Emily Dickinson Lexicon

vain (-er), adj. [OFr < L. vānus, empty, void, idle.] (webplay: empty, every man, God, high, hope, life, man, name, teaches, unreal, walketh, worship, worthless).

vale, n. [OFr < L. vallem, valley.] (webplay: hills, land, little).

Valley; low place; tract of land lying between two ranges of hills or stretches of high ground; (see Deuteronomy 1:7).

valentine, n. [OFr < L. 'name of two early Italian saints'.]

valid, adj. [F. < L. 'strong, powerful, effective'.]

valley (-s), n. [OFr < L., see vale, n.] (webplay: hills, low, mountains, plain, river).

valor (valour), n. [OFr < L. 'to be strong'.]

Power; import; significance; energy; meaning.

value (-s), n. [OFr 'to be of worth'.] (webplay: certain, country, fashion, friend, gold, good, greater, high, honor, house, land, life, man, mind, moment, power, privileges, qualities, real, rules, setting, word, worth).

value (-d), v. [see value, n.] (webplay: jealousies, opinion).

valve (-s), n. [adaptation < L. valva, leaf of a door.] (webplay: close, door, lid, shuts).

van (-s), n. [1. Welsh fan, occurring in place-names in S. Wales. 2. Shortening of vanguard, OFr avangarde.]

1. Vanguard; front of an army; first line of a group; foremost division of a fleet in sailing or in battle. J1242/Fr1343 Birds with surprise / Would scan the cowering Van / Of men escaping / From the mind of man
2. Flock; group of creatures. J1364/Fr1412 Birds examine it and flee / And Vans without a name / Inspect the Admonition / And sunder as they came