f 
< 
> 
=Wr 
<J ^:>' 
Wj * 
n 
a x- <, 
1. This character, the 
twenty-second in our al- 
i>li:ii't, is (see I') the older 
form of the character U. 
having been long used 
equivalently with the lat- 
ter, and only recently 
strictly distinguished from 
it as the representative of 
a different sound. The words beginning respectively 
with V and V, like those beginning with I and J, were, 
till not many years ago, mingled together in diction- 
aries. In our present practice, V represents always and 
in all situations a fricative sound, corresponding as sonant 
or volcei utterance to/as surd or breathed ; it is the rust- 
ling made by forcing the intonated brnith OUT hftwi-fii 
the surface of th.- lower lip and the edges of the upper 
front teeth, laid closely upon it. A purely labial e (as/: 
see F), made without aid from the teeth, Is found In some 
languages. This sound is also almost the exclusive prop- 
erty of the v-sign : the number of words, as Stephen, 
nephew, in whit;h it is written otherwise is extremely 
small, and in these words the ph is an etymological 
"restoration" (the old and normal English forms being 
Steven, neveie). It is a frequent element In our utterance, 
making on an average over two and a third per cent, of it 
(the /-sound only two per cent). As initial, it is almost 
solely of Romanic (French-Latin) origin, altered In pro- 
nunciation from tlie semi-vowel or w-sound, which be- 
longed to the same sign in Roman use (see W\ At the 
end of a word (where, however, it is never written without 
a following e\ it is found in many words of Germanic ori- 
gin, often alternating with its surd counterpart /, as in 
wife, mvee, half, halve, etc. 
2. As a Roman numeral, V stands for 5; with 
a dash over it (V), 5,000. 3. [?. c.] An abbre- 
viation of velocity (in physics); verb; verse; ver- 
sus (in law) ; vert (in heraldry) ; vision (in medi- 
cine); of verte, violino, race, and volta (in music); 
of ventral (fin), etc. 4. The chemical symbol 
of vanadium. 
V 2 (ve), n. [From the letter P.] A five-dollar 
bill : so called from the character V which is 
conspicuous upon it. [Colloq., U. 8.] 
Vft (va). [< It. tit (= V. va), go, go on, also 
vada (< L. vadere, go), used as impv. 2d pers. 
sing, of andare = F. alter, go : see tcade .] In 
music, go on; continue: as, va crescendo, go on 
increasing the strength of tone ; va raltentando, 
continue dragging the time, 
vaagmar (vag'mar), n. [< Icel. vdg-meri, a 
kind of flounder, ' wave-mare,' < vdg, wave (see 
wflir 1 ), + meri. mure: see mare*.] The deal- 
fish. 
vaalite (vii'lit), n. [< I'aal. a river in South 
Africa, + -ite 2 .] A kind of vermiculite occa- 
sionally found associated with the diamond nt 
the diggings in South Africa. It is probably 
an altered form of a mica (biotite) belonging to 
the original peridotite. 
vacancet (va'kans), n. [< F. vacance = Sp. Pg. 
vacancia = It. vacanzia, vacanza, < ML. racan- 
tia, empty place, vacancy, vacation, < L. va- 
can(t-)s, empty, vacant: see vacant.] Vaca- 
tion. [Obsolete Scotch.] 
The consistory had no vacance at this Vool, but had 
little to do. 
Spaidimj, Hist. Troubles in Scotland, i. 331. (Jainieton.) 
vacancy (va'kan-si), n. ; pi. vacancies (-siz). 
[As vacance (see -cy).] 1. The state of being 
vacant, empty, or unoccupied. 
The inquisitive, in my opinion, are such merely from a 
vacancy in their own imaginations. 
Steelf, Spectator, No. 282. 
2. Specifically, emptiness of mind; idleness; 
listlessuess. 
All dispositions to Idleness or vacancy, even before they 
grow habits, are dangerous. 
Sir II. Wotton, Reliquiae, p. 85. 
At chesse they will play all the day long, a sport that 
agreeth well with their sedentary vacancy. 
Sandyt, Travailes, p. 50. 
3. That which is vacant or unoccupied. Specifi- 
cally (a) Empty space. 
Alas, how is 't with yon, 
That you do bend your eye on vacancy t 
Shot., Hamlet, ill. 4. 117. 
(6) An intermediate space; a gap; a chasm. 
bthtMMMV 
Twlxt the wall and me. 
Browning, Mesmerism. 
(c) An Interval of time not devoted to the ordinary duties 
or business of life ; unoccupied, unemployed, or leisure 
time; holiday time; vacation; relaxation. 
No Interim, not a minute's vacancy. 
Shot., T. N., v. 1. 98. 
In his youth he had no Teachers, In his middle Age so 
little vacancy from the Wars ami the cares of his King- 
dome. Miliiin, Hist Eng., v. 
ill) An unoccupied or unfilled post, position, or office: as, 
a vacancy in the judicial bench. 
We went to see the Conclave, where, during vacancy, 
the Cardinals are shut up tUl they are agreed upon a new 
election. Evelyn, Diary, Jan. 18, 1645. 
vacant (va'kant), a. [Early mod. E. also va- 
caunt; < ME.'Vacaunf, < OF. (and F.) vacant = 
Sp. Pg. It. vacante, < L. vacan(t-)s, empty, va- 
cant, ppr. of vacare, be empty, free, or unoc- 
cupied: see vacate.] 1. Having no contents; 
empty; unfilled; void; devoid; destitute: as, 
a vacant space; a vacant room. 
Being of those virtues vacant. 
Shak., Hen. VIII., v. 1. 126. 
A man could not perceive any vacant or wast place 
under the Alpes, but all beset with vines. 
Coryat, Crudities, I. 81. 
2. Not occupied or filled with an incumbent or 
tenant; unoccupied. 
Special dignities, which vacant lie 
For thy best use and wearing. 
SAo*.,T. of A., v. 1. 145. 
By ... 1 1'elham's] death, the highest post to which an 
English subject can aspire was left meant. 
itacavlay, William Pitt. 
3. Not engaged or filled with business or care ; 
unemployed ; unoccupied ; free ; disengaged ; 
idle: as, vacant hours. 
Alexander, in tymes vacaunt from bataile, delyted in 
that mailer huntinge. Sir T. Elyat, The (Jovernonr, 1. 18. 
The loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind. 
GiildtmUh. Ues. Vil., L 122. 
Absence of occupation is not rest ; 
A mind quite roeantis a mind distreas'd. 
Covper, Retirement, 1. 624. 
4. Characterized by or proceeding from idle- 
ness or absence of mental occupation. 
Every morning waked us to a repetition of toil; but the 
evening repaid it with meant hilarity. GMmiitli, Vicar, v. 
5. Free from thought; not given to thinking, 
study, reflection, or the like; thoughtless. 
You, who used to be so gay, so open, so vacant .' 
Steele, Conscious Lovers, ii. 1. 
6. Lacking, or appearing to lack, intelligence; 
stupid; inane. 
Rip stared in racant stupidity. 
Irving, Sketch- Book, p. 59. 
7. In law: (a) Not filled; unoccupied: as, a 
vacant office. (6) Empty: as, a vacant house. 
In the law of fire-insurance a house may be 
unoccupied, and yet not be deemed vacant, (c) 
Abandoned; having no heir: as, racant effects 
or goods Vacant cylinder, lot, possession. See 
the nouns. = Syn. 1-4. Vacant, Empty, Void, Devoid. Void 
and devoid are now used in a physical sense only in poetic 
or elevated diction ; void Is often used of laws, legal in- 
struments, and the like : as, the will or deed or law was 
pronounced null and void. Devoid is now always followed 
by of: as, devoid of reason ; a mind devoid of ideas. Vacant 
and empty are primarily physical : as, an empty box ; a 
vacant lot Empty Is much the more general : it applies 
to that which contains nothing, whether previously tilled 
or not: as, an empty bottle, drawer, nest, head. Vacant 
applies to that which has been filled or occupied, or is In- 
tended or is ready or needs to be filled or occupied : as, a 
vacant throne, chair, space, ofitce, mind : an empty room 
has no furniture In It ; a Meant room is one that Is free 
for occupation. Vacant is a word of some dignity, and is 
therefore not used of the plainest things : we do not speak 
of a vacant box or bottle. 
vacantly (va'kant-li), adv. In a vacant man- 
ner; idly. 
vacate (va'kat), v.; pret. and pp. vacated, ppr. 
ruriitinii. [< L. vacatus, pp. of vacare. be empty 
or vacant. From the same L. verb are ult. 
E. rurant. raeaous, vacuum, etc. Cf. rain.] I. 
trans. 1. To make vacant; cause to be empty; 
6681 
quit the occupancy or possession of; leave 
empty or unoccupied : as, James II. varated the 
throne. 2. To annul; make void; make of no 
authority or validity. 
That after-Act, racatriny the autorifle of the precedent. 
Kiktm Banian, p. 10. 
If a man Insures his life, this killing himself vacate* the 
bargain. Walpole, Letters, II ; : - 
3. To defeat the purpose of; make void of 
meaning ; make useless. 
He vacate* my revenge. Dryden, Don SebaitUn, II. 1. 
U. i ni ni us. To quit; leave. 
I to psy four dollars and twenty-five cents to-night, he 
to rucatf at five to-morrow morning. 
Thanau, Walden, p. 48. 
vacation (va-ka'shon), n. [ ' ME. vacacion, va- 
cacioun, < OF. riK'nrnm, vacation, F. vacation 
= Pr. vaccatio = 8p. vacacion = Pg. vaca<;8<> = 
It. vacazione, < L. vacatio(n-), leisure, < tacare, 
pp. vacattis, be empty, free, or unoccupied: see 
vacate.'] 1. The act of vacating. Specifically 
(a) The act of leaving without an occupant: as, the raca- 
tion of an office, (b) The act of making void, vacant, or of 
HO validity : as, the vacation of a charter. 
2. A space of time, or a condition, in which 
there is an intermission of a stated employment 
or procedure; a stated interval in a round of 
duties ; a holiday. 
To raise Recruits, and draw new Forces down, 
Thus, in the dead Vacation of the Town. 
Congreve, Pyrrhus, Prol. 
Specifically (a) In law, temporary cessation of judicial 
proceedings ; the space of time between the end of one 
term of court and tne beginning of the next ; the period 
during which a court holds no sessions ; recess; non-term. 
In England the vacations are Christmas vacation, com- 
mencing on December 24th and ending January tith ; Eas- 
ter vacation, commencing on Good Friday and ending on 
Easter Tuesday; Whitsun vacation, commencing on the 
Saturday before and ending on the Tuesday after Whit- 
sunday ; and the long vacation, commencing on August 
13th and ending on October 23d. 
Why should not conscience have vacation 
As well as other courts o' th' nation? 
S. Butler, Hudibras. II. II. 317. 
(b) The intermission of the regular studies of an educa- 
tional institution of any kind, when the students have a 
recess ; holidays : as, the summer vacation. 
3. The act of becoming vacant ; avoidance : 
said especially of a see or other spiritual dig- 
nity. 4f. Freedom from duty ; leisure time. 
Whan he liadde leyser and vacacioun 
From oother worldly occupacioun. 
Chaucer, Prol. to Wife of Bath's Tale, 1. 683. 
vacationist (va-ka'shon-ist), H. [< vacation + 
-int.] One who is taking a vacation ; especial- 
ly, one who is journeying for pleasure ; an ex- 
cursionist. [Colloq.] 
vacationless (va-ka'shon-les), a. [< vacation 
+ -less.] Without a vacation; deprived of a 
vacation. 
vacatnr (va-ka'ter), n. [< ML.acaur,3d pers. 
pres. ind. pass, of rm-nri . make void, trans, use 
of L. vacare, be empty or void : see vacate.] 
In linr, the act of annulling or setting aside. 
vaccary (vak'a-ri), n.; pi. vaccaries (-riz). [< 
ML. vaccaria, < L. vacca, a cow: see vaccine. 
Cf . vachery, a doublet of vaccary.] A cow-house, 
dairy, or cow-pasture. See vachery. [Prov. 
Eng.] 
At this time there were eleven raccariet (places of pas- 
ture for cows) in Pendle Forest, and the herbage and agist- 
meuts of each vaccary were valued to the lord at 10*., or 
in all 110. yearly. Bainet, Hist. Lancashire, II. 25. 
vaccigenous (vak-sij'e-nus), a. [Irreg. < vaccine 
+ L. -gerere, carry.] Producing vaccine : ap- 
plied to methods of cultivating vaccine virus, 
or to farms and institutions where the virus is 
produced in quantity. 
vaccin (vak'siu), n. Same as ratcine. 
vaccina (vak-si'na), n. [NL., < L. raccinus, of 
or from cows: see vaccine.] Same as vaccinia. 
l>itni/lison. 
vaccinal (vak'si-nal), a. [< raccine + -al.] Of 
or relating to vaccine; caused by vaccina- 
tion. Afed. Xetcs, LII. 546. Vaccinal erythema. 
