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VER'ATRIA, ) An alkaline principle, 



VER'ATRIJJE. ) extracted from the white 

 hellebore (Veratrum album), and some 

 other plants. It is white and pulverulent, 

 has no smell, but is -very acrid. 



VER'ATRTTM. A genus of perennial 

 plants. Polygamia Moncecia. Name 

 probably from vert atrum, truly black, be- 

 cause the root is extremely of that colour. 

 The white and the black hellebore are 

 European species. The first is much used 

 in medicine. 



VERB, Lat. verbum. In grammar, a part 

 of speech which expresses action, motion, 

 being, suffering, or a request or com- 

 mand to do or forbear. The verb affirms, 

 declares, asks, or commands. 



TERBAS'CUM. Mullein. A genus of her- 

 baceous plants. Pentandria Monogynia. 

 Name quasi barbascum, from its hairy 

 coat. There are seven British species. 



VERBA'TIM. A Latin word signifying 

 " word for word ;" used of translations. 



TERBE'NA. Vervain. An extensive ge- 

 nus of herbaceous plants. Didynamia 

 Aiigiospermia. Name quasi herbena, a dis- 

 tinction for all herbs used in sacred rites. 

 The only British species is the officinal 

 vervain, formerly much used in medi- 

 cine. 



VERDE- AN'TICIUE. In mineralogy, an ag- 

 gregate of serpentine and white crystal- 

 lised marble, irregularly mingled. It 

 takes a fine polish, and is much used for 

 ornamental purposes. 



VER'DICT. In law, the answer of a jury 

 to the court on the matter of fact in any 

 cause committed to their trial. 



VER'DIGRIS, Lat. viride eeris. A rust of 

 copper, formed by the corrosion of the 

 metal by an acid. It is chemically a dia- 

 cetate of copper. Poisonous. 



VER'DITER. Terre vert. A pigment of a 

 blue or blueish green colour, called Bre- 

 men green, from its having been first ma- 

 nufactured at Bremen. Its base is copper. 



VERGE or THE COURT. The bounds of 

 the jurisdiction of the lord-steward of the 

 king's household ; so named from the 

 verge, or rod of office, of the marshal. 



VER'GER, from tirga, a rod. 1. He who 

 carries the mace before the bishop, dean, 



&c. 2. An officer who carries a white 



wand before the justices of either bench 

 in England. 



VERGETTE'. In heraldry, 1. A pallet. 

 2. A shield divided with pallets. 



VER'juicE,Fr.ser, jus, the juice of green 

 fruits. An acid liquor prepared from 

 grapes or crabs ; principally used in sauces 

 and ragouts. 



VER'MES. Worms. The sixth class in 

 Linnaeus's arrangement of the animal 

 kingdom. It comprised fill those inverte- 

 bral animals divided into annular sections, 

 without antennae, legs, distinct head, 

 true blood, or voice. The orders are In- 



testina, Mollusca, Testacea, Zoophyta, 

 and Infusoria. 



VERMicEL'u,Ital.,from Lat. vermiculi, 

 little worms. A species of wheaten paste, 

 formed ir.to long, slender, hollow tubes 

 or threads ; used in soups. Vermicelli is 

 the same substance asmaccaroni, the only 

 difference being that the latter is in 

 larger tubes. It is prepared in greatest 

 perfection at Naples. 



VERMIC'CLAR, Lat. vermicvlarit. (1.) 

 Shaped like or having the characters of 

 a worm. (2.) Ha'ving a motion like that 

 of a worm, as the peristaltic motion of 

 the intestines performed by contraction 

 from above downwards. 



VER'M!FUGES, Lat. vermifugus, from 

 vermis, a worm, and fugo, to drive away. 

 Anthelmintic medicines. 



VERMIL'IOX. Cinnabar. A bi-sulphu- 

 ret of mercury. It occurs in nature, as 

 an ore of quicksilver, and is prepared 

 by the chemist as a beautiful red pigment. 

 The name is Italian, rermiglio, from Lat. 

 vermiculis, from vermis, which has been, 

 applied to Kermes. The native bi-sul- 

 phuret of mercury is commonly called 

 cinnabar, and the factitious vermilion. 



VER'MIN. Quadrupeds, reptiles, worms, 

 or insects, which are injurious to culti- 

 vators. 



VERNA'TION, from ver, the spring. A 

 term in botany for the manner in which 

 the leaves are folded or wrapped up, and 

 expanded in the spring. 



VER'NIER. A graduated index, which 

 subdivides the smallest division of any 

 scale with greater accuracy than can be 

 obtained by simple estimation of a frac- 

 tional part, as indicated by a pointer. It 

 is the same as the uonimis, and named 

 vemier, from the inventor. 



VER'RUCOSE, Lat. verrucosus, full of 

 warts : verruca, a wart. Applied in natu- 

 ral history. 



VERSED SINE (of an arc). The portion 

 of the diameter of the arc intercepted be- 

 tween the sine and the commencement of 

 the arc. See SINE. 



VERST. A Russian measure of length, 

 equal to 3500 feet or 1166| yards, 



VERT, Fr. green. In heraldry, one of 

 the tinctures employed in blazonry. 



VER'TEBRA, from verto, to turn. 1. A 

 joint of the spine or back-bone of an ani- 

 mal. 2. In the plural, vertebra, the 



term is often used to designate the whole 

 spine. 



VERTE'BBATA, Lat. vertebra. A pri- 

 mary division of the animal kingdom, in- 

 cluding animals having a vertebral co- 

 lumn connected to the brain. 



VERTE'BHATE, Lat. vertebratut. Having 

 an osseous spinal column. 



VER'TICAL. Perpendicular to the plane 

 of the horizon. In astronomy, the terti- 



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