Emily Dickinson Lexicon

VIS-I-BIL'I-TY, n. [s as z; from visible; Fr. visibilité.]

1. The state or quality of being perceivable to the eye; as, the visibility of minute particles, or of distant objects.
2. The state of being discoverable or apparent; conspicuousness; as, the perpetual visibility of the church. – Stillingfleet.

VIS'I-BLE, a. [s as z. Fr. from L. visibilis.]

1. Perceivable by the eye; that can be seen; as, a visible star; the least spot is visible on white paper; the fine dust or other matter in air agitated by heat becomes visible; as in the air near a heated stove, or over a dry sandy plain, appearing like pellucid waves. Virtue made visible in outward grace. – Young.
2. Discovered to the eye; as, visible spirits. – Shak.
3. Apparent; open; conspicuous. Factions at court became more visible. – Clarendon. Visible church, in theology, the apparent church of Christ; the whole body of professed believers in Christ, as contra-distinguished from the real or invisible church, consisting of sanctified persons. Visible horizon, the line that bounds the sight.

VIS'I-BLE-NESS, n.

State or quality of being visible; visibility.

VIS'I-BLY, adv.

In a manner perceptible to the eye. The day is visibly governed by the sun; the tides are visibly governed by the moon.

VIS-IN-ER'TIAE, n. [VIS IN-ER'TIÆ; L.]

1. The resistance of matter to change as respects motion. There are four conditions under which matter resists change as respects motion; as, 1) when it is brought from rest to motion; 2) when it is brought from motion to rest; 3) when the direction of the motion is changed; and 4) when the velocity is changed. Vis inertiæ and inertia are not strictly synonymous. The former implies the resistance itself, which is given, while the latter implies merely the property, by which it is given. Gravitation is always exactly proportioned to inertia.
2. Inertness; inactivity.

VI'SION, n. [s as z; Fr. from L. visio, from video, visus.]

1. The act of seeing external objects; actual sight. Faith here is turned into vision there. – Hammond.
2. The faculty of seeing; sight. Vision is far more perfect and acute in some animals than in man.
3. Something imagined to be seen, though not real; a phantom; a specter. No dreams, but visions strange. – Sidney.
4. In Scripture, a revelation from God; an appearance or exhibition of something supernaturally presented to the minds of the prophets, by which they were informed of future events. Such were the visions of Isaiah, of Amos, of Ezekiel, &c.
5. Something imaginary; the production of fancy. – Locke.
6. Any thing which is the object of sight. – Thomson.

VI'SION-AL, a.

Pertaining to a vision . – Waterland.

VI'SION-A-RI-NESS, n.

The quality of being visionary.

VI'SION-A-RY, a. [Fr. visionnaire.]

1. Affected by phantoms; disposed to receive impressions on the imagination. Or lull to rest the visionary maid. – Pope.
2. Imaginary; existing in imagination only; not real; having no solid foundation; as, a visionary prospect; a visionary scheme or project.

VI'SION-A-RY, n.

1. One whose imagination is disturbed.
2. One who forms impracticable schemes; one who is confident of success in a project which others perceive to be idle and fanciful. [Visionist, in a like sense, is not used.]

VI'SION-LESS, a.

Destitute of visions. – Mrs. Butler.

VIS'IT, n.

1. The act of going to see another, or of calling at his house; a waiting on; as, a visit of civility or respect; a visit of ceremony; a short visit; a long visit; a pleasant visit.
2. The act of going to see; as, a visit to Saratoga or to Niagara.
3. A going to see or attending on; as, the visit of a physician.
4. The act of going to view or inspect; as, the visit of a trustee or inspector.

VIS'IT, v.i.

To keep up the interchange of civilities and salutations; to practice going to see others. We ought not to visit for pleasure or ceremony on the sabbath.

VIS'IT, v.t.¹ [s as z; L. visito; Fr. visiter; It. visitare; from L. viso, to go to see; W. gwêst, gwesta, to visit, to go about; gwêst, a going, a visit; gwes, that is going or moving. We see the sense is to go, to move to.]

1. To go or come to see; to attend. The physician visits his patient and prescribes. One friend visits another from respect or affection. Paul and Barnabas visited the churches they had planted, to know their state and confirm their faith. Men visit England, France or Italy in their travels.
2. To go or come to see for inspection, examination, correction of abuses, &c.; as, a bishop visits his diocese; a superintendent visits those persons or works which are under his care.
3. To salute with a present. Samson visited his wife with a kid. – Judges xv.
4. To go to and to use; as, to visit the springs. To visit in mercy, in Scriptural language, to be propitious; to grant requests; to deliver from trouble; to support and comfort. It is thus God visits his people. – Gen. xxi. Zech x. Luke xii. To visit with the rod, to punish. – Ps. lxxxix. To visit in wrath, or visit iniquity or sins upon, to chastise; to bring judgments on; to afflict. – Exod. xx. To visit the fatherless and widow, or the sick and imprisoned, to show them regard and pity, and relieve their wants. – Matt. xxv. James i.

VIS'IT, v.t.²

In naval affairs, to enter on board a vessel for the purpose of ascertaining her character, without searching her.

VIS'IT-A-BLE, a.

Liable or subject to be visited. All hospitals in England, built since the reformation, are visitable by the king or lord chancellor.

VIS'IT-ANT, n.

One that goes or comes to see another; one who is a guest in the house of a friend. When the visitant comes again he is no more a stranger. – South.

VIS-I-TA'TION, n. [Fr. from L. visito.]

1. The act of visiting. Nothing but peace and gentle visitation. – Shak.
2. Object of visit. O flowers! / My early visitation and my last. [Unusual.] – Milton.
3. In law, the act of a superior or superintending officer, who visits a corporation, college, church or other house, to examine into the manner in which it is conducted, and see that its laws and regulations are duly observed and executed. In England, the visitation of the diocese belongs to the bishop; parochial visitation belongs peculiarly to the archdeacons. – Cyc.
4. In Scripture, and in a religious sense, the sending of afflictions and distresses on men to punish them for their sins, or to prove them. Hence afflictions, calamities and judgments are called visitations. What will ye do in the day of visitation? Is. x.
5. Communication of divine love; exhibition of divine goodness and mercy . – Hooker.
6. In naval affairs, the act of a naval commander who visits or enters on board of a vessel belonging to another nation, for the purpose of ascertaining its character and object, but without claiming or exercising a right of searching the vessel.

VIS'IT-ED, pp.

Waited on; attended; inspected; subjected to sufferings; favored with relief or mercy.

VIS'IT-ING, n.

The act of going to see or of attending; visitation.

VIS'IT-ING, ppr.

1. Going or coming to see; attending on, as a physician; inspecting officially; afflicting; showing mercy to.
2. adj. Authorized to visit and inspect; as, a visiting committee

VIS'IT-OR, n. [Fr. visiteur.]

1. One who comes or goes to see another, as in civility or friendship.
2. A superior or person authorized to visit a corporation or any institution, for the purpose of seeing that the laws and regulations are observed, or that the duties and conditions prescribed by the founder or by law, are duly performed and executed. The king is the visitor of all lay corporations . – Blackstone.

VIS-IT-O'RI-AL, a. [from visitor; improperly written visitatorial.]

Belonging to a judicial visitor or superintendent. An archdeacon has visitorial power in parishes. – Ayliffe.

VI'SIVE, a. [from L. visus.]

Pertaining to the power of seeing; formed in the act of seeing. [Not in use.] – Brown.

VISNE, n. [veen; Norm. from L. vicinia.]

Neighborhood. [See Venue.]