Knowledge base
Agency Dictionary
The vocabulary of the Agency editorials: definitions, origins and examples of use, linked to the editions where each word appears.
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Terms: V
- valetudinariumnoun
- A dedicated military hospital constructed within Roman legionary fortresses to treat wounded and diseased soldiers.
- vengeful spiritnoun
- A spirit driven by a desire for revenge, often depicted as a supernatural force that returns from the afterlife to right a wrong or punish the living. In Japanese Noh theatre, the Hannya mask portrays such a spirit: a woman consumed by sorrow and rage to the point of transforming into a demon.
- Venomousadjective
- Capable of injecting venom through a bite or sting; highly toxic or characterized by malice.
- Venturenoun
- A risky, daring, or commercial undertaking typically involving financial investment and uncertainty regarding the final outcome.
- verbatimadjective
- In exactly the same words as the original, word for word. Said of a quotation or a transcription that changes nothing.
- Vintageadjective
- Denoting something from the past of high quality, classic appeal, and recognized historical value. It describes analog goods, timeless aesthetic objects, and period recordings.
- Vitalitynoun
- The state of being strong, active, and full of life or vigor.
- vocationnoun
- A strong innate inclination or sense of purpose toward a particular career, craft, or calling.
- Voiceovernoun
- A piece of spoken narration in a movie, broadcast, or commercial spoken by an unseen narrator.
- Volatilitynoun
- The liability to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially in the market price of an asset or security.
- Vulnerabilitynoun
- The state of being susceptible to physical, emotional, or moral wounding; openness to risk, grief, and honest exposure.