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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)


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You are here: Webster > Letter V > Page 37 of 38.
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Vorticose Vor"ti·cose` adjective [ Latin vorticosus .] Vortical; whirling; as, a vorticose motion.

Vortiginous Vor·tig"i·nous adjective [ Confer Vertiginous .] Moving rapidly round a center; vortical. [ R.] Cowper.

Votaress Vo"ta·ress noun [ See Votary , noun ] A woman who is a votary. Shak.

Votarist Vo"ta·rist noun [ See Votary .] A votary.

Like a sad votarist in palmer's weed.
Milton.

Votary Vo"ta·ry adjective [ From Latin votus , past participle vovere to vow, to devote. See Vote , Vow .] Consecrated by a vow or promise; consequent on a vow; devoted; promised.

Votary resolution is made equipollent to custom.
Bacon.

Votary Vo"ta·ry noun ; plural Votaries One devoted, consecrated, or engaged by a vow or promise; hence, especially, one devoted, given, or addicted, to some particular service, worship, study, or state of life. "You are already love's firm votary ." Shak.

'T was coldness of the votary , not the prayer, that was in fault.
Bp. Fell.

But thou, my votary , weepest thou?
Emerson.

Vote Vote noun [ Latin votum a vow, wish, will, from vovere , votum , to vow: confer French vote . See Vow .]

1. An ardent wish or desire; a vow; a prayer. [ Obsolete] Massinger.

2. A wish, choice, or opinion, of a person or a body of persons, expressed in some received and authorized way; the expression of a wish, desire, will, preference, or choice, in regard to any measure proposed, in which the person voting has an interest in common with others, either in electing a person to office, or in passing laws, rules, regulations, etc.; suffrage.

3. That by means of which will or preference is expressed in elections, or in deciding propositions; voice; a ballot; a ticket; as, a written vote .

The freeman casting with unpurchased hand
The vote that shakes the turrets of the land.
Holmes.

4. Expression of judgment or will by a majority; legal decision by some expression of the minds of a number; as, the vote was unanimous; a vote of confidence.

5. Votes, collectively; as, the Tory vote ; the labor vote .

Casting vote , Cumulative vote , etc. See under Casting , Cumulative , etc.

Vote Vote intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Voted ; present participle & verbal noun Voting .] [ Confer French voter .] To express or signify the mind, will, or preference, either viva voce , or by ballot, or by other authorized means, as in electing persons to office, in passing laws, regulations, etc., or in deciding on any proposition in which one has an interest with others.

The vote for a duelist is to assist in the prostration of justice, and, indirectly, to encourage the crime.
Latin Beecher.

To vote on large principles, to vote honestly, requires a great amount of information.
F. W. Robertson.

Vote Vote transitive verb 1. To choose by suffrage; to elec...; as, to vote a candidate into office.

2. To enact, establish, grant, determine, etc., by a formal vote; as, the legislature voted the resolution.

Parliament voted them one hundred thousand pounds.
Swift.

3. To declare by general opinion or common consent, as if by a vote; as, he was voted a bore. [ Colloq.]

4. To condemn; to devote; to doom. [ Obsolete] Glanvill.

Voter Vot"er noun One who votes; one who has a legal right to vote, or give his suffrage; an elector; a suffragist; as, an independent voter .

Voting Vot"ing adjective & noun from Vote , v.

Voting paper , a form of ballot containing the names of more candidates than there are offices to be filled, the voter making a mark against the preferred names. [ Eng.]

Votist Vot"ist noun One who makes a vow. [ Obsolete] Chapman.

Votive Vo"tive adjective [ Latin votivus , from votum a vow: confer French votif . See Vow .] Given by vow, or in fulfillment of a vow; consecrated by a vow; devoted; as, votive offerings; a votive tablet. " Votive incense." Keble.

We reached a votive stone, that bears the name
Of Aloys Reding.
Wordsworth.

Embellishments of flowers and votive garlands.
Motley.

Votive medal , a medal struck in grateful commemoration of some auspicious event. -- Votive offering , an offering in fulfillment of a religious vow, as of one's person or property.

-- Vo"tive*ly , adverb -- Vo"tive*ness , noun

Votress Vo"tress noun A votaress. Dryden.

Vouch Vouch transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Vouched ; present participle & verbal noun Vouching .] [ Middle English vouchen , Old French vochier to call, from Latin vocare to call, from vox , vocis , voice. See Voice , and confer Avouch .]

1. To call; to summon. [ Obsolete]

[ They] vouch (as I might say) to their aid the authority of the writers.
Sir T. Elyot.

2. To call upon to witness; to obtest.

Vouch the silent stars and conscious moon.
Dryden.

3. To warrant; to maintain by affirmations; to attest; to affirm; to avouch.

They made him ashamed to vouch the truth of the relation, and afterwards to credit it.
Atterbury.

4. To back; to support; to confirm; to establish.

Me damp horror chilled
At such bold words vouched with a deed so bold.
Milton.

5. (Law) To call into court to warrant and defend, or to make good a warranty of title.

He vouches the tenant in tail, who vouches over the common vouchee.
Blackstone.

Syn. -- To obtest; declare; affirm; attest; warrant; confirm; asseverate; aver; protest; assure.

Vouch Vouch intransitive verb 1. To bear witness; to give testimony or full attestation.

He will not believe her until the elector of Hanover shall vouch for the truth of what she has . . . affirmed.
Swift.

2. To assert; to aver; to declare. Shak.

Vouch Vouch noun Warrant; attestation. [ Obsolete]

The vouch of very malice itself.
Shak.

Vouchee Vouch·ee" noun (Law) The person who is vouched, or called into court to support or make good his warranty of title in the process of common recovery. Blackstone.

Voucher Vouch"er noun 1. One who vouches, or gives witness or full attestation, to anything.

Will his vouchers vouch him no more?
Shak.

The great writers of that age stand up together as vouchers for one another's reputation.
Spectator.

2. A book, paper, or document which serves to vouch the truth of accounts, or to confirm and establish facts of any kind; also, any acquittance or receipt showing the payment of a debt; as, the merchant's books are his vouchers for the correctness of his accounts; notes, bonds, receipts, and other writings, are used as vouchers in proving facts.

3. (Law) (a) The act of calling in a person to make good his warranty of title in the old form of action for the recovery of lands. (b) The tenant in a writ of right; one who calls in another to establish his warranty of title. In common recoveries, there may be a single voucher or double vouchers . Blackstone.

Vouchment Vouch"ment noun A solemn assertion. [ R.]

Vouchor Vouch"or noun (Law) Same as Voucher , 3 (b) .

Vouchsafe Vouch·safe" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Vouchsafed ; present participle & verbal noun Vouchsafing .] [ Vouch + safe , that is, to vouch or answer for safety.]

1. To condescend to grant; to concede; to bestow.

If ye vouchsafe that it be so.
Chaucer.

Shall I vouchsafe your worship a word or two?
Shak.

It is not said by the apostle that God vouchsafed to the heathens the means of salvation.
South.

2. To receive or accept in condescension. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Vouchsafe Vouch·safe" intransitive verb To condescend; to deign; to yield; to descend or stoop. Chaucer.

Vouchsafe , O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.
Bk. of Com. Prayer.

Vouchsafe , illustrious Ormond, to behold
What power the charms of beauty had of old.
Dryden.

Vouchsafement Vouch·safe"ment noun The act of vouchsafing, or that which is vouchsafed; a gift or grant in condescension. Glanvill.

Voussoir Vous`soir" noun [ French, akin to voûte an arch, a vault.] (Architecture) One of the wedgelike stones of which an arch is composed.

Vow Vow noun [ Middle English vou , Old French vou , veu , vo , vu , French v...u , from Latin votum , from vovere , to vow. Confer Avow , Devout , Vote .]

1. A solemn promise made to God, or to some deity; an act by which one consecrates or devotes himself, absolutely or conditionally, wholly or in part, for a longer or shorter time, to some act, service, or condition; a devotion of one's possessions; as, a baptismal vow ; a vow of poverty. "Nothing . . . that may . . . stain my vow of Nazarite." Milton.

I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow .
2 Sam. xv. 7.

I am combined by a sacred vow .
Shak.

2. Specifically, a promise of fidelity; a pledge of love or affection; as, the marriage vow .

Knights of love, who never broke their vow ;
Firm to their plighted faith.
Dryden.

Vow Vow transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Vowed ; present participle & verbal noun Vowing .] [ Middle English vouen , Old French vouer , voer , French vouer , Late Latin votare . See Vow , noun ]

1. To give, consecrate, or dedicate to God, or to some deity, by a solemn promise; to devote; to promise solemnly. "When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it." Eccl. v. 4.

[ Men] that vow a long and weary pilgrimage.
Shak.

2. To assert solemnly; to asseverate.

Vow Vow intransitive verb To make a vow, or solemn promise.

Better is it that thou shouldest not vow , than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
Eccl. v. 5.

Vow-fellow Vow"-fel`low noun One bound by the same vow as another. [ R.] Shak.

Vowel Vow"el noun [ French voyelle , or an Old French form without y , Latin vocalis (sc. littera ), from vocalis sounding, from vox , vocis , a voice, sound. See Vocal .] (Phon.) A vocal, or sometimes a whispered, sound modified by resonance in the oral passage, the peculiar resonance in each case giving to each several vowel its distinctive character or quality as a sound of speech; -- distinguished from a consonant in that the latter, whether made with or without vocality, derives its character in every case from some kind of obstructive action by the mouth organs. Also, a letter or character which represents such a sound. See Guide to Pronunciation , §§ 5, 146-149.

» In the English language, the written vowels are a , e , i , o , u , and sometimes w and y. The spoken vowels are much more numerous.

Close vowel . See under Close , adjective -- Vowel point . See under Point , noun

Vowel Vow"el adjective Of or pertaining to a vowel; vocal.

Voweled Vow"eled adjective Furnished with vowels. [ Written also vowelled .] Dryden.

Vowelish Vow"el·ish adjective Of the nature of a vowel. [ R.] "The power [ of w ] is always vowelish ." B. Jonson.

Vowelism Vow"el·ism noun The use of vowels. [ R.]

Vowelize Vow"el·ize transitive verb To give the quality, sound, or office of a vowel to.

Vower Vow"er noun One who makes a vow. Bale.

Vox Vox noun [ Latin See Voice .] A voice.

Vox humana [ Latin , human voice] (Mus.) , a reed stop in an organ, made to imitate the human voice.

Vox angelica Vox` an·gel"i·ca [ Latin angelica angelic.] (Music) An organ stop of delicate stringlike quality, having for each finger key a pair of pipes, of which one is tuned slightly sharp to give a wavy effect to their joint tone.

Voyage Voy"age noun [ Middle English veage , viage , Old French veage , viage , veiage , voiage , French voyage , Late Latin viaticum , from Latin viaticum traveling money, provision for a journey, from viaticus belonging to a road or journey, from via way, akin to English way . See Way , noun , and confer Convey , Deviate , Devious , Envoy , Trivial , Viaduct , Viaticum .]

1. Formerly, a passage either by sea or land; a journey, in general; but not chiefly limited to a passing by sea or water from one place, port, or country, to another; especially, a passing or journey by water to a distant place or country.

I love a sea voyage and a blustering tempest.
J. Fletcher.

So steers the prudent crane
Her annual voyage , borne on winds.
Milton.

All the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
Shak.

2. The act or practice of traveling. [ Obsolete]

Nations have interknowledge of one another by voyage into foreign parts, or strangers that come to them.
Bacon.

3. Course; way. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Voyage Voy"age intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Voyaged ; present participle & verbal noun Voyaging .] [ Confer French voyager .] To take a voyage; especially, to sail or pass by water.

A mind forever
Voyaging through strange seas of thought alone.
Wordsworth.

Voyage Voy"age transitive verb To travel; to pass over; to traverse.

With what pain
[ I] voyaged the unreal, vast, unbounded deep.
Milton.

Voyageable Voy"age·a·ble adjective [ Confer French voyageable .] That may be sailed over, as water or air; navigable.

Voyager Voy"a·ger noun [ Confer French voyager traveling.] One who voyages; one who sails or passes by sea or water.

Voyageur Voy`a`geur" noun [ French, from voyager to travel. See Voyage .] A traveler; -- applied in Canada to a man employed by the fur companies in transporting goods by the rivers and across the land, to and from the remote stations in the Northwest.

Voyol Voy"ol noun (Nautical) (a) See Viol , 2. (b) The block through which a messenger passes. [ Written also viol , and voyal .]

Vraisemblance Vrai`sem`blance" noun [ French] The appearance of truth; verisimilitude.

Vugg, Vugh Vugg, Vugh noun (Mining) A cavity in a lode; -- called also vogle .

Vulcan Vul"can noun [ Latin Vulcanus , Volcanus : confer Sanskrit ulkā a firebrand, meteor. Confer Volcano .] (Rom. Myth.) The god of fire, who presided over the working of metals; -- answering to the Greek Hephæstus .

Vulcan powder Vul"can pow"der A dynamite composed of nitroglycerin (30 parts), sodium nitrate (52.5), charcoal (10.5), and sulphur (7), used in mining and blasting.

Vulcanian Vul·ca"ni·an adjective [ Latin Vulcanius .]

1. Of or pertaining to Vulcan; made by Vulcan; hence, of or pertaining to works in iron or other metals.

Ingenious allusions to the Vulcanian panoply which Achilles lent to his feebler friend.
Macaulay.

2. (Geol.) Volcanic.

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