vi la da Gamba. (From Hart. MS.) 
viol 
Above all for its sweetnesse and novelty, the viol d'amore 
of 6 wyre-strings plaid on with a bow, being but an ordinary 
violin, play'd on lyre way. Evelyn, Diary, Nov. 20, 1679. 
Viol'-t, >i. An obsolete form of rial. 
viola' ( vG-6'liii or vi'o-lii), . [< It. riola, a viol : 
see viol.] 1" Same as 'viol. 2. Specifically, in 
modern usage, the large violin, properly the alto 
violin, though generally called the tenor, in size 
about one seventh larger than the violin, it is 
provided with four strings tuned in fifths, thus : A, D, G, 
and C (next below middle C), the two lower strings being 
wound with silver wire. The viola was probably the first 
member of the modern string quartet to be developed. 
Its tone is not so brilliant or varied as that of the violin, 
though susceptible of a peculiar pathetic quality under 
the hand of a good player, while in concerted music it is 
highly effective. Music for the viola is usually written in 
the alto clef. Also called alto, tenor, bratsche, quint, and 
tattle. Viola bastarda, a bass viol, or viola da gamba, 
mounted with sympathetic strings like a viola d'amore; a 
barytone. See barytone, n., 1 (b). 
The original viola da gamba when so strung came to be 
called the viola bastarda. Encyc. Brit., XXIV. 244. 
Viola da braccio, a tenor or "arm" viol: so called to 
distinguish it from the bass viol, or viola da ga-mba. It had 
properly six strings, tuned thus : G, D, A, F, C, and G (the 
second below middle C), but the lowest string was omit- 
ted in the eighteenth 
century. It has been 
superseded by the 
modern viola. Also 
viola da spalla. Vi- 
ola da gamba. (a) 
A bass or "leg" viol: 
so called to distin- 
guish it f rom the viola 
da braccio. It had 
properly six strings, 
tuned thus : D, A, E, 
C, G, and D (the sec- 
ond below middle C). 
It has been super- 
seded by the modern 
violoncello. 
The division or solo 
bass viol, usually 
known by its Ital- 
ian name of viola da 
gamba. 
Encyc. Brit., XXIV. 
[243. 
(5) In organ-building, a stop with metal pipes of narrow 
scale and ears on the sides of the mouths, giving tones of 
a penetrating, string-like quality. Viola d'amore, a 
kind of bass viol, common in the seventeenth and eigh- 
teenth centuries, having usually seven ordinary gut strings, 
with from seven to fourteen (or even twenty-four) supple- 
mentary strings of metal under the finger-board which 
sound sympathetically. The gut strings were usually 
tuned thus : D, A, Fj, D, A. FJ, D (next below middle C). 
The sympathetic strings, if few, were tuned diatonically 
in the scale of D, or, if many, chromatically. The tone of 
the instrument was highly attractive, but the practical 
difficulties entailed by the numerous sympathetic tones 
were great, and prevented its use in the orchestra. Also 
called violet, and sometimes English violet. 
Instruments which show these innovations are the 
quinton, the lyre, and the viola d'amore. 
Encyc. Brit., XXIV. 243. 
Viola da spalla. Same as viola da braccio. Viola, dl 
bordone. Same as barytone, 1 (6). Viola di fagotto. 
Same as viola bastarda. Viola, pomposa, a species of 
viola da gamba, invented by J. S. Bach, having five strings, 
tuned thus : E, A, D, G, C (the second below middle C). 
Viola 2 (vi'o-lii), .. [NL. (Bivinus, 1699, earlier 
in Brunfels, 1530), < L. viola, violet: see violet.] 
A genus of plants, type of the order Violarieie 
and tribe Violeie, including the pansies and 
violets. It is characterized by flowers with nearly 
equal sepals, these and the lower petal both prolonged at 
the base, the latter into a spur or sac, and by an ovoid or 
globose three-valved capsule with roundish seeds. Over 
250 species have been enumerated, perhaps to be reduced 
to 150. They are herbs or undershrubs with alternate 
leaves, persistent stipules, and axillary peduncles. The 
north temperate species are typically, as in V. odorata, 
delicate plants of moist shady banks, with rounded cre- 
nate leaves on long angular stalks, solitary nodding violet- 
colored flowers, five orange-yellow anthers forming a cen- 
tral cone, and ovate capsules which open elastically into 
three boat-like persistent horizontal valves. The stipules 
are usually conspicuous, often large and leaf-like, in V. 
tricolor, the pansy, deeply pinnatiftd and often larger than 
the leaves. (See first cut under leaf.) The leaves are of 
various forms, as cordate, arrow-shaped, lanceolate, ro- 
tundate, pedate, etc. The peduncles often bear two flow- 
ers, as in V. bi/lora, the twin-flowered violet, a saxicole spe- 
cies with brilliant golden-yellow flowers, found from the 
Alps to Cashmere and in the Eocky Mountains. The petals 
are colored, most often in shades of bluish-purple, white, 
or yellow, frequently penciled with dark-blue or purple 
lines. In some species they are of several colors as in V 
pedata, var. tricolor, the pansy- violet, or velvet violet, and in 
V. tricolor, which in its wild state, the heart's-ease com- 
bines purple, yellow, and blue. Many species are dimor- 
phous in their flowers, producing through summer minute 
apetalous ones which are more fertile and are self-ferti- 
lized, a fact first observed by Linnams in the small moun- 
tain species V. mirabilis. In some, as V, Chamissoniana 
the common Hawaiian violet, the later flowers, though 
minute, are well developed and petal-bearing. There are 
22 species in Canada and over 30 in the United States, of 
which 17, besides 2 or 3 introduced, occur in the North- 
eastern States, and 16 in the Southern, where they di- 
minish southward, only 4 extending into Texas. The na- 
tive American species are distinguished into two groups 
the stemless violets, chiefly eastern or central, as V. pal- 
6760 
mata, in which the long-stalked leaves are clustered at 
the top of a thick fleshy rhizome, which also boars the 
numerous distinct leafless scapes; and the leafy-stemmed 
species, as V. canina and F. striata, with spreading or some- 
what erect stems bearing numerous leaves, usually on 
shorter pet ioles (see cut under violet). Several species pro- 
duce long runners, as V. blanda, the sweet white violet ; V. 
Canadensis, the largest, reaches sometimes '2 feet high ; 
and V. pedata, the largest-flowered, has the flowers some- 
times nearly 2 inches across. The 13 California!! species 
are chiefly leafy-stemmed, showy, quite local, and peculiar 
in their yellow flowers with purple veins and brown backs : 
V. pedunculata, the common species, grows in clustered 
colonies, with flowers often an inch and a half across ; V. 
ocellata of the Mendocino forests is remarkable for its 
purple spots. V. Langsdorffti is abundant on the Aleutian 
Islands, and the genus extends north to Kotzebue Sound. 
The British species are 6, of which V. odorata, also occur- 
ring from central Europe to .Sweden, Siberia, and Cashmere, 
is the sweet or English violet, often doubled, and called 
tea-violet in cultivation ; and F. canina is the dog- or hedge- 
violet, without odor, but graceful in form, imparting 
much of the beauty of spring to English mountain dis- 
tricts. There are 56 species in Europe, over 20 in China, 
of which V. Patrinii is the most common, and 11 in the 
mountains of India. In the southern hemisphere, where 
the species are usually shrubby, there are over 30 in the 
mountains of South America, elsewhere few, 4 in Australia, 
of which the chief is V. hederacea, 2 in New Zealand, and 
2 in Cape Colony. Five peculiar species occur in the Ha- 
waiian Islands, of which V. robusta produces a woody stem 
sometimes 5 feet high, and V. helioscopia a large snow- 
white waxy flower sometimes 2 inches across. A few some- 
what shrubby species occur northward, as V. arborescens, 
the tree-violet. V. scandens of Peru is a climbing and V. 
arguta a twining shrub; V.decumbens of Cape Colony, a 
much-branched procumbent shrub ; V. filicaulis of New 
Zealand, a smooth, slender mountain-creeper. The pansy 
and other species are of some medicinal use. For V. tri- 
color, see pansy and heart' x-ease (its small form is known 
in the United States as Johnny-jump-up and lady's-de- 
liyht). For other species, see violet. 
violable (vi'o-la-bl), a. [= P. violable = Sp. 
violable = Pg. violavel = It. violabile, < L. vio- 
labilis, that may be violated, < violare, violate : 
see violate."] Capable of being violated, broken, 
or injured. Bailey. 
violably (v!'o-la-bli), ailr. In a violable man- 
ner. 
Violaceae (vi-o-la'se-e), n. pi. [NL. (Lindley, 
1829), fern. pi. of L. violaceus, of a violet, of a 
violet color: see violaceous."} Same as Viola- 
riese. 
violaceous (vi-o-la'shius), a. [< L. violaeens, 
of a violet color, < viola, a violet: see violet."] 
1. Of a violet color; purple or purplish; blue 
with a tinge of red. 
Bed, sometimes violaceous. 
Buck's Handbook of Mcd. Sciences, V. 77. 
2. Of, resembling, or pertaining to the Viola- 
riesp (Violacea;).- Violaceous plantain-eater, Mu- 
sophaya violacea, a turakoo of West Africa from the Cam- 
eroons to Senegambia, 17J inches long, having the general 
plumage violet-blue, washed with a greenish gloss on some 
Violaceous Plantain-eater (Miisofha?a viota> 
parts ; the quills and crown crimson ; a bare scarlet patch 
about the eye, below this a white stripe ; the bill orange- 
red, fading to yellow on the frontal half ; the eyes brown ; 
the feet black ; and the head not crested. The only other 
species of the genus, M. rossx, is rather larger, crested, 
without any white stripe, and has the bare circumorbital 
area edged with violet-blue. It inhabits equatorial Africa. 
M . violacea was so named by Isert in 1789, when the genus 
was instituted, and is the touraco violet ou manque of Le- 
vaillant, 1806 ; M. rossas was named by Gould in 1851. 
violaceously (vi-o-!a'shius-li), adv. With a vio- 
let color. Harper's Mag., LXXVII. 336. 
violaniline (vi-o-lan'i-lin), n. [< L. viola, vio- 
let, + E. aniline.] Same as nigrosine. Com- 
pare induline. 
Violarieae (vi"o-la-ri'e-e), n. pi. [NL. (A. P. 
de Candolle, 1805)', < Violaria, for Viola, + -ex.'] 
An order of polypetalous plants, of the series 
Thalamiflorie and cohort Parietales. It is char- 
acterized by flowers usually with five petals, five sepals, 
and as many perfect stamens ; by anthers nearly or quite 
connate around the pistil, introrsely dehiscent, and com- 
monly with an appendaged connective ; and by a one- 
celled ovary, commonly with three placentae and a me- 
violator 
dium-sized embryo in fleshy albumen. There are over 270 
species, belonging to 25 genera, classed in 4 tribes, of which 
the types are Viola, Paypayrola, Alsodeia. and Sauvagexia, 
the last being aberrant in the presence of staminodes. 
With the exception of the genus Viola, they consist chief- 
ly of tropical shrubs with deciduous stipules, sometimes 
small trees, and mostly with but few species in each ge- 
nus. They usually bear alternate simple entii e or toothed 
leaves, and axillary flowers which are solitary, or form 
racemose or panicled cymes, followed by capsules which 
are commonly loculicidal. Their roots often have emetic 
properties, and in South America many species, especially 
of lonidium, are used as substitutes for ipecacuanha. The 
order is largely American : two genera. Viola and lonidi- 
um, occur within the United States. Also Violacese. 
violascent (vi-o-las'ent), a. A variant of riolcs- 
cent. 
violastert (vl-o-las'ter), n. [ME. violastre, < 
OP. violastre, P. violdtre, of a violet color, pur- 
plish, < viole, violet: see violet.] See the quo- 
tation. 
There ben also Dyamandes in Ynde, that ben clept Via- 
lastres (for here colour is liche Vyolet, or more browne than 
the Violettes), that ben fulle harde and fulle precyous. 
Mandeville, Travels, p. 160. 
violate (vi'o-lat), r. t. ; pret. and pp. violated, 
ppr. violating. [< L. violatus, pp. of violare (> 
It. violare = Sp. Pg. molar = P. violer), treat 
with violence, whether bodily or mental, < vis, 
strength, power, force, violence : see vim, vio- 
lent.'] 1. To treat roughly or injuriously ; han- 
dle so as to harm or hurt; do violence to; out- 
rage. 
An impious crew 
Of men conspiring to uphold their state 
By worse than hostile deeds ; violating the ends 
For which our country is a name so dear. 
Milton, S. A., 1. 893. 
2. To break in upon ; interrupt; disturb. 
.The dark forests which once clothed those shores had 
been violated by the savage hand of cultivation. 
Irving-, Knickerbocker, p. 183. 
3. To desecrate; dishonor; treat with irrever- 
ence ; profane, or meddle with profanely. 
Experience, manhood, honour, ne'er before 
Did violate so itself. Shak., A. and C., iii. 10. 24. 
Oft have they violated 
The temple, oft the law, with foul affronts. 
Milton, P. E,, iii. 160. 
4. To infringe ; transgress, as a contract, law, 
promise, or the like, either by a positive act 
contrary to the promise, etc., or by neglect or 
non-fulfilment: as, to violate confidence. 
Thou makest the vestal violate her oath. 
Shak., Lucrece, 1. 883. 
The condition was violated, and she again precipitated 
to Pluto's regions. Bacon, Physical Fables, iii. 
Those Danes who were settl'd among the East-Angles, 
erected with new hopes, violated the peace which they had 
sworn to Alfred. Milton, Hist. Eng., v. 
5. To ravish ; deflower by force ; commit rape 
on. 
The Sabins violated Charms 
Obscur'd the Glory of his rising Arms. 
P-rior, Carmen Seculare. 
Violation (vi-o-la'shon), n. [< P. violation = Sp. 
violacion = Pg. violaqao = It. violazione, < L. 
violatio(n-), an injury, a profanation, < violare, 
violate: see violate."] 1. The act of violating, 
treating with violence, or injuring; interrup- 
tion, as of sleep or peace ; desecration ; an act 
of irreverence ; profanation or contemptuous 
treatment of sacred or venerable things : as, the 
violation of a church; infringement; transgres- 
sion; non-observance : as, a violation of law. 
We are knit together as a body in a most stricte & 
sacred bond and covenant of the Lord, of the violation 
wherof we make great consciences. 
Quoted in Bradford's Plymouth Plantation, p. 33. 
They (the Spartans) commenced the Peloponnesiau 
war in violation of their engagements with Athens ; they 
abandoned it in violation of their engagements with their 
allies. Macaulay, Mitford's Hist. Greece. 
2. Ravishment; rape. 
If your pure maidens fall into the hand 
Of hot and forcing violation. 
Shak., Hen. V., iii. 3. 21. 
violative (vi'o-la-tiv), a. [< violate + -ire. ) 
Violating; tending to or causing violation. 
Vinlative of a vested legal right. 
Andrews, Manual of the Constitution, p. 211. 
violator (vi'o-la-tor), n. [= P. violateur = Pr. 
violair, violador = Sp. Pg. violador = It. riu/u- 
tore, < L. violator, one who does violence, < 
violare, violate : see violate."] 1. One who vio- 
lates, injures, interrupts, or disturbs : as, a vio- 
lator of repose. 2. One who infringes or trans- 
gresses : as, a violator of law. 3. One who pro- 
fanes or treats with irreverence : as, a violator 
of sacred things. 4. A ravisher. 
An hypocrite, a virgin-it'o/ator. 
Shak., M. for M., v. 1. 41. 
Me the sport of ribald Veterans, mine of ruffian violators.' 
Tennyson, Hoiidicea. 
