| vigabatrin | <drug> This prescription drug is used to treat epilepsy. (09 Oct 1997) |
|---|---|
| vigesimo-quarto | Having twenty-four leaves to a sheet; as, a vigesimo-quarto form, book, leaf, size, etc. Origin: L. Vigesimus quartus twenty-fourth. Cf. Duodecimo. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| vigil | 1. Abstinence from sleep, whether at a time when sleep is customary or not; the act of keeping awake, or the state of being awake, or the state of being awake; sleeplessness; wakefulness; watch. "Worn out by the labors and vigils of many months." "Nothing wears out a fine face like the vigils of the card table and those cutting passions which attend them." (Addison) 2. Hence, devotional watching; waking for prayer, or other religious exercises. "So they in heaven their odes and vigils tuned." (Milton) "Be sober and keep vigil, The Judge is at the gate." (Neale (Rhythm of St. Bernard)) 3. Originally, the watch kept on the night before a feast. Later, the day and the night preceding a feast. "He that shall live this day, and see old age, Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors, And say, "To-morrow is St. Crispian."" (Shak) A religious service performed in the evening preceding a feast. <botany> Vigils, or Watchings, of flowers, a peculiar faculty belonging to the flowers of certain plants of opening and closing their petals as certain hours of the day. Origin: OE. Vigile, L. Vigilia, from vigil awake, watchful, probably akin to E. Wake: cf. F. Vigile. See Wake, and cf. Reveille, Surveillance, Vedette, Vegetable, Vigor. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| vigilambulism | A condition of unconsciousness regarding one's surroundings, with automatism, resembling somnambulism but occurring in the waking state. Origin: L. Vigil, awake, alert, + ambulo, to walk about (05 Mar 2000) |
| vigilance | Wakefulness, watchfulness, arousal. Origin: L. Vigilantia (18 Nov 1997) |
| vignette | 1. A running ornament consisting of leaves and tendrils, used in Gothic architecture. 2. A decorative design, originally representing vine branches or tendrils, at the head of a chapter, of a manuscript or printed book, or in a similar position; hence, by extension, any small picture in a book; hence, also, as such pictures are often without a definite bounding line, any picture, as an engraving, a photograph, or the like, which vanishes gradually at the edge. Origin: F. Vignette, fr. Vigne a vine. See Vine, and cf. Vinette. To make, as an engraving or a photograph, with a border or edge insensibly fading away. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| vignetting | <microscopy> An unintentional, shaded loss of the edges of an image or picture by an optical component clipping the peripheral beams can lead to loss of contrast in video. (05 Aug 1998) |
| vigor | Health, hardiness. <botany> A measure of the increase in plant growth or foliage volume through time after planting. (09 Oct 1997) |
| vigorous | 1. Possessing vigor; full of physical or mental strength or active force; strong; lusty; robust; as, a vigorous youth; a vigorous plant. "Famed for his valor, young, at sea successful, vigorous and strong." (Waller) 2. Exhibiting strength, either of body or mind; powerful; strong; forcible; energetic; as, vigorous exertions; a vigorous prosecution of a war. "The beginnings of confederacies have been always vigorous and successful." (Davenant) Vig"orously, Vig"orousness. Origin: Cf. OF. Vigoros, F. Vigoureux, LL. Vigorosus. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |