vituperation (n.) Look up vituperation at Dictionary.com
mid-15c. (implied in vituperable), but rare before early 19c., from Latin vituperationem (nominative vituperatio) "blame, censuring," from past participle stem of vituperare "disparage," from vitiperos "having faults," from vitium "fault, defect" (see vice (1)) + parare "prepare, provide, procure" (see pare). Vituperatio was stronger than either Latin reprehensio or Modern English vituperation.
vituperative (adj.) Look up vituperative at Dictionary.com
1727, from vituperate + -ive. Related: Vituperatively.
Vitus Look up Vitus at Dictionary.com
from Svanto-vit, name of a Slavic god worshipped with ecstatic dances on the Baltic island of Rügen, transferred by Christian missionaries to Saint Vitus. The Italian form of the name is Guido.
viva Look up viva at Dictionary.com
1640s, from Italian viva "(long) live, may he (or she) live," third person singular present subjunctive of vivere "to live," from Latin vivere "to live." Probably reborrowed (1836) from Spanish viva, from vivir "to live," from Latin vivere (see vital). Sometimes also in Latin form vivat (1660s).
viva voce Look up viva voce at Dictionary.com
also viva-voce, "by word of mouth," 1580s, Latin, literally "living-voice," ablative of viva vox.
vivace Look up vivace at Dictionary.com
1680s, from Italian vivace "brisk, lively," from Latin vivac-, stem of vivax "lively vigorous" (see vivacity).
vivacious (adj.) Look up vivacious at Dictionary.com
1640s, from Latin vivax (genitive vivacis) "lively, vigorous" (see vivacity). Related: Vivaciously.
vivacity (n.) Look up vivacity at Dictionary.com
early 15c., from Latin vivacitatem (nominative vivacitas) "vital force, liveliness," from vivax (genitive vivacis) "lively," also "long-lived," from vivere "to live" (see vital).
vivarium (n.) Look up vivarium at Dictionary.com
c.1600, "game park," from Latin vivarium "enclosure for live game, park, warren, preserve, fish pond," neuter singular of vivarius, from vivus "alive, living" (see vivid). Meaning "glass bowl for studying living creatures" is from 1853.
vive (interj.) Look up vive at Dictionary.com
1590s (in vive le roi), from French, literally "long live ______;" French equivalent of viva (q.v.). Jocular phrase vive la différence in reference to the difference between men and women is recorded from 1963. Also in vive la bagatelle, literally "long live nonsense," denoting a carefree attitude to life.
Vivian Look up Vivian at Dictionary.com
masc. proper name, from Latin Vivianus (cf. French Vivien), literally "living, alive," (see vivid). But Klein says it is "prob. a misreading of the Celtic name Ninian."
vivid (adj.) Look up vivid at Dictionary.com
1630s, from Latin vividus "spirited, animated, lively," from vivus "alive," from PIE *gwei- (see vital). Extension to colors is first recorded 1660s. Sense of "strong, distinct" (as of memories, etc.) is from 1680s; that of "very active or intense" (as of imagination, interest, etc.) is from 1853. Related: Vividly; vividness.
vivify (v.) Look up vivify at Dictionary.com
1590s, from Old French vivifier (12c.), from Late Latin vivificare "make alive, restore to life," from vivificus "enlivening," from Latin vivus "alive" (see vivid) + root of facere "to make" (see factitious). Vivificate in same sense is recorded from early 15c.
viviparous (adj.) Look up viviparous at Dictionary.com
1640s, from Late Latin viviparus "bringing forth alive," from Latin vivus "alive, living" + parere "bring forth, bear" (see pare).
vivisect (v.) Look up vivisect at Dictionary.com
1859, back-formation from vivisection. Related: Vivisected; vivisecting.
vivisection (n.) Look up vivisection at Dictionary.com
"dissection of a living animal," 1707, from Latin vivus "alive" (see vivid) + ending from dissection).
vixen (n.) Look up vixen at Dictionary.com
Old English *fyxen (implied in adjective fyxan), fem. of fox (see fox, and cf. Middle High German vühsinne, German füchsin). Solitary English survival of the Germanic feminine suffix -en, -in (cf. Old English gyden "goddess;" mynecen "nun," from munuc "monk;" wlyfen "she-wolf"). The figurative sense "ill-tempered woman" is attested from 1570s. The spelling shift from -f- to -v- began late 1500s (see V).
viz. Look up viz. at Dictionary.com
1530s, abbreviation of videlicet "that is to say, to wit, namely" (mid-15c.), from Latin videlicet, contraction of videre licet "it is permissible to see," from videre "to see" (see vision) + licet "it is allowed," third person singular present indicative of licere "be allowed" (see licence). The -z- is not a letter, but originally a twirl, representing the usual Medieval Latin shorthand symbol for the ending -et. "In reading aloud usually rendered by 'namely.' " [OED]
vizard (n.) Look up vizard at Dictionary.com
"mask," 1550s, altered form of vysar, viser (see visor), by influence of words in -ard. Figurative use from 1570s; common 17c. Also applied to the person with the masks, and used as a verb meaning "to conceal." Related: Vizarded; vizarding.
vizier (n.) Look up vizier at Dictionary.com
1560s, from Turk. vezir "counsellor," from Arabic wazir "viceroy," literally "one who bears (the burden of office)," literally "porter, carrier," from wazara "he carried." But Klein says Arabic wazir is from Avestan viçira "arbitrator, judge." He also says it replaced Arabic katib, literally "writer," in the sense "secretary of state."
VJ day (n.) Look up VJ day at Dictionary.com
also V-J Day, "Victory in Japan Day," 1944; it shares an origin with VE Day.
Vlach (n.) Look up Vlach at Dictionary.com
"member of a Latin-speaking race of the Balkans, a Walachian or Rumanian," 1841, from Bulgarian vlakh or Serbian vlah, from Old Church Slavonic vlakhu, a Slavic adoptation of Germanic *walh (cf. Old English wealh) "foreigner," especially applied to Celts and Latins (see Welsh).
Vladimir Look up Vladimir at Dictionary.com
masc. proper name, from Old Church Slavonic Vladimiru "Ruling Peace," from vlasti "to rule over" (from PIE *wal- "to be strong") + miru "peace" (see Mir).
vocabulary (n.) Look up vocabulary at Dictionary.com
1530s, "list of words with explanations," from Medieval Latin vocabularium "a list of words," from Latin vocabulum "word, name, noun," from vocare "to name, call" (see voice). Meaning "range of language of a person or group" is first attested 1753.
vocal (adj.) Look up vocal at Dictionary.com
late 14c., "spoken, oral," from Old French vocal, from Latin vocalis "sounding, sonorous, speaking," as a noun, "a vowel," from vox (genitive vocis) "voice" (see voice (n.)). In reference to music (as opposed to instrumental), first recorded 1580s; meaning "outspoken" first attested 1871. Vocal cords is from 1872; see cord.
vocalist (n.) Look up vocalist at Dictionary.com
1610s, "speaker;" 1834, "singer;" from vocal + -ist.
vocalization (n.) Look up vocalization at Dictionary.com
1842, "action of vocalizing;" 1855, "mode or manner of vocalizing;" see vocalize + -ation.
vocalize (v.) Look up vocalize at Dictionary.com
1660s, from vocal + -ize. Related: Vocalized; vocalizing.
vocation (n.) Look up vocation at Dictionary.com
early 15c., "spiritual calling," from Latin vocationem (nominative vocatio), literally "a calling," from vocatus "called," past participle of vocare "to call" (see voice). Sense of "one's occupation or profession" is first attested 1550s.
vocational (adj.) Look up vocational at Dictionary.com
1650s, from vocation + -al (1). Related: Vocationally.
vocative (adj.) Look up vocative at Dictionary.com
mid-15c., "showing the person or thing spoken to," from Middle French vocatif (fem. vocative), from Latin vocativus (casus) "(case of) calling," from vocatus, past participle of vocare "to call" (see voice). The Latin is a translation of Greek kletike ptosis, from kletikos "related to calling," from kletos "called."
vociferate (v.) Look up vociferate at Dictionary.com
1620s, from Latin vociferatus, past participle of vociferari, from voci-, stem of vox "voice" (see voice (n.)) + ferre "to carry" (see infer). Related: Vociferated; vociferating.
vociferation (n.) Look up vociferation at Dictionary.com
c.1400, from Latin vociferationem, noun of action from vociferari (see vociferous).
vociferous (adj.) Look up vociferous at Dictionary.com
1610s, from Latin vociferari "to shout, yell," from vox (genitive vocis) "voice" + root of ferre "to carry" (see infer). Related: Vociferating.
vodka (n.) Look up vodka at Dictionary.com
1802, from Russian vodka, literally "little water," from voda "water" (from PIE *wedor, *wodor; see water (n.1)) + diminutive suffix -ka.
vogue (n.) Look up vogue at Dictionary.com
1570s, the vogue, "leading place in popularity, greatest success or acceptance," from Middle French vogue "fashion, success, drift, swaying motion (of a boat)" literally "a rowing," from Old French voguer "to row, sway, set sail," probably from Old Low German *wogon, variant of wagon "float, fluctuate," literally "to balance oneself" (see weigh). Apparently the notion is of being "borne along on the waves of fashion." Italian vogare also probably is borrowed from Germanic. Phrase in vogue "having a prominent place in popular fashion" first recorded 1643. The fashion magazine began publication in 1892.
voice (n.) Look up voice at Dictionary.com
late 13c., "sound made by the human mouth," from Old French voiz, from Latin vocem (nominative vox) "voice, sound, utterance, cry, call, speech, sentence, language, word," related to vocare "to call," from PIE root *wekw- "give vocal utterance, speak" (cf. Sanskrit vakti "speaks, says," vacas- "word;" Avestan vac- "speak, say;" Greek eipon (aorist) "spoke, said," epos "word;" Old Prussian wackis "cry;" German er-wähnen "to mention").

Replaced Old English stefn. Meaning "ability in a singer" is first attested c.1600. Meaning "expression of feeling, etc." (in reference to groups of people, etc., e.g. Voice of America) is recorded from late 14c.
voice (v.) Look up voice at Dictionary.com
"to express" (a feeling, opinion, etc.), c.1600, from voice (n.). Related: Voiced; voicing.
voiceless (adj.) Look up voiceless at Dictionary.com
1530s, "unable to speak," from voice (n.) + -less. Meaning "having no say in affairs" is from 1630s; that of "unspoken, unuttered" is from 1816. In phonology, "unvoiced," from 1867. Related: Voicelessly; voicelessness.
voicemail (n.) Look up voicemail at Dictionary.com
also (and originally) voice mail, by 1982.
void (adj.) Look up void at Dictionary.com
late 13c., "unoccupied, vacant," from Anglo-French and Old French voide "empty, vast, wide, hollow, waste," from Latin vocivus "unoccupied, vacant," related to vacuus "empty" (see vacuum). Meaning "lacking or wanting" (something) is recorded from early 15c. Meaning "legally invalid" is attested from mid-15c.
void (n.) Look up void at Dictionary.com
"empty space, vacuum," 1727; see void (adj.).
void (v.) Look up void at Dictionary.com
"to clear" (some place, of something), c.1300, from void (adj.); meaning "to deprive (something) of legal validity" is attested from early 14c. Related: Voided; voiding.
voidable (adj.) Look up voidable at Dictionary.com
late 15c., from void (v.) + -able.
voila Look up voila at Dictionary.com
1739, French, imperative of voir "to see" + la "there."
voile (n.) Look up voile at Dictionary.com
1889, from French voile "veil" (see veil (n.)).
voir dire Look up voir dire at Dictionary.com
1670s, from Old French voir "true" + dire "to say."
voivode (n.) Look up voivode at Dictionary.com
"local or provincial ruler in Transylvania, Moldavia, etc.," 1570, from Russian voevoda, originally "leader of the army," from Old Church Slavonic voji "warriors" + -voda "leader." Cf. Hung. vajvoda (later vajda), Serb. vojvoda, Polish wojewoda.
volant (adj.) Look up volant at Dictionary.com
"flying," c.1500, from Middle French, from Latin volantem (nominative volans), present participle of volare "to fly," of unknown origin. French voler, literally "to fly," in 16c. acquired a sense of "to steal," via the transitive meaning "to make fly."
volar (adj.) Look up volar at Dictionary.com
1814, from Latin vola "the hollow of a hand or foot."