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| VIOLET | | —n. - sweet-scented plant with usu. Purple, blue, or white flowers.
- bluish-purple colour at the end of the spectrum opposite red.
- pigment or clothes or material of this colour. —adj. Of this colour. [french diminutive of viole *viola2] | |
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| VIOLIN | | n. High-pitched stringed instrument played with a bow. violinist n. [italian diminutive of *viola1] | |
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| VIRAGO | | n. (pl. -s) fierce or abusive woman. [latin, = female warrior] | |
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| VIRGIN | | birth n. - (usu. Preceded by the) doctrine of christ's birth from a virgin mother.
- parthenogenesis.
- —n. - person who has never had sexual intercourse.
- (the virgin) christ's mother mary.
- (the virgin) sign or constellation virgo. —adj. - not yet used etc.
- virginal. [latin virgo -gin-] | |
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| VIRILE | | adj. - (of a man) vigorous or strong.
- sexually potent.
- of a man as distinct from a woman or child. virility n. [latin vir man] | |
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| VIRTUE | | n. - moral excellence; goodness.
- particular form of this.
- (esp. Female) chastity.
- good quality (has the virtue of speed).
- efficacy (no virtue in such drugs). by (or in) virtue of on account of, because of. [latin: related to *virile] | |
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| VISAGE | | n. Literary face. [latin visus sight] | |
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| VISCID | | adj. Glutinous, sticky. [latin: related to *viscous] | |
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| VISION | | n. - act or faculty of seeing, sight.
- thing or person seen in a dream or trance.
- mental picture (visions of hot toast).
- imaginative insight.
- statesmanlike foresight.
- beautiful person etc.
- television or cinema picture, esp. Of specified quality (poor vision). [latin video vis- see] | |
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| VISUAL | | adj. Of or used in seeing. visually adv. [latin visus sight]
- aid n. Film etc. As a teaching aid.
- display unit n. Computing device displaying data on a screen. | |
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