Ventose, ven′tōs, adj. windy.—n. the sixth month of the French Revolutionary Calendar, 19th February to 20th March.—n. Ventos′ity, windiness: empty pride. [L. ventosus—ventus, wind.]
Ventral, ven′tral, adj. belonging to the belly: (bot.) denoting the anterior or inferior surface: in the body, situated opposite the dorsal or back aspect.—n. in fishes, one of the posterior fins.—advs. Ven′trad (zool., anat.), to or toward the belly, or ventral surface or aspect of the body; Ven′trally.—adj. Ven′tric.—n. Ven′tricle, a small cavity within an animal body, as in the heart or brain: (Shak.) the womb.—adjs. Ven′tricōse, Ven′tricous, swelling out in the middle: bellied; Ventric′ūlar. [L. ventralis—venter, the belly.]
Ventriculite, ven-trik′ū-līt, n. one of a genus of fossil sponges found in the cretaceous system, and often giving their shape to flint nodules.
Ventriloquism, ven-tril′ō-kwizm, n. the act or art of producing tones and words without any motion of the mouth, so that the hearer is induced to refer the sound to some other place—also Ventrilocū′tion, Ventril′oquy.—adv. Ventrilō′quially.—v.i. Ventril′oquise, to practise ventriloquism.—n. Ventril′oquist, one who practises ventriloquism.—adjs. Ventriloquis′tic, Ventrilō′quial, Ventril′oquous. [L. ventriloquus, speaking from the belly—venter, the belly, loqui, to speak.]
Ventripotent, ven-trip′ō-tent, adj. (rare) of great gastronomic capacity. [L. venter, belly, potens—posse, to have power.]
Ventrosity, ven-tros′i-ti, n. the state of having a pot-belly.
Venture, ven′tūr, n. chance, luck, hazard: that which is put to hazard (esp. goods sent by sea at the sender's risk): an undertaking whose issue is uncertain or dangerous.—v.t. to send on a venture: to expose to hazard: to risk.—v.i. to make a venture: to run a risk: to dare.—n. Ven′tūrer.—adjs. Ven′tūrous, Ven′tūresome.—advs. Ven′tūrously, Ven′tūresomely.—ns. Ven′tūrousness, Ven′tūresomeness.—Venture on, upon, to dare to engage in.—At a venture, at hazard, random. [Short for adventure.]
Venue, ven′ū, n. (Shak.) a hit in fencing: a bout or match: a lunge, thrust. [O. Fr.,—L. venīre, to come.]
Venue, ven′ū, n. (law) the place where an action is laid: the district from which a jury comes to try a question of fact: in England, usually the county where a crime is alleged to have been committed.—Change of venue, change of place of trial; Lay the venue, to specify the place where the trial is to be held. [A particular use of preceding word, but confused with O. Fr. visne, neighbourhood—L. vicinia, neighbourhood.]
Venus, vē′nus, n. (Roman myth.) the goddess of love, originally of spring, patron of flower-gardens, but identified with the Greek Aphrodite: beauty and love deified: sexual commerce, venery: the most brilliant of the planets, second in order from the sun.—Venus's flower-basket, a beautiful glass sponge; Venus's fly-trap (see Dionæa); Venus's girdle, a tæniate ctenophoran.—Mount of Venus (palm.), the elevation at the base of the thumb. [L., orig. personified from venus, desire; akin to venerāri, to worship.]