English dictionary — definitions & meanings

vixen

noun

A female fox.

Vizag

name

A common short name for Visakhapatnam, a port city in southeastern India.

vizard

noun

A mask (cover for the face, used for disguise, protection, etc.)

vizier

noun

A senior minister or official in an Islamic government, especially the Ottoman Empire.

vizor

noun

Archaic spelling of visor.

Vlad

name

A male given name, often a short form of Vladimir or Vladislav.

Vladimirovich

name

A Russian patronymic meaning "son of Vladimir," used as a middle name.

vladivostock

name

Dated form of Vladivostok.

Vladivostok

name

A major port city in the far east of Russia, on the Pacific coast.

vlog

noun

A blog where video is the main way content is shared.

vlogger

noun

A contributor to a vlog.

vmo

noun

Maximum operating speed; the airspeed which an aircraft should not exceed in the course of routine operation.

Vo

name

A common Vietnamese surname.

vocable

noun

A word or utterance, especially with reference to its form rather than its meaning.

vocabulary

noun

All the words someone knows and uses, or all the words belonging to a particular subject or language.

vocal

adj

Relating to, or produced by, the human voice.

vocalisation

noun

Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of vocalization.

vocalise

verb

Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of vocalize.

vocalism

noun

Speaking or singing.

vocalist

noun

A singer, especially one performing with a band or group.

vocality

noun

The quality or degree of being vocal.

vocalization

noun

The act of vocalizing or something vocalized; a vocal utterance

vocalize

verb

To express with the voice, to utter.

vocalizing

noun

The act of singing or making sounds with the voice, often as vocal warm-up or practice.

vocally

adverb

Out loud, using the voice; audibly.

vocals

noun

The sung parts of a piece of music, as opposed to the instruments.

vocation

noun

A job or career that someone feels strongly called or suited to, especially one seen as more than just a way to earn money.

vocational

adjective

Relating to training for a specific trade or skill, rather than general academic study.

vocative

adj

Of or pertaining to calling; used in calling or vocation.

vociferance

noun

Vociferation; clamour, noise.

vociferation

noun

The act of exclaiming; violent outcry; vehement utterance of the voice.

vociferous

adj

Making or characterized by a noisy outcry; clamorous.

VoD

noun

An abbreviation for "video on demand" — video content, such as a TV show or recorded stream, that can be watched whenever the viewer chooses rather than at a fixed broadcast time.

vodcast

verb

To deliver video on demand via a podcast.

vodka

noun

A strong, clear spirit distilled mainly from grain or potatoes, typically with little flavor of its own.

voe

noun

A narrow sea inlet, particularly in the Shetland Islands, similar to a fjord.

Vogel

name

A German surname meaning "bird."

Vogler

name

A German surname, an occupational name for a bird catcher.

vogue

noun

The style or fashion that is currently popular.

voguish

adj

Elegant, fashionable or chic.

voice

noun

The sound a person produces when speaking or singing.

voiced

adjective

In phonetics, produced with the vocal cords vibrating, as opposed to a silent or breathy sound.

voiceless

adj

Lacking a voice, without vocal sound.

voicelessness

noun

The condition of being voiceless.

voicemail

noun

A system that records spoken messages left by callers when a phone isn't answered.

voicing

noun

The final regulation of the pitch and tone of any sound-producing entity, especially of an organ or similar musical instrument.

void

adjective

Completely empty; containing nothing.

voiding

noun

An act by which something is voided, such as urination.

Voight

name

A German surname, a variant of Vogt, meaning "steward" or "overseer."

voilà

interjection

Said when you reveal or produce something, to draw attention to a finished result or a neat solution.

voile

noun

A light, translucent cotton fabric used for making curtains and dresses.

voivodeship

noun

The office, position, rank, or title of a voivode (“a local ruler or official in various parts of central and eastern Europe; an administrative chief in modern Poland”).

volatile

adjective

Likely to change suddenly and unpredictably, especially for the worse.

volatility

noun

The tendency of a price, market or value to move sharply and unpredictably over a short period.

volcanian

adj

Synonym of volcanic, of or related to volcanoes and volcanism.

volcanic

adjective

Relating to or produced by a volcano.

volcano

noun

An opening in the Earth's surface, usually on a mountain, through which molten rock, ash, and gas escape from below.

Voldemort

noun

Informally, a person or thing so feared or reviled that people avoid naming it directly.

vole

noun

A small rodent, similar to a mouse but with a rounder body and shorter tail, common in fields and hedgerows.

Volga

name

The longest river in Europe, flowing through western Russia into the Caspian Sea.

volitient

adj

wilful; acting out of choice.

volition

noun

The act of consciously deciding or choosing to do something, using one's own will.

volitional

adj

Of or relating to the volition or will.

volitionally

adv

Willingly or decidedly; in a volitional or willed way.

Volkov

name

A common Russian surname derived from "volk," meaning "wolf."

volksmarch

noun

An individual walk in the sport of volksmarching.

Volkswagen

name

A major German car manufacturer, headquartered in Wolfsburg, known for models such as the Beetle and Golf.

volley

noun

A number of things, especially shots, insults, or questions, released or fired all at once.

volleyball

noun

A team sport in which players hit an inflated ball back and forth over a net without letting it touch the ground on their own side.

Volodya

name

A Russian diminutive form of the name Vladimir.

volt

noun

The standard unit of electrical potential, measuring the "push" that drives an electric current.

volta

noun

In poetry, especially a sonnet, the turning point where the argument or mood shifts.

voltage

noun

The difference in electrical potential between two points, which drives current through a circuit.

Voltaire

name

The pen name of François-Marie Arouet, an influential 18th-century French writer and philosopher known for his wit and criticism of intolerance.

Voltron

noun

A group of separate parts or people that becomes far more powerful once combined into one whole.

voluble

adj

Fluent or having a ready flow of speech.

volume

noun

How loud a sound is, or the control that adjusts it.

volumetric

adj

Pertaining to measurement by volume.

voluminous

adjective

Very large in quantity or extent, especially of writing, records or evidence.

voluntarily

adverb

Done by choice, without being forced or paid to do it.

voluntarism

noun

A reliance on volunteers to support an institution or achieve an end; volunteerism.

voluntarist

noun

Someone who endorses voluntarism.

voluntary

adjective

Done by choice, not because of an obligation or force.

volunteer

noun

Someone who offers to do a task, often unpaid, without being forced to.

volunteer work

noun

Work done for a charity, community group or cause without pay, by choice.

volunteering

noun

Unpaid work done to help others or support a cause.

voluptuary

noun

One whose life is devoted to sensual appetites; a pleasure-seeker, a sensualist.

voluptuous

adjective

Curvaceous and sexually attractive, especially describing a woman's figure.

volute

noun

The characteristic spiral curve on an Ionic capital, widely copied in other styles and in neoclassical architecture.

Volvo

name

A Swedish car manufacturer known for an emphasis on safety.

vombatid

noun

Any marsupial of the family Vombatidae; a wombat.

vomit

verb

To bring up the contents of the stomach through the mouth.

vomiting

noun

The act of forcibly bringing up the contents of the stomach through the mouth.

vomitus

noun

Vomit (the product of an emesis).

vonce

noun

Marijuana; cannabis, especially used as a drug.

Vonda

name

A feminine given name, likely a variant of Wanda.

vonnie

name

A diminutive of the female given name Veronica.

voodoo

noun

A religion practiced mainly in Haiti and parts of Louisiana, blending West African spiritual traditions with Catholic elements.

voodooism

noun

A religious cult, from Haiti, involving witchcraft and sorcery.

Voorhees

name

A surname of Dutch origin, and the name of the fictional character Jason Voorhees from the "Friday the 13th" films.

voracious

adj

Eating, or wanting to eat, huge amounts of food.

vortex

noun

A spinning mass of air, water, or other matter that pulls things toward its centre, such as a whirlpool or whirlwind.

vortical

adj

Of or pertaining to a vortex; containing vortices; moving in a vortex.

vorticity

noun

A property of a fluid flow related to local angular rotation; defined as the curl of the flow's velocity field.

Vos

name

A Dutch surname meaning "fox."

Voss

name

A German and Dutch surname meaning "fox," and the name of a town in Norway.

votary

adj

Consecrated by a vow or promise; consequent on a vow; devoted; promised.

vote

noun

A formal choice made as part of an election or decision, usually by ballot.

voted

adj

Decided on or approved through a formal vote.

voteless

adj

Without a vote or votes.

voter

noun

A person who votes or is entitled to vote.

voting

noun

The process of making a formal choice, especially in an election.

votive

adj

Dedicated or given in fulfillment of a vow or pledge.

Vou

name

A rare surname of East Asian origin.

vouch

verb

To personally guarantee that someone or something is trustworthy or genuine, often based on your own experience.

voucher

noun

A piece of paper or code that can be exchanged for goods, services, or a discount.

vouchsafe

verb

To graciously give, to condescendingly grant a right, benefit, outcome, etc.; to deign to acknowledge.

vouchsafement

noun

The act of vouchsafing.

vouchsafing

noun

The act of one who vouchsafes something.

vow

noun

A solemn, formal promise, especially one made as part of a religious or ceremonial commitment.

vowed

adj

Promised solemnly; committed to as a vow.

vowel

noun

A speech sound made with an open vocal tract, without blocking the airflow — the core sound of a syllable.

vox

noun

The voice, especially one's singing voice; vocals.

voyage

noun

A long journey, especially one made by sea, air, or space.

voyager

noun

A person who travels on a long journey, especially to unfamiliar or distant places.

voyeur

noun

A person who gets sexual gratification from secretly watching others undress or engage in intimate acts.

vP

noun

A phrase headed by little v.

VPN

noun

An encrypted connection between a device and a remote server, through which the device's internet traffic is routed, so that the network in between cannot read the contents and websites see the server's location rather than the user's.

VR

adj

Relating to or existing within virtual reality — a computer-generated, immersive simulated environment.

vroom

intj

Used to imitate the roaring sound of a revving engine.

Vs

prep

Abbreviation of "versus," used to show two sides opposing each other in a contest, match, or comparison.

Vu

name

A common Vietnamese surname.

Vue

name

A Hmong surname, one of the traditional Hmong clan names.

Vuitton

name

A French surname, most famously borne by Louis Vuitton, founder of the luxury goods house.

Vuk

name

A masculine given name of Slavic origin, meaning "wolf".

Vulcan

noun

In fiction, a member of a logical, emotionally restrained alien species from the Star Trek universe.

vulcanalia

name

The Ancient Roman festival of the god Vulcan, celebrated on August 23, during which live fish or small animals were thrown into bonfires as a sacrifice.

vulcanian

adj

Of, related to, or created by Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and metalwork, considered equivalent to the Greek Hephaestus and several German and Celtic gods.

vulgar

adj

Crude, tasteless, or offensive, especially in speech or behaviour.

vulgarism

noun

A word or term that is considered offensive or vulgar.

vulgarity

noun

Crude, offensive, or tasteless behaviour or language.

vulnerability

noun

The state of being open to being hurt, attacked, or emotionally exposed.

vulnerable

adj

Likely to be harmed, attacked, or hurt, physically or emotionally.

vulnerableness

noun

The quality, state, or condition of being vulnerable; vulnerability.

vulpine

adj

Pertaining to a fox.

vulture

noun

A large bird of prey that feeds mainly on the flesh of dead animals.

vulva

noun

The external part of the female genitalia, including the labia and clitoris.

VX

noun

A highly toxic nerve agent developed as a chemical weapon.

vxse

noun

The indicated airspeed at which a multiengine aircraft's maximum sustained angle of climb with only one engine running is the steepest.

vying

noun

The act of competing eagerly with others for the same thing.