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hly vascular deciduous skin which envelops and nourishes the antlers of deer during their rapid growth. Cotton velvet, an imitation of velvet, made of cotton. -- Velvet cork, the best kind of cork bark, supple, elastic, and not woody or porous. -- Velvet crab a European crab (Portunus puber). When adult the black car…

mely; as, a very great mountain; a very bright sum; a very cold day; the river flows very rapidly; he was very much hurt.

To utter with sonant or vocal tone; to pronounce with a narrowed glottis and rapid vibrations of the vocal cords; to speak above a whisper.

Nimble; light and quick; active; rapid. "His volant touch." Milton.

Moving with ease and smoothness in uttering words; of rapid speech; nimble in speaking; glib; as, a flippant, voluble, tongue. [Cassio,] a knave very voluble. Shak.

A supposed collection of particles of very subtile matter, endowed with a rapid rotary motion around an axis which was also the axis of a sun or a planet. Descartes attempted to account for the formation of the universe, and the movements of the bodies composing it, by a theory of vortices.

Moving rapidly round a center; vortical. [R.] Cowper.

about the water, especially the large American species (Dolomedes lanceolatus) which runs rapidly on the surface of water; -- called also raft spider.

aving upon one's self; hence, to consume by use; to waste; to use up; as, to wear clothes rapidly.

A buzzing or whizzing sound produced by rapid or whirling motion; as, the whir of a partridge; the whir of a spinning wheel.

To turn round rapidly; to cause to rotate with velocity; to make to revolve. He whirls his sword around without delay. Dryden.

Something that whirls or turns about in a rapid manner; a whirligig.

he force of it; -- applied by poets to the cestus of ancient boxers. The whirlbat and the rapid race shall be Reserved for Cæsar. Dryden.

reat celerity in a gyrating, or circular, manner, but they are also able to dive and swim rapidly. The larva is aquatic. Called also weaver, whirlwig, and whirlwig beetle.

motion of the air with an upward current in the center; a vortex of air. It usually has a rapid progressive motion. The swift dark whirlwind that uproots the woods. And drowns the villages. Bryant.

The act of whisking; a rapid, sweeping motion, as of something light; a sudden motion or quick puff. This first sad whisk Takes off thy dukedom; thou art but an earl. J. Fletcher.

A light carriage built for rapid motion; -- called also tim- whiskey.

ind passing among trees or through crevices, or that made by bullet, or the like, passing rapidly through the air; the shrill noise (much used as a signal, etc.) made by steam or gas escaping through a small orifice, or impinging against the edge of a metallic bell or cup.

To move to and fro with a quick, jerking motion; to bend rapidly, or with a wavering motion, from side to side; to wag; to squirm; to wriggle; as, the dog wiggles his tail; the tadpole wiggles in the water. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.]

Motive or instrument of flight; means of flight or of rapid motion. Fiery expedition be my wing. Shak.