VINTAGE, vin't[=a]j, _n._ the gathering of grapes: the yearly produce of
grapes: the time of grape-gathering: wine.--_n._ VIN'T[=A]GER. [Fr.
_vendange_--L. _vindemia_--_vinum_, wine, grapes, _dem[)e]re_, to
remove--_de_, out of or away, _em[)e]re_, to take.]
VINTNER, vint'n[.e]r, _n._ a wine-seller.--_ns._ VINT'NERY, the trade of a
vintner; VINT'RY, a store for wine. [O. Fr. _vinetier_, through Low L.--L.
_vinetum_, a vineyard--_vinum_, wine.]
VIOL, v[=i]'ol, _n._ a musical instrument which was the immediate precursor
of the violin, having from three to six strings, and played by means of a
bow.--_ns._ VIOLA (v[=e]-[=o]'la, or v[=i]'[=o]-la), a larger description
of violin having four strings tuned in fifths, to which the part between
the second violin and bass is generally assigned--also called _Alto viola_
or _Tenor violin_; V[=I]'OL-BLOCK (_naut._), a large single block big
enough to reeve a small hawser; V[=I]'OLIST, a player on the viol or the
viola.--BASS VIOL, a large medieval viol: the modern violoncello. [O. Fr.
_viole_--Low L. _vidula_, from L. _vitul[=a]ri_, to skip like a calf, to
make merry--L. _vitulus_, a calf.]
VIOLATE, v[=i]'[=o]-l[=a]t, _v.t._ to injure: to abuse: to ravish: to
profane: to break forcibly: to transgress.--_adj._ V[=I]'OLABLE, that may
be violated, injured, or broken.--_adv._ VI'OLABLY.--_ns._
V[=I]OL[=A]'TION, the act of violating or injuring: infringement:
non-observance: profanation: rape; V[=I]'OL[=A]TOR. [L. _viol[=a]re_,
_-[=a]tum_--_vis_, strength; cf. Gr. _is_, strength, force.]
VIOLENT, v[=i]'[=o]-lent, _adj._ acting with physical force or strength:
moved by strong feeling: passionate: vehement: outrageous: produced by
force: intense: compulsory: unnatural.--_v.i._ (_Shak._) to be
violent.--_n._ V[=I]'OLENCE, the state or quality of being violent: force,
physical or moral: unjust force: outrage: profanation: injury:
rape.--_adv._ V[=I]'OLENTLY.--DO VIOLENCE ON (_Shak._), to attack, murder;
DO VIOLENCE TO, to outrage, injure. [Fr.,--L. _violentus_--_vis_, force.]
VIOLET, v[=i]'[=o]-let, _n._ any plant of genus _Viola_, of many species,
with a flower generally of some shade of blue, but also white and yellow,
and most often fragrant: the colour of the violet, a bluish or light
purple.--_adj._ of the colour of the violet, bluish or light
purple.--_adjs._ VIOL[=A]'CEOUS, of a violet colour, purple; VIOLES'CENT,
tending to a violet colour. [Fr. _violette_, dim. of O. Fr. _viole_--L.
_viola_; cf. Gr. _ion_.]
VIOLIN, v[=i]-[=o]-lin', _n._ a musical instrument of four strings placed
with a bow: a fiddle: a player on the violin.--_ns._ VIOLIN'-BOW, a bow for
sounding the violin; V[=I]'OLINIST, a player on the violin. [It.
_violino_--_viola_.]
VIOLONCELLO, v[=e]-[=o]-lon-chel'[=o], or v[=i]-[=o]-lon-sel'[=o], _n._ a
large four-stringed musical instrument of the violin class, the quality of
its tone even more sympathetic than that of the violin, held between the
knees in playing--it superseded the _Viol da gamba_ in the early part of
the 18th century:--_pl._ VIOLONCELL'OS.--_n._ VIOLONCELL'IST, a player on
the violoncello. [It., dim. of _violone_, a bass violin; see next word.]
VIOLONE, v[=e]-[=o]-l[=o]'n[=a], _n._ the largest kind of bass viol, having
strings tuned an octave lower than the violoncello. [It.,--_viola_.]
VIPER, v[=i]'p[.e]r, _n._ a genus of venomous snakes, representative of
family _Viperidæ_--the Common Viper or adder being the only poisonous snake
indigenous to Britain: loosely, any venomous serpent except a rattlesnake,
any cobriform serpent: any base, malicious person.--_adjs._ V[=I]'PERINE,
related to or resembling the viper; V[=I]'PERISH, like a viper;
V[=I]'PEROUS, having the qualities of a viper: venomous: malignant.--_adv._
V[=I]'PEROUSLY.--VIPER'S BUGLOSS, the blue weed or blue thistle; VIPER'S
GRASS, a European perennial of the aster family. [Fr.,--L. _vipera_ (contr.
of _vivipara_)--_vivus_, living, _par[)e]re_, to bring forth.]
VIRAGO, vi-r[=a]'go, or v[=i]-r[=a]'g[=o], _n._ a masculine woman: a bold,
impudent woman: a termagant.--_adjs._ VIRAGIN'IAN, VIRAGINOUS
(viraj'-).--_n._ VIRAGIN'ITY. [L.,--_vir_, a man.]