The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate (43 page)

vacuous
(VAK-yoo-
e
s)
adjective

1. empty-headed; inane.

2. expressionless.

Related words:
vacuity
(va-KYOO-i-tee) and
vacuousness
(VAK-yoo-
e
s-nis)
both nouns
,
vacuously
adverb
.

vade mecum
(VAY-dee MEE-k
e
m),
plural
vade mecums

1. a handbook or other small useful reference work a person carries with him.

2. a manual.

vagary
(v
e
-GAIR-ee
or
VAY-g
e
-ree)
noun, plural
vagaries

a capricious act, idea, or fluctuation.

vainglory
(VAYN-
GLOR
-ee)
noun

1. boastfulness.

2. extreme vanity.

Related words:
vainglorious
(vayn-GLOR-ee-
e
s)
adjective
,
vaingloriously
adverb
,
vaingloriousness
noun
.

valetudinarian
(
VAL
-i-
TOO
-d
e
-NAIR-ee-
e
n)
noun
, also given as
valetudinary
(
VAL
-i-TOO-d
e
-
NER
-ee)

a person who pays excessive attention to preserving his health.

Related words:
valetudinary
adjective
,
valetudinarianism
(
VAL
-i-
TOO
-d
e
-NAIR-ee-
e
-
NIZ
-
e
m)
noun
.

vapid
(VAP-id)
adjective

1. insipid; dull, uninteresting.

2. tedious.

Related words:
vapidity
(va-PID-i-tee) and
vapidness
(VAP-id-nis)
both nouns
,
vapidly
adverb
.

variorum
(
VAIR
-ee-OR-
e
m)
adjective

with notes of various editors or commentators or with various versions of a text.

Related word:
variorum
noun
, meaning
a variorum edition
.

venal
(VEEN-
e
l)
adjective

1. able to be bribed.

2. corruptible.

3. of conduct, influenced by bribery.

Do not confuse
venal
with
venial
, which see.

Related words:
venality
(vee-NAL-i-tee)
noun
,
venally
(VEEN-
e
-lee)
adverb
.

venial
(VEE-nee-
e
l)
adjective

1. of a fault or sin, pardonable.

2. of misconduct, trifling, not serious.

Some writers and speakers confuse
venial
, meaning
trifling
or
pardonable
, with
venal
, meaning
corruptible
. Since these words are so far apart in meaning, this confusion seems to be caused solely by the closeness in spelling of the two words. Although this sin of confusion by writers and readers may be
venial
, or
pardonable
, most of us believe
venality
, or
corruptibility
, is never pardonable. Let us resolve, therefore, to do our best (1) to over-come even
trivial
, or
venial
, personal faults and (2) to avoid
venality
, or
corruptibility
, completely by eschewing any behavior that may be characterized as
venal
.

Related words:
veniality
(
VEE
-nee-AL-i-tee) and
venialness
(VEE-nee-
e
l-nis)
both nouns
,
venially
adverb
.

veracious
(v
e
-RAY-sh
e
s)
adjective

1. truthful, honest.

2. true.

Related words:
veraciousness
and
veracity
(v
e
-RAS-i-tee)
both nouns
,
veraciously
adverb
.

verbiage
(VUR-bee-ij)
noun

an excessive number of words used to express an idea; verbosity.

verbicide
(VUR-b
e
-
S
I
D
)
noun

1. the destruction of the sense or value of a word.

2. one who willfully commits verbicide.

verbose
(v
e
r-BOHS)
adjective

using more words than are needed; prolix; long-winded.

Related words:
verboseness
and
verbosity
(v
e
r-BOS-i-tee)
both nouns
,
verbosely
adverb
.

veridical
(v
e
-RID-i-k
e
l)
adjective
, also given as
veridic
(v
e
-RID-ik)

1. truthful, veracious.

2. genuine.

Related words:
veridicality
(v
e
-
RID
-i-KAL-i-tee)
noun
,
veridically
(v
e
-RID-i-k
e
-lee)
adverb
.

verisimilitude
(
VER
-
e
-si-MIL-i-
TOOD
)
noun

1. an appearance of being true.

2. likelihood, probability.

veritable
(VER-i-t
e
-b
e
l)
adjective

1. real.

2. rightly named.

Related words:
veritableness
noun
,
veritably
adverb
.

vernacular
(v
e
r-NAK-y
e
-l
e
r)
noun

1. the language or dialect of a country.

2. the everyday speech of ordinary people.

Related words:
vernacular
adjective
,
vernacularly
adverb
.

viable
(V
I
-
e
-b
e
l)
adjective

1. practicable.

2. able to exist successfully.

3. of a fetus, sufficiently developed to be able to survive after birth.

4. of plants, able to live or grow.

Related words:
viability
(
V
I
-
e
-BIL-i-tee)
noun
,
viably
(V
I
-
e
-blee)
adverb
.

vicarious
(v
I
-KAR-ee-
e
s)
adjective

of feelings or emotions, felt through sharing imaginatively in the feelings or emotions of another person.

Related words:
vicariously
adverb
,
vicariousness
noun
.

vicissitude
(vi-SIS-i-
TOOD
)
noun

a change of circumstances affecting one's life.

Related words:
vicissitudinary
(vi-
SIS
-i-TOO-d
e
-
NER
-ee) and
vicissitudinous
(vi-
SIS
-i-TOO-d
e
-n
e
s)
both adjectives
.

vincible
(VIN-s
e
-b
e
l)
adjective

that can be overcome or conquered.

Related words:
vincibility
(
VIN
-si-BIL-i-tee) and
vincibleness
(VIN-s
e
-b
e
l-nis)
both nouns
.

virago
(vi-RAH-goh)
noun, plural
viragoes
and
viragos

a shrewish bullying woman; a scold; a termagant.

Related words:
viraginian
(
VIR
-
e
-JIN-ee-
e
n) and
viraginous
(vi-RAJ-
e
-n
e
s)
both adjectives
,
viraginity
(
VIR
-
e
-JIN-i-tee)
noun
.