<B>vale</B> (1), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>valley. <BR> <I>Ex. o'er vale and mountain (Wordsworth).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the world regarded as a place of sorrow or tears, or the scene of life. <BR> <I>Ex. my dear friends and brethren in this vale of tears (Thackeray).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="vale">
<B>vale</B> (2), interjection, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>interj. </I> good-by; farewell. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a good-by; a farewell. <BR> <I>Ex. I am going to make my vales to you for some weeks (Shakespeare).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a farewell greeting, letter, or gift. </DL>
<A NAME="valediction">
<B>valediction, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the action of bidding farewell. <BR> <I>Ex. Their last valediction, thrice uttered by the attendants, was ... very solemn (Sir Thomas Browne).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=farewell.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="valedictorian">
<B>valedictorian, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the student who gives the farewell address at the graduation of his class. The valedictorian is usually the student who ranks highest in his class. </DL>
<A NAME="valedictory">
<B>valedictory, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ries,</B> adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a farewell address, especially at the graduating exercises of a school or college. <DD><I>adj. </I> bidding farewell. <BR> <I>Ex. Sir Winston treated the House of Commons to a stunning valedictory performance (Newsweek).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="valence">
<B>valence, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(Chemistry.) <DD><B> a. </B>the capacity of an atom or radical to combine with other atoms or radicals, determined by the number of electrons that an atom will lose, add, or share when it reacts with other atoms. Elements whose atoms lose electrons, such as hydrogen and the metals, have a positive valence. Elements whose atoms add electrons, such as oxygen and other nonmetals, have a negative valence. <DD><B> b. </B>a unit of valence. <BR> <I>Ex. Oxygen has two valences.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Biology.) <DD><B> a. </B>the ability of serums and other organic substances to interact or produce a certain effect. <DD><B> b. </B>the ability of chromosomes to unite with or produce a certain effect upon each other. </DL>
<A NAME="valenceelectron">
<B>valence electron,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an electron in the outer shell of an atom. In a chemical change, the atom gains, loses, or shares such an electron in combining with another atom or atoms to form a molecule. </DL>
<A NAME="valenciaorange">
<B>Valencia orange,</B> or <B>Valencia, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a thin-skinned, yellowish-brown orange that ripens during the summer, grown chiefly in California and Florida. </DL>
<A NAME="valencienneslace">
<B>Valenciennes lace,</B> or <B>Valenciennes, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a fine lace in which the pattern and background are made together of the same threads, originally made at Valenciennes, France, but now made elsewhere. </DL>
<A NAME="valency">
<B>valency, </B>noun, pl. <B>-cies.</B> <B>=valence.</B></DL>
<A NAME="valent">
<B>-valent,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (combining form.) having valence, as in <I>trivalent.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="valentine">
<B>valentine, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a greeting card or small gift sent on Valentine's Day, February 14. <DD><B> 2a. </B>a sweetheart chosen on this day. <BR> <I>Ex. I am also this year my wife's Valentine, and it cost me £5; but that I must have laid out if we had not been Valentines (Samuel Pepys).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>any sweetheart. </DL>
<B>Valentine's Day,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> February 14, the day on which valentines are exchanged; Saint Valentine's Day. </DL>
<A NAME="valentinian">
<B>Valentinian, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> of or having to do with Valentinus, a Gnostic leader who taught at Rome in the middle of the 100's A.D.; of or belonging to the Gnostic system or sect instituted by him. <DD><I>noun </I> a follower of Valentinus; Valentinian Gnostic. </DL>
<A NAME="valentinianism">
<B>Valentinianism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the system of doctrines maintained by the Valentinians. </DL>
<A NAME="valerate">
<B>valerate, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a salt of valeric acid. </DL>
<A NAME="valerian">
<B>valerian, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a strong-smelling drug used to quiet the nerves, prepared from the roots of the common variety of valerian. <DD><B> 2. </B>any one of a group of perennial herbs, cultivated for its medicinal root. Heliotrope, a kind of valerian, has small pinkish or white flowers and is often grown in gardens. </DL>
<A NAME="valerianaceous">
<B>valerianaceous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> belonging to a family of dicotyledonous herbs or shrubs typified by the valerian. </DL>
<A NAME="valerianate">
<B>valerianate, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a salt of valeric acid. </DL>
<B>valeric, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of, obtained from, or related to the plant valerian. <DD><B> 2. </B>of or having to do with valeric acid or one of the acids isomeric with it. </DL>
<A NAME="valericacid">
<B>valeric acid,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an organic acid present in valerian roots or produced synthetically, having a pungent odor and used in making perfumes, in flavoring, and in medicine. <DD><B> 2. </B>any one of several acids with the same formula. </DL>
<A NAME="valet">
<B>valet, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a servant who takes care of a man's clothes and gives him personal service. <BR> <I>Ex. No man is a hero to his valet (Marquise de Sevigne).</I> (SYN) manservant. <DD><B> 2. </B>a worker in a hotel who cleans or presses clothes and performs similar personal services. <DD><B> 3. </B>a rack or stand for holding a coat, trousers, hat, or other clothing. <DD><I>v.t., v.i. </I> to wait upon or serve as a valet. </DL>
<A NAME="valetdechambre">
<B>valet de chambre, </B>pl. <B>valets de chambre.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a man's personal servant; valet. </DL>
<A NAME="valetudinarian">
<B>valetudinarian, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a person in weak health; chronic invalid. <BR> <I>Ex. Having been a valetudinarian all his life, without activity of mind or body, he was a much older man in ways than in years (Jane Austen).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a person who thinks he is ill when he is not; hypochondriac. <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B><B>=sickly.</B> <DD><B> 2. </B>thinking too much about the state of one's health. </DL>
<A NAME="valetudinarianism">
<B>valetudinarianism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> valetudinarian condition or habits; invalidism. </DL>
<A NAME="valetudinary">
<B>valetudinary, </B>noun, pl. <B>-naries,</B> adjective. <B>=valetudinarian.</B></DL>
<A NAME="valgus">
<B>valgus, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a form of clubfoot or talipes in which the foot is turned outward. <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>(of the bones, especially in the foot, knee, and hip) characterized by the abnormal position of turning outward. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=knock-kneed.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="valhalla">
<B>Valhalla, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(Norse Mythology.) the hall where the souls of heroes slain in battle feast with the god Odin. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative:) <BR> <I>Ex. Neither Pitt nor Peel lives in my Valhalla (Lord Acton).</I> <DD> Also, <B>Walhalla.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="vali">
<B>vali, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the governor general of a Turkish vilayet. </DL>
<A NAME="valiance">
<B>valiance, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>bravery; valor; valiancy. <BR> <I>Ex. When our affright was over we ... set out afresh with double valiance (Elizabeth Gaskell).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Archaic.) a courageous act or deed. </DL>
<A NAME="valiancy">
<B>valiancy, </B>noun. <B>=valiance.</B></DL>
<A NAME="valiant">
<B>valiant, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>having courage; brave; courageous. <BR> <I>Ex. a valiant soldier.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>showing courage; heroic. <BR> <I>Ex. a valiant deed.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> a brave or courageous person. <BR> <I>Ex. Wealth ... is the possession of the valuable by the valiant (John Ruskin). Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once (Shakespeare).</I> adv. <B>valiantly.</B> noun <B>valiantness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="valid">
<B>valid, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>supported by facts or authority; sound or true. <BR> <I>Ex. a valid argument, proof, or assertion.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>having force in law; legally binding. <BR> <I>Ex. A contract made by an insane person is not valid.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>having force; holding good; effective. <BR> <I>Ex. Illness is a valid excuse for being absent from work.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Archaic.) <DD><B> a. </B>strong; powerful. <DD><B> b. </B><B>=healthy.</B> <DD><B> c. </B>sane. adv. <B>validly.</B> noun <B>validness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="validate">
<B>validate, </B>transitive verb, <B>-dated,</B> <B>-dating.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to make valid; give legal force to. <BR> <I>Ex. The farmer's deed validated his claim to the land.</I> (SYN) legalize. <DD><B> 2. </B>to support by facts or authority; confirm. (SYN) corroborate, substantiate. <DD><B> 3. </B>to make better or be of importance. <BR> <I>Ex. Writing columns is very important to me. ... I feel it validates me (New York Times Magazine).</I> noun <B>validation.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="validity">
<B>validity, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ties.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>truth or soundness. <BR> <I>Ex. the validity of an argument, the validity of an excuse.</I> (SYN) authenticity. <DD><B> 2. </B>legal soundness or force; being legally binding. <BR> <I>Ex. the validity of a contract.</I> (SYN) legality. <DD><B> 3. </B>effectiveness. <BR> <I>Ex. He had ... too high an opinion of the validity of regular troops (Benjamin Franklin).</I> (SYN) efficacy. </DL>
<A NAME="valine">
<B>valine, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an amino acid constituent of protein, essential to growth. It can be isolated by hydrolysis of fish proteins for use as a nutrient, in medication, and in biochemical research. </DL>
<A NAME="valinomycin">
<B>valinomycin, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an antibiotic substance that activates the movement of ions in cells, derived from a species of streptomyces. </DL>
<A NAME="valise">
<B>valise, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a traveling bag to hold clothes and other personal articles or to hold special equipment, such as that used by a doctor. (SYN) portmanteau, suitcase. </DL>
<A NAME="valium">
<B>Valium, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Trademark.) diazepam, a tranquilizer. </DL>
