||Va*ca"tur (?), n. [NL., it is made void, fr. L. vacare to be empty. See Vacant.] (Law) An order of court by which a proceeding is set aside or annulled.
Vac"cine point` (?). (Med.) See Point, n., 26.
Va`chette" clasp (?). [Cf. F. vachette cowhide leather used for ligatures.] (Veter.) A piece of strong steel wire with the ends curved and pointed, used on toe or quarter cracks to bind the edges together and prevent motion. It is clasped into two notches, one on each side of the crack, burned into the wall with a cautery iron.
Vac`u*om"e*ter (?), n. [Vacuum + -meter.] (Physics) (a) An instrument for the comparison of barometers. (b) An apparatus for the measurement of low pressures.
Vac"u*um clean"er. A machine for cleaning carpets, tapestry, upholstered work, etc., by suction.
Val`or*i*za"tion (?), n. [Pg. valorizacão.] Act or process of attempting to give an arbitrary market value or price to a commodity by governmental interference, as by maintaining a purchasing fund, making loans to producers to enable them to hold their products, etc.; -- used chiefly of such action by Brazil.
Val"ue (?), n. 1. (a) That property of a color by which it is distinguished as bright or dark; luminosity. (b) Degree of lightness as conditioned by the presence of white or pale color, or their opposites.
2. (Math.) Any particular quantitative determination; as, a function's value for some special value of its argument.
3. [pl.] The valuable ingredients to be obtained by treatment from any mass or compound; specif., the precious metals contained in rock, gravel, or the like; as, the vein carries good values; the values on the hanging walls.
Val"ued pol"i*cy. (Fire Insurance) A policy in which the value of the goods, property, or interest insured is specified; -- opposed to open policy.
Valued-policy law. (Fire Insurance) A law requiring insurance companies to pay to the insured, in case of total loss, the full amount of the insurance, regardless of the actual value of the property at the time of the loss.
{ Valv"al (?), Valv"ar (?) }, a. (Biol.) Valvular.
Va*na"di*um bronze` (?). (Chem.) A yellow pigment consisting of a compound of vanadium.
Van*dyke" beard`. A trim, pointed beard, such as those often seen in pictures by Vandyke.
Van"i*ty box. A small box, usually jeweled or of precious metal and worn on a chain, containing a mirror, powder puff, and other small toilet articles for a woman.
Van"tage game. (Lawn Tennis) The first game after the set is deuce. See Set, n., 9.
Vantage point. A point giving advantage; vantage ground.
Van't Hoff's law (?). [After J.H. van't Hoff, Dutch physical chemist.] (Phys. Chem.) The generalization that: when a system is in equilibrium, of the two opposed interactions the endothermic is promoted by raising the temperature, the exothermic by lowering it.
Va"por gal"va*niz`ing. (Metal.) A process for coating metal (usually iron or steel) surfaces with zinc by exposing them to the vapor of zinc instead of, as in ordinary galvanizing, to molten zinc; -- called also Sherardizing. Vapor galvanizing is accomplished by heating the articles to be galvanized together with zinc dust in an air tight receptacle to a temperature of about 600° F., which is 188° below the melting point of zinc, or by exposing the articles to vapor from molten zinc in a separate receptacle, using hydrogen or other reducing gas to prevent oxidation.
{ Vapor pressure or tension }. (Physics) The pressure or tension of a confined body of vapor. The pressure of a given saturated vapor is a function of the temperature only, and may be measured by introducing a small quantity of the substance into a barometer and noting the depression of the column of mercury.
Var*gue"no (vär*g"n), n. [Said to be fr. Vargas, name of a village in Spain.] (Art) A decorative cabinet, of a form originating in Spain, the body being rectangular and supported on legs or an ornamental framework and the front opening downwards on hinges to serve as a writing desk.
||Var`i*cos"is (?), n. [NL. See Varix, and -osis.] (Med.) The formation of varices; varicosity.
Var`i*cot"o*my (?), n. [See Varix; -tomy.] (Surg.) Excision of a varicosity.
Va*ri"e*ty, n. (Theaters) Such entertainment as in given in variety shows; the production of, or performance in, variety shows. [Cant]
Variety show. A stage entertainment of successive separate performances, usually songs, dances, acrobatic feats, dramatic sketches, exhibitions of trained animals, or any specialties. Often loosely called vaudeville show.
Va"ri*ole (?), n. [Cf. F. variole smallpox. See Variola.] 1. A foveola.