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l; fruitless desire or effort; trifling labor productive of no good; empty pleasure; vain pursuit; idle show; unsubstantial enjoyment. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher. Eccl. i. 2. Vanity possesseth many who are desirous to know the certainty of things to come. Sir P. Sidney. [Sin] with vanity had filled the work…

A person or thing destroyed or sacrificed in the pursuit of an object, or in gratification of a passion; as, a victim to jealousy, lust, or ambition.

The condition, pursuits, or occupation of a virtuoso. Bp. Hurd.

threw away to prevent being apprehended, which belonged to the king unless the owner made pursuit of the felon, took him, and brought him to justice. Blackstone.

Pertaining to, or employed in, the pursuit of whales; as, a whaling voyage; a whaling vessel.

A shout of pursuit or of war; a very of eagerness, enthusiasm, enjoyment, vengeance, terror, or the like; an halloo; a hoot, or cry, as of an owl. A fox, crossing the road, drew off a considerable detachment, who clapped spurs to their horses, and pursued him with whoops and halloos. Addison. The whoop of the crane. Lo…

Indulgence in idle imagination; a foolish or useless pursuit or design. His wits were a woolgathering, as they say. Burton.

To harass by pursuit and barking; to attack repeatedly; also, to tear or mangle with the teeth. A hellhound that doth hunt us all to death; That dog that had his teeth before his eyes, To worry lambs and lap their gentle blood. Shak.

Passionate ardor in the pursuit of anything; eagerness in favor of a person or cause; ardent and active interest; engagedness; enthusiasm; fervor. "Ambition varnished o'er with zeal." Milton. "Zeal, the blind conductor of the will." Dryden. "Zeal's never-dying fire." Keble. I bear them record that they have a zeal of G…