1527
vengeance
veil¹ /veɪl/ n 1 [C] a covering
of thin material or net for
the head or face, worn by
women, often for religious
reasons 2 [S(of)] something
which covers or hides some-
thing else: A veil of mist cov-
ered the trees. 1 (fig.) No one
knew what the army was
doing; there was a veil of
secrecy over their activi-
ties. 3 draw a veil over to
avoid speaking about or
describing (something
unpleasant) 4 take the veil lit or tech (of a woman) to become
a NUN
veil² v [T(in)] to cover with a veil: (fig.) The negotiations were
veiled in secrecy.
veiled /veɪld/ adj 1 wearing a veil 2 partly hidden or indi-
rectly expressed: veiled threats | a thinly veiled reference to
the prime minister
vein /veɪn/ n 1 [C] any of the tubes that carry blood from
any part of the body to the heart → compare ARTERY 2 [C]
any of the thin lines which run in a forked pattern through
leaves and the wings of certain insects 3 [C(of)] a crack in
rock, filled with useful or valuable metal or rock: a vein of
silver → compare SEAM 4 [S(of)] a noticeable amount (of a
particular quality or tendency): There's a vein of cruelty in
his nature. | a rich vein of humour that runs through all her
stories 5 [in+S] a style or MOOD: If I may speak in a serious
vein (=seriously) for a moment ... | a number of jokes all in the
same vein
veined /veɪnd/ adj having veins or veinlike markings: a
veined leaf | the many-veined wings of the bee | veined marble
vein-ing /'veɪnɪŋ/ n [U] a pattern of veins on leaves and the
wings of certain insects
ve-lar /'vi:lə/ n, adj tech (a speech sound such as 'k' or 'g')
made with the back of the tongue against or near the soft
part of the top of the mouth
Ve-láz-quez, Di-e-go Ro-drí-guez de Sil-va y
/vɪ'læskwɪz, -wezl-'laɪskəs, di'eɪgəʊ rɒ'dri:gez də 'sɪlvə
ɪl-ra:-/ (1599-1660) a Spanish painter best known for his
PORTRAITS of the Spanish royal family
Vel-cro /'velkrəʊ/ trademark a material used for fastening
clothes, which sticks together when you press a piece with a
rough surface against a piece with a soft surface → see
picture at FASTENER
veld, veldt /velt/ n [the+S] the wild high flat mostly treeless
grassland of South Africa
vel-lum /'veləm/ n [U] a material made from the skins of
young cows, goats, or sheep, and used especially for book
covers and, in former times, for writing on
ve-loc-i-pede /vɪ'lɒsɪpi:d||vɪ'lɑ:-/ n old use or humor a bicycle
ve-loc-i-ty /vɪ'lɒsɪti||vɪ'lɑ:-/ n 1 [C] tech speed in a certain
direction; rate of movement: the velocity of light 2 [S,U] fml
high speed: The car came round the corner at such a velocity
that the driver was unable to keep it on the road. → see also
ESCAPE VELOCITY
vel-o-drome /'velədrəʊm/ n a track made for racing bicy-
cles, often with seats at the side for people to watch the race
ve-lour, velours /və'lʊə/ n [U] a heavy material made
from silk, cotton etc, with a soft slightly furry surface
Vel-ve-ta /vel'vi:tə/ trademark a type of soft PROCESSED
orange cheese which is sold in a square box. Velveeta melts
easily, and people in the US use it especially for GRILLED
cheese SANDWICHES and on HAMBURGERS.
vel-vet /'velvɪt/ n [U] a fine closely-woven material made of
silk, nylon, cotton etc, with a soft furry surface on one side
only. Velvet is thought of in connection with LUXURY: velvet
curtains | a velvet jacket
vel-ve-teen /velvɪ'ti:n/ n [U] a cheap material made of
cotton but having the appearance of velvet
velvet revo'lution n (sometimes caps.) a sudden great social or
political change which takes place with little or no violence.
The phrase is especially used to describe events in some
Communist countries of Europe in the early 1990s.
vel-vet-y /'velvɪti/ adj apprec 1 (of a thing which is soft to
the touch) looking or feeling like velvet: the kitten's velvety
fur 2 (of a colour) having a soft deep look: velvety
brown 3 (especially of wine) very smooth to the taste; not
acid
Ven-a-bles, Ter-ry /'venəbəlz, 'teri/ (1943-) a British foot-
ball player who played for the English national team in the
1960s. He later became a successful team manager, and
while he was in Spain as the manager of Barcelona he
became known as 'El Tel' in British newspapers. From 1994
to 1996, he was manager of the English national team, and
has since been the manager of several other English football
teams.
ve-nal /'vi:nəl/ adj fml derog 1 ready to behave in an unfair or
dishonest way, especially by using one's power or position
to help other people in return for money or other reward:
venal judges 2 (of an action, practice, or behaviour) done in
order to gain money, rather than for the proper or honest
reasons → compare VENIAL —ly adv, —ity /vi:'nælɪti/ n [U]
vend /vend/ v [T] 1 law to sell (especially land or other
property) 2 fml to offer (small articles) for sale, usually in
public places
ven-det-ta /ven'detə/ n 1. a long-lasting quarrel between
families, in which the members of one family believe it to
be their duty to kill those of the other family → compare
FEUD 2 a situation in which one person continually tries to
harm another: The politician claimed that the damaging
stories were part of a press vendetta. | He said the papers were
waging a vendetta against him.
'vend-ing ma,chine also slot machine BrE— n a machine
in a public place from which articles such as packets of
cigarettes, drinks, stamps etc, can be obtained by putting a
coin into it
vend-or, -er /'vendə/ n 1 a seller of small articles that can
be carried about or pushed on a cart: a fruit vendor → see
also NEWSVENDOR 2 law the seller of a house, land etc
ve-neer¹ /və'nɪə/ n 1 [C,U] a thin covering of good quality
wood, used for forming the outer surface of an article made
of a cheaper material 2 [C(of) usually sing.] an outer appearance
which hides the unpleasant reality: Beneath that veneer of
respectability there lurked a cunning and unscrupulous crimi-
nal.
veneer² v [T(with, in)] to cover with a veneer
ven-er-a-ble /'venərəbəl/ adj 1 fml apprec (of an old person
or thing) deserving great respect or honour, because of
character, religious or historical importance etc: the vener-
able walls of the cathedral 2 [A no comp.] (often cap.) a) (in the
Church of England) (the title given to a priest) having the
rank of ARCHDEACON: the Venerable Percival Potter b) (in
the Roman Catholic Church) (the title given to a dead
person) who will in the future be declared a SAINT (=holy
person) 3 infml, especially humor old
ven-er-ate /'venəreɪt/ v [T] fml to treat (a person or thing,
especially one that is old or connected with the past) with
great respect and honour, and sometimes worship —ration
/venə'reɪʃən/ n [U] The Chinese people hold their ancestors
in great veneration.
ve-ne-re-al /vɪ'nɪəriəl/ adj med resulting from, connected
with, or passed on by sexual activity: venereal infections
ve,nereal dis'ease abbrev. VD n [C,U] a disease passed from
one person to another during sexual activity: Gonorrhea and
syphilis are venereal diseases.
Ve-ne-tian /vɪ'ni:ʃən/ n someone who comes from the city
of Venice in Italy —Venetian adj
Ve,netian 'blind, venetian blind n [usually pl.] a set of
long flat bars of plastic or metal which can be raised or
lowered to cover a window
Ven-e-zue-la /venɪ'zwelə/ a country in the north of
South America between Colombia and Brazil, known espe-
cially for producing oil and coffee. Population: 24,654,694
(2003). Capital: Caracas. —Venezuelan n, adj
ven-geance /'vendʒəns/ n 1 [U] punishment given to
someone in return for harm they have done to oneself, one's
family etc: He swore to take vengeance on the people who
had killed his sister. → compare AVENGE, REVENGE 2 with a
vengeance infml to a high degree; with greater force than is
usual: The wind's blowing with a vengeance; it's almost
impossible to walk against it. 3 vengeance is mine (said