Defn: A valedictory oration or address spoken at commencement in American colleges or seminaries by one of the graduating class, usually by the leading scholar.
VALENCE Va"lence, n. Etym: [From L. valens, -entis, p. pr. of valere to have power, to be strong. See Valiant.] (Chem.)
Defn: The degree of combining power of an atom (or radical) as shown by the number of atoms of hydrogen (or of other monads, as chlorine, sodium, etc.) with which it will combine, or for which it can be substituted, or with which it can be compared; thus, an atom of hydrogen is a monad, and has a valence of one; the atoms of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon are respectively dyads, triads, and tetrads, and have a valence respectively of two, three, and four.
Note: The valence of certain elements varies in different compounds. Valence in degree may extend as high as seven or eight, as in the cases of iodine and osmium respectively. The doctrine of valence has been of fundamental importance in distinguishing the equivalence from the atomic weight, and is an essential factor in explaining the chemical structures of compounds.
VALENCIA
Va*len"ci*a, n. Etym: [Perhaps fr. Valence in France.]
Defn: A kind of woven fabric for waistcoats, having the weft of wool and the warp of silk or cotton. [Written also valentia.]
VALENCIENNES LACE
Va*len`ci*ennes" lace". Etym: [F.; — so called after the town of
Valenciennes.]
Defn: A rich kind of lace made at Valenciennes, in France. Each piece is made throughout, ground and pattern, by the same person and with the same thread, the pattern being worked in the net.
VALENCY Val"en*cy, n.; pl. Valencies (. (Chem.) (a) See Valence. (b) A unit of combining power; a so-called bond of affinity.
VALENTIA
Va*len"ti*a, n.