venom-duct 
is secreted to the tooth or fang whence it is dis- 
charged. 
venomer (ven'um-er), . [< venom + -er 1 .] A 
poisoner. [Rare.] 
People of noble family would have found a sensitive 
goblet of this sort [Murano glass] as sovereign against the 
arts of venomers as an exclusive diet of boiled eggs. 
llinretti, Venetian Life, xii. 
venom-fang (ven'um-faug), . One of the 
long, sharp, conical teeth of the upper jaw of a 
venomous serpent, by means of which a poison- 
ous fluid is injected into a punctured wound. 
Such a fang is firmly attached to the maxillary bone, and 
may be thrown forward or laid flat by a peculiar mecha- 
nism by which the bones of the upper jaw change their 
relative position. Such a tooth is either grooved (as in 
Proterotjlupha) or so folded upon itself as to form a tube 
(as in Soienoylypha) for the conveyance of venom, being 
also connected'with the duct of the receptacle which con- 
tains the fluid. The mechanism of the bones is such that 
opening the mouth widely causes erection of the venom- 
fang, while the forcible closure of the mouth upon the 
object bitten causes the injection of the venom into the 
wound by muscular pressure upon the venom-sac. Ven- 
om-fangs are a single pair or several pairs. Also called 
poison-tooth. See cuts under Crotalus and viper. 
venom-gland (ven'um-gland), n. Any gland 
which secretes venom, mostly a modified sali- 
vary gland. 
venom-globulin (ven'um-glob"u-lin), H. The 
globulin of snake-poison. Water venom-globu- 
lin. See water. 
venom-mouthed (ven'um-moutht), a. Having 
a venomous or envenomed mouth or bite ; speak- 
ing as if venomously ; slanderous; scandalous. 
This butcher's cur is venom-mouth'd, and I 
Have not the power to muzzle him. 
Shak., Hen. VIII., i. 1. 120. 
venomosalivary (ven'o-mo-sal'i-va-ri), a. 
[Irreg. < venom + salivary.] Venomous, as 
saliva ; of or pertaining to venomous saliva. 
I find that it is even easy to see the venomosalivary duct 
[of the mosquito] from the outside, shining through the 
skin at the base of the head and neck in the undissected 
specimen. Amer. Nat., XXII. 886. 
venomous (ven'um-us), a. [Early mod. E. also 
venimous, venemous; < ME. venimous, renymoux, 
< OF. *tenimox, venimeiu, venemouse, F. veni- 
meux, also (after L.) veneneux = Pr. verenos, 
verinos, also venenos = Sp. Pg. venenoso = It. vele- 
noso, venenoso, < LL. venenonns, poisonous, ven- 
omous, < L. venenum, poison, venom : see venom. 
Cf. venenous, venenose.~\ 1. Full of venom; 
noxious or hurtful by means or reason of ven- 
om; veuenose; poisonous: as, a venomous rep- 
tile or insect ; a venomous bite. 
It is alle deserte and fulle of Dragouns and grete Ser- 
pentes,and fulle of dyverse venymowe Bestes alle abouten. 
Mandeville, Travels, p. 41. 
The biting of a Pike is venomous, and hard to be cured. 
/. Walton, Complete Angler, p. 132. 
2. Hence, noxious ; virulent ; extremely hurt- 
ful or injurious ; poisonous in any way. 
I ne telle of laxatyves no store, 
For they ben venimous, I wot it wel ; 
I hem defye, I love hem nevere a del. 
Chaucer, Nun's Priest's Tale, 1. 338. 
i Thy tears are salter than a younger man's, 
And venomous to thine eyes. Shak., COT., iv. 1. 23. 
Venemous thorns, that are so sharp and keen, 
Bear flowers, we see, full fresh and fair of hue. 
Wyatt, That Pleasure is mixed with every Pain. 
3. Very spiteful or hateful; virulent; malig- 
nant; intended or intending to do harm: as, 
venomous eyes or looks; a venomous attack; 
venomous enemies Venomous serpents or snakes. 
See Ophidia, Kocua, Proteroglypha, serpent, snake, Soleno- 
glypha, Venenosa, thanatophidia, and the family names 
cited under serpent. Venomous spiders. See katipo, 
Lalrodectus, inalmignatte, and cut under spider. =Syn. 3. 
Malignant, spiteful. 
venomously (ven'um-us-li), adv. With venom 
or poison ; in a venomous manner ; malignant- 
ly; spitefully. Shak., Lear, iv. 3. 48. 
venomousness (ven'um-us-nes), n. The state 
or character of being venomous, in any sense ; 
poisonousness; malignity; spitefulness. 
venom-peptone (ven'um-pep'ton), . The pep- 
tone of snake-poison. 
venom-sac (ven'um-sak), n. The structure on 
each side of the head of a venomous serpent, 
near the articulation of the lower jaw, which 
secretes and contains the poisonous fluid, and 
from which the fluid is conveyed by a duct to 
the venom-fang. 
venosal (ve-no'sal), a. Of the nature of a vein ; 
venous. 
Its office [that of the lung] is to cool the heart, by send- 
ing ayre unto it by the Venosal Artery. 
Burton, Anat. of Mel., p. 19. 
venose (ve'nos), . [= Sp. Pg. It. venoso, < L. 
venosus, full of veins, < vena, vein: see vein. 
Cf. venous.] 1. In bot., having numerous veins 
6720 
or branching network; veiny: as, a venose or 
reticulated leaf. 2. In zoiil. and (mat., same 
as venoiiK. 
venose-costate (ve'nos-kos"tat), a. In hot., 
between ribbed and veined ; having raised veins 
approaching ribs. 
venosity (ve-nos'i-ti), . [< venose + -ity.] 1. 
Venose state, quality, or character. 2. A con- 
dition in which the arterial blood is imper- 
fectly oxygenated, and partakes of some of 
the characteristics of venous blood. 
A rapid increase in the venosity of the blood. 
Science, VII. 533. 
3. A disturbance of equilibrium between the 
two circulatory systems, the veins being unduly 
filled at the expense of the arteries; general 
venous congestion. 
venous (ve'nus), a. [< L. venosus, full of veins, 
(.vena, vein: see vein. Cf. venose, veinous.] 1. 
Of or pertaining to veins; full of veins; con- 
tained in veins; veined; venose: as, the ve nous 
system; venous blood or circulation; a venous 
plexus, sinus, or radicle. 2. In entom., having 
veins or nervures; venose or veined, as an in- 
sect's wing Venous blood, the blood containedin the 
veins and right side of the heart. It is of a dark-red color, 
and contains carbonic acid and other waste and nutritive 
products, which vary in kind and amount iu different re- 
gions of the body. The venous blood is driven from the 
right auricle into the right ventricle of the heart, thence 
through the pulmonary artery into the lungs, where it is 
oxygenated and purified, and returned through the pul- 
monary veins to the left auricle of the heart. In the fetus 
venous blood passes from the hypogastric arteries along 
the umbilical arteries, and so on to the placenta, where 
it is arterializcd and returned by the umbilical vein or 
veins ; and there is a direct communication between the 
right and left auricles of the heart Venous calculus. 
Same as veinstone, 2. Venous canal (ductus venosus), a 
fetal vein passing from the point of bifurcation of the 
umbilical vein to the inferior vena cava. It becomes ob- 
literated soon after birth, and then remains as a fibrous 
cord. Venous circulation, the flow of blood through 
the veins. See circulation of the Mood, under circulation. 
Venous congestion or hyperemia, engorgement of 
the veins of a part, due to obstruction of the venous cir- 
culation. Venous hyperemia is more strictly the engorge- 
ment of the subcutaneous veins, or superficial venous con- 
gestion. Venous duct. See ductus venosus, under due- 
ius. Venous hemorrhage, bleeding from a vein. It is 
distinguished from arterial hemorrhage by the darker color 
of the blood and by the fact that it occurs in a steady 
stream, and not in forcible jets, as when an artery is open- 
ed. Venous hum. See Aumi. Venous plexus. See 
plexus. Venous pulse, a pulsation occurring in a vein, 
especially that which exists normally in the jugular veins. 
Venous radicles, the finest beginnings of the venous 
system, continuous with the capillaries. Sometimes erro- 
neously written venous radicals. Venous sinus, (a) One 
of the various large veins formed in the substance of the 
dura mater. See the distinctive names under sinus, (b) 
A natural dilatation of a vein, or a cavity into which two or 
more veins empty in common. In different cases such a 
sinus may correspond to the auricle of a heart, to a cavity 
communicating with a heart, as a caval vein, or to a cav- 
ity inclosing a heart, as the so-called pericardium of some 
invertebrates. 
venously (ve'nus-li), adv. In a venous manner ; 
as respects the veins or venous circulation. 
The membranes of the brain were venously congested. 
Lancet, 1890, I. 751. 
vent 1 (vent), n. [Early mod. E. rente; an al- 
tered form of fent, < ME. fente, < OF. feiite, a 
slit, cleft, chink: see fent. The alteration of 
fent to veitt was not due to the dial, change 
shown in vat for fat, vixen for fixen, etc., but to 
confusion with F. vent, wind (see vent 2 ), as 
if orig. 'an air-hole.' A similar confusion ap- 
pears in the history of vetift and venfi, which 
have been more or less mixed with each other 
and with vent 1 .'} 1. A small aperture leading 
out of or into some inclosed space ; any small 
hole or opening made for passage. 
Through little vents and crannies of the place 
The wind wars with his torch. Shak., Lucrece, 1. 310. 
Now he flings atout his burning heat, 
As in a furnace an ambitious fire 
Whose vent is stopt. B. Jonson, Volpone, ii. 2. 
Great Builder of mankind, why hast thou sent 
Such swelling floods, and made so small a vent? 
Quarles, Emblems, iii. 8. 
Between the jaw and ear the jav'lin went ; 
The soul, exhaling, issu'd at the vent. 
Pope, Iliad, xvi. 738. 
2. Specifically () The small opening into the 
barrel of f>, gun, by which the priming comes 
in contact with the charge, or by which fire is 
communicated to the charge ; a touch-hole. (6) 
The opening in the top of a barrel to allow air 
to pass in as the liquid is drawn out ; also, the 
vent-peg with which the opening is stopped. 
If you are sent down in haste to draw any drink, and 
find it will not run, do not be at the trouble of opening a 
vent, but blow strongly into the fosset. 
Strict, Directions to Servants (Butler). 
(c) A hollow gimlet used to make an opening 
in a cork or barrel, in order to draw out a small 
vent 
quantity of liquid for sampling; a liquid-vent or 
vent-faucet, (d) In molding, one of the chan- 
nels or passages by which the gases escape from 
the mold, (e) The flue or funnel of a chimney. 
(/) A crenelle or loophole in an embattled 
wall. Oxford Glosxary. (<j) In steam-boilers, 
the sectional area of the passage for gases, 
divided by the length of the same passage in 
feet. WebntiT. (h) In musical instruments of the 
wood wind group, a finger-hole, (i) The end of 
the intestine, especially in animals below mam- 
mals, in which the posterior orifice of the ali- 
mentary canal discharges the products of the 
urogenital organs as well as the refuse of di- 
gestion, as the anus of a bird or reptile ; also, 
the anal pore of a fish, which, when distinct 
from the termination of the intestine, dis- 
charges only the milt or roe. See cut under 
TereoratuUate. 3. A slit or opening in a gar- 
ment. 
Item, j. jakket of red felwet, the ventis bounde with red 
lether. Paston Letters, I. 476. 
The coller and the vente. Assembly of Ladies, Ixxvi. 
4. An escape from confinement, as for some- 
thing pent up; an outlet. 
My tears, like ruffling winds lock'd up in caves, 
Do bustle for a vent. Ford, Lover's Melancholy, v. 1. 
This is mischief without remedy, a stifling and obstruct- 
ing evil that hath no vent, no outlet, no passage through. 
Milton, Eikonoklastes, xxvii. 
5. Utterance; expression; voice. 
Free vent of words love's fire doth assuage. 
Shak., Venus and Adonis, 1. 334. 
Madam, you seem to stifle your Resentment : You had 
better give it Vent. Congreve, Way of the World, v. 13. 
The poor little Jackdaw, 
When the monks he saw, 
Feebly gave vent to the ghost of a caw. 
Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, I. 212. 
6f. A discharge ; an emission. 
Here on her breast 
There is a vent of blood. 
Shak., A. and C., v. 2. 352. 
To give vent to. to suffer to escape or break out ; keep 
no longer pent up: as, to give vent to anger. To serve 
the vent. Seesercei. To take vent, to become known ; 
get abroad. 
Whereby the particular design took vent beforehand. 
Sir B. Wotton. 
vent 1 (vent), v. t. [< venft, w.] 1. To let out 
at a vent; make an opening or outlet for; give 
passage to ; emit ; let pass. 
How earnest thou to be the siege of this moon-calf? can 
he vent Trinculos? Shale., Tempest, ii. 2. 111. 
He vented a sigh e'en now, I thought he would have 
blown up the church. 
B. Jonson, Every Man out of his Humour, iii. 1. 
2. To furnish with a vent ; make a vent in. 
The gun is then vented. Ure, Diet, IV. 82. 
It is usually necessary to vent the punch by a small hole. 
Jour. Franklin Inst., CXXII. 331. 
3. To give utterance, expression, or publicity 
to ; especially, to report ; publish ; promulgate ; 
hence, to circulate. 
In his brain 
... he hath strange places cramm'd 
With observation, the which he vents 
In mangled forms. 
Shak., As you Like it, ii. 7. 41. 
Let rash report run on ; the breath that vents it 
Will, like a bubble, break itself at last. 
Ford, "Tis Pity, iv. 1. 
After many speeches to and fro, at last she was so full 
as she could not contain, but vented her revelations. 
Winthrop, Hist. New England, I. 294. 
And when mens discontents grow ripe there seldom 
wants a plausible occasion to vent them. 
StillingJUet, Sermons, II. iv. 
As children of weak age 
Lend life to the dumb stones 
Whereon to vent their rage. 
M. Arnold, Empedocles on Etna, 1. 
4. Reflexiyely, to free one's self ; relieve one's 
self by giving vent to something. 
Adams frequently vented himself in ejaculations during 
their journey. Fielding, Joseph Andrews, ii. 10. 
vent 2 t (vent), n. [< OF. rent, wind, air, breath, 
scent, smell, vapor, puff, = Sp. viento = Pg. It. 
vento, < L. ventus, wind, = E. wind: see wind 2 , 
and cf. vent 2 , v., and vent 1 , .] 1. Scent; the 
odor left on the ground by which the track of 
game is followed in the chase. 
When my hound doth straine upon good vent. 
Turberrille. 
Let me have war, say I ; it exceeds peace as far as day 
does night ; it 's spritely, waking, audible, and full of wnl. 
Shak., Cor., iv. 5. 238. 
Vent is a technical term in hunting to express the scent- 
ing of the game by the hounds employed in the chase. 
Kdinbunjh Her., CXXXVI. 176. 
2. In hunting, the act of taking breath or air. 
