Emily Dickinson Lexicon

VI'O-LENCE, n. [L. violentia.]

1. Physical force; strength of action or motion; as, the violence of a storm; the violence of a blow or of a conflict.
2. Moral force; vehemence. The critic attacked the work with violence.
3. Outrage; unjust force; crimes of all kinds. The earth was filled with violence. Gen. vi.
4. Eagerness; vehemence. You ask with violence. – Shak.
5. Injury; infringement. Offer no violence to the laws, or to the rules of civility.
6. Injury; hurt. Do violence to no man. Luke iii.
7. Ravishment; rape. To do violence to or on, to attack; to murder. But, as it seems, did violence an herself. – Shak. To do violence to, to outrage; to force; to injure. He does violence to his own opinions.

VI'O-LENCE, v.t.

To assault; to injure;-also, to bring by violence. [Little used.] – B. Jonson. Feltham.

VI'O-LENT, a. [Fr.; L. violentus.]

1. Forcible; moving or acting with physical strength; urged or driven with force; as, a violent wind; a violent stream; a violent assault or blow; a violent conflict.
2. Vehement; outrageous; as, a violent attack on the minister.
3. Produced or continued by force; not spontaneous or natural. No violent state can be perpetual. – Burnet.
4. Produced by violence; not natural; as, a violent death.
5. Acting by violence; assailant; not authorized. Some violent hands were laid on Humphry's life. – Shak.
6. Fierce; vehement; as, a violent philippic; a violent remonstrance. We might be reckoned fierce and violent. – Hooker.
7. Severe; extreme; as, violent pains.
8. Extorted; not voluntary. Vows made in pain, are violent and void. – Milton. Violent presumption, in law, is presumption that arises from circumstances which necessarily attend such facts. Such circumstances being proved, the mind infers with confidence that the fact has taken place, and this confidence is a violent presumption, which amounts to proof.

VI'O-LENT, n.

An assailant. [Not in use.]

VI'O-LENT, v.t.

To urge with violence. [Not used.] – Fuller.

VI'O-LENT-LY, adv.

With force; forcibly; vehemently; as, the wind blows violently. Forfeitures must nut be exacted violently. – Taylor.

VI'O-LET, n. [Fr. violette; It. violetto; L. viola.]

A plant and flower of the genus Viola, of many species.

VI'O-LIN, n. [It. violino; Fr. violon; from viol.]

A musical instrument with four strings, played with a bow; a fiddle; one of the most perfect and must powerful instruments that has been invented. – Cyc.

VI'O-LIN-IST, n.

A person skilled in playing on a violin. – Farrey.

VI'O-LIST, n.

A player on the viol. – Todd.

VI-OL-ON-CEL'LO, n. [It.]

A stringed instrument of music; a base viol of four strings, or a little base violin with long large strings, giving sounds an octave lower than the base violin. – Encyc.

VI-O-LO'NO, n.

A double base, a deep toned instrument. – Busby.

VI'PER, n. [L. vipera; Fr. vipere; W. gwiber, from gwib, a quick course, a driving, flying or serpentine motion, a wandering.]

1. A European serpent, the Vipera Berus, whose bite is venomous. Two harmless snakes are, in this country, called improperly by this name. A viper came out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. – Acts xxix.
2. A person or thing mischievous or malignant. – Shak.

VI'PER-INE, a. [L. viperinus.]

Pertaining to a viper or to vipers.

VI'PER-OUS, a. [L. vipereus.]

Baring the qualities of a viper; malignant; venomous; as, a viperous tongue. – Shak.

VI'PER'S-BU-GLOSS, n. [VI'PER'S BU-GLOSS.]

A plant of the genus Echium.

VI'PER'S-GRASS, n. [VI'PER'S GRASS.]

A plant of the genus Scorzonera.

VI-RA-GIN'I-AN, a.

Having the qualities of a virago.

VI-RA-GIN'I-TY, n.

The qualities of a virago.

VI-RA'GO, n. [L. from vir, a man.]

1. A woman of extraordinary stature, strength and courage; a female who has the robust body and masculine mind of a man; a female warrior. To arms! to arms! the fierce virago cries. – Pope.
2. In common language, a bold, impudent, turbulent woman; a termagant.

VIRE, n. [Sp. vira.]

An arrow. [Obs.] – Gower.

VIR'E-LAY, n. [Fr. virelai, from virer, to turn.]

A song or little poem among the Provençal poets in France; a roundelay. It sometimes consisted of two rhymes only, and short verses, with stops. – Johnson. Cyc. To which a lady sung a virelay. – Dryden.

VI'RENT, a. [L. virens, from vireo, to flourish or be green.]

Green; verdant; fresh. – Brown.

VIR'GATE, a. [Nearly vurgate; L. virga, a rod.]

In botany, having the shape of a rod or wand; as, a virgate stem.

VIR'GATE, n.

A yardland. – Warton.