Online Etymology Dictionary

vapor (n.): late 14c., from Anglo-French vapour, from Latin vaporem (nominative vapor) "exhalation, steam, heat," of unknown origin. Vapors "fit of fainting, hysteria, etc." is 1660s, from medieval notion of "exhalations" from the stomach or other organs affecting the brain.
vaporization (n.): 1799, noun of action from vaporize. In same sense Middle English had vaporacioun (late 14c.).
vaporize (v.): 1630s, from vapor + -ize. Originally "smoke tobacco;" later "convert into vapor" (1803), and "spray with fine mist" (1900). Related: Vaporized; vaporizing.
vaporous (adj.): late 14c., from Latin vaporus, from vapor (see vapor).
vaquero (n.): 1826, from Spanish, literally "cowboy," from vaca "cow," from Latin vacca (see vaccination).
Varangian (n.): "one of the Northmen who founded a dynasty in Russia," 1788, from Medieval Latin Varangus, from Byzantine Greek Barangos, a name ultimately (via Slavic) from Old Norse væringi "a Scandinavian," properly "a confederate," from var- "pledge, faith," related to Old English wær "agreement, treaty, promise," Old High German wara "faithfulness" (see very). Attested in Old Russian as variagi; surviving in Russian varyag "a pedlar," Ukrainian varjah "a big strong man."
variable (adj.): late 14c., of persons, from Old French variable, from Latin variabilis "changeable," from variare "to change" (see vary). Of weather, seasons, etc., attested from late 15c.; of stars, from 1788.
variable (n.): "quantity that can vary in value," 1816, from variable (adj.). Related: Variably; variability.
variance (n.): mid-14c., "fact of undergoing change," from Old French variance, from Latin variantia, from variare "to change" (see vary). Meaning "state of disagreement" is recorded from early 15c. The U.S. zoning sense of "official dispensation from a building regulation" is recorded from 1925.
variant (n.): 1848, from variant (adj.).
variant (adj.): late 14c., from Old French variant, from Latin variantem (nominative varians), present participle of variare "to change" (see vary).
variate (n.): in statistics, 1899, from adjective variate (mid-15c.), from Latin variatus, past participle of variare (see vary).
variation (n.): late 14c., from Old French variation, from Latin variationem (nominative variatio) "a difference, variation, change," from past participle stem of variare "to change" (see vary). The musical sense is attested from 1801.
varicella (n.): Modern Latin (1764), irregular diminutive of variola (see variola).
varices (n.): plural of varix (c.1400), from PIE root *wer- "a raised area."
varicocele (n.): 1736, Modern Latin, from Latin varic-, comb. form of varix (see varices) + Greek kele "tumor."
varicolored (adj.): 1660s, from Latin varius (see vary) + English colored.
varicose (adj.): 1730, from Latin varicosus "full of dilated veins," from varix (genitive varicis) "dilated vein," probably related to varus "blotch, pimple" (see vary).
varied (adj.): "differing from one another," 1580s, from past participle of vary (q.v.).
variegate (v.): "to mark with different colors," 1640s (implied in variegation), from Late Latin variegatus "made of various sorts or colors," past participle of variegare "diversify with different colors," from varius "spotted, changing, varying" (see vary) + root of agere "to drive" (see act). Related: Variegated; vareiegating.
varietal (adj.): 1866, a biologists' word (first attested in Darwin), from variety. In reference to wines, meaning "made from a single variety of grape" is first attested 1941, American English. As a noun, in this sense, attested from 1955.
variety (n.): 1530s, from Middle French variété, from Latin varietatem (nominative varietas) "difference, diversity," from varius "various" (see vary). In reference to "music hall or theatrical performances of a mixed nature," first recorded 1868, American English.
varify (v.): "to make varied," c.1600, from Latin vari-, stem of varius (see vary) + -fy. Related: Varified; varifying.
variola (n.): "smallpox," 1771, from medical Latin diminutive of Latin varius "changing, various," in this case "speckled" (see vary).
variorum (n.): 1728, Latin, genitive masculine plural of varius (see vary), in phrase editio cum notis variorum "an edition (especially of the complete works of a classical author) with notes of various commentators or editors." Use with reference to an edition of an author's works containing variant readings (1955) is "deplored by some scholars" [OED].
various (adj.): early 15c., "characterized by variety," from Middle French varieux, from Latin varius "changing, different, diverse" (see vary). Meaning "different from one another" is recorded from 1630s. Related: Variously.
varlet (n.): mid-15c., "servant, attendant of a knight," from Middle French varlet (14c.), variant of vaslet, originally "squire, young man," from Old French vassal (see vassal). The meaning "rascal, rogue" is 1540s.
varmint (n.): 1530s, chiefly American English dialectal variant of vermin. Meaning "objectionable or troublesome person" is recorded from 1773.
varnish (n.): mid-14c., from Old French vernis "varnish" (12c.), from Medieval Latin vernix "odorous resin," perhaps from Late Greek verenike, from Greek Berenike, name of an ancient city in Libya (modern Bengasi) credited with the first use of varnishes. The town is named for Berenike II, queen of Egypt (see Berenice). Figurative sense of "specious gloss, pretense," is recorded from 1560s.
varnish (v.): late 14c.; see varnish (n.). Related: Varnished; varnishing.
varsity (adj.): 1846, "university," variant of earlier versity (1670s), shortened form of university.
varus (n.): foot deformity, 1800, from Latin varus, literally "knock-kneed."
varve (n.): "annual deposit of silt in a lake bed," 1912, from Swedish varv "turn, layer," related to Old Norse hverfa, Old English hwerfan "to turn round" (see wharf).
varvel (n.): "metal ring attached to the end of a hawk's jess and connecting it to the leash," 1530s, from Old French vervelle (mid-14c.), from Vulgar Latin derivation of Latin vertibulum "joint."
vary (v.): mid-14c. (transitive); late 14c. (intransitive), from Old French varier, from Latin variare "change, alter, make different," from varius "varied, different, spotted;" perhaps related to varus "bent, crooked, knock-kneed," and varix "varicose vein," from a PIE root *wer- (1) "high raised spot or other bodily infirmity" (cf. Old English wearte "wart," Swedish varbulde "pus swelling," Latin verruca "wart"). Related: Varied; varying.
vas (n.): plural vasa, Latin, literally "vessel." Vas deferens (plural vasa defferentia) is from 1570s.
vascular (adj.): 1670s, from Modern Latin vascularis "of or pertaining to vessels or tubes," from Latin vasculum, diminutive of vas "vessel."
vasculature (n.): 1934, from Latin vascularis (see vascular) on model of musculature.
vasculitis (n.): 1900, from Latin vasculum, diminutive of vas + -itis.
vase (n.): late 14c., from Middle French vase, from Latin vas "container, vessel." American English preserves the original English pronunciation (Swift rhymes it with face, Byron with place and grace), while British English shifted mid-19c. to preference for a pronunciation that rhymes with bras.
vasectomy (n.): 1897, from Modern Latin vas (deferens) + -ectomy "a cutting."
Vaseline (n.): 1872, trademark for an ointment made from petroleum and marketed by Chesebrough Manufacturing Co., coined from German Wasser "water" + Greek elaion "oil" + scientific-sounded ending -ine. Robert A. Chesebrough was of the opinion that petroleum was a product of the underground decomposition of water.
The name is of mixed origin, being derived from Wasser, water, and elaion [Greek in the original], oil (water-oil), and indicates the belief of the discoverer that petroleum, the mother of Vaseline, is produced by the agency of heat and pressure from the carbon of certain rocks, and the hydrogen of water. ["The Monthly Review of Dental Surgery," February 1877]
vasoconstriction (n.): 1899, from comb. form of vas + constriction.
vasodilation (n.): 1896, from vasopressor, from vaso-, comb. form of Latin vas "container, vessel" (see vas) + dilation. Related: Vasodilator (1881).
vasopressin (n.): 1928, from vasopressor, from vaso-, comb. form of Latin vas "container, vessel" (see vas).
vassal (n.): mid-15c. (c.1200 as a surname) "tenant who pledges fealty to a lord," from Old French vassal, from Medieval Latin vassallus "manservant, domestic, retainer," from vassus "servant," from Old Celtic *wasso- "young man, squire" (cf. Welsh gwas "youth, servant," Breton goaz "servant, vassal, man," Irish foss "servant"). The adjective is recorded from 1590s.
vassalage (n.): c.1300, from Old French vassalage, from vassal (see vassal).
vast (adj.): 1570s, from Middle French vaste, from Latin vastus "immense, extensive, huge," also "desolate, unoccupied, empty." The two meanings probably originally attached to two separate words, one with a long -a- one with a short -a-, that merged in early Latin (see waste). Very popular early 18c. as an intensifier. Related: Vastly; vastness.
vat (n.): early 13c., southern variant (see V) of Old English fæt "container, vat," from Proto-Germanic *fatan (cf. Old Saxon, Old Norse fat, Old Frisian fet, Middle Dutch, Dutch vat, Old High German faz, German faß).
vates (n.): 1620s, "poet or bard," specifically "Celtic divinely inspired poet" (1728), from Latin vates "sooth-sayer, prophet, seer," cognate with Old Irish faith "poet," Welsh gwawd "poem," Old English wod "mad, frenzied" (see wood (adj.)). Hence vaticination "oracular prediction" (c.1600).