English dictionary — definitions & meanings

vine

noun

A climbing or trailing plant with a flexible stem, especially one that produces grapes.

vinegar

noun

A sour liquid made by fermenting alcohol, used for flavouring, pickling, and preserving food.

vinegaroon

noun

A whip scorpion (arachnid of order Thelyphonida), which when threatened may eject a liquid containing acetic acid.

vinegary

adj

Sour; like vinegar.

vineyard

noun

A piece of land planted with grapevines, typically for making wine.

Vinnie

name

A masculine given name, an informal short form of Vincent.

vinny

adj

A dated dialect word meaning moldy or mildewed.

vino

noun

Wine, used informally.

Vinod

name

A masculine given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "joy" or "happiness."

vinous

adj

Pertaining to or having the characteristics of wine.

vintage

noun

The year or place a wine (or similar product) comes from, especially when it indicates quality.

Vinton

name

An English surname and place name, also a masculine given name.

vintry

noun

A place where wine is sold.

vinyl

noun

A type of tough, flexible plastic, or a product made from it, such as flooring or upholstery.

viola

noun

A stringed instrument similar to but slightly larger than a violin, with a deeper tone.

violable

adj

Capable of being violated, broken, or injured.

violate

verb

To break or fail to comply with a law, rule, or agreement.

violated

adj

Broken or disregarded, as of a rule or agreement.

violation

noun

An act of breaking a law, rule, or agreement.

viole

verb

To violate, especially to rape.

violence

noun

Physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill.

violent

adj

Using or involving physical force meant to hurt or kill.

violently

adv

In a way that involves physical force or intense action.

violet

noun

A small plant with fragrant purple or blue flowers, or the flower itself.

Violette

name

A French feminine given name meaning "violet," after the flower.

violin

noun

A small four-stringed instrument played with a bow, held under the chin, the highest-pitched of the standard string family.

violinist

noun

A person who plays the violin.

violoncellist

noun

a person who plays the violoncello

VIP

noun

A person who is given special treatment, privileged access or extra security because of their fame, wealth, rank or importance to an event.

viper

noun

A venomous snake, especially one of the family that includes adders and rattlesnakes.

viperish

adj

In the manner of a viper.

viperous

adj

of or pertaining to a viper

vipper

noun

A participant in the Japanese 2channel (ni-channeru) board /vip/.

virago

noun

A woman given to undue belligerence or ill manner at the slightest provocation.

viral

adj

Relating to, or caused by, a virus.

Virgil

noun

Another name for the forward slash symbol ( / ), especially in printing and typesetting contexts.

virgin

noun

A person who has never had sex.

virginal

adj

Having the qualities of a virgin; innocent, pure, or untouched.

Virginia

name

A U.S. state on the Atlantic coast, whose capital is Richmond.

Virginian

noun

A person from the U.S. state of Virginia.

virginity

noun

The state of never having had sex.

Virgins

name

Part of several place names, most notably the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean.

Virgo

name

A constellation, and the zodiac sign covering roughly August 23 to September 22, symbolized by a maiden.

virgula

noun

A small, thin, straight growth

virgule

noun

A medieval punctuation mark similar to the slash ⟨/⟩ or pipe ⟨|⟩ and used as a scratch comma and caesura mark.

viridian

noun

A bluish-green pigment made from chromium sesquioxide.

viridity

noun

The state or condition of being virid: greenness.

virile

adj

Having qualities traditionally associated with masculinity, such as strength and vigor.

virility

noun

Manly strength, vigor, or masculine character.

virtual

adj

Existing in effect, though not officially or in a strict physical sense.

virtual machine

noun

A complete computer created in software rather than hardware, running inside a real computer with its own operating system, memory and storage, and behaving as though it were a separate machine.

virtually

adv

Almost entirely; for all practical purposes.

virtue

noun

Moral goodness or excellence of character.

virtuosity

noun

The technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso.

virtuoso

noun

Someone with extraordinary skill, especially a musician of exceptional technical ability.

virtuous

adj

Having strong moral character; morally good.

virtuousness

noun

The state of being virtuous.

virulence

noun

The state of being virulent.

virulent

adj

Extremely infectious or harmful, said of a disease or pathogen.

virus

noun

A microscopic infectious agent that can only reproduce inside a living host cell, sometimes causing disease.

vis

noun

Force, power, or might (a somewhat formal or legal term).

vis-à-vis

preposition

In relation to, or with regard to.

visa

noun

An official permit allowing someone to enter, stay in, or leave a country.

visage

noun

A person's face, especially its expression (a literary or formal word).

visaged

adj

Having a certain type of face.

viscacha

noun

Any of the several South American rodents, native to the Andes Mountains, of the genera Lagidium and Lagostomus.

viscera

noun

Collectively, the internal organs of the body, especially those contained within the abdominal and thoracic cavities, such as the liver, heart, or stomach.

visceral

adj

Relating to the internal organs of the body.

visceration

noun

A portion of raw flesh, especially one distributed at the death of a wealthy man.

visceroception

noun

The sensation of pain in the viscera.

visceromegaly

noun

The abnormal enlargement of abdominal organs.

visceroptosis

noun

A prolapse or sinking downward of the abdominal viscera below their natural position.

viscerosensory

adj

Describing sensations experienced by means of the viscera.

viscid

adj

Having a high viscosity.

viscin

noun

A material extracted from the mucilaginous sap of the mistletoe and used to make birdlime.

viscoid

adj

Composed of viscoid (a powered amorphous form of cellulose).

viscomital

adj

Of or relating to a viscount.

Visconti

name

An Italian surname, historically borne by a powerful noble family that ruled Milan.

viscose

noun

A viscous orange-brown liquid obtained by chemical treatment of cellulose and used as the basis of manufacturing rayon and cellulose film.

viscosity

noun

How thick a liquid is and how strongly it resists flowing; honey has a high viscosity, water a low one.

viscotoxin

noun

Any of various proteins produced by mistletoe plants.

viscount

noun

A nobleman ranked below an earl or count but above a baron.

viscountess

noun

The wife of a viscount.

viscous

adj

Thick and sticky, flowing slowly rather than freely.

viscus

noun

One of the organs, as the brain, heart, or stomach, in the great cavities of the body of an animal; especially used in the plural, and applied to the organs contained in the abdomen.

vise

noun

A tool with two jaws tightened by a screw or lever, used to hold an object firmly in place while it is worked on.

Vishal

name

A male given name of Sanskrit origin, common in India, meaning roughly "large" or "vast."

Vishnu

name

One of the principal deities of Hinduism, regarded as the preserver of the universe within the Hindu trinity.

Vishwamitra

name

A revered sage-king in Hindu tradition, said to have become a Brahmarshi through extreme discipline and penance, and to have composed the Gayatri Mantra.

visibility

noun

The state or degree of being able to be seen.

visible

adj

Able to be seen.

visibleness

noun

The state or quality of being visible.

visibly

adv

In a way that can be plainly seen; obviously.

vision

noun

The ability to see; eyesight.

visionary

adj

Showing unusual foresight or imaginative insight about the future.

visit

verb

To go and see a person or place, usually briefly.

visitant

noun

One who visits; a guest; a visitor.

visitation

noun

An official or formal visit, especially for inspection.

visited

adj

Having received a visit or visits.

visiting

noun

The act of going to see a person or place.

visitor

noun

Someone who comes to see a person, place, or event, often briefly or as a guest.

visor

noun

The movable front part of a helmet that covers the face, with slits or gaps to see and breathe through.

vista

noun

A long, open view, especially one seen through a gap or down a passage.

visual

adj

Relating to sight, or able to be seen.

visualisation

noun

Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of visualization.

visualise

verb

British spelling of visualize, used outside Oxford-style spelling conventions.

visualization

noun

The act of picturing something in the mind, or the mental image produced.

visualize

verb

To form a clear picture of something in your mind.

visually

adv

By or through sight.

vita

noun

A written account of a saint's life; a hagiography.

vital

adj

Absolutely necessary; essential to success or survival.

vitalic

adj

Relating to, or characteristic of life; vital.

vitalise

verb

To give life to something; to animate.

vitalism

noun

The doctrine that life involves some immaterial "vital force", and cannot be explained scientifically.

vitality

noun

Physical or mental energy and liveliness.

vitalize

verb

American and Oxford British English standard spelling of vitalise.

vitalizer

noun

That which vitalizes; a source of vitality.

vitally

adv

To a critically important degree; essentially.

vitals

noun

The organs of the body essential for staying alive, such as the heart and lungs.

vitamer

noun

Any of a combination of substances that, together, function as a vitamin.

vitamin

noun

One of a group of natural compounds the body needs in small amounts to grow, function, and stay healthy.

Vite

name

A surname of French or Italian origin.

vitellaria

noun

AA shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa)

vitellus

noun

The contents or substance of the ovum; egg yolk.

viti

name

A language spoken in Nigeria.

vitiate

verb

To spoil, make faulty; to reduce the value, quality, or effectiveness of something.

vitiation

noun

A reduction in the value, or an impairment in the quality of something.

vitiligo

noun

The patchy loss of skin pigmentation.

Vito

name

A masculine given name of Italian origin, meaning "life."

vitreous

adj

Of or resembling glass; glassy.

Vittoria

name

An Italian feminine given name meaning "victory."

vituperate

verb

To criticize (someone or something) in an abusive or harsh manner.

vituperation

noun

The act of vituperating; severely blaming or censuring.

vituperative

adj

Marked by harsh abuse; abusive, often with ranting or railing.

Viv

noun

A short, informal name for a vivarium, an enclosure for keeping small animals or reptiles.

viva

intj

Used to cheer or celebrate someone or something, meaning roughly "long live!"

vivacious

adj

Full of energy and enthusiasm; lively and animated.

vivacity

noun

The quality or state of being vivacious.

Vivaldi

name

An Italian surname, best known as that of the Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi.

vive

adj

Lively or animated (a rare, mostly literary usage).

Vivek

name

A South Asian male given name meaning "wisdom" or "discernment" in Sanskrit.

Vivian

name

A given name, used for both men and women, derived from Latin.

Viviane

name

A French female given name related to Vivian.

vivid

adj

Producing sharp, clear, powerful images or impressions.

vividly

adv

In a way that produces a very clear, sharp impression.

vividness

noun

The quality or state of being vivid.

Vivien

name

A feminine spelling variant of the given name Vivian.

Vivienne

name

A French-derived female given name, a variant of Vivian.

vivificate

verb

To give life to; to animate or vitalise.

vivify

verb

To bring to life; to enliven.