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`THIRD COLLEGE EDITION
`
`Webster’s
`NewWorld"
`chtlonary _
`
`‘OF AMERICAN ENGLISH;
`
`.
`
`VICTORIA NEUFELDT‘ '_
`. EditorinChigf
`I
`
`DAVID B. GURALNIK-
`Editor in Chief Emeritus
`’
`
`’
`
`
`
`Webster’s New World
`Cleveland 8: New York '
`
`

`

`
`
`Dedicated
`to David B. Guralnik
`
`'lexicographical mentor '
`dndfriend
`'
`
`‘
`
`‘_ 1‘
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`- I
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`1-
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`Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition
`
`Copyright © 1988 by Simon & Schuster,vlnc.
`
`Fourth printing, with corrections
`This edition13 a major revision of. Webster’s New World
`Dictionary, Second College Edition, copyright © 1986 and
`1970, 1972, 1974, 19.76, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, and 1984 by
`Simon & Schuster, Inc;
`All rights reserved
`including the right of reproduction '
`in whole or in part in any form
`
`‘
`
`Published by Webster’s New World Dictionaries .
`A Division of Simon &‘Schuster, Inc.
`Gulf+ Western Building
`One Gulf+Western Plaza
`New York, New York 10023
`
`.
`
`Dictionary Editorial Offices: New World Dictionaries,g
`850 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44114
`
`WEBSTER’S NEW WORLD and colophons‘ are registered trademarks of
`Simon & Schuster, Inc.
`
`DISTRIBUTED BY PRENTICE HALL TRADE
`
`Database design and creation by Lexi—Comp, Inc., Hudson, Ohio.
`
`The typefaces used are Century Schoolbook and Helvetica.
`Manufactured in the United States ofAmerica
`
`67899392919089
`
`Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
`Webster’s New World dictionary ofAmerican English/ Victoria
`E. Neufeldt, editor-in-chief —— 3rd college ed.
`'
`1.
`1 English language—~Dictionaries.
`2. Americaiiisms—
`Dictionaries.
`I. Neufeldt, Victoria E.
`‘
`PE1628.W5633
`1988
`
`88—1712.
`
`”= '
`
`‘
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`ISBN 0-13—947169-3 (thumb-indexed)
`0-13-949280-1 (plain-edged)
`0-13—949314-X (leatherkraft)
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`..11.»mam
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`1488
`Vienna sausage levillein
`Vienna sausage a small sausage like a short, slim frankfurter,.used
`esp. asan hors d’oeuvre
`.
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`Vienne .(vyen). 1..cityfiin> SE France: pop. 27,000' 2 river in WC
`France, flowing into the Loire: 230 mi. (370.km)
`;,
`’
`Vienrtiane (vyen tya’n’) administrative. capital of Laos,‘ on ‘the
`Mekong River: popper 125,000 ,
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`Vilel Cong (vé'et korj’, vé et’-, vyet’-; -kiirj{) |[< Vietnamese Viet Nam
`(Cong Son, Vietnamese Communist]
`1 a guerrilla, force’ led from
`Hanoi, which sought to overthrowthe South Vietnamese govern-
`ment (1954—75) 2 a member of this force Also Vi'et-cong'.
`~
`.
`*
`Vi-et:minh (-min’) [Vietnamesecontn’ g Viet Nam Doc—lap Don.
`Minh, the Revolutionary League for the Independence of Vietnam
`3 an organization formed of nationalist and communist parties in,1941 '
`to win independenceforVietnam
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`Vi-et-nam (-niim’, -nam’; vets), [Vietnamese Viet,»name of people ‘+
`nam, south] country on the E coast of the Indochinese Peninsula:
`ruled by the French from mid-19th cent. until 1945; partitioned into
`,. tworepublics (North Vietnam & South Vietnam) in 1954, and reuni-
`fied in- 1976 under the name of SocialistRepublic of Vietnam:
`"127,300 sq. mi._(329,707 sq. km); pop. 61,994,000; cap. Hanoi
`.1
`Vi-et-nam-ese (vé et’ne méz’, vyet’-; vet’-) adi. designating or of
`Vietnam, its people, or their language or‘ culture ——n.
`1 pl. ‘-ese’ a
`native or inhabitant of Vietnam 2 the official language of Vietnam,
`thought to be related to the'Mon-Khmer languages
`‘
`‘
`View (
`0—0) I1. [[ME vewe ,< OFr ve‘ae < veair', to see < L videre: see
`VISION
`1 a’ seeing or'looking,‘a_s -in inspection or examination 2
`sight or vision; esp}, range of vision [not a person in view] 3 mental
`examination or survey; critical centemplation [to take a correct view
`of a situation] 4 that which is seen; esp., a scene or prOspect; as of a
`landscape [aroo‘m with a view]
`5, a picture, sketch, or‘photograph of
`a scene, ‘esp. of a. landscape 6 visual appearance or aspect of some—
`thing 7 manner of regarding or considering something; judgment;
`opinion [one’s views on a matter] 8 that which is worked toward or
`sought; object; aim; goal [to have a view to bettering one’s condition]
`9 a general survey or summary 10 Laws formal inspection made by
`a jury outside of court, as at the scene of a crime or accident —V1.
`1
`: to inspect; scrutinize 2- to look at or see; behold 3 to survey men-
`tally; consider 4 to regard in~a,particular way [to.view a situation
`with fear] —SYN. OPINION, sea1 —in view 1 in sight 2 under con-
`sideration 3 in mind or, memory 4 as an end or object aimed at 5
`in expectation, as a hope. or wish —in View of in consideration of;
`because of. —on view displayed or exhibited publicly —with a view
`to 1 with the purpose of 2 with a hope of; looking forwardrto
`view-delta (-dét’e, -dat’-), n. chiefly Brit, etc. var. of VIDEOTEX
`viewler (-er), n., 1 a person who yiews a scene, exhibit, movie, televi-
`sion show, etc.; spectator 2 an optical ,device for individual viewing
`of slides, filmstrips, etc.
`'
`V
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`nview-er-ship (vyoT)’er ship') 11.
`1 the audience for a» TV program :2
`the size of such an audience
`,_ .
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`View-findler (4fin’der) n. a camera device, as especial lens, that helps
`in adjusting the position of the camera by showing what Will appear
`in the photograph
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`View halloo a shout ,by a hunter 'when the for: is seen breaking into
`the open Also'view hallo or view halloa
`.
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`view-ing (vycTo’in)_n.
`1 the act of looking at or watching, as of watch-
`' ing television :2 a) the public,display. of a dead person prior to. a
`funeral b) 'the period of thisadispla‘y
`.
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`view-less (-lis) ad]. 1 affording no view, or [prospect 2 [Rare] that
`cannot be seen; invisible, 3 having or expressing no views, or opin-
`ions -—-view’less|ly adv.
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`view-point (-‘point’) n. the mental position from which things are
`viewed and judged; point of View',
`.
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`Viewly, (-e) adj. Jview’li-er, view’li'est" '[Old Colloq.]
`1
`fanciful. or
`_.visionary 2 showy; ostentatious '
`“
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`fivig (vig) 'n. short or VIGORISH
`,
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`fivilga (ve’ge) l1.
`Sp‘, beam] any of the heavy ceiling beams in a
`house of the old Spanish type in the Southwest
`Vi-geslizmal (vi jes’a me], Ljez'~) am". [[< L vigesimvs, var. of vicesimas
`, g viceni, twenty each: 'see VICENARY] of or based on the number
`twenty
`‘ " '
`7 "
`‘
`viglil (vij’el) n. |[ME vigile < OFr <' L vigilia, a watch < vigil, awake <
`vegere, to arouse: see WAKE1]" 1 'a) a purposeful or watchful staying
`' awake during the usual hours of sleep‘ b) a watch kept, or the period
`of this 2 Eccles. the evening or day before'a festival, or the devo-
`tional services held their
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`Vigli-lance (Vij’e lens) n. [[Fr <‘L vigilaotia] the quality or state "of
`bein' vigilant; watchfiIlness
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`avigi ance committee a’ group organized outside of legal authority
`to keep order and“ punish crime because the usual law-enforcement
`agencies do not exist'or are alleged to be inefficient
`'
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`Vigil-lam (vij'e‘ lent) ad'. [[Fr < L vigilans, pm. of vigilare, to watch <
`' vigil, awake: see VIGIL staying watchful and alert to danger or trou-
`ble _—SYN. WATCHFUL —vig’li‘lantll adv.
`‘
`avigll-lanliel ‘j’a lan’te, -liin‘-) n. Sp, watchman, orig, vigilant] a
`' member of a vigilance committee
`'
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`avigli-lan-tism (vij’e lan’tiz’am, -la'n’-; vij’e'len tiz’eni) n.1the lawless,
`violent methods, spirit, etc. of vigilantes —vig'li-lan'tist adj.‘ '
`vi
`ii light a candle,.taper, etc. burned as amact of special religious
`. evotion or petition, as at a shrine -
`'
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`vulgne-ron (vén’ye rc‘m’) n. wmscaowsa
`~
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`vi-gnette (Vin yet’) I). EFr, dim. <, vigne, vine, VINE] _ 1 an prnamen:
`.tal design (Orig. one of vine leaves, tendrils, and grapes) or illustra-
`. ,tion used on a page ofa book, magazine, etc., as at the beginning or
`- end of a chapter or.section 2 a picture, ,photograph, film image, etc.
`with no‘definite border, shading off gradually at the edges into the
`
`,
`
`background. 3' a) a short literary sketch or description b) a short,
`delicately memorable scene in a filmor play- —vt. -gnet’ied, -gnet'—
`ting to make a vignette of ——vi~gnet’tist n.
`*
`- Vi-gny (ve nyé’), Al-fredVic'tor Comte de (s1 fredflvék a}! do) 1797—
`,1863; Fr. poet & man of letters
`.
`-
`,,
`Vi] 'o_ (Ve’go) sea ort in NW Spain: pop. 259,000
`I
`.
`vigor (vig’er) n.]ME vigour < OFr < L vigor <.vigere,‘to be strong <
`vegere: see WAKEl]
`1 active physical or mental force or strength;
`vitality 2 active or healthy growth [the vigor of a planth 3 intensity,
`« .force,.or. energy [the vigor of her denial] ‘4 effective legal.or binding
`force;.validity [a law that is still in vigor]. Brit, etc. sp. vig’our
`,
`fivigtor-ish (vig’er ish) n. [prob via‘Yiddr < Russ vyigrysh,.winnings,
`’ profit ]‘ [Slang]
`1 the advantage in betting odds that'a bookmaker or
`“gambler creates to produce profit 2 excessive interest as charged by
`a loan shark
`A
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`vi-go-rolso (vig’a ro’so; It vé’go. rd’so) ad]'.:_[It] Musical Direction
`vigorous; energetic
`'-
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`vig-or-ous (vig’er as) adj. IIME vigerous < OFr < -ML vigorasus] 1
`living or growing with full vital strength; strong; robust. 2 of, charac-
`teriz‘ed by, or requiring vigor ,or strength 3 forceful or poiverful;
`.
`'rstron‘g; energetic 4 acting, or ready to act, with energy and force —
`SYN. ACTIVE ——vig’or-ousliy adv. —vig’or-ous-ness n; ,
`.
`Viilpu-i'i ,(ve'p‘oo ré') Firm. name ofVYBoso
`-
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`.
`-
`Vifia-ya-wa-da,(ve’ja ya wii’de) city in Andhra Pradesh, SE India, on
`the KrishnaRiver: pop. 545,000
`"
`.
`-
`.
`vik-ing (v"kix;|) n. [[ON vikingr: orig..uncert..] (also V-] any of the
`._ Scandinavian ’sea rovers and pirates who ravaged the coasts ‘of
`Europe from the 8th to the 10th cent.
`-
`.
`.
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`Vilvillage '
`.1
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`Vila (ve’la) ca ital of Vanuatu: pop. 14,000
`vie (vil) adj. EME vil < OFr'< L vilis, che'ap‘, base < ? IE *wezlis <
`*wesno—, price > VENAL] 1 morally base-or eVil; wicked; depraved;
`sinful 2 offensive to the senses or sensibilities; repulsive; disgusting
`3 cheap; worthless 4 degrading-low; mean 5 highly disagreeable or
`most inferior; very bad: a generalized term of disapproval [vile
`‘ weather] —SYN. Bass2 —vile’ll adv. —vile’ness.n.~
`‘
`-
`-
`‘
`villi-1y (vil’e fi’) Vt. -fied’, -fy’ing IfLL(Ec) vilificare: see prec. & -FY] to
`. use abusive. or‘ slanderous language about or of; calumniate; revile;
`defame —-vil1i-fi-ca’tion n. —vi|’|i~ti’er n.
`‘
`-»
`g
`villi-pend (vil’e pend’») Vt.
`[[ME vilipenden < MFr vilip‘ender?<"'L
`vilipendere < vilis, VILE + pendere, to weigh: see PEND]
`1 to treat or
`”me,
`.
`..
`,
`,
`.,
`.,
`.
`vregalrd contemptuously or slightingly; disparage; belittle 2 to vilify;
`Villia (vil’e) n.
`[[112 < L, a country seat, farm, ?’via *vicsla < vicus,
`village: see ECO-]]
`1 a country house or _estate,’esp. when large or
`luxurious and used as‘a retreat; or summer house ‘2 [Brit.] .a’sma’ll
`, suburban house
`"
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`Villla (ve’ya), Fran~cislco '(frs'n sas’k6)-(born Daroteo Aranga) c. 1877-
`1923; Mex. revolutionary leaderz‘called Pancho Villa
`E
`'1'
`“
`vil-Ia-dom ‘(vil’e dam) n.
`IIVILLA' + -DOM] '[Chiefly Brit] villas and
`their occupants, collectively;‘suburbia
`"
`‘
`‘
`,
`Vil-la-fran-chilan (Vil’a' fran’ké on) ‘adj. [after Villafranca, town in
`NW Italy] designating or of the-Lower Pleistocene before the first
`glaciation
`7
`Vil-lage (vil’ij) n. [[OFr <“L villaticus, belonging to a countryhouse <
`villa, country house, farm: see VILLA]
`1 a) a group of houses in the
`country, larger than a hamlet and smaller than a ‘city or town ‘17)
`such a community incorporated as a municipality c) the‘ people of a
`village, collectively; villagers‘ 2 a group or cluster of the habitations
`of animals or birds —adi. of, in, for, or characteristic of a Village
`vii-lagler (-sr) n. a person who lives in a village
`:.
`'
`Vi-lla-her-molsa‘ (vé’ya er mo’sa) city in SE Mexico; capital, of
`Tabasco state: po «133,000
`.
`‘
`,
`I
`.
`vil-laih (vil’en) 11. ME vilein < OFr‘vilain .< VL villdnus, a farm
`servant < L villa, a farm: see VILLA] 1 a person guilty of or likely to
`commit great crimes; e‘vil or wicked person; Scoundrel 2 a wicked or
`unprincipled' character in a novel, play, etc. who .opposesthe pro-
`tagonist orher0.§ _3 someone or something regarded as the cause of a
`probledeifficulty, injustice, etc. .4 alt. sp. of VILLEIN 5' [0bs,],a
`boor; lout’ —vil’lain-ess n.1em.
`~'
`"
`,
`‘
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`'.
`vii-lain-ous (-33) ad]. 1 of, like, or characteristic of a villain; evil;
`wicked 2 very bad, disagreeable, or objectionable ——vil’lain-9usl|y
`adv..
`,-
`-
`,.
`.
`4
`“
`Vll-laiflly (-é) n., pl. -lain-ies’ (-éz’) [ME vileinie < 'Anglo-Fr &'V0Fr
`vilaime < vilain: see VILLAIN] 1 the fact or state of being villainous
`.2 villainous conduct 3 a villainous act; wicked, detestable, or crimi-
`naldeed
`.
`.
`‘
`.
`A."
`.
`Villla-Lolbos (ve’la lo’boos; E ve’le lo’bes), Hei:tor.,(a tfilzl) 1887-1959;
`Brazilian composer
`n.,
`.
`.
`.
`vii-laznelfla. (vil'e nel’e;.It vél’lii nel’la) n.,,pl. 1-(le, (-6; It, -le) [[It, fem.
`dim. of villano < VLivillanus: see VILLAIN]. 1 an old rustic Italian
`song and accompanying dance 2 a Neapolitan 16th—cent. part song,
`lighter and more v'lively than the madrigal, which it often, parodied
`vil-la:nelle (vil'e nel’) n. [Fr < It villanella: see prec.] a poemcffixed
`form; French in origin, consisting, usually of five three-line stanzas
`and a final four—line stanza and having only two rhymes throughout
`Vil-lard (vi lard’), Oswald Garrison 1872-1949; U,S.jou1=nalist,‘editor,
`& writer, born in Germany
`7.
`.,
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`Vil-latlic (vi lat’ik) adj.
`I[L ,villaticus] of a villa, country‘ihouse,
`farm; rustic; rural » ,
`.
`.4
`‘
`’
`‘
`.
`.,
`:-
`-ville (vil) [[‘< Fr ville, town, city < L villa: see VILLA] combining form
`1 town, city: used in place names [Evansville] *2 place or condition
`characterized by, fit for, or filled with: freelylused in slang‘ terms,
`tylrzigally derogatory, often with an infixed —s,— [squa‘resville,. dulls-
`Ule‘
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`vil-lein (vil’en)~n. [MEz see VILLAXN‘] any of a class of feudal serfs who
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