VABIATION 



338 



VENUS 



Variation. l.=Declination, 2. The connec- 

 tion between two quantities, when, if one be 

 changed, the other changes in the same ratio: 

 expressed by o=, as a oo 6. 3. The tendency 

 of offsprings to differ from their parents, in- 

 dividually and within narrow limits. 



Varicella,(var-i-seria). [Variola,Q.i;.]=Chicken 

 pox: an eruptive phase of disease. 



Varicose, (va'ri-kos). [L. varix, swollen vein.] 

 Dilated; swollen. 



Variety. In biology: an offspring differing 

 from the parent within narrow limits. 



Variola, (va-ri-6'la). [L. varius, spotted. ]= 

 Small pox: contagious eruptive febrile phase 

 of disease. 



Varioline, (va'ri-o-Hn). A principle found in 

 lichens, especially in Variolaria, 



Varley's constant battery. A modification of 

 Daniell's. 



Varm=Sea tape-worm. 



Varnish. Solutions of gums, resins, wax, amber, 

 &c., in alcohols, oils, and turpentine. V. tree 

 =Melanorrhoea, belongs to Anacardiaceae. 



Varvicite, ( var'vi-sit ). A mineral, chiefly 

 hydrated oxide of manganese. 



Vascular, (vas'ku-lar). [L. vasculum, small 

 vessel.] V. system: traversed by minute con- 

 nected capillary tubes or canals, forming a 

 kind of network. V. plants=CotylodonovLa 

 plants=Endogens and Exogens. 



Vas deferens, (vas defe-renz). [The Latin 

 words.] The vessel through which the semi- 

 nal fluid passes. 



Vector, (vek'tor). [L. vector, carrier.] An 

 imaginary line connecting a body moving 

 rou nd a centre with that centre. 



Vectors, (vek'torz). [Vector, q.v.] A class of 

 magnitudes having direction in space, and 

 so capable of reversal; the subject of quater- 

 nions: requiring three numerical specifica- 

 tions for definition; e.g., the velocity of a 

 body, or of an electric current. 



Vedahs. An Asiatic people in Ceylon. 



Vega. In Lyta: a star of first magnitude. 



Vegetable, (vej'e-ta-bl). [L. vegetus, lively.] 

 Relating to plants. V. acids: malic, tartaric, 

 citric, &c., obtained from plants. V. alka- 

 lies, v. Alkaloids. V. feeding lizards I gua- 

 nodon, scelidosaurus. V. feeding animals= 

 Phytophaga. V. groicth: absorption of in- 

 organic matter, and its conversion into starch, 

 &c., which is carried on under the influenca 

 of light in the plant-cells of green plants 

 only. V. ivory =Tag\ia,, a palm-like tree 

 also albumen of Corozo nuts. V. jelly= 

 Pectin, a gelatinous principle found in plants. 

 V. leather, v. Leather. V. mn-ow=Cucur- 

 bita ovifera. V. parchment, v. Parchment. 

 V. sulphur, v. Lycopodium. 

 Veins, (vanz). [L. vena, blood-vessel.] Tubes 

 conveying blood to the heart from the various 

 parts of the body; differ from arteries in 

 having valves. Liquid V.,v, Liquid. Minera 

 V. } v. Mineral. 

 Velleda, (vel'le-da). [Classical.] No. 126 of 



Minor Planets. 



Vellum, (vel'um). [Velin, the French word.] A 



fine kind of parchment, made from calf-skin 



Velocity; of electjripity = 288 -COO miles per 



second, as measured by Wheatstone's appa- 

 ratus under given conditions. V. of light= 



190*000 miles per second. F. o/s<rand=1093 



feet per second in air : in solid stone=1600 feet. 

 Velum, (ve'lum). [L. refaim,curtain.]=Arach- 



noid membrane of brain. 

 Velvet, (vel'vet). [L. vellus, fleece.] A silk 



fabric, having a soft surface formed of a 



number of loose threads. 

 Velveteen, (vel-ve-ten). [Velvet, q.v.] v. 



Fustian. 



Vena, (ve'na). [The Latin word. ]= Vein, q.v. 

 V. cava : the great trunk vein into which 

 all the smaller veins empty themselves, and 

 which conveys the venous blood so received 

 to the heart; divided into vena cava supe- 

 rior and inferior, from the upper and lower 

 parts of the body. V. contracta: the amount 

 of liquid passing out of an orifice in a vessel 

 containing it, is a stream having a diameter 

 of about f of the diameter of the opening; 

 this is called the vena contracta, because 

 the liquid vein contracts in passing through 

 the opening. V. portce = Portal vein : a 

 trunk vein receiving the blood of the veins 

 from the stomach and intestines, and con- 

 veying it to the liver. 



Veneer, (ve-neV). [Furnier, the German 

 word.] A thin layer of wood ; usually of a 

 valuable kind, intended to be laid upon a 

 substratum of inferior wood. 



Venom, (ven'om). [Venenum, the Latin 

 word.] Poison when communicated by means 

 of stings or bites. V. fangs: teeth having a 

 groove along which the poison passes. 



Venomous serpents. Adder, asp, rattle- 

 snake, viper, &c. 



Venous, (ve'nus). [Vena, q.v.] Related to 

 the veins. 



Vent=Fire-hole of a gun ; an opening made 

 in a copper plug. 



Ventral, (ven'tral). 

 Related to the in-, 

 ferior surface of the 

 body. V.fins: not 

 so fixed in position 

 nor so fully de- 

 veloped as the pec- Ventral fin. 

 toral. V. <w6e=Hsemal tube: enclosing the 

 heart, lungs, and alimentary system. 



Ventricles, (ven'tri-klz). [L. ventriculus, 

 little belly.] Two cavities of the heart, 

 which receive the blood from the auricles 

 and transmit it to the lungs, and through 

 the aorta to the body generally. 



Ventriloquism, (ven-tril'6-kwizm). [L. venter, 

 belly ; loquor, I speak.] The imitation of 

 sounds so as to produce the impression of 

 voices from other places. 



Venus, (ve'nus). [Classical.] 1. One of the 

 inferior planets; a very brilliant star; also 

 called Hesperus, when an evening star; and 

 Lucifer, when a morning star; the nearest 

 planet to the earth, and so near it as to pre- 

 sent phases in the same way as the Moon; 

 diameter 7500 miles; year 224 days; dis- 

 tance from sun 66 millions of miles. 2. A 

 bivalve mollusc, the type of the family 

 Veneridae. V's bath= Common teazel, the 



[L. venter, stomach.] 



