| Question |
Answer |
| validate |
make valid; confirm; ratify |
| valor |
bravery; ADJ. valiant: possessing valor; brave |
| vampire |
ghostly being that sucks the blood of the living |
| vanguard |
forerunners; foremost position of an army; advance forces; foremost position in a trend or movement; CF. rearguard |
| vantage |
position giving an advantage (such as a strategic point); CF. vantagepoint |
| vapid |
lacking liveliness; dull and unimaginative; insipid and flavorless; Ex. vapid lecture |
| vaporize |
turn into vapor (steam, gas, fog, etc.) |
| variegate |
change the appearance of (by marking with different colors) |
| variegated |
(esp. of a flower or leaf) many-colored |
| varnish |
paint used to coat a surface with a glossy film; glossy coating produced by using this substance; Ex. nail varnish; V. |
| vassal |
in feudalism, one who held land of a superior lord; subordinate or dependent |
| vaunted |
boasted; bragged; highly publicized; V. vaunt: boast; brag |
| veer |
change in direction; swerve |
| vegetate |
live in a monotonous way (without interests or activity); CF. vegetation: plants of an area; CF. vegetarian; CF. vegan |
| vehement |
forceful; intensely emotional; with marked vigor; strong; N. vehemence |
| velocity |
speed |
| venal |
capable of being bribed; corrupt; CF. vernal |
| vendetta |
blood feud (esp. between two families); CF. Nina Williams |
| vendor |
seller |
| veneer |
thin surface layer (of good quality wood, glued to a base of inferior material); cover; surface show; fa\c{c}ade; V. |
| venerable |
deserving high respect; commanding respect; CF. command: deserve and get |
| venerate |
revere; treat with great respect |
| venial |
(of a fault or sin) forgivable; trivial |
| venison |
meat of a deer; CF. cow: beef; CF. pig: pork, ham, bacon; CF. calf: veal; CF. sheep: mutton; CF. lamb: lamb |
| venom |
poison (of an animal); hatred; Ex. remarks full of venom; ADJ. venomous |
| vent |
release or discharge through a vent; express (esp. unfairly); utter; Ex. He vented his wrath on his family. |
| ventilate |
admit fresh air into to replace stale air |
| ventral |
abdominal |
| ventriloquist |
someone who can make his or her voice seem to come from another person or thing (without moving lips or jaws); N. ventriloquism, ventriloquy |
| venture |
risk; expose to risk; dare; undertake a risk; N. |
| venturesome |
(of a person) bold; adventurous; daring; (of an action) risky |
| venue |
location; place (of a crime, trial, gathering, etc.); CF. come |
| veracious |
(of a person) truthful |
| veracity |
truthfulness; adherence to the truth |
| verbalize |
put into words; ADJ. verbal: of words; spoken rather than written; oral; of a verb |
| verbatim |
word for word; in the same words; repeating the actual words exactly |
| verbiage |
pompous array of words; too many unnecessary words; wordiness |
| verbose |
wordy; N. verbosity |
| verdant |
green; covered with green plants or grass; lush in vegetation; Ex. verdant meadows |
| verdigris |
green coating or patina on copper which has been exposed to the weather |
| verge |
border; edge, rim, or margin; Ex. on the verge of: very near to; V: border on |
| verisimilar |
having the appearance of truth or reality; probable or likely to be true; plausible |
| verisimilitude |
appearance of truth; quality of appearing to be true or real; likelihood; Ex. verisimilitude of her performance as Lady Macbeth |
| veritable |
being truly so; real or genuine; actual; not false or imaginary |
| verity |
quality of being true; lasting truth or principle; Ex. the verity of his testimony; Ex. one of the eternal verities |
| vernacular |
living language (as compared to the official language); language spoken in a country or region; natural style; Ex. lapse into the vernacular |
| vernal |
pertaining to spring |
| versatile |
having many talents; capable of working in many fields; having many uses or functions; N. versatility |
| vertebrate |
having a backbone or spinal column; N: group of animals having a segmented spinal column |
| vertex |
summit; highest point; PL. vertices |
| vertigo |
severe dizziness; giddiness |
| verve |
enthusiasm (as in artistic performance or composition); liveliness; vigor |
| vestige |
trace; remains; Ex. vestiges of some ancient religion |
| veto |
vested power to reject a bill; exercise of this right; V: prevent or forbid by exercising the power of veto |
| vex |
annoy; distress |
| viable |
capable of maintaining life; feasible; practical or workable; Ex. viable scheme |
| viand |
food; CF. live |
| vibrant |
full of vigor or energy; vibrating |
| vicar |
parish priest; representative |
| vicarious |
experienced as if one were taking part in the experience of another; done by a deputy for other people; acting as a substitute; Ex. vicarious thrill at the movies; Ex. the vicarious sufferings of Christ |
| vicissitude |
change (esp. from good to bad); change of fortune; CF. the last emperor of China |
| victuals |
food; provisions; V. victual: provide with food |
| vie |
contend; compete |
| vigil |
keeping watch (during normal sleeping hours); Ex. all-night vigil |
| vigilant |
watchful; on the alert; watchfully awake; alert to spot danger; N. vigilance |
| vigilante |
one who without authority assumes law enforcement powers |
| vignette |
small drawing placed at the beginning or end of a chapter; picture; short literary sketch; short written description of a character or scene |
| vigor |
active strength; energy; enthusiasm; ADJ. vigorous |
| vile |
despicable; unpleasant; disgusting; Ex. vile slander |
| vilify |
slander; speak evil of; N. vilification |
| vindicate |
clear from blame; free from blame or accusation (with supporting proof); exonerate; substantiate; justify or support; avenge; Ex. vindicate one's client; Ex. vindicate one's claim; CF. vindicator |
| vindictive |
disposed to revenge; vengeful; out for revenge; spiteful; intended to cause harm; malicious; Ex. vindictive streak |
| vintner |
wine merchant; winemaker; seller of wine |
| violate |
break (a law); defile; desecrate; assault sexually; Ex. violate graves |
| viper |
poisonous snake |
| virile |
manly; having masculine spirit or strength; full of strength |
| virtual |
in essence; existing in essence though not in actual form; for practical purposes; Ex. virtual ruler/space |
| virtue |
goodness; moral excellence; good quality; advantage; Ex. by virtue of; Ex. make a virtue of necessity |
| virtuoso |
highly skilled artist (esp. in music); Ex. piano virtuoso |
| virulent |
(of a disease or poison) extremely harmful or poisonous; (of a feeling) hostile; bitter; N. virulence; CF. virus; CF. venom |
| virus |
disease communicator |
| visage |
face; appearance |
| visceral |
felt in one's inner organs; N. viscera: internal body organs; CF. eviscerate |
| viscid |
adhesive; gluey |
| viscous |
(of a liquid) thick and sticky; gluey; viscid; CF. consistency |
| vise |
vice; tool for holding work in place; clamping device |
| vision |
eyesight; foresight; mental image produced by the imagination; experience of seeing the supernatural |
| visionary |
produced by imagination; fanciful; mystical; showing foresight; N: one having foresight; one given to speculative impractical ideas |
| vital |
full of life; animated; vibrant and lively; critical; of great importance; necessary to stay alive; of life; living; breathing; N. vitality; V. vitalize |
| vitiate |
spoil the effect of; make inoperative; corrupt morally |
| vitreous |
of glass; pertaining to or resembling glass; V. vitrify: change into glass; CF. petrify |
| vitriolic |
causing sharp pain to the mind; caustic; corrosive; sarcastic; of vitriol; N. vitriol: sulphuric acid (which burns flesh deeply); bitterly abusive expression; caustic expression; CF. glass |
| vituperative |
abusive; scolding; V. vituperate: berate; scold; rail against abusively |
| vivacious |
lively or animated; sprightl sprightly/lively |
| vivid |
(of light or color) bright and distinct; evoking lifelike mental images; Ex. vivid red hair/description |
| vivisection |
act of dissecting living animals |
| vixen |
female fox; ill-tempered woman; CF. shrew |
| vociferous |
clamorous; noisy; V. vociferate: cry out loudly (when complaining) |
| vogue |
popular fashion; Ex. Jeans became the vogue. |
| volatile |
changeable; of a quickly changing nature (as of temper); mercurial; tending to violence; evaporating rapidly; Ex. volatile character/situation in the street |
Science Vocab 147928
