Vaseline (n.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict[Vaseline 词源字典]
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]
[Vaseline etymology, Vaseline origin, 英语词源]
vasoconstriction (n.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
1899, from comb. form of vas + constriction.
vasodilation (n.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
1896, from vasopressor, from vaso-, comb. form of Latin vas "container, vessel" (see vas) + dilation. Related: Vasodilator (1881).
vasopressin (n.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
1928, from vasopressor "causing the constriction of (blood) vessels) (from vaso-, comb. form of Latin vas "container, vessel;" see vas) + -in (2).
vassal (n.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
early 14c. (c. 1200 as a surname) "tenant who pledges fealty to a lord," from Old French vassal "subject, subordinate, servant" (12c.), from Medieval Latin vassallus "manservant, domestic, retainer," extended from vassus "servant," from Old Celtic *wasso- "young man, squire" (cognates: Welsh gwas "youth, servant," Breton goaz "servant, vassal, man," Irish foss "servant"). The adjective is recorded from 1580s.
vassalage (n.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
c. 1300, from Old French vassalage, vasselage "the service of a vassal," from vassal (see vassal).
vast (adj.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
1570s, "being of great extent or size," 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 (v.)). Meaning "very great in quantity or number" is from 1630s; that of "very great in degree" is from 1670s. Very popular early 18c. as an intensifier. Related: Vastly; vastness; vasty.
vat (n.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
c. 1200, large tub or cistern, "especially one for holding liquors in an immature state" [Century Dictionary], southern variant (see V) of Old English fæt "container, vat," from Proto-Germanic *fatan (cognates: Old Saxon, Old Norse fat, Old Frisian fet, Middle Dutch, Dutch vat, Old High German faz, German faß), from PIE root *ped- (2) "container" (cognates: Lithuanian puodas "pot").
vaterland (n.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
1852, from German Vaterland, from Vater (see father (n.)) + Land (see land (n.)).
vates (n.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
1620s, "poet or bard," specifically "Celtic divinely inspired poet" (1728), from Latin vates "sooth-sayer, prophet, seer," from a Celtic source akin to Old Irish faith "poet," Welsh gwawd "poem," from PIE root *wet- (1) "to blow; inspire, spiritually arouse" (cognates: Old English wod "mad, frenzied," god-name Woden; see wood (adj.)). Hence vaticination "oracular prediction" (c. 1600).
vatic (adj.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
"pertaining to a prophet," c. 1600, from Latin vates (see vates) + -ic.
VaticanyoudaoicibaDictYouDict
1550s, from Latin mons Vaticanus, Roman hill on which Papal palace stands. Said to be an Etruscan loan-word, not related to vates "sooth-sayer."
vaticinate (v.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
"to prophecy, foretell," 1620s, from Latin vaticinatus, past participle of vaticinari, from vates (see vates) + formative element -cinus. Related: Vaticinated; vaticinating; Vaticinal.
vaticination (n.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
c. 1600, from Latin vaticinationem (nominative vaticinatio), noun of action from past participle stem of vaticinari (see vaticinate).
vaudeville (n.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
1735, "a country song," especially one for the stage, from French vaudeville (16c.), alteration (by influence of ville "town") of Middle French vaudevire, said to be from (chanson du) Vau de Vire "(song of the) valley of Vire," in the Calvados region of Normandy, first applied to the popular satirical songs of Olivier Basselin, a 15c. poet who lived in Vire. The alternative explanation is that vaudevire derives from Middle French dialectal vauder "to go" + virer "to turn." From the popularity of the songs in France grew a form of theatrical entertainment based on parodies of popular opera and drama, interspersed with songs.
The Théatre du Vaudeville is rich in parodies, which follow rapidly upon every new piece given at the Opera, or at the Théatre Français. Their parody upon Hamlet is too ludicrous for description, but irresistibly laughable; and the elegaut light ballet of La Colombe Retrouvée [The Dove found again], I saw parodied at the Vaudeville as "La Maison Retrouvée" [The House found again], with a breadth of farce quite beyond the genius of Sadler's Wells. Some of the acting here, particularly that of the men, is exquisite; and the orchestra like all the orchestras in Paris is full and excellent. ["France in 1816," by Lady Morgan]
As a sort of popular stage variety entertainment show suitable for families, from c. 1881 in U.S., displaced by movies after c. 1914, considered dead from 1932.
vaudevillian (n.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
"performer in vaudeville shows," 1900, from vaudeville + -ian.
VaughanyoudaoicibaDictYouDict
from Welsh fychan, mutation of bychan "small."
vault (n.1)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
"arched roof or ceiling," c. 1300, vaute, from Old French voute "arch, vaulting, vaulted roof or chamber," from Vulgar Latin *volta, contraction of *volvita, noun use of fem. of *volvitus, alteration of Latin volutus "bowed, arched," past participle of volvere "to turn, turn around, roll" (see volvox). The -l- appeared in English c. 1400, an etymological insertion in imitation of earlier forms (compare fault (n.)).
vault (v.1)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
"jump or leap over," especially by aid of the hands or a pole, 1530s, transitive (implied in vaulting); 1560s, intransitive, from Middle French volter "to gambol, leap," from Italian voltare "to turn," from Vulgar Latin *volvitare "to turn, leap," frequentative of Latin volvere "to turn, turn around, roll" (see volvox). Related: Vaulted; vaulting.
vault (n.2)youdaoicibaDictYouDict
"a leap," especially using the hands or a pole, 1570s, from vault (v.1).