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VICTORIA.
a 1700 Evelyn Diary 6 May 1645, The stamp of the
Roman Denarius varied:., if with a Victoria, so nam'd.
- (vikt6»Tia). [The name of the
Victoria
Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, etc., from
1837 to 1901, employed attributively or by itself
as a designation of various things.]
1. A light, low, four-wheeled carriage having a
collapsible hood, with seats (usually) for two
persons and an elevated seat in front for the driver.
(1844 Art Union yml. VI. 238 A caliche, .which the
French have named after Queen Victoria.] 1870 Pall Mall
G. 24 Au^. II, I have taken a victoria and driven to the
Porte Maillot to watch the engineers fell the trees in the
Bois de Boulogne. i8j« Maiiv .M. Grant Sun-Maid xi, A
victoria is the prettiest carriage a lady can possible drive
in. 1886 Pall Mall G. \o May 3/2 We are threatened with
an inundation of new cabs and victorias for the coming
season.
attrib. 1903 Motor. Ann. 258 The motor-car best suited to
India would be that. .with a canopy—or, better still, a
victoiia top.
2. Bol. A gigantic species of water-lily, Victoria
regia, indigenous to South America.
1846 LiNDLEY Vcg. Kingd. 4ir Floating plants. .on the
continent of South America, .are represented by Victoria..
Victoria, the most gigantic and beautiful of water plants, is
. .ailed Water Maize in South .America. 185J Phil. Trans.
CXLII. 289 The specimen of Victoria which flowered in
the Gardeiis oftbe Royal Botanic Society. 1866 Treas.
Bot. 1215 The Victoria.. \s2a delighted .. thousands, by the
size of its leaves and the beauty and fragrance of its flowers.
attrib. i8«i Bentlev Man. Bot. 445 The plant is commonly
known in this country as the Victoria Water-lily.
1880 Bessey Botany 558 Victoria re^ia, the Victoria Lily
of the Amazon Valley in South America.
3. Astr. One of the minor planets, discovered by
Hind in 1850.
1851 J. R. Hind Solar System 91 The name selected for
the twelfth member [of the extra-zodiacal group] is Victoria.
Ibid, t)-! The discovery of Victoria, .was quickly followed
by that of another small planetary body. 1868 Lockyer
Elent. AstroH. 328.
4. A variety of domestic pigeon.
1879 L. Wright Pigeon Keeper 208 Victorias are simply
Hyacinths of a lighter shade. i88s Lyell Fancy Pigeons
97 These varieties.. have been promiscuously named Hyacinths,
Victorias and Porcelains in our pigeon literature.
b. yicloria crown{ed) pigton, a queen's pigeon
(Queen sb. 14 b).
c 1881 Casselfs Nat. Hist. IV. 127.
5. A variety of plum characterized by its luscious
flavour and rich red colour. Also attrib.
i860 R. Hogg Fruit Manual 256 Denyer's Victoria...
Skin bright red on the side next the sun, but pale red on
the shaded side. 1883 H. Drummono Nat. Law in Stir.
W. (1884) 364 He arranges his. .plums iti his shop window.
He may tell me a magnum bonuni from a Victoria. 1883
sQth Cent. Nov. 870 Some sixteen years ago. .1 planted two
Victoria plums. Ibid.^ A Victoria plum tree.
6. A kind of woollen dress material.
1891 Times 26 Oct. 4/2 The parcels of miscellaneous
goods.. have consisted of blue victorias, meltons in all
colours, brown Venetians.
7. attrib. a. Victoria Cross, a British military
and naval decoration bestowed for conspicuous
bravery in battle. (Abbreviated V.C.) Victoria
Day, the anniversary of the birthday of Queen
Victoria, May 24. (Also called Empire Day.)
1856 Royal IVarrant in Lond. Caz. 5 Feb. 410/2 The distinction
shall be styled and designated 'The Victoria Cross',
and shall consist of a Maltese Cro.>iS of Bronze, with Our
Royal Crest in the centre, and underneath which an estroU
)>earing this inscription 'For Valour'. 1863 Chambers
Bk. Days I. 319/1 The tst of March, 1857, is one among
many days associated with the bestowal of the Victoria
Cross upon heroic soldiers and sailors. 1901 Scotsman 28
Feb. 7/4 A bill was introduced in the Canadian parliament
to make Victoria day—May 24th—a permanent public
holiday throughout Canada.
b. Misc., as Victoria black, blue. Court, crape,
/rilling, lawn (see quois.).
1888 Jacobi Printers* Vor. 152 *yictoria blacky a fancy
black-letter character. 1891 Cent. Diit , "Victoria blue.
189s Bud's Hamlblc. Med. Sci. IX. 429 Victoria Blue..\%
a brilliant and useful nuclear slain. 1899 Cagney Jttksck's
Clin. Diagnosis x. 437 Staining with alcoholic solution
of Victoria-blue. 184;; M'^Culloch Brit. Emf. (ed. 3; II.
220 The principal sheriff". . visiting the county, .for the purpose
of holding statutory, registration, and small debt, com.
monlycalled*Kii:/o