Chapter V: Hook (3)

2. A nobleman of the fourth rank, next in order below an earl and next above a baron; also, his degree or title of nobility. See Peer, n., 3. [Eng.] Chaucer.

VISCOUNTCY Vis"count`cy, n.

Defn: The dignity or jurisdiction of a viscount. Sir B. Burke.

VISCOUNTESS Vis"count`ess, n. Etym: [F. vicomtesse, LL. vicecomitissa.]

Defn: The wife of a viscount.

VISCOUNTSHIP; VISCOUNTY Vis"count`ship, Vis"count`y, n. Etym: [F. vicomté.]

Defn: The quality, rank, or office of a viscount.

VISCOUS Vis"cous, a. Etym: [L. viscosus. See Viscid.]

Defn: Adhesive or sticky, and having a ropy or glutinous consistency; viscid; glutinous; clammy; tenacious; as, a viscous juice. -- Vis"cous*ness, n.

Note: There is no well-defined distinction in meaning between viscous and viscid.

VISCUM Vis"cum, n. Etym: [L.]

1. (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of parasitic shrubs, including the mistletoe of Europe.

2. Birdlime, which is often made from the berries of the European mistletoe.

VISCUS Vis"cus, n.; pl. Viscera. Etym: [L., perhaps akin to E. viscid.] (Anat.)

Defn: One of the organs, as the brain, heart, or stomach, in the great cavities of the body of an animal; -- especially used in the plural, and applied to the organs contained in the abdomen.

VISE Vise, n. Etym: [F. vis a screw, winding stairs, OF. vis, viz, fr. L. vitis a vine; probably akin to E. withy.]

Defn: An instrument consisting of two jaws, closing by a screw, lever, cam, or the like, for holding work, as in filing. [Written also vice.]

VISE Vi*sé", n. Etym: [F. visé, p. p. of viser to put a visa to, fr. L. visus seen, p. p. of videre to see.]

Defn: An indorsement made on a passport by the proper authorities of certain countries on the continent of Europe, denoting that it has been examined, and that the person who bears it is permitted to proceed on his journey; a visa.

VISE Vi*sé", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Viséed; p. pr. & vb. n. Viséing.]

Defn: To examine and indorse, as a passport; to visa.

VISHNU Vish"nu, n. Etym: [Skr. Vish, from vish to pervade., to extend through nature.] (Hindoo Myth.)

Defn: A divinity of the modern Hindoo trimurti, or trinity. He is regarded as the preserver, while Brahma is the creator, and Siva the destroyer of the creation.

VISIBILITY Vis`i*bil"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. visibilitas: cf. F. visibilité.]

Defn: The quality or state of being visible.

VISIBLE Vis"i*ble, a. Etym: [L. visibilis, fr. videre, visum, to see: cf. F. visible. See Vision.]

1. Perceivable by the eye; capable of being seen; perceptible; in view; as, a visible star; the least spot is visible on white paper. Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. Bk. of Com. Prayer. Virtue made visible in outward grace. Young.

2. Noticeable; apparent; open; conspicuous. Shak. The factions at court were greater, or more visible, than before. Clarendon. Visible church (Theol.), the apparent church of Christ on earth; the whole body of professed believers in Christ, as contradistinguished from the invisible, or real, church, consisting of sanctified persons. -- Visible horizon. Same as Apparent horizon, under Apparent. -- Vis"i*ble*ness, n. -- Vis"i*bly, adv.

VISIBLE SPEECH Vis"i*ble speech". (Phon.)

Defn: A system of characters invented by Prof. Alexander Melville Bell to represent all sounds that may be uttered by the speech organs, and intended to be suggestive of the position of the organs of speech in uttering them.

VISIGOTH Vis"i*goth, n. Etym: [L. Visegothae, pl. Cf. West, and Goth.]

Defn: One of the West Goths. See the Note under Goth. -- Vis`i*goth"ic, a.

VISION Vi"sion, n. Etym: [OE. visioun, F. vision, fr. L. visio, from videre, visum, to see: akin to Gr. wit. See Wit, v., and cf. Advice, Clairvoyant, Envy, Evident, Provide, Revise, Survey, View, Visage, Visit.]

1. The act of seeing external objects; actual sight. Faith here is turned into vision there. Hammond.

2. (Physiol.)

Defn: The faculty of seeing; sight; one of the five senses, by which colors and the physical qualities of external objects are appreciated as a result of the stimulating action of light on the sensitive retina, an expansion of the optic nerve.

3. That which is seen; an object of sight. Shak.

4. Especially, that which is seen otherwise than by the ordinary sight, or the rational eye; a supernatural, prophetic, or imaginary sight; an apparition; a phantom; a specter; as, the visions of Isaiah. The baseless fabric of this vision. Shak. No dreams, but visions strange. Sir P. Sidney.

5. Hence, something unreal or imaginary; a creation of fancy. Locke. Arc of vision (Astron.), the arc which measures the least distance from the sun at which, when the sun is below the horizon, a star or planet emerging from his rays becomes visible. -- Beatific vision (Theol.), the immediate sight of God in heaven. -- Direct vision (Opt.), vision when the image of the object falls directly on the yellow spot (see under Yellow); also, vision by means of rays which are not deviated from their original direction. -- Field of vision, field of view. See under Field. -- Indirect vision (Opt.), vision when the rays of light from an object fall upon the peripheral parts of the retina. -- Reflected vision, or Refracted vision, vision by rays reflected from mirrors, or refracted by lenses or prisms, respectively. -- Vision purple. (Physiol.) See Visual purple, under Visual.

VISION Vi"sion, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Visioned; p. pr. & vb. n. Visioning.]

Defn: To see in a vision; to dream. For them no visioned terrors daunt, Their nights no fancied specters haunt. Sir W. Scott.

VISIONAL Vi"sion*al, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to a vision.

VISIONARINESS Vi"sion*a*ri*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being visionary.

VISIONARY Vi"sion*a*ry, a. Etym: [Cf. F. visionnaire.]

1. Of or pertaining to a visions or visions; characterized by, appropriate to, or favorable for, visions. The visionary hour When musing midnight reigns. Thomson.

2. Affected by phantoms; disposed to receive impressions on the imagination; given to reverie; apt to receive, and act upon, fancies as if they were realities. Or lull to rest the visionary maid. Pope.

3. Existing in imagination only; not real; fanciful; imaginary; having no solid foundation; as, visionary prospect; a visionary scheme or project. Swift.

Syn. -- Fanciful; fantastic; unreal. See Fanciful.

VISIONARY Vi"sion*a*ry, n.; pl. Visionaries (.

1. One whose imagination is disturbed; one who sees visions or phantoms.

2. One whose imagination overpowers his reason and controls his judgment; an unpractical schemer; one who builds castles in the air; a daydreamer.

VISIONED Vi"sioned, a.

Defn: Having the power of seeing visions; inspired; also, seen in visions. [R.] Shelley.

VISIONIST Vi"sion*ist, n.

Defn: A visionary.

VISIONLESS Vi"sion*less, a.

Defn: Destitute of vision; sightless.

VISIT Vis"it, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Visited; p. pr. & vb. n. Visiting.] Etym: [F. visiter, L. visitare, fr. visere to go to see, to visit, fr. videre, visum to see. See Vision.]

1. To go or come to see, as for the purpose of friendship, business, curiosity, etc.; to attend; to call upon; as, the physician visits his patient.

2. Specifically: To go or come to see for inspection, examination, correction of abuses, etc.; to examine, to inspect; as, a bishop visits his diocese; a superintendent visits persons or works under his charge.

3. (Script.)

Defn: To come to for the purpose of chastising, rewarding, comforting; to come upon with reward or retribution; to appear before or judge; as, to visit in mercy; to visit one in wrath. [God] hath visited and redeemed his people. Like i. 68.

VISIT Vis"it, v. i.

Defn: To make a visit or visits; to maintain visiting relations; to practice calling on others.

VISIT Vis"it, n. Etym: [Cf. F. visite. See Visit, v. t., and cf. Visite.]

1. The act of visiting, or going to see a person or thing; a brief stay of business, friendship, ceremony, curiosity, or the like, usually longer than a call; as, a visit of civility or respect; a visit to Saratoga; the visit of a physician.

2. The act of going to view or inspect; an official or formal inspection; examination; visitation; as, the visit of a trustee or inspector. Right of visit (Internat. Law), the right of visitation. See Visitation, 4.

VISITABLE Vis"it*a*ble, a.

Defn: Liable or subject to be visited or inspected. "All hospitals built since the Reformation are visitable by the king or lord chancellor." Ayliffe.

VISITANT Vis"it*ant, n. Etym: [L. visitans, -antis; p. pr.: cf. F. visitant.]

Defn: One who visits; a guest; a visitor. When the visitant comes again, he is no more a stranger. South.

VISITANT Vis"it*ant, a.

Defn: Visiting. Wordsworth.

VISITATION Vis`it*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. visitatio: cf. F. visitation.]

1. The act of visiting, or the state of being visited; access for inspection or examination. Nothing but peace and gentle visitation. Shak.

2. Specifically: The act of a superior or superintending officer who, in the discharge of his office, visits a corporation, college, etc., to examine into the manner in which it is conducted, and see that its laws and regulations are duly observed and executed; as, the visitation of a diocese by a bishop.

3. The object of a visit. [Obs.] "O flowers, . . . my early visitation and my last." Milton.

4. (Internat. Law)

Defn: The act of a naval commander who visits, or enters on board, a vessel belonging to another nation, for the purpose of ascertaining her character and object, but without claiming or exercising a right of searching the vessel. It is, however, usually coupled with the right of search (see under Search), visitation being used for the purpose of search.

5. Special dispensation; communication of divine favor and goodness, or, more usually, of divine wrath and vengeance; retributive calamity; retribution; judgment. What will ye do in the day of visitation Isa. x. 3.

6. (Eccl.)

Defn: A festival in honor of the visit of the Virgin Mary to Elisabeth, mother of John the Baptist, celebrated on the second of July. The Order of the Visitation of Our Lady (R. C. Ch.), a religious community of nuns, founded at Annecy, in Savoy, in 1610, and in 1808 established in the United States. In America these nuns are devoted to the education of girls.

VISITATORIAL Vis`it*a*to"ri*al, a. Etym: [Cf. LL. visitator a bishop temporarily put in place of another.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to visitation, or a judicial visitor or superintendent; visitorial. An archdeacon has visitatorial power. Ayliffe. The queen, however, still had over the church a visitatorial power of vast and undefined extent. Macaulay.

VISITE Vi*site", n. Etym: [F. See Visit, n.]

Defn: A light cape or short cloak of silk or lace worn by women in summer.

VISITER Vis"it*er, n.

Defn: A visitor.

VISITING Vis"it*ing,

Defn: a. & vb. n. from Visit. Visiting ant. (Zoöl.) See Driver ant, under Driver. -- Visiting book, a book in which a record of visits received, made, and to be made, is kept. Thackeray. -- Visiting card. See under Card.

VISITOR Vis"it*or. Etym: [Cf. F. visiteur.] [Written also visiter.]

1. One who visits; one who comes or goes to see another, as in civility or friendship. "This great flood of visitors." Shak.

2. A superior, or a person lawfully appointed for the purpose, who makes formal visits of inspection to a corporation or an institution. See Visit, v. t., 2, and Visitation, n., 2. The king is the visitor of all lay corporations. Blackstone.

VISITORIAL Vis`it*o"ri*al, a.

Defn: Same as Visitatorial.

VISIVE Vi"sive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. visif, LL. visivus. See Vision.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to the sight; visual. [Obs.] I can not satisfy myself how men should be so little surprised about this visive faculty. Berkeley.

VIS MAJOR Vis ma"jor. [L. major greater.] (Law)

Defn: A superior force which under certain circumstances is held to exempt from contract obligations; inevitable accident; -- a civil-law term used as nearly equivalent to, but broader than, the common-law term act of God (which see).

VISNE Visne, n. Etym: [OF. visné, veisiné, visnet, neighborhood, LL. vicinatus, fr. L. vicunus neighboring, a neighbor. See Vicinity.] (Law)

Defn: Neighborhood; vicinity; venue. See Venue.

VISNOMY Vis"no*my, n. Etym: [Contr. fr. physiognomy.]

Defn: Face; countenance. [Colloq.] Spenser. Lamb.

VISON Vi"son, n. Etym: [F.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The mink.

VISOR Vis"or, n. Etym: [OE. visere, F. visière, fr. OF. vis. See Visage, Vision.] [Written also visar, visard, vizard, and vizor.]

1. A part of a helmet, arranged so as to lift or open, and so show the face. The openings for seeing and breathing are generally in it.

2. A mask used to disfigure or disguise. "My very visor began to assume life." Shak. My weaker government since, makes you pull off the visor. Sir P. Sidney.

3. The fore piece of a cap, projecting over, and protecting the eyes.

VISORED Vis"ored, a.

Defn: Wearing a visor; masked. Visored falsehood and base forgery. Milton.

VISTA Vis"ta, n.; pl. Vistas. Etym: [It., sight, view, fr. vedere, p. p. visto, veduto, to see, fr. L. videre, visum. See View, Vision.]

Defn: A view; especially, a view through or between intervening objects, as trees; a view or prospect through an avenue, or the like; hence, the trees or other objects that form the avenue. The finished garden to the view Its vistas opens, and its alleys green. Thomson. In the groves of their academy, at the end of every vista, you see nothing but the gallows. Burke. The shattered tower which now forms a vista from his window. Sir W. Scott.

VISTO Vis"to, n.

Defn: A vista; a prospect. [R.] Gay. Through the long visto of a thousand years. Young.

VISUAL Vis"u*al, a. Etym: [L. visualis, from visus a seeing, sight: cf. F. visuel. See Vision.]

1. Of or pertaining 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.

2. That can be seen; visible. [R.] Visual angle. (Opt.) See under Angle. -- Visual cone (Persp.), a cone whose vertex is at the point of sight, or the eye. -- Visual plane, any plane passing through the point of sight. -- Visual point, the point at which the visual rays unite; the position of the eye. -- Visual purple (Physiol.), a photochemical substance, of a purplish red color, contained in the retina of human eyes and in the eyes of most animals. It is quickly bleached by light, passing through the colors, red, orange, and yellow, and then disappearing. Also called rhodopsin, and vision purple. See Optography. -- Visual ray, a line from the eye, or point of sight. -- Visual white (Physiol.), the final product in the action of light on visual purple. It is reconverted into visual purple by the regenerating action of the choroidal epithelium. -- Visual yellow (Physiol.), a product intermediate between visual purple and visual white, formed in the photochemical action of light on visual purple.

VISUALIZE Vis"u*al*ize, v. t.

Defn: To make visual, or visible; to see in fancy. [Written also visualise.] No one who has not seen them [glaciers] can possibly visualize them. Lubbock.

VISUALIZER Vis"u*al*iz`er, n.

Defn: One who visualizes or is proficient in visualization; esp. (Physiol.),

Defn: one whose mental imagery is prevailingly visualization.

VITAILLE Vi*taille, n. Etym: [See Victuals.]

Defn: Food; victuals. [Obs.] Piers Plowman. Chaucer.

VITAL Vi"tal, a. Etym: [F., fr. L. vitalis, fr. vita life; akin to vivere to live. See Vivid.]

1. Belonging or relating to life, either animal or vegetable; as, vital energies; vital functions; vital actions.

2. Contributing to life; necessary to, or supporting, life; as, vital blood. Do the heavens afford him vital food Spenser. And vital virtue infused, and vital warmth. Milton.

3. Containing life; living. "Spirits that live throughout, vital in every part." Milton.

4. Being the seat of life; being that on which life depends; mortal. The dart flew on, and pierced a vital part. Pope.

5. Very necessary; highly important; essential. A competence is vital to content. Young.

6. Capable of living; in a state to live; viable. [R.] Pythagoras and Hippocrates . . . affirm the birth of the seventh month to be vital. Sir T. Browne. Vital air, oxygen gas; -- so called because essential to animal life. [Obs.] -- Vital capacity (Physiol.), the breathing capacity of the lungs; -- expressed by the number of cubic inches of air which can be forcibly exhaled after a full inspiration. -- Vital force. (Biol.) See under Force. The vital forces, according to Cope, are nerve force (neurism), growth force (bathmism), and thought force (phrenism), all under the direction and control of the vital principle. Apart from the phenomena of consciousness, vital actions no longer need to be considered as of a mysterious and unfathomable character, nor vital force as anything other than a form of physical energy derived from, and convertible into, other well- known forces of nature. -- Vital functions (Physiol.), those functions or actions of the body on which life is directly dependent, as the circulation of the blood, digestion, etc. -- Vital principle, an immaterial force, to which the functions peculiar to living beings are ascribed. -- Vital statistics, statistics respecting the duration of life, and the circumstances affecting its duration. -- Vital tripod. (Physiol.) See under Tripod. -- Vital vessels (Bot.), a name for latex tubes, now disused. See Latex.

VITAL Vi"tal, n.

Defn: A vital part; one of the vitals. [R.]

VITALIC Vi*tal"ic, a.

Defn: Pertaining to life; vital. [R.]

VITALISM Vi"tal*ism, n. (Biol.)

Defn: The doctrine that all the functions of a living organism are due to an unknown vital principle distinct from all chemical and physical forces.

VITALIST Vi`tal*ist, n. (Biol.)

Defn: A believer in the theory of vitalism; -- opposed to physicist.

VITALISTIC Vi`tal*is"tic, a. (Biol.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or involving, vitalism, or the theory of a special vital principle.

VITALITY Vi*tal"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. vitalitas: cf. F. vitalité.]

Defn: The quality or state of being vital; the principle of life; vital force; animation; as, the vitality of eggs or vegetable seeds; the vitality of an enterprise.

VITALIZATION Vi`tal*i*za"tion, n.

Defn: The act or process of vitalizing, or infusing the vital principle.

VITALIZE Vi"tal*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vitalized; p. pr. & vb. n. Vitalizing.] Etym: [Cf. F. vitaliser.]

Defn: To endow with life, or vitality; to give life to; to make alive; as, vitalized blood.

VITALLY Vi"tal*ly, adv.

Defn: In a vital manner.

VITALS Vi"tals, n. pl.

1. Organs that are necessary for life; more especially, the heart, lungs, and brain.

2. Fig.: The part essential to the life or health of anything; as, the vitals of a state. "The vitals of the public body." Glanvill.

VITASCOPE Vi"ta*scope, n. [L. vita life + -scope.]

Defn: A form of machine for exhibiting animated pictures.

VITELLARY Vit"el*la*ry, a. Etym: [L. vitellus a little calf, the yolk of an egg.] (Biol.)

Defn: Vitelline.

VITELLIGENOUS Vit`el*lig"e*nous, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Producing yolk, or vitelline substance; -- applied to certain cells (also called nutritive, or yolk, cells) formed in the ovaries of many insects, and supposed to supply nutriment to the developing ova.

VITELLIN Vi*tel"lin, n. Etym: [See Vitellus.] (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: An albuminous body, belonging to the class of globulins, obtained from yolk of egg, of which it is the chief proteid constituent, and from the seeds of many plants. From the latter it can be separated in crystalline form.

VITELLINE Vi*tel"line, a. Etym: [L. vitellus the yolk of an egg.] (Biol.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the yolk of eggs; as, the vitelline membrane, a smooth, transparent membrane surrounding the vitellus.

VITELLOGENE Vi*tel"lo*gene, n. Etym: [See Vitellus, and -gen.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A gland secreting the yolk of the eggs in trematodes, turbellarians, and some other helminths.

VITELLUS Vi*tel"lus, n. Etym: [L., the yolk of an egg.]

1. (Biol.)

Defn: The contents or substance of the ovum; egg yolk. See Illust. of Ovum.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: Perisperm in an early condition.

VITIATE Vi"ti*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vitiated; p. pr. & vb. n. Vitiating.] Etym: [L. vitiatus, p. p. vitiare to vitiate, fr. vitium a fault, vice. See Vice a fault.] [Written also viciate.]

1. To make vicious, faulty, or imperfect; to render defective; to injure the substance or qualities of; to impair; to contaminate; to spoil; as, exaggeration vitiates a style of writing; sewer gas vitiates the air. A will vitiated and growth out of love with the truth disposes the understanding to error and delusion. South. Without care it may be used to vitiate our minds. Burke. This undistinguishing complaisance will vitiate the taste of readers. Garth.

2. To cause to fail of effect, either wholly or in part; to make void; to destroy, as the validity or binding force of an instrument or transaction; to annul; as, any undue influence exerted on a jury vitiates their verdict; fraud vitiates a contract.

VITIATION Vi`ti*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. vitiatio.]

Defn: The act of vitiating, or the state of being vitiated; depravation; corruption; invalidation; as, the vitiation of the blood; the vitiation of a contract. The vitiation that breeds evil acts. G. Eliot.

VITICULOSE Vi*tic"u*lose`, a. Etym: [L. viticula, dim. of vitis vine.] (Bot.)

Defn: Having long and slender trailing stems.

VITICULTURAL Vit`i*cul"tur*al, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to viticulture.

VITICULTURE Vit"i*cul`ture, n. Etym: [L. vitis vine + E. culture.]

Defn: The cultivation of the vine; grape growing.

VITICULTURIST Vit`i*cul"tur*ist, n.

Defn: One engaged in viticulture.

VITILIGO Vit`i*li"go, n. Etym: [L., a kind of tetter, fr. vitium blemish, vice.] (Med.)

Defn: A rare skin disease consisting in the development of smooth, milk-white spots upon various parts of the body.

VITILITIGATE Vit`i*lit"i*gate, v. i. Etym: [L. vitilitigare to quarrel disgracefully; vitium vice + litigare to quarrel.]

Defn: To contend in law litigiously or cavilously. [Obs.]

VITILITIGATION Vit`i*lit`i*ga"tion, n.

Defn: Cavilous litigation; cavillation. [Obs.] Hudibras.

VITIOSITY Vi`ti*os"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. vitiositas. See Vicious.]

Defn: Viciousness; depravity. The perverseness and vitiosity of man's will. South.

VITIOUS; VITIOUSLY; VITIOUSNESS Vi"tious, a., Vi"tious*ly, adv., Vi"tious*ness, n.

Defn: See Vicious, Viciously, Viciousness.

VITIS Vi"tis, n. Etym: [L., a vine.] (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of plants including all true grapevines.

VITOE Vi"to*e, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Durukuli.

VITRAGE Vit"rage, n. [F., prop., glazing, glass window.]

Defn: A curtain of light and translucent material intended to be secured directly to the woodwork of a French casement window or a glazed door.

VITRELLA Vi*trel"la, n. Etym: [NL., dim. of L. vitrum glass.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of the transparent lenslike cells in the ocelli of certain arthropods.

VITREO-ELECTIC Vit`re*o-e*lec"tic, a. Etym: [See Vitreous, and Electric.] (Physics)

Defn: Containing or exhibiting positive, or vitreous, electricity.

VITREOUS Vit"re*ous, a. Etym: [L. vitreous, from vitrum glass; perhaps akin to videre to see (see Vision). Cf. Varnish.]

1. Consisting of, or resembling, glass; glassy; as, vitreous rocks.

2. Of or pertaining to glass; derived from glass; as, vitreous electricity. Vitreous body (Anat.), the vitreous humor. See the Note under Eye. -- Vitreous electricity (Elec.), the kind of electricity excited by rubbing glass with certain substances, as silk; positive electricity; -- opposed to resinous, or negative, electricity. -- Vitreous humor. (Anat.) See the Note under Eye. -- Vitreous sponge (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of siliceous sponges having, often fibrous, glassy spicules which are normally six-rayed; a hexactinellid sponge. See Venus's basket, under Venus.

VITREOUSNESS Vit"re*ous*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being vitreous.

VITRESCENCE Vi*tres"cence, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being vitreous; glassiness, or the quality of being vitrescent; capability of conversion into glass; susceptibility of being formed into glass. Kirwan.

VITRESCENT Vi*tres"cent, a. Etym: [See Vitreous.]

Defn: Capable of being formed into glass; tending to become glass.

VITRESCIBLE Vi*tres"ci*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vitrescible.]

Defn: That may be vitrified; vitrifiable.

VITRIC Vit"ric, a. Etym: [L. vitrum glass.]

Defn: Having the nature and qualities of glass; glasslike; -- distinguished from ceramic.

VITRICS Vit"rics, n. [See Vitric.]

1. The art or study of the manufacture and decoration of glassware.

2. pl. Articles of glassware, glassware in general.

VITRIFACTION Vit`ri*fac"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. Vitrification.]

Defn: The act, art, or process of vitrifying; also, the state of being vitrified.

VITRIFACTURE Vit`ri*fac"ture, n. Etym: [L. vitrum glass + facere, factum, to make.]

Defn: The manufacture of glass and glassware.

VITRIFIABLE Vit"ri*fi`a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vitrifiable.]

Defn: Capable of being vitrified, or converted into glass by heat and fusion; as, flint and alkalies are vitrifiable.

VITRIFICABLE Vi*trif"i*ca*ble, a.

Defn: Vitrifiable. [Obs.]

VITRIFICATE Vit"ri*fi*cate, v. t.

Defn: To convert into glass; to vitrify. [Obs.] Bacon.

VITRIFICATION Vit`ri*fi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [See Vitrify.]

Defn: Same as Vitrifaction. Sir T. Browne. Ure.

VITRIFIED Vit"ri*fied, a.

Defn: Converted into glass.

VITRIFORM Vit"ri*form, a. Etym: [L. vitrum glass + -form.]

Defn: Having the form or appearance of glass; resembling glass; glasslike.

VITRIFY Vit"ri*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vitrified; p. pr. & vb. n. Vitrifying.] Etym: [F. vitrifier; L. vitrum glass + -ficare to make. See Vitreous, -fy.]

Defn: To convert into, or cause to resemble, glass or a glassy substance, by heat and fusion.

VITRIFY Vit"ri*fy, v. t.

Defn: To become glass; to be converted into glass. Chymists make vessels of animal substances, calcined, which will not vitrify in the fire. Arbuthnot.

VITRINA Vi*tri"na, n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. vitrum glass.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A genus of terrestrial gastropods, having transparent, very thin, and delicate shells, -- whence the name.

VITRINE Vit"rine, n. [F.]

Defn: A glass show case for displaying fine wares, specimens, etc.

VITRIOL Vit"ri*ol, n. Etym: [F. vitriol; cf. Pr. vitriol, vetriol, Sp. & Pg. vitriolo, It. vitriuolo; fr. L. vitreolus of glass, vitreus vitreous. See Vitreous.] (Chem.) (a) A sulphate of any one of certain metals, as copper, iron, zinc, cobalt. So called on account of the glassy appearance or luster. (b) Sulphuric acid; -- called also oil of vitriol. So called because first made by the distillation of green vitriol. See Sulphuric acid, under Sulphuric. [Colloq.] Blue vitriol. See under Blue. -- Green vitriol, ferrous sulphate; copperas. See under Green. -- Oil of vitriol, sulphuric or vitriolic acid; -- popularly so called because it has the consistency of oil. -- Red vitriol, a native sulphate of cobalt. -- Vitriol of Mars, ferric sulphate, a white crystalline substance which dissolves in water, forming a red solution. -- White vitriol, zinc sulphate, a white crystalline substance used in medicine and in dyeing. It is usually obtained by dissolving zinc in sulphuric acid, or by roasting and oxidizing certain zinc ores. Formerly called also vitriol of zinc.

VITRIOLATE Vit"ri*o*late, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vitriolated; p. pr. & vb. n. Vitriolating.] (Old Chem.) (a) To convert into, or change to, a vitriol; to make into sulphuric acid or a sulphate. (b) To subject to the action of, or impregnate with, vitriol.

VITRIOLATE Vit"ri*o*late, a.

Defn: Vitriolated. [R.]

VITRIOLATE Vit"ri*o*late, n. (Old Chem.)

Defn: A sulphate.

VITRIOLATED Vit"ri*o*la`ted, a. (Old Chem.)

Defn: Changed into a vitriol or a sulphate, or subjected to the action of sulphuric acid or of a sulphate; as, vitriolated potash, i. e., potassium sulphate.

VITRIOLATION Vit`ri*o*la"tion, n. (Old Chem.)

Defn: The act, process, or result of vitriolating.

VITRIOLIC Vit`ri*ol"ic, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vitriolique.] (Chem.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to vitriol; derived from, or resembling, vitriol; vitriolous; as, a vitriolic taste. Cf. Vitriol. Vitriolic acid (Old Chem.), (a) sulphuric acid. See Vitriol (b). [Colloq.]

VITRIOLIZABLE Vit"ri*ol*i`za*ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being converted into a vitriol.

VITRIOLIZATION Vit`ri*ol*i*za"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vitriolisation.] (Old Chem.)

Defn: The act of vitriolizing, or the state of being vitriolized; vitriolation.

VITRIOLIZE Vit"ri*ol*ize, v. t. Etym: [Cf. F. vitrioliser.]

Defn: To convert into a vitriol; to vitriolate.

VITRIOLOUS Vi*tri"o*lous, a.

Defn: See Vitriolic. [Obs.]

VITRITE Vit"rite, n. Etym: [L. vitrum glass.]

Defn: A kind of glass which is very hard and difficult to fuse, used as an insulator in electrical lamps and other apparatus.

VITRO-DI-TRINA Vit"ro-di-tri"na, n. [It. vetro di trina glass of lace.]

Defn: A kind of Venetian glass or glassware in which white threads are embedded in transparent glass with a lacelike or netlike effect.

VITRUVIAN Vi*tru"vi*an, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to Vitruvius, an ancient Roman architect. Vitruvian scroll (Arch.), a name given to a peculiar pattern of scrollwork, consisting of convolved undulations. It is used in classical architecture. Oxf. Gloss.

VITTA Vit"ta, n.; pl. Vittæ. Etym: [L. vitta ribbon, fillet.]

1. (Bot.)

Defn: One of the oil tubes in the fruit of umbelliferous plants.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A band, or stripe, of color.

VITTATE Vit"tate, a. Etym: [L. vittatus bound with a fillet, fr. vitta fillet.]

1. (Bot.)

Defn: Bearing or containing vittæ.

2. Striped longitudinally.

VITULINE Vit"u*line, a. Etym: [L. vitulinus, fr. vitulus a calf. See Veal.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to a calf or veal.

VITUPERABLE Vi*tu"per*a*ble, a. Etym: [L. vituperabilis: cf. F. vitupérable.]

Defn: Liable to, or deserving, vituperation, or severe censure.

VITUPERATE Vi*tu"per*ate, v. t. Etym: [L. vituperatus, p. p. of vituperare to blame, vituperate; vitium a fault + parare to prepare. See Vice a fault, and Pare, v. t.]

Defn: To find fault with; to scold; to overwhelm with wordy abuse; to censure severely or abusively; to rate.

VITUPERATION Vi*tu`per*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. vituperatio: cf. OF. vituperation. See Vituperate.]

Defn: The act of vituperating; abuse; severe censure; blame. When a man becomes untractable and inaccessible by fierceness and pride, then vituperation comes upon him. Donne.

VITUPERATIVE Vi*tu"per*a*tive, a.

Defn: Uttering or writing censure; containing, or characterized by, abuse; scolding; abusive. -- Vi*tu"per*a*tive*ly, adv. Vituperative appellations derived from their real or supposed ill qualities. B. Jonson.

VITUPERATOR Vi*tu"per*a`tor, n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: One who vituperates, or censures abusively.

VITUPERRIOUS Vi`tu*per"ri*ous, a.

Defn: Worthy of vituperation; shameful; disgraceful. [Obs.]

VIVACE Vi*va"ce, a. & adv. Etym: [It.] (Mus.)

Defn: Brisk; vivacious; with spirit; -- a direction to perform a passage in a brisk and lively manner.

VIVACIOUS Vi*va"cious, a. Etym: [L. vívax, -acis, fr. vivere to live. See Vivid.]

1. Having vigorous powers of life; tenacious of life; long-lived. [Obs.] Hitherto the English bishops have been vivacious almost to wonder. . . . But five died for the first twenty years of her [Queen Elizabeth's] reign. Fuller. The faith of Christianity is far more vivacious than any mere ravishment of the imagination can ever be. I. Taylor.

2. Sprightly in temper or conduct; lively; merry; as, a vivacious poet. "Vivacious nonsense." V. Knox.

3. (Bot.)

Defn: Living through the winter, or from year to year; perennial. [R.]

Syn. -- Sprightly; active; animated; sportive; gay; merry; jocund; light- hearted. -- Vi*va"cious*ly, adv. -- Vi*va"cious*ness, n.

VIVACITY Vi*vac"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. vivicitas: cf. F. vivacité.]

Defn: The quality or state of being vivacious. Specifically: -- (a) Tenacity of life; vital force; natural vigor. [Obs.] The vivacity of some of these pensioners is little less than a miracle, they lived so long. Fuller.

(b) Life; animation; spiritedness; liveliness; sprightliness; as, the vivacity of a discourse; a lady of great vivacity; vivacity of countenance.

Syn. -- Liveliness; gayety. See Liveliness.

VIVANDIER Vi`van`dier", n. [OF. & F. vivandier, fr. LL. vivanda, vivenda, provisions. Cf. Viand.]

Defn: In Continental armies, esp. the French, a sutler.

VIVANDIERE Vi`van`dière", n. Etym: [F. See Viand.]

Defn: In Continental armies, especially in the French army, a woman accompanying a regiment, who sells provisions and liquor to the soldiers; a female sutler.

VIVARIUM Vi*va"ri*um, n.; pl. E. Vivariums, L. Vivaria. Etym: [L., fr. vivarius belonging to living creatures, fr. vivus alive, living. See Vivid.]

Defn: A place artificially arranged for keeping or raising living animals, as a park, a pond, an aquarium, a warren, etc.

VIVARY Vi"va*ry, n.; pl. Vivaries (.

Defn: A vivarium. "That . . . vivary of fowls and beasts." Donne.

VIVA VOCE Vi"va vo"ce. Etym: [L.]

Defn: By word of mouth; orally.

VIVDA Viv"da, n.

Defn: See Vifda.

VIVE Vive (vev). Etym: [F., imperative sing. pres. fr. vivre to live, L. vivere.]

Defn: Long live, that is, success to; as, vive le roi, long live the king; vive la bagatelle, success to trifles or sport.

VIVE Vive (viv), a. Etym: [L. vivus: cf. F. vif. See Vivid.]

Defn: Lively; animated; forcible. [Obs.] Bacon.

VIVELY Vive"ly, adv.

Defn: In a lively manner. [Obs.] If I see a thing vively represented on the stage. B. Jonson.

VIVENCY Vi"ven*cy, n. Etym: [L. vivens, p. pr. of vivere to live.]

Defn: Manner of supporting or continuing life or vegetation. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

VIVERRA Vi*ver"ra, n. Etym: [L., a ferret.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A genus of carnivores which comprises the civets.

VIVERRINE Vi*ver"rine, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the Viverridæ, or Civet family.

VIVERS Vi"vers, n. pl. Etym: [F. vivres, pl. of vivre, orig., to live.]

Defn: Provisions; victuals. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] I 'll join you at three, if the vivers can tarry so long. Sir W. Scott.

VIVES Vives, n. Etym: [OF. vives, F. avives (cf. Sp. abivas, adiva) fr. Ar. ad-dhiba. Cf. Fives vives.] (Far.)

Defn: A disease of brute animals, especially of horses, seated in the glands under the ear, where a tumor is formed which sometimes ends in suppuration.

VIVIANITE Viv"i*an*ite, n. Etym: [So called by Werner after the English mineralogist F. G. Vivian.] (Min.)

Defn: A hydrous phosphate of iron of a blue to green color, growing darker on exposure. It occurs in monoclinic crystals, also fibrous, massive, and earthy.

VIVID Viv"id, a. Etym: [L. vividus, from vivere to life; akin to vivus living. See Quick, a., and cf. Revive, Viand, Victuals, Vital.]

1. True to the life; exhibiting the appearance of life or freshness; animated; spirited; bright; strong; intense; as, vivid colors. In dazzling streaks the vivid lightnings play. Cowper. Arts which present, with all the vivid charms of painting, the human face and human form divine. Bp. Hobart.

2. Forming brilliant images, or painting in lively colors; lively; sprightly; as, a vivid imagination. Body is a fit workhouse for sprightly, vivid faculties to exercise . . . themselves in. South.

Syn. -- Clear; lucid; bright; strong; striking; lively; quick; sprightly; active. -- Viv"id*ly, adv. -- Viv"id*ness, n.

VIVIDITY Vi*vid"i*ty, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being vivid; vividness. [R.]

VIVIFIC; VIVIFICAL Vi*vif"ic, Vi*vif"ic*al, a. Etym: [L. vivificus: cf. F. vivifique. See Vivify.]

Defn: Giving life; reviving; enlivening. [R.]

VIVIFICATE Vi*vif"i*cate, v. t. Etym: [L. vivificatus, p. p. vivificare. See Vivify.]

1. To give life to; to animate; to revive; to vivify. [R.] God vivificates and actuates the whole world. Dr. H. More.

2. (Chem.)

Defn: To bring back a metal to the metallic form, as from an oxide or solution; to reduce. [Obs.]

VIVIFICATION Viv`i*fi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [L. vivificatio: cf. vivification.]

1. The act of vivifying, or the state of being vivified; restoration of life; revival. Bacon.

2. (Physiol.)

Defn: One of the changes of assimilation, in which proteid matter which has been transformed, and made a part of the tissue or tissue cells, is endowed with life, and thus enabled to manifest the phenomena of irritability, contractility, etc. McKendrick.

3. (Chem.)

Defn: The act or process of vivificating. [Obs.]

VIVIFICATIVE Viv"i*fi*ca*tive, a.

Defn: Able or tending to vivify, animate, or give life; vivifying.

VIVIFY Viv"i*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vivified; p. pr. & vb. n. Vivifying.] Etym: [F. vivifier, L. vivificare. See Vivid, -fy; cf. Vivificate.]

Defn: To endue with life; to make to be living; to quicken; to animate. Sitting on eggs doth vivify, not nourish. Bacon.

VIVIPARA Vi*vip"a*ra, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Viviparous.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: An artificial division of vertebrates including those that produce their young alive; -- opposed to Ovipara.

VIVIPARITY Viv`i*par"i*ty, n. (Biol.)

Defn: The quality or condition of being viviparous. H. Spencer.

VIVIPAROUS Vi*vip"a*rous, a. Etym: [L. viviparus; vivus alive + parere to bear, bring forth. Cf. Viper.] (Biol.)

Defn: Producing young in a living state, as most mammals, or as those plants the offspring of which are produced alive, either by bulbs instead of seeds, or by the seeds themselves germinating on the plant, instead of falling, as they usually do; -- opposed to oviparous. Viviparous fish. (Zoöl.) See Embiotocoid. -- Viviparous shell (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of operculated fresh-water gastropods belonging to Viviparus, Melantho, and allied genera. Their young, when born, have a well-developed spiral shell.

VIVIPAROUSLY Vi*vip"a*rous*ly, adv. (Biol.)

Defn: In a viviparous manner.

VIVIPAROUSNESS Vi*vip"a*rous*ness, n. (Biol.)

Defn: The quality of being viviparous; viviparity.

VIVISECT Viv"i*sect`, v. t.

Defn: To perform vivisection upon; to dissect alive. [Colloq.] Pop. Sci. Monthly.

VIVISECTION Viv`i*sec"tion, n. Etym: [L. vivus alive + E. section: cf. F. vivisection. See Vivid, and Section.]

Defn: The dissection of an animal while alive, for the purpose of making physiological investigations.

VIVISECTIONAL Viv`i*sec"tion*al, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to vivisection.

VIVISECTIONIST Viv`i*sec"tion*ist, n.

Defn: One who practices or advocates vivisection; a vivisector.

VIVISECTOR Viv`i*sec"tor, n.

Defn: A vivisectionist.

VIXEN Vix"en, n. Etym: [AS. fixen a she-fox, for fyxen, fem. of fox. See Fox.]

1. A female fox. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

2. A cross, ill-tempered person; -- formerly used of either sex, now only of a woman. Barrow. She was a vixen when she went to school. Shak.

VIXENISH Vix"en*ish, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to a vixen; resembling a vixen.

VIXENLY Vix"en*ly, a.

Defn: Like a vixen; vixenish. Barrow.

VIZ Viz, adv. Etym: [Contr. fr. videlicet.]

Defn: To wit; that is; namely.

VIZARD Viz"ard, n. Etym: [See Visor.]

Defn: A mask; a visor. [Archaic] "A grotesque vizard." Sir W. Scott. To mislead and betray them under the vizard of law. Milton.

VIZARDED Viz"ard*ed, a.

Defn: Wearing a vizard. [R.] Shak.

VIZCACHA Viz*ca"cha, n. Etym: [Sp.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Viscacha.

VIZIER Viz"ier, n. Etym: [Ar. wezir, wazir, properly, a bearer of burdens, a porter, from wazara to bear a burden: cf. F. vizir, visir. Cf. Alguazil.]

Defn: A councilor of state; a high executive officer in Turkey and other Oriental countries. [Written also visier, vizir, and vizer.] Grand vizier, the chief minister of the Turkish empire; -- called also vizier-azem.

VIZIERATE Viz"ier*ate, n. Etym: [Cf. F. vizirat.]

Defn: The office, dignity, or authority of a vizier.

VIZIER-AZEM Vi*zier`-a*zem", n. Etym: [Ar. azam great. See Vizier.]

Defn: A grand vizier. See under Vizier.

VIZIERIAL Vi*zier"i*al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. vizirial.]

Defn: Of, pertaining to, or issued by, a vizier. [Written also vizirial.]

VIZIR Vi*zir", n.

Defn: See Vizier.

VIZOR Viz"or, n.

Defn: See Visor.

VLISSMAKI Vliss*ma"ki, n. Etym: [From the native name.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The diadem indris. See Indris.