486 A COMPENDIUM OF 
of myrtle or laurel). A variety of small flow- 
ering plants cultivated for the beauty of their 
flowers and odor; also known as vervain. 
Viscid—vis’-sid (Lat. viscidus, clammy, sticky, 
from viscum, the mistletoe; bird-lime made 
from the mistletoe), Applied to leaves, etc., 
that are sticky or gluey, etc. 
Vivify—viv'-i-fi (Lat. vivus, alive, and faczo, I 
make). To awaken, to endow with life. 
Volatile—vol’-a-til (Lat. volatilis, winged, fly- 
ing, from vo/az, to fly). Capable of passing 
into the aeriform state, as the volatile oils, 
etc, 
Volva—vol’-va (Lat. volva, a wrapper). In 
botany, applied tothe involucrum-like base 
of the stipes of the agarics, which wasin the 
beginning a bag enclosing the whole plant. 
Vulviform—vul’-vi-fawm (Lat. vulva, or volva, 
a wrapper, and forma, shape). A wrapper- 
like integument with projecting edges. 
Walnut—wawl’-nut (Dutch walnot, a walnut; 
As. walhnot, a foreign nut, from wealh, a for- 
eigner). A forest tree valued for its wood, 
fruit and oil, 
Wheat—hwet (As. hwete; Gothic, hwatteis, 
wheat, from the Gothic hveits, white). The 
well-known grain from which flour is manu- 
factured., 
Whorl—hworl(Danish, hverre, to turn; Dutch, 
worwel, to whirl, to turn). Applied to leaves 
or petals arranged in a regular circumference 
round a stem, 
Xanthic—zan’-thic (Gr. zanthos, yellow). Of a 
yellow color; pertaining to a fluid acid of an 
oily nature, 
