vacancy ["ve k@n si] 1. n. a job or position that is not filled; an open- ing in employment; a job opening. 2. n. an empty room or building that is available for rent. vacant ["ve k@nt] 1. adj. not occu- pied; not being used; empty; not filled. 2. adj. [of a look on some- one’s face] blank, showing no thought or intelligence. (Figura- tive on Q. Adv: vacantly.) vacation [ve "ke S@n] n. time when one does not have to work or go to school. (Plural only for types and instances.) → on vacation → take a vacation vaccination [vAk s@ "ne S@n] n. the use of a vaccine to protect people against disease. (Plural only for types and instances.) vaccine [vAk "sin] n. a substance that is given to people in order to protect them from a certain dis- ease. vacuum ["vAk jum] 1. n. a space that is completely empty and does not have any air in it. 2. n. a machine used to suck up dirt from carpets and other floor coverings. (Short for vacuum cleaner.) 3. adj. creating or causing Q. 4. tv. to clean a surface by sucking up dirt with W. 5. iv. to clean by sucking up dirt with W. vacuum cleaner ["vAk jum klin #] n. a machine that cleans carpets or other materials by creating a par- tial vacuum Q that sucks up dirt. (Can be shortened to vacuum.) vacuum something up (from something ) to clean something up from something with a vacuum cleaner. vague ["veg] 1. adj. not precise; not exact. (Adv: vaguely. Comp: vaguer; sup: vaguest.) 2. adj. hav- ing no expression on one’s face. (Figurative on Q. Adv: vaguely. Comp: vaguer; sup: vaguest.) vain ["ven] adj. having too much pride about how one looks or about what one has done. (Adv: vainly. Comp: vainer; sup: vainest.) → in vain valiant ["vAl j@nt] adj. very brave; very courageous; heroic. (Adv: valiantly.) valid ["vAl Id] 1. adj. effective; legally usable or acceptable. (Adv: validly.) 2. adj. true; able to be defended or proved; based on facts. (Adv: validly.) valley ["vAl i] n. a low area of land between two high areas of land; a low area of land that is drained by a large river and the smaller rivers that flow into the larger river. valor ["vAl #] n. courage. (No plu- ral.) valuable ["vAl j@ b@l] 1. adj. worth a lot of money; having a great value. (Adv: valuably.) 2. adj. helpful; useful; important. (Adv: valuably.) valuables n. items that are valuable Q. (No singular.) value ["vAl ju] 1. n. the amount of money that something is worth. (No plural.) 2. n. something that 676 V 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 676 Copyright 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc . Click Here for Terms of Use. TLFeBOOK is actually worth more than the amount one paid for it; a bargain. 3. n. something of great use; bene- fit. (No plural.) 4. n. an amount that is represented by a sign or symbol. 5. tv. to believe that some- thing is worth a certain amount of money. 6. tv. to think someone or something is valuable; to regard someone or something as useful or worthy; to regard someone or something highly. → take someone or something at face value valve ["vAlv] n. a flap or other device in a tube that controls the amount of something that passes through the tube. van ["vAn] n. a covered motor vehi- cle that has a large amount of space behind the driver’s seat for carrying large objects or extra people. vandal ["vAn d@l] n. someone who damages other people’s property or public property on purpose. vandalism ["vAn d@ lIz @m] n. the damaging of other people’s prop- erty or public property on pur- pose. (No plural form in this sense.) vandalize ["vAn d@ laIz] tv. to damage other people’s property or public property on purpose. vanilla [v@ "nIl @] 1. n. a flavoring made from the bean of a certain tropical plant. (No plural.) 2. adj. flavored with Q; tasting like Q. vanish ["vAn IS] iv. to disappear; to be seen no longer. vanish into thin air to disappear without leaving a trace. vanity ["vAn @ ti] 1. n. the condi- tion of being vain; the condition of having too much pride about how one looks or what one has done. (No plural.) 2. n. a flat surface on top of a cabinet with drawers, especially such a unit in a bath- room, with a sink included in the top surface. vapor ["ve p#] n. a liquid or solid in the form of a gas. variant ["vEr i @nt] 1. adj. different; having a particular difference as compared with something stan- dard or the norm. 2. n. a different form of something, especially a different way of spelling a word. variation [vEr i "e S@n] n. (minor) differences; a minor difference. (Plural only for types and instances.) variety [v@ "raI @ ti] n. differences of choice; diversity. (Plural only for types and instances.) various ["vEr i @s] adj. different; several; having several kinds of something; having many kinds of something. (Adv: variously.) varnish ["var nIS] 1. n. a clear liq- uid that is painted onto the surface of objects made from wood to protect the wood and give it a hard, shiny appearance. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. tv. to paint a surface with Q. vary ["vEr i] 1. iv. to change; to be different; to appear or be used in different forms. 2. tv. to change something; to cause something to be different; to make something different. vary 677 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 677 TLFeBOOK vase ["ves] n. a decorative con- tainer, often used for holding flowers. vast ["vAst] adj. very large in size or amount; of an immense size or amount. (Adv: vastly. Comp: vaster; sup: vastest.) vat ["vAt] n. a large container, used for storing liquid, especially liquor while it is being made. vault ["vOlt] 1. n. a secure, locked room where valuable things are kept and protected. 2. n. a leap; a jump made with the help of a pole or one’s hands. 3. tv. to jump a certain distance. veal ["vil] n. the meat of a young cow used as food. (No plural.) vegetable ["vEdZ t@ b@l] 1. n. a plant that is eaten as food; a part of a plant that is eaten as food. 2. adj. made with or including Q. vegetarian [vEdZ I "tEr i @n] 1. n. someone who does not eat the flesh of animals. 2. adj. [of food] made without the flesh of a once- living creature. 3. adj. serving or eating food other than animal tis- sue. vegetation [vEdZ I "te S@n] n. plant life; plants in general. (No plural. Treated as singular.) vehicle ["vi I k@l] n. a machine that is used to carry people or things, especially on roads, including cars, buses, trucks, vans, motorcycles, bicycles, sleds, sleighs, and car- riages. (But not trains or air- planes.) vehicular [vI "hIk j@ l#] adj. of or about vehicles. (Adv: vehicularly.) veil ["vel] n. a piece of cloth used to hide something. vein ["ven] 1. n. a vessel that carries blood from parts of the body back to the heart. 2. n. a line that forms part of the framework of a leaf or the wing of an insect. 3. n. a layer of coal or metal within a mass of rock. velocity [v@ "las @ ti] n. speed, especially the speed of an object moving in a specific direction. (Plural only for types and instances.) velvet ["vEl vIt] 1. n. a soft fabric whose threads are short and close together and stick up on one side of the fabric. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. adj. made of Q. vengeance ["vEn dZ@ns] n. hurting someone or damaging someone’s property as a form of revenge. (No plural form.) → with a vengeance → wreak vengeance (up)on someone or something venom ["vEn @m] 1. n. the poison in the bite or sting of a snake, spi- der, and other similar creatures. (No plural.) 2. n. extreme hatred. (Figurative on Q. No plural.) venomous ["vEn @ m@s] 1. adj. full of venom; containing venom. (Adv: venomously.) 2. adj. full of extreme hatred. (Figurative on Q. Adv: venomously.) vent ["vEnt] 1. n. an opening to a passage through which air or other gases can move. 2. tv. to express one’s feelings; to make one’s feel- ings known. vent one’s spleen on someone or something to get rid of one’s feel- vase 678 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 678 TLFeBOOK ings of anger by attacking some- one or something. ventilate ["vEn tI let] tv. to bring fresh air into a room or an enclosed space; to expose some- thing or someplace to fresh air. ventilator ["vEn tI le t#] 1. n. a fan that moves air into or out of a room or enclosed space. 2. n. a device that supplies air or oxygen to someone who cannot breathe without help. venture ["vEn tS#] 1. n. a risky thing to do, especially an action taken in business where one risks one’s money in order to gain more money. 2. tv. to risk something; to expose something to danger; to place something in danger. 3. iv. to go into a place that could be dangerous. verb ["v#b] n. a word that describes what someone or something is or does; a word that expresses being, action, or occurrence. → auxiliary verb → intransitive verb → reflexive (verb) → transitive verb verbal ["v#b @l] 1. adj. expressed in words; oral; spoken, not written. (Adv: verbally.) 2. adj. of or about a verb; formed from a verb. (Adv: verbally.) verbal auxiliary ["v#b @l Og "zIl j@ ri ] Go to auxiliary verb. verdict ["v# dIkt] 1. n. the decision of a judge or a jury at the end of a trial. 2. n. a conclusion; a judg- ment; an opinion. → bring a verdict in verse ["v#s] 1. n. poetry; language as it is used in poetry. (No plural.) 2. n. a group of lines in a poem or song. 3. n. a portion of a chapter of a book of the Bible. → recite something chapter and verse version ["v# Z@n] 1. n. one person’s account or description of some- thing that has happened. 2. n. a form of something that is different from another form of it, such as being in a different language or medium. vertical ["v# tI k@l] adj. straight up and down. (Adv: vertically [ Ik li ].) very ["vEr i] 1. adv. especially; quite; extremely; greatly; to a large degree. (Used to strengthen the meaning of an adjective or another adverb. Ver y is not used with the comparative forms, but is used with superlative forms, following the, to strengthen meaning.) 2. adj. same; actual; identical. (Prenominal only.) 3. adj. mere; simple. (Prenominal only.) the very last the end; an absolute end of something. the very thing the exact thing that is required. vessel ["vEs @l] 1. n. a container used to hold liquids. 2. n. a large ship or boat. → blood vessel vest ["vEst] n. a piece of clothing that has no sleeves and is worn above the waist on top of a shirt and usually under a suit coat or jacket. → life vest → play one’s cards close to one’s vest vest 679 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 679 TLFeBOOK vet ["vEt] 1. n. someone who has served in the military, especially during a war. (Short for veteran.) 2. n. a doctor who treats only ani- mals. (Short for veterinarian.) veteran ["vEt (@) r@n] 1. n. someone who has served in the military, especially during a war. (Can be shortened to vet.) 2. n. someone who has a lot of experience with something. (Figurative on Q.) 3. adj. experienced; having a lot of experience with something. veterinarian [vEt (@) r@ "nEr i @n] n. a doctor who treats only animals. (Can be shortened to vet.) veto ["vi to] 1. n. an instance of using one’s authority to stop a pro- posed bill from becoming law. (Plural ends in -es.) 2. tv. to stop a bill from becoming law; not to allow something to happen. vibrate ["vaI bret] 1. iv. to move back and forth very quickly; to shake; to quiver. 2. tv. to move something back and forth very quickly; to shake something. vibration [vaI "bre S@n] n. the motions of moving back and forth very quickly. vice ["vaIs] n. a bad or immoral habit. vice president ["vaIs "prEz @ d@nt] n. someone who is at a rank just lower than president. vicinity [vI "sIn @ ti] n. a neighbor- hood; the location around some- one or something; the surrounding area. vicious ["vIS @s] 1. adj. fierce; cruel; likely to cause pain; dangerous. (Adv: viciously.) 2. adj. evil; cruel. (Adv: viciously.) → in a vicious circle victim ["vIk t@m] n. a person or an animal that dies, suffers, or loses something because of someone else’s actions, a sickness, an acci- dent, or a natural disaster. victimize ["vIk t@ maIz] tv. to cause someone to be a victim; to cause someone to suffer. victor ["vIk t#] n. a winner; some- one who wins a fight, game, con- test, race, etc. victory ["vIk t@ ri] n. winning; achieving success: the success of defeating an enemy or opponent. (Plural only for types and instances.) → a landslide victory video ["vId i o] 1. n. moving visible images, such as what is recorded on videotape; the visible part of a television program; the display seen on a computer monitor. (No plural.) 2. n. a movie that is avail- able on videotape; motion or action that is recorded on video- tape. (Plural ends in -s.) 3. n. a short film or taped version of a song. (Plural ends in -s.) 4. the adj. use of Q, W, or E. videocassette ["vId i o k@ "sEt] n. a device that holds videotape, which is put into a video camera or a videocassette recorder to record or play back images. videotape ["vId i o tep] 1. n. a length of plastic tape on which images can be recorded and played back. (No plural.) 2. n. a reel or cassette of Q; a copy of a movie vet 680 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 680 TLFeBOOK or a television show that is recorded on Q. view ["vju] 1. n. the way something looks from a place; a scene. 2. n. an opinion; the way someone thinks about something. 3. tv. to examine someone or something; to look at someone or something closely. → a bird’s-eye view → point of view viewpoint ["vju poInt] n. an opin- ion; the way someone thinks about something. vigil ["vIdZ @l] n. an act or instance of staying awake during the night to watch something, to pray, or to take care of someone who is sick. vigilant ["vIdZ @ l@nt] adj. on guard; watchful; watching over someone or something. (Adv: vigilantly.) vigor ["vIg #] n. strength; energy; drive Y. (No plural.) vile ["vaIl] 1. adj. very bad; very unpleasant; disgusting. (Adv: vilely. Comp: viler; sup: vilest.) 2. adj. evil; wicked; immoral. (Adv: vilely. Comp: viler; sup: vilest.) village ["vIl IdZ] 1. n. a small town; a group of houses and businesses in the country or suburbs. 2. n. all the people who live in a particular Q. 3. the adj. use of Q or W. villager ["vIl IdZ #] n. someone who lives in a village. villain ["vIl @n] n. someone who is wicked or evil, especially someone who is the bad person in a story or movie. villain of the piece someone or something that is responsible for something bad or wrong. vine ["vaIn] n. a plant that has long, thin stems that crawl along the ground or the sides of an object. → die on the vine → wither on the vine vinegar ["vIn I g#] n. a sour liquid made from wine or apple juice, used to flavor or preserve food. (No plural.) vinyl ["vaI n@l] 1. n. a kind of com- mon plastic. (No plural.) 2. adj. made of Q. viola [vi "o l@] n. a stringed musical instrument that is similar to, but larger than, a violin. violence ["vaI @ l@ns] n. rough force; actions that hurt or damage people or things. (No plural. Number is expressed with act(s) of violence.) violent ["vaI @ l@nt] 1. adj. using rough force that can hurt or dam- age people or things. (Adv: vio- lently.) 2. adj. showing violence. (Adv: violently.) violet ["vaI @ lIt] n. a small plant that has dark purple flowers with a delicate smell. violin [vaI @ "lIn] n. a four-stringed musical instrument played with a bow. violinist [vaI @ "lIn Ist] n. someone who plays a violin. viper ["vaI p#] n. a venomous snake, especially one with fangs. virtual ["v# tSu @l] 1. adj. having an effect as though someone or some- thing were the real person or thing. (Adv: virtually.) 2. adj. of or virtual 681 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 681 TLFeBOOK about interaction on the Internet; of or about interaction with other people through computers. (Adv: virtually.) virtue ["v# tSu] 1. n. goodness, especially in behavior or morals. (No plural.) 2. n. a good moral behavior or trait; a trait that is val- ued by society. 3. n. an advantage; a benefit. → by virtue of something virus ["vaI r@s] n. a living thing so small it can only be seen under a microscope. (Viruses cause infec- tions and diseases in humans, ani- mals, and plants, including chicken pox, rabies, and the com- mon cold.) visa ["vi z@] n. an official stamp, signature, or attachment put in a passport, which allows its owner to enter a certain country. vise [vaIs] n. a machine made of metal jaws that can be pushed tightly together, used for clamping something tightly so that it doesn’t move while someone works on it. visible ["vIz @ b@l] adj. able to be seen; not hidden. (Adv: visibly.) vision ["vI Z@n] 1. n. the ability to see; the power of sight. (No plu- ral.) 2. n. something that is seen or experienced in a dream, in one’s imagination, or in one’s memory. 3. n. insight; the ability to under- stand what something means and how it will affect the future. (No plural.) visit ["vIz It] 1. tv. to go to a person or a place for a period of time; to be with a person as a visitor; to be at a place as a visitor. 2. tv. to examine or inspect something as part of one’s job. 3. iv. to be some- one’s guest; to stay at someone’s house or at a place as a guest or tourist. 4. n. an act or instance of someone going or coming to a place for a period of time in order to see someone or something, experience something, or talk with someone. → pay a visit to someone or something → pay ( someone or something ) a visit visitor ["vIz I t#] n. someone who visits someone or someplace as a guest or tourist. visual ["vI Zu @l] adj. of or about vision or seeing. (Adv: visually.) vital ["vaIt @l] 1. adj. very impor- tant; absolutely necessary; essen- tial. (Adv: vitally.) 2. adj. of or about life; necessary for life. 3. adj. active; full of life. (Adv: vitally.) vitamin ["vaI t@ mIn] n. a chemical compound that is important for a person’s health and cannot be made by the body. vivid ["vIv Id] 1. adj. clear; distinct. (Adv: vividly.) 2. adj. strongly or brightly colored; deeply colored. (Adv: vividly.) vocabulary [vo "kAb j@ lEr i] 1. n. the words that someone knows; the words that are part of some- one’s language. (No plural.) 2. n. the words used in a certain busi- ness, profession, or activity. (No plural.) 3. n. a list of words with brief meanings, like those found in foreign-language dictionaries; a glossary of words and their mean- ings. 4. n. all the words of a lan- guage. (No plural.) vocation [vo "ke S@n] n. an occupa- tion; a trade; a profession. virtue 682 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 682 TLFeBOOK voice ["voIs] 1. n. the sounds made by a person who is speaking or singing; the sounds made when speaking or singing. 2. n. a medium or channel for represent- ing someone’s opinions. 3. n. a grammar term that describes the relation of the subject of a sen- tence to the verb. 4. tv. to express an opinion by speaking. 5. tv. [in phonetics] to give a certain quality to a sound by vibrating the vocal folds and making the sound of Q. → at the top of one’s voice → lower one’s voice void ["voId] 1. adj. not binding according to the law; having no legal authority; having no legal effect; no longer valid. 2. tv. to cause a law to stop being a law. 3. n. an area that is empty; an empty space; a gap. volcano [val "ke no] n. a mountain with an opening at the top or on the sides from which steam, gas, molten rock, and ash sometimes are ejected by pressure or force from inside the earth. (Plural ends in -s or -es.) volleyball ["val i bOl] 1. n. a sport where two teams on opposite sides of a net try to hit a large, light ball back and forth over the net with- out letting the ball touch the ground. (No plural.) 2. n. the ball used to play Q. volt ["volt] n. a unit of measure- ment of electrical force. voltage ["vol tIdZ] n. an amount of an electrical force, measured in volts. volume ["val j@m] 1. n. a book, especially one book in a series of books. 2. n. the loudness of sound. (Plural only for types and instances.) 3. n. an amount of something. 4. n. the expression of space in three dimensions, deter- mined by multiplying an object’s length, width, and depth. voluntary ["val @n tEr i] 1. adj. [done] by one’s own choice. (Adv: voluntarily [ val @n "tEr @ li].) 2. adj. supported by volunteers or gifts. volunteer [val @n "tIr] 1. n. some- one who does work for free; some- one who agrees to take on a job or task. 2. tv. to offer one’s time, help, or energy at no cost; to give one’s services for free. 3. tv. to say something without being forced to talk; to say something by one’s own choice. 4. the adj. use of Q. volunteer for something to submit oneself for some task. vomit ["vam It] 1. tv. to throw food up after one has eaten it; to bring something up from the stomach. 2. iv. to throw [something] up from the stomach through the mouth. 3. n. something that has been thrown up from the stomach through the mouth. (No plural.) vote ["vot] 1. n. a formal or legal expression of one’s opinion on an issue, especially on political issues. 2. n. the Q, viewed collectively, of a large number of people who share a certain characteristic or background. (No plural. Treated as singular.) 3. iv. to express one’s opinion on an issue by raising one’s hand or marking one’s choice on a ballot. → cast one’s vote vote 683 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 683 TLFeBOOK the vote n. the right to vote E. (No plural. Treated as singular.) vote a split ticket to cast a ballot on which the votes are divided between two or more parties. vote a straight ticket to cast a ballot on which all the votes are for members of the same political party. a vote of confidence a poll taken to discover whether or not a per- son, party, etc., still has the sup- port of a majority of the voters. a vote of thanks a speech express- ing appreciation and thanks to a speaker, lecturer, organizer, etc., and inviting the audience to applaud. vote someone or something down to defeat someone or something in an election. voter ["vot #] n. someone who has the right to vote in an election. vow ["vaU] 1. n. an oath; a sincere promise. 2. tv. to make Q; to swear that one will do something. (The object can be a clause with that U.) vowel ["vaU @l] 1. n. a speech sound that is made without com- pletely closing any parts of the mouth while air passes through it. 2. n. a letter of the alphabet that represents a speech sound that is not a consonant; [in English] the letters a, e, i, o, and u. 3. the adj. use of Q or W. voyage ["voI @dZ] n. a journey, especially one made over water, through the air, or in space; a journey made on a ship, airplane, or spacecraft. → maiden voyage vulture ["v^l tS#] n. a large bird that lives on the meat of dead animals. vote 684 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 684 TLFeBOOK waddle ["wad l] iv. to walk with slow, short steps while moving the body from side to side, as a duck walks. wade ["wed] 1. iv. to walk through shallow water or mud. 2. tv. to cross a shallow body of water by walking through it. wade in(to something ) 1. to walk into an area covered by water. 2. to get quickly and directly involved in something. waffle ["waf @l] 1. n. a thick round or square pancake with depressed squares that form a grid. 2. iv. to change one’s mind on an issue many times. wag ["wAg] 1. tv. to move some- thing up and down or from side to side many times. 2. iv. to move up and down or from side to side many times. → cause (some) tongues to wag → the tail wagging the dog wage ["wedZ] 1. tv. to begin and continue a war, battle, or struggle against someone or something. 2. n. payment for work, especially when a certain amount is paid for each hour worked. (Often plural with the same meaning. Compare this with salary.) wager ["we dZ#] 1. n. a bet. 2. tv. to risk an amount of money on the outcome of an event. 3. tv. to bet that something will happen; to bet that something is or will be the case. (The object is a clause with that U.) wagon ["wAg @n] 1. n. a strong four-wheeled vehicle with a flat bottom that is pulled by horses, mules, or oxen. 2. n. a small, light four-wheeled cart with a flat bot- tom that is pulled as a children’s toy. → fix someone’s wagon → on the wagon wail ["wel] 1. n. a long, loud cry, especially one of pain or sadness. 2. iv. to cry out with a long, loud sound because of pain or sadness. 3. tv. to utter something with a long, loud cry of pain or sadness. (The object can be a clause with that U.) waist ["west] 1. n. the part of the body below the bottom of the ribs and above the hips. 2. n. the part of a piece of clothing that covers Q; the part of a piece of clothing that hangs from Q. waistline ["west laIn] n. an imagi- nary line around the body at the smallest part of one’s waist, usu- ally where the top hem of a pair of pants or a skirt rests on the body. wait ["wet] 1. iv. to stay in a place until someone or something else arrives or returns; to stay in a place until something happens. 2. n. a period of time that one waits for someone or something. → can’t wait (for something to happen) → can’t wait (to do something ) → the moment everyone has been waiting for → on a waiting list 685 W 10 7/23/03 8:51 AM Page 685 Copyright 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc . Click Here for Terms of Use. TLFeBOOK . U.) waist ["west] 1. n. the part of the body below the bottom of the ribs and above the hips. 2. n. the part of a piece of clothing that covers Q; the part of a piece of clothing that hangs from. words that someone knows; the words that are part of some- one’s language. (No plural.) 2. n. the words used in a certain busi- ness, profession, or activity. (No plural.) 3. n. a list of words. carries blood from parts of the body back to the heart. 2. n. a line that forms part of the framework of a leaf or the wing of an insect. 3. n. a layer of coal or metal within a mass of rock. velocity