1537
visual aid
card used to obtain goods and services, which the buyer
pays for later) which can be used all over the world
**vis-age** /'vɪzɪdʒ/ *n* **lit** 1 the face: *a smiling visage* 2-**visaged**
/'vɪzɪdʒd/ having the stated type of face: *fig. fair-visaged
peace*
**vis-à-vis** /ˌviːz ɑː 'viː, ˌviːz ə-/ *prep fml* or *pomp* with regard to;
when compared to: *Where do we stand vis-à-vis last week's
change in the law?*
**vis-ce-ra** /'vɪsərə/ *n* [(the)P] *med* the large inside organs of the
body, such as the heart, lungs, stomach etc —**ral** *adj*
**vis-count** /'vaɪkaʊnt/ *n* (*often cap.*) a British nobleman below
an EARL and above a BARON
**vis-count-cy** /'vaɪkaʊntsi/ *n* the rank or title of viscount
**vis-count-ess** /'vaɪkaʊntəs/ *n* (*often cap.*) the wife of a vis-
count, or a woman with the rank of viscount in her own
right
**vis-cous** /'vɪskəs/ also **vis-cid** /'vɪsɪd/ *tech—adj* (of a liquid)
thick and sticky; that does not flow easily —**cosity**
/'vɪ'skɒsɪtiːl-'skaː-/ *n* [U]
**vise** /vaɪz/ *n* *AmE* for VICE
**Vish-nu** /'vɪnuː/ *n* one of the three main gods in the Hindu
religion. He is 'the Preserver' and is known for his many
AVATARS (=different forms in which a god can actually be
seen), the most important of which is KRISHNA. → see also
BRAHMA, ŚIVA
**vis-i-bil-i-ty** /ˌvɪzə'bɪləti/ *n* [U] 1 (especially in official
weather reports) the degree of clearness with which objects
can be seen according to the condition of the air and the
weather: *The fog is heavy, and visibility is down to 20 metres.* |
*The search for survivors had to be abandoned due to poor
visibility.* 2 ability to give a clear view: *Our car's large rear
window gives excellent visibility.*
**vis-i-ble** /'vɪzəbl/ *adj* [(to)] 1 that can be seen; noticeable to
the eye: *Signs of economic and social decay are clearly visible
in the streets of the capital.* | *a dark, cloudy night with no stars
visible (to the naked eye)* 2 that can be felt, experienced,
heard etc; noticeable to the mind or senses: *What is this
object? It seems to serve no visible purpose.* | *visible annoy-
ance* 3 always appearing in public, on television, in the
papers etc: *highly visible politicians*
**vis-i-bly** /'vɪzəbli/ *adv* noticeably: *He was visibly shaken by
her accusation.*
**vi-sion** /'vɪʒən/ *n* 1 [U] (the) ability to see: *I've had my eyes
tested and the optician says that my vision is perfect.* → see
also FIELD OF VISION, TWENTY-TWENTY VISION 2 [U] wise
understanding of how the future will be; FORESIGHT: *We need
a man of vision as leader of the party.* 3 [C+of] a picture seen
in the mind; idea: *He conjured up a vision of the future.* |
*There was so much traffic on the road that I had visions of
missing (=thought I would miss) my plane.* 4 [C] something
that is without bodily reality, seen (as if) in a dream, when
in a sleeplike state, or as a religious experience: *She saw/had
a vision in which God seemed to appear before her.* 5 [C usually
sing.] especially *lit* a beautiful sight
**vi-sion-a-ry**¹ /'vɪʒənri‖-'neri/ *adj* 1 *apprec* having or show-
ing VISION 2 that exists only in the mind and probably
cannot be fulfilled
**visionary**² *n* 1 a person whose aims for the future are noble
or excellent but may lack reality or not be easy to put into
practice 2 a (holy) person who has VISIONS
**vis-it**¹ /'vɪzɪt/ *v* 1 [I;T] to go and spend time in (a place) or
with (someone): *'Do you live in this town?' 'No, we're only
visiting.'* | *While we're in Europe we ought to visit Holland.* |
*When we were in London we visited the Tower twice.* | *Aunt
Jane usually visits us for two or three weeks in the spring.* |
(*AmE*) *Aunt Jane is visiting with us (=staying with us) this
weekend.* → see also VISIT WITH 2 [T] to go to (a place) in
order to make an official examination: *Schools have to be
visited from time to time by education officers.* 3 [+adv/prep]
*AmE* to stay: *Anyone who's visiting in Edinburgh ought to go
and see the castle.* 4 [I] *AmE* to talk socially with: *Mom and
Aunt Jean would visit for hours.*
**visit sthg. on sbdy./sthg** *phr v* [T] especially *bibl* to direct (one's
anger, a punishment etc) against: *God has visited his anger
on us.*
visit with sbdy. *phr v* [T no pass.] *AmE* to talk socially with →
see also VISIT
**visit**² *n* 1 [(to, from)] an act or time of visiting: *Their visits are
usually quite short.* | *We came here on/for a visit, but we
decided to stay.* | *We've just had a visit from the police.* | *I must
pay a visit to (=visit) the doctor.* | *The Queen will make a
state visit (=not for personal reasons) to the Far East next
year.* | *an official visit* 2 *AmE* an act or time of talking socially
with someone: *I dropped in on Barbara and we had a nice
long visit.*
**vis·i·ta·tion** /ˌvɪzɪ'teɪʃən/ *n* 1 [(by, of)] *fml* a formal visit by
someone in charge, especially by a high official person to
discover whether things are in good order, or by a
priest 2 [(of)] *fml* an event believed to be an act of punish-
ment, or sometimes of favour, from heaven: *The villagers
thought that the storm was a visitation of God.* 3 [(from)] *infrml*,
*often humor* an unusually long social visit that is troublesome
to the person visited
**Vis-it-Brit·ain** /ˌvɪzɪtˈbrɪtn/ a government tourist organiza-
tion that encourages people to spend their holidays in
Britain. It was formed after the British Tourist Authority and
the English Tourism Council joined together in April 2003.
**'visiting card** also **card** — *n* a small card with one's name
and often address printed on it which one gives to people
one visits. Visiting cards used to be commonly used in polite
society when people visited each other at home, but this
practice has largely stopped. → compare BUSINESS CARD
**'visiting ,hours** *n* [P] the hours at which one is allowed to
visit people in hospital: *What are the visiting hours at this
hospital?*
**vis·it·or** /ˈvɪzɪtər/ *n* [(to, from)] 1 a person who visits or is
visiting: *We only use our best china cups when we have
visitors.* | *Visitors to the hospital are asked not to smoke.* | *The
castle gets lots of visitors from America.* | *She received her
distinguished visitors very graciously.* → see also PRISON
VISITOR 2 *tech* a bird which spends only part of the year in a
country
Compare visitor and guest. If you are a **visitor**,
you go and spend time with a person or in a place: *a
visitor to London* | *I had an unwelcome visitor this
morning - the Tax Inspector.* If you are a **guest**, you have
been invited by a person **a** to stay in the person's house,
or **b** to have a meal, given or paid for by the person, or **c**
to go to a concert, theatre etc, paid for by the person. *We
had several guests staying with us last weekend.* | *They
asked me to spend the summer in Scotland as their
guest.* | *Would you like to be my guest at the theatre
tonight?* Guest is also used for people staying in a hotel:
*Guests are requested to leave their room keys at the
desk.*
**'visitors' book** *n* a book in which visitors, especially to a
place of interest such as the house in which a famous person
once lived, or staying in a hotel, write their names and
addresses: *to sign the visitors' book*
**vi-sor** /'vaɪzər/ *n* 1 (in a suit of armour) a movable part of a
HELMET which can be lowered to protect the face 2 an eye
protector like the front part (PEAK) of a cap which keeps away
the sunshine → see also SUN VISOR 3 *AmE* for PEAK 4 a flat,
small, hard object which folds down from the roof inside a
car over part of the front window to protect the driver's eyes
from the sun
**vis-ta** /'vɪstə/ *n* [(of)] a distant view to which the eye is
directed between narrow limits, e.g. by rows of trees: *a
pleasant vista* | (*fig.*) *An endless vista of tedious days and
nights stretched before us.*
**vi-su-al**¹ /'vɪuəl/ *adj* of or gained by seeing: *a quick visual
examination* | *a strong visual impact* | *The visual arts are
painting, dancing etc, as opposed to music and literature.* →
see also VISUALLY
**vis·ual**² *n* [usually plural] something such as a picture or the part
of a film, video etc that you can see, as opposed to the parts
that you hear: *the film's stunning visuals*
**vis·ual 'aid** *n* something that people can look at to help
them understand, learn, remember etc, such as a picture,
map, photograph, or film. Visual aids are often used as
materials in education.