Emily Dickinson Lexicon

VOUCH-SAF-ING, ppr.

Condescending to grant; deigning.

VOUS-SOIR, n.

[Fel A wedge or stone cut for an arch.

VOW, n. [Fr. vans; It. veto L. votum, from voveo, to vow probably a contracted word]

1. A solemn promise made to God, or by a pagan to his deity The Roman generals when they went to war, sometimes made a vow that they would build a temple to some favor deity, if he would give them victory. A vow is a promise of something to be given or done hereafter. A person is constituted a religions by taking three vows of chastity, of poverty, and of obedience. Among the bra elites, the vows of children were not binding, unless ratifies by the express or tacit consent of their father. Numb. xxx.
2. A solemn promise; as, the vows of unchangeable love and fidelity. In a moral and religious sense, vows are promise: to God, as they appeal to God to witness their sincerity and the violation of them is a most heinous offense.

VOW, v.

To make vows or solemn promises. He that vows, must be careful to perform.

VOW, v.t. [Fr. vouer; L. voveo.]

1. To give, consecrate or dedicate to God by a solemn promise. When Jacob went to Mesopotamia, he vowed to God a tenth of his substance, and his own future devotion to his service. Gen. xxviii. When thou vowest a vow, defer not to pay it. Eccles. v.
2. To devote. Spenser

VOWEL, a.

Pertaining to a vowel; vocal.

VOWEL, n. [L. rocalis, from voco; Fr. royelle; It. vacale.]

1. In grammar, simple sound; a sound uttered by simply opening the mouth or organs; as the sound of a, e, co.
2. The letter or character which represents a simple sound

VOWEL-ED, a.

Furnished with vowels.

VOW'ER, n.

One who makes a vow.

VOW'ER, pp.

Solemnly promised to God; given or consecrated by solemn promise.

VOW-FEL-LOW, n. [vow and fellow.]

One bound by th same vow. [Little used.]

VOWING, ppr.

Making a vow.

VOYAGE, n. [Fr. from voir, or the same root, Eng. way, Sax. waeg, weg. See Wog and Way.]

1. A passing by sea or water from one place, port or country to another, especially a passing or journey by water to a distant place or country. Captain L. made more than a hundred voyages to the West Indies. A voyage over lake Superior is like a voyage to Bermuda.
2. The practice of traveling. [Not in use.] Bacon.

VOYAGE, v.i.

To sail or pass by water. Pope.

VOYAGE, v.t.

To travel; to pass over with pain Voyag'd th' unreal, vast, unbounded deep. Milton.

VOY'A-GER, n.

One who sails or passes by sea or water. A private voyager I pass the main. Pope.

VULCAN-IST,

See VOLCANIST.

VUL-CA'NO,

See VOLCANO.

VULGAR, a. [Fr. vulgaire; It. vulgare; L. vulgaris, from vulgus, the common people, that is, the crowd, Eng. folk.]

1. Pertaining to the common unlettered people; as, vulgar life.
2. Used or practiced by common people; as, vulgar sports.
3. Vernacular; national. It might be more useful to the English reader, to write in our vulgar language. Felt.
4. Common; used by all classes of people; as, the vulgar version of the Scriptures.
5. Public; as, vulgar report
6. Mean; rustic; rude; low; unrefined; as, vulgar minds; vulgar manners.
7. Consisting of common persons. In reading an account of a battle, we follow the hero with our whole attention, but seldom reflect the vulgar heaps of slaughter. Rambler. Vulgar fractions, in arithmetic, fractions expressed by a numerator and denominator; thus 2/5.

VUL'GAR, n.

The common people. [It has no plural termination, but has often a plural verb.] The vulgar imagine the Pretender to have been a child imposed on the nation. Swift.

VULGAR-ISM, n.

1. Grossness of manners; vulgarity. [Little used.]
2. A vulgar phrase or expression. [This is the usual sense of the word.]

VUL-GAR'I-TY, or VULGARNESS, n.

1. Mean condition in life; the state of the lower classes of society. Brown.
2. Grossness or clownishness of manners or language; as, vulgarity of behavior; vulgarity of expression or language. Dryden.

VUL'GAR-IZE, v.i.

To make vulgar. Foster.

VUL-GAR-IZ-ING, ppr.

Rendering vulgar.

VULGAR-LY, adv.

1. Commonly; in the ordinary manner among the common people. Such one we vulgarly call a desperate person. Hammond.
2. Meanly; rudely; clownishly.