English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

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 of being bright, clear or full of life.

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 bring something to life or make it lively.

vivify

verb

To make something more lively or full of energy.

vixen

noun

A female fox.

Vizag

name

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

vizard

noun

A mask worn to hide the face.

vizier

noun

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

vizor

noun

An 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

An outdated spelling of Vladivostok.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

Someone who makes videos for a vlog.

vmo

noun

The fastest speed a plane is allowed to fly at during normal use.

Vo

name

A common Vietnamese surname.

vocable

noun

A word or sound, thought of mainly in terms of how it sounds rather than what it means.

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

A non-Oxford British English standard spelling of vocalization.

vocalise

verb

A non-Oxford British English standard spelling of vocalize.

vocalism

noun

The act of speaking or singing.

vocalist

noun

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

vocality

noun

How much something is spoken aloud or expressed with the voice.

vocalization

noun

The act of making a sound with the voice, or a sound made this way.

vocalize

verb

To say something out loud.

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

Relating to calling out to someone, or used when addressing them.

vociferance

noun

Loud shouting or noise.

vociferation

noun

A loud, forceful shout or outcry.

vociferous

adj

Loud and forceful in making a noise or complaint.

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 send out video content as a podcast, for people to watch when they choose.

vodka

noun

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

voe

noun

A narrow inlet from the sea, especially one found in the Shetland Islands.

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

Stylish and currently popular.

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

Having no voice or making no vocal sound.

voicelessness

noun

The state of having no voice or no say.

voicemail

noun

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

voicing

noun

The last adjustment made to the pitch and tone of something that makes sound, especially a musical instrument such as an organ.

void

adjective

Completely empty; containing nothing.

voiding

noun

An act of emptying something out, such as passing urine.

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 thin, see-through cotton cloth used to make curtains and dresses.

voivode

noun

A regional governor or military commander in central and eastern Europe, a title once held by the semi-independent princes who ruled Transylvania.

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

Another word for volcanic, relating to volcanoes.

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.

volcanologist

noun

A person who studies or is expert in volcanology, the science of volcanoes.

volcanology

noun

The scientific study of volcanoes.

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

Stubborn, and acting by choice rather than by chance.

volition

noun

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

volitional

adj

Relating to a person's will or their own decisions.

volitionally

adv

By choice, and with clear intention.

Volkov

name

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

volksmarch

noun

A single organised walk that is part of 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

Talking easily and smoothly, with words flowing freely.

volume

noun

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

volumetric

adj

Relating to measuring something by its 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

The use of unpaid helpers to run an organisation or reach a goal.

voluntarist

noun

A person who supports the idea of 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

Someone who lives mainly for physical pleasure and enjoyment.

voluptuous

adjective

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

volute

noun

The spiral shape found on top of an Ionic column, also copied in many other building styles.

Volvo

name

A Swedish car manufacturer known for an emphasis on safety.

vombatid

noun

A wombat, or any animal from the same family of pouched mammals.

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

The matter brought up when someone vomits.

vonce

noun

(informal) Cannabis, especially when taken 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 Haitian religion that involves magic 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

Relating to, containing, or moving in a swirling, whirlpool-like pattern.

vorticity

noun

A measure of how much a moving fluid is spinning at a given point.

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

Made sacred through a solemn promise, or arising from one.

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

Having no vote.

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

Given or dedicated in fulfilment of a vow or promise.

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 grant something as a favour, often in a way that shows the giver feels superior.

vouchsafement

noun

The act of granting something as a favour.

vouchsafing

noun

The act of granting something to someone as a favour.

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

(informal) A person's voice, especially when singing.

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

In linguistics, a phrase whose head is the light verb 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.