viper 
form srr|>'iit, as :i eol,r;i. ;I--|P. nr mlilcr; ulsn. 
loosely, any serpent thai is venomous, or sup- 
pose! I to In- >o : a l;i n^rroiis. repulsive, in* ugly 
Miake. [n til' I nilril Stutr* tin- nrllin' is nilimii'llly 
hut rlTunrini^h :ip|>li-'i| to YaTiotU -p-iiti il -n ik' 
I'inlly to wnnr Mipi-nxil In [,r \vi s, lull ill f;trt iii 
lliirllull.s : il:i. thr w;it.-i > ,-<t*, the 
u'litri'-iiii.rriisin, Jiiii-.in.in?, ; tin- lil<iwiiiu'-''<'/*T ali'i lihirk 
(-/;';, lli-l>-i-iln i>tiififrtiini>!< ;md //. /'/'', i"'lli liiirmless, 
tlli'll^'ll "t ronililllllilr ;l]ld rrjilll-l\' :isj,,vl Sri' rills llnillT 
aitp, ctu-ii-'l<'-<'"ilhi, copperhead, i/cxv/xt/i, iunl pi! < 
3. In In i'.. a serpent used as a bearing. Some 
writ ITS !i\niil l In w in it <, r/H',,1 unit use riper instead, there 
beillk' in* ilillrTVliri' in the Ivpntsrntations. 
4. One who or that which is mischievous or 
malignant. 
Where is that wjw.' hring the villain forth. 
.%*., Othello, v. 2. 286. 
Thou painted viper! 
Beast that thuu art ! 
Shelley, The Cencl, 1. 3. 
Black viper. See def. 2. Blowing-viper. Same M 
hognoK-nmkr. |l. s. | Horned viper, any serpent of the 
> im OrortM. Indian viper, the KuHsellian snake. See 
cut under datxiya. Pit Viper. See jtit-mper. Plumed 
viper, a pu If -adder. See Cldtlui. Bed Viper. Same as 
copperhead, 1. Viper's dance, St. Vltus's dance, llalli- 
writ, (I'rov. Eng. ) Water-viper. See def. i Yellow 
viper. See ;;<*<. 
Vipera (vi'pe-ril), n. [NL. (Laurenti, 1768), < 
L. rijicra, a viper: sec i-i/ier.] A genus of ser- 
pents, giving iiiimc to the I'i/ieridx. Formerly it 
was applied with little discrimination to a great number 
of venomous viviparous species and others. It is now re- 
stricted to a small genus of the family Viperider, of which 
the common viper of Europe ( V. output, V. communu or I'e- 
lion berun) i the type, having the urosteges two-rowed and 
tin -nostril between two plates. Also called I'rlicu. See 
Vijieridte, and cuts under adder and viper. 
viperess (vi'per-es), . [< viper + -ess.] A fe- 
male viper. 
Would we fain'd, but hear Pontla confess, 
My Sons I would have poyson'd : Vipertss.' 
Stnpylton, tr. of Juvenal (ed. 1880), vi. 670. 
viper-fish (vi'per-fish), . A fish of the family 
Chauti<xl<tti<lie and genus Chauliodug, specifi- 
cally ('. xliMiiii. This is a deep-sea fish of Mediter- 
ranean and Atlantic waters, a foot long, greenish above, 
blackish below, silvery on the sides, with about thirty 
phosphorescent spots in a row from the chin to the ven- 
tral lilis. 
viper-gourd (vi'per-gord), . Same as snake- 
<H>nrd. See gourd. 
Viperidffi (vl-per'i-de), n.pl. [NL., < Vipera + 
-true.] The vipers; one of four families into 
which the suborder I'ijierina or Solenoglypiia, 
of the order (tyhidiu, is divided, distinguished 
from the CrotaUtlx by the absence of a pit be- 
tween the eye and the nostrils, and from the At- 
ractaspididas and Causidas by the presence of a 
postfrontal bone in connection with ungrooved 
tangs. All the Viperidie are venomous, and nearly all 
inhabit the Old World only. According to the latest view 
of the family, it includes 7 genera : Vipera. of which Peliat 
is a synonym ; Iiaboia (see dattoya.) ; Ceraxtet, the horned 
vipers; /.V'/\(uiili which Kchidnais synonymous); Clotho, 
Plumed Viper, or Puff-adder (Clotho arietansl.ane oMhe 
the plumed vipers, or puff-adders, asC. arirtaiuiot Africa; 
AVAi'x of Merrem, called TVwicoa by Gray; and Atherif 
of Cope, also called Pacttmitalus. In the two latter the 
urosteges are single-rowed ; in the rest, two-rowed. The 
generic distinctions of the first five arc slight, chiefly 
resting upon the formation of thr plates about the nos- 
trils. See also cuts cited under viper, 1. 
viperiform (vi'pc-ri-form), a. [< L. ripera, a 
viper, + forma, form.] Having the form or 
structure of a viper; allied or belonging to the 
vipers : correlated with cobriform and crotali- 
form. 
Viperina (vi-pe-ri'nii), n. pi. [NL., < L. vipcra, 
a viper, + -t/ia'2.] If. A general name of ven- 
omous serpents : distinguished from Colitbriiiti. 
Also called \HCHH, 'riiiinntopliiilia, I'l-nciiom. 
2. More exactly, one of two suborders of O/ilii- 
<lin, containing venomous serpents related to 
the viper. It corresponds to the modern suborder 
Soletioybiptut, as dist inguishcd from Pritttroylypha, though 
of less exact definition tliiin t-itht-r of tln-st'. See cut un- 
der rnllli .v/mdY. ;ind cuts eited under viper, 2. 
viperine (vi'pc-rin), a. and u. [< L. vipfriniis, 
01 or like a viper, < eipera, a viper, serpent: 
0769 
SIM- //'/ i - . | I. (/. ICescinlilingor related In the 
viper; (if or pcrtnining to tin- I'I/H-/IHH. cs- 
peciiilh in tlie narrower sense: hroaillv di-- 
tingnislied from rnlulirinr, more strictly con- 
irastcd \\i\\\i-i-iiliiiitn-. viperine snake, (a) Any 
mi'iniii-r nf tin -Viiierina. (6) A nariuli-w mlnliriiie cr- 
pent uf l;ni'i]H-, Trvpldonottu viprriita, <'lm<.l much like 
tin true viper. .See cut under make. 
II. n. \ member of tin- 1'iin rniii ; a viper. 
KIK-,,,: I',,;!., XXII. IDS. 
viperish (vi'per-isli), a. [< viper + -i*/i'.] 
Like a viper; somewhat viperous ; malignant: 
ii^'ly: a>. a ri/,i ri.ih old woman. 
viperling(vi'p'T-lin<;). [<c/'/r + -Wi/.] A 
young or small viper. 
viperoid (vi'pe-roid), a. [< viper + -oid.] Vi- 
jicrine in a broad sense; of or pertaining to the 
I i/ii , i 
Viperoidea, Viperoides (vi-pe-roi'de-tt, -dez), 
n. pi. [NL.: sc'e li/H niid.] name a~ li/nn 
tin, 1. 
viperous ( vi'per-us), a. [< viper + -</*.] Hav- 
ing the qualities of a viper; viperish; venom- 
ous ; malignant ; spiteful : chiefly said of men- 
tal qualities, or used figuratively. 
Which, though It repeopled the world, yet it It least be- 
holding to her mperout offspring. 
J'urctia*, Pilgrimage, p. 340. 
Mr. Chubb out * suspicious and mperout glance at Fe- 
lix, who felt that he had been a simpleton for his palm. 
titarge Eliot, Felix Holt, xi. 
viperously (vi'per-us-li), adv. Iii a viperous 
manner; like a viper. 
Ilauing spoken as maliciouslie & viperow&ieKt he might 
... of Wlkliffea life. HMnihed, Richard II., an. 1377. 
viper's-bugloss (vi'p6rz-bu'glos), . See 
I'.rliium. 
viper's-grass ( vi'perz-gras), >i. See Scorzonera. 
viper-Wine (vi'per-win), n. See the quotation. 
When his [Sir Robert Cotton's] abilities decayed, he 
drank sack in which snakes were dissolved, being com- 
monly called riper- wiite, to restore nature. 
Court and Timet of Charlet 1., II. 112, note. 
viraginian (vir-a-jin'i-an), a. [< L. rinitio 
(-gin-), a bold woman, + -MM.] Having the 
qualities of a virago ; termagant. 
The remembrance of his old conversation among the 
mrayinutH trollops. Mil'"n, Apology for Smectymnuus. 
viraginity (vir-a-jin'i-ti), H. [< L. virago (-gin-), 
a bold woman, + -ity.] The qualities of a vi- 
rago. [Rare.] Imp. Diet. 
viraginous (vi-raj'i-nus), a. [< i,.virago (-</'-), 
a bold woman, + -.] Same as viraginian. 
A man is placed In the same uneasy situation as before 
described [riding the stang], so that he may be supposed 
to represent . . . his henpecked friend. . . . He is car- 
ried through the whole hamlet, with a view of exposing or 
shaming the rirayiiunts lady. 
Brocket!, Gloss, of North Country Words, p. 206. 
virago (vi- or vi-ra'gd), n. [< L. virago, a bold 
woman, a man-like woman, an Amazon, < vir, 
man: see virile.'] 1. A woman of extraordi- 
nary stature, strength, and courage ; a woman 
who has the robust body and masculine mind 
of a man; a female warrior. 
She . . . procedeth like a Virayo stoutly and cherefully 
to the ftre, where the corps of her husbaude was burnte, 
castinge her selfe into the same fyre. 
R. Eden, tr. of Sebastian Muuster (First Books on Ann i - 
(lea, ed. Arber, p. 24). 
" To arms, to arms ! " the fierce virago cries, 
And .-iit as lightning to the combat flies. 
Pope, U, of the L, v. 37. 
Hence 2. A bold, impudent, turbulent wo- 
man; a termagant: now the usual meaning. 
When I distress her so again, may I lose her forever ! 
and be linked instead to some antique viraijo, whose gnaw- 
ing passions, and long hoarded spleen, shall make me curse 
my folly. Sheridan, The Rivals, Ul. 2. 
3. [c/>.] [NL. (A. Newton, 1871).] A genus 
of Anatinte : so called because the female has a 
peculiarity of the windpipe usually found only 
in male ducks. The species is V. punctuta (or 
eastanea) of Australia. 
virago-sleevet (vi-ra'go-slev), n. A full sleeve 
worn by women about the middle of the seven- 
teenth century. 
Virchow-Robin lymph-spaces. The spaces be- 
tween the adveutitia and the inner coats of the 
cerebral vessels. 
vireH (ver), w. [< ME. vyrc, < OP. nrc = Pr. Sp. 
Pg. vira, a crossbow-bolt; cf. dim. Sp. rirote, 
It. rerrritti, r< rclta, a spear; prob. a contraction 
of Sp. vilwra = Pg. riftorn, a viper, = OF. "rirn . 
also irirrr (> E. icircr), F. givre, a serpent, viper, 
also an arrow, < L. rijtcra, a viper: see i //;// 
and icirer. The supposed contraction may have 
been due to association with OF. rinr, turn.] 
1. A bolt for a crossbow, feathered spirally 
so as to rotate in its flight. Also tin tint. 
Vireo 
lln bead of a rirr or VIT..II, a In-avy arm* which waJ 
discharged from a latg*' rn>-- IM.W . 
// - . I"'" Hi it. Ai.-l I i~-. XI . 
2. Ill /(/ / .. -Mine as iliiinili I. 
Vire-'* I ver). /. An obsolete spelling of mi. 
Virelay i vir'c- la I, . [< F. rin-lni, < nrrr. turn, 
change direct inn (see iwr), + lin, a Hiiig, lay: 
see lay 3 .] Ail old French form of poem, in 
short lines, running on two rimes; also, a -m- 
cession of siaiiy.as on two rimes, and of inde- 
terminate length, the rime of the last line of 
each becoming the rime of the first couplet in 
the next, thus: n. n, h, n. n, //. n. n. A; //, 6, e, 
b, b, c, 6, 6, c; c, / . </. r, <. il. <, <: il ; etc-, in a 
nine line lay the rime-order 1* u follows: a, a, t, a. a, 6, 
a, a, b. The rirelai HOUMOU U written on two rime* 
throughout; and the line* of the Ant couplet reappear 
alternately at Irregular intervals throughout tin- poem, 
. <>in 'hiding It In reverse order. No rime should lie re- 
Ctcd. (This form has been written In English but spar- 
, y. Except by example, It U difficult to explain It. 
Here Is the beginning of one : 
Good-bye to the Town ! good-bye ! 
Hurrah ! for the sea and the sky ! 
In the street the flower-girls cry ; 
In the street the water-carts ply ; 
And a niit.-r, with feature* a-wrjr. 
Plays fitfully, "Scot*, wha hae" - 
And the throat of that fluter 1* dry ; 
Good bye to the Town ! good-bye ! 
And over the roof-tops nigh 
Come a waft like a dream of the May, etc. 
The next paragraph closing with : 
Hurrah! for the tea and the sky ! 
A. Dottmt, July.) 
Of *w irh matere made he many layes, 
Songes, complelutes, roundels, rirelayet. 
Chaucer, Franklin's Tale. 1. 2-20, 
Virelay. Round, Freeman's Song. Colyrate, 1611. 
Virelay, a roundelay, Country -ballad, or Freeman* song. 
Jliiitint, 107(1. 
And then the band of flutes began to play, 
To which a lady sung a rirelay. 
Dryden, Flower and Leaf, 1. 306. 
virent (vi'rent), a. [< L. viren(t-)s, ppr. of 
virere, be green, fresh, or vigorous. Cf. rt'nW, 
rerd, verdant, etc.] Oreen; verdant; fresh. 
In these, yet fre*h and virent, they carve out the figure* 
of men and women. Sir T. Brincne, Vulg. Err., IL 6. 
Vireo (vir'o-d), w. [NL., < L. rireo, a kind of 
bird, a greenfinch.] 1. A genus of small 
greenish oscine or singing passerine birds of 
America, the type of the family I'ireonitlf, and 
including most of the species of that family ; 
the greenlets. See Virconids, and cuts under 
greenlet and solitary. 2. [/. c.] A greenlet ; 
any bird of the family t'ireonid*, especially of 
the genus rireo. Arizona vireo, the gray vlreo. 
Kaird, Brewer, and Kidyway, 1874. Bell's vlreo, >'. 
belli, a very small greenlet of the 1'nited states from 
Illinois westward, and south Into Mexico, discovered by 
Audulion on the upper Missouri, and named by him In 
1844 after John Bell, a New York taxidermist. Black- 
capped or black-headed Vlreo, V. atritapUliu, a rare 
and remarkable greenlet found from Texas to Mazatlan 
and southward, first described by Dr. S. W. Woudhouse 
in 1852 from specimens he procured on the San Pedro 
river. It ha* tne cap jet-black, unlike any other vireo. 
Black-whiskered vlreo, one of the mustached green- 
lets, V. barlmtulut, of Florida and the West Indie*. Bee 
whip-totn-keUy. Blue-headed vlreo, the solitary vireo, 
whose cap is somewhat bluish. In contrast with the green- 
ish of the other upper parts. Casein's vlreo, the west- 
ern variety of the solitary vireo. Xanttu, ls.',o.- Gray 
vlreo, V. vicinwr, an isolated species discovered in Ari- 
zona by Coues in 1SB4. Button's vlreo, V. huHimi. a 
relative of the white-eye, found in California and Mexico. 
Casrin, 1861. Lead-colored vlreo, the plumbeous vlreo. 
Baird, Brewer, and Ridytraij. 1*74. Least vlreo, V. pu- 
rillii*. a very small greenlet discovered by Coues In 1804 
in Arizona, and related to the gray and Bell's rireo*. 
Mustached vlreo, one of several of the larger species 
which have maxillary streaks, especially the black-whis- 
kered, opwhlp-tom-kelly. Philadelphia vlreo, the bro- 
therly-love greenlet, discovered by John Cassln near the 
city of that name, and originally described by him in i - i 
as Vireiatylria Philadelphia!. It belongs with the redeye 
In the slender-billed section of the large vlreos, but In col- 
oration U almost identical with the warbling Tireo. It 
inhabit* eastern parts of North America, north to Hud- 
son's Bay, and extends to <iuatemala in winter. It is 
more abundant In the Mississippi watershed than where 
originally found. Plumbeous vlreo, y. plumbna. of 
the ftouthem Rocky Mountain region and southward, dis- 
covered by Coues in Arizona in l.v 4. It reaemhles the 
solitary greenlet, but la much duller in color ; the length 
is 8 iii, In s Red-eyed vlreo, the redeye (which see, 
with cut). Also called rtd^yed flycatcher (after Cat*bjr, 
1771. Latham, Pennant, etc.). uml formerly olivr colored 
facatcher (Fxlwards). Solitary vlreo. See tnlitary. 
Vigors's vireot. Same as Vigor** icarblrr (which see, 
under irorWrt-). Warblinjt vireo, 1'- :/i'/rr, of all teni- 
perate eastern North America and southward. It is one of 
the smaller species, about r, inches long and 8) in extent, 
and very plainly colored; it inhabits high woodland, and 
has an exquisitely melodious warMe. often heard from the 
shade anil ornamental tree* of parks and cities. White- 
eyed vlreo, y. Hnrebnraeriuin (formerly Mvmrapa note- 
boracetufin, V. cantatrix, V. wnmrtu, etc.), a small tout- 
bodied greenk-t nctalik- for the brightness of the olive 
parts, the richness of the yellow iilx.ut the face and eye* 
and along the sides, and especially the white iris. It I* 
scarcely 6 Inches long and 8 in extent; It Inhabits the 
