| van2 |
a vehicle similar to a car but with a higher ceiling and with greater capacity behind the front seats for goods, equipment, or people. A van usually has a sliding door on one side and may or may not have windows in the rear. |
| vanadium |
a chemical element that has twenty-three protons in each nucleus and that occurs in a variety of compounds, or in pure form as a bright white, lustrous, ductile solid metal used in some alloys. (symbol: V) |
| vanadium steel |
a steel alloy that contains vanadium to harden and strengthen it. |
| Van Allen belt |
either of two belts that encircle the earth within its magnetic field, in which electrically charged particles, captured from the solar wind, are trapped. [2 definitions] |
| vancomycin |
an antibiotic used to treat various bacterial infections. |
| vandal |
a person who purposely destroys, defaces, or damages property. [3 definitions] |
| vandalism |
willful and malicious destruction or defacement of property, or an act thereof. |
| vandalize |
to purposely deface, destroy, or damage (property). |
| Vandyke beard |
a short beard trimmed to a point. |
| Vandyke collar |
a broad lace or linen collar with a scalloped or deeply indented edge. |
| vane |
a device mounted so that it rotates freely in the wind, indicating the wind's direction; weather vane. [4 definitions] |
| vanguard |
the leading or foremost position or part of a movement or force; forefront. [2 definitions] |
| vanilla |
any of several tropical orchids whose fruit contains a fragrant flavoring agent. [4 definitions] |
| vanilla bean |
the long, narrow seedpod of the orchid plant vanilla, used in making the food flavoring called vanilla. |
| vanillin |
a fragrant white crystalline compound obtained from the vanilla bean or prepared synthetically, used as a flavoring and in perfumes. |
| vanish |
to disappear quickly from sight. [4 definitions] |
| vanishing point |
in perspective, the point at which receding parallel lines appear to converge. [2 definitions] |
| vanity |
an excessive admiration of oneself, esp. one's appearance; conceit; vainness. [6 definitions] |
| vanity case |
a small traveling case, used by women, that is designed to carry cosmetics and toiletries. |
| vanity plate |
a car license plate with letters and numbers chosen by the owner rather than assigned by the state. |
| vanity press |
a publisher that publishes books for which the author pays the costs; vanity publisher. |