V to Vagary

V
(V)

1. V, the twenty-second letter of the English alphabet, is a vocal consonant. V and U are only varieties of the same character, U being the cursive form, while V is better adapted for engraving, as in stone. The two letters were formerly used indiscriminately, and till a comparatively recent date words containing them were often classed together in dictionaries and other books of reference The letter V is from the Latin alphabet, where it was used both as a consonant (about like English w) and as a vowel. The Latin derives it from it from a form (V) of the Greek vowel &UPSILON this Greek letter being either from the same Semitic letter as the digamma F or else added by the Greeks to the alphabet which they took from the Semitic. Etymologically v is most nearly related to u, w, f, b, p; as in vine, wine; avoirdupois, habit, have; safe, save; trover, troubadour, trope. See U, F, etc.

See Guide to Pronunciation, § 265; also §§ 155, 169, 178-179, etc.

2. As a numeral, V stands for five, in English and Latin.

Vaagmer
(Vaag"mer) n. [Icel. vagmeri a kind of flounder, literally, wave mare.] (Zoöl.) The dealfish. [Written also vaagmær, and vaagmar.]

Vacancy
(Va"can*cy) n.; pl. Vacancies [Cf. F. vacance.]

1. The quality or state of being vacant; emptiness; hence, freedom from employment; intermission; leisure; idleness; listlessness.

All dispositions to idleness or vacancy, even before they are habits, are dangerous.
Sir H. Wotton.

2. That which is vacant. Specifically: —

(a) Empty space; vacuity; vacuum.

How is't with you,
That you do bend your eye on vacancy?
Shak.

(b) An open or unoccupied space between bodies or things; an interruption of continuity; chasm; gap; as, a vacancy between buildings; a vacancy between sentences or thoughts.

(c) Unemployed time; interval of leisure; time of intermission; vacation.

Time lost partly in too oft idle vacancies given both to schools and universities.
Milton.

No interim, not a minute's vacancy.
Shak.

Those little vacancies from toil are sweet.
Dryden.

(d) A place or post unfilled; an unoccupied office; as, a vacancy in the senate, in a school, etc.

Vacant
(Va"cant) a. [F., fr. L. vacans, -antis, p. pr. of vacare to be empty, to be free or unoccupied, to have leisure, also vocare; akin to vacuus empty, and probably to E. void. Cf. Evacuate, Void, a.]

1. Deprived of contents; not filled; empty; as, a vacant room.

Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form.
Shak.

Being of those virtues vacant.
Shak.

There is no fireside, howsoe'er defended,
But has one vacant chair.
Longfellow.


  By PanEris using Melati.

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