| van | The front of an army; the first line or leading column; also, the front line or foremost division of a fleet, either in sailing or in battle. "Standards and gonfalons, twixt van and rear, Stream in the air." (Milton) Origin: Abbrev. Fr. Vanguard. 1. A fan or other contrivance, as a sieve, for winnowing grain. 2. [OF. Vanne, F. Vanneau beam feather (cf. It. Vanno a wing) fr. L. Vannus. See Etymology above] A wing with which the air is beaten. "[/Angels] on the air plumy vans received him. " "He wheeled in air, and stretched his vans in vain; His vans no longer could his flight sustain." (Dryden) Origin: L. Vannus a van, or fan for winnowing grain: cf. F. Van. Cf. Fan, Van a wing Winnow. <chemical> A shovel used in cleansing ore. Origin: Cornish. <chemical> To wash or cleanse, as a small portion of ore, on a shovel. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
|---|---|
| van Bogaert encephalitis | <neurology> Chronic progressive illness seen in children a few years after measles infection and involving demyelination of the cerebral cortex. Virus apparently persists in brain cells: usually considered a slow virus disease. (18 Nov 1997) |
| van Bogaert, Ludo | <person> 20th century Belgian neurologist. See: Canavan-van Bogaert-Bertrand disease, van Bogaert encephalitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| van Buchem, Francis Steven Peter | <person> Dutch internist, *1897. See: van Buchem's syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| van Buchem's syndrome | <syndrome> An inherited skeletal dysplasia, with mandibular enlargement and thickening of the diaphyses and calvaria, and increased serum alkaline phosphatase; autosomal recessive inheritance. Synonym: generalised cortical hyperostosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| van Buren's disease | A disease of unknown cause in which there are plaques or strands of dense fibrous tissue surrounding the corpus cavernosum of the penis, causing deformity and painful erection; sometimes associated with Dupuytren's contracture. Synonym: penile fibromatosis, van Buren's disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| van Buren sound | A standard sound, available in several calibers, with a gently curved tip designed to follow the contour of the deep bulbous urethra in the male; used for urethral calibration or dilation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| van Buren, William | <person> U.S. Surgeon, 1819-1883. See: van Buren sound, van Buren's disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| van Creveld, S | <person> Dutch paediatrician, *1894. See: Ellis-van Creveld syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| van Deen, Izaak | <person> Dutch physiologist, 1804-1869. See: van Deen's test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| van Deen's test | Glacial acetic acid, gum guaiac solution, and hydrogen peroxide are added to an aqueous suspension of the suspected stain; if occult blood or blood pigment is present, a blue colour develops. Synonym: guaiac test, Schonbein's test, van Deen's test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| van den Bergh, A | <person> Dutch physician, 1869-1943. See: van den Bergh's test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| van den Bergh's test | A test for bile pigments (bilirubin) by reaction with diazotised sulfanilic acid (diazo reaction). (05 Mar 2000) |
| van der Hoeve's syndrome | <syndrome> A subtype of osteogenesis imperfecta in which progressive conductive hearing loss begins in childhood because of stapedial fixation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| van der Kolk, Jacobus | <person> Dutch physician, 1797-1862. See: van der Kolk's law. (05 Mar 2000) |