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desire; emptiness; unsubstantialness; unrealness; falsity. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. Eccl. i. 2. Here I may well show the vanity of that which is reported in the story of Walsingham. Sir J. Davies.

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.

A dangerous, treacherous, or malignant person. Who committed To such a viper his most sacred trust Of secrecy. Milton. Horned viper. (Zoöl.) See Cerastes. -- Red viper (Zoöl.), the copperhead. -- Viper fish (Zoöl.), a small, slender, phosphorescent deep-sea fish (Chauliodus Sloanii). It has long ventral and dorsal fi…

; the point at which converging rays would meet if not reflected or refracted before they reach it. -- Virtual image. (Optics) See under Image. -- Virtual moment (of a force) (Mech.), the product of the intensity of the force multiplied by the virtual velocity of its point of application; -- sometimes called virtual…

ted by a vow; devoted; as, votive offerings; a votive tablet. "Votive incense." Keble. We reached a votive stone, that bears the name Of Aloys Reding. Wordsworth. Embellishments of flowers and votive garlands. Motley. Votive medal, a medal struck in grateful commemoration of some auspicious event. -- Votive offering,…

rocess of multiplying books had brought the New Testament in the vulgar tongue within the reach of every class. Bancroft.

A small sail sometimes set under a studding sail or under a driver boom, and reaching nearly to the water.

The means by which anything is reached, or anything is accomplished; scheme; device; plan. My best way is to creep under his gaberdine. Shak. By noble ways we conquest will prepare. Dryden. What impious ways my wishes took! Prior.

A pit or hole sunk into the earth to such a depth as to reach a supply of water, generally of a cylindrical form, and often walled with stone or bricks to prevent the earth from caving in. The woman said unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. John iv. 11.

, whining, broken voice; to whine; to complain; as, a child whimpers. Was there ever yet preacher but there were gainsayers that spurned, that winced, that whimpered against him Latimer.

wider; to extend in breadth; to increase the width of; as, to widen a field; to widen a breach; to widen a stocking.

To come to by toil or effort; to reach; to overtake. [Archaic] Even in the porch he him did win. Spenser. And when the stony path began, By which the naked peak they wan, Up flew the snowy ptarmigan. Sir W. Scott.

Hence, inside the limits, reach, or influence of; not going outside of; not beyond, overstepping, exceeding, or the like. Both he and she are still within my power. Dryden. Within himself The danger lies, yet lies within his power. Milton. Were every action concluded within itself, and drew no consequence after it, we…

Out of the limits of; out of reach of; beyond. Eternity, before the world and after, is without our reach. T. Burnet.

A hurt or injury caused by violence; specifically, a breach of the skin and flesh of an animal, or in the substance of any creature or living thing; a cut, stab, rent, or the like. Chaucer. Showers of blood Rained from the wounds of slaughtered Englishmen. Shak.

Then write that I may follow, and so be Thy echo, thy debtor, thy foil, thy zany. Donne. Preacher at once, and zany of thy age. Pope.

h the stars. Mrs. Barbauld. It was during those civil troubles . . . this aspiring family reached the zenith. Macaulay. Zenith distance. (Astron.) See under Distance. -- Zenith sector. (Astron.) See Sector, 3. -- Zenith telescope (Geodesy), a telescope specially designed for determining the latitude by means of any t…

Fig.: The lowest point; the point of exhaustion; as, his patience had nearly reached zero. Absolute zero. See under Absolute. -- Zero method (Physics), a method of comparing, or measuring, forces, electric currents, etc., by so opposing them that the pointer of an indicating apparatus, or the needle of a galvanometer,…