Emily Dickinson Lexicon

VER-TIC'I-TY, n. [from vertex, supra.]

1. The power of turning; revolution; rotation . – Locke.
2. That property of the lodestone by which it turns to some particular point. The attraction of the magnet was known long before its verticity. – Cyc.

VER-TIG'IN-OUS, a. [L. vertiginosus.]

1. Turning round; whirling; rotary; as, a vertiginous motion. – Bentley.
2. Giddy; affected with vertigo . – Woodward.

VER-TIG'IN-OUS-LY, adv.

With a whirling or giddiness.

VER-TIG'IN-OUS-NESS, n.

Giddiness; a whirling, or sense of whirling; unsteadiness. – Taylor.

VERT'I-GO, or VERT-I'GO, n. [L. from verto, to turn.]

Giddiness; dizziness or swimming of the head; an affection of the head, in which objects appear to move in various directions, though stationary, and the person affected finds it difficult to maintain an erect posture.

VER'VAIN, n.

A plant; the popular name of some species of the genus Verbena.

VER'VAIN-MAL-LOW, n.

A species of mallow, the Malva alcea. – Cyc.

VER'VELS, n. [Fr. vervelle.]

Labels tied to a hawk. – Ainsworth.

VER'Y, a. [Fr. vrai; L. verus; G. wahr; D. waar.]

True; real. Whether thou be my very son Esau or not. Gen. xxvii. He that repeateth a matter, separateth very friends. Prov. xvii. So we say, in very deed, in the very heavens, this is the very man we want. In these phrases, very is emphatical; but its signification is true, real.

VER'Y, adv.

As an adverb, or modifier of adjectives and adverbs, very denotes in a great degree, an eminent or high degree, but not generally the highest; as, a very great mountain; a very bright sun; a very cold day; a very pernicious war; a very benevolent disposition; the river flows very rapidly.

VES'IC-ANT, n. [infra.]

A blistering application; an epispastic . – Bigelow.

VES'IC-ATE, v.t. [L. vesica, a little bladder; Gr. φυσκη; from φυσαω, to inflate.]

To blister; to raise little bladders, or separate the cuticle by inflaming the skin. Celsus recommends to vesicate the external parts of wounds . – Wiseman.

VES'IC-A-TED, pp.

Blistered.

VES'IC-A-TING, ppr.

Blistering.

VES-IC-A'TION, n.

The process of raising blisters or little cuticular bladders on the skin.

VES'IC-A-TO-RY, n. [Fr. vesicatoire.]

A blistering application or plaster; an epispastic.

VES'I-CLE, n. [L. vesicula. See Vesicate.]

1. A little bladder, or a portion of the cuticle separated from the skin and filled with some humor.
2. Any small membranous cavity in animals or vegetables. The lungs consist of vesicles admitting air. – Ray. Cyc.

VES-IC'U-LAR, or VES-IC'U-LOUS, a.

1. Pertaining to vesicles; consisting of vesicles.
2. Hollow; full of interstices. – Cheyne.
3. Having little bladders or glands on the surface, as the leaf of a plant.

VES-IC'U-LATE, a.

Bladdery; full of bladders.

VES'PER, n. [L. This word and Hesperus are probably of one origin, and both from the root of west.]

1. The evening star; Venus; also, the evening.
2. Vespers, in the plural, the evening song or evening service in the Romish church. Sicilian vespers, the era of the general massacre of the French in Sicily, on Easter evening, 1282, at the toll of the bell for vespers.

VES'PER-TINE, a. [L. vespertinus. See Vesper.]

Pertaining to the evening; happening or being in the evening.

VES'PI-A-RY, n.

The nest or habitation of wasps,hornets, &c.

VES'SEL, n. [It. vasello, from vaso, a vase or vessel; Fr. vaisseau; Sp. vasija; from L. vas, vasis. This word is probably the English vat, in a different dialect; G. fass, a vat; gefäss, a vessel; fassen, to hold; allied probably to fast, fasten. The Sp. vasija is from the Latin; but the Spanish has also baxel, a general name of all floating buildings; probably of Celtic origin.]

1. A cask or utensil proper for holding liquors and other things, as a tun, a pipe, a puncheon, a hogshead, a barrel, a firkin, a bottle, a kettle, a cup, a dish, &c.
2. In anatomy, any tube or canal, in which the blood and other humors are contained, secreted or circulated, as the arteries, veins, lymphatics, spermatics, &c. – Cyc.
3. In the physiology of plants, a canal or tube of very small bore, in which the sap is contained and conveyed; also, a bag or utricle, with pulp, and serving as a reservoir for sap; also, a spiral canal, usually of a larger bore. – Martyn. Grew.
4. Any building used in navigation, which carries masts and sails, from the largest ship of war down to a fishing sloop. In general, however, vessel is used for the smaller ships, brigs, sloops, schooners, luggers, scows, &c. – Mar. Dict.
5. Something containing. – Milton. Vessels of wrath, in Scripture, are such persons as are to receive the full effects of God's wrath and indignation, as a punishment for their sins. Vessels of mercy, are persons who are to receive the effects of God's mercy, or future happiness and glory. Chosen vessels, ministers of the Gospel, as appointed to bear the glad news of salvation to others; called also earthen vessels, on account of their weakness and frailty.

VES'SEL, v.t.

To put into a vessel. [Not in use.] – Bacon.

VES'SETS, n.

A kind of cloth. – Qu.