# General Information (V)

V-band
The V-band is the frequency band from 46,000 to 56,000 mhz employed in radar.

Vacuum
A vacuum is a space from which the gas has been removed.

Vacuum-flask
A vacuum-flask is a double-walled vessel with the space between the two walls exhausted of air as completely as possible. It was originally devised by Sir James Dewar for preserving liquefied gases at very low temperatures from evaporation. The nature of heat transference means that the substance contained in a vacuum-flask remains at its temperature for very much longer than if it were in an ordinary single walled vessel.

Valence
In chemistry, valence is a number that represents the combining power of an element or radical.

Valence electrons
In chemistry, valence electrons are the electrons located in the outermost shell of an atom.

Valency
Valency is a term used by chemists to describe the combining ability of of an element with respect to hydrogen.

Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is celebrated in many countries on February 14 as a festival of romance and affection. People send greeting cards called valentines to their sweethearts, friends, and members of their families. Many valentine cards have romantic verses, and others contain humorous pictures and sayings. Many say, 'Be my valentine.' Valentine's Day parties and dances are often held. Many people send flowers, chocolates, or some other gift to their wives, husbands, or sweethearts. The earliest records of Valentine's Day in English tell that birds chose their mates on that day. People used a different calendar before 1582, and February 14 came on what is now February 24.

Valley
A valley is a long narrow depression in the earth's crust, flanked by well defined ridges and usually due to the erosive action of rivers or glaciers but sometimes due to trough-faulting.

Valve
In electronics, a valve is a device consisting of two or more metal plates enclosed in an evacuated glass bulb. One of the metal plates is heated, causing electrons to be emitted. If a positive charge is applied to the other plate, the electrons will move towards it and the valve will conduct electricity. Valves have largely been superseded by transistors which are smaller.

Van der Graaf Generator
A Van der Graaf Generator is a machine for generating voltages in the order of a few megavolts for such applications as the production of high-energy X-rays and for nuclear research. The name was coined by a Seventies rock group.

Vanadium
Vanadium is a grayish, malleable, ductile, polyvalent metallic element found combined in minerals and used especially to form alloys such as steel. It has the symbol V.

Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair was the first society journal. It was founded in 1868 by Thomas Gibson Bowles and illustrated by Grebville Murray. Vanity Fair was popular for its cariactures of the political and social notabilities of the day.

Variola porcina
see "Swinepox"

Vaseline
Vaseline is a propriety name for a jelly left on distillation of petroleum. It is insoluble in water, and was originally used for damp proofing steel and in some ointments.

Vatikan
Vatikan is a card game and variant of Rummy.

Vax
The VAX (from Virtual Address eXtension) is the most successful minicomputer design in industry history, possibly excepting its immediate ancestor, the PDP-11. Between its release in 1978 and its eclipse by micro computers after about 1986, the VAX was noted for its large, assembler-programmer-friendly instruction set.

VBScript
VBScript is an interpreted computer language supported by some client Web browsers. It is Microsoft's answer to Netscape's JavaScript and is based upon Visual Basic.

Vellum
Vellum is a type of superior parchment made from the skin of a calf, kid or lamb.

Velocity
Velocity is the rate of motion, that is the rate of change of position of a body in a given direction within a measurement of time.

Velour
Velour is a pile fabric woven from woollen or cotton yarns or from a mixture of these yarns. It is finished to present a raised, smooth, furry pile. The term is also applied to a material made from rabbit furs, largely employed in the manufacture of hats.

Velvet
Velvet is a textile fabric formed by interweaving silk threads to form a nap or pile. It was first manufactured in the 14th century and was introduced to Britain by Huguenots in 1685.

Velveteen
Velveteen is a textile fabric formed by interweaving cotton threads to form a nap or pile. It is similar to velvet.

Veneer
Veneer is a very thin piece of wood, like paper, used to cover other less valuable wood. The art of veneering was known to the ancient Egyptians and veneered furniture has been found from the 15th century BC.

Venetian Red
Venetian Red is a permanent red pigment composed of ferric oxide and obtained by igniting ferrous sulphate.

Ventura Publisher
Ventura Publisher is a powerful, high-end desktop publisher that produces typographic-quality documents on the PC. It works with documents in a chapter format to effectively handle long documents such as reports and manuals, as well as shorter publications such as flyers and newsletters. Ventura's built-in text editor works with documents in word processing format. A dynamic link between the word processing file and the text in Ventura automatically reflects edits made in either file. A WYSIWYG display shows the page composition process. Ventura can crop, size, and scale graphics brought into a page. The program can produce simple graphics such as line, circle, and box drawings which can be placed around a section of a document. Document size is virtually limitless; documents can be produced with up to 128 chapters, with 300 pages each. Ventura uses the GEM Desktop graphical interface (the product comes with a runtime version of GEM). There is no need to open windows, pass data between applications, or transport graphics with a clipboard. Instead, create a frame within a document and import text or graphics from other programs. To design a document, select a text file and attach a predesigned style sheet (or create a new one). The style sheets make it easy to create uniform, standard format for repetitive use such as monthly reports. Importing a graphics image is done the same way: create a frame and import the image. Ventura automatically scales the image to fit the frame. Images can be resized and scaled as required. One of Ventura's strong points is handling file formats and directories. To import files, work through a menu that allows chioce of file type and moves it to the needed directory. The list of files used in a document is always present. Files can be from any directory, making it easy to choose files from multiple directories on multiple disks. Because of its dynamic text and graphics link and strong file-handling capabilities, the product is good for
creating integrated typeset-quality publications that incorporate files from word processing, spreadsheet, and graphics programs such as a multicolumn brochure with charts imported from a graphics product and data imported from a spreadsheet. Ventura automatically generates indexes, tables of content, and lists of illustrations. Ventura has a complete set of typographic features that can be used to customise layouts. Multiple views of the page layout can be seen and enlarged to emphasise details. Ventura is a complex package and is not recommended for casual use. There are over 250 on-line help screens that speed up the learning process. Once mastered, there are a number of features that speed up the use of the program. For example, control key commands allow by passing of standard menus and quick movement around the package.

Venturi tube
A venturi tube is a device for measuring the flow of liquids in pipes.

Verdigris
Verdigris is a mixture of acetates of copper used in making some green pigments. It forms on the surface of copper and brass when they are exposed to damp, and is highly poisonous.

Vermicelli
Vermicelli is an Italian worm-like thread form of pasta. The name derives from the Latin, vermis 'a worm'.

Vermilion
Vermilion is a variety of mercuric sulphide. It is prepared either by subliming the black sulphide obtained on heating sulphur with mercury or by a wet process. Vermilion is a brilliant scarlet, very heavy solid which when finely ground makes a beautiful and permanent pigment.

Verner's Law
Verner's Law is a linguistic law formulated in 1875 by Karl Verner of Copenhagen by which certain apparent failures of Grimm's Law are explained.

Vernier
A vernier is an auxiliary scale, invented by Pierre Vernier, which enables the reading of the smallest divisions of a graduated scale. It is important in theodolites, sextants and the mountings for telescopes for accurate determination of angular positions.

Verse
Verse is the principal unit by which metrical compositions are measured. generally speaking, it is equivalent to what we term commonly the line. The elementart unit of metrical compositions is the 'foot' - ie a little group of one or more syllables measured either by accent or by quantity. The verse in turn consists of a certain number of these feet grouped in definite order, on the conclusion of which the writer turns back and repeats the same or a closely related group. As the following verse or verses may vary slightly from the original pattern, so as to form what is strictly termed a stanza, the word verse is sometimes stretched to cover this more elaborate grouping, which is then taken as the principal metrical unit.

Verst
The Verst is a Russian measure of length equal to 0.663 of an English mile.

Vertigo
Vertigo is the sensation of giddiness caused by a disturbance of the function of equilibrium.

Vesicant
A vesicant is a counter-irritant which raises blisters - such as cantharides.

Vesta
Vesta is the fourth and brightest asteroid. It ws discovered by Olbers on March the 29th 1807.

Vestry
A vestry is a room attached to a parish church where the vestments and ornaments are kept, and which is also used for parochial meetings.

Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge carrying a road over another road, or a railway over a road.

Vicks 44 Pediatric
Vicks 44 Pediatric is a tradename for dextromethorphan hydrochloride

Vicks Formula 44
Vicks Formula 44 is a tradename for dextromethorphan hydrochloride

Victoria Day
see "Empire Day"

ViDir/ViRes File Monitor System
The ViDir/ViRes File Monitor System by Vahnzinn international is a utility computer program that determines what files you never use, backs them up, and then deletes them, helping you save up to 80% of your disk space without deleting the programs or data files you use. It also helps you determine which, of all your files, are used the most, so you can move them to a RAM disk, and which word processor or spreadsheet files you need to take with you on a trip or to print your documents on another PC.

Vinegar
Vinegar is a four percent solution of acetic acid also containing small amounts of phosphates and other extractive matters. It is generally made by fermenting decoctions of malt, first with yeast, and then converting the alcohol into acetic acid by means of micro-organisms.

Vinyl trichloride
see "Trichloroethane"

Violin
The violin is a family of stringed musical instruments.

Violoncello
The violoncello is a stringed musical instrument about twice the size of a violin, and with sides deeper in proportion. It has four strings, tuned in fifths, its notes numbering from the highest string, being frequently tuned G, D, A, E.

Viper V550
The Viper V550 is a PC graphics card based upon the nVidia Riva 128 TNT chipset and targeted at business users rather than computer games players. The V550 supports Microsoft Direct3D and also OpenGL.

Virginal
see "Spinet"

Virgo
Virgo is a sign of the zodiac represented by a virgin.

Viridian
Viridian or Guignet's Green is a hydrated chromic oxide obtained by decomposing borate of chromium with water. It is a permanent and rich coloured pigment.

Virus
A virus is an infectious particle consisting of a core of nucleic acids enclosed in a protein shell.

Viscose
Viscose is a yellowish, syrupy solution made by treating cellulose with sodium hydroxide and carbon disulphide. The solution is then regenerated as continuous filament for the making of rayon and as cellophane.

Vitamin
Vitamins are chemical substances which are used by animal bodies for growth and repair of certain tissues and cells. They were first named by Dr Casimir Funk in 1912.

Vitamin A
Vitamin A (carotene) occurs in certain fats and the fatty parts of some foods. It is used by the human body to enable the eyes to perceive light, and to promote growth in children and to protect moist areas of the body such as the lining of the respiratory tract.

Vitamin B
Vitamin B refers to a group of over eleven vitamins. Including Thiamine, Riboflavin, Nicotinic Acid, Pyridoxine, Pantothenic acid, biotin and other substances.

Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobolamin) is a deep-red crystalline, water-soluble solid found in liver, milk, eggs and fish. A deficiency can result in disorders of the nervous system and anaemia.

Vitamin B2
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is a vitamin essential for growth. It was formerly known as vitamin G.

Vitamin B3
Vitamin B3 (nicotinic acid, niacin) is a crystalline acid found in meat and yeast and produced by the oxidation of nicotine.

Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is a substance found in cereals, fish and meat and used by the body to produce haemoglobin.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is used by animal bodies for the production of the immune system, and maintenance of the skin and other cells. Vitamin C occurs almost exclusively in vegetable matter, and is destroyed by heat.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D (Calciferol) is a substance which assists animal bodies to lay down calcium and phosphorus in bones. Vitamin D is mainly found in animal matter, and can also be produced by the body from sunlight.

Vitamin E
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) is a pale-yellow, viscous fluid found in vegetable oil, eggs, cereals and butter and used in the body as an anti-oxidant and to maintain cell membranes.

Vitamin G
Vitamin G is a former name for riboflavin.

Vitamin H
Vitamin H (biotin) is a crystalline, water-soluble vitamin of the Vitamin B group. It is present in all living cells and is used as a growth factor and a catalyst in carboxylation.

Vitreous Enamel
Vitreous Enamel is an opaque or transparent glaze, generally coloured, which adheres to a suitable mettalic surface when applied in a liquid state.

Volapuk
Volapuk is a universal language invented by Johann Schleyer in 1879. It was generally superseded by Esperanto.

Volatile Oil
see "Essential Oil"

Volcano
A volcano is a vent in the earth's crust from which molten rock, ashes and steam are ejected. The lava tends in time to heap up a conical eminence round the vent, thus forming the crater or cup.

Volcano
A volcano is a vent in the earth's crust.

Volt
The volt is the unit of electromotive force. It was named after Alessandro Volta.

Voltmeter
A voltmeter is an instrument for measuring electro-motive force, or pressure in volts.

Volute
In architecture, a volut is the scroll or spiral ornament forming the characteristic features of the Ionic capital.

Voodoo
Voodoo is a form of magic.

Copyright 1997,1998 Servile Software Enquiries to Matthew Probert

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