Here - Norm's Book Club

VELLON-
llVellon (vely^n). Also 7 vellion. [Sp.
veUon : see Billox.] Copper, as used in Spanish
coinage. Used esp. in the denomination of certain
coins, as real {of) vellon : see Real sb.^
1676 Lady Fanshawe Mem. (1830) 202 We let our dispense
for 72,000 rcais vellon, a year. 1681 Rycaut tr. Gracians
Critick To Rdr., We were dispatched thence with..something
under the name of a Largess, to bear our Expences,
paid in Vellion, or the Base Copper Money of Spain. \^A
Chambers CycL s.v. Motuy^ Spanish Money of Account, is
the Peso, Ducat of Silver and Vellon, Rial of Vellon, and
Cornados and Maravedis of Silver and Vellon. 1798
Malthus Pa^uL (1817) II. 489 The price of the load of four
fanegas of wheat was.. 100 reals vellon. 1839 Penny Cycl.
XV. 323/1 It passes in Spain for 20 reals vellon.
aitrW, 1676 Lady Fanshawk Metn. (1830) 196 October
the 14th, the King proclaimed the lowering the vellon money
to the half.
Vellon, dial, form of Felon sb.-
Velloped, error io:Jelhped }o\.hOPY.^ a.
1780 Edmondson Heraldry II. Gloss., Velloped-.^ a cock
is said to be armed, crested, and velloped, when his spurs,
comb, and gills, are of a different tincture from the body.
"Vellot e, obs. forms of Velvet.
t Vellous, sb. and a, Sc. Obs. Forms; a. 5
veil-, wellowis, vellous, -us, 5-6 wellus. ^. 5
veluous, -vous, -uus, welwous, 6 -uous, -uos,
velvois,etc. [a. OF. vehus, velos, velwis, velvis^
later F. velours Velours.] = Velvet sb. and a.
a. c\^^Q Maitl.Cluh Misc. III. 196,3 reid cap of vellowis.
Ibid. 197 A blew claith wellowis. 1474 Ace. Ld. High
Treas. Scot. I. 16, 2i elne of Vellous for a fute mantil.
J6id. 69, vj elne of vellus for a kirtil. 1503 Ibid. II. 297
For ane wellus bonet to the Erie of Murrajr.
0. 1473 Ace. Ld, High Treas. Scot. I. 73, iiiji elne of rede
crammacy veluous. 1491 Acta Dom. Cone. 199/1, xviij
elne of Welwous. 1530 Burgh Rec Edinb. (1871) II. 27
Ane schitt of grene weluos. 1561 Inv. H. Wardr. (1815) 124
Ane bed of blak velvois. a 1586 Sir R. Maitland Poems
(Pinkerton, 1786) 326 Thair gouns. . Barrit with velvous.
Vellum (ve-li'm). Forms: a. 5 velym, 5-6
velyme, 5, 7 velim, 6 velime, velem, 7 vellem.
3. 5, 7 velum, 5-7 volume (7 velumne), 7vellum.
7. 7 velom, 7-8 vellom. 5. 7 velame,
7-8 velam, vellam. [ad. OF. velin {vellin,
veelin, etc.; mod. F. z////«), f. W Veal .r^., with
change of n to /// as in pilgrim^ venom.']
1. A- fine kind of parchment prepared from the
skins of calves (lambs or kids) and used especially
for writing, painting, or binding; also, any superior
quality of parchment or an imitation of this.
yegetabie vellum : see Vegktablf. a, 7.
a. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 508/2 Velyme, memhrana, e 1449
Pecock Repr. i. xv. 81 That Holi Writt mai ba take for the
outward lettris writu.i and schapun vnder dyuerse figuris
in parchemyn or in velim. 1519 Horman Vulg. 80 b, That
stouflfe that we wrytte vpon, and is made of beestis skynnes,
is somtyme called parchement, somtyme velem. 1598 R.
Havdocke tr. Lomazzo 11. 127 The Painters vse general
groundes..; saue vpon paper, parchment or velime. 1644
Direct. Publ. Worship Ord. 3 A fair register book of velim.
fig. i6ii J. Daviks (Heref.) To Worthy Persons VVks.
(Grosart) II. 62/1 Vpon th* unspotted vellem of thy face
Nature hath printed characters of grace.
p. 1474 Caxto.m Chesse in. iii. (1883) 93 The Notayres,
skynners, coryours, and cardewaners werke by skynnes and
hyde^. As parchemyn, velume, peltrye and cordewan. IM9
Croscombe Church-w. Ace. (Som. Rec. Soc.) 24 A mass bofce
of velum lymmyde. a 1586 Sidney Astr. ^ Stella Scan, xi,
A childc.With gilded leaues or colourd velume playes.
x6i6 Drumm. of Hawth. Flowers ofSion^ Bk. Wor/d, But
sillie wee (like foolish Children) rest Well pleas'd with
colour'd Velumne. 1699 Bentlev Phal. xv'u 506 And without
doubt it was immortal Vellum, and stoln from the
Parchmentes of Jove. 1700 Congreve Way 0/ World v. iii,
I have an old fox by my thigh that shall hack your instrument
of ram vellum to shreds, sir ! 1710 J. Clarke tr.
Rokaulfs Nat. Philos. (1729) I. 243 The Retina [of an
artificial eye] was made of a very white thin Piece of Vellum,
a 1781 R. Watsom Philip III, ill. (1835) 159 The deed, .was
wntten on paper, and not on vellum, as was usi:al in all trans*
actions of importance. 1819 Keats Fall Hyperion 1. 5 Pity
these have not TracM upon vellum or wild Indian leaf The
shadows of melodious utterance. 1855 Mrs. Gaskell North
ff S. iii. The Paradise of Dante in the proper old Italian
binding; of white vellum and gold. 1875 Scri venek Led. Gk.
Test. 16 ITie durable fine vellum of our oldest extant codices.
/ig. 1784 CowPER Task I. 569 The sportive wind blows
wide Their fluttVing rags, and shows a tawny skin, The
vellum of the pedigree they claim.
y. x6oi Hakf.will Van. Eye xxii. (1615) no [To] beholde
the heavens, and in them (as in large characters drawn in
faire velom) the glory of their maker. 1683 MoxoN Meek.
Exerc., Printing x. One of the first Books Printed on
Paper; (that of Tully being on Vellom). 1718 Chambers
Cycl. S.V. Parchment, What we call Vellom is only Parchment
made of the Skins of abortive Calves, or at least of
sucking Calve ^.
fi. 1600 Fairfax Tasso xiv. Ixxvi, The house is builded
like a maze within,..The shape whereof plotted in velam
thin I will you giue. 1617 Barbier Jan. Ling. 114 He
cancelled a line in the margent of the velame. x63a Quarles
Div. Fancies n. xiii, Hee.. Whose milk-white vellam did
incurre No least suspition of a Blurre. 1706 Hearni-:
Collect. (O.H.S.) I. 258 A MS', in velam. 1715 Ibid. V. 130
King Henry the VIin'>'» Primer upon Vellam.
fi$' 1^3' Massincer Emperor East iv. iv, Can you think
This master peece of heauen, this pretiou^ vellam. Of such a
puritie and virgin whitenesse, Could be designM to haue
periurie, and wboredome, ..writ vpon 't?
2. A piece or sheet of this material ; a manuscript
or testimonial written on vellum.
c 1430 LvDC. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 204 A froward velym
' long
! ties
I opt.
' tlie
! Velocimeter.
' electric
86
upon to wryt. 1687 Death's Vision (1713) a note. Like
a Velum upon the Head of a Drum. 1878 G. Vigkusson
Sturlunga Saga I. p. clx, A quarto of 200 leaves when
entire (about the largest size ever reached by an Icelandic
vellum). 1900 Westm. Gaz. 15 Oct. 6/3 He and his brother
..received the vellum of the Royal Humane Society for
their plucky conduct.
3. altrib. and Comb, a. Attrib. in the senses
* made of, resembling, of the nature of, bound in,
vellum *,
1565 GoLDiNG t)vid's Met. iv. 507 With shere and velume
wings. 1570 Dee Math. Pre/, aj, All these, liuely designementes..be
in velame parchement described. 1586 Hookek
Hist. Iret. in Holinshed II. 94/1 He ought rather to make
sute for some good vellam parchment for the ingrossing
thereof. 1636 Davenant Platonick Lovers iv. i, Not all
thy Leathern, nor thy Vellum friends, those dead companions
on thy Shelves shall be more faithful [etc.]. 1651 Cleveland
Poems 46 Who place Religion in their Velam-ears ^ As in
their Phylacters the Jews did theirs. 1707 HEAHNECoZ/ec/.
(O.H.S.) I. 330 Avery Ancient Vellam MS'. 1740 Richardson
Pamela (1824) I. 216 Mr Longman has already furnished
me with a vellum-book of white paper. i8ao Lamb
Elia 1. South'Sea House, The costly vellum covers of some
of them \sc. books]. i88z Miss Braddon Mt. Royal III. v.
88 A large vellum envelope.
b. Comb. With pa. pples., as vellum-boundj
'Covered.
1837 Dickens Pickw. iv. With vellum-covered books under
their arms. 1856 Lever Martins o^fCro" M. 605 A square
vellum-bound book, with massive silver clasps. 1866 Geo.
Eliot F. Holt (1868) 11 Her writing-table, with vellumcovered
account-books on it.
c. Special Combs. : vellum-binder (see quot.
vellum-binding, the process or trade of
1858) ;
binding account-books ; also attrib, ; vellum
cloth, tracing-cloth; !• vellum mode (see Mode
; vellum paper, a paper made
sb. II, quot. 1795)
to imitate vellum ; hence vellum-papered adj.
vellum post (see quot.); vellum thunder ^i^A,
the noise made by the parchment of a drum.
1858 SiMMONDS Diet. Trade, * Vellum-binder, a bookbinder
who covers books with vellum, and makes accountbooks.
1891 Pali Mall G. 20 Nov. 3/1 Three of them are
concerned with the bookbinders— that is, the binders of
printed books—and the fourth with the vellum-binders, the
technical name for account-book binders. 1835 J. Hannett
Bibliopegia iii. (Heading) 139 Of Stationery, or *Venum
Binding. 1891 Pall Mall G. 20 Nov. 3/1 As soon as it
was known that the bookbinders were going to concede
the eight hours, several of the best vellum-binding firms
conceded it also. 1888 Jacobi Printers^ Vocak 151 *Velluf>i
laidpaper^ a laid writing paper with a vellum surface. Ibid.,
Vellum wove paper, a wove writing paper with a vellum
surface. 1858 O. W. Holmes Aut. Break/.-t. (1883) 73 Look
at. .the. .*vellum-papered 32 mo. x&47 Webster, *Vellum'
post, a peculiar sort of superior writing-paper. 1716 Gay
Trivia 11. 18 Here Rows of Drummers stand in martial File,
And with their *Vellom-Thunder shake the Pile.
Hence Ve'llumy a., relating to or resembling
vellum (Worcester, 1846, citing Ec. Kev.).
Vellure, obs. form of Velure.
t Vellute. Obs. rare, [ad. It. velluto, or var.
of vellet Velvet sb. after this.] Velvet.
1561 T. HoBV tr. Castiglione's Courtyer \. (1577) Fij,
Wyth hir shooes of vellute, and hir hose fitting cleane to hir
legge. 163a B. JONSON Magn. Lady v. iii, [It] will save
charges Of coaches, vellute gowns, and cut-work smocks.
Velly, dial. ya^x. felly Felloe.
t VelO'Ciman. Obs. rare, [ad. F. vHocimane,
I. v^locU (after Velocipede) -f- L. man-us hand.]
A contrivance of the nature of a velocipede, but
propelled by hand.
A velocimanipede was advertised in the Morning Chron.
of 13 May 1819 : see Hobby sb.^ 4.
[1869 A^. . 4th Ser. IV. 240 The Swiss inventor styles
his Carriage a velocimane.] 1883 C. L. Dodgson in Collingwood
Li_/e v. {i8gg) 219 Went out with Charsley, and did
four miles on one of his velocimans, very pleasantly. 1883
SiMMONDS Z)/V/. Trade, Veloeiman,..a. species of tricycle.
Velocimeter (vel^si'mAaj). [f. L. veloci-,
velox swift + -METER.] An instrument or apparatus
(variously constructed) for measuring the speed or
velocity of engines, vessels, projectiles, etc.
184a H. Si'ENCER in Civil Eng. ^ Arch. Jrnl. V. 231/2
The instrument represented in the annexed plate, which I
have named a ' Velocimeter ', is intended to supersede the
calculations, frequently necessary, in obtaining velociin
engine trials. 1853 in Abridgm. Specif. Patents,
etc. Instrum. (1875) 183 An instrument for measuring
steerage-way of vessels. . .[The apparatus is called a]
1876 Catai. Set. Apfiar. S. Kens. 55 Patent
Velocimeter, . . arranged for water cunents and
ascertaining the speed of vessels.
VelO'CiouSf a. rare, [f. L. veloci-, velox swift
+ -ous.] Rapid. Also Velooiously adv.
In quot. 1872 humorously for 'fast'.
1680 C. Nesse Ch. Hist. 357 Satan was seen to fall like
lightning from heaven, to wit, viewably, violently, and
velociously or swiftly. 1775 Romans Florida App. 62 Pro*
viding so facile a navigation for the regions of the west, by
means of a velocious current. 1872 Dasent Three to One
III. 233 They are not at all like some of the young ladies of
the ' present day, velocious,' as we have heard a Yankee say.
Veloci'pedal, a. rare. [f. next + -al,] Of or
relating to, depicting, a velocipede.
1868 Pall Mall C. No. 1022. 1908/2 The velocipedal skill
of M. de Vtsin. 1869 N. ^ Q. 4th Ser. IV. 240 Nor have I
any recollection of a velocipedal plate [= picture].
Velocipede (v/'l^-sipz'd). [ad. F. vHociphie, i.
L. veloci-^ velox swlil + ped- pes foot.]
,
VELOCITY.
1. = Dandv-horse, Hobby sb.^ 4, Hobby-hobse
5. Obs. exc. //t'st.
1819 Monthly Mag. March 156 A machine called the
Velocipede, or Swift Walker. Invented by baron Drais and
patented in England by Denis Johnson, coachmaker, of
Lon^ Acre, in 1818. 1819 Keats Lett. (1895) 300 The
nothing of the day is a machine called the velocipede. It
is a wheel carriage to ride cock-horse upon, sitting astride
and pushing it along with the toes, a rudder- wheel in hand.
1823 J. Badcock Dom. Ainusem. 209 He never proceeded
with bis machine at a greater rate than five miles an hour,
and yet named it Velocipede. 1839 Civil Eng. Sf Arch.
Jml. II. 242/1 The horse will take longer steps, and longer
springs or leaps, i .in the same way as a man upon a veloci*
pede. 1850 in Ouilvie.
+ b. A kind of roller-skate. Obs.
1835 Meek, Mag. V. 79 A Velocipede intended to be fixed
on one foot ; . . the velocipedestrian pushes himself away with
the other.
2. A travelling-machine having wheels turned by
the pressure of the feet upon pedals ; esp, an early
form of the bicycle or tricycle, a ' bone-shaker '.
Now rare. (Quot. 1853 may belong to sense i.)
1849-50 Weale Diet. Terms s.v. 1851 Catai. Grt. Exhib.
V. No. 991, Velocipede, consisting of three wheels. 1853
R. S. SuRTEEs Soapey Sp. Tour (1893) 369 He is riding a
miserable rat of a badly-clipped mouse. coloured pony, that
looks like a velocipede under him. 1868 G. Duff Pol. Surv.
126 The unprecedented reaction is moving on with the
swiftness of a velocipede. 1886 Cyclist Touring Club Gaz.
IV. 146 Bicycles, tricycles, and other velocipedes. Ibid. 149
Every cyclist using a velocipede.
3. trans/, a. Applied to persons.
x8a8 New Monthly Mag. VI. 344 In the Ballet we have
nothing new to report, M. Paul, a true velocipede, continues
to electrify the astonished spectators. 1891 Mebedith
One 0/ our Cong, xvi, He's a worthy little velocipede, as
Fenellan calls him.
b. A swift-moving vehicle.
1838 Blackw. Mag. XLIII. 340 Stage-coaches, .were not
the velocipedes that they now are. 1843 R. Fobd in Smiles
Publisher^ Friends {iBgi) II. 491, 1 read Borrow with great
deliglu all the way down per rail, and it shortened the rapid
flight of that velocipede.
4. attrib. nnd Comb,., as velocipede carriage
-crank., traffic^ velocity., -wise adv.
1819 Gentl. Mag. LXXXIX. i. 423 With our heavy popu.
lation, Velocipede carriages may hereafter be substituted.,
worked by two or more men. 1839 Blaekw. Mag. XLVI.
39 1 he rush of waiters hurrying with velocipede velocity in
opposite directions. 2869 H. Bushnell Wom. S. viii. 178
He sings velocipede-wise, turning the crank himself. 1870
Belgravia Feb. 444 A paddle-wheel., furnished with velocipede-cranks.
Hence Velocipe'dean, Telo'cipeder, =j Veloci-
PEDiST. Velocipede'striau a., := VELOCiPEDica.;
sb, one who uses a velocipede (see sense i b above)
also Velocipede •strianisxn, the practice of using
the velocipede. Velocipedian, = Velocipedist
Velocipe'dic a., of or pertaining to velocipedes,
Telo'cipeding vbl. sb., the action or practice of
using a velocipede. Velo'cipedist [ad. F. velocip4diste\
one who rides a velocipede.
184a HowiTT Vis. Remark. Places Ser. 11. 431 He was a
very adroit *Velocipedean. 1869 Daily Nevjs 9 March, As
the bicycles gained the open country the velocipedeans
began to work in earnest. 1819 Sporting Mag. IV. 39
A "Velocipeder presented himself at a turnpike, and demanded,
'What's to pay ?' 1869 .5'cz. -^w/^r. 13 Feb. loi The
votaries of *Velocipedestrian Science. Ibid. 9 Jan. 25
*Velocipedestrianism, a word coined for the times, is easier
to learn than .skating. 1869 Echo 3 Dec, Ihe invention of
the crank-axled machine gave a great impulse to velocipedestrian
ism. 1869 Velocipede (N.Y.) April 20 A *velocipedian,
after a fair amount of experience, finds himself, -at
home astride his two-wheeler. Z&9S Times 21 April 5/5 Dr.
Mussy, spokesman of the *Velocipedic Union, dwelt on the
advantages of cycling to school-boys, tourists, and soldiers.
2869 Velocipe.de (N.V.) April 21 *Velocipeding is a hopefcl
sign of progress. 1886 W. J. Tucker E. Europe 109 Just
like tbatvelocipeding and Danube-boating at Pesth ! i8ao
Williams Hist. Ace. Invent. II. 486 The rest afforded to the
*velocipedist between his steps which set the machine in
motion, enables him to proceed much quicker. 1868 Land.
Soc. Nov. 408 The velocipedists have stolen a march on the
coming flying man. 1885 Pall Mall G. 28 April 10/2 The
* St. Petersburg Society of Amateur Velocipedists '.
Velocity (v/lf7'siti). Also 6 Sc. velocite, 6-7
velocitie. [ad. F. velocite (14th cent. = ; It. velo-
citcij Sp. velocidad, Pg. -idade) or L. velocitat-^
velocilds, f. veloci- , velox swift, rapid : see -ity]
1. Rapidity or celerity of motion ; swiftness, speed,
CZ550 RoLLAND Crt. Venus 11. 672Thaybad him pas with
all velocite To the Gracis. 1555 Eden Decades (Arb.) 220
This byrde..is of such velocitie and swyftnes in flying that
[etc.]. 1607 ToF'SELL Four.f. Beasts 115 The Lybian Roes.
(saith hee) are of an admirable velocity or swiiines. 1646
Sir T. Hrowne Pseud. Ep. 235 Dolphins.. Being the Hyeroglyphick
of celerity, . . men best expressed their velocity by
incurvity, and under some figure of a bowe. 1665 Glanvill
Scepsis Sci. xi. 61 The supposed motion will be near a thousand
miles an hour under the Equinoctional line ; yet it will
seem to have no Velocity to the .sense. 1704 Fuller Med.
Gymn. (1711) 14 His Blood flows with its due Velocity. 1789
Mrs. Piozzi Journ. France II. 370 Black heaths, and wild
uncultivated plains, over which the unresisted wind sweeps
with a velocity I never yet was witness to. x8oa Binglev
A mm. BiQg. (1805) III. 74 Some of the species, .are enabled
to spring with great force and velocity on their prey. 1849
Macaulav Hist. Eng. iii. I, 379 The flying coaches are extolled
as far superior to any similar vehicles ever known in
the world.
mendation.
Their velocity Is the subject of special com