Emily Dickinson Lexicon

VAIL, v.t.² [Fr. avaler.]

1. To let fall. They stiffly refused to vail their bonnets. – Carew. [I believe wholly obsolete.]
2. To let fall; to lower; as, to vail the top-sail. [Obs.]
3. To let fall; to sink. [Obs.] – Shak.

VAIL-ED, pp.

Covered; concealed.

VAIL-ER, n.

One who yields from respect. [Obs.] – Overbury.

VAIL-ING, ppr.

Covering; hiding from the sight.

VAIN, a. [Fr. vain; It. vano; L. vanus; Gaelic, fann, weak; faon, void; W. gwan; Sans. vana; probably allied to Eng. wan, wane, want.]

1. Empty; worthless; having no substance, value or importance. 1 Pet. i. To your vain answer will you have recourse. Blackmore. Every man walketh in a vain show. Ps. xxxix. Why do the people imagine a vain thing? Ps. ii.
2. Fruitless; ineffectual. All attempts, all efforts were vain. Vain is the force of man. – Dryden.
3. Proud of petty things, or of trifling attainments; elated with a high opinion of one's own accomplishments, or with things more showy than valuable; conceited. The minstrels play'd on every side, / Vain of their art. – Dryden.
4. Empty; unreal; as, a vain chimera.
5. Showy; ostentatious. Load some vain church with old theatric state. – Pope.
6. Light; inconstant; worthless. Prov. xii.
7. Empty; unsatisfying. The pleasures of life are vain.
8. False; deceitful; not genuine; spurious. James i.
9. Not effectual; having no efficacy. Bring no more vain oblations. Is. i. In vain, to no purpose; without effect; ineffectual. In vain they do worship me. Matth. xv. To take the name of God in vain, to use the name of God with levity or profaneness.

VAIN-GLO'RI-OUS, a. [vain and glorious.]

1. Vain to excess of one's own achievements; elated beyond due measure; boastful. Vainglorious man. – Spenser.
2. Boastful; proceeding from vanity. Arrogant and vainglorious expression. – Hale.

VAIN-GLO'RI-OUS-LY, adv.

With empty pride. – Milton.

VAIN-GLO'RY, n. [vain and glory.]

Exclusive vanity excited by one's own performances; empty pride; undue elation of mind. He hath nothing of vainglory. – Bacon. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory. – Phil. ii.

VAIN'LY, adv.

1. Without effect; to no purpose; ineffectually; in vain. In weak complaints you vainly waste your breath. – Dryden.
2. Boastingly; with vaunting; proudly; arrogantly. Humility teaches us not to think vainly nor vauntingly of ourselves. – Delany.
3. Idly; foolishly. Nor vainly hope to be invulnerable. – Milton.

VAIN'NESS, n.

1. The state of being vain; inefficacy; ineffectualness; as, the vainness of efforts.
2. Empty pride; vanity.

VAIR, n.

A kind of fur [of frequent occurrence in early heraldry; it is not now known of what animal. It is represented by little bell-shaped pieces alternately of two colors, and usually white and blue. – E. H. B.]

VAI'VODE, n. [Sclav.]

A prince of the Dacian provinces; sometimes written waiwode, for this is the pronunciation.

VAL'ANCE, n. [Qu. Fr. avalant, falling; Norm. valaunt, descending.]

The fringes of drapery hanging round the tester and head of a bed . – Swift.

VAL'ANCE, v.t.

To decorate with hanging fringes . – Shak.

VAL'AN-CED, pp.

Decorated with hanging fringes.

VALE, n. [Fr. val; It. valle; L. vallis. Qu. W. gwæl, low, and Eng. to fall, Fr. avaler.]

1. A tract of low ground or of land between hills; a valley. [Vale is used in poetry, and valley in prose and common discourse.] In those fair vales, by nature form'd to please. – Harte.
2. A little trough or canal; as, a pump vale to carry off the water from a ship's pump.
3. Vales, money given to servants. [avails.] [Not used in America.]

VAL-E-DIC'TION, n. [L. valedico; vale, farewell, and dico, to say.]

A farewell; a bidding farewell.

VAL-E-DIC-TO'RI-AN, n.

The student of a college who pronounces the valedictory oration at the annual commencement.

VAL-E-DIC'TO-RY, a.

Bidding farewell; as, a valedictory oration.

VAL-E-DIC'TO-RY, n.

An oration or address spoken at commencements in American colleges, by a member of the class which receive the degree of bachelor of arts, and take their leave of college and of each other.

VAL'EN-TINE, n.

1. A sweetheart or choice made on Valentine's day. – Wotton.
2. A letter sent by one young person to another on Valentine's day. – Burton.

VAL'EN-TINE'S-DAY, n.

A day sacred to St. Valentine, the 14th of February, celebrated with peculiar ceremonies, the origin of which is now unknown.

VA-LE'RI-AN, n.

A plant of the genus Valeriana, of many species.

VAL'ET, n. [Fr.; formerly written vadlet, valect, vallet, &c.]

1. A waiting servant; a servant who attends on a gentleman's person.
2. In the manege, a kind of goad or stick armed with a point of iron. – Cyc. Valet de chambre. [vala de shombre; Fr.] A footman.

VAL-E-TU-DI-NA'RI-AN, or VALE-TU'DI-NA-RY, a. [L. valetudinarius, from valetudo, from valeo, to be well.]

Sickly; weak; infirm; seeking to recover health.