Vouchsafe, vowch-sāf, v.t. to vouch or warrant safe: to sanction or allow without danger: to condescend to grant.—v.i. to condescend.—n. Vouchsafe′ment.
Voulge, vōōzh, n. a weapon carried by foot-soldiers in the 14th century, having a blade fixed on a long staff. [Fr.]
Voussoir, vōō-swär′, n. one of the wedge-like stones which form part of an arch.—v.t. to form with such. [Fr., through Low L., from L. volutus—volvĕre, to roll.]
Vow, vow, n. a voluntary promise made to God, and, as such, carrying with it the most stringent obligation to its fulfilment: a solemn or formal promise of fidelity or affection: (Shak.) a positive assertion.—v.t. to give by solemn promise: to devote: to threaten, to maintain solemnly.—v.i. to make vows.—n. Vow′-fell′ow (Shak.), one bound by the same vow.—Baptismal vows, the promises made at baptism by the person baptised, or by the sponsors or parents in his name; Monastic vows (see Monastery); Solemn, as opposed to Simple vows, such vows as the Church takes under her special charge, or is said in a solemn manner to accept, as those of poverty, obedience, and chastity, involving complete and irrevocable surrender. [O. Fr. vou (Fr. vœu)—L. votum—vovēre, to vow.]
Vowel, vow′el, n. a sound or tone produced by the unimpeded passage of the breath, when modified by the glottis into voice, through the tube of the mouth, which is made to assume different shapes by altering the form and position of the tongue and the lips—the letters a, e, i, o, u are called vowels, as being able to be sounded by themselves, with a continuous passage of the breath; but there are thirteen simple vowel sounds in English.—adj. vocal: pertaining to a vowel.—vs.t. Vow′el, Vow′elise, to insert vowel signs in words written primarily with consonants only.—ns. Vow′elism, the use of vowels; Vow′elist, one given to vowelism.—adjs. Vow′elled, furnished with vowels; Vow′elless, without vowels; Vow′elly, full of vowels.—Vowel points, marks inserted in consonantal word to indicate vowels. [Fr. voyelle—L. vocalis—vox, vocis, the voice.]
Vox, voks, n. voice: a voice or song part.—Vox angelica, or cælestis, in organ-building, a stop producing a wavy effect; Vox humana, in organ-building, a reed-stop producing tones resembling those of the human voice. [L.]
Voyage, voi′āj, n. passage by water: (Shak.) an enterprise.—v.i. to make a voyage, or to pass by water.—v.t. to traverse, pass over.—adj. Voy′age-able, navigable.—n. Voy′ager, one who voyages.—n.pl. Voyageurs (vwo-ya-zher′), name given in Canada to the men who in their bark canoes kept up communication between the stations, and effected transportation of men and supplies, in the North-west and Hudson's Bay territory. [Fr.,—L. viaticum, travelling-money—L. via, a way.]
Vraisemblance, vrā-song-blongs′, n. verisimilitude. [Fr., vrai, true, semblance, appearance.]
Vug, vug, n. a Cornish miner's name for a cavity in a rock.—adj. Vug′gy.
Vulcan, vul′kan, n. (Roman myth.) the god of fire.—n. Vulcanā′lia, an ancient Roman, festival in honour of Vulcan, held on 23d August.—adjs. Vulcā′nian, pertaining to Vulcan, or to one who works in iron; Vulcan′ic (same as Volcanic).—n. Vulcanic′ity, volcanicity.—adj. Vulcanī′sable.—n. Vulcanisā′-tion.—v.t. Vul′canise, to combine with sulphur by heat, as caoutchouc—v.i. to admit of such treatment.—ns. Vul′canism, volcanism; Vul′canist, a supporter of the Huttonian theory in geology which asserted the igneous origin of such rocks as basalt; Vul′canite, the harder of the two kinds of vulcanised india-rubber or caoutchouc, the softer kind being called soft-rubber. [L. Vulcanus.]