Online Etymology Dictionary

vex (v.): early 15c., from Middle French vexer, from Latin vexare "to attack, harass, trouble," from vexus, collateral form of vectus, past participle of vehere "to draw, carry" (see vehicle). Related: Vexed; vexing.
vexation (n.): c.1400, from Old French vexation or directly from Latin vexationem (nominative vexatio) "agitation," noun of action from from vexus, from vexare (see vex).
vexatious (adj.): 1530s; see vexation + -ous. Related: Vexatiously; vexatiousness.
vexed (adj.): mid-15c., past participle adjective from vex. Phrase vexed question attested from 1848.
vexillology (n.): 1959, from Latin vexillum "flag" + -ology.
VHF: 1932, initialism of very high frequency.
VHS: 1982, initialism of Video Home System.
via (adv.): 1779, from Latin via "by way of," ablative form of via "way, road, channel, course," from PIE *wegh- (see weigh).
viable (adj.): 1828, from French viable "capable of life" (1530s), from vie "life" (from Latin vita "life;" see vital) + -able. Originally of newborn infants; generalized sense is first recorded 1848.
viaduct (n.): 1816, from Latin via "road" (see via) + -duct as in aqueduct. French viaduc is an English loan-word.
Viagra (n.): 1998, proprietary name of drug manufactured by Pfizer company.
vial (n.): c.1300, variant of fyole (see phial).
viand (n.): "article of food," early 14c., from Anglo-French viaunde, Old French viande "food," dissimilated from Vulgar Latin *vivanda, from Late Latin vivenda "things for living," in classical Latin, "be live," neuter plural gerundive of vivere "to live" (see vital).
viatical (adj.): 1847, from Latin viaticus, from via "way" (see via) + -al (1).
viaticum (n.): 1560s, from Latin viaticum "travelling money; provision for a journey," from via "way" (see via).
vibe (n.): 1940, short for vibraphone; attested from 1967 as an abbreviated form of vibration in the 1960s slang sense of "instinctive feelings."
vibrant (adj.): 1550s, "agitated," from Latin vibrantem (nominative vibrans) "swaying," present participle of vibrare "move to and fro" (see vibrate). Meaning "vigorous, full of life" is first recorded 1860. Related: Vibrantly.
vibraphone (n.): 1926, from vibrato + -phone, from Greek -phone.
vibrate (v.): 1610s, from Latin vibratus, past participle of vibrare "move quickly to and fro, shake," from PIE *w(e)ib- "move quickly to and fro" (cf. Lithuanian wyburiu "to wag" (the tail), Danish vippe, Dutch wippen "to swing," Old English wipan "to wipe"). Related: Vibrated; vibrating.
vibration (n.): 1650s, from Latin vibrationem (nominative vibratio), from vibratus (see vibrate). Meaning "intuitive signal about a person or thing" was popular late 1960s, but has been recorded as far back as 1899.
vibrato: 1861, from Italian vibrato, from Latin vibratus, past participle of vibrare "to vibrate" (see vibrate).
vibrator (n.): 1862, "that which vibrates," agent noun in Latin form from vibrate (v.). Attested from 1888 in reference to various appliances; specific sense of "small electrical device for sexual stimulation" is recorded from 1953.
vibrissa (n.): plural vibrissae, 1690s, from Latin vibrissa, akin to vibrare "to vibrate" (see vibrate).
viburnum (n.): genus of shrubs, the arrowwood, 1731, from Latin viburnum, which is said to be probably an Etruscan loan-word.
Vic: 1858, colloquial abbreviation of Royal Victoria Theater in London.
vicar (n.): c.1300, from Old French vicaire, from Latin vicarius "substitute, deputy," noun use of adj. vicarius "substituting," from vicis "change, turn, office" (see vicarious). The original notion is of "earthly representative of God or Christ;" but also used in sense of "person acting as parish priest in place of a real parson" (early 14c.).

The original Vicar of Bray (in figurative use from 1660s) seems to have been Simon Allen, who held the benefice from c.1540 to 1588, thus serving from the time of Henry VIII to Elizabeth, and was twice a Catholic and twice a Protestant, but always vicar of Bray. The village is near Maidenhead in Berkshire.
vicarage (n.): early 15c., "benefice of a vicar," from vicar + -age. Meaning "house or residence of a vicar" is from 1520s.
vicarious (adj.): 1630s, from Latin vicarius "substitute, deputy" (adj. and n.), from vicis "turn, change, exchange, substitution," from PIE root *weik-, *weig- "to bend, wind" (cf. Sanskrit visti "changing, changeable;" Old English wician "to give way, yield," wice "wych elm;" Old Norse vikja "to bend, turn;" Swedish viker "willow twig, wand;" German wechsel "change"). Related: Vicariously.
vice (n.1): "moral fault, wickedness," c.1300, from Old French vice, from Latin vitium "defect, offense, blemish, imperfection," in both physical and moral senses (cf. Italian vezzo "usage, entertainment").
Horace and Aristotle have already spoken to us about the virtues of their forefathers and the vices of their own times, and through the centuries, authors have talked the same way. If all this were true, we would be bears today. [Montesquieu]
Vice squad is attested from 1905. Vice anglais "corporal punishment," literally "the English vice," is attested from 1942, from French.
vice (n.2): "tool for holding," see vise.
vice versa: c.1600, Latin, from vice, ablative of vicis "a turn, change" (see vicarious) + versa, feminine ablative singular of versus, past participle of vertere "to turn, turn about" (see versus).
vice-: word-forming element meaning "instead of, in place of," 15c., from Latin vice "in place of," ablative of vicis "change, turn, office" (see vicarious). Sometimes borrowed in Old French form vis-, vi-.
vice-president (n.): also vice president, 1570s, "one who acts as a deputy for a president," from vice- + president. Made into an official rank and given a different meaning in the U.S. Constitution (1787).
There seems to be no doubt of my election as V[ice] Pres[iden]t. It will have at least one advantage, that of permitting me to devote more of my time to my private affairs. [John C. Calhoun, letter to wife, Nov. 12, 1824]
Related: vice presidential; vice presidency.
vicegerent (n.): 1530s, from Medieval Latin vicegerentem (nominative vicegerens), from Latin vicem "stead, place, office," (see vicarious) + gerens, present participle of gerere "to carry" (see gest). From 1570s as an adjective.
viceroy (n.): person ruling as representative of a sovereign, 1520s, from Middle French vice-roy, from Old French vice- "deputy" (see vice-) + roi "king," from Latin regem (nominative rex); see rex. The species of American butterfly so called from 1881.
Vichy (adj.): in reference to collaborationist government of France, 1940, from the name of the city in department of Allier in central France, famous for mineral springs, seat 1940-44 of the French government formed under Nazi occupation headed by Pétain.
vichyssoise (n.): 1939, French, in full crême vichyssoise glacée, literally "iced cream (soup) of Vichy" (see Vichy).
vicinity (n.): 1560, "nearness in place," from Latin vicinitas "of or pertaining to neighbors or a neighborhood," from vicinus "neighbor, neighboring," from vicus "group of houses, village," related to the -wick, -wich in English place names, from PIE *weik- (see villa). Meaning "surrounding district" is first attested 1796.
vicious (adj.): early 14c. (implied in viciously), "of the nature of vice, wicked," from Anglo-French vicious, Old French vicieus, from Latin vitiosus "faulty, defective, corrupt," from vitium "fault" (see vice (n.1)). Meaning "inclined to be savage or dangerous" is first recorded 1711 (originally of animals, especially horses); that of "full of spite, bitter, severe" is from 1825. In law, "marred by some inherent fault" (late 14c.), hence also this sense in logic (c.1600); cf. vicious circle in reasoning (c.1792, Latin circulus vitiosus), which was given a general sense of "a situation in which action and reaction intensify one another" by 1839.
vicissitude (n.): 1560s, from Middle French vicissitude (14c.), from Latin vicissitudinem (nominative vicissitudo) "change," from vicissim "changeably, in turn," from vicis "a turn, change" (see vicarious). Related: Vicissitudes.
Vicksburg: city in Mississippi, U.S., incorporated 1825, named for early settler in the region the Rev. Newitt Vick, who was said to have come there c.1812 from Virginia with his family and chose the town site in 1819.
victim (n.): late 15c., "living creature killed and offered as a sacrifice to a deity or supernatural power," from Latin victima "person or animal killed as a sacrifice." Perhaps distantly connected to Old English wig "idol," Gothic weihs "holy," German weihen "consecrate" (cf. Weihnachten "Christmas") on notion of "a consecrated animal." Sense of "person who is hurt, tortured, or killed by another" is first recorded 1650s; meaning "person oppressed by some power or situation" is from 1718. Weaker sense of "person taken advantage of" is recorded from 1781.
victimization (n.): 1840, noun of action from victimize.
victimize (v.): 1830, from victim + -ize. Related: Victimized; victimizing.
victimless (adj.): 1965, from victim + -less.
victimology (n.): 1958, from French victimologie (1956), from victime; see victim + -logy.
victor (n.): mid-14c., from Latin victorem (nominative victor) "a conqueror," agent noun from past participle stem of vincere "to conquer," from PIE root *weik- "to fight, conquer" (cf. Lithuanian apveikiu "to subdue, overcome," Old Church Slavonic veku "strength, power, age," Old Norse vigr "able in battle," Old English wigan "fight," Welsh gwych "brave, energetic," Old Irish fichim "I fight," second element in Celtic Ordovices "those who fight with hammers").
Victoria: fem. proper name, Latin, literally "victory" (see victory). The Victoria cross is a decoration founded 1856 by Queen Victoria.
Victorian (adj.): 1839, "belonging to or typical of the reign of Queen Victoria of Great Britain" (ruled 1837-1901). Figurative sense of "typified by prudish or outdated attitudes" is attested by 1934. The noun meaning "a person from or typical of Victorian times" is from 1876.
victorious (adj.): late 14c., from Late Latin victoriosus "having many victories," from victoria (see victory). Related: Victoriously; victoriousness.