Vancourier, van′kōō-ri-er, n. a precursor. [Fr. avant-courier—avant, before.]
Vandal, van′dal, n. one of a fierce race from north-eastern Germany who entered Gaul about the beginning of the 5th century, crossed the Pyrenees into Spain (leaving their name in Andalusia=Vandalitia), next under Genseric crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, and carried devastation and ruin from the shores of the Atlantic to the frontiers of Cyrene: any one hostile to arts or literature, a barbarian.—adjs. Van′dal, Vandal′ic, barbarous, rude.—n. Van′dalism, hostility to arts or literature. [Low L. Vandali, Vinduli—the Teut. name seen in Dut. Wenden, the Wends.]
Vandyke, van-dīk′, n. one of the points forming an edge or border, as of lace, ribbon, &c.: a painting by Vandyke: a small round cape, the border ornamented with points and indentations, as seen in paintings by Vandyke of the time of Charles I.—adj. pertaining to the style of dress represented in portraits by Vandyke.—v.t. to cut the edge off in points.—n. Vandyke′-brown, a reddish-brown pigment, a species of peat or lignite.—adj. Vandyked′, notched with large points like a Vandyke collar. [Anthony Van Dyck (1599-1641), a great Flemish painter.]
Vane, vān, n. a flag or banner: a thin slip of wood or metal at the top of a spire, &c., to show which way the wind blows: a weather-cock: the thin web of a feather: one of the blades of a windmill.—adjs. Vaned, furnished with vanes; Vane′less. [Older form fane—A.S. fana; Goth. fana, cloth, Ger. fahne; akin to L. pannus, Gr. penos, a cloth.]
Vanessa, va-nes′a, n. a genus of butterflies, e.g. the Vanessa atalanta or Red Admiral, Vanessa antiope or Camberwell Beauty. [Perh. intended for Phanessa—Gr. Phanēs, a mystic divinity.]
Vang, vang, n. (naut.) one of two guy-ropes from the end of a gaff to the deck to steady the peak. [Dut.]
Vanguard, van′gärd, n. the guard in the van of an army: the part of an army preceding the main body: the front line. [Formerly vantgard—Fr. avant-garde—avant, before, garde, guard.]
Vanilla, va-nil′a, n. the dried aromatic sheath-like pod or fruit of a tropical epiphytal orchid, a favourite confection.—adj. Vanill′ic. [Latinised from Fr. vanille—Sp. vainilla—vaina—L. vagina, a sheath.]
Vanish, van′ish, v.i. to pass away from a place, leaving it vacant or empty: to disappear: to be annihilated or lost: (math.) to become zero: (Shak.) to exhale.—n. Van′isher.—adv. Van′ishingly.—n. Van′ishment.—Vanishing point, the point of disappearance of anything. [Through Fr. from L. vanescĕre, to pass away—vanus, empty.]
Vanity. See Vain.