Vagabond Vag"a·bond adjective [ French, from Latin 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 noun 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.

» 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 , noun , 1. Burrill. Bouvier.

Vagabond Vag"a·bond intransitive verb 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 noun [ Confer French vagabondage .] The condition of a vagabond; a state or habit of wandering about in idleness; vagrancy.

Vagabondism Vag"a·bond`ism noun Vagabondage.

Vagabondize Vag"a·bond`ize intransitive verb To play the vagabond; to wander about in idleness.

Vagabondry Vag"a·bond`ry noun Vagabondage.

Vagal Va"gal adjective [ See Vagus .] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the vagus, or pneumogastric nerves; pneumogastric.

Vagancy Va"gan·cy noun [ From Latin vagans , present participle See Vagantes .] A wandering; vagrancy. [ Obsolete]

A thousand vagancies of glory and desight.

Milton.

Vagantes Va·gan"tes noun plural [ New Latin , from Latin vagans , present participle of vagari to stroll or wander.] (Zoology) 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 adjective Given to, or characterized by, vagaries; capricious; whimsical; crochety.

Vagary Va·ga"ry noun ; plural Vagaries . [ Latin vagari to stroll about. See Vague .]

1. A wandering or strolling. [ Obsolete]

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 adjective [ Latin vagiens , present participle of vagire to cry like a young child.] Crying like a child. [ Obsolete]

Vagina Va·gi"na noun ; plural Vaginĉ . [ Latin 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. (Zoology) The terminal part of the oviduct in insects and various other invertebrates. See Illust. , of Spermatheca .

3. (Botany) The basal expansion of certain leaves, which inwraps the stem; a sheath.

4. (Architecture) The shaft of a terminus, from which the bust of figure seems to issue or arise.

Vaginal Vag"i·nal adjective [ Confer French 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.) Of or pertaining to the vagina of the genital canal; as, the vaginal artery.

Vaginant Vag"i·nant adjective [ Confer French vaginant . See Vagina .] Serving to in invest, or sheathe; sheathing.

Vaginant leaf (Botany) , 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 adjective [ See Vagina .] 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 noun plural [ New Latin ] (Zoology) A tribe of birds comprising the sheathbills.

Vaginervose Vag`i·ner·vose" adjective [ Latin vagus wandering + English nervose .] (Botany) Having the nerves, or veins, placed in apparent disorder.

Vaginicola Vag`i·nic"o·la noun [ New Latin , from Latin vagina sheath + colere to in habit.] (Zoology) A genus of Infusoria which form minute vaselike or tubular cases in which they dwell.

Vaginismus Vag`i·nis"mus noun [ New Latin ] (Medicine) A painful spasmodic contraction of the vagina, often rendering copulation impossible.

Vaginitis Vag`i·ni"tis noun [ New Latin See Vagina , and -itis .] (Medicine) Inflammation of the vagina, or the genital canal, usually of its mucous living membrane.

Vaginopennous Vag`i·no·pen"nous adjective [ Latin vagina a sheath + penna a feather, plural pennae a wing.] (Zoology) Having elytra; sheath-winged. [ R.]

Vaginula Va·gin"u·la noun [ Latin , dim. of vagina sheath.] (Botany) (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 noun (Botany) A vaginula.

Vagissate Vag"is·sate intransitive verb [ Latin vagari to stroll or wander.] To caper or frolic. [ Obsolete]

Vagous Va"gous adjective [ Latin vagus . See Vague .] Wandering; unsettled. [ Obsolete] Ayliffe.

Vagrancy Va"gran·cy noun 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 adjective [ Probably from Old French waucrant , wacrant , past participle of waucrer , wacrer , walcrer , to wander (probably of Teutonic origin), but influenced by French vagant , present participle of vaguer to stray, Latin vagari . Confer 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 noun 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 adverb In a vagrant manner.

Vagrantness Va"grant·ness noun State of being vagrant; vagrancy.

Vague Vague (vāg) adjective [ Compar. Vaguer (vāg"ẽr); superl. Vaguest .] [ French vague , or Latin vagus . See Vague , intransitive verb ]

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 vague .

Longfellow.

Vague year . See Sothiac year , under Sothiac .

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

Vague Vague noun [ Confer French vague .] An indefinite expanse. [ R.]

The gray vague of unsympathizing sea.

Lowell.

Vague Vague intransitive verb [ French vaguer , Latin vagari , from vagus roaming.] To wander; to roam; to stray. [ Obsolete] "[ The soul] doth vague and wander." Holland.

Vague Vague noun A wandering; a vagary. [ Obsolete] Holinshed.

Vaguely Vague"ly adverb In a vague manner.

What he vaguely hinted at, but dared not speak.

Hawthorne.

Vagueness Vague"ness noun The quality or state of being vague.

Vagus Va"gus adjective [ Latin , wandering.] (Anat.) Wandering; -- applied especially to the pneumogastric nerve. -- noun The vagus, ore pneumogastric, nerve.

Vail Vail noun & transitive verb Same as Veil .

Vail Vail noun [ Aphetic form of avail , noun ]

1. Avails; profit; return; proceeds. [ Obsolete]

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. [ Obsolete]

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

Vail Vail transitive verb [ Aphetic form of avale . See Avale , Vale .] [ Written also vale , and veil .] 1. To let fail; to allow or cause to sink. [ Obsolete]

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 intransitive verb To yield or recede; to give place; to show respect by yielding, uncovering, or the like. [ Written also vale , and veil .] [ Obsolete]

Thy convenience must vail to thy neighbor's necessity.

South.

Vail Vail noun Submission; decline; descent. [ Obsolete]

Vailer Vail"er noun One who vails. [ Obsolete] Overbury.

Vaimure Vai"mure noun An outer, or exterior. wall. See Vauntmure . [ Obsolete] Hakluyt.

Vain Vain adjective [ Compar. Vainer ; superl. Vainest .] [ French vain , Latin vanus empty, void, vain. Confer 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 noun Vanity; emptiness; -- now used only in the phrase in vain .

For vain . See In vain . [ Obsolete] Shak. -- In vain , to no purpose; without effect; ineffectually. " In vain doth valor bleed." Milton. " In vain they do worship me." Matt. xv. 9. -- To take the name of God in vain , to use the name of God with levity or profaneness.

Vainglorious Vain`glo"ri·ous adjective Feeling or indicating vainglory; elated by vanity; boastful. "Arrogant and vainglorious expression." Sir M. Hale. -- Vain`glo"ri*ous*ly , adverb -- Vain`glo"ri*ous*ness , noun

Vainglory Vain`glo"ry noun [ Vain + glory .] Excessive vanity excited by one's own performances; empty pride; undue elation of mind; vain show; boastfulness.

He had nothing of vainglory .

Bacon.

The man's undone forever; for if Hector break not his neck i' the combat, he'll break't himself in vainglory .

Shak.

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