1531
vibration
vested 'interests n [P] usually derog all the people having a
vested interest in a particular business or situation, which
they are unwilling to lose even for the good of the public: It
would be impossible to make a law forbidding smoking,
because of the powerful vested interests who own the tobacco
companies.
ves·ti·bule /'vestɪbjuːl/ n 1 fml a wide passage or small
room just inside the outer door of a (public) building
through which all other rooms are reached; entrance
hall 2 AmE an enclosed passage at each end of a railway
carriage which connects it with the next carriage
ves·tige /'vestɪdʒ/ n [oft] 1 a sign, mark, track, or other
proof that someone or something formerly existed or was
present: These upright stones are the vestiges of some ancient
religion. | The new act of parliament removed the last vestiges
of royal power. 2 fml (usually in negatives) (of a quality etc) the
smallest possible amount: There's not a vestige of truth in the
witness's statement. (=it is completely untrue)
ves·ti·gi·al /ve'stɪdʒiəl, -dʒəl/ adj 1 fml that still remains,
even though most has gone: The Crown retains some ves-
tigial power. 2 tech being a limb or organ that either has
never developed fully or has stopped being used and nearly
disappeared: Some snakes have vestigial legs. —ly adv
vest·ment /'vestmənt/ n [often pl.] fml a ceremonial garment,
especially as worn by priests for church services
ves·try /'vestri/ n 1 also sacristy — a small room in a church
where holy cups and plates, official records etc, are stored,
and where the priest and church singers put on their
ceremonial clothes 2 a room connected with a church
building, used for prayer meetings, church business etc
ves·ture /'vestʃər/ n [U] lit or poet clothing
Ve·su·vi·us /vɪ'suːviəs/ also Mount Vesuvius a VOLCANO
(=a mountain with a large hole at the top) in southeast Italy.
When Vesuvius erupted (ERUPT) in AD 79, sending out ASH
and LAVA (=hot liquid rock), it buried the ancient Roman city
of POMPEII. Vesuvius is still an 'active' volcano, which could
erupt again at any time.
vet¹ /vet/ also 'veterinary surgeon BrE fml || veterinarian
AmE — n a person trained in the medical care and
treatment of sick animals: I took my dog to the vet/to the vet's.
(=the vet's SURGERY)
vet² v -tt- [T] infml, especially BrE to examine carefully for
correctness, past record etc: The recruits were thoroughly
vetted before they were allowed into the secret service.
vet³ n infml for VETERAN: a Vietnam vet
vetch /vetʃ/ n a beanlike climbing plant
vet·er·an¹ /'vetərən/ n, adj [C;A] 1 [oft] someone who in the
past has had experience in the stated form of activity,
especially in war: My grandfather is a veteran of the Second
World War. → compare EX-SERVICEMAN 2 (a person) who has
had long experience in some form of activity: At the age of
12 the boy was already a veteran traveller, having flown all
over the world with his father. | veteran politicians 3 (a thing)
that has grown old with long use: Every year a race is held in
England for veteran cars. (=those made before 1905) | This
sewing machine is a real veteran. → compare VINTAGE
veteran² also vet infml — n AmE someone, young or old, who
has served in the armed forces, especially during a war
Veterans Affairs, the abbrev. the VA also the 'Veter-
ans Administration a US government organization
which deals with things concerning former members of the
armed forces, such as health care, education, and PENSIONS
(=money given to someone when they stop working)
Veterans Association n an organization whose members
fought in a war in the past: the Vietnam Veterans Association
Veterans Day November 11th, when people in the US and
Canada remember the end of fighting in the two World
Wars → compare REMEMBRANCE DAY
Veterans of 'Foreign 'Wars abbrev. VFW a US organiza-
tion for former soldiers who have fought in wars abroad. This
organization sometimes works as a PRESSURE GROUP to influ-
ence the US government when it makes military decisions.
vet·er·i·nar·i·an /,vetərɪ'neəriən/ n AmE a VET
vet·er·i·na·ry /'vetərɪnəri, -nəri/ adj [A] tech connected with
the medical care and treatment of sick animals, especially
farm animals and pets: veterinary science → see also VET
ve·to¹ /'viːtə/ n pl. -toes [C(on);U] (a) refusal to give permis-
sion for something, or to allow something to be done; (act
of) forbidding something completely: the threat of a presi-
dential veto on this legislation | The French exercised their
power of/right of veto. | I've put a veto on football in the
garden in case the children break any more windows.
veto² v -toed, present participle -toing [T] to prevent or forbid
(some action); refuse to allow (something): The president
last week vetoed a cereal price cut.
vex /veks/ v [T] old-fash 1 to displease (someone); cause to feel
angry or bad-tempered 2 [often pass.] to trouble (someone)
continually; keep in discomfort or without rest
vex·a·tion /vek'seɪʃən/ n 1 [U] fml the feeling, fact, or state
of being vexed; displeasure 2 [C often pl.] old-fash something
that vexes one
vex·a·tious /vek'seɪʃəs/ adj old-fash vexing; displeasing; trou-
blesome —ly adv
,vexed 'question n something that has caused much fierce
argument and is difficult to decide; a troublesome matter or
question: the vexed question of how to deal with hunger-
strikers
V-for·ma·tion /'viː fɔːrmeɪʃən||fɔːr-/ n [C] if birds or
planes fly in a V-formation, they form the shape of the letter
V as they fly
VFW /,viː ef 'dʌbljuː:/ abbrev. for VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS
VGA /,viː dʒiː 'eɪ/ n [S] abbrev. for Video Graphics Array; a
standard of GRAPHICS (=pictures and letters) on a computer
screen that has many different colours and is of a high
quality
VH1 /,viː eɪtʃ 'wn/ a CABLE television station in the US
which shows especially music VIDEOS, TALK SHOWS, and
some films
VHF /,viː eɪtʃ 'ef/ n [U] tech abbrev. for very high frequency;
radio waves that move very quickly and produce good
sound quality
vi·a /'vaɪə||'viːə/ prep 1 travelling or sent through (a place)
on the way: We flew to Athens via Paris. 2 by means of;
using: I sent a message to Mary via her sister.
vi·a·ble /'vaɪəbəl/ adj 1 able to succeed in operation; FEASI-
BLE: The scheme is not economically viable. 2 tech able to
continue to exist as or develop into a living thing: viable
births —bly adv —bility /,vaɪə'bɪlɪti/ n [U] commercial
viability | the long-term financial viability of the company
vi·a·duct /'vaɪədʌkt/ n a
long high bridge which car-
ries a road or railway line
across a valley
Vi·ag·ra /vaɪ'ægrə/ trademark
a type of drug produced by
the US company Pfizer,
which is designed to help
men who are IMPOTENT
(=unable to have sex)
vi·al /'vaɪəl/ n a PHIAL
vi·ands /'vaɪəndz/ n [P] old
use food
vibes /vaɪbz/ n [P] infml 1 a
vibraphone 2 VIBRATIONS:
good/bad/strange vibes
vi·brant /'vaɪbrənt/ adj 1 (of
colour or light) bright and
strong 2 alive; forceful; powerful and exciting: a city vibrant
with life | a youthful vibrant voice —ly adv —brancy n [U]
vi·bra·phone /'vaɪbrəfəʊn/ also vibes n a musical instru-
ment consisting of a set of metal bars set in a frame, which
are struck to produce notes that are made to vibrate
vi·brate /vaɪ'breɪt||'vaɪbreɪt/ v [I;T] to (cause to) shake
continuously and very quickly with a fine slight movement
that may often be felt or heard rather than seen: Tom's
heavy footsteps upstairs made the old house vibrate. | The air
in the desert seemed to vibrate in the midday heat. | The
hammers strike the piano strings and vibrate them. | (fig.) At
night, the whole city vibrates with life.
vi·bra·tion /vaɪ'breɪʃən/ n 1 [C;U] (a) slight continuous
shaky movement: You can feel the vibrations when a plane
flies over our house. 2 also vibes — [P] slang an EMOTIONAL