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Versicle

A little verse; especially, a short verse or text said or sung in public worship by the priest or minister, and followed by a response from the people.

Versicular

Of or pertaining to verses; designating distinct divisions of a writing.

Versification

The act, art, or practice, of versifying, or making verses; the construction of poetry; metrical composition.

Versifier

One who versifies, or makes verses; as, not every versifier is a poet.

Versify

To relate or describe in verse; to compose in verse.

Version

A change of form, direction, or the like; transformation; conversion; turning.

Versionist

One who makes or favors a version; a translator.

Verso

The reverse, or left-hand, page of a book or a folded sheet of paper; -- opposed to recto.

Versor

The turning factor of a quaternion.

Verst

A Russian measure of length containing 3,500 English feet.

Versual

Of or pertaining to a verse.

Versus

Against; as, John Doe versus Richard Roe; -- chiefly used in legal language, and abbreviated to v. or vs.

Versute

Crafty; wily; cunning; artful.

Vert

Everything that grows, and bears a green leaf, within the forest; as, to preserve vert and venison is the duty of the verderer. The right or privilege of cutting growing wood.

Vertebrally

At or within a vertebra or vertebrae; -- distinguished from interverterbrally.

Vertebrarterial

Of or pertaining to a vertebra or vertebrae and an artery; -- said of the foramina in the transverse processes of cervical vertebrae and of the canal which they form for the vertebral artery and vein.

Vertebrata

One of the grand divisions of the animal kingdom, comprising all animals that have a backbone composed of bony or cartilaginous vertebrae, together with Amphioxus in which the backbone is represented by a simple undivided notochord. The Vertebrata always have a dorsal, or neural, cavity above the notochord or backbone, and a ventral, or visceral, cavity below it. The subdivisions or classes of Vertebrata are Mammalia, Aves, Reptilia, Amphibia, Pisces, Marsipobranchia, and Leptocardia.

Vertebrated Vertebrate

Having a backbone, or vertebral column, containing the spinal marrow, as man, quadrupeds, birds, amphibia, and fishes.

Vertex

A turning point; the principal or highest point; top; summit; crown; apex.

Verticality

The quality or state of being vertical; verticalness.

Vertically

In a vertical manner, position, or direction; perpendicularly; as, to look down vertically; to raise a thing vertically.

Verticil

A circle either of leaves or flowers about a stem at the same node; a whorl.

Verticillaster

A whorl of flowers apparently of one cluster, but composed of two opposite axillary cymes, as in mint. See Illust. of Whorl.

Verticillated Verticillate

Arranged in a transverse whorl or whorls like the rays of a wheel; as, verticillate leaves of a plant; a verticillate shell.

Verticity

The quality or power of turning; revolution; rotation.

Verticle

An axis; a hinge; a turning point.

Vertiginous

Turning round; whirling; rotary; revolving; as, a vertiginous motion.

Vertigo

Dizziness or swimming of the head; an affection of the head in which objects, though stationary, appear to move in various directions, and the person affected finds it difficult to maintain an erect posture; giddiness.

Vertu

Virtue; power. See Virtue.

Verumontanum

An elevation, or crest, in the wall of the urethra where the seminal ducts enter it.

Vervain

Any plant of the genus Verbena.

Verve

Excitement of imagination such as animates a poet, artist, or musician, in composing or performing; rapture; enthusiasm; spirit; energy.

Vervet

A South African monkey (Cercopithecus pygerythrus syn. Cercopithecus Lelandii). The upper parts are grayish green, finely specked with black. The cheeks and belly are reddish white.

Very

In a high degree; to no small extent; exceedingly; excessively; extremely; as, a very great mountain; a very bright sun; a very cold day; the river flows very rapidly; he was very much hurt.

Vesbium

A rare metallic element of which little is known. It is said by Scacchi to have been extracted from a yellowish incrustation from the cracks of a Vesuvian lava erupted in 1631.

Vese

Onset; rush; violent draught or wind.

Vesical

Of or pertaining to the bladder.

Vesicate

To raise little bladders or blisters upon; to inflame and separate the cuticle of; to blister.

Vesication

The process of vesicating, or of raising blisters.

Vesicatory

Tending, or having power, to raise a blister. A blistering application or plaster; a vesicant; an epispastic.

Vesicle

A bladderlike vessel; a membranous cavity; a cyst; a cell.

Vesicular

Of or pertaining to vesicles; esp., of or pertaining to the air vesicles, or air cells, of the lungs; as, vesicular breathing, or normal breathing, in which the air enters freely the air vesicles of the lungs.

Vesicularia

Any one of numerous species of marine Bryozoa belonging to Vesicularia and allied genera. They have delicate tubular cells attached in clusters to slender flexible stems.

Vesiculation

The state of containing vesicles, or the process by which vesicles are formed.

Vesiculous Vesiculose

Bladdery; vesicular; vesiculate; composed of vesicles; covered with vesicles; as, a vesiculose shell.

Vespa

A genus of Hymenoptera including the common wasps and hornets.

Vesper

Of or pertaining to the evening, or to the service of vespers; as, a vesper hymn; vesper bells.

Vespers

One of the little hours of the Breviary. The evening song or service.

Vespertilio

A genus of bats including some of the common small insectivorous species of North America and Europe.

Vespertiliones

A tribe of bats including the common insectivorous bats of America and Europe, belonging to Vespertilio and allied genera. They lack a nose membrane.

Vespertine

Of or pertaining to the evening; happening or being in the evening.

Vespiary

A nest, or habitation, of insects of the wasp kind.

Vespillo

One who carried out the dead bodies of the poor at night for burial.

Vesselful

As much as a vessel will hold; enough to fill a vessel.

Vest

To come or descend; to be fixed; to take effect, as a title or right; -- followed by in; as, upon the death of the ancestor, the estate, or the right to the estate, vests in the heir at law.

Vesta

One of the great divinities of the ancient Romans, identical with the Greek Hestia. She was a virgin, and the goddess of the hearth; hence, also, of the fire on it, and the family round it.

Vestal

A virgin consecrated to Vesta, and to the service of watching the sacred fire, which was to be perpetually kept burning upon her altar.

Vestales

A group of butterflies including those known as virgins, or gossamer-winged butterflies.

Vested

Clothed; robed; wearing vestments.

Vestiarian

Of or pertaining to a vestiary or vestments.

Vestiary

Pertaining to clothes, or vestments.

Vestibular

Of or pertaining to a vestibule; like a vestibule.

Vestibule

To furnish with a vestibule or vestibules.

Vestibulum

A cavity into which, in certain bryozoans, the esophagus and anus open.

Vestige

The mark of the foot left on the earth; a track or footstep; a trace; a sign; hence, a faint mark or visible sign left by something which is lost, or has perished, or is no longer present; remains; as, the vestiges of ancient magnificence in Palmyra; vestiges of former population.

Vestigial

Of or pertaining to a vestige or remnant; like a vestige.

Vesting

Cloth for vests; a vest pattern.

Vestlet

Any one of several species of actinians belonging to the genus Cerianthus. These animals have a long, smooth body tapering to the base, and two separate circles of tentacles around the mouth. They form a tough, flexible, feltlike tube with a smooth internal lining, in which they dwell, whence the name.

Vestment

A covering or garment; some part of clothing or dress any priestly garment.

Vestry

A room appendant to a church, in which sacerdotal vestments and sacred utensils are sometimes kept, and where meetings for worship or parish business are held; a sacristy; -- formerly called revestiary.

Vestryman

A member of a vestry; especially (Prot. Epis. Ch.), a member other than a warden. See Vestry.

Vesture

A garment or garments; a robe; clothing; dress; apparel; vestment; covering; envelope.

Vestured

Covered with vesture or garments; clothed; enveloped.

Vesuvianite

A mineral occurring in tetragonal crystals, and also massive, of a brown to green color, rarely sulphur yellow and blue. It is a silicate of alumina and lime with some iron magnesia, and is common at Vesuvius. Also called idocrase.

Vesuvine

A trade name for a brown dyestuff obtained from certain basic azo compounds of benzene; -- called also Bismarck brown, Manchester brown, etc.

Vetch

Any leguminous plant of the genus Vicia, some species of which are valuable for fodder. The common species is Vicia sativa.

Vetchling

Any small leguminous plant of the genus Lathyrus, especially Lathyrus Nissolia.

Vetchy

Consisting of vetches or of pea straw.

Veteran

One who has been long exercised in any service or art, particularly in war; one who has had much experience, or has grown old or decrepit in service.

veterinarian

One skilled in the treatment of diseases of cattle or domestic animals; a veterinary surgeon. Often abbreviated to vet.

Veterinary

Of or pertaining to the art of healing or treating the diseases of domestic animals, as oxen, horses, sheep, various pets, etc.; as, a veterinary writer or school.

Vetiver

An East Indian grass (Andropogon muricatus); also, its fragrant roots which are much used for making mats and screens. Also called kuskus, and khuskhus.

Veto

To prohibit; to negative; also, to refuse assent to, as a legislative bill, and thus prevent its enactment; as, to veto an appropriation bill.

Vetoist

One who uses, or sustains the use of, the veto.

Vettura

An Italian four-wheeled carriage, esp. one let for hire; a hackney coach.

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