Emily Dickinson Lexicon

VEN'EY, n. [Fr. venez, from venir, to come.]

A bout; a thrust; a hit; a turn at fencing. Three veneys for a dish of stewed prunes. [Obs.] Shak.

VENGE, v.t. [venj; Fr. venger.]

To avenge; to punish. [Not in use.] [See Avenge and Revenge.] Shak.

VENGE'A-BLE, a. [venj'able; from venge.]

Revengeful; as, vengeable despite. [Not in use.] – Spenser.

VENGE'ANCE, a. [venj'ance; Fr. from venger, to revenge, L. vindico.]

The infliction of pain on another, in return for an injury or offense. Such infliction, when it proceeds from malice or mere resentment, and is not necessary for the purposes of justice, is revenge, and a most heinous crime. When such infliction proceeds from a mere love of justice, and the necessity of punishing offenders for the support of the laws, it is vengeance, and is warrantable and just. In this case, vengeance is a just retribution, recompense or punishment In this latter sense the word is used in Scripture, and frequently applied to the punishments inflicted by God on sinners. To me belongeth vengeance and recompense. – Deut. xxvii. The Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries. – Nah. i. With a vengeance, in familiar language, signifies with great violence or vehemence; as, to strike one with a vengeance. Formerly, what a vengeance, was a phrase used for what emphatical. But what a vengeance makes thee fly? – Hudibras.

VENGE'FUL, a. [venj'ful.]

1. Vindictive; retributive; as, God's vengeful ire. – Milton.
2. Revengeful.

VENGE'FUL-LY, adv.

Vindictively.

VENGE'MENT, n. [venj'ment.]

Avengement; penal retribution. [Avengement is generally used.]

VENG'ER, n.

An avenger. [Not in use.] Spenser.

VE'NI-A-BLE, a. [See Venial.]

Venial; pardonable. [Not in use.] – Brown.

VE'NI-A-BLY, adv.

Pardonably; excusably. [Not used.] – Brown.

VE'NI-AL, a. [It. veniale; Sp. venial; Fr. veniel; from L. venia, pardon, leave to depart, from the root of venio, and signifying literally a going or passing.]

1. That may be forgiven; pardonable; as, a venial fault or transgression. The reformed churches hold all sins to be venial, through the merits of the Redeemer; but the most trifling sins not to be venial, except through the righteousness and atonement of Christ.
2. In familiar language, excusable; that may be allowed or permitted to pass without censure; as, a venial slip or fault.
3. Allowed. Permitting him the while / Venial discourse unblam'd . – Milton.

VE'NI-AL-LY, adv.

Pardonably.

VE'NI-AL-NESS, n.

State of being excusable or pardonable.

VENIRE-FACIAS, or VENIRE, n. [Venire facias, or venire.]

In law, a writ or precept directed to the sherif, requiring him to summon twelve men, to try an issue between parties. It is also a writ in the nature of a summons to cause the party indicted on a penal statute, to appear.

VEN'I-SON, n. [ven'izn, or ven'zn; Fr. venaison, from L. venatio, a hunting, from venor, to hunt.]

The flesh of beasts of game, or of such wild animals as e taken in the chase. It is however in the United States applied exclusively to the flesh of the deer or cervine genus of animals.

VENI-VIDI-VICI, v. [Veni, vidi, vici; L.]

I came, I looked, I conquered. These were the words which Cesar used when he informed the Roman senate of his victories in Gaul.

VEN'OM, n. [Fr. venin; It. veneno; L. venenum; W. gwenwyn. It appears by the Welsh word and its affinities that the primary sense is raging, furious, and hence it is to be referred to the root of L. venor, to hunt, to drive or chase; venio, to come. See Venus, &c.]

1. Poison; matter fatal or injurious to life. Venom is generally used to express noxious matter that is applied externally, or that is discharged from animals, as that of bite and stings of serpents, scorpions, &c.; and poison, to express substances taken into the stomach.
2. Spite; malice. – Cyc.

VEN'OM, v.t.

To poison; to infect with venom. [Little used, but envenom is in use and elegant. Venom may be elegantly used in poetry.]

VEN'OM-ED, pp.

Poisoned; infected with poison.

VEN'OM-OUS, a.

1. Poisonous; noxious to animal life; as, the bite of a serpent may be venomous. The sack at the base of the rattlesnake's teeth, contains venomous matter.
2. Noxious; mischievous; malignant; as, a venomous progeny. – Brown.
3. Spiteful; as, a venomous writer.

VEN'OM-OUS-LY, adv.

Poisonously; malignantly; spitefully. – Dryden.

VEN'OM-OUS-NESS, n.

1. Poisonousness; noxiousness to animal life.
2. Malignity; spitefulness.

VE'NOUS, a. [L. venosus, from vena, a vein.]

1. Pertaining to a vein or to veins; contained in veins; venous blood, which is distinguishable from arterial blood by its darker color.
2. In botany, veined. A venous leaf, has vessels branching, or variously divided, over its surface. – Martyn.

VENT, n. [Fr. vente, Sp. venta, sale, from vendre, Sp. vender; from the root of L. venio, Eng. wind, &c.; properly a passage.]

1. A small aperture; a hole or passage for air or other fluid to escape; as, the vent of a cask.
2. The opening in a cannon or other piece of artillery, by which fire is communicated to the charge.
3. Passage from secrecy to notice; publication. – Wotton.
4. The art of opening. – Philips.
5. Emission; passage; escape from confinement; as, his smothered passions urge for vent.
6. Discharge; utterance; means of discharge. Had like grief been dew'd in tears, / Without the vent of words. – Milton.
7. Sale; as, the vent of a thousand copies of a treatise . – Pope.
8. Opportunity to sell; demand. There is no rent for any commodity except wool . – Temple.
9. An inn; a baiting place. [Not in use.] To give vent to, to suffer to escape; to let out; to pour forth.

VENT, v.i.

To snuff. [Not in use.] – Spenser.