Vainly Vain"ly adverb In a vain manner; in vain.
Vainness Vain"ness noun The quality or state of being vain.
Vair Vair noun [ French
vair , from Old French
vair , adjective , Latin
varius various, variegated. See
Various , and confer
Menivel .]
The skin of the squirrel, much used in the fourteenth century as fur for garments, and frequently mentioned by writers of that period in describing the costly dresses of kings, nobles, and prelates. It is represented in heraldry by a series of small shields placed close together, and alternately white and blue. Fairholt. No vair or ermine decked his garment.
Sir W. Scott. Counter vair (Her.) ,
a fur resembling vair, except in the arrangement of the patches or figures.
Vairy Vair"y adjective [ French
vairé . See
Vair ,
noun ]
(Her.) Charged with vair; variegated with shield-shaped figures. See Vair .
Vaishnava Vaish"na·va (vīsh"nȧ*vȧ)
noun [ Sanskrit
vaishnava .]
(Hindu Myth.) A worshiper of the god Vishnu in any of his incarnations.
Vaishnavism Vaish"na·vism noun The worship of Vishnu.
Vaisya Vais"ya noun [ Sanskrit
vaiçya .]
The third of the four great original castes among the Hindus, now either extinct or partially represented by the mercantile class of Banyas. See the Note under Caste , 1.
Vaivode Vai"vode noun [ Confer French
vayvode . See
Waywode .]
See Waywode .
Vakeel Va·keel" noun [ Arabic
wakīl .]
A native attorney or agent; also, an ambassador. [ India]
Valance Val"ance noun [ Perhaps from Old French
avalant descending, hanging down, present participle of
avaler to go down, let down, descent (cf.
Avalanche ); but probably from the town of
Valence in France.]
1. Hanging drapery for a bed, couch, window, or the like, especially that which hangs around a bedstead, from the bed to the floor. [ Written also
valence .]
Valance of Venice gold in needlework.
Shak. 2. The drooping edging of the lid of a trunk. which covers the joint when the lid is closed.
Valance Val"ance transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Valanced ;
present participle & verbal noun Valancing .]
To furnish with a valance; to decorate with hangings or drapery. His old fringed chair valanced around with party- colored worsted bobs.
Sterne.
Vale Vale noun [ Middle English
val , French
val , Latin
vallis ; perhaps akin to Greek ... low ground, marsh meadow. Confer
Avalanche ,
Vail to lower,
Valley .]
A tract of low ground, or of land between hills; a valley. " Make me a cottage in the
vale ."
Tennyson. Beyond this vale of tears there is a life above.
Montgomery. In those fair vales , by nature formed to please.
Harte. »
Vale is more commonly used in poetry, and
valley in prose and common discourse.
Syn. -- Valley; dingle; dell; dale.
Vale Vale noun See 2d Vail , 3.
Valediction Val`e·dic"tion noun [ Latin ,
valedicere ,
valedictum , to say farewell;
vale farewell (imperative of
valere to be strong or well) +
dicere to say. See
Valiant ,
Diction .]
A farewell; a bidding farewell. Donne.
Valedictorian Val`e·dic·to"ri·an noun One who pronounces a valedictory address; especially, in American colleges, the student who pronounces the valedictory of the graduating class at the annual commencement, usually the student who ranks first in scholarship.
Valedictory Val`e·dic"to·ry adjective Bidding farewell; suitable or designed for an occasion of leave-taking; as, a valedictory oration.
Valedictory Val`e·dic"to·ry noun ;
plural Valedictories A valedictory oration or address spoken at commencement in American colleges or seminaries by one of the graduating class, usually by the leading scholar.
Valence Va"lence noun [ From Latin
valens ,
- entis , present participle of
valere to have power, to be strong. See
Valiant .]
(Chemistry) The degree of combining power of an atom (or radical) as shown by the number of atoms of hydrogen (or of other monads, as chlorine, sodium, etc.) with which it will combine, or for which it can be substituted, or with which it can be compared; thus, an atom of hydrogen is a monad, and has a valence of one; the atoms of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon are respectively dyads, triads, and tetrads, and have a valence respectively of two, three, and four. » The valence of certain elements varies in different compounds. Valence in degree may extend as high as seven or eight, as in the cases of iodine and osmium respectively. The doctrine of valence has been of fundamental importance in distinguishing the equivalence from the atomic weight, and is an essential factor in explaining the chemical structures of compounds.
Valencia Va·len"ci·a noun [ Perhaps from
Valence in France.]
A kind of woven fabric for waistcoats, having the weft of wool and the warp of silk or cotton. [ Written also
valentia .]
Valenciennes lace Va·len`ci·ennes" lace" [ F.; -- so called after the town of Valenciennes .] A rich kind of lace made at Valenciennes, in France. Each piece is made throughout, ground and pattern, by the same person and with the same thread, the pattern being worked in the net.
Valency Val"en·cy noun ;
plural Valencies (Chemistry) (a) See Valence . (b) A unit of combining power; a so-called bond of affinity.
Valentia Va·len"ti·a noun See Valencia .
Valentine Val"en·tine noun 1. A sweetheart chosen on St. Valentine's Day. 2. A letter containing professions of love, or a missive of a sentimental, comic, or burlesque character, sent on St. Valentine's Day. St. Valentine's Day ,
a day sacred to St. Valentine; the 14th of February. It was a very old notion, alluded to by Shakespeare, that on this day birds begin to mate. Hence, perhaps, arose the custom of sending love tokens at that time.
Valentinian Val`en·tin"i·an noun (Eccl. Hist.) One of a school of Judaizing Gnostics in the second century; -- so called from Valentinus , the founder.
Valeramide Val`er·am"ide noun [
Valer ic +
amide .]
(Chemistry) The acid amide derivative of valeric acid, obtained as a white crystalline substance.
Valerate Val"er·ate noun (Chemistry) A salt of valeric acid.
Valerian Va·le"ri·an noun [ Late Latin
valeriana , perhaps from some person named
Valerius , or from Latin
valere to be strong. powerful, on account of its medicinal virtues: confer French
valériane .]
(Botany) Any plant of the genus Valeriana . The root of the officinal valerian ( V. officinalis ) has a strong smell, and is much used in medicine as an antispasmodic. Greek valerian (Botany) ,
a plant ( Polemonium cæruleum ) with blue or white flowers, and leaves resembling those of the officinal valerian.
Valerianaceous Va·le`ri·an·a"ceous adjective (Botany) Of, pertaining to, or resembling, plants of a natural order ( Valerianaccæ ) of which the valerian is the type. The order includes also the corn salads and the oriental spikenard.
Valerianate Va·le"ri·an·ate noun (Chemistry) A valerate.
Valerianic Va·le`ri·an"ic adjective (Chemistry) Performance to, or obtained from, valerian root; specifically, designating an acid which is usually called valeric acid .
Valeric Va·ler"ic adjective (Chemistry) Valerianic; specifically, designating any one of three metameric acids, of which the typical one (called also inactive valeric acid ), C 4 H 9 CO 2 H, is obtained from valerian root and other sources, as a corrosive, mobile, oily liquid, having a strong acid taste, and an odor of old cheese. Active valeric acid ,
a metameric variety which turns the plane of polarization to the right, although formed by the oxidation of a levorotatory amyl alcohol.
Valeridine Va·ler"i·dine noun (Chemistry) A base, C 10 H 19 N, produced by heating valeric aldehyde with ammonia. It is probably related to the conine alkaloids.
Valerin Val"er·in noun [
Valer ic + glycer
in .]
(Chemistry) A salt of valeric acid with glycerin, occurring in butter, dolphin oil., and forming an forming an oily liquid with a slightly unpleasant odor.
Valeritrine Va·ler"i·trine noun [
Valer ic +
iro pine +
-ine .]
(Chemistry) A base, C 15 H 27 N, produced together with valeridine, which it resembles.
Valero- Val"er·o- (Chemistry) A combining form (also used adjectively) indicating derivation from , or relation to , valerian or some of its products , as valeric acid; as in valero lactone, a colorless oily liquid produced as the anhydride of an hydroxy valeric acid.
Valerone Val"er·one noun (Chemistry) A ketone of valeric acid obtained as an oily liquid.
Valeryl Val"er·yl noun [
Valeric +
- yl .]
(Chemistry) The hypothetical radical C 5 H 9 O, regarded as the essential nucleus of certain valeric acid derivatives.
Valerylene Val`er·yl·ene noun (Chemistry) A liquid hydrocarbon, C 5 H 8 ; -- called also pentine .
Valet Val"et noun [ French
valet , Old French
vallet ,
varlet ,
vaslet . See
Varlet , and
Vassal .]
1. A male waiting servant; a servant who attends on gentleman's person; a body servant. 2. (Man.) A kind of goad or stick with a point of iron. Valetudinarian Val`e·tu`di·na"ri·an adjective [ Latin
valetudinarius , from
valetudo state of health, health, ill health, from
valere to be strong or well: confer French
valétudinaire . See
Valiant .]
Of infirm health; seeking to recover health; sickly; weakly; infirm. My feeble health and valetudinarian stomach.
Coleridge. The virtue which the world wants is a healthful virtue, not a valetudinarian virtue.
Macaulay.
Valetudinarian Val`e·tu`di·na"ri·an noun A person of a weak or sickly constitution; one who is seeking to recover health. Valetudinarians must live where they can command and scold.
Swift.
Valetudinarianism Val`e·tu`di·na"ri·an·ism noun The condition of a valetudinarian; a state of feeble health; infirmity.
Valetudinary Val`e·tu"di·na·ry adjective Infirm; sickly; valetudinarian. --
Val`e*tu"di*na*ri*ness ,
noun It renders the habit of society dangerously.
Burke.
Valetudinary Val`e·tu"di·na·ry noun A valetudinarian.
Valetudinous Val`e·tu"di·nous adjective Valetudinarian. [ Obsolete] "The
valetudinous condition of King Edward."
Fuller.
Valhalla Val·hal"la noun [ Icelandic
valhöll , literally, hall of the slain;
valr the slain (akin to Anglo-Saxon
wæl , Old High German
wal battlefield,
wuol defeat, slaughter, Anglo-Saxon
wōl pestilence) +
höll a royal hall. See
Hall , and confer
Walhalla .] [ Written also
walhalla .]
1. (Scand. Myth.) The palace of immortality, inhabited by the souls of heroes slain in battle. 2. Fig.: A hall or temple adorned with statues and memorials of a nation's heroes; specifically, the Pantheon near Ratisbon, in Bavaria, consecrated to the illustrious dead of all Germany.
Valiance, Valiancy Val"iance, Val"ian·cy noun [ Confer French
vaillance . See
Valiant .]
The quality or state of being valiant; bravery; valor. [ Obsolete] "His doughty
valiance ."
Spenser.
Valiant Val"iant adjective [ Middle English
valiant , French
vaillant , Old French
vaillant ,
valant , originally present participle of Old French & French
valoir to be worth, Latin
valere to be strong. See
Wield , and confer
Avail ,
Convalesce ,
Equivalent ,
Prevail ,
Valid .]
1. Vigorous in body; strong; powerful; as, a valiant fencer. [ Obsolete]
Walton. 2. Intrepid in danger; courageous; brave. A valiant and most expert gentleman.
Shak. And Saul said to David . . . be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord's battles.
1 Sam. xviii. 17. 3. Performed with valor or bravery; heroic. "Thou bearest the highest name for
valiant acts."
Milton. [ The saints] have made such valiant confessions.
J. H. Newman. --
Val"iant*ly ,
adverb --
Val"iant*ness ,
n .
Valid Val"id adjective [ French
valide , French
validus strong, from
valere to be strong. See
Valiant .]
1. Strong; powerful; efficient. [ Obsolete] "Perhaps more
valid arms . . . may serve to better us."
Milton. 2. Having sufficient strength or force; founded in truth; capable of being justified, defended, or supported; not weak or defective; sound; good; efficacious; as, a valid argument; a valid objection. An answer that is open to no valid exception.
I. Taylor. 3. (Law) Having legal strength or force; executed with the proper formalities; incapable of being rightfully overthrown or set aside; as, a valid deed; a valid covenant; a valid instrument of any kind; a valid claim or title; a valid marriage. Syn. -- Prevalent; available; efficacious; just; good; weighty; sufficient; sound; well-grounded.
Validate Val"i·date transitive verb [ See
Valid .]
To confirm; to render valid; to give legal force to. The chamber of deputies . . . refusing to validate at once the election of an official candidate.
London Spectator.
Use the search box below if you want to search in Websters only, use the search box at the right to search all of Enyclo.
