Emily Dickinson Lexicon
Dictionary: VAIL – VAL-E-TU-DI-NA'RI-AN, or VALE-TU'DI-NA-RY
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VAIL, v.t.2 [Fr. avaler.]
- To let fall. They stiffly refused to vail their bonnets. – Carew. [I believe wholly obsolete.]
- To let fall; to lower; as, to vail the top-sail. [Obs.]
- To let fall; to sink. [Obs.] – Shak.
VAIL-ED, pp.
Covered; concealed.
VAIL-ER, n.
One who yields from respect. [Obs.] – Overbury.
VAIL-ING, ppr.
Covering; hiding from the sight.
VAIN, a. [Fr. vain; It. vano; L. vanus; Gaelic, fann, weak; faon, void; W. gwan; Sans. vana; probably allied to Eng. wan, wane, want.]
- Empty; worthless; having no substance, value or importance. 1 Pet. i. To your vain answer will you have recourse. Blackmore. Every man walketh in a vain show. Ps. xxxix. Why do the people imagine a vain thing? Ps. ii.
- Fruitless; ineffectual. All attempts, all efforts were vain. Vain is the force of man. – Dryden.
- Proud of petty things, or of trifling attainments; elated with a high opinion of one's own accomplishments, or with things more showy than valuable; conceited. The minstrels play'd on every side, / Vain of their art. – Dryden.
- Empty; unreal; as, a vain chimera.
- Showy; ostentatious. Load some vain church with old theatric state. – Pope.
- Light; inconstant; worthless. Prov. xii.
- Empty; unsatisfying. The pleasures of life are vain.
- False; deceitful; not genuine; spurious. James i.
- Not effectual; having no efficacy. Bring no more vain oblations. Is. i. In vain, to no purpose; without effect; ineffectual. In vain they do worship me. Matth. xv. To take the name of God in vain, to use the name of God with levity or profaneness.
VAIN-GLO'RI-OUS, a. [vain and glorious.]
- Vain to excess of one's own achievements; elated beyond due measure; boastful. Vainglorious man. – Spenser.
- Boastful; proceeding from vanity. Arrogant and vainglorious expression. – Hale.
VAIN-GLO'RI-OUS-LY, adv.
With empty pride. – Milton.
VAIN-GLO'RY, n. [vain and glory.]
Exclusive vanity excited by one's own performances; empty pride; undue elation of mind. He hath nothing of vainglory. – Bacon. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory. – Phil. ii.
VAIN'LY, adv.
- Without effect; to no purpose; ineffectually; in vain. In weak complaints you vainly waste your breath. – Dryden.
- Boastingly; with vaunting; proudly; arrogantly. Humility teaches us not to think vainly nor vauntingly of ourselves. – Delany.
- Idly; foolishly. Nor vainly hope to be invulnerable. – Milton.
VAIN'NESS, n.
- The state of being vain; inefficacy; ineffectualness; as, the vainness of efforts.
- Empty pride; vanity.
VAIR, n.
A kind of fur [of frequent occurrence in early heraldry; it is not now known of what animal. It is represented by little bell-shaped pieces alternately of two colors, and usually white and blue. – E. H. B.]
VAI'VODE, n. [Sclav.]
A prince of the Dacian provinces; sometimes written waiwode, for this is the pronunciation.
VAL'ANCE, n. [Qu. Fr. avalant, falling; Norm. valaunt, descending.]
The fringes of drapery hanging round the tester and head of a bed . – Swift.
VAL'ANCE, v.t.
To decorate with hanging fringes . – Shak.
VAL'AN-CED, pp.
Decorated with hanging fringes.
VALE, n. [Fr. val; It. valle; L. vallis. Qu. W. gwæl, low, and Eng. to fall, Fr. avaler.]
- A tract of low ground or of land between hills; a valley. [Vale is used in poetry, and valley in prose and common discourse.] In those fair vales, by nature form'd to please. – Harte.
- A little trough or canal; as, a pump vale to carry off the water from a ship's pump.
- Vales, money given to servants. [avails.] [Not used in America.]
VAL-E-DIC'TION, n. [L. valedico; vale, farewell, and dico, to say.]
A farewell; a bidding farewell.
The student of a college who pronounces the valedictory oration at the annual commencement.
VAL-E-DIC'TO-RY, a.
Bidding farewell; as, a valedictory oration.
VAL-E-DIC'TO-RY, n.
An oration or address spoken at commencements in American colleges, by a member of the class which receive the degree of bachelor of arts, and take their leave of college and of each other.
VAL'EN-TINE, n.
- A sweetheart or choice made on Valentine's day. – Wotton.
- A letter sent by one young person to another on Valentine's day. – Burton.
A day sacred to St. Valentine, the 14th of February, celebrated with peculiar ceremonies, the origin of which is now unknown.
VA-LE'RI-AN, n.
A plant of the genus Valeriana, of many species.
VAL'ET, n. [Fr.; formerly written vadlet, valect, vallet, &c.]
- A waiting servant; a servant who attends on a gentleman's person.
- In the manege, a kind of goad or stick armed with a point of iron. – Cyc. Valet de chambre. [vala de shombre; Fr.] A footman.
VAL-E-TU-DI-NA'RI-AN, or VALE-TU'DI-NA-RY, a. [L. valetudinarius, from valetudo, from valeo, to be well.]
Sickly; weak; infirm; seeking to recover health.