virginal 
sec), usually (|ii;iilr:!ii^ul:ir in shape ami wit In nit 
lcf_'S, very popular in Kn^liiiMl in the Mstivntli 
and seventeenth centuries. Thr word mimi-imsed 
iti til'' jilunil, :uid also in the phnwr " Itir </ rir'iinnl* 
(see pair) , .*'). 
Haw you nliiyr.l \<-t Ml \.iin old !-,-. .us o' li 
lltnaltt nWMPH, i I'. '-! M:,i,l. i. 1. 
I'milnirt- took tin-in into it iliiilniM-ooiii, uhrif st I 
a pair <>/' excellent mruiiutl*; f" sin |il:,v..t ii|>on them, 
;iinl tin ii'-il whut sli>- Ii.nl Mi'Avnl them into this excellent 
m>ng. illinium, PBfrim'i Frocrtt*, U. 
I ohs.TYril I lint li;inil\ iilir li-lit, I or I,,.:|| in tlirri- that 
h:i'l Hie goods of ii house in lull there was a pair of Kir- 
iiiiuilt't in it. /;'.'". Diary, II. 442. 
Hi: sent mi- to tho lioanliii!; m-liool : tin n: I learned to 
dance iiinl sing, to ]ilny on the I KIM \ iol, riryiHalt, spinet, 
anil K"ttar. 
./. .lM,./i, Soclnl Mf in Reign of Queen Anne, I. 23. 
virginal- (vi'T'jin-al), v. i.; prct. and pp. i'iri/i- 
inilii/. riri/iiiulli il. |ipv. rii'ifiiiiiliiii/, riri/iinilling. 
[< rii'i/inii/-, n.] To finger, as on a virginal; 
|i j it or tap witli the fingers. 
Still mrginalling 
Upon bin palm. Shot., W. T., L 2. 115. 
Virginale (vcr-ji-na'le), n. [ML., neut. of L. 
virginalis, virginal: see rirginal^.'] A book of 
prayers and hymns to the Virgin Mary, 
virginally (vftr'jin-al-i), adv. In the manner 
of a virgin. 
Young ladle's dancing viryiiutlly liy themselves. 
C. F. Wootson, Anne, p. 101. 
virgin-born (ver'jiu-born). a. 1. Born of the 
Virgin : an epithet applied to Jesus Christ by 
Milton. 2. In zool., born from an unfecun- 
dated female by a process of internal gemma- 
tion, as a plant-louse. 
virginheadt (ver'jin-hed), n. [< virgin + -head.] 
Virginhood; virginity. 
Vnlike it Is 
Such blessed state the noble flowr should miss 
Of Virgin-head. 
Sylvester, tr. of Du Bartass Weeks, II., Eden. 
virginhood (v6r'jin-hud), u. [< rirgin + -hood.] 
Virginity; maidenhood. 
Virginia (ver-jin'i-a), . [Short for Virginia to- 
bacco, tobacco from the State of Virginia, ear- 
lier a colony, and a general name for the region 
of the New World between New England and 
New York and the Spanish possessions: so 
named in honor of Queen Elizabeth, called "the 
Virgin queen," the name Virginia being sup- 
posed to be derived from L. rirgo (virgin-), a vir- 
gin, but being prop. < L. Virginia, a fern. name, 
fern, of Virginian, prop. Vfrginiim, the name of 
a Roman gens.] A favorite commercial brand 
of tobacco, grown and manufactured in Vir- 
ginia. 
Rolls of the best \~irginia. Macatday, Hist. EUR., xxiii. 
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions. See 
nviilntwu. 
Virginia coupon cases. See casc^. 
Virginia creeper. An American vine, Ampe- 
lopsis (J'artlienorimnts) i/itinquefolia. Also known 
as woodbine and American tin/, and as five-leafed try, in 
view of the nve leaflets of its palniatcly compound leaf, 
distinguishing it from the poison-Ivy, which has three leaf- 
lets. See cut under creeper. 
Virginia fence. See snake fence, under fence. 
Virginian (ver-jin'i-an), a. and n. [< Virginia 
(see Virginia) + -an"] I. a. Of or pertaining 
to Virginia, a colony, and after 1776 one of the 
Southern States of the United States, lying 
south of Maryland. 
On their heads high sprig'd feathers, compast in Coro- 
nets, like the Virginian Princes they presented. 
Chapman, Masque of Middle Temple and Lincoln's Inn. 
Virginian cedar, the red or pencil cedar. Jumprrut Vir- 
giniana. See juniper. Virginian colln, partridge, nr 
quail, the common hob-white of North America, Ortyxor 
CMnuK mrgiiunmu. See cut under quail. Virginian 
cowslip, see irmwWp. Virginian creeper. Same as 
Virginia creeprr. Virginian date-plum, the common 
persimmon, DiiHtpyras \ frginiana. Virginian deer, the 
common deer of North America : the cariacou, Caruicux 
riniiniiiiinn. See wAiMatt, and cut under Cariacus. Vir- 
ginian goat's-rue, the hoary pea, Tfphrogia Virginiana. 
Virginian hemp. See hfmp. Virginian Juniper. 
Same as r in/in in m Yilnr. --Virginian mallow. Sec.Vi'rfn, 
1. Virginian nightingale. Same as cardinal-bird. 
Virginian pine. Seemnei. Virginian poke, the com- 
mon pokcwecd. -Virginian rail, flalla* nryinianut. See 
liallii*. Virginian raspberry, see ra*pbenni. Vir- 
ginian redbird, tin- Virginian nightingale. See Cardi- 
nalii. Virginian sarsaparilla, wild sarsaparilla. See 
namtiixtrillri. Virginian silk, the common milkweed or 
silken -i I. . I .;!, i > /<j\- critii. The silk borne on its seed is 
too smooth ami brittle for textile use. The bast of the 
stem may perhaps be utilized for similar purposes as hemp. 
Compare ivm/m'/? rilk, under silk. Virginian snake- 
root. See r/rj/mia wwjtsroof, under gnakeroot. Vir- 
ginian sumac, tobacco, trumpet-flower. See the 
nouns. Virginian thorn. Same as Wanhingtim thorn 
(which see, under thorn 1 ). Virginian thyme. See Pyc- 
iMiMemum. - Virginian wake-robin. See mikr-rabin. 
II. n. A native or an inhabitant of Virginia. 
67C..-. 
Virginia nightingale. S;um ,i- ,/,//,//./,,/. 
Virginia reel, silk, snakeroot, H''. SIT r<,r-<. 
!!<. 
Virginia's warbler. Sn- irnri.i.r, 
Virginia titmouse. Siimc as i/i/in 
inii-lilir at) iwtii<-li SIM', under innlilrr). 
Virginia willow. Sir ///'.'. 
virginity (ver-jin'i-ti), w. [< MK. rn-i/mi/i . " i 
i/niilr, ri ri/i/iti; < (IF. riri/iinlr, r< ri/uiili; !'. rir- 
i/iintr = Sp. ririjiiiiiiml = I'K. I'ii'i/iniiliiili- =: It. 
rerginitfi, < L. ririjini/ir !-)., niai<lcnlio<Hl. < riri/n 
(rirgin-), maidrn: sec I'n-giii.'] The gta' 
being a virgin ; \ ir^inliuinl ; chastity; thestate 
of having Tiad no carnal knowledge of man ; 
the unmarried life; ci-liliacy. 
Whanne saugh ye everc In any manere age 
That hye (iod defended marlage 
By expres word? I pray you telleth me; 
Or where commuted he riryiniteef 
Chaucer, Pro), to Wife of Bath's Tain, L 02. 
In Christianity scarcely any other tingle circumstance 
has contributed so much to the attraction of the faith u 
the ascription of virginity to its female Ideal. 
Lecky, Europ. Morals, I. 111. 
virgin-knot (ver'jin-not), n. Maidenly chas- 
tity: in allusion to the girdle worn by Grcrk 
and Roman marriageable virgins, which, upon 
marriage, was unloosed. 
If thuu dost break her vinjin-knot before 
All sanctimonious ceremonies may 
With full and holy rite be minister'.!. 
Shak., Tempest, IT. 1. U. 
[< virgin + -ty 1 .] Pure; 
viridian 
virginly (ver'jin-li), n. 
unspotted; chaste. 
To bee the enclosure and tabernacle of the vSryinly 
chastltee. J. Udall, On Luke zxlv. 
virginly (ver'jin-li), arfr. [< virgin + -ly' 2 .] In a 
manner becoming a virgin; chastely; modestly. 
A violet vision : there to stay - fair fate 
Forever virginly inviolate. 
The Atlantic, LXVII. 407. 
virgin's-bower (ver'jinz-bou'er), n. A name 
of several species of Clematifi, primarily the Eu- 
ropean (*. T italba, the traveler's- joy, also call- 
ed old-man 's-beard, and sometimes hedge-Fine, 
maidrn's-honesty, mnokewood. The common Ameri- 
can virgin' s-lniwer' is C. Virginiana, like the last a finely 
Flowering Branch of Virgin' s-bower (Ctematit 
a, the fruit. 
climbing and festooning plant, but with the flowers less 
white. The native vlrgln's-bower of Australia Is C. mi- 
crophylla. 
She had hops and virgin's bnirer trained up the side of 
the house. S. Jtutd, Margaret, i. S. 
Sweet or sweet-scented vlrgln's-bower, Clrmatu 
Flammula, of southern Europe, having very fragrant flow- 
ers. It is an acrid plant ; the leaves are sometimes used as 
a rubefacient In rheumatism. Upright vlrgin's-bow- 
er, Clematu recta (C. crecta), of southern Europe, a very 
acrid plant acting as a diuretic and diaphoretic, some- 
times applied internally, and externally for ulcers. 
Virgin-worship (ver'jin-wer'ship), n. Adora- 
tion of the Virgin Marv. See Mariolatry. 
Virgo (ver'go), H. [N'L., < L. rirgo. maiden: 
see virgin.] An ancient constellation and sign 
of the zodiac. The figure represents a winged woman 
In a rolie holding a spike of grain in her left hand. One of 
the stars was called Vindemiatrix, or by the Oreeks Pro- 
tngetrr th&t Is, precursor of the vintage. At the time 
when the zodiac seems to have been formed, 2100 B.C., 
this star would first be seen at Babylon before sunrise 
about August 20th, or, since there la some evidence it was 
then brighter than it is now, perhaps a week earlier. This 
would seem too late for the vintage, so that perhaps this 
tradition is older than the zodiac, Virgo appears In the 
Egyptian zodiacs without wings, yet there seems no room 
to doubt that the figure was first meant for the winged 
Assyrian Astarte, especially as the sixth month in Acca- 
dian Is called the "Errand of Istar." The symbol of the 
zodiacal sign is irp, where a resemblance to a wing may be 
seen. The constellation contains the white flnt-magnl- 
tilde star Spica. See cut in next column. 
The ConuelUlion Virgo. 
virgouleuse, virgoleuse, n. [< F. VirgovUc, a 
village near Limoges, in France.] A kind of 
pear. Also called trhilr iloymne, and by other 
names. 
Virgularia (ver-gu-la'ri-a), . [NL. (Lamarck, 
1816), < L. nirgula, a little rod (see virgvle), + 
-uriii.] The typical genus 
of the family f iryulariidir, 
having the pinna; very short, 
as V. inirabilig. 
Virgulariidse (ver'gu-la-ri'- 
i-de), n. pi. [NL., < Virgu- 
laria + -idee.] A family of 
pennatulaceous alcyonarian 
polyps, typified by the genus 
Virgularia ; the sea-rods. 
They are related to the sea-pens, 
but are of long, slender, vlrgulate 
form. The rachis Includes a slen- 
der axial rod, and the polypiteit 
are set In transverse rows or clus- 
ters on each side of nearly the 
whole length of the polypidoin. 
virgulate (ver'^u-lat), a. 
[< L. firgula, a little rod, + 
-afcl.J Kod-shaped. 
virgule (ver'giil), n. [< F. 
rirgule, a comma, a little 
rod, < L. virguln, a little rod, 
dim. of virga, a rod : see 
rergel.] 1. A little rod; a 
tWlg. 2. A Comma. Hal- 
tow, Lit. Hist, of Europe, i. 8. 
1 twin (twice natural MZC). 
/i - /i v showing three flusters 
(ver-gu'll-an), H. O f polypltes alternating 
("So named from the abun- " c $f oatf Ma ' "" 
dance of Ezogyra virgula 
which it contains; < virgula (see rirgule) + 
-ian.] In geol.. one of the subdivisions of the 
Jurassic, according to the nomenclature of the 
French geologists. It Is the hlghent but one of four 
substages recognized in the Kimmeridglan of centra] 
France. 
virgultum (ver-gul'tum), n. [NL.. < L. virgul- 
tum, a bush, contr. < 'virgtiletum, < rirgula, a 
little twig: see rirgule.] A small twig; a 
sprout. 
virial (vir'i-al), B. [After G. ririal (Clausius, 
1870), < L. vii> (rir-), force: see rim. t-w*.] The 
sum of the attractions between all the pairs of 
particles of a system.each multiplied by the dis- 
tance between the pair Theorem of the virial. 
the proposition that when a system of particles is in station- 
ary motion Its mean kinetic energy Is equal to its virial. 
Virld (vir'id), a. [< L. riridis, green, < rirere. 
be green. Cf. rerd, rert, rerdant, etc., from the 
same source.] Green; verdant. Fairfax, tr. 
of Tasso. xii. 94. (Xarrs.) [Rare.] 
viridescence (vir-i-des'ens), n. [< riridrscen(t) 
+ -cf.] The state or property of being virides- 
cent or greenish, 
viridescent (vir-i-des'ent), a. [< LL. riride*- 
rrn(t-)n. ppr. of riridcnrrre, be green, < L. wri- 
dift, green : see n'nVf. Cf. vireteent.] Slightly 
green ; greenish. 
Viridian (vi-rid'i-an ). . [< L. riridif, green. 
4- -an.] Same as Veronese green (which iee, 
under green 1 ). 
