| view | 1. The act of seeing or beholding; sight; look; survey; examination by the eye; inspection. "Thenceforth I thought thee worth my nearer view." (Milton) "Objects near our view are thought greater than those of a larger size are more remote." (Locke) "Surveying nature with too nice a view." (Dryden) 2. Mental survey; intellectual perception or examination; as, a just view of the arguments or facts in a case. "I have with exact view perused thee, Hector." (Shak) 3. Power of seeing, either physically or mentally; reach or range of sight; extent of prospect. "The walls of Pluto's palace are in view." (Dryden) 4. That which is seen or beheld; sight presented to the natural or intellectual eye; scene; prospect; as, the view from a window. "'T is distance lends enchantment to the view." (Campbell) 5. The pictorial representation of a scene; a sketch, ither drawn or painted; as, a fine view of Lake George. 6. Mode of looking at anything; manner of apprehension; conception; opinion; judgment; as, to state one's views of the policy which ought to be pursued. "To give a right view of this mistaken part of liberty." (Locke) 7. That which is looked towards, or kept in sight, as object, aim, intention, purpose, design; as, he did it with a view of escaping. "No man sets himself about anything but upon some view or other which serves him for a reason." (Locke) 8. Appearance; show; aspect. "[Graces] which, by the splendor of her view Dazzled, before we never knew." (Waller) Field of view. See Field. Point of view. See Point. To have in view, to have in mind as an incident, object, or aim; as, to have one's resignation in view. View halloo, the shout uttered by a hunter upon seeing the fox break cover. View of frankpledge, the inspection by the jury of the place where a litigated transaction is said to have occurred. Origin: OF. Veue, F. Vue, fr. OF. Veoir to see, p. P. Veu, F. Voir, p. P. Vu, fr. L. Videre to see. See Vision, and cl. Interview, Purview, Review, Vista. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| viewless | Not perceivable by the eye; invisible; unseen. "Viewless winds." "Swift through the valves the visionary fair Repassed, and viewless mixed with common air." (Pope) Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| viewy | 1. Having peculiar views; fanciful; visionary; unpractical; as, a viewy person. 2. Spectacular; pleasing to the eye or the imagination. "A government intent on showy absurdities and viewy enterprises rather than solid work." (London Spectator) Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| 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) |
| vilayet | One of the chief administrative divisions or provinces of the Ottoman Empire; formerly called eyalet. Origin: Turk, from Ar. Wilayah. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| vilborthite | <chemical> A mineral occurring in small six-sided tabular crystals of a green or yellow colour. It is a hydrous vanadate of copper and lime. Origin: So named after Volborth, who first discovered it. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| vile | 1. Low; base; worthless; mean; despicable. "A poor man in vile raiment." (James II. 2) "The craft either of fishing, which was Peter's, or of making tents, which was Paul's, were [was] more vile than the science of physic." (Ridley) "The inhabitants account gold but as a vile thing." (Abp. Abbot) 2. Morally base or impure; depraved by sin; hateful; in the sight of God and men; sinful; wicked; bad. "Such vile base practices." "Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee ?" (Job xl. 4) Synonym: See Base. Vile"ly, Vile"ness. Origin: OE. Vil, F. Vil, from L. Vilis cheap, worthless, vile, base. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |