air. Nowhere so clear, sharpened his visual ray. Milton. Visual angle (Opt.), the angle…Vĭs'ū-al-ize, v. t. p. 1480To make visual. [Rare.]Vi-tāille', n. p. 1480Provision; food; victuals. [Obs.]Vi'tal, a. p. 1480Belonging or relating to life, either animal or vegetable; as, vital energies; vital powers. 2. Contributing to life; necessary to life; as, vital air; vital blood. 3. Containing life; living. “And…Vi'tal-ism, n. p. 1480(Med.) The theory that all the living functions are the result of a special force differing from the forces of chemistry, physics, and the like. In an extreme form, it is animism, or Stahlism.Vĭ-tāl'i-ty, n. p. 1480The state or quality of being vital; the principle of animation, or of life; animation; as, the vitality of vegetable seeds, or of eggs.Vi′tal-i-zā′tion, n. p. 1480The act or process of vitalizing, or infusing the vital principle.Vi'tal-ize, v. t. p. 1480To make vital, or alive; to give life to; to furnish with the vital principle; as, vitalized blood.Vi'tal-ly, adv. p. 1480In a vital manner; so as to give life. The organic structure of human bodies—by which they are fitted to live and move, and to be vitally informed by the soul—is the workmanship of a most wise and…Vī'tals, n. pl. p. 1480Parts of animal bodies essential to life, such as the viscera dependent upon the great sympathetic nerve; the seat of life. 2. Hence, the part essential to life, or to a sound state; as, corruption…Vit'el-la-ry, n. p. 1480The place where the yolk of an egg swims in the white. [R.] Browne.Vĭt'ĕl-līne, n. p. 1480The albuminous substance characteristic of the yolk of birds' eggs.Vĭt'el-līne, a. p. 1480Of, or belonging to, the yolk of eggs. Carpenter.Vi-tĕl'lus, n. p. 1480(Physiol.) The yolk of an egg. 2. (Bot.) Any portion attached to the embryo, not distinctly referable to radicle, cotyledon, or plumule. Henslow.Vi'ti-āte, v. t. p. 1480To make vicious, faulty, or imperfect; to render defective; to injure the substance or qualities of; to impair; to spoil. A will vitiated and grown out of love with the truth disposes the…Vĭ-ti-ā'tion, n. p. 1480The act of vitiating, or the state of being vitiated; a depravation; corruption; invalidation; as, the vitiation of the blood; the vitiation of a contract.Vĭt'i-lĭt'i-gāte, v. i. p. 1480To contend in law litigiously or cavillously. [Obs.]Vĭt'i-lĭt'i-gā'tĭon, n. p. 1480Cavillous litigation. [Obs.]Vi-ti-ōs'i-ty, n. p. 1480The quality of being vicious; corrupt state; depravation. “The perverseness and vitiosity of man's will.” South.Vī'tiōus or Vī'tiōus-ly or Vī'tiōus-ness, a. p. 1480Vī'tiōus-ly, adv., Vī'tiōus-ness, n. See VICIOUS, VICIOUSLY, VICIOUSNESS.Vĭ'tis, n. p. 1480(Bot.) A genus of climbing plants, including the vines which produce grapes.Vit're-o-e-lēe'trie, a. p. 1480Containing or exhibiting positive electricity, or that which is excited by rubbing glass. Ure.Vĭt're-ous, a. p. 1480Of, pertaining to, or derived from glass; as, vitreous electricity. 2. Consisting of glass; as, a vitreous substance. 3. Resembling glass; as, the vitreous humor of the eye, so called from its…Vitreous electricity p. 1480the kind of electricity excited by rubbing glass with certain substances, as silk, &c., as distinguished from that developed by the friction of resinous substances, called resinous electricity. The…Vit're-ous-ness, n. p. 1480The state or quality of being vitreous; resemblance to glass.Vi-très'cence, n. p. 1480The state or quality of being vitreous; glassiness, or the quality of being capable of conversion into glass; susceptibility of being formed into glass. Kirwan.Vi-très'çent, a. p. 1480Capable of being formed into glass; tending to become glass.Vi-très'çi-ble, a. p. 1480Capable of being vitrified.Vit'ri-fi-cā'tion, n. p. 1480The act, process, or operation of vitrifying, or of converting into glass by heat; as, the vitrification of sand, flint, and pebbles, with alkaline salts.Vit’ri-fäc’ture, n. p. 1480The manufacture of glass and pottery.Vĭt'ri-fī'a-ble, a. p. 1480Capable of being vitrified, or converted into glass by heat and fusion; as, flint and alkalies are vitrifiable.Vi-trĭf'ic-a-ble, a. p. 1480Vitrifiable. [Obs.] Bailey.Vĭt'ri-fi-cāte, v. t. p. 1480To vitrify. [Obs.] Bacon.Vĭt'ri-fi-cā'tion, n. p. 1480Vitrifaction. [Obs.]Vit'ri-fôrm, a. p. 1480Having the form or appearance of glass; resembling glass.Vit’ri-fȳ, v. t. p. 1480To convert into glass by fusion, or the action of heat; as, to vitrify sand and alkaline salts.Vit’ri-fȳ, v. i. p. 1480To become glass; to be converted into glass. Chemists make vessels of animal substances, calcined, which will not vitrify in the fire. Arbuthnot.Vī-trī'na, n. p. 1480(Zoöl.) A genus of gastropodous mollusks, having slender, transparent, very thin, and brittle shells, whence the name. Baird.Vĭt'ri-ol, n. p. 1480(Chem.) (a.) A soluble sulphate of either of the metals. (b.) Sulphuric acid;— popularly so called. ☞ Copperas, or green proto-sulphate of iron, is called green vitriol; a red or flesh-colored…Vĭt'ri-o-lāte, v. t. p. 1480To convert into a vitriol, as iron pyrites by the absorption of oxygen, which reduces the iron to an oxide, and the sulphur to sulphuric acid; thus, the sulphuret of iron, when vitriolated, becomes…Vĭt'ri-o-late, a. p. 1480Vitriolated. [Rare.]Vĭt'ri-o-lā'tion, n. p. 1480The act or process of converting into a sulphate or a vitriol.Vĭt'ri-ŏl'ic, a. p. 1480Of, or pertaining to, vitriol; having the qualities of vitriol, or obtained from vitriol. Vitriolic acid (Chem.), sulphuric acid; oil of vitriol.Vit'ri-ol-īz'a-ble, a. p. 1480Capable of being converted into a vitriol.Vit'ri-ol-i-zā'tion, n. p. 1480The act of vitriolizing, or the state of being vitriolized; vitriolation.Vit′ri-ol-īze, v. t. p. 1480To vitriolate. See VITRIOLATE.Vī-trī'o-lōŭs, a. p. 1480Same as VITRIOLIC, q. v. [Obs.]Vi-tru'vi-an, a. p. 1480Of, or pertaining to, Vitruvius, an ancient Roman architect.Vitruvian scroll p. 1480a decorative enrichment adopted in architecture, and named after Vitruvius. It consists of convoluted, undulating ornament, which is very fanciful and varied. Fairholt.Vĭt'tă, n. p. 1480(Bot.) One of the oil-tubes in the fruit of umbelliferous plants. Gray.Vit'tate, a. p. 1480Striped, like a ribbon.Vĭt’ū-līne, a. p. 1480Of, or pertaining to, a calf, or to veal.Vi-tū'per-a-ble, a. p. 1480Liable to, or deserving, vituperation or censure; blameworthy; censurable. [Obs.]Vi-tū'per-āte, v. t. p. 1480To find fault with; to scold; to overwhelm with abuse; to censure.Vi-tū'per-ā'tion, n. p. 1480The act of vituperation; abuse; severe censure; blame. When a man becomes intractable and inaccessible by fierceness and pride, then vituperation comes upon him. Donne.Vī-tū'per-a-tive, a. p. 1481Uttering or writing censure; containing or expressing severe censure; abusive. “Vituperative appellations derived from their real or supposed ill qualities.” B. Jonson.