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VEXILLATOB.
arms under one Standard. 173a Hist. Littfraria III, 5Q7
The quantity of Work perform'd by the Vexillations, ap.
pears to have nearly equalled that of the whole Legions.
tSsi D. Wilson Preh. Ann. (186^) II. in. ii. 44 The vexilU'
tion of the twentieth Legion dedicated four thousand paces
of their wall to the Emperor whose name it bore. 1876 Skknk
Celtic Scot. I. ii. I. 78 The vallum. .had been constructed
by ihe second.. and twentieth legions, or rather by their
ve.viilatioiis.
VexiUator (ve-ksiU'ta.i). [a. med.L. vexHlator^
L vexillttm : see next.] A banner-bearer in
a mystery or a miracle play.
iBoi Strutt Sports er part of a crozier.
1877 F. G. Lke Gloss. Eccl. ^ Liturg. Terms 438 Many
examples of the vexillum are represented in illuminated
MSS. 1905 Ch. Times 3 Feb. 136/3 The vexillum sometimes
attached to a pastoral staff wa*; a ' sudarium ' or
handkerchief, in all probability.
2. Bot. The large e-\ternal petal of a papilionaceous
flower.
«7a7 Bailev (vol. II), I'e.tilium, the Banner of the broad
Single Leaf, which stands upright. X760 J. Lf.e Inirod.
Bot. II. XX. (1765) 116 I'ejcil/um, the Standard, a Petal
covering the rest, c 1780 /."wryc/. Urit. (ed. 3) HI. 446/2 The
superior [petal] ascentfing, (catted the vexillum or flag).
i8ai W. P. C. Barton Flora N. Avter. I. 11 Corolla with
a long sabre-shaped vexillum of a deep carmine-red colour.
187a OuvKR /Jem. /»,»/. App. 304 Corolla [of garden peaj
papilionaceous, white ; vexillum targe.
0. Ornith. The vane or web of a feather.
1867 P. L. Sci-ATER tr. NitzscWs Pterylography 10 The
Barbs., form, with the parts seated upon (hem, the so*called
Vsinc ivexillMm). 187J Coues N. Amer. Birds 2 The
rhachis.. alone bears vexilla. Ibid, 34 Except in the case
of a few of the innermost remiges, their outer vexiUam..ts
always narrower than the inner.
Vexing ( ve-ksiij\ vbl. si',
^ [{. Vex v, •»- -mo i.]
The action of the verb in various senses.
a 1450 Mirk's Festial 281 pat is of no wexyng of ^e fend,
but ofgrace of God. 1530 Palscr. 284/2 Vexyng or troublyng.
conturbatiou. 1611 Cotcr., Inquietation, a disquieting,..
vexing, molesting, troubling. 1617 Hikrom l^ks. II.
263 It is a kind of vexing to him, that he cannot master it.
>66oJf:k. Tavlob Ductor i. i. §2 The first is that which
Nazianzen calls, .accusations and vexings of a man when
he is in misery.
Ve-xing, ///. «. [f. Vex i/.+ ingZ.] That
vexes ; causing vexation.
a 1586 SiDNKV PsatiHs VI. vi, The while a swarm of foea
with vexing feates My life besitteth. 1599 Davies Immort.
SaKlxxu.vi. (1714) 79Treml)linK Fear, and vexing Griefs
.iniioy. 1654 Whitloai say ' Kirieleison ',
sal sho take hir veine by-fore J»e auler at te grece. c 1450
in Aungier //iit. .Syon (1840) 250 Any brother that hathe be
seek..schal first ryse and take his veyne for hys defawtes
and omissyons in tyme of hys sekenes. Ibid. 328 Than
.. the sustres may take ther veynes, and proclanie Iher
defautes.
t Veyor. Obs. Also 5 veyour, vayowr, 7
veioiu (7-8 vejour), veighor. [a. OF. veiour
(also veier, vaier, voier, etc.), f. veier {voter) : see
Vet ».] One appointed to view or inspect a thing.
Vol. X.
169
i^'jo Little Red Bk. Bristol {iqoo) II. 132 Veyours sworne
before John Shipward, Meire, to make vewe and put in
sight of a grond and tenement. 1493 Ibid. 134 The vew of
the partable wall,, .the namysse of the sayd vayowres and
ther verdyt. 1607 Coweli, Interpr., Veiottrs^. .signitieth in
our common lawe those, that are sent by the court to take
view of any place in question, for the better descision of the
right. ai6ss Sir H. Finch Law (1636) 305 An action of
deceit . . must be brought during the life of the Sommoners,
but not when all the Sommoners and veighors be dead.
Ibid. 344 To take the land into the Kings hands by the view
of lawfull men, called thereupon Veyors.
Veyr, southern ME. var. Faib«. ; obs. f. Vair;
var. Verb, spring ; obs. Sc. f. War sb,. Weak v,
fVeyra. .5*^, Obs. [?Cf. Vera.] (See quot.)
1549 Covipl. Scotl. vi, 40 Than the marynalis began to
vcynd the cabil, vitht mony loud cry. ..And as it aperit to
ine, thai cryit thir vordis aseftir foUouis, veyra veyra, veyra
veyra, gentil gallandis [etc.].
Veyre, obs. southern var. Fire ; obs. f. Vair.
Veyton, var. Veton Obs. V&s^e, southern ME,
var. Key a. Ve^er, southern ME. var. Fair a.
Vezar, obs. f. Visor. Veze, obs. var. Feeze
sb, and v,^ ; var. Vease Obs, Vezir, var. Vizier.
fVezon. Obs,"^ (Meaning obscure.)
1706 E. Ward Nud. Rediv. (1707) H. iv. 4 Look, look,
Joan, how the Vezons fight. Who'd think they were so full
of Spite?
Vh-, obs. Sc. variant of Wh-,
V1-, prej\ reduced form of vis- Vice-, (See Vi-
CURATE, -POLITIC, -PRESIDENT, -QUEEN.)
II Via
(vai'a), sb, [L. %na a road or way.]
Several sen.ses of the word (by itself or with Latin adjs,),
which are recorded in earlier and copied in later Dictionaries,
appear to have had no real currency in English,
1. Via LacteUy the Milky Way.
1615 [see MiLKV Way i]. a i6« Sibbes Breathing after
God (1639) 144 As we say of the via lactea,ot Milky way in
the heavens,., it is nothing but a deale of light from a company
of little starres, that makes a glorious lustre. 1704 J.
Harris Lex. Techn, I, Milky^way or Via Lactea, the
Galaxy, is a broad white Path or Track, encompassing the
whole Heavens. 1786 M. Cutler in /.//Q-, etc. (1888) II.
238 In the via lactea he found the whitish appearance completely
resolved into a glorious multitude of stars of all
pa>sible sizes. 1797 Kncyci. Brit. (ed. 3) XIII. 267 He
found that the via lactea and «^^/ar consisted of a collection
of fixed stars. i8oa O. Gregory Treat, Astron.^i
The Via Lactea, Galaxy, or Milky Way, may also be
reckoned under the head of constellations. 1840 T, Dick
Sidereal Heavens 185 'l*his mighty zone .. is sometimes
termed. .the Via Lactea, hyxl more frequently.. the Milky
Way, from its resemblance to the whiteness of milk.
trans/. ai66i Fuller Worthies, London 11. (1662) 208
Sir Thomas More was.. born in Milkstreet, London (the
brightest Star that ever shined in that Via lactea),
2. A way or road ; a highway. Alsoy?^,
1787 ^ J. Williams (A. Fasquin) CA//rf'r. Thespis 11,(1792) 157
'Tis but few little years since the charms of bis voice Made
..thousands lejoice;. . And by walking approv'd thro the
Thesj)ian x>ia, Tho' a slave to the tril>es, prov'd the Drama's
Messiah. ^ 1909 W. J. Don in A. Reid Regality 0/ Kirriemuir
xxiii, 301 It was no mere track, but a substantial via^
20 feet wide.
3. Via media, a middle way ; an intermediate
course or state. Hence via-medialism (see quot.
1881).
1845 Ford Hattdhk. Spain i. 168 The whole nation.. is
divided into two classes— . .bigoted Romanists or Infidels;
there is no via media. 1866 Geo. Eliot F. Holt Introd. 1.
5 They were kept safely in the via media of indifierence.
1881 Church Times X.IX. 128 Via-medialism, then, signifies
a -•ichemc whereof one party is asked to believe a little more,
and the other a little less, than what they conceive to be
true. 1886 Mrs. Lynn Iaston Pastou Careiv xxxW^ThtTc
was no via media, seeing that money was not to be found.
II Via (vai a), in/, Obs, exc. arcA. Also 6 fla.
[It. via (special use of via way: see prec.) *an
aduerbe of encouraging, much vsed by riders to
their horses, and by commanders * (Florio, 1598).]
1. As an exclamation encouraging, inciting, or
preparatory to movement or action, = Onward,
come on, come along, etc.
1596 Fdward III, II. ii. 12 Then via for the spatious bounds
of Fraunce. 1596 Shaks. 3 Hen. VI, n. 1. 182 Why Via, to
Ix>ndon will we march. i6os Middleton Blurt, Master
Constabie 11. B iv b. Via for fate. Fortune, loe this is all, At
griefes rebound lie mount, although I fall. 1619 Fletcher
Mons. Thomas 11. ii, Tho, Away then, find this Fidler, and
do not miss me By nine a Clock. La[uncelot]. Via. i6a3
Markham Cheap ^ Good Hutb. i. ii. (ed. 3) 15 First the
voice, which .soundinjj sharply and cheerefull^y, . . crying, / 'ta,
hoiv, hey, and such like, adde a spirit and liuelinesse to the
horse. i8ao Scorr Monast. xxi, He exclaimed, * Thy deathhour
has struck -betake thee to thy sword—Via !
2. As an exhortation or command to depart,
" Away, be off, begone,
1S96S11AK.S. Merch. V, 11, it. gThe.. fiend bidsmepacke,
fia saies the fiend, away saies the fiend, 1611 Chapman May
Day IV. _i. 56 Your reward now shall be that I will not cut
your strings nor breake your fidles, via, away, 1616 II.
JoNsoN Dez'il an Ass n. i, Via Pecunia I when she's runne
and gone. And fled and dead ; then will 1 fetch her, againe.
1818 Scott Rob Roy\\\, Horsewhip the rascal to purpose—
via—fly away, and about it.
b. Used to check argument or reply, or to dismiss
a subject.
1598 Shaks. Merry W. 11. U. 159 Ah ha, Mistresse Ford
and Mistresse Pace, haue I encompass'd you? goe to, via.
1821 Scott KeniTw. vii, And what was Ralph Sadler but
the clerk of Cromwell, . . via t I know my steerage as well as
they. Ibid, xxix. Why, via, let that pass too.
VIAL.
11 Via (vai-a), prep. Also via. [L. via, abl. sing,
of via way. Via sb."] By way of; by the route
which passes through or over (a specified place).
1779 J. Lovell Let. to Adams 13 June, A.'s Wks. 1854
IX. 483 This night is the fourteenth since we first had the
news of his victory, via New Providence. 1813 Sir R.
WiusoN Priv. Diary (1862) II. 139, 1 would sweep through
Berlin, revictual the fortresses, and return via Magdeburg.
1833 T. Hook Parson's Dau. 111. x, Lord Wey bridge., is on
his way to London via Paris. 1881 De Wiudt Fguator 127,
I arranged to proceed through Spain and zii'i Paris, home.
Viability! (v3i,abi-lUi). [ad. F. viabilile
(181 2), or f. Viable a,"^ : see -ity.] The quality
or state of being viable ; capacity for living; the
ability to live under certain conditions.
In common use from c i860.
1843 liouviER Laiv Diet. U.S., Viability, med. jur., an
aptitude to live after birth ; extra uterine fife. 1853 Simpson
Obstei. Path. ^ Pract. 21, I have repeatedly been
astonished at the viability of the infant after traction had
been applied to it. 1870 Maudsley Body ^ Mind ^^ The
general and ultimate result of breeding in and in is to pro*
duce barrenness and sterility, children of a low degree of
viability and of imperfect mental and physical development.
1883 Cent. Mag, Sept. 727/1 An animal or plant which is
only partly adapted to its conditions of existence is ugly in
exact proportion to its lack of viability.
trans/. 1893 C. B. Upton Bases Relig. Belie/in It means
spiritual viability or immortality.
Viabi-lity-. [ad. F. viabiHtS (1878), or f.
Viable «.-] The condition of being traversable.
i88a W. Co^-^Guide Mod. F.n^. Hist. II. 470 The quality
which convicts gave it [Tasmania], can be expressed by one
word * viability ' : they made some roads.
Viable (voiab'l), a.l [a. F. viable (1539), f.
vie life : see -able.] Capable of living; able to
maintain a separate existence.
a. Of children at (normal or premature) birth.
1828-32 Webster, Viable, capable of living, as a newborn
infant or premature child. 1859 Todd's Cycl. Anat.
V. 200/1 The delivery of a fa.'tus of viable or full-grown
size. 1881 Trans. Obstet. Soc. Lond. XXII. 276 Such
narrowing or deformity of the female pelvis, .as will absolutely
preclude the birth of a viable child,
b. In other physical applications.
1885 GooDALE /*//>'.r/W. />V/. (1892) 446 Polyembryony [is]
the production of two or more viable embryos in a seed.
c 1890 Stevenson InSouth Seas \, iv. (1900) 26 To judge by
the eye, there is no race more viable ; and yet death reaps
them with both hands.
e. fig. Of immaterial things or concepts.
1848 Tait's Mag. XV. 702 The rest are waiting for the
proper medium, the viable medium, the medium of harmony.
1883 G. P. Lathrop Hawthorne' s H'ks. XI. 435 What we
have here_ is a romance in embryo ; one, moreover, that
never attained to a viable stature and constitution.
Vi'able* a,'^ [f. L, via way : cf. Viability 2,]
Traversable.
1856 Sat. Rez: II. 151/2 If the building, .has the advan.
tage of standing at the end of a vista, it is but mocking the
needs of the many not to make the vista viable.
t Viadant. Obs. rare. [Irreg. ad. Sp., Pg., It.
viandante, f, via way + andar{e to go.] A wayfarer,
traveller.
163a Lithgow Trav. ill. 129 They are but poorely cled,
yet wonderfull kinde to all Viadants. Ibid, viii. 353 The
voluntary exposement of many vnnecessary Viadants.
Viadge, obs. form of Voyage sb.
Viador, variant of Veedor.
Viaduct (vai-adi^kt). [f. h. via way, after
Aqueduct. So F. viaduc.'\ An elevated structure,
consisting of a series of arches or spans, by means
of which a railway or road is carried over a valley,
road, river, or marshy low-lying ground.
1816 Repton Fragm. Landscape Card. 161, I have ventured
to suggest a hint for such a structure as may support
the road .
. , rather calling it a Via-duct than a Briclge. 1837
Civil Rfig- «5- Arch. JrnL I. 57 Great Viaduct now erecting
over the River Wear, near Sunderland. This viaduct consists
of four large and six small arches. 1869 Times 15 Oct.
7/5 New bridges and viaducts and new streets can do much
in enabling Londoners to pass more quickly to their places
of business. 1869 Fkeeman Norm. Cong. (1875) III. xii.
340 The modern viaduct, a work worthy 01 old Roman days.
attrib. 1831 T, Grahame Lett. N. IVood 22 The Sankey
viaduct bridge.. consists of nine arches of fifty feet span.
1897 Daily News ir Feb. 6/4 The viaduct ganger, who
would be responsible for the erection of timbers.
Viage, obs. var. Voyage sb.
Viaggiatory, rt. nonce-wd. [{.It.viaggiareio
travel.] Given to travelling about.
1847 Medwin Li/e Shelley 1 1. 54 The viaggiatory English
old maids, who scorn the continent.
Vial (vai'al), sb. Forms : a. 4-6 vyol(e, 4-8
viol(e, 4, 6-7 violl(e, 5-6 vyoU(e. h. 5-7
vyal(l, 6 voyalle, vialle, 6-7 viall, 7- viaL
\\^x.fyole,fiol,fiall, etc., Phial sh. See the note
on the letter V,] A vessel of a small or moderate
size used for holding liquids; in later use spec, a
small glass bottle, a phial,
o. 13.. E. B. Allit. P. B. 1280 Dere disches of golde &
dubleres fayre, pe vyoles & l>e vesselment of vertuous
'/'. stones, c 1386 Chaucer Can. Yeom. Prol. «S- 240 Sondry
vessels maad of erlhe and glas,..Violes, crosletz, and sublymatories,
Cucurbites and alembikes, C1400 Lan/ranc's
Cirurg, 185 Sette J»e viol vpon soft colis & lete hem boile.
1412-SO LvDC. Chron. Troy 1. 3052 After J>at, for his chefe
socour, Sche toke to hym a viol with licour. 1470-85
Malory A rthur v. x. 178 Pryamus toke fro his page a vyolle
ful of the four waters that came oute of paradys. 1530
22