Advertisement
745 entries found
voodoo (n.)
religious witchcraft of Haiti and Southern U.S., ultimately of African origin, 1850, from Louisiana French voudou, from a West African language (such as Ewe and Fon vodu "spirit, demon, deity," also Vandoo, supposedly the name of an African deity, from a language of Dahomey). Compare vodun "fetish connected with snake worship in Dahomey," said to be from vo "to be afraid," or vo "harmful." The verb is attested from 1880.
Related entries & more 
Advertisement
vor 
German, "before, in front of" (see fore).
Related entries & more 
voracious (adj.)
1630s, formed as an adjectival form of voracity. Related: Voraciously; voraciousness.
Related entries & more 
voracity (n.)

"greediness of appetite, voraciousness," 1520s, from Middle French voracité (14c.) or directly from Latin voracitatem (nominative voracitas) "greediness, ravenousness," from vorax (genitive voracis) "greedy, ravenous, consuming," from vorare "to devour," from PIE *gwor-a-, from root *gwora- "food, devouring."

Related entries & more 
vorlage (n.)
"skiing," 1939, from German vorlage, from vorlegen "to lean forward," from vor (see fore) + legen, from Old High German laga "act of laying," from Proto-Germanic *lagam, from PIE root *legh- "to lie down, lay."
Related entries & more 
Advertisement
vorpal (adj.)

1871, invented by Lewis Carroll in "Through the Looking-Glass" ("Jabberwocky").

Related entries & more 
vortex (n.)
1650s, "whirlpool, eddying mass," from Latin vortex, variant of vertex "an eddy of water, wind, or flame; whirlpool; whirlwind," from stem of vertere "to turn" (from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend"). Plural form is vortices. Became prominent in 17c. theories of astrophysics (by Descartes, etc.). In reference to human affairs, it is attested from 1761. Vorticism as a movement in British arts and literature is attested from 1914, coined by Ezra Pound. Related: Vortical; vorticist.
Related entries & more 
votary (n.)
1540s, "one consecrated by a vow," from Latin votum "a promise to a god; that which is promised" (see vow (n.)) + -ary. Originally "a monk or nun," general sense of "ardent devotee of some aim or pursuit" is from 1591 (in Shakespeare, originally in reference to love). Related: Votaress.
Related entries & more 
vote (v.)
1550s, "give a vote to;" 1560s, "enact or establish by vote,"; see vote (n.). Earlier it meant "to vow" to do something (mid-15c.). Related: Voted; voting.
Related entries & more 
vote (n.)
mid-15c., "formal expression of one's wish or choice with regard to a proposal, candidate, etc.," from Latin votum "a vow, wish, promise to a god, solemn pledge, dedication," noun use of neuter of votus, past participle of vovere "to promise, dedicate" (see vow (n.)). Meaning "totality of voters of a certain class or type" is from 1888.
Related entries & more 

Page 71