Emily Dickinson Lexicon

VAL'U-ED, pp.

Estimated at a certain rate; apprized; esteemed.

VAL'UE-LESS, a.

Being of no value; having no worth.

VAL'U-ER, n.

One who values; an apprizer; one who holds in esteem.

VAL'U-ING, ppr.

Setting a price on; estimating the worth of; esteeming.

VALV'ATE, a. [See Valve.]

Having or resembling a valve consisting of valves.

VALVE, n. [valv; L. valvæ, folding doors; coinciding with volvo.]

1. A folding door. Swift through the valves the visionary fair / Repass'd. – Pope.
2. A lid or cover so formed as to open a communication one direction, and close it in the other. Thus the valve of a common pump opens upward to admit the water, and closes downward to prevent its return.
3. In anatomy, a membranous partition within the cavity of a vessel, which opens to allow the passage of a fluid in one direction, and shuts to prevent its regurgitation. – Parr.
4. In botany, the outer coat, shell, or covering of a capsule or other pericarp, or rather one of the pieces which compose it; also, one of the leaflets composing the calyx and corol in grasses. – Martyn.
5. One of the pieces or divisions in bivalve and multivalve shells. – Ed. Encyc.

VALV'ED, a.

Having valves; composed of valves.

VALV'LET, or VALV'ULE, n.

A little valve; one of the pieces which compose the outer covering of a pericarp.

VALV'U-LAR, a.

Containing valves. – Moor. Med. Dict.

VAMP, n. [W. gwam, that incloses, or goes partly round.]

The upper leather of a shoe.

VAMP, v.t.

To piece an old thing with a new part; to repair. I had never much hopes of your vamped play. – Swift.

VAMP'ED, pp.

Pieced; repaired.

VAMP'ER, n.

One who pieces an old thing with something new.

VAMP'ING, ppr.

Piecing with something new.

VAMP'IRE, n. [G. vampyr.]

1. In mythology, an imaginary demon, which was fabled to suck the blood of persons during the night.
2. In zoology, the Linnæan trivial or specific name of Pteropus Edwardsii, or the great bat of Madagascar; also, the popular name of Phyllostoma spectrum, or the Vampyre bat of New Spain; also, the popular name of the genus of bats, named Vampyrus. The Phyllostoma spectrum has been accused of causing the death of men and brute animals, by sucking their blood. The length of this bat is about six inches, and the wound which it makes is very small. It can hardly, therefore, do serious injury. There can be little doubt that the ancient fable has crept into the works of some of the naturalists.

VAM'PIR-ISM, n.

The actions of a vampire; the practice of blood-sucking; figuratively, the practice of extortion.

VAN, n. [The radical word from which is formed the Fr. avant, avancer, Eng. advance, advantage. It is from the root of L. venio, the primary sense of which is to pass.]

1. The front of an army; or the front line or foremost division of a fleet, either in sailing or in battle.
2. Among farmers, a fan for winnowing grain. [This in New England is always pronounced fan, – which see. But the winnowing machine has nearly superseded the use of it.]
3. In mining, the cleansing of ore or tin stuff by means of a shovel. – Cyc.
4. A wing with which the air is beaten. He wheel'd in air, and stretch'd his vans in vain . – Dryden.
5. In England, a large covered carriage for the transportation of goods.

VAN, v.t. [Fr. vanner.]

To fan. [Not in use.] [See Fan.]

VA-NA'DI-UM, n. [From Vanadis, a Scandinavian deity.]

A metal discovered by Sefström in 1830. This metal has a white color, and a strong metallic luster, considerably resembling silver, but still more like molybdenum. It is extremely brittle. It is not oxydized either by air or water, though by continuous exposure to the atmosphere, its luster grows weaker, and it acquires a reddish tint.

VAN-COUR'IERS, n. [Fr. avant-coureurs.]

In armies, light armed soldiers sent before armies to beat the road upon the approach of an enemy; precursors. – Cyc.

VAN'DAL, n. [It signifies a wanderer.]

A ferocious, cruel person.

VAN-DAL'IC, a.

Pertaining to the Vandals; designating the south shore of the Baltic, where once lived the Vandals, a nation of ferocious barbarians; hence, ferocious; rude; barbarous.

VAN'DAL-ISM, n.

Ferocious cruelty; indiscriminate destruction of lives and property. – Ramsay.

VAN-DYKE', n.

A small, round handkerchief, with a collar for the neck, worn by females.

VANE, n. [D. vaan. The primary sense is extended.]

A plate placed on a spindle, at the top of a spire, for the purpose of showing by its turning and direction, which way the wind blows. In ships, a piece of bunting is used for the same purpose.