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cular crystals of rutile. -- Venus's looking-glass (Bot.), an annual plant of the genus Specularia allied to the bellflower; -- also called lady's looking- glass. -- Venus's navelwort (Bot.), any one of several species of Omphalodes, low boraginaceous herbs with small blue or white flowers. -- Venus's pride (Bot.),…

Having peculiar views; fanciful; visionary; unpractical; as, a viewy person.

ce performed in the evening preceding a feast. Vigils, or Watchings, of flowers (Bot.), a peculiar faculty belonging to the flowers of certain plants of opening and closing their petals as certain hours of the day. [R.]

teel wires under, the keyboard. These, sounding sympathetically with the strings, yield a peculiarly soft and silvery sound. It is now seldom used.

e blood, digestion, etc. -- Vital principle, an immaterial force, to which the functions peculiar to living beings are ascribed. -- Vital statistics, statistics respecting the duration of life, and the circumstances affecting its duration. -- Vital tripod. (Physiol.) See under Tripod. -- Vital vessels (Bot.), a nam…

ing to Vitruvius, an ancient Roman architect. Vitruvian scroll (Arch.), a name given to a peculiar pattern of scrollwork, consisting of convolved undulations. It is used in classical architecture. Oxf. Gloss.

atter in continuous vortical motion. It is conveniently regarded in certain mathematical speculations as the typical form and structure of the chemical atom. -- Vortex wheel, a kind of turbine.

A vocal, or sometimes a whispered, sound modified by resonance in the oral passage, the peculiar resonance in each case giving to each several vowel its distinctive character or quality as a sound of speech; -- distinguished from a consonant in that the latter, whether made with or without vocality, derives its charact…

ies; also, its fruit, which is about the size of a large grape, and has a hard rind and a peculiar flavor.

Full of, or characterized by, whims; actuated by a whim; having peculiar notions; queer; strange; freakish. "A whimsical insult." Macaulay. My neighbors call me whimsical. Addison.

tomus vociferus) allied to the nighthawk and goatsucker; -- so called in imitation of the peculiar notes which it utters in the evening. [Written also whippowil.]

lar; fanciful; imaginary; visionary; crazy. "Valor grown wild by pride." Prior. "A wild, speculative project." Swift. What are these So withered and so wild in their attire Shak. With mountains, as with weapons, armed; which makes Wild work in heaven. Milton. The wild winds howl. Addison. Search then the ruling passion…

A peculiar New Zealand shrub (Coriaria ruscifolia), in which the petals ripen and afford an abundant purple juice from which a kind of wine is made. The plant also grows in Chili.

One who deals in words, or in mere words; a verbalist. [R.] "Some speculative wordsman." H. Bushnell.

used as a tonic and a vermifuge, and to protect woolen garments from moths. It gives the peculiar flavor to the cordial called absinthe. The volatile oil is a narcotic poison. The term is often extended to other species of the same genus.

Drought-loving; able withstand the absence or lack of moisture. Plants which are peculiarly adapted to dry climates are termed by De Candolle xerophilous. Goodale.

An evergreen tree (Taxus baccata) of Europe, allied to the pines, but having a peculiar berrylike fruit instead of a cone. It frequently grows in British churchyards.

A peculiar larval stage of certain decapod Crustacea, especially of crabs and certain Anomura. [Written also zoæa.]

(Biol.) A doctrine, now discarded, that the phenomena of life are due to a peculiar vital principle; the theory of vital force.

A peculiar organic red coloring matter found in the feathers of various birds.