Vasiform, Vasomotor. See Vas.
Vassal, vas′al, n. one who holds land from, and renders homage to, a superior: a dependant, retainer: a bondman, slave: (Shak.) a low wretch.—adj. (Shak.) servile.—v.t. to enslave, to dominate.—ns. Vass′alāge, state of being a vassal: dependence: subjection: a fee, fief: (Shak.) vassals collectively; Vass′aless (Spens.), a female vassal; Vass′alry, vassals collectively. [Fr.,—Low L. vassalis—Bret. gwaz, a servant; cf. W. gwas, a youth.]
Vast, vast, adj. of great extent: very great in amount: very great in degree, mighty: (Shak.) vacant, desolate.—n. immensity: (coll.) a large quantity: (Shak.) the darkness of night.—ns. Vastid′ity (Shak.), immensity, desolation; Vas′titude.—adv. Vast′ly.—ns. Vast′ness; Vas′tus, one of the great muscles upon the front of the thigh.—adj. Vas′ty, large, enormously great. [Fr. vaste—L. vastus, waste, vast; cf. A.S. wéste, waste.]
Vat, vat, n. a large vessel or tank, esp. one for holding liquors.—v.t. to put in a vat.—n. Vat′ful, the contents of a vat. [Older form fat—A.S. fæt; Dut. vat, Ice. fat, Ger. fass.]
Vatican, vat′i-kan, n. an assemblage of buildings on the Vatican hill in Rome, including one of the pope's palaces: the papal authority.—ns. Vat′icanism, the system of theology and ecclesiastical government based on absolute papal authority, ultramontanism; Vat′icanist, one who upholds such a system.—Vatican Codex, a famous uncial MS. of the Greek Testament, of the 4th century, in the Vatican library at Rome; Vatican Council, the Twentieth Ecumenical Council, according to popish reckoning, which met 8th December 1869 and proclaimed the Infallibility of the Pope. [Fr.,—It. Vaticano—L. Mons Vaticanus, a hill in Rome.]
Vaticide, vat′i-sīd, n. the killing of a prophet: one who kills a prophet. [L. vates, vatis, a prophet, cædĕre, to kill.]
Vaticinate, va-tis′i-nāt, v.t. to prophesy.—adj. Vat′ic, prophetic, oracular, inspired—also Vatic′inal.—ns. Vaticinā′tion, prophecy: prediction; Vatic′inator, a prophet. [L. vaticināri, -ātus, to prophesy—vates, a seer.]
Vaudeville, vōd′vil, n. originally a popular song with topical allusions: a play interspersed with dances and songs incidentally introduced and usually comic.—n. Vaude′villist, a composer of these. [From vau (val) de Vire, the valley of the Vire, in Normandy, where they were first composed about 1400 A.D.]
Vaudois, vō-dwo′, n. a native of Vaud: the dialect spoken in Vaud.—adj. pertaining to Vaud or its people.
Vaudois, vō-dwo′, n. one of the Waldenses (q.v.).—adj. Waldensian.