V, the twenty-second letter of the English alphabet, is a vocal consonant. and U are only varieties of the same character, U being the cursive form, while is better adapted for engraving, as in stone. The two letters were formerly used indiscriminately, and till a comparatively recent date words containing them were often classed together in dictionaries and other books of reference (see U). The letter is from the Latin alphabet, where it was used both as a consonant (about like English w) and as a vowel. The Latin derives it from it from a form (V) of the Greek vowel / (see Y), this Greek letter being either from the same Semitic letter as the digamma F (see F), or else added by the Greeks to the alphabet which they took from the Semitic. Etymologically v is most nearly related to u, w, f, b, p; as in vine, wine; avoirdupois, habit, have; safe, save; trover, troubadour, trope. See U, F, etc. 140614 V V 444 The dealfish. 140616 V Vaagmer n. 414 of Vacancy 140617 V Vacancies pl. 430 The quality or state of being vacant; emptiness; hence, freedom from employment; intermission; leisure; idleness; listlessness. 140618 V Vacancy n. 484 Deprived of contents; not filled; empty; as, a vacant room. 140624 V Vacant a. 415 In a vacant manner; inanely. 140629 V Vacantly adv. 408 of Vacate 140630 V Vacated imp. & p. p. 380 of Vacate 140631 V Vacating p. pr. & vb. n. 451 To make vacant; to leave empty; to cease from filling or occupying; as, it was resolved by Parliament that James had vacated the throne of England; the tenant vacated the house. 140632 V Vacate v. t. 443 The act of vacating; a making void or of no force; as, the vacation of an office or a charter. 140635 V Vacation n. 409 A cow house, dairy house, or cow pasture. 140640 V Vaccary n. 441 Vaccinia. 140641 V Vaccina n. 410 Of or pertaining to vaccinia or vaccination. 140642 V Vaccinal a. 398 of Vaccinate 140643 V Vaccinated imp. & p. p. 424 of Vaccinate 140644 V Vaccinating p. pr. & vb. n. 367 To inoculate with the cowpox by means of a virus, called vaccine, taken either directly or indirectly from cows. 140645 V Vaccinate v. t. 398 The act, art, or practice of vaccinating, or inoculating with the cowpox, in order to prevent or mitigate an attack of smallpox. Cf. Inoculation. 140646 V Vaccination n. 463 One who, or that which, vaccinates. 140647 V Vaccinator n. 397 Of or pertaining to cows; pertaining to, derived from, or caused by, vaccinia; as, vaccine virus; the vaccine disease. 140648 V Vaccine a. 498 Cowpox; vaccina. See Cowpox. 140651 V Vaccinia n. 462 A vaccinator. 140652 V Vaccinist n. 399 A genus of ericaceous shrubs including the various kinds of blueberries and the true cranberries. 140653 V Vaccinium n. 457 A keeper of stock or cattle; a herdsman. 140654 V Vacher n. 429 An inclosure for cows. 140655 V Vachery n. 380 The quality or state of being vacillant, or wavering. 140657 V Vacillancy n. 469 Vacillating; wavering; fluctuating; irresolute. 140658 V Vacillant a. 404 of Vacillate 140659 V Vacillated imp. & p. p. 415 of Vacillate 140660 V Vacillating p. pr. & vb. n. 473 To move one way and the other; to reel or stagger; to waver. 140661 V Vacillate v. t. 531 The act of vacillating; a moving one way and the other; a wavering. 140664 V Vacillation n. 427 Inclined to vacillate; wavering; irresolute. 140665 V Vacillatory a. 755 To make void, or empty. 140666 V Vacuate v. t. 458 The act of emptying; evacuation. 140667 V Vacuation n. 469 One who holds the doctrine that the space between the bodies of the universe, or the molecules and atoms of matter., is a vacuum; -- opposed to plenist. 140668 V Vacuist n. 403 The quality or state of being vacuous, or not filled; emptiness; vacancy; as, vacuity of mind; vacuity of countenance. 140669 V Vacuity n. 437 The goddess of rural leisure, to whom the husbandmen sacrificed at the close of the harvest. She was especially honored by the Sabines. 140672 V Vacuna n. 449 Full of vacuoles, or small air cavities; as, vacuolated cells. 140673 V Vacuolated a. 384 Formation into, or multiplication of, vacuoles. 140674 V Vacuolation n. 330 A small air cell, or globular space, in the interior of organic cells, either containing air, or a pellucid watery liquid, or some special chemical secretions of the cell protoplasm. 140675 V Vacuole n. 372 Empty; unfilled; void; vacant. 140676 V Vacuous a. 336 The quality or state of being vacuous; emptiness; vacuity. 140677 V Vacuousness n. 331 of Vacuum 140678 V Vacuums pl. 290 of Vacuum 140679 V Vacua pl. 297 A space entirely devoid of matter (called also, by way of distinction, absolute vacuum); hence, in a more general sense, a space, as the interior of a closed vessel, which has been exhausted to a high or the highest degree by an air pump or other artificial means; as, water boils at a reduced temperature in a vacuum. 140680 V Vacuum n. 428 An extensive artificial group of birds including the wading, swimming, and cursorial birds. 140682 V Vadantes n. pl. 389 To fade; hence, to vanish. 140683 V Vade v. i. 337 A book or other thing that a person carries with him as a constant companion; a manual; a handbook. 140684 V Vade mecum 305 A bond or pledge for appearance before a judge on a certain day. 140685 V Vadimony n. 301 Pledge; security; bail. See Mortgage. 140686 V Vadium n. 309 See Voe. 140687 V Vae n. 303 Crafty; cunning; sly; as, vafrous tricks. 140688 V Vafrous a. 295 Moving from place to place without a settled habitation; wandering. 140689 V Vagabond a. 401 The condition of a vagabond; a state or habit of wandering about in idleness; vagrancy. 140694 V Vagabondage n. 280 Vagabondage. 140695 V Vagabondism n. 322 To play the vagabond; to wander about in idleness. 140696 V Vagabondize v. i. 297 Vagabondage. 140697 V Vagabondry n. 309 Of or pertaining to the vagus, or pneumogastric nerves; pneumogastric. 140698 V Vagal a. 328 A wandering; vagrancy. 140699 V Vagancy n. 288 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. 140700 V Vagantes p. pl. 356 Given to, or characterized by, vagaries; capricious; whimsical; crochety. 140701 V Vagarious a. 322 of Vagary 140702 V Vagaries pl. 411 A wandering or strolling. 140703 V Vagary n. 286 Crying like a child. 140705 V Vagient a. 265 of Vagina 140706 V Vaginae pl. 279 A sheath; a theca; as, the vagina of the portal vein. 140707 V Vagina n. 338 Of or pertaining to a vagina; resembling a vagina, or sheath; thecal; as, a vaginal synovial membrane; the vaginal process of the temporal bone. 140712 V Vaginal a. 307 Serving to in invest, or sheathe; sheathing. 140714 V Vaginant a. 274 Alt. of Vaginated 140715 V Vaginate a. 298 Invested with, or as if with, a sheath; as, a vaginate stem, or one invested by the tubular base of a leaf. 140716 V Vaginated a. 280 A tribe of birds comprising the sheathbills. 140717 V Vaginati n. pl. 286 Having the nerves, or veins, placed in apparent disorder. 140718 V Vaginervose a. 292 A genus of Infusoria which form minute vaselike or tubular cases in which they dwell. 140719 V Vaginicola n. 252 A painful spasmodic contraction of the vagina, often rendering copulation impossible. 140720 V Vaginismus n. 281 Inflammation of the vagina, or the genital canal, usually of its mucous living membrane. 140721 V Vaginitis n. 297 Having elytra; sheath-winged. 140722 V Vaginopennous a. 280 A little sheath, as that about the base of the pedicel of most mosses. 140723 V Vaginula n. 270 A vaginula. 140725 V Vaginule n. 249 To caper or frolic. 140726 V Vagissate v. i. 269 Wandering; unsettled. 140727 V Vagous a. 275 The quality or state of being a vagrant; a wandering without a settled home; an unsettled condition; vagabondism. 140728 V Vagrancy n. 268 Moving without certain direction; wandering; erratic; unsettled. 140729 V Vagrant a. 419 In a vagrant manner. 140732 V Vagrantly adv. 272 State of being vagrant; vagrancy. 140733 V Vagrantness n. 248 Wandering; vagrant; vagabond. 140734 V Vague v. i. 376 In a vague manner. 140740 V Vaguely adv. 298 The quality or state of being vague. 140741 V Vagueness n. 266 Wandering; -- applied especially to the pneumogastric nerve. 140742 V Vagus a. 302 Same as Veil. 140744 V Vail n. & v. t. 301 One who vails. 140752 V Vailer n. 250 An outer, or exterior. wall. See Vauntmure. 140753 V Vaimure n. 257 Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying. 140754 V Vain superl. 620 Feeling or indicating vainglory; elated by vanity; boastful. 140759 V Vainglorious a. 246 Excessive vanity excited by one's own performances; empty pride; undue elation of mind; vain show; boastfulness. 140760 V Vainglory n. 263 In a vain manner; in vain. 140761 V Vainly adv. 263 The quality or state of being vain. 140762 V Vainness n. 264 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. 140763 V Vair n. 419 Charged with vair; variegated with shield-shaped figures. See Vair. 140764 V Vairy n. 282 A worshiper of the god Vishnu in any of his incarnations. 140765 V Vaishnava n. 268 The worship of Vishnu. 140766 V Vaishnavism n. 245 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. 140767 V Vaisya n. 286