| vellus hair | n. | short, almost invisible hairs covering most of the human body save for the head | ||
| velum | n. | membrane; the soft palate; [meteorology] widespread thin cloud | biology | |
| veneer | n. | thin layer of decorative wood, usu. placed over other cheaper wood; layer of wood used to make plywood; superficial attractive surface covering less attractive substance beneath | ||
| venery | n. | 1 | hunting, the chase | archaic |
| venery | n. | 2 | devotion to sexual pleasure, sexual congress | archaic |
| venifice | n. | poisoning | obsolete | |
| venireman | n. | person summoned as a potential juror | ||
| verandah | n. | roofed gallery or porch | ||
| verbum sap | int. | enough, no more need be said (used to indicate that further discussion would we unwise, unwarranted, or unnecessary) | ||
| verderer | n. | officer of the English king having charge of royal forests with especial duty to protect the trees and undergrowth and deer | ||
| verge | n. | rod or staff carried as badge of office | ||
| veriest | adj. | utmost | ||
| verisimilar | adj. | appearing true or real | ||
| vermeil | adj. | vermillion, bright red; gilt silver or bronze | ||
| vermiculate | adj. | having wormlike, wavy lines | ||
| vermifuge | n. | a medicine which expels worms or other parasites from the intestines | ||
| vernal | adj. | of or related to spring; of youth | ||
| veronica | n. | 2 | bullfighting pass in which matador swings his muleta before the bull while keeping his legs perfectly still | |
| veronica | n. | 1 | image of Jesus Christ impressed upon handkerchief, after the relic of Saint Veronica (also vernicle) | |
| versant | n. | slope of a mountain | ||
| vershok | n. | old Russian unit of measurement equal to 1-3/4 inches, or 4.445 cm | ||
| verst | v. | Russian measure of length equal to about two-thirds of a mile | ||
| vertiginous | adj. | likely to cause vertigo | ||
| vertu | n. | taste for works of art or curios; objets d’art, curios (more commonly virtu) | ||
| vervain | n. | verbena officinalis, a common European plant once much used for its supposed medicinal qualities | ||
| Very light | n. | flares used for signaling or illumination, fired from a special pistol | ||
| vesicant | n. | blister producing substance | ||
| vesicle | n. | cyst, sac, blister | ||
| vesta | n. | short wax or wood friction match | British | |
| vestryman | n. | council member of the local parish | ||
| vexillology | n. | study of flags | ||
| viaticum | n. | Eucharist given to dying person; allowance made for traveling expenses or needs, either as money or provisions; provisions for a journey | ||
| vicar | n. | lesser or substitute priest (details vary between the various denominations; usu. a vicar does not receive the full stipend of a priest per se) | ||
| vici | n. | soft treated leather used primarily for shoe uppers | ||
| vicinage | n. | neighborhood, vicinity | ||
| vicinal | adj. | neighboring, adjacent | ||
| vicissitudes | n. | ups and downs, recurring changes | ||
| videlicet | adv. | to wit, namely, that is to say | Latin | |
| viga | n. | large wooden beam used in adobe construction | ||
| vigesimal | adj. | based upon or related to the number twenty | ||
| vigneron | n. | wine-grower | ||
| vihara | n. | Buddhist monastery | ||
| vinegarroon | n. | large whipscorpion found in Mexico and the southern United States, with a nasty, though nonvenomous, sting | ||
| vinous | adj. | relating to wine; caused by indulgence in wine | ||
| virescent | adj. | greenish, turning green | ||
| virga | n. | streaky precipitation from clouds which evaporates before reaching earth | ||
| virgate | n. | old English land measure, usu. thought to be a quarter of a hide (thus, virgate equals 30 acres) | ||
| viridescent | adj. | greenish | ||
| virulent | adj. | extremely noxious; intensely poisonous; very bitter, highly acrimonious | ||
| viscid | adj. | sticky |
