the first Europeans to sail to America. Viking men are usually shown in pictures wearing HELMETS with horns on them. —Viking adj
ville /vail/ adj 1 fml shameful and evil; DESPICABLE: a vile slander 2 infml very bad, nasty, or unpleasant: She has a vile temper. | This food is vile! —-ly /'vail-li/ adv —-ness n [U]
vil-i-fy /'vɪlʃfai/ v [T] fml to say bad things about (someone or something) without good cause, especially in order to influence others unfavourably —-fication /,vɪlʃfə'keɪʃən/ n [C;U]
vil-la /ˈvɪlə/ n 1 a pleasant country house in its own garden, often used for only part of the year for holidays, especially in southern Europe: We're renting a villa in the south of France for the summer. 2 (often cap. as part of the name of a house)
BŒ a large house on the edge of a town, usually with garden and usually built before 1914: South Villa | fine old 19th-century villas 3 a large ancient Roman country house with the buildings and (farm)land belonging to it
Vili-la, Pan-cho /'vi:ə, 'paentʃəʊl'pa:n-/ (about 1878–1923)
a Mexican leader of a REVOLUTION against the Mexico government
village /ˈvɪlɪdʒ/ n 1 a collection of houses and other buildings, such as a church, school, PUB, and one or more shops, in a country area, smaller than a town: the village pub | village life | in the tiny village of Debden in Essex → compare CITY, TOWN; see also SMALL TOWN
CULTURAL NOTE When American people use the word 'village' they usually mean an old, attractive, small town in Europe or a small area of simple houses in a less developed country, for example in Africa. 'Village' is not usually used to talk about places in the US. In British English, however, 'village' is used for small towns in general, whether they are new, busy, old, or quiet. → see also SMALL TOWN
2 [+sing./pl. v] all the people who live in such a place: The whole village turned out to the baker's funeral.
village 'green n an area of grass in the centre of an English village for the use of all the people who live there → see colour photo on page A42
CULTURAL NOTE People often think of a game of cricket on the village green in the summer as being a very TRADITIONAL English scene.
village 'idiot n a STEREOTYPE of a very stupid person, usually a man, living in a village. He talks and behaves like a child, knows nothing of the modern world, and is generally treated kindly by the other people in the village. → compare YOKEL
vil-lag-er /'vɪlɪdʒər/ n a person who lives in a village
Village 'Voice, The also the Voice a weekly newspaper produced in Greenwich Village in New York City, which includes news and articles about politics, books, films etc, and is known especially for its news about ALTERNATIVE entertainment
vil-lain /ˈvɪlən/ n 1 (in old plays, films, and stories) a man who is the (or a) main bad character: The villain carried off the young heroine and tied her to the railway line. → opposite
HERO 2 BrE infml, especially humor a criminal: Policemen don't spend all their time chasing villains, you know! 3 infml a troublesome young person: Stop eating all her sweets, you young villain! 4 the villain of the piece infml, often humor the person or thing to be blamed; the one that has caused all the trouble on some occasion
vil-lain-ous /ˈvɪləns/ ad, especially fit evil; threatening great harm: He was brandishing a villainous-looking knife.
vil-lain-y /'vilani/ n [U] especially lit evil or wicked behaviour
'vil-lein /'vil'n, 'vilein/ n a poor land worker in Europe in the Middle Ages who was given a small amount of land of his own in return for work on the land of a large landowner
vim /vim/ n [U] old-fashionful cheerful forcefulness; ENERGY: Try and put a bit more vim (and vigour) into your performance!
vin-ai-grette /,vinə'gret, ,vinei-/ n [U] a sharp-tasting mixture of oil, VINEGAR, salt, pepper etc, used especially on SALADS
Vinci → see LEONARDO DA VINCI
vin·di·cate /'vind;keit/ v [T] 1 to show that charges made against (someone or something) are untrue; free from blame: The report of the committee of enquiry completely vindicates him. 2 to prove that (something) is true or right; JUSTIFY: The success of your operation completely vindicates my faith in the doctor:—cation /,vind;keifən/ n [S;U(of)]
vin-dic-tive /vin'diktiv/ adj extrémely unwilling to forgive; having or showing the desire to harm someone who has harmed you: I don't like Kevin – he's got a nasty vindictive streak in him. ︷ly adv ︸ness n [U]
vine /vain/ n 1 also grapevine — a climbing plant with a woody stem that produces bunches of juicy green or purple fruit (GRAPES) 2 tech any creeping or climbing plant with thin twisting stems, such as the IVY, the CUCUMBER, the MELON etc
'vine fruit n [C;U] fruit such as GRAPEs which grow on vines
vin·e·gar /'vinɪgər/ n [U] an acid-tasting liquid made usually from MALT or sour wine, used in preparing and preserving vegetables, for putting on food etc
vin•gar•y /'vinigəri/ adj 1 of or like vinegar; very sour; This wine has a vineyard taste. 2 unkind; bitter; sharp-tempered: She has a vineyard tongue. (=says unkind things)
vine-yard /'vinjədəl-jəd/ n. a. piece, of land planted with VINES for wine production
vi-no /'vi-nəʊ/ n [U] infm/ for wine
vi·nous /'vainəs/ adj fml, tech, or humor of, like, caused by, or coloured like wine: sounds of vinous laughter
vin·tage¹ /'vintɪdʒ/ n 1 a particular year in which a wine is made: This wine is of the 1961 vintage. | a very good vintage 2 [C usually sing.] tech the yearly gathering of GRAPEs in an area and the making of new wine from them
vintage² adj [A] 1 (of wine) produced in a single year rather than being a mixture from different years: vintage port 2 of high quality and lasting value; a vintage silent film | This has been a vintage year for the theatre in London; so many good plays have been produced. 3 infml showing all the best qualities of the work of (the stated person): This piece of music is vintage Beatles. 4 BrE (of a car) made between 1919 and 1930. Some people like to have or collect vintage cars because of their interest and value. → compare VETERAN
vint·ner /'vintnər/ n a person whose business is buying and selling wines
vi·nyl /'vainʃl/ n [C;U] 1 a firm bendable plastic used instead of leather, rubber, wood etc, often used to cover the floor of a kitchen or bathroom: vinyl wallpaper 2 [U] a word for records that are played on a record player, used when comparing them to CDs and CASSETTES. Although most people prefer cassettes and CDs today, vinyl is still popular with DJs who perform in CLUBs: This album is no longer available on vinyl.
vi·ol /'vaɪəl/ n a stringed musical instrument of the 16th and 17th centuries, from which the modern VIOLIN was developed
vi·o·la /vi'əulə/ n a stringed musical instrument, like the VIOLIN but a little larger and producing a slightly deeper sound ➔ see picture at STRINGED INSTRUMENT
vi·o·late /'varəleit/ v [T] 1 to disregard or act against (something solemnly promised, accepted as right or legal etc): A country isn't respected if it violates an international agreement. 2 fml to break open, into, or through (something that ought to be respected or left untouched): The thieves violated many graves in their search for the gold. 1 (fig.) The screech of jet planes violated the peace of the afternoon. 3 lit or euph to have sex with (a woman) by force; RAPE —lator n —lation /,vaɪəˈleɪʃən/ n [C;U(of)] brutal violations of human rights | a violation of Soviet air space | an action in violation of the club's regulations
vi·o·lence /'vaɪələns/ n [U] 1 extreme force in action or feeling, especially that causes damage, unrest etc: The wind blew with great violence. | The violence of his words alarmed her. 2 rough treatment; use of physical force on others, especially to hurt or harm illegally: Because of his frustration with the situation, he resorted to violence. | Many people say too much violence is shown on television. | sporadic outbreaks of violence in the crowd | robbery with violence 3 do violence to film to spoil; have a harmful effect on: These modern boxlike buildings do violence to the beauty of the old city.