Online Etymology Dictionary

velum (n.): 1771, from Latin velum "a sail, awning, curtain, covering" (see veil (n.)).
velvet (n.): early 14c., probably from Old Provençal veluet, from Vulgar Latin *villutittus, diminutive of Vulgar Latin villutus "velvet," literally "shaggy cloth," from Latin villus "shaggy hair, nap of cloth, tuft of hair," probably a dialectal variant of vellus "fleece."
velveteen (n.): imitation velvet (made with cotton in place of silk), 1776, from velvet + commercial suffix -een (variant of -ine).
velvety (adj.): 1752, from velvet + -y (2). Related: Velvetiness.
ven.: abbreviation of venerable.
vena cava (n.): Medical Latin, from Latin vena "vein" (see vein) + cava, from cavus "hollow" (see cave (n.)).
venal (adj.): 1650s, "offered for sale, capable of being obtained for a price," from French vénal, from Latin venalis "that is for sale," from venum (nominative *venus) "for sale," from PIE root *wes- "to buy, sell" (cf. Sanskrit vasnah "purchase money," vasnam "reward," vasnayati "he bargains, haggles;" Greek onos "price paid, purchase," oneisthai "to buy").
venality (n.): 1610s, from French vénalité or directly from Late Latin venalitatem (nominative venalitas) "capable of being bought," from venalis (see venal).
venation (n.): 1640s, of plant structures, noun of state from Latin vena "vein" (see vein).
vend (v.): late 14c., from Latin vendere "to sell, praise," contraction of venumdare "offer for sale," from venum "for sale" (see venal) + dare "to give" (see date (n.1)). Related: Vended; vending. Vending machine is recorded from 1889.
vender (n.): 1590s, agent noun in native form from vend (v.).
vendetta (n.): 1855, from Italian vendetta "a feud, blood feud," from Latin vindicta "revenge" (see vindictive). Especially associated with Corsica.
vendor (n.): 1590s, from late Anglo-French vendor, from vendre "to vend," from Latin vendere "to sell" (see vend).
vendue (n.): "public sale, auction," 1680s, from Dutch vendu, from French vendue "sale," from vendre "to sell," from Latin vendere (see vend).
veneer (n.): 1702, from German Furnier, from furnieren "to cover with a veneer, inlay," from French fournir "to furnish, accomplish," from Middle French fornir "to furnish," from a Germanic source (cf. Old High German frumjan "to provide;" see furnish). A word batted back and forth from German to French to German. Figurative sense of "mere outward show of some good quality" is attested from 1868. The verb is recorded from 1728.
venerable (adj.): early 15c., from Latin venerabilis, from venerari "to worship, revere" (see veneration). As a title, used in reference to ecclesiastics or those who had obtained the first degree of canonization.
venerate (v.): 1620s, from Latin veneratus, past participle of venerari "to reverence, worship" (see veneration). Related: Venerated; venerating.
veneration (n.): early 15c., from Middle French veneration, from Latin venerationem (nominative veneratio) "reverence," from past participle stem of venerari "to worship, revere," from venus (genitive veneris) "beauty, love, desire" (see Venus).
venereal (adj.): early 15c., "of or pertaining to sexual desire or intercourse," from Latin venereus, from venus (genitive veneris) "sexual love, sexual desire" (see Venus). Used of sexually transmitted diseases from 1650s.
venery (n.): "pursuit of sexual pleasure," late 15c., from Medieval Latin veneria "sexual intercourse," from Latin venus (genitive veneris) "sexual love, sexual desire" (see Venus). In earlier use it may have been felt as a play on now obsolete homonym venery "practice or sport of hunting, the chase" (early 14c.), from Old French venerie, from Latin venari "to hunt" (see venison).
Venetian: early 15c., "native or resident of Venice," from Medieval Latin Venetianus, from Venetia (see Venice). Also probably in part from Old French Venicien. As a kind of dress cloth, from 1710. Venetian blinds so called by 1791.
Venezuela: Spanish, diminutive of Venecia "Venice" (see Venice). Supposedly the name was given by Spanish sailors in 1499 when they saw a native village built on piles on Lake Maracaibo.
venge (v.): "avenge," c.1300, from Old French vengier, from Latin vindicare (see vindication). Related: Venged; venging.
vengeance (n.): c.1300, from Anglo-French vengeaunce, Old French vengeance "revenge," from vengier "take revenge," from Latin vindicare "to set free, claim, avenge" (see vindicate).
Vengeance is mine, ... saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. [Paul to the Romans, xii:19-20]
vengeful (adj.): 1580s, from obsolete venge "take revenge" + -ful. Related: Vengefully; vengefulness.
venial (adj.): c.1300, from Old French venial, from Latin venialis "pardonable," from venia "forgiveness, indulgence, pardon," related to venus "sexual love, desire" (see Venus).
Venice: from Medieval Latin Venetia, from Veneti (Greek Ouenetoi), name of an ancient people of Illyrian origin.
venire: 1660s, elliptical for venire facias (mid-15c.), Latin, literally "that you cause to come," formerly the first words in a writ to a sheriff to summon a jury. See venue.
venison (n.): late 13c., from Old French venesoun "meat of large game," especially deer or boar, also "a hunt," from Latin venationem (nominative venatio) "a hunt," also "game as the product of the hunt," from venatus, past participle of venari "to hunt, pursue," probably from PIE root *weie- "to strive after, pursue with vigor, desire" (cf. Sanskrit veti "follows after," Avestan vayeiti "hunts," Lithuanian veju "to hunt, pursue," Old Church Slavonic voji "warrior," Old English waþ "hunting," Old Norse veiðr "chase, hunting, fishing;" see Venus).
Venn diagram (n.): 1884, named for English logician John Venn (1834-1923) of Cambridge, who explained them in the book "Symbolic Logic" (1881).
venom (n.): early 13c., from Anglo-French and Old French venim, from Vulgar Latin *venimen (cf. Italian veleno, Spanish veneno), from Latin venenum "poison," earlier (pre-classical) "drug, potion," probably originally "love potion," from PIE *wenes-no-, and thus connected to venus "erotic love" (see Venus), Sanskrit van- "wish, desire, gain." The meaning "bitter, virulent feeling or language" is first recorded c.1300.
venomous (adj.): late 13c., from Anglo-French venimeus, Old French venimeux, from venim (see venom). Earliest recorded use is figurative; literal sense by early 14c. Related: Venomously; venomousness.
venous (adj.): 1620s, from Latin venosus "full of veins," from vena (see vein).
vent (v.): late 14c., "emit from a confined space," probably a shortening of Old French eventer "let out, expose to air," from Vulgar Latin *exventare, from Latin ex- "out" + ventus "wind" (see wind (n.1)). Sense of "express freely" first recorded 1590s. Sense of "divulge, publish" (1590s) is behind phrase vent one's spleen (see spleen). Related: Vented; venting.
vent (n.): "hole, opening, outlet," 1560s, from vent (v.). Meaning "action of venting" is recorded from 1550s.
ventilate (v.): mid-15c., "to blow away something" (of wind), from Latin ventilatus, past participle of ventilare "to brandish, toss in the air, winnow, fan, agitate, set in motion," from ventulus "a breeze," diminutive of ventus "wind" (see wind (n.1)). Original notion is of cleaning grain by tossing it in the air and letting the wind blow away the chaff. Meaning "supply a room with fresh air" first recorded 1660s (implied in ventilation). Slang sense of "shoot" (someone) is recorded from 1875. Related: Ventilated; ventilating.
ventilation (n.): mid-15c., from Latin ventilationem (nominative ventilatio) "an exposing to the air," noun of action from past participle stem of ventilare (see ventilate).
ventilator (n.): 1743, agent noun from ventilate. Latin ventilator meant "a winnower."
ventral (adj.): 1739, from French ventral, from Late Latin ventralis "of or pertaining to the belly or stomach," from Latin venter (genitive ventris) "belly, paunch," from PIE *wend-tri- (cf. Latin vesica "bladder," Sanskrit vastih "bladder," Old High German wanast, German wanst "paunch, belly").
ventricle (n.): late 14c., from Latin ventriculus "stomach," diminutive of venter (genitive ventris) "belly" (see ventral).
ventriloquism (n.): 1773, from ventriloquy + -ism.
ventriloquist (n.): 1650s, from ventriloquy + -ist. Ventriloquists in ancient Greece were Pythones, a reference to the Delphic Oracle.
ventriloquy (n.): 1580s, from Late Latin ventriloquus, from Latin venter (genitive ventris) "belly" (see ventral) + loqui "speak" (see locution).

Patterned on Greek engastrimythos, literally "speaking in the belly," which was not originally an entertainer's trick but rather a rumbling sort of internal speech, regarded as a sign of spiritual inspiration or (more usually) demonic possession. Reference to the modern activity so called seems to have begun early 18c., and by 1797 it was being noted that this was a curiously inappropriate word to describe throwing the voice.
venture (v.): mid-15c., "to risk the loss" (of something), shortened form of aventure, itself a form of adventure. General sense of "to dare, to presume" is recorded from 1550s. Noun sense of "risky undertaking" first recorded 1560s; meaning "enterprise of a business nature" is recorded from 1580s. Venture capital is attested from 1943.
venturesome (adj.): 1660s, from venture + -some.
Venturi: 1887, in reference to Italian physicist G.B. Venturi (1746-1822).
venturous (adj.): 1560s, shortened form of adventurous, influenced by venture.
venue (n.): early 14c., "a coming for the purpose of attack," from Old French venue "coming," from fem. past participle of venir "to come," from Latin venire "to come," from PIE root *gwa- "to go, come" (cf. Old English cuman "to come;" see come). The sense of "place where a case in law is tried" is first recorded 1530s. Extended to locality in general, especially "site of a concert or sporting event" (1857). Change of venue is from Blackstone (1768).
venule (n.): 1850, from Latin venula, diminutive of vena "vein" (see vein).
Venus: Old English, from Latin Venus (plural veneres), in ancient Roman mythology, the goddess of beauty and love, especially sensual love, from venus "love, sexual desire, loveliness, beauty, charm," from PIE root *wen- "to strive after, wish, desire, be satisfied" (cf. Sanskrit vanas- "desire," vanati "desires, loves, wins;" Avestan vanaiti "he wishes, is victorious;" Old English wynn "joy," wunian "to dwell," wenian "to accustom, train, wean," wyscan "to wish"). Applied by the Romans to Greek Aphrodite, Egyptian Hathor, etc. Meaning "second planet from the sun" is attested from late 13c. (Old English had morgensteorra and æfensteorra).

The venus fly-trap (Dionæa muscipula) was discovered 1760 by Gov. Arthur Dobbs in North Carolina and description sent to Collinson in England. The Algonquian name for the plant, titipiwitshile, yielded regional American English tippity wichity.