| vane | 1. A contrivance attached to some elevated object for the purpose of showing which way the wind blows; a weathercock. It is usually a plate or strip of metal, or slip of wood, often cut into some fanciful form, and placed upon a perpendicular axis around which it moves freely. "Aye undiscreet, and changing as a vane." (Chaucer) 2. Any flat, extended surface attached to an axis and moved by the wind; as, the vane of a windmill; hence, a similar fixture of any form moved in or by water, air, or other fluid; as, the vane of a screw propeller, a fan blower, an anemometer, etc. 3. <zoology> The rhachis and web of a feather taken together. 4. One of the sights of a compass, quadrant, etc. Vane of a leveling staff. Same as Target. Origin: OE. & E. Prov. E. Fane weathercock, banner, AS. Fana a banner, flag; akin to D. Vaan, G. Fahne, OHG. Fano cloth, gund fano flag, Icel. Fani, Sw. Fana, Dan. Fane, Goth. Fana cloth, L. Pannus, and perhaps to Gr. A web, a bobbin, spool. Cf. Fanon, Pane a compartment, panel. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| vanessa | <zoology> Any one of numerous species of handsomely coloured butterflies belonging to Vanessa and allied genera. Many of these species have the edges of the wings irregularly scalloped. Origin: Probably from Swift's poem of Cadenus and Vanessa. See Vanessa, in the Dictionary of Noted Names in Fiction. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| vanessian | <zoology> A vanessa. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |