Lexicon: vary – Vatican

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vary (varies, varied), v. [L. variāre < L. varius, various.] (webplay: accidental, clouds, entirely, fullness, gods, held, love, many, men, names, one, other, unlike).

vascillating (var. of vacillating), adj. [L. vacillant-.]

Unsteady; swaying; changeful; agitated; inconsistent; shifting; unstable.

vase, n. [L. vās, vessel.] (webplay: flower-pots).

  1. A vessel, differing from a bowl in its relative height, to hold flowers (normally cut or picked) for display, and usually containing water to prolong their freshness. 903/ I hide myself within my flower, / That fading from your Vase, / You, unsuspecting, feel for me - / Almost a loneliness. /
  2. [NW] 5. Among florists, the calyx of a plant. Cyc. (NW has “FLORIST, n. [Fr. fleuriste.] 1. A cultivator of flowers; one skilled in flowers. Thomson. 2. One who writes a flora, or an account of flowers. Encyc.” He also ends his etymological note to CALYX with “It has been confounded with, calix, a cup.”) Cf. also EDL entry for “vat” above.)

vassal, n. [L. vassall-us, man-servant, domestic, retainer.] (webplay: long).

Slave; servant; subject; tenant; one holding lands from a feudal superior on conditions of homage and allegiance.

vast (-er, -est), adj. [L. vastus, void, immense, extensive.] (webplay: call, differ, empty, force, great, heav'n, labor, large, little, magnitude, manners, men, mighty, plains, root, sounded, space, spirits, subject, through, used, waste).

  1. Wide; great; large; immense; enormous.
  2. Spacious; extensive; immeasurable; far-reaching.
  3. Deep; endless; unfathomable; overwhelming.
  4. Severe; extreme; forceful; traumatic; catastrophic.
  5. Profound; significant; meaningful; important.

vast, adv. [see vast, adj.]

Much; totally; extensively.

vastly, adv. [see vast, adj.]

Immensely; exceedingly; extremely; very; a great deal.

vastness, n. [see vast, adj.] (webplay: multitude).

Immenseness; immensity; greatness.

vat (-s), n. [variant of fat, OE fatu.] (webplay: laid, liquors, wine).

Cask; vessel for storing liquid.

Vatican, proper n. [L. mons vaticinia, hill of prophecies] (webplay: hills).

Palace of the Pope; headquarters of the Catholic Church in Rome; religious city-state in Italy containing buildings, chapels, museums, and a library; [fig.] art exhibit; art gallery in a spacious, magnificent palace like the Vatican.