The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate (44 page)

viscid
(VIS-id)
adjective

of liquid, thick and sticky; viscous.

Related words:
viscidity
(vi-SID-i-tee) and
viscidness
(VIS-id-nis)
both nouns
,
viscidly
adverb
.

viscous
(VIS-k
e
s)
adjective

of liquid, not pouring easily; thick and sticky.

Related words:
viscosity
(vi-SKOS-i-tee) and
viscousness
both nouns
,
viscously
adverb
.

vitiate
(VISH-ee-
AYT
)
verb

1. impair the quality of; debase.

2. make ineffectual; weaken; invalidate.

Related words:
vitiable
(VISH-ee-
e
-b
e
l)
adjective
,
vitiation
(
VISH
-ee-AY-sh
e
n) and
vitiator
(VISH-ee-
AY
-t
e
r)
both nouns
.

vituperate
(v
I
-TOO-p
e
-
RAYT
)
verb

use abusive language; abuse; objurgate, revile.

Related words:
vituperation
(v
I
-
TOO
-p
e
-RAY-sh
e
n) and
vituperator
(v
I
-TOO-p
e
r-
AY
-t
e
r)
both nouns
,
vituperative
(v
I
-TOO-p
e
r-
e
-tiv)
adjective
,
vituperatively
adverb
.

viva voce
(V
I
-v
e
VOH-see)

1. a university examination conducted orally.

2. the oral part of a university examination.

3.
viva-voce
(
V
I
-v
e
-VOH-see)
adjective
, of such an examination, conducted orally; spoken not written.

viviparous
(vi-VIP-
e
r-
e
s)
adjective

1. bringing forth young alive, not hatching by means of an egg.

2. producing bulbs or seeds that germinate while still attached to the parent plant.

Related words:
viviparism
(vi-VIP-
e
-riz-
e
m),
viviparity
(
VIV
-
e
-PAR-i-tee),
viviparousness
(vi-VIP-
e
r-
e
s-nis)
all nouns
;
viviparously
adverb
.

vociferate
(voh-SIF-
e
-
RAYT
)
verb

1. speak or say loudly or noisily.

2. shout.

Related words:
vociferant
(voh-SIF-
e
-r
e
nt)
adjective
and
noun
,
vociferation
(voh-
SIF
-
e
-RAY-sh
e
n)
noun
,
vociferous
(voh-SIF-
e
-r
e
s)
adjective
,
vociferousness
noun
.

volatile
(VOL-
e
-til)
adjective

1. of a person, lively.

2. of a person, changing quickly or easily from one mood or interest to another.

3. of a liquid, evaporating quickly.

Related words:
volatility
(
VOL
-
e
-TIL-i-tee) and
volatileness
both nouns
.

volition
(voh-LISH-
e
n)
noun

use of one's own will in choosing or making a decision etc.

Related words:
volitional
and
volitionary
(voh-LISH-
e
-
NER
-ee)
both adjectives
,
volitionally
adverb
.

volte-face
(volt-FAHS)
noun, plural
volte-face

1. a complete change of one's attitude toward something.

2. a reversal of opinion; a turnabout.

voluble
(VOL-y
e
-b
e
l)
adjective

1. talking very much.

2. speaking or spoken with great fluency.

Related words:
volubility
(
VOL
-y
e
-BIL-i-tee) and
volubleness
(VOL-y
e
-b
e
l-nis)
both nouns
,
volubly
adverb
.

voluptuary
(v
e
-LUP-choo-
ER
-ee)
noun, plural
voluptuaries

a person whose life is devoted to indulgence in luxury and sensual pleasure; a sybarite.

voracious
(vaw-RAY-sh
e
s)
adjective

1. greedy in eating; gluttonous.

2. ravenous.

3. insatiable.

Related words:
voracity
(vaw-RAS-i-tee) and
voraciousness
(vaw-RAY-sh
e
s-nis)
both nouns
,
voraciously
adverb
.

vouchsafe
(vowch-SAYF)
verb

give or grant in a gracious or condescending manner.

Related word:
vouchsafement
(vowch-SAYF-m
e
nt)
noun
.

voyeur
(vwah-YUR)
noun

a person who obtains sexual gratification from observing the sexual actions or organs of others, especially secretively.

Related words:
voyeurism
(vwah-YUR-iz-
e
m)
noun
,
voyeuristic
(
VWAH
-y
e
-RIS-tik)
adjective
,
voyeuristically
adverb
.

vulpine
(VUL-p
I
n)
adjective

1. of or like a fox.

2. crafty, cunning.

wanton
(WON-t
e
n)
adjective

1. lacking proper restraint or motives.

2. irresponsible.

Related words:
wantonly
adverb
,
wantonness
noun
.

waspish
(WOS-pish)
adjective

1. sharp in retort.

2. ill-tempered, irascible.

Related words:
waspishly
adverb
,
waspishness
noun
.

wastrel
(WAY-str
e
l)
noun

a wasteful person, especially one who wastes money; a spendthrift.

watershed
(WAW-t
e
r-
SHED
)
noun

1. a turning point in the course of events.

2. a region drained by a river or river system.

weir
(weer)
noun

1. a small dam built across a river or stream so that water flows over it, serving to regulate the flow or to raise the level of water upstream.

2. a fence, as of brushwood or stakes with nets, built in a stream or channel to catch fish.

wheedle
(HWEE-d
e
l)
verb

1. coax.

2. persuade or obtain by coaxing.

Related words:
wheedler
noun
,
wheedlingly
adverb
.

whet
(hwet)
verb

1. sharpen (a tool etc.) by rubbing against an abrasive stone etc.

2. stimulate; make keen or eager.

Related word:
whetter
noun
.

willful
(WIL-f
e
l)
adjective

1. done with deliberate intention and not by accident.

2. self-willed; obstinate; headstrong.

Related words:
willfully
adverb
,
willfulness
(WIL-f
e
l-nis)
noun
.

winnow
(WIN-oh)
verb

1. expose (grain) to a current of air by tossing or fanning (the grain) so that the loose dry outer part is blown away.

2. separate (chaff) in this way.

3. sift or separate (worthwhile material) from worthless or inferior material.

Related word:
winnower
noun
.

wont
(wawnt
or
wohnt)
noun

1. a habit, practice, or custom.

2. (
adjective
) accustomed.

Related word:
wontless
adjective
.

wreak
(reek)
verb

1. inflict.

2. cause.

Related word:
wreaker
noun
.

wunderkind
(VUUN-d
e
r-
KIND
)
noun, plural
wunderkinds
,
German plural
Wunderkinder
(VUUN-d
e
r-
KIND
-
e
r)

1. a child prodigy.

2. a person who achieves great success, especially in business, while relatively young.