<B>viscera, </B>noun pl. of <B>viscus.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the soft internal organs of the body, especially of the abdominal cavity. The heart, stomach, liver, intestines, and kidneys are viscera. <DD><B> 2. </B>the intestines. </DL>
<A NAME="visceral">
<B>visceral, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of, having to do with, or in the region of the viscera. <DD><B> 2. </B>affecting the viscera. <BR> <I>Ex. a visceral disease.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>consisting of or of the nature of viscera. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Figurative.) touching deeply; affecting inward feelings; not mental or rational. <BR> <I>Ex. visceral reactions.</I> (SYN) irrational, emotional. <DD><B> 5. </B>crude; blunt. <BR> <I>Ex. a visceral description of prison life.</I> adv. <B>viscerally.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="viscerogenic">
<B>viscerogenic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> originating in the viscera or in visceral processes. <BR> <I>Ex. viscerogenic hunger, viscerogenic needs.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="visceroptosis">
<B>visceroptosis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a slipping down of the abdominal viscera. </DL>
<B>viscid, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>thick and sticky like heavy syrup or glue; sticky; glutinous; adhesive; viscous. (SYN) mucilaginous. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Botany.) covered with a sticky secretion. <BR> <I>Ex. viscid leaves.</I> adv. <B>viscidly.</B> noun <B>viscidness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="viscidity">
<B>viscidity, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the quality of being viscid or sticky; viscidness. <DD><B> 2. </B>a viscid substance or collection of substances. </DL>
<A NAME="viscoelastic">
<B>viscoelastic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having the properties of viscosity and elasticity. </DL>
<A NAME="viscoelasticity">
<B>viscoelasticity, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the quality or condition of being viscoelastic. </DL>
<A NAME="viscoid">
<B>viscoid, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of a viscid or viscous nature. </DL>
<B>viscose</B> (1), noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a thick, sticky substance made by treating cellulose with caustic soda and carbon disulfide. Viscose is used in manufacturing rayon and cellophane, for sizing, and for other purposes. <DD><I>adj. </I> having to do with or made from viscose. </DL>
<B>viscosimeter, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an instrument for measuring the viscosity of liquids. </DL>
<A NAME="viscosimetric">
<B>viscosimetric, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with a viscosimeter. </DL>
<A NAME="viscosimetry">
<B>viscosimetry, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the measurement of the viscosity of liquids. </DL>
<A NAME="viscosity">
<B>viscosity, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ties.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the condition or quality of being viscous. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Physics.) <DD><B> a. </B>the resistance of a fluid to the motion of its molecules among themselves. <DD><B> b. </B>the ability of a solid or semisolid to change its shape gradually under stress. </DL>
<A NAME="viscount">
<B>viscount, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an English nobleman, ranking next below an earl and above a baron. A viscount is usually the eldest son of an earl, holding the title of viscount during his father's lifetime. <DD><B> 2. </B>a person administering a district as the deputy or representative of an earl, especially a sheriff or high sheriff in England. <DD><B> 3. </B>the son or younger brother of a count in a Continental country. </DL>
<A NAME="viscountcy">
<B>viscountcy, </B>noun, pl. <B>-cies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the title, rank, or dignity of a viscount. </DL>
<A NAME="viscountess">
<B>viscountess, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the wife or widow of a viscount. <DD><B> 2. </B>a lady equal in rank to a viscount. </DL>
<B>viscounty, </B>noun, pl. <B>-counties.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B><B>=viscountcy.</B> <DD><B> 2. </B>the office or jurisdiction of a viscount, or the territory under his rule. </DL>
<A NAME="viscous">
<B>viscous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>thick like heavy syrup or glue; sticky; viscid. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Physics.) having the property of viscosity. adv. <B>viscously.</B> noun <B>viscousness.</B> </DL>
<B>viscus, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> singular of <B>viscera.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="vise">
<B>vise, </B>noun, verb, <B>vised,</B> <B>vising.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a tool having two jaws opened and closed by a screw, used to hold an object firmly while work is being done on it. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to hold, press, or squeeze with a vise. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) He usually has a cigar butt vised in his teeth (Time).</I> <DD> Also, (especially British,) <B>vice.</B> adj. <B>viselike.</B> </DL>
<B>Vishnu, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the name of one of the three chief deities of Hinduism (Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the preserver, and Siva, the destroyer), identified by his worshipers with the supreme deity and regarded as the preserver of the world. Of Vishnu's ten appearances on earth in human form (avatars), nine have already occurred. The most important reincarnations, Krishna and Rama, are specially honored. </DL>
<A NAME="vishnuism">
<B>Vishnuism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the worship of Vishnu; Vaishnavism. </DL>
<A NAME="vishnuite">
<B>Vishnuite, </B>noun. <B>=Vishnuvite.</B></DL>
<A NAME="vishnuvite">
<B>Vishnuvite, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a worshiper or adherent of Vishnu; Vaishnava. </DL>
<A NAME="visibility">
<B>visibility, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ties.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the condition or quality of being visible; capability of being seen. <DD><B> 2a. </B>the condition of light or atmosphere with reference to the distance at which things can be clearly seen. <BR> <I>Ex. In a fog the visibility is very poor.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>the greatest distance at which objects are visible, especially to the naked eye or, sometimes, radar; range of vision. <BR> <I>Ex. Fog and rain decreased visibility to about 50 feet.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a visible thing or object. <BR> <I>Ex. Men are visibilities; ghosts are not.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>the ratio of the luminous flux of a specified wavelength to the radiation that produces it. </DL>
<A NAME="visible">
<B>visible, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1a. </B>that can be seen. <BR> <I>Ex. The shore was barely visible through the fog.</I> (SYN) distinct. <DD><B> b. </B>that can be converted, often from one of various forms of energy, into electrical energy in order to be made visible. <BR> <I>Ex. heartbeat made visible with an electrocardiograph.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>that can be seen under certain particular conditions. <BR> <I>Ex. The eclipse of the moon was visible at midnight.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) readily evident; apparent; obvious. <BR> <I>Ex. A tramp has no visible means of support.</I> (SYN) manifest, perceptible. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>something seen; visible thing. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Genetics.) a mutation easily seen by examination. <BR> <I>Ex. We know how many of the genetical effects are ... dominant visibles which affect the offspring, or recessive visibles which affect later generations of irradiated flies (C. Auerbach).</I> noun <B>visibleness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="visiblelight">
<B>visible light,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> light consisting of electromagnetic waves that can be seen, as contrasted with ultraviolet and infrared waves that are invisible. <BR> <I>Ex. Visible light occupies less than one octave of the spectrum of electromagnetic waves (W. C. Vaughan).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="visiblespectrum">
<B>visible spectrum,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the part of the spectrum that can be seen, appearing as a band of colors merging through continuous hues into each other from red to violet. </DL>
<A NAME="visiblespeech">
<B>visible speech,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a system of phonetic notation invented by Alexander Melville Bell (1819-1905) as an aid for teaching the deaf to speak, consisting of conventionalized diagrams of the organs of speech in position to utter various sounds. </DL>
<A NAME="visibly">
<B>visibly, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>so as to be visible. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) plainly; evidently. <BR> <I>Ex. After the hike over the mountain the boys were visibly weary.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="visigoth">
<B>Visigoth, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a member of the western division of the Goths. The Visigoths plundered Rome in A.D. 410, and formed a monarchy in France and northern Spain about A.D. 418. </DL>
<A NAME="visigothic">
<B>Visigothic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with the Visigoths. </DL>
<A NAME="visile">
<B>visile, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Psychology.) a person in whose mind visual images are predominant, or especially distinct; visualizer. </DL>
<A NAME="vision">
<B>vision, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the power of seeing; sense of sight. <BR> <I>Ex. The old man wears glasses because his vision is poor.</I> (SYN) eyesight. <DD><B> 2. </B>the act or fact of seeing; sight. <BR> <I>Ex. The vision of the table loaded with food made our mouths water.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the power of perceiving by imagination or by clear thinking. <BR> <I>Ex. the vision of a prophet, a man of great vision.</I> (SYN) discernment. <DD><B> 4. </B>something seen in the imagination, in a dream, in one's thoughts, or the like. <BR> <I>Ex. The beggar had visions of great wealth.</I> (SYN) fantasy. <DD><B> 5. </B>a phantom. <DD><B> 6. </B>something that is very beautiful, such as a person or scene. <DD><I>v.t., v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to see in a vision. <DD><B> 2. </B>to show in a vision. </DL>
