Chapter CDLXXXIV: Prologue (135)

Syn. -- Fruitless; ineffectual. -- Useless, Fruitless, Ineffectual. We speak of an attempt, effort, etc., as being useless when there are in it inherent difficulties which forbid the hope of success, as fruitless when it fails, not from any such difficulties, but from some unexpected hindrance arising to frustrate it; as, the design was rendered fruitless by the death of its projector. Ineffectual nearly resembles fruitless, but implies a failure of a less hopeless character; as, after several ineffectual efforts, I at last succeeded. Useless are all words Till you have writ "performance" with your swords. The other is for waiving. Beau. & Fl. Waiving all searches into antiquity, in relation to this controversy, as being either needless or fruitless. Waterland. Even our blessed Savior's preaching, who spake as never man spake, was ineffectual to many. Bp. Stillingfleet. -- Use"less*ly, adv. -- Use"less*ness, n.

USER Us"er, n.

1. One who uses. Shak.

2. (Law)

Defn: Enjoyment of property; use. Mozley & W.

U-SHAPED U"-shaped`, a.

Defn: Having the form of the letter U; specif. (Phys. Geog.),

Defn: of valleys, resembling a broad U in cross profile.

USHER Ush"er, n. Etym: [OE. ussher, uschere, OF. ussier, uisser, oissier, hussier, huissier, fr. L. ostiarius a doorkeeper, fr. ostium a door, entrance, fr. os mouth. See Oral, and cf. Ostiary.]

1. An officer or servant who has the care of the door of a court, hall, chamber, or the like; hence, an officer whose business it is to introduce strangers, or to walk before a person of rank. Also, one who escorts persons to seats in a church, theater, etc. "The ushers and the squires." Chaucer. These are the ushers of Marcius. Shak.

Note: There are various officers of this kind attached to the royal household in England, including the gentleman usher of the black rod, who attends in the House of Peers during the sessions of Parliament, and twelve or more gentlemen ushers. See Black rod.

2. An under teacher, or assistant master, in a school.

USHER Ush"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ushered; p. pr. & vb. n. Ushering.]

Defn: To introduce or escort, as an usher, forerunner, or harbinger; to forerun; -- sometimes followed by in or forth; as, to usher in a stranger; to usher forth the guests; to usher a visitor into the room. The stars that usher evening rose. Milton. The Examiner was ushered into the world by a letter, setting forth the great genius of the author. Addison.

USHERANCE Ush"er*ance, n.

Defn: The act of ushering, or the state of being ushered in. [Obs.] Shaftesbury.

USHERDOM Ush"er*dom, n.

Defn: The office or position of an usher; ushership; also, ushers, collectively. [R.]

USHERLESS Ush"er*less, a.

Defn: Destitute of an usher. Marston.

USHERSHIP Ush"er*ship, n.

Defn: The office of an usher; usherdom.

USITATIVE Us"i*ta*tive, a. Etym: [L. usitari to use often.]

Defn: Denoting usual or customary action. "The usitative aorist." Alford.

USNEA Us"ne*a, n. Etym: [NL., from Ar. usnah moss.] (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of lichens, most of the species of which have long, gray, pendulous, and finely branched fronds. Usnea barbata is the common bearded lichen which grows on branches of trees in northern forests.

USNIC Us"nic, a. (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or designating, a complex acid obtained, as a yellow crystalline substance, from certain genera of lichens (Usnea, Parmelia, etc.).

USQUEBAUGH Us"que*baugh, n. Etym: [Ir. or Gael. uisge beatha, literally, water of life; uisge water + beatha life; akin to Gr. bi`os life. See Quick, a., and cf. Whisky.]

1. A compound distilled spirit made in Ireland and Scotland; whisky. The Scottish returns being vested in grouse, white hares, pickled salmon, and usquebaugh. Sir W. Scott.

2. A liquor compounded of brandy, or other strong spirit, raisins, cinnamon and other spices. Brande & C.

USSELF Us`self", n. pl.

Defn: Ourselves. [Obs.] Wyclif. Piers Plowman. Chaucer.

USTION Us"tion, n. Etym: [L. ustio, fr. urere, ustum, to burn: cf. F. ustion.]

Defn: The act of burning, or the state of being burned. [R.] Johnson.

USTORIOUS Us*to"ri*ous, a. Etym: [L. urere, ustum, to burn.]

Defn: Having the quality of burning. [R.] I. Watts.

USTULATE Us"tu*late, a. Etym: [L. ustulatus, p. p. of ustulare to scorch, urere to burn.]

Defn: Blackened as if burned.

USTULATION Us`tu*la"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. ustulation.]

1. The act of burning or searing. [R.] Sir W. Petty.

2. (Old Chem.)

Defn: The operation of expelling one substance from another by heat, as sulphur or arsenic from ores, in a muffle.

3. (Pharm.) (a) The roasting or drying of moist substances so as prepare them for pulverizing. (b) The burning of wine.

4. Lascivious passion; concupiscence. [Obs.] It is not certain that they took the better part when they chose ustulation before marriage, expressly against the apostle. Jer. Taylor.

USUAL U"su*al, a. Etym: [L. usualis, from usus use: cf. F. usuel. See Use, n.]

Defn: Such as is in common use; such as occurs in ordinary practice, or in the ordinary course of events; customary; ordinary; habitual; common. Consultation with oracles was a thing very usual and frequent in their times. Hooker. We can make friends of these usual enemies. Baxter. -- U"su*al*ly, adv. -- U"su*al*ness, n.

USUCAPTION U`su*cap"tion, n. Etym: [L. usucapere, usucaptum, to acquire by long use; usu (ablative of usus use) + capere to take: cf. usucapio usucaption.] (Roman Law)

Defn: The acquisition of the title or right to property by the uninterrupted possession of it for a certain term prescribed by law; -- the same as prescription in common law.

USUFRUCT U"su*fruct, n. Etym: [L. usufructus, ususfructus, usus et fructus; usus use + fructus fruit.] (Law)

Defn: The right of using and enjoying the profits of an estate or other thing belonging to another, without impairing the substance. Burrill.

USUFRUCTUARY U`su*fruc"tu*a*ry, n. Etym: [L. usufructuarius.] (Law)

Defn: A person who has the use of property and reaps the profits of it. Wharton.

USUFRUCTUARY U`su*fruc"tu*a*ry, a. (Law)

Defn: Of or pertaining to a usufruct; having the nature of a usufruct. The ordinary graces bequeathed by Christ to his church, as the usufructuary property of all its members. Coleridge.

USURARIOUS; USURARY U`su*ra"ri*ous, U"su*ra*ry, a. Etym: [L. usurarius that serves for use, that pays interest. See Usurer.]

Defn: Usurious. [Obs.] "Usurarious contracts." Jer. Taylor. Bp. Hall.

USURE U"sure, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Usured; p. pr. & vb. n. Usuring.] Etym: [Cf. OF. usurer, LL. usurare.]

Defn: To practice usury; to charge unlawful interest. [Obs.] "The usuringb senate." Shak. I usured not ne to me usured any man. Wyclif (Jer. xv. 10).

USURE U"sure, n. Etym: [F.]

Defn: Usury. [Obs.] Wyclif. Foul usure and lucre of villainy. Chaucer.

USURER U"su*rer, n. Etym: [F. usurier, LL. usurarius. See Usury, and cf. Usurarious.]

1. One who lends money and takes interest for it; a money lender. [Obs.] If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as a usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. Ex. xxii. 25.

2. One who lends money at a rate of interest beyond that established by law; one who exacts an exorbitant rate of interest for the use of money. He was wont to call me usurer. Shak.

USURIOUS U*su"ri*ous, a. Etym: [From Usury.]

1. Practicing usury; taking illegal or exorbitant interest for the use of money; as, a usurious person.

2. Partaking of usury; containing or involving usury; as, a usurious contract. -- U*su"ri*ous*ly, adv. -- U*su"ri*ous*ness, n.

USURP U*surp", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Usurped; p. pr. & vb. n. Usurping.] Etym: [L. usurpare, usurpatum, to make use of, enjoy, get possession of, usurp; the first part of usurpare is akin to usus use (see Use, n.): cf. F. usurper.]

Defn: To seize, and hold in possession, by force, or without right; as, to usurp a throne; to usurp the prerogatives of the crown; to usurp power; to usurp the right of a patron is to oust or dispossess him. Alack, thou dost usurp authority. Shak. Another revolution, to get rid of this illegitimate and usurped government, would of course be perfectly justifiable. Burke.

Note: Usurp is applied to seizure and use of office, functions, powers, rights, etc.; it is not applied to common dispossession of private property.

Syn. -- To arrogate; assume; appropriate.

USURP U*surp", v. i.

Defn: To commit forcible seizure of place, power, functions, or the like, without right; to commit unjust encroachments; to be, or act as, a usurper. The parish churches on which the Presbyterians and fanatics had usurped. Evelyn. And now the Spirits of the Mind Are busy with poor Peter Bell; Upon the rights of visual sense Usurping, with a prevalence More terrible than magic spell. Wordsworth.

USURPANT U*surp"ant, a. Etym: [L. usurpans, p. pr.]

Defn: Usurping; encroaching. [Obs.] Gauden.

USURPATION U`sur*pa"tion, n. Etym: [L. usurpatio making use, usurpation: cf. F. usurpation.]

1. The act of usurping, or of seizing and enjoying; an authorized, arbitrary assumption and exercise of power, especially an infringing on the rights of others; specifically, the illegal seizure of sovereign power; -- commonly used with of, also used with on or upon; as, the usurpation of a throne; the usurpation of the supreme power.

He contrived their destruction, with the usurpation of the regal dignity upon him. Sir T. More. A law [of a State] which is a usurpation upon the general government. O. Ellsworth. Manifest usurpation on the rights of other States. D. Webster.

Note: Usurpation, in a peculiar sense, formerly denoted the absolute ouster and dispossession of the patron of a church, by a stranger presenting a clerk to a vacant benefice, who us thereupon admitted and instituted.

2. Use; usage; custom. [Obs.] Bp. Pearson.

USURPATORY U*surp"a*to*ry, a. Etym: [L. usurpatorius.]

Defn: Marked by usurpation; usurping. [R.]

USURPATURE U*surp"a*ture, n.

Defn: Usurpation. [R.] "Beneath man's usurpature." R. Browning.

USURPER U*surp"er, n.

Defn: One who usurps; especially, one who seizes illegally on sovereign power; as, the usurper of a throne, of power, or of the rights of a patron. A crown will not want pretenders to claim it, not usurpers, if their power serves them, to possess it. South.

USURPINGLY U*surp"ing*ly, adv.

Defn: In a usurping manner.

USURY U"su*ry, n. Etym: [OE. usurie, usure, F. usure, L. usura use, usury, interest, fr. uti, p. p. usus, to use. See Use, v. t.]

1. A premium or increase paid, or stipulated to be paid, for a loan, as of money; interest. [Obs. or Archaic] Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of anything that is lent upon usury. Deut. xxiii. 19. Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchanges, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Matt. xxv. 27. What he borrows from the ancients, he repays with usury of Dryden.

2. The practice of taking interest. [Obs.] Usury . . . bringeth the treasure of a realm or state into a few Bacon.

3. (Law)

Defn: Interest in excess of a legal rate charged to a borrower for the use of money.

Note: The practice of requiring in repayment of money lent anything more than the amount lent, was formerly thought to be a great moral wrong, and the greater, the more was taken. Now it is not deemed more wrong to take pay for the use of money than for the use of a house, or a horse, or any other property. But the lingering influence of the former opinion, together with the fact that the nature of money makes it easier for the lender to oppress the borrower, has caused nearly all Christian nations to fix by law the rate of compensation for the use of money. Of late years, however, the opinion that money should be borrowed and repaid, or bought and sold, upon whatever terms the parties should agree to, like any other property, has gained ground everywhere. Am. Cyc.

UT Ut, n. (Min.)

Defn: The first note in Guido's musical scale, now usually superseded by do. See Solmization.

UTAS U"tas, n. Etym: [OF. huitieves, witieves, witaves, oitieves, pl. of huitieve, witieve, etc., eighth, L. octavus. See Octave, n.] [Written also utis.]

1. (O. Eng. Law)

Defn: The eighth day after any term or feast; the octave; as, the utas of St. Michael. Cowell. The marriage was celebrated and Canterbury, and in the utas of St. Hilary next ensuing she was crowned. Holinshed.

2. Hence, festivity; merriment. [Obs.] Shak.

UTENSIL U*ten"sil, n. Etym: [F. utensile, ustensile, L. utensile, fr. utensilis that may be used, fit for use, fr. uti, p. p. usus, to use. See Use, v. t.]

Defn: That which is used; an instrument; an implement; especially, an instrument or vessel used in a kitchen, or in domestic and farming business. Wagons fraught with utensils of war. Milton.

UTERINE U"ter*ine, a. Etym: [L. uterinus born of the same mother, from uterus womb: cf. F. utérin.]

1. Of or instrument to the uterus, or womb.

2. Born of the same mother, but by a different father. Walter Pope, uterine brother to Dr. Joh. WilkiWood.

UTEROGESTATION U`te*ro*ges*ta"tion, n. Etym: [Uterus + gestation.]

Defn: Gestation in the womb from conception to birth; pregnancy. Pritchard.

UTEROVAGINAL U`te*ro*vag"i*nal, n. Etym: [Uterus + vaginal.]

Defn: Pertaining to both the uterus and the vagina.

UTERUS U"te*rus, n. Etym: [L.]

1. (Anat.)

Defn: The organ of a female mammal in which the young are developed previous to birth; the womb.

Note: The uterus is simply an enlargement of the oviduct, and in the lower mammals there is one on each side, but in the higher forms the two become more or less completely united into one. In many male mammals there is a small vesicle, opening into the urinogenital canal, which corresponds to the uterus of the female and is called the male uterus, or Etym: [NL.] uterus masculinus.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A receptacle, or pouch, connected with the oviducts of many invertebrates in which the eggs are retained until they hatch or until the embryos develop more or less. See Illust. of Hermaphrodite in Append.

UTES Utes, n. pl.; sing. Ute. (Ethnol.)

Defn: An extensive tribe of North American Indians of the Shoshone stock, inhabiting Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and adjacent regions. They are subdivided into several subordinate tribes, some of which are among the most degraded of North American Indians.

UTIA U"ti*a, n. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any species of large West Indian rodents of the genus Capromys, or Utia. In general appearance and habits they resemble rats, but they are as large as rabbits.

UTICA U"ti*ca, a. Etym: [So called from Utica, in New York.] (Geol.)

Defn: Of, pertaining to, or designating, a subdivision of the Trenton Period of the Lower Silurian, characterized in the State of New York by beds of shale.

UTILE U"tile, a. Etym: [L. utilis, fr. uti to use: cf. F. utile. See Use, v. t.]

Defn: Profitable; useful. [Obs.]

UTILITARIAN U*til`i*ta"ri*an, a. Etym: [See Utility.]

1. Of or pertaining to utility; consisting in utility; as, utilitarian narrowness; a utilitarian indifference to art.

2. Of or pertaining to utilitarianism; supporting utilitarianism; as, the utilitarian view of morality; the Utilitarian Society. J. S. Mill.

UTILITARIAN U*til`i*ta"ri*an, n.

Defn: One who holds the doctrine of utilitarianism. The utilitarians are for merging all the particular virtues into one, and would substitute in their place the greatest usefulness, as the alone principle to which every question respecting the morality of actions should be referred. Chalmers. But what is a utilitarian Simply one who prefers the useful to the useless; and who does not Sir W. Hamilton.

UTILITARIANISM U*til`i*ta"ri*an*ism, n.

1. The doctrine that the greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the end and aim of all social and political institutions. Bentham.

2. The doctrine that virtue is founded in utility, or that virtue is defined and enforced by its tendency to promote the highest happiness of the universe. J. S. Mill.

3. The doctrine that utility is the sole standard of morality, so that the rectitude of an action is determined by its usefulness.

UTILITY U*til"i*ty, n. Etym: [OE. utilite, F. utilité, L. utilitas, fr. utilis useful. See Utile.]

1. The quality or state of being useful; usefulness; production of good; profitableness to some valuable end; as, the utility of manure upon land; the utility of the sciences; the utility of medicines. The utility of the enterprises was, however, so great and obvious that all opposition proved useless. Macaulay.

2. (Polit. Econ.)

Defn: Adaptation to satisfy the desires or wants; intrinsic value. See Note under Value, 2. Value in use is utility, and nothing else, and in political economy should be called by that name and no other. F. A. Walker.

3. Happiness; the greatest good, or happiness, of the greatest number, -- the foundation of utilitarianism. J. S. Mill.

Syn. -- Usefulness; advantageous; benefit; profit; avail; service. -- Utility, Usefulness. Usefulness has an Anglo-Saxon prefix, utility is Latin; and hence the former is used chiefly of things in the concrete, while the latter is employed more in a general and abstract sense. Thus, we speak of the utility of an invention, and the usefulness of the thing invented; of the utility of an institution, and the usefulness of an individual. So beauty and utility (not usefulness) are brought into comparison. Still, the words are often used interchangeably.

UTILIZABLE U"til*i`za*ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being utilized; as, the utilizable products of the gas works.

UTILIZATION U`til*i*za"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. utilization.]

Defn: The act of utilizing, or the state of being utilized.

UTILIZE U"til*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Utilized; p. pr. & vb. n. Utilizing.] Etym: [Cf. F. utiliser.]

Defn: To make useful; to turn to profitable account or use; to make use of; as, to utilize the whole power of a machine; to utilize one's opportunities. In former ages, the mile-long corridors, with their numerous alcoves, might have been utilized as . . . dungeons. Hawthorne.

UTI POSSIDETIS U`ti pos`si*de"tis. Etym: [L., as you possess.]

1. (Internat. Law)

Defn: The basis or principle of a treaty which leaves belligerents mutually in possession of what they have acquired by their arms during the war. Brande & C.

2. (Roman Law)

Defn: A species of interdict granted to one who was in possession of an immovable thing, in order that he might be declared the legal possessor. Burrill.

UTIS U"tis, n.

Defn: See Utas. [Obs.]

UTLARY Ut"la*ry, n.

Defn: Outlawry. [Obs.] Camden.

UTMOST Ut"most`, a. Etym: [OE. utmeste, utemest, AS. , a superlative fr. out. Out, and cf. Aftermost, Outmost, Uttermost.]

1. Situated at the farthest point or extremity; farthest out; most distant; extreme; as, the utmost limits of the land; the utmost extent of human knowledge. Spenser. We coasted within two leagues of Antibes, which is the utmost town in France. Evelyn. Betwixt two thieves I spend my utmost breath. Herbert.

2. Being in the greatest or highest degree, quantity, number, or the like; greatest; as, the utmost assiduity; the utmost harmony; the utmost misery or happiness. He shall answer . . . to his utmost peril. Shak. Six or seven thousand is their utmost power. Shak.

UTMOST Ut"most`, n.

Defn: The most that can be; the farthest limit; the greatest power, degree, or effort; as, he has done his utmost; try your utmost. We have tried the utmost of our friends. Shak.

UTOPIA U*to"pi*a, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. not +

1. An imaginary island, represented by Sir Thomas More, in a work called Utopia, as enjoying the greatest perfection in politics, laws, and the like. See Utopia, in the Dictionary of Noted Names in Fiction.

2. Hence, any place or state of ideal perfection.

UTOPIAN U*to"pi*an, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to Utopia; resembling Utopia; hence, ideal; chimerical; fanciful; founded upon, or involving, imaginary perfections; as, Utopian projects; Utopian happiness.

UTOPIAN U*to"pi*an, n.

Defn: An inhabitant of Utopia; hence, one who believes in the perfectibility of human society; a visionary; an idealist; an optimist. Hooker.

UTOPIANISM U*to"pi*an*ism, n.

Defn: The ideas, views, aims, etc., of a Utopian; impracticable schemes of human perfection; optimism.

UTOPIANIST U*to"pi*an*ist, n.

Defn: An Utopian; an optimist.

UTOPICAL U*to"pic*al, a.

Defn: Utopian; ideal. [Obs.] "Utopical perfection." Bp. Hall.

UTOPIST U*to"pist, n.

Defn: A Utopian.

UTRAQUIST U"tra*quist, n. Etym: [L. uterque, fem. utraque, both.]

Defn: One who receives the eucharist in both kinds; esp., one of a body of Hussites who in the 15th century fought for the right to do this. Called also Calixtines.

UTRICLE U"tri*cle, n. Etym: [L. utriculus a little womb, a calycle, dim. of uter, utris, a bag or bottle made of an animal's hide: cf. F. utricule.]

1. A little sac or vesicle, as the air cell of fucus, or seaweed.

2. (Physiol.)

Defn: A microscopic cell in the structure of an egg, animal, or plant.

3. (Bot.)

Defn: A small, thin-walled, one-seeded fruit, as of goosefoot. Gray.

4. (Anat.)

Defn: A utriculus.

UTRICULAR U*tric"u*lar, a. Etym: [Cf. F. utriculaire.]

1. Of or pertaining to a utricle, or utriculus; containing, or furnished with, a utricle or utricles; utriculate; as, a utricular plant.

2. Resembling a utricle or bag, whether large or minute; -- said especially with reference to the condition of certain substances, as sulphur, selenium, etc., when condensed from the vaporous state and deposited upon cold bodies, in which case they assume the form of small globules filled with liquid.

UTRICULARIA U*tric`u*la"ri*a, n. Etym: [NL.] (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of aquatic flowering plants, in which the submersed leaves bear many little utricles, or ascidia. See Ascidium,

UTRICULATE U*tric"u*late, a.

Defn: Resembling a bladder; swollen like a bladder; inflated; utricular. Dana.

UTRICULOID U*tric"u*loid, a. Etym: [L. utriculus a little womb, a calycle + - oid.]

Defn: Resembling a bladder; utricular; utriculate. Dana.

UTRICULUS U*tric"u*lus, n. Etym: [L., a little womb or matrix, a calycle.] (Anat.)

Defn: A little sac, or bag; a utricle; especially, a part of the membranous labyrinth of the ear. See the Note under Ear.

UTRO; UTRO-; UTERO U"tro, U"ter`o.

Defn: - (connection with, or relation to, the uterus; as in utro- ovarian.

UTTER Ut"ter, a. Etym: [OE. utter, originally the same word as outer. See Out, and cf. Outer, Utmost.]

1. Outer. "Thine utter eyen." Chaucer. [Obs.] "By him a shirt and utter mantle laid." Chapman. As doth an hidden moth The inner garment fret, not th' utter touch. Spenser.

2. Situated on the outside, or extreme limit; remote from the center; outer. [Obs.] Through utter and through middle darkness borne. Milton. The very utter part pf Saint Adelmes point is five miles from Sandwich. Holinshed.

3. Complete; perfect; total; entire; absolute; as, utter ruin; utter darkness. They . . . are utter strangers to all those anxious thoughts which disquiet mankind. Atterbury.

4. Peremptory; unconditional; unqualified; final; as, an utter refusal or denial. Clarendon. Utter bar (Law), the whole body of junior barristers. See Outer bar, under 1st Outer. [Eng.] -- Utter barrister (Law), one recently admitted as barrister, who is accustomed to plead without, or outside, the bar, as distinguished from the benchers, who are sometimes permitted to plead within the bar. [Eng.] Cowell.

UTTER Ut"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Uttered; p. pr. & vb. n. Uttering.] Etym: [OE. outren, freq. of outen to utter, put out, AS. utian to put out, eject, fr. ut out. sq. root198. See Out, and cf. Utter, a.]

1. To put forth or out; to reach out. [Obs.] How bragly [proudly] it begins to bud, And utter his tender head. Spenser.

2. To dispose of in trade; to sell or vend. [Obs.] Such mortal drugs I have, but Mantua's law Is death to any he that utters them. Shak. They bring it home, and utter it commonly by the name of Newfoundland fish. Abp. Abbot.

3. hence, to put in circulation, as money; to put off, as currency; to cause to pass in trade; -- often used, specifically, of the issue of counterfeit notes or coins, forged or fraudulent documents, and the like; as, to utter coin or bank notes. The whole kingdom should continue in a firm resolution never to receive or utter this fatal coin. Swift.

4. To give public expression to; to disclose; to publish; to speak; to pronounce. "Sweet as from blest, uttering joy." Milton. The words I utter Let none think flattery, for they 'll find 'em truth. Shak. And the last words he uttered called me cruel. Addison.

Syn. -- To deliver; give forth; issue; liberate; discharge; pronounce. See Deliver.

UTTERABLE Ut"ter*a*ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being uttered.

UTTERANCE Ut"ter*ance, n.

1. The act of uttering. Specifically: -- (a) Sale by offering to the public. [Obs.] Bacon. (b) Putting in circulation; as, the utterance of false coin, or of forged notes. (c) Vocal expression; articulation; speech. At length gave utterance to these words. Milton.

2. Power or style of speaking; as, a good utterance. They . . . began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts ii. 4. O, how unlike To that large utterance of the early gods! Keats.

UTTERANCE Ut"ter*ance, n. Etym: [F. outrance. See Outrance.]

Defn: The last extremity; the end; death; outrance. [Obs.] Annibal forced those captives whom he had taken of our men to skirmish one against another to the utterance. Holland.

UTTERER Ut"ter*er, n.

Defn: One who utters. Spenser.

UTTEREST Ut"ter*est, obs. superl. of Utter.

Defn: Uttermost. To the utterest proof of her courage. Chaucer.

UTTERLESS Ut"ter*less, a.

Defn: Incapable of being uttered. [Obs.] A clamoring debate of utterless things. Milton.

UTTERLY Ut"ter*ly, adv.

Defn: In an utter manner; to the full extent; fully; totally; as, utterly ruined; it is utterly vain.

UTTERMORE Ut"ter*more`, a. Etym: [Cf. Uttermost.]

Defn: Further; outer; utter. [Obs. & R.] Holland.

UTTERMOST Ut"ter*most, a. Etym: [From Utter, a.; cf. Utmost, and Outermost.]

Defn: Extreme; utmost; being; in the farthest, greatest, or highest degree; as, the uttermost extent or end. "In this uttermost distress." Milton.

UTTERMOST Ut"ter*most`, n.

Defn: The utmost; the highest or greatest degree; the farthest extent. Tennyson. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him. Heb. vii. 25. He cannot have sufficient honor done unto him; but the uttermost we can do, we must. Hooker.

UTTERNESS Ut"ter*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being utter, or extreme; extremity; utmost; uttermost. [R.]

UVA U"va, n. Etym: [L., a grape.] (Bot.)

Defn: A small pulpy or juicy fruit containing several seeds and having a thin skin, as a grape.

UVATE U"vate, n. Etym: [L. uva grape.]

Defn: A conserve made of grapes.

UVA-URSI U`va-ur"si, n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. uva grape + ursus bear.] (Bot.)

Defn: The bearberry.

UVEA U"ve*a, n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. uva grape.] (Anat.)

Defn: The posterior pigmented layer of the iris; -- sometimes applied to the whole iris together with the choroid coat.

UVEOUS U"ve*ous, a. Etym: [See Uvea.]

Defn: Resembling a grape.

UVIC U"vic, a. Etym: [L. uva grape.] (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or obtained from, grapes; specifically, designating an organic acid, C7H8O3 (also called pyrotritartaric acid), obtained as a white crystalline substance by the decomposition of tartaric and pyrotartaric acids.

UVITIC U*vit"ic, a. Etym: [From L. uva a grape. So called because it may be produced indirectly from tartaric acid, which is found in the grape.] (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or designating, an acid, CH3C6H3(CO2H)2, obtained as a white crystalline substance by the partial oxidation of mesitylene; -- called also mesitic acid.

UVITONIC U`vi*ton"ic, a. (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or designating, an acid which is obtained as a white crystalline substance by the action of ammonia on pyrotartaric acid.

UVROU U"vrou, n.

Defn: See Euphroe.

UVULA U"vu*la, n. Etym: [NL., dim of L. uva a grape, the uvula.] (Anat.)

Defn: The pendent fleshy lobe in the middle of the posterior border of the soft palate.

Note: The term is also applied to a somewhat similar lobe on the under side of the cerebellum and to another on the inner surface of the neck of the bladder.

UVULAR U"vu*lar, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to a uvula.

UVULATOME U"vu*la*tome, n. Etym: [Uvula + Gr. (Surg.)

Defn: An instrument for removing the uvula.

UVULATOMY U`vu*lat"o*my, n. (Surg.)

Defn: The operation of removing the uvula.

UVULITIS U`vu*li"tis, n. [NL. See Uvula, and -itis.] (Med.)

Defn: Inflammation of the uvula.

UWAROWITE U*wa"ro*wite, n. (Min.)

Defn: Ouvarovite.

UXORIAL Ux*o"ri*al, a. Etym: [See Uxorious.]

Defn: Dotingly fond of, or servilely submissive to, a wife; uxorious; also, becoming a wife; pertaining to a wife. [R.] The speech [of Zipporah, Ex. iv. 25] is not a speech of reproach or indignation, but of uxorial endearment. Geddes.

UXORICIDAL Ux*or"i*ci`dal, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to uxoricide; tending to uxoricide.

UXORICIDE Ux*or"i*cide, n. Etym: [L. uxor wife + caedere to kill.]

1. The murder of a wife by her husband.

2. One who murders his wife.

UXORIOUS Ux*o"ri*ous, a. Etym: [L. uxorius, fr. uxor a wife.]

Defn: Excessively fond of, or submissive to, a wife; being a dependent husband. "Uxorious magistrates." Milton. How wouldst thou insult, When I must live uxorious to thy will In perfect thraldom! Milton. -- Uxo*o"ri*ous*ly, adv. -- Ux*o"ri*ous*ness, n.

UZEMA U"ze*ma, n.

Defn: A Burman measure of twelve miles.

V

1. V, the twenty-second letter of the English alphabet, is a vocal consonant. V and U are only varieties of the same character, U being the cursive form, while V is better adapted for engraving, as in stone. The two letters were formerly used indiscriminately, and till a comparatively recent date words containing them were often classed together in dictionaries and other books of reference (see U). The letter V is from the Latin alphabet, where it was used both as a consonant (about like English w) and as a vowel. The Latin derives it from it from a form (V) of the Greek vowel UPSILON (see Y), this Greek letter being either from the same Semitic letter as the digamma F (see F), or else added by the Greeks to the alphabet which they took from the Semitic. Etymologically v is most nearly related to u, w, f, b, p; as in vine, wine; avoirdupois, habit, have; safe, save; trover, troubadour, trope. See U, F, etc. See Guide to Pronunciation, § 265; also §§ 155, 169, 178-179, etc.

2. As a numeral, V stands for five, in English and Latin.

VAAGMER Vaag"mer, n. Etym: [Icel. vagmeri a kind of flounder, literally, wave mare.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The dealfish. [Written also vaagmær, and vaagmar.]

VACANCY Va"can*cy, n.; pl. Vacancies. Etym: [Cf. F. vacance.]

1. The quality or state of being vacant; emptiness; hence, freedom from employment; intermission; leisure; idleness; listlessness. All dispositions to idleness or vacancy, even before they are habits, are dangerous. Sir H. Wotton.

2. That which is vacant. Specifically: -- (a) Empty space; vacuity; vacuum. How is't with you, That you do bend your eye on vacancy Shak.

(b) An open or unoccupied space between bodies or things; an interruption of continuity; chasm; gap; as, a vacancy between buildings; a vacancy between sentences or thoughts. (c) Unemployed time; interval of leisure; time of intermission; vacation. Time lost partly in too oft idle vacancies given both to schools and universities. Milton. No interim, not a minute's vacancy. Shak. Those little vacancies from toil are sweet. Dryden.

(d) A place or post unfilled; an unoccupied office; as, a vacancy in the senate, in a school, etc.

VACANT Va"cant, a. Etym: [F., fr. L. vacans, -antis, p. pr. of vacare to be empty, to be free or unoccupied, to have leisure, also vocare; akin to vacuus empty, and probably to E. void. Cf. Evacuate, Void, a.]

1. Deprived of contents; not filled; empty; as, a vacant room. Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form. Shak. Being of those virtues vacant. Shak. There is no fireside, howsoe'er defended, But has one vacant chair. Longfellow.

2. Unengaged with business or care; unemployed; unoccupied; disengaged; free; as, vacant hours. Religion is the interest of all; but philosophy of those . . . at leisure, and vacant from the affairs of the world. Dr. H. More. There was not a minute of the day which he left vacant. Bp. Fell.

3. Not filled or occupied by an incumbent, possessor, or officer; as, a vacant throne; a vacant parish. Special dignities which vacant lie For thy best use and wearing. Shak.

4. Empty of thought; thoughtless; not occupied with study or reflection; as, a vacant mind. The duke had a pleasant and vacant face. Sir H. Wotton. When on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood. Wordsworth.

5. (Law)

Defn: Abandoned; having no heir, possessor, claimant, or occupier; as, a vacant estate. Bouvier. Vacant succession (Law), one that is claimed by no person, or where all the heirs are unknown, or where all the known heirs to it have renounced it. Burrill.

Syn. -- Empty; void; devoid; free; unemployed; disengaged; unincumbered; uncrowded; idle. -- Vacant, Empty. A thing is empty when there is nothing in it; as, an empty room, or an empty noddle. Vacant adds the idea of having been previously filled, or intended to be filled or occupied; as, a vacant seat at table; a vacant office; vacant hours. When we speak of a vacant look or a vacant mind, we imply the absence of the intelligence naturally to be expected there.

VACANTLY Va"cant*ly, adv.

Defn: In a vacant manner; inanely.

VACATE Va"cate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vacated; p. pr. & vb. n. Vacating.] Etym: [L. vacare, vacatum, to be empty. See Vacant.]

1. To make vacant; to leave empty; to cease from filling or occupying; as, it was resolved by Parliament that James had vacated the throne of England; the tenant vacated the house.

2. To annul; to make void; to deprive of force; to make of no authority or validity; as, to vacate a commission or a charter; to vacate proceedings in a cause. That after act vacating the authority of the precedent. Eikon Basilike. The necessity of observing the Jewish Sabbath was Vacated by the apostolical institution of the Lord's Day. R. Nelson.

3. To defeat; to put an end to. [R.] He vacates my revenge. Dryden.

VACATION Va*ca"tion, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. vacatio a being free from a duty, service, etc., fr. vacare. See Vacate.]

1. The act of vacating; a making void or of no force; as, the vacation of an office or a charter.

2. Intermission of a stated employment, procedure, or office; a period of intermission; rest; leisure. It was not in his nature, however, at least till years had chastened it, to take any vacation from controversy. Palfrey. Hence, specifically: -(a) (Law)

Defn: Intermission of judicial proceedings; the space of time between the end of one term and the beginning of the next; nonterm; recess. "With lawyers in the vacation." Shak. (b) The intermission of the regular studies and exercises of an educational institution between terms; holidays; as, the spring vacation. (c) The time when an office is vacant; esp. (Eccl.), the time when a see, or other spiritual dignity, is vacant.

VACATUR Va*ca"tur, n. [NL., it is made void, fr. L. vacare to be empty. See Vacant.] (Law)

Defn: An order of court by which a proceeding is set aside or annulled.

VACCARY Vac"ca*ry, n. Etym: [LL. vaccarium, from L. vacca cow. Cf. Vachery.]

Defn: A cow house, dairy house, or cow pasture. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Wright.

VACCINA Vac*ci"na, n. Etym: [NL.] (Med.)

Defn: Vaccinia.

VACCINAL Vac"ci*nal, a. (Med.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to vaccinia or vaccination.

VACCINATE Vac"ci*nate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vaccinated; p. pr. & vb. n. Vaccinating.] Etym: [See Vaccine.]

Defn: To inoculate with the cowpox by means of a virus, called vaccine, taken either directly or indirectly from cows.

VACCINATION Vac`ci*na"tion, n.

Defn: The act, art, or practice of vaccinating, or inoculating with the cowpox, in order to prevent or mitigate an attack of smallpox. Cf. Inoculation.

Note: In recent use, vaccination sometimes includes inoculation with any virus as a preventive measure; as, vaccination of cholera.

VACCINATOR Vac"ci*na`tor, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, vaccinates.

VACCINE Vac"cine, a. Etym: [L. vaccinus, fr. vacca a cow; cf. Skr. vac to bellow, to groan.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to cows; pertaining to, derived from, or caused by, vaccinia; as, vaccine virus; the vaccine disease. -- n.

Defn: The virus of vaccinia used in vaccination.

VACCINE POINT Vac"cine point`. (Med.)

Defn: See Point, n., 26.

VACCINIA Vac*cin"i*a, n. Etym: [NL. See Vaccine.] (Med.)

Defn: Cowpox; vaccina. See Cowpox.

VACCINIST Vac"ci*nist, n.

Defn: A vaccinator.

VACCINIUM Vac*cin"i*um, n. Etym: [L., the blueberry, or whortleberry.] (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of ericaceous shrubs including the various kinds of blueberries and the true cranberries.

VACHER Va`cher", n. Etym: [F., from vache a cow. Cf. Vaquero.]

Defn: A keeper of stock or cattle; a herdsman. [Southwestern U. S.] Bartlett.

VACHERY Vach"er*y, n. Etym: [F. vacherie, from vache a cow, L. vacca. Cf. Vaccary.]

1. An inclosure for cows.

2. A dairy. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Prompt. Parv.

VACHETTE CLASP Va`chette" clasp. [Cf. F. vachette cowhide leather used for ligatures.] (Veter.)

Defn: A piece of strong steel wire with the ends curved and pointed, used on toe or quarter cracks to bind the edges together and prevent motion. It is clasped into two notches, one on each side of the crack, burned into the wall with a cautery iron.

VACILLANCY Vac"il*lan*cy, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being vacillant, or wavering. [R.] Dr. H. More.

VACILLANT Vac"il*lant, a. Etym: [L. vacillans, p. pr. of vacillare: cf. F. vacillant. See Vacillate.]

Defn: Vacillating; wavering; fluctuating; irresolute.

VACILLATE Vac"il*late, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vacillated; p. pr. & vb. n. Vacillating.] Etym: [L. vacillare, vacillatum; cf. Skr. vañc.]

1. To move one way and the other; to reel or stagger; to waver. [A spheroid] is always liable to shift and vacillatefrom one axis to another. Paley.

2. To fluctuate in mind or opinion; to be unsteady or inconstant; to waver.

Syn. -- See Fluctuate.

VACILLATING Vac"il*la`ting, a.

Defn: Inclined to fluctuate; wavering. Tennyson. -- Vac"il*la`ting*ly, adv.

VACILLATION Vac`il*la"tion, n. Etym: [L. vacillatio: cf. F. vacillation.]

1. The act of vacillating; a moving one way and the other; a wavering. His vacillations, or an alternation of knowledge and doubt. Jer. Taylor.

VACILLATORY Vac"il*la*to*ry, a.

Defn: Inclined to vacillate; wavering; irresolute. Hawthorne.

VACUATE Vac"u*ate, v. t. Etym: [L. vacuatus, p. p. of vacuare to empty, from vacuus empty. See Vacant.]

Defn: To make void, or empty. [R.]

VACUATION Vac`u*a"tion, n.

Defn: The act of emptying; evacuation. [R.]

VACUIST Vac"u*ist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vacuiste.]

Defn: One who holds the doctrine that the space between the bodies of the universe, or the molecules and atoms of matter., is a vacuum; -- opposed to plenist.

VACUITY Va*cu"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. vacuitas. See Vacuous.]

1. The quality or state of being vacuous, or not filled; emptiness; vacancy; as, vacuity of mind; vacuity of countenance. Hunger is such a state of vacuity as to require a fresh supply of aliment. Arbuthnot.

2. Space unfilled or unoccupied, or occupied with an invisible fluid only; emptiness; void; vacuum. A vacuity is interspersed among the particles of matter. Bentley. God . . . alone can answer all our longings and fill every vacuity of our soul. Rogers.

3. Want of reality; inanity; nihility. [R.] Their expectations will meet with vacuity. Glanvill.

VACUNA Va*cu"na, n. Etym: [L. vacuus unoccupied.] (Rom. Myth.)

Defn: The goddess of rural leisure, to whom the husbandmen sacrificed at the close of the harvest. She was especially honored by the Sabines.

VACUOLATED Vac"u*o*la`ted, a. (Biol.)

Defn: Full of vacuoles, or small air cavities; as, vacuolated cells.

VACUOLATION Vac"u*o*la"tion, n. (Biol.)

Defn: Formation into, or multiplication of, vacuoles.

VACUOLE Vac"u*ole, n. Etym: [L. vacuus empty: cf. F. vacuole.] (Biol.)

Defn: A small air cell, or globular space, in the interior of organic cells, either containing air, or a pellucid watery liquid, or some special chemical secretions of the cell protoplasm. Contractile vacuole. (Zoöl.) See under Contractile, and see Illusts. of Infusoria, and Lobosa. -- Food vacuole. (Zoöl.) See under Food, and see Illust. of Infusoria.

VACUOMETER Vac`u*om"e*ter, n. [Vacuum + -meter.] (Physics) (a) An instrument for the comparison of barometers. (b) An apparatus for the measurement of low pressures.

VACUOUS Vac"u*ous, a. Etym: [L. vacuus. See Vacant.]

Defn: Empty; unfilled; void; vacant. Boundless the deep, because I am who fill Infinitude; nor vacuous the space. Milton. That the few may lead selfish and vacuous days. J. Morley.

VACUOUSNESS Vac"u*ous*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being vacuous; emptiness; vacuity. W. Montagu.

VACUUM Vac"u*um, n.; pl. E. Vacuums, L. Vacua. Etym: [L., fr. vacuus empty. See Vacuous.]

1. (Physics)

Defn: A space entirely devoid of matter (called also, by way of distinction, absolute vacuum); hence, in a more general sense, a space, as the interior of a closed vessel, which has been exhausted to a high or the highest degree by an air pump or other artificial means; as, water boils at a reduced temperature in a vacuum.

2. The condition of rarefaction, or reduction of pressure below that of the atmosphere, in a vessel, as the condenser of a steam engine, which is nearly exhausted of air or steam, etc.; as, a vacuum of 26 inches of mercury, or 13 pounds per square inch. Vacuum brake, a kind of continuous brake operated by exhausting the air from some appliance under each car, and so causing the pressure of the atmosphere to apply the brakes. -- Vacuum pan (Technol.), a kind of large closed metallic retort used in sugar making for boiling down sirup. It is so connected with an exhausting apparatus that a partial vacuum is formed within. This allows the evaporation and concentration to take place at a lower atmospheric pressure and hence also at a lower temperature, which largely obviates the danger of burning the sugar, and shortens the process. -- Vacuum pump. Same as Pulsometer, 1. -- Vacuum tube (Phys.), a glass tube provided with platinum electrodes and exhausted, for the passage of the electrical discharge; a Geissler tube. -- Vacuum valve, a safety valve opening inward to admit air to a vessel in which the pressure is less than that of the atmosphere, in order to prevent collapse. -- Torricellian vacuum. See under Torricellian.

VACUUM CLEANER Vac"u*um clean"er.

Defn: A machine for cleaning carpets, tapestry, upholstered work, etc., by suction.

VADANTES Va*dan"tes, n. pl. Etym: [NL., from L. vadans, p. pr. of vadare to wade, to ford.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: An extensive artificial group of birds including the wading, swimming, and cursorial birds.

VADE Vade, v. i. Etym: [For fade.]

Defn: To fade; hence, to vanish. [Obs.] " Summer leaves all vaded." Shak. They into dust shall vade. Spenser.

VADE MECUM Va`de me"cum. Etym: [L., go with me.]

Defn: A book or other thing that a person carries with him as a constant companion; a manual; a handbook.

VADIMONY Vad"i*mo*ny, n. Etym: [L. vadimonium.] (Law)

Defn: A bond or pledge for appearance before a judge on a certain day. [Obs.]

VADIUM Va"di*um, n. Etym: [LL., from L. vas, vadis, bail.] (Law)

Defn: Pledge; security; bail. See Mortgage. Vadium vivum Etym: [LL.] (Law), a living pledge, which exists where an estate is granted until a debt is paid out of its proceeds.

VAE Vae, n.

Defn: See Voe. [Scot.]

VAFROUS Va"frous, a. Etym: [L. vafer.]

Defn: Crafty; cunning; sly; as, vafrous tricks. [Obs.] Feltham.

VAGABOND Vag"a*bond, a. Etym: [F., fr. L. vagabundus, from vagari to stroll about, from vagus strolling. See Vague.]

1. Moving from place to place without a settled habitation; wandering. "Vagabond exile." Shak.

2. Floating about without any certain direction; driven to and fro. To heaven their prayers Flew up, nor missed the way, by envious winds Blown vagabond or frustrate. Milton.

3. Being a vagabond; strolling and idle or vicious.

VAGABOND Vag"a*bond, n.

Defn: One who wanders from place to place, having no fixed dwelling, or not abiding in it, and usually without the means of honest livelihood; a vagrant; a tramp; hence, a worthless person; a rascal. A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be. Gen. iv. 12.

Note: In English and American law, vagabond is used in bad sense, denoting one who is without a home; a strolling, idle, worthless person. Vagabonds are described in old English statutes as "such as wake on the night and sleep on the day, and haunt customable taverns and alehouses, and routs about; and no man wot from whence they came, nor whither they go." In American law, the term vagrant is employed in the same sense. Cf Rogue, n., 1. Burrill. Bouvier.

VAGABOND Vag"a*bond, v. i.

Defn: To play the vagabond; to wander like a vagabond; to stroll. On every part my vagabonding sight Did cast, and drown mine eyes in sweet delight. Drummond.

VAGABONDAGE Vag"a*bond`age, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vagabondage.]

Defn: The condition of a vagabond; a state or habit of wandering about in idleness; vagrancy.

VAGABONDISM Vag"a*bond`ism, n.

Defn: Vagabondage.

VAGABONDIZE Vag"a*bond`ize, v. i.

Defn: To play the vagabond; to wander about in idleness.

VAGABONDRY Vag"a*bond`ry, n.

Defn: Vagabondage.

VAGAL Va"gal, a. Etym: [See Vagus.] (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the vagus, or pneumogastric nerves; pneumogastric.

VAGANCY Va"gan*cy, n. Etym: [From L. vagans, p. pr. See Vagantes.]

Defn: A wandering; vagrancy. [Obs.] A thousand vagancies of glory and desight. Milton.

VAGANTES Va*gan"tes, p. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. L. vagans, p. pr. of vagari to stroll or wander.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A tribe of spiders, comprising some of those which take their prey in a web, but which also frequently run with agility, and chase and seize their prey.

VAGARIOUS Va*ga"ri*ous, a.

Defn: Given to, or characterized by, vagaries; capricious; whimsical; crochety.

VAGARY Va*ga"ry, n.; pl. Vagaries. Etym: [L. vagari to stroll about. See Vague.]

1. A wandering or strolling. [Obs.]

2. Hence, a wandering of the thoughts; a wild or fanciful freak; a whim; a whimsical purpose. "The vagaries of a child." Spectator. They changed their minds, Flew off, and into strange vagaries fell. Milton.

VAGIENT Va"gi*ent, a. Etym: [L. vagiens, p. pr. of vagire to cry like a young child.]

Defn: Crying like a child. [Obs.]

VAGINA Va*gi"na, n.; pl. Vaginæ. Etym: [L. vagina a scabbard or sheath.]

1. (Anat.) (a) A sheath; a theca; as, the vagina of the portal vein. (b) Specifically, the canal which leads from the uterus to the external orifice if the genital canal, or to the cloaca.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The terminal part of the oviduct in insects and various other invertebrates. See Illust., of Spermatheca.

3. (Bot.)

Defn: The basal expansion of certain leaves, which inwraps the stem; a sheath.

4. (Arch.)

Defn: The shaft of a terminus, from which the bust of figure seems to issue or arise.

VAGINAL Vag"i*nal, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vaginal.]

1. Of or pertaining to a vagina; resembling a vagina, or sheath; thecal; as, a vaginal synovial membrane; the vaginal process of the temporal bone.

2. (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the vagina of the genital canal; as, the vaginal artery.

VAGINANT Vag"i*nant, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vaginant. See Vagina.]

Defn: Serving to in invest, or sheathe; sheathing. Vaginant leaf (Bot.), a leaf investing the stem or branch by its base, which has the form of a tube.

VAGINATE; VAGINATED Vag"i*nate, Vag"i*na`ted, a. Etym: [See Vagina.]

Defn: Invested with, or as if with, a sheath; as, a vaginate stem, or one invested by the tubular base of a leaf.

VAGINATI Vag`i*na"ti, n. pl. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A tribe of birds comprising the sheathbills.

VAGINERVOSE Vag`i*ner*vose", a. Etym: [L. vagus wandering + E. nervose.] (Bot.)

Defn: Having the nerves, or veins, placed in apparent disorder.

VAGINICOLA Vag`i*nic"o*la, n. Etym: [NL., from L. vagina sheath + colere to in habit.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A genus of Infusoria which form minute vaselike or tubular cases in which they dwell.

VAGINISMUS Vag`i*nis"mus, n. Etym: [NL.] (Med.)

Defn: A painful spasmodic contraction of the vagina, often rendering copulation impossible.

VAGINITIS Vag`i*ni"tis, n. Etym: [NL. See Vagina, and -itis.] (Med.)

Defn: Inflammation of the vagina, or the genital canal, usually of its mucous living membrane.

VAGINOPENNOUS Vag`i*no*pen"nous, a. Etym: [L. vagina a sheath + penna a feather, pl. pennae a wing.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having elytra; sheath-winged. [R.]

VAGINULA Va*gin"u*la, n. Etym: [L., dim. of vagina sheath.] (Bot.) (a) A little sheath, as that about the base of the pedicel of most mosses. (b) One of the tubular florets in composite flowers. Henslow.

VAGINULE Vag"i*nule, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A vaginula.

VAGISSATE Vag"is*sate, v. i. Etym: [L. vagari to stroll or wander.]

Defn: To caper or frolic. [Obs.]

VAGOUS Va"gous, a. Etym: [L. vagus. See Vague.]

Defn: Wandering; unsettled. [Obs.] Ayliffe.

VAGRANCY Va"gran*cy, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being a vagrant; a wandering without a settled home; an unsettled condition; vagabondism. Threatened away into banishment and vagrancy. Barrow.

VAGRANT Va"grant, a. Etym: [Probably fr. OF. waucrant, wacrant, p. p. of waucrer, wacrer, walcrer, to wander (probably of Teutonic origin), but influenced by F. vagant, p. pr. of vaguer to stray, L. vagari. Cf. Vagary.]

1. Moving without certain direction; wandering; erratic; unsettled. That beauteous Emma vagrant courses took. Prior. While leading this vagrant and miserable life, Johnson fell in live. Macaulay.

2. Wandering from place to place without any settled habitation; as, a vagrant beggar.

VAGRANT Va"grant, n.

Defn: One who strolls from place to place; one who has no settled habitation; an idle wanderer; a sturdy beggar; an incorrigible rogue; a vagabond. Vagrants and outlaws shall offend thy view. Prior.

VAGRANTLY Va"grant*ly, adv.

Defn: In a vagrant manner.

VAGRANTNESS Va"grant*ness, n.

Defn: State of being vagrant; vagrancy.

VAGUE Vague, a. [Compar. Vaguer; superl. Vaguest.] Etym: [F. vague, or L. vagus. See Vague, v. i.]

1. Wandering; vagrant; vagabond. [Archaic] "To set upon the vague villains." Hayward. She danced along with vague, regardless eyes. Keats.

2. Unsettled; unfixed; undetermined; indefinite; ambiguous; as, a vague idea; a vague proposition. This faith is neither a mere fantasy of future glory, nor a vague ebullition of feeling. I. Taylor. The poet turned away, and gave himself up to a sort of vague revery, which he called thought. Hawthorne.

3. Proceeding from no known authority; unauthenticated; uncertain; flying; as, a vague report. Some legend strange and value. Longfellow. Vague year. See Sothiac year, under Sothiac.

Syn. -- Unsettled; indefinite; unfixed; ill-defined; ambiguous; hazy; loose; lax; uncertain.

VAGUE Vague, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vague.]

Defn: An indefinite expanse. [R.] The gray vague of unsympathizing sea. Lowell.

VAGUE Vague, v. i. Etym: [F. vaguer, L. vagari, fr. vagus roaming.]

Defn: To wander; to roam; to stray. [Obs.] "[The soul] doth vague and wander." Holland.

VAGUE Vague, n.

Defn: A wandering; a vagary. [Obs.] Holinshed.

VAGUELY Vague"ly, adv.

Defn: In a vague manner. What he vaguely hinted at, but dared not speak. Hawthorne.

VAGUENESS Vague"ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being vague.

VAGUS Va"gus, a. Etym: [L., wandering.] (Anat.)

Defn: Wandering; -- applied especially to the pneumogastric nerve. -- n.

Defn: The vagus, ore pneumogastric, nerve.

VAIL Vail, n. & v. t.

Defn: Same as Veil.

VAIL Vail, n. Etym: [Aphetic form of avail, n.]

1. Avails; profit; return; proceeds. [Obs.] My house is as were the cave where the young outlaw hoards the stolen vails of his occupation. Chapman.

2. An unexpected gain or acquisition; a casual advantage or benefit; a windfall. [Obs.]

3. Money given to servants by visitors; a gratuity; -- usually in the plural. [Written also vale.] Dryden.

VAIL Vail, v. t. Etym: [Aphetic form of avale. See Avale, Vale.] [Written also vale, and veil.]

1. To let fail; to allow or cause to sink. [Obs.] Vail your regard Upon a wronged, I would fain have said, a maid! Shak.

2. To lower, or take off, in token of inferiority, reverence, submission, or the like. France must vail her lofty-plumed crest! Shak. Without vailing his bonnet or testifying any reverence for the alleged sanctity of the relic. Sir. W. Scott.

VAIL Vail, v. i.

Defn: To yield or recede; to give place; to show respect by yielding, uncovering, or the like. [Written also vale, and veil.] [Obs.] Thy convenience must vail to thy neighbor's necessity. South.

VAIL Vail, n.

Defn: Submission; decline; descent. [Obs.]

VAILER Vail"er, n.

Defn: One who vails. [Obs.] Overbury.

VAIMURE Vai"mure, n.

Defn: An outer, or exterior. wall. See Vauntmure. [Obs.] Hakluyt.

VAIN Vain, a. [Compar. Vainer; superl. Vainest.] Etym: [F. vain, L. vanus empty, void, vain. Cf. Vanish, Vanity, Vaunt to boast.]

1. Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying. "Thy vain excuse." Shak. Every man walketh in a vain show. Ps. xxxix. 6. Let no man deceive you with vain words. Eph. v. 6. Vain pomp, and glory of this world, I hate ye! Shak. Vain visdom all, and false philosophy. Milton.

2. Destitute of forge or efficacy; effecting no purpose; fruitless; ineffectual; as, vain toil; a vain attempt. Bring no more vain oblations. Isa. i. 13. Vain is the force of man To crush the pillars which the pile sustain. Dryden.

3. Proud of petty things, or of trifling attainments; having a high opinion of one's own accomplishments with slight reason; conceited; puffed up; inflated. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren James ii. 20 (Rev. Ver.). The minstrels played on every side, Vain of their art. Dryden.

4. Showy; ostentatious. Load some vain church with old theatric state. Pope.

Syn. -- Empty; worthless; fruitless; ineffectual; idle; unreal; shadowy; showy; ostentatious; light; inconstant; deceitful; delusive; unimportant; trifling.

VAIN Vain, n.