vibrato
1532
feeling or influence that can be felt as coming from a person
or among a group; a word used especially by younger people
in the late 1960s and 1970s: This disco's got fantastic vibes!
vi·bra·to /'vibrɑ:təʊ/ n pl. -tos tech (in music) a slightly
shaking effect given to the sound of the voice, or of stringed
or wind instruments, for added expressiveness
vi·brat·or /'vaɪbrətər/ $||$ 'vaɪbrətər/ n an instrument used for
producing VIBRATIONS, especially an electrical apparatus used
on the body to produce pleasing (especially sexual) sensations
vic·ar /'vɪkər/ n 1 (in the Church of England) a priest in
charge of an area (PARISH). In advertisements, television
programmes etc, vicars are often shown as polite, cheerful,
and keen to be helpful, but also as UNWORLDLY (=not experi-
enced in the ways of society) and easily shocked: Good
morning, vicar! ➔ compare RECTOR 2 (in the Roman Catho-
lic Church) a representative: The Pope is known as the vicar
of Christ.
vic·ar·age /'vɪkərɪdʒ/ n the house of a VICAR
vi·car·i·ous /vɪ'keəriəs$||$vaɪ-/ adj 1 experienced by the
imagination through watching or reading about other peo-
ple; indirect 2 fml experienced for other people: vicarious
sufferings —ly adv —ness n [U]
vice¹ /vaɪs/ n 1 [C;U] (any particular kind of) evil behaviour
or living, especially in sexual practices, taking of harmful
drugs, uncontrolled drinking habits etc: She was arrested by
the police vice squad for prostitution. | The police have
smashed a vice ring (=criminal group) in Chicago. 2 [C;U]
(an example of) badness of character: the vice of greed/pride
➔ opposite VIRTUE 3 [C] infml, often humor a bad habit: 'Would
you like a whisky?' 'No, thanks; alcohol isn't one of my vices!'
vice² especially BrE | vise AmE — n a tool with metal jaws that
can be tightened, used for holding something firmly so that
it can be worked on with both hands
vice- ➔ see WORD FORMATION TABLE
,vice-'chancellor n 1 (often cap. V and C) (in Britain) the officer
who actually controls the affairs of a university; the real head
of a university (since the CHANCELLOR is appointed only as
an honour) 2 (often cap. V and C) (in the US) the officer next in
rank to the head (CHANCELLOR) of a university
vice-like /'vaɪs-laɪk/ adj very firm; giving no chance of
movement or escape: He held me in a vicelike grip.
,vice 'president n 1 an officer next in rank to the president
who usually serves as president if the president becomes
unable to serve, e.g. because of illness. In the US, the vice
president is also responsible for acting as the president of
the Senate: Vice president Dan Quayle 2 AmE a person
responsible for a particular area of a company: our executive
vice president for marketing
vice-re·gal /vaɪs'ri:gəl/ adj of a viceroy
vice-reine /vaɪs'reɪn$||$vaɪsren/ n the wife of a viceroy
vice-roy /'vaɪsrɔɪ/ n a king's or queen's representative ruling
for them in another country: When Britain ruled India, the
British king was represented there by a viceroy.
'Vice Squad, the the division of the police force in either
Britain or the US which deals with sexual and drug-related
offences
vice ver·sa /ˌvaɪs 'vɜ:sə, ˌvaɪsi-l-ɜ:r-/ adv Lat in the oppo-
site way from that just stated: When she wants to go out, he
wants to stay in, and vice versa. (=when he wants to go out,
she wants to stay in)
Vi·chy /'vi:ʃi/ a city in south central France where the
government of France was based during the World War II.
The authority of the Vichy government was not accepted by
many French people because it followed the rules and laws
given to it by the Germans who had taken control of France.
When people discuss this period of France's history they
sometimes call the country Vichy France. ➔ see also FREE
FRENCH, PÉTAIN
vi·cin·i·ty /və'sɪnɪti/ n 1 [in+(the)U(of)] the surroundings; area
very near to or around the stated place; neighbourhood: 'Are
there any shops in this vicinity?' (=near here) | All the ships in
the vicinity of the crash joined in the search for survi-
vors. 2 [U(of, to)] fml nearness: the house's vicinity to the
station 3 in the vicinity of pomp about: His income is in the
vicinity of £215,000 a year.
vi·cious /'vɪʃəs/ adj 1 cruel; having or showing hate and the
desire to hurt: He gave the dog a vicious blow with his stick. |
a vicious attack 2 dangerous; able or likely to cause severe
hurt: a vicious-looking knife —ly adv —ness n [U]
,vicious 'circle also ,vicious 'cycle n [usually sing.] a set of
events in which cause and effect follow each other until this
results in a return to the first usually undesirable or unpleas-
ant position and the whole matter begins again: Crime leads
to prison, which leads to unemployment, which leads to crime.
It's a vicious circle.
vi·cis·si·tudes /vɪ'sɪsɪtju:dz$||$-turdz/ n [P] fml continual
changes, especially from good to bad, in one's nature,
condition of life etc: the vicissitudes of married life/of the oil
industry
Vicks·burg /'vɪksbɜ:g$||$-bɜ:rg/ a city in Mississippi, US. An
important battle was fought in Vicksburg during the Ameri-
can CIVIL WAR, in which the Union army defeated the Confed-
erate army after a long period of fighting.
vic·tim /'vɪktɪm/ n 1 [(of)] a person, animal, or thing that
suffers pain, death, harm, destruction etc, as a result of other
people's actions, or of illness, bad luck etc: Four people were
killed in the explosion, but police have not yet named the
victims. | The murderer had cut his victim's throat. | That
beautiful old building was knocked down last year, a victim of
the council's desire for modern planning. | Thousands of trees
have fallen victim to (=suffered from) this disease. 2 a
person or animal killed and offered as a SACRIFICE (=gift) to a
god: sacrificial victims
vic·tim·ize also -ise BrE /'vɪktɪmaɪz/ v [T] to cause (some-
one) to suffer unfairly: He claimed that in sacking him because
of his political views, they'd victimized him. —ization
/ˌvɪktɪmaɪ'zeʃənɪ-mə-/ n [U] racial victimization
,victimless 'crime n a crime in which no one suffers
usually because the people involved have agreed to be
involved: Prostitution is often called a victimless crime
because both parties consent to the action taken.
vic·tor /'vɪktər/ n especially fml, lit, or pomp a winner in battle, or
in a race, game, competition, or other kind of struggle ➔ see
also VICTORIOUS
Vic·to·ri·a /vɪk't:riə/ 1 a large railway station in central
London, from which trains go to various parts of southeast
England 2 the capital city of the Canadian PROVINCE of
British Columbia 3 a state in southeast Australia, which has
a lot of industry. Capital: Melbourne. ➔ see picture at
AUSTRALIA
Victoria, Lake the largest lake in Africa, which is sur-
rounded by Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya
Victoria, Queen (1819-1901)
the British queen from 1837
until her death, who also
had the title 'Empress of
India'. She was queen for 64
years, longer than any other
British king or queen, during
a period of great change.
While she was queen, the UK
became one of the richest
and most powerful countries
in the world, as a result of
the growth of industry and
the development of the BRIT-
ISH EMPIRE. When people
think now of the 'Victorian'
period, it is often seen as a
time of strict moral stand-
ards, when people were very
serious, marriages were always permanent, and sex was never
mentioned. Victoria herself is supposed to have said 'We are
not amused' when someone told her something funny. Victo-
ria was married to a German prince, Prince ALBERT, and his
sudden death in 1861 caused her great and lasting unhappi-
ness. ➔ see also ALBERT, PRINCE
Victoria and Albert Mu·seum, the also the V&A
MUSEUM in central London that has valuable DECORATIVE
objects of all styles and periods and from all over the world
such as paintings, glass, clothes, and jewellery
Vic,toria 'Cross n ➔ see VC
Vic'toria Day a public holiday held in May in Canada
Vic,toria 'Falls a WATERFALL on the Zambezi River between