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Venus's basin (Bot.), the wild teasel; — so called because the connate leaf bases form a kind of receptacle
for water, which was formerly gathered for use in the toilet. Also called Venus's bath. — Venus's
basket (Zoöl.), an elegant, cornucopia-shaped, hexactinellid sponge (Euplectella speciosa) native of the
East Indies. It consists of glassy, transparent, siliceous fibers interwoven and soldered together so as to
form a firm network, and has long, slender, divergent anchoring fibers at the base by means of which it
stands erect in the soft mud at the bottom of the sea. Called also Venus's flower basket, and Venus's
purse. — Venus's comb. (a) (Bot.) Same as Lady's comb. (b) (Zoöl.) A species of Murex It has
a long, tubular canal, with a row of long, slender spines along both of its borders, and rows of similar
spines covering the body of the shell. Called also Venus's shell. — Venus's fan (Zoöl.), a common
reticulated, fanshaped gorgonia (Gorgonia flabellum) native of Florida and the West Indies. When fresh
the color is purple or yellow, or a mixture of the two. — Venus's flytrap. (Bot.) See Flytrap, 2. —
Venus's girdle (Zoöl.), a long, flat, ribbonlike, very delicate, transparent and iridescent ctenophore
(Cestum Veneris) which swims in the open sea. Its form is due to the enormous development of two
spheromeres. See Illust. in Appendix. — Venus's hair (Bot.), a delicate and graceful fern (Adiantum
Capillus-Veneris) having a slender, black and shining stem and branches. — Venus's hair stone (Min.),
quartz penetrated by acicular crystals of rutile. — Venus's looking-glass (Bot.), an annual plant of
the genus Specularia allied to the bellflower; — also called lady's looking-glass. — Venus's navelwort
(Bot.), any one of several species of Omphalodes, low boraginaceous herbs with small blue or white
flowers. — Venus's pride (Bot.), an old name for Quaker ladies. See under Quaker. — Venus's
purse. (Zoöl.) Same as Venus's basket, above. — Venus's shell. (Zoöl.) (a) Any species of Cypræa; a
cowrie. (b) Same as Venus's comb, above. (c) Same as Venus, 4. — Venus's slipper. (a) (Bot.)
Any plant of the genus Cypripedium. See Lady's slipper. (b) (Zoöl.) Any heteropod shell of the genus
Carinaria. See Carinaria.
Venust
(Ve*nust") a. [L. venustus, from Venus the goddess of love.] Beautiful. [R.] E. Waterhouse.
Veracious
(Ve*ra"cious) a. [L. verax, - acis, fr. verus true. See Very.]
1. Observant of truth; habitually speaking truth; truthful; as, veracious historian.
The Spirit is most perfectly and absolutely veracious. Barrow. 2. Characterized by truth; not false; as, a veracious account or narrative.
The young, ardent soul that enters on this world with heroic purpose, with veracious insight, will find it a
mad one. Carlyle. Veraciously
(Ve*ra"cious*ly), adv. In a veracious manner.
Veracity
(Ve*rac"i*ty) n. [Cf. F. véracité.] The quality or state of being veracious; habitual observance of
truth; truthfulness; truth; as, a man of veracity.
Veranda
(Ve*ran"da) n. [A word brought by the English from India; of uncertain origin; cf. Skr. varaa,
Pg. varanda, Sp. baranda, Malay baranda.] (Arch.) An open, roofed gallery or portico, adjoining a
dwelling house, forming an out-of-door sitting room. See Loggia.
The house was of adobe, low, with a wide veranda on the three sides of the inner court. Mrs. H. H.
Jackson. Veratralbine
(Ver`a*tral"bine) n. (Chem.) A yellowish amorphous alkaloid extracted from the rootstock
of Veratrum album.
Veratrate
(Ve*ra"trate) n. (Chem.) A salt of veratric acid.
Veratria
(||Ve*ra"tri*a) n. [NL.] (Chem.) Veratrine.
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