Online Etymology Dictionary

virtuoso (n.): 1610s, "scholar, connoisseur," from Italian virtuoso (plural virtuosi), noun use of adjective meaning "skilled, learned, of exceptional worth," from Late Latin virtuosus (see virtuous). Meaning "person with great skill" (as in music) is first attested 1743.
virtuous (adj.): late 14c., "chaste" (of women), from virtue + -ous. Earlier it was used in a sense of "valiant, valorous, manly" (c.1300).
virulence (n.): 1660s (virulency attested from 1610s), from Latin virulentia, from virulentus (see virulent).
virulent (adj.): c.1400, in reference to wounds, ulcers, etc., "full of corrupt or poisonous matter," from Latin virulentus "poisonous," from virus "poison" (see virus). Figurative sense of "violent, spiteful" is attested from c.1600. Related: Virulently.
virus (n.): late 14c., "venomous substance," from Latin virus "poison, sap of plants, slimy liquid," probably from PIE root *weis- "to melt away, to flow," used of foul or malodorous fluids, with specialization in some languages to "poisonous fluid" (cf. Sanskrit visam "poison," visah "poisonous;" Avestan vish- "poison;" Latin viscum "sticky substance, birdlime;" Greek ios "poison," ixos "mistletoe, birdlime; Old Church Slavonic višnja "cherry;" Old Irish fi "poison;" Welsh gwy "fluid, water," gwyar "blood"). Main modern meaning "agent that causes infectious disease" first recorded 1728. The computer sense is from 1972.
vis-a-vis: 1753, from French prepositional use of the adj. vis-à-vis "face to face," from Old French vis "face" (see visage).
visa (n.): 1831, "official signature or endorsement on a passport," from French visa, from Modern Latin charta visa "verified paper," literally "paper that has been seen," from fem. past participle of Latin videre "to see" (see vision). Earlier visé (1810), from French past participle of viser "to examine, view."
visage (n.): c.1300, from Old French visage, from vis "face, appearance," from Latin visus "a look, vision," from past participle stem of videre "to see" (see vision). Visagiste "make-up artist" is recorded from 1958, from French.
viscera (n.): "inner organs of the body," 1650s, from Latin viscera, plural of viscus "internal organ," of unknown origin.
visceral (adj.): 1570s, "affecting inward feelings," from Middle French viscéral, from Medieval Latin visceralis "internal," from Latin viscera, plural of viscus "internal organ," of unknown origin. The bowels were regarded as the seat of emotion. The figurative sense vanished after 1640 and the literal sense is first recorded in 1794. The figurative sense was revived 1940s in arts criticism.
viscid (adj.): "sticky," 1610s (implied in viscidity), from Late Latin viscidus, from Latin viscum "mistletoe, birdlime" (see viscous).
viscosity (n.): early 15c., from Old French viscosite or directly from Medieval Latin viscositas, from Latin viscosus (see viscous).
viscount (n.): late 14c., "deputy of a count or earl," from Anglo-French and Old French visconte, from Medieval Latin vicecomes (genitive vicecomitis), from Late Latin vice- "deputy" (see vice-) + Latin comes "member of an imperial court, nobleman" (see count (n.)). As a rank in British peerage, first recorded 1440, when John, Baron Beaumont, was made one by Henry VI.
viscous (adj.): late 14c., from Anglo-French viscous, from Late Latin viscosus "sticky," from Latin viscum "anything sticky, birdlime made from mistletoe, mistletoe," probably from PIE root *weis- "to melt away, flow" (used of foul or malodorous fluids); see virus.
vise (n.): c.1300, "device like a screw or winch for bending a crossbow or catapult," from Old French vis, viz "screw," from Latin vitis "vine, tendril of a vine," literally "that which winds," from root of viere "to bind, twist" (see withy). The meaning "clamping tool with two jaws closed by a screw" is first recorded c.1500.
Vishnu: name of a principal Hindu deity, 1630s, from Sanskrit Vishnu, probably from root vish- and meaning "all-pervader" or "worker."
visibility (n.): c.1400, "condition of being visible," from Late Latin visibilitas (see visible). Meaning "range of vision under given conditions" is from 1914. Sense of "prominence, fame, public attention" is recorded from 1958.
visible (adj.): mid-14c., from Old French visible (12c.), from Latin visibilis "that may be seen," from visus, past participle of videre "to see" (see vision). An Old English word for this was eagsyne.
Visigoth: 1640s, from Late Latin Visigothus (plural Visigothi), perhaps "West Goths" (cf. Old High German westan "from the west"), as opposed to Ostrogothi; but according to some authorities, Visi/Vesi appears to be a Latinized form of a tribal name.
vision (n.): late 13c., "something seen in the imagination or in the supernatural," from Anglo-French visioun, Old French vision (12c.), from Latin visionem (nominative visio) "act of seeing, sight, thing seen," from past participle stem of videre "to see," from PIE root *weid- "to know, to see" (cf. Sanskrit veda "I know;" Avestan vaeda "I know;" Greek oida, Doric woida "I know," idein "to see;" Old Irish fis "vision," find "white," i.e. "clearly seen," fiuss "knowledge;" Welsh gwyn, Gaulish vindos, Breton gwenn "white;" Gothic, Old Swedish, Old English witan "to know;" Gothic weitan "to see;" English wise, German wissen "to know;" Lithuanian vysti "to see;" Bulgarian vidya "I see;" Polish widzieć "to see," wiedzieć "to know;" Russian videt' "to see," vest' "news," Old Russian vedat' "to know"). The meaning "sense of sight" is first recorded late 15c. Meaning "statesman-like foresight, political sagacity" is attested from 1926.
visionary (adj.): "able to see visions," 1650s, from vision + -ary. Meaning "impractical" is attested from 1727. The noun is attested from 1702, from the adj., originally "one who indulges in impractical fantasies."
visit (v.): early 13c., "come to (a person) to comfort or benefit," from Old French visiter, from Latin visitare "to go to see, come to inspect," frequentative of visere "behold, visit" (a person or place), from past participle stem of videre "to see, notice, observe" (see vision). Originally of the deity, later of pastors and doctors (c.1300), general sense of "pay a call" is from 1620s. Meaning "come upon, afflict" (in reference to sickness, punishment, etc.) is recorded from mid-14c. Related: Visited; visiting.
visit (n.): 1620s, from visit (v.).
visitation (n.): c.1300, "a visit by an ecclesiastical representative to examine the condition of a parish, abbey, etc.," from Latin visitationem (nominative visitatio), noun of action from past participle stem of visitare (see visit). The supernatural sense of "a sight, appearance" is attested from mid-14c.
visitor (n.): early 15c., from visit + -or. Sports sense is from 1900.
visor (n.): c.1300, "front part of a helmet," from Anglo-French viser, from Old French visiere, from vis "face" (see visage). Meaning "eyeshade" is recorded from 1925.
vista (n.): 1640s, "a view or prospect," from Italian vista "sight, view," noun use of fem. past participle of vedere "see," from Latin videre "to see" (see vision).
Vistavision (n.): form of wide-screen cinematography, 1954.
visual (adj.): early 15c., "coming from the eye or sight" (as a beam of light), from Late Latin visualis "of sight," from Latin visus "sight," from visus, past participle of videre "to see" (see vision). Meaning "relating to vision" is first attested c.1600. The noun meaning "photographic film or other visual display" is first recorded 1951.
visualise (v.): chiefly British English spelling of visualize. For suffix, see -ize. Related: Visualised; visualising; visualisation.
visualization (n.): 1881, noun of action from visualize.
visualize (v.): 1817, first attested in, and perhaps coined by, Coleridge; see visual + -ize. Related: Visualized; visualizing.
visually (adv.): mid-15c., from visual + -ly (2).
vita (n.): plural vitae, Latin, literally "life" (see vital).
vital (adj.): late 14c., "of or manifesting life," from Latin vitalis "of or belonging to life," from vita "life," related to vivere "to live," from PIE root *gwei- (cf. Old Persian *jivaka- "alive;" Greek bios "life," zoon "animal;" Lithuanian gyvata "(eternal) life;" Old English cwic, cwicu "living, alive;" Old Irish bethu "life;" cf. also bio-). The sense of "necessary or important" is from 1610s, via the notion of "essential to life" (late 15c.). Vital capacity recorded from 1852.
vital statistics (n.): 1837, with reference to birth, marriage, death, etc.; meaning "a woman's bust, waist, and hip measurements" is from 1952. See vital.
vitality (n.): 1590s, from Latin vitalitas, from vitalis "pertaining to life" (see vital).
vitalize (v.): 1670s, "to give life to," from vital + -ize. Figurative sense by 1805. Related: Vitalized; vitalizing.
vitals (n.): "organs of the body essential to life," c.1600, from the adj. vital taken as a noun.
vitamin (n.): 1920, originally vitamine (1912) coined by Polish biochemist Casimir Funk (1884-1967), from Latin vita "life" (see vital) + amine, because they were thought to contain amino acids. The terminal -e formally was stripped off when scientists learned the true nature of the substance; -in was acceptable because it was used for neutral substances of undefined composition. The lettering system of nomenclature (Vitamin A, B, C, etc.) was introduced at the same time (1920).
vitiate (v.): 1530s, from Latin vitiatus, past participle of vitiare "to make faulty, injure, spoil, corrupt," from vitium "fault, defect, blemish, crime, vice" (see vice (1)). Related: Vitiated; vitiating.
viticulture (n.): 1865 (implied in viticultural), "the cultivation of grapes," from Latin vitis "vine" (see vise) + culture.
vitiligo (n.): 1650s, from Latin vitiglio "a kind of cutaneous eruption, tetter."
vitreous (adj.): 1640s, from Latin vitreus "of glass, glassy," from vitreum "glass," which perhaps was so called for its color (cf. vitrium "woad"). Vitreous humor attested from 1660s.
vitrify (v.): 1590s, from Middle French vitrifier (16c.), from Latin vitrium "glass" (see vitreous) + -ficare, from facere "to make, do" (see factitious). Related: Vitrified.
vitrine (n.): 1880, from French vitrine, from vitre "glass" (see vitreous).
vitriol (n.): late 14c., "sulphate of iron," from Old French vitriol (13c.), from Medieval Latin vitriolum "vitriol," from neuter of vitriolus, from Late Latin vitreolus "of glass," from Latin vitreus "of glass, glassy," from vitrium "glass" (see vitreous). So called from its glassy appearance in certain states. Meaning "bitter or caustic feelings" first attested 1769, in reference to the corrosive properties of vitriol (when heated it produces sulfuric acid, formerly called oil of vitriol).
vitriolic (adj.): 1660s, from French vitriolique (16c.) or from vitriol + -ic. Figurative use by 1841.
vitro-: word-forming element meaning "glass," from comb. form of Latin vitrum "glass" (see vitreous).
vituperate (v.): 1540s, from Latin vituperatus, past participle of vituperare (see vituperation). "Not in common use until the beginning of the 19th c." [OED]. Related: Vituperated; vituperating.