The grief is fine, full, perfect, that I taste, And violenteth in a
sense as strong As that which causeth it.
Shak.
Vi"o*lent*ly, adv. In a violent manner.
Vi`o*les"cent (?), a. [L. viola a violet.] Tending to a violet color;
violascent.
Vi"o*let (?), n. [F. violette a violet (cf. violet violet-colored),
dim. of OF. viole a violet, L. viola; akin to Gr. &?;. Cf. Iodine.] 1.
(Bot.) Any plant or flower of the genus Viola, of many species. The
violets are generally low, herbaceous plants, and the flowers of many
of the species are blue, while others are white or yellow, or of
several colors, as the pansy (Viola tricolor).
The cultivated sweet violet is Viola odorata of Europe. The common blue
violet of the eastern United States is V. cucullata; the sand, or
bird-foot, violet is V. pedata.
2. The color of a violet, or that part of the spectrum farthest from
red. It is the most refrangible part of the spectrum.
3. In art, a color produced by a combination of red and blue in equal
proportions; a bluish purple color. Mollett.
4. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small violet-colored
butterflies belonging to Lycæna, or Rusticus, and allied genera.
<! p. 1612 !>
Corn violet. See under Corn. — Dame's violet. (Bot.) See Damewort. —
Dogtooth violet. (Bot.) See under Dogtooth. — Water violet (Bot.), an
aquatic European herb (Hottonia palustris) with pale purplish flowers
and pinnatifid leaves.
Vi"o*let (?), a. [Cf. F. violet. See Violet, n.] Dark blue, inclining
to red; bluish purple; having a color produced by red and blue
combined.
Violet shell (Zoöl.), any species of Ianthina; — called also violet
snail. See Ianthina. — Violet wood, a name given to several kinds of
hard purplish or reddish woods, as king wood, myall wood, and the wood
of the Andira violacea, a tree of Guiana.
Vi"o*let-tip" (?), n. (Zoöl.) A very handsome American butterfly
(Polygonia interrogationis). Its wings are mottled with various shades
of red and brown and have violet tips.
Vi`o*lin" (?), n. [It. violino, dim. of viola. See Viol.] (Mus.) A
small instrument with four strings, played with a bow; a fiddle.
The violin is distinguished for the brilliancy and gayety, as well as
the power and variety, of its tones, and in the orchestra it is the
leading and most important instrument.
Vi"o*line (?), n. (Chem.) (a) A pale yellow amorphous substance of
alkaloidal nature and emetic properties, said to have been extracted
from the root and foliage of the violet (Viola). (b) Mauve aniline. See
under Mauve.
Vi`o*lin"ist (?), n. [Cf. F. violiniste, violoniste, It. violonista.] A
player on the violin.
Vi"ol*ist (?), n. [Cf. F. violiste.] A player on the viol.
Vi`o*lon*cel"list (?), n. [Cf. F. violoncelliste, It. violoncellista.]
A player on the violoncello.
Vi`o*lon*cel"lo (?; 277), n. [It. violoncello, dim. of violone a bass
viol. See Violone.] (Mus.) A stringed instrument of music; a bass viol
of four strings, or a bass violin with long, large strings, giving
sounds an octave lower than the viola, or tenor or alto violin.
||Vi`o*lo"ne (?), n. [It. violone, augment. of viola a viol. See Viol.]
||(Mus.) The largest instrument of the bass-viol kind, having strings
||tuned an octave below those of the violoncello; the contrabasso; —
||called also double bass. [Written also violono.]
||
Vi"o*lous (?), a. Violent. [Obs.] J. Fletcher.
Vi`o*lu"ric (?), a. [Violet + barbituric.] (Chem.) Of, pertaining to,
or designating, a complex nitroso derivative of barbituric acid. It is
obtained as a white or yellow crystalline substance, and forms
characteristic yellow, blue, and violet salts.
Vi"per (?), n. [F. vipère, L. vipera, probably contr. fr. vivipera;
vivus alive + parere to bring forth, because it was believed to be the
only serpent that brings forth living young. Cf. Quick, a., Parent,
Viviparous, Wivern, Weever.]
1. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of Old World venomous makes
belonging to Vipera, Clotho, Daboia, and other genera of the family
Viperidæ.
There came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
Acts xxviii. 3.
Among the best-known species are the European adder (Pelias berus), the
European asp (Vipera aspis), the African horned viper (V. cerastes),
and the Indian viper (Daboia Russellii).