Vestryman Ves"try·man noun ; plural Vestrymen A member of a vestry; especially (Prot. Epis. Ch.) , a member other than a warden. See Vestry .

Vesture Ves"ture noun [ Old French vesture , vesteure , French vêture , Late Latin vestitura , from Latin vestire to clothe, dress. See Vest , transitive verb , and confer Vestiture .] 1. A garment or garments; a robe; clothing; dress; apparel; vestment; covering; envelope. Piers Plowman.

Approach, and kiss her sacred vesture's hem.

Milton.

Rocks, precipices, and gulfs, appareled with a vesture of plants.

Bentley.

There polished chests embroidered vestures graced.

Pope.

2. (O. Eng. Law) (a) The corn, grass, underwood, stubble, etc., with which land was covered; as, the vesture of an acre. (b) Seizin; possession.

Vestured Ves"tured adjective Covered with vesture or garments; clothed; enveloped.

We be vestured with poor cloth.

Ld. Berners.

Vesuvian Ve·su"vi·an adjective [ Confer French Vésuvien , Italian Vesuviano .] Of or pertaining to Vesuvius, a volcano near Naples.

Vesuvian Ve·su"vi·an noun [ German vesuvian . See Vesuvian , adjective ] (Min.) Vesuvianite.

Vesuvian Ve·su"vi·an noun A kind of match or fusee for lighting cigars, etc.

Vesuvianite Ve·su"vi·an·ite noun (Min.) A mineral occurring in tetragonal crystals, and also massive, of a brown to green color, rarely sulphur yellow and blue. It is a silicate of alumina and lime with some iron magnesia, and is common at Vesuvius. Also called idocrase .

Vesuvine Ve·su"vine noun A trade name for a brown dyestuff obtained from certain basic azo compounds of benzene; -- called also Bismarck brown , Manchester brown , etc.

Vetch Vetch noun [ Also fitch ; Middle English ficche , feche , for veche , Old French veche , vecce , vesche , vesce , French vesce , from Latin vicia .] (Botany) Any leguminous plant of the genus Vicia , some species of which are valuable for fodder. The common species is V. sativa .

» The name is also applied to many other leguminous plants of different genera; as the chichling vetch, of the genus Lathyrus ; the horse vetch, of the genus Hippocrepis ; the kidney vetch ( Anthyllis vulneraria ); the milk vetch, of the genus Astragalus ; the licorice vetch, or wild licorice ( Abrus precatorius ).

Vetchling Vetch"ling noun [ Vetch + - ling .] (Botany) Any small leguminous plant of the genus Lathyrus , especially Latin Nissolia .

Vetchy Vetch"y adjective 1. Consisting of vetches or of pea straw. "A vetchy bed." Spenser.

2. Abounding with vetches.

Veteran Vet"er·an adjective [ Latin veteranus , from vetus , veteris , old; akin to Greek ... year, Sanskrit vatsara . See Wether .] Long exercised in anything, especially in military life and the duties of a soldier; long practiced or experienced; as, a veteran officer or soldier; veteran skill.

The insinuating eloquence and delicate flattery of veteran diplomatists and courtiers.

Macaulay.

Veteran Vet"er·an noun [ Latin veteranus (sc. miles ): confer French vétéran .] One who has been long exercised in any service or art, particularly in war; one who has had.

Ensigns that pierced the foe's remotest lines,
The hardy veteran with tears resigns.

Addison.

» In the United States, during the civil war, soldiers who had served through one term of enlistment and had reënlisted were specifically designated veterans .

Veteranize Vet"er·an·ize intransitive verb To reënlist for service as a soldier. [ U. S.] Gen. W. T. Sherman.

Veterinarian Vet`er·i·na"ri·an noun [ Latin veterinarius . See Veterinary .] One skilled in the diseases of cattle or domestic animals; a veterinary surgeon.

Veterinary Vet"er·i·na·ry adjective [ Latin veterinarius of or belonging to beasts of burden an draught, from veterinus , probably originally, of or pertaining to yearlings: confer French vétérinaire . See Veteran , Wether .] Of or pertaining to the art of healing or treating the diseases of domestic animals, as oxen, horses, sheep, etc.; as, a veterinary writer or school.

Vetiver Vet"i·ver noun (Botany) An East Indian grass ( Andropogon muricatus ); also, its fragrant roots which are much used for making mats and screens. Also called kuskus , and khuskhus . [ Sometimes written vetivert , and vitivert .]

Veto Ve"to noun ; plural Vetoes [ Latin veto I forbid.]

1. An authoritative prohibition or negative; a forbidding; an interdiction.

This contemptuous veto of her husband's on any intimacy with her family.

G. Eliot.

2. Specifically: --

(a) A power or right possessed by one department of government to forbid or prohibit the carrying out of projects attempted by another department; especially, in a constitutional government, a power vested in the chief executive to prevent the enactment of measures passed by the legislature. Such a power may be absolute, as in the case of the Tribunes of the People in ancient Rome, or limited, as in the case of the President of the United States. Called also the veto power .

(b) The exercise of such authority; an act of prohibition or prevention; as, a veto is probable if the bill passes.

(c) A document or message communicating the reasons of the executive for not officially approving a proposed law; -- called also veto message . [ U. S.]

» Veto is not a term employed in the Federal Constitution, but seems to be of popular use only. Abbott.

Veto Ve"to transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Vetoed ; present participle & verbal noun Vetoing .] To prohibit; to negative; also, to refuse assent to, as a legislative bill, and thus prevent its enactment; as, to veto an appropriation bill.

Vetoist Ve"to·ist noun One who uses, or sustains the use of, the veto.

Vettura Vet·tu"ra noun ; plural Vetture . [ Italian vettura , from Latin vectura conveyance. Confer Vecture .] An Italian four-wheeled carriage, esp. one let for hire; a hackney coach.

Vetturino Vet`tu·ri"no noun ; plural Vetturini . [ Italian ] 1. One who lets or drives a vettura.

2. A vettura.

Vetust Ve·tust" adjective [ Latin vetustus old, ancient.] Venerable from antiquity; ancient; old. [ Obsolete]

Vex Vex transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Vexed ; present participle & verbal noun Vexing .] [ French vexer , Latin vexare , vexatum , to vex, originally, to shake, toss, in carrying, v. intens. from vehere , vectum , to carry. See Vehicle .] 1. To to...s back and forth; to agitate; to disquiet.

White curl the waves, and the vexed ocean roars.

Pope.

2. To make angry or annoyed by little provocations; to irritate; to plague; to torment; to harass; to afflict; to trouble; to tease. "I will not vex your souls." Shak.

Then thousand torments vex my heart.

Prior.

3. To twist; to weave. [ R.]

Some English wool, vexed in a Belgian loom.

Dryden.

Syn. -- See Tease .

Vex Vex intransitive verb To be irritated; to fret. [ R.] Chapman.

Vexation Vex·a"tion noun [ Latin vexatio : confer French vexation .] 1. The act of vexing, or the state of being vexed; agitation; disquiet; trouble; irritation.

Passions too violent . . . afford us nothing but vexation and pain.

Sir W. Temple.

Those who saw him after a defeat looked in vain for any trace of vexation .

Macaulay.

2. The cause of trouble or disquiet; affliction.

Your children were vexation to your youth.

Shak.

3. A harassing by process of law; a vexing or troubling, as by a malicious suit. Bacon.

Syn. -- Chagrin; agitation; mortification; uneasiness; trouble; grief; sorrow; distress. See Chagrin .

Vexatious Vex·a"tious adjective [ See Vexation .] 1. Causing vexation; agitating; afflictive; annoying; as, a vexatious controversy; a vexatious neighbor. "Continual vexatious wars." South.

2. Full or vexation, trouble, or disquiet; disturbed.

He leads a vexatious life.

Sir K. Digby.

Vexatious suit (Law) , a suit commenced for the purpose of giving trouble, or without cause.

-- Vex*a"tious*ly , adverb -- Vex*a"tious*ness , noun

Vexed Vexed adjective 1. Annoyed; harassed; troubled.

2. Much debated or contested; causing discussion; as, a vexed question.

Vexer Vex"er noun One who vexes or troubles.

Vexil Vex"il noun A vexillum.

Vexillar, Vexillary Vex"il·lar, Vex"il·la·ry [ Confer French vexillaire , Latin vexillarius a standard bearer.]

1. Of or pertaining to an ensign or standard.

2. (Botany) Of or pertaining to the vexillum, or upper petal of papilionaceous flowers.

Vexilary æstivation (Botany) , a mode of æstivation in which one large upper petal folds over, and covers, the other smaller petals, as in most papilionaceous plants.

Vexillary Vex"il·la·ry noun [ Latin vexillarius : confer French vexillaire .] A standard bearer. Tennyson.

Vexillation Vex`il·la"tion noun [ Latin vexillatio .] (Rom. Antiq.) A company of troops under one vexillum.

Vexillum Vex·il"lum noun ; plural Vexilla . [ Latin , a standard, a flag.] 1. (Rom. Antiq.) (a) A flag or standard. (b) A company of troops serving under one standard.

2. (Eccl.) (a) A banner. (b) The sign of the cross.

3. (Botany) The upper petal of a papilionaceous flower; the standard.

4. (Zoology) The rhachis and web of a feather taken together; the vane.

Vexingly Vex"ing·ly adverb In a vexing manner; so as to vex, tease, or irritate. Tatler.

Vi-apple Vi"-ap`ple noun See Otaheite apple .

Via Vi"a noun [ Latin See Way .] A road way.

Via Lactea [ Latin ] (Anat.) , the Milky Way, or Galaxy. See Galaxy , 1. -- Via media [ Latin ] (Theol.) , the middle way; -- a name applied to their own position by the Anglican high-churchmen, as being between the Roman Catholic Church and what they term extreme Protestantism.

Via Vi"a preposition [ Latin , ablative of via way. See Way .] By the way of; as, to send a letter via Queenstown to London.

Viability Vi`a·bil"i·ty noun The quality or state of being viable. Specifically: --

(a) (Law) The capacity of living after birth. Bouvier.

(b) The capacity of living, or being distributed, over wide geographical limits; as, the viability of a species.

Viable Vi"a·ble adjective [ French, from vie life, Latin vita . See Vital .] (Law) Capable of living; born alive and with such form and development of organs as to be capable of living; -- said of a newborn, or a prematurely born, infant.

» Unless he [ an infant] is born viable , he acquires no rights, and can not transmit them to his heirs, and is considered as if he had never been born. Bouvier.

Viaduct Vi`a·duct noun [ Latin via a way + - duct , as in aqueduct : confer French viaduc . See Via , and Aqueduct .] A structure of considerable magnitude, usually with arches or supported on trestles, for carrying a road, as a railroad, high above the ground or water; a bridge; especially, one for crossing a valley or a gorge. Confer Trestlework .

Viage Vi"age noun [ See Voyage .] A voyage; a journey. [ Obsolete] Chaucer. Gower.

Vial Vi"al noun [ Middle English viole , fiole , French fiole . See Phial .] A small bottle, usually of glass; a little glass vessel with a narrow aperture intended to be closed with a stopper; as, a vial of medicine. [ Written also phial .]

Take thou this vial , being then in bed,
And this distilled liquor thou off.

Shak.

Vial Vi"al transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Vialed or Vialled ; present participle & verbal noun Vialing or Vialling .] To put in a vial or vials. "Precious vialed liquors." Milton.

Viameter Vi·am"e·ter noun [ Latin via a way + -meter .] An odometer; -- called also viatometer .

Viand Vi"and noun [ French viande meat, food, Late Latin vianda , vivanda , vivenda , properly, things to live on, from Latin vivere to live; akin to vivus living. See Vivid , and confer Victualis .] An article of food; provisions; food; victuals; -- used chiefly in the plural. Cowper.

Viands of various kinds allure the taste.

Pope.

Viander Vi"and·er noun A feeder; an eater; also, one who provides viands, or food; a host. [ Obsolete] Holinshed.

Viary Vi"a·ry adjective [ Latin viarius , from via a way, road.] Of or pertaining to roads; happening on roads. [ Obsolete]

Viatecture Vi"a·tec`ture noun [ Latin via way + -tecture , as in architecture .] The art of making roads or ways for traveling, including the construction of bridges, canals, viaducts, etc. [ R.] R. Park.

Viatic Vi·at"ic adjective [ Latin viaticus , from via a way. See Voyage .] Of or pertaining to a journey or traveling.

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