U.S.
U.S.
21st Century Webster's Family Encyclopedia - United Empire Loyalists to Victor Emmanuel
U Thant
U Thant See: Thant, U.
UN Peacekeeping Forces
UN Peacekeeping Forces, multinational forces under UN command, deployed around the world since 1948 to settle conflicts between and within countries. Such forces include armed troops as well as unarmed observers monitoring the implementation of political agreements. Peacekeeping forces are put in place when requested by the countries in conflict, with the agreement of the UN Security Council; pers…
Unit rule
Unit rule, U.S. voting rule used at many political conventions.
United Empire Loyalists
United Empire Loyalists, term for people of the original 13 American colonies who remained loyal to Britain during the Revolution and who emigrated to Canada.
United Farm Workers of America
United Farm Workers of America (UFW), U.S. farm workers union.
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), large U.S. labor union formed in 1979 by the merger of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America and the Retail Clerks International.
United Kingdom
United Kingdom, officially, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as Great Britain, constitutional monarchy consisting of most of the British Isles located off the northwestern coast of Europe. With a total area of 94,251 sq mi (244,110 sq km), the United Kingdom is entirely surrounded by water, bounded on the east by the North Sea, on the west by the North Atlantic …
United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church, largest Protestant denomination in the United States.
United Mineworkers of America
United Mineworkers of America See: Mineworkers of America, United.
United Nations
United Nations (UN), international organization of the independent states founded after World War II, with the declared goals of promoting peace and international cooperation. It was launched at the 1945 San Francisco Conference prepared by the “Big Three” Allied Powers of World War II (the United States, Britain, and the USSR), and 51 states signed the charter. Membership had grown …
United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), UN organization formed (1946) as the UN International Children's Emergency Fund to help in countries devastated by World War II.
Scientific United Nations Educational and Cultural Organization
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UN agency established in 1946 to promote international collaboration through scientific, educational, and cultural activities.
United Nations University
United Nations University, research and training institution chartered in 1973 by the United Nations (UN).
United Negro College Fund
United Negro College Fund, nonprofit organization, founded 1944, that raises money to operate private colleges and universities for African Americans.
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service (UPS), U.S. package delivery company.
United Press International
United Press International (UPI), world's largest independent news agency, created by the 1958 merger of United Press (founded 1892 by Edward W.
United Service Organizations
United Service Organizations (USO), independent, nonprofit grouping of organizations founded in 1941 to provide recreational, entertainment, religious, and social facilities for members of the U.S. armed forces.
United Society of Believers
United Society of Believers See: Shakers.
United States Air Force
United States Air Force See: Air Force, U.S.
United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy, federal institution for educating and training young men and women to be officers in the U.S.
United States of America
United States of America, country whose territory is principally on the continent of North America, but which includes islands of the Hawaiian archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. The United States is organized into 50 political subdivisions, or states, and the District of Columbia. In addition, the U.S. government maintains special political associations with various overseas territories including P…
United States Army
United States Army See: Army, U.S.
United States Border Patrol
United States Border Patrol See: Border Patrol, United States.
United States Botanic Garden
United States Botanic Garden, national plant collection in Washington, D.C.
United States capitals
United States capitals, cities that served as seats of the U.S. government until 1800, when Washington, D.C, became the permanent capital.
United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard See: Coast Guard, U.S.
United States Coast Guard Academy
United States Coast Guard Academy, federal institution for the education and training of young men and women as commissioned officers in the U.S.
United States Congress
United States Congress See: Congress of the United States.
United States Constitution
United States Constitution See: Constitution of the United States.
United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service See: Forest Service, U.S.
government of the United States
United States, government of the, consisting of various democratically elected governmental bodies in a federated union, with a judiciary both elected and appointed. The U.S. government relies for its day-to-day administration upon millions of employees and civil servants in numerous bureaucracies. Civil order is maintained by police forces, and national defense is the responsibility of the milita…
United States literature
United States literature, literary works in English beginning in the original 13 English colonies and continuing in the present-day United States. Although the United States is a large continental country with varied influences, several strands or themes characterize its literature. The pioneer heritage of the country left its mark on later writers, primarily in their concern with individual value…
United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps See: Marine Corps, U.S.
United States Merchant Marine Academy
United States Merchant Marine Academy , government-sponsored educational institution (since 1943), located in Kings Point, N.Y.
United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy, oldest government-sponsored educational facility (founded in 1802), located in West Point, N.Y.
United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy, federally funded and operated college for training men and women to be officers in the U.S.
United States Navy
United States Navy See: Navy, United States.
United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service See: Postal Service, U.S.
United States President
United States President See: President of the United States.
United States Seal
United States Seal See: Great Seal of the United States.
United States Supreme Court
United States Supreme Court See: Supreme Court of the United States.
United Steelworkers of America
United Steelworkers of America See: Steelworkers of America, United.
United Way of America
United Way of America (UWA), U.S. umbrella organization founded in 1918 to raise funds for charitable agencies working on health, recreation, and welfare projects.
Universal language
Universal language, proposed language that people of all nations could speak and understand.
Universalism
Universalism, Christian doctrine that holds that everyone will ultimately be saved by divine grace.
Universe
Universe, general term for all of space and everything in it.
Universities and colleges
Universities and colleges, schools that are designed for the continuation of education beyond high school and that emphasize the study of liberal arts, arts, and sciences.
Unknown soldier
Unknown soldier, in the United States and some European countries, an unidentified soldier killed in action in war whose tomb serves as a national shrine honoring all war dead.
Louis Untermeyer
Untermeyer, Louis (1885–1977), U.S. writer and editor.
Upanishads
Upanishads, group of philosophical treaties that make up the final part of the Veda, a collection of Hindu scriptures.
Upas
Upas, forest tree (genus Antiaris) of tropical Asia and Indonesia.
John Updike
Updike, John (1932– ), U.S. novelist, short-story writer, poet, and critic.
Richard Upjohn
Upjohn, Richard (1802–78), English-born U.S. architect, noted for his Gothic Revival churches, such as Trinity Church, New York City (1846).
Upland sandpiper
Upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), also called upland plover, North American bird of the sandpiper family.
Upper Volta
Upper Volta See: Burkina Faso.
UPS
UPS See: United Parcel Service.
Eugene Upshaw Jr.
Upshaw, Eugene, Jr. (1945– ), U.S. football player.
Upsilon particle
Upsilon particle, unstable subatomic particle without electrical charge.
Ur
Ur, ancient Sumerian city that lay in what is now southern Iraq along the Euphrates River.
Ural Mountains
Ural Mountains, mountain chain about 1,500 mi (2,400 km) long in western Russia, running north-south from the Kara Sea toward the Caspian.
Ural River
Ural River, river in former USSR.
Uranium
Uranium, chemical element, symbol U; for physical constants see Periodic Table.
Uranium- (235)
Uranium-235 See: U-235.
Uranus
Uranus, third-largest planet in the Solar System and the seventh from the sun.
Uranus
Uranus, god of the sky in Greek mythology.
Urban
Urban, name of eight popes.
National Urban Coalition
Urban Coalition, National, U.S. organization that works to solve problems of city dwellers.
Urban League
Urban League, or National Urban League, voluntary organization established to end racial discrimination and to help minorities achieve political equality.
Urban renewal
Urban renewal, removal of city slums and their replacement with improved residential or commercial facilities.
Urea
Urea, organic compound, CO(NH2)2, that is the end product of the metabolism of nitrogen in protein in many animals.
Uremia
Uremia, biochemical disorder often seen in cases of kidney failure, consisting of high levels of urea and other nitrogenous waste products entering the blood.
Harold Clayton Urey
Urey, Harold Clayton (1893–1981), U.S. chemist awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his discovery of deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen.
Urine
Urine, waste product consisting of a dilute solution of excess salts and nitrogenous material, such as urea and deaminated protein, excreted by many animals.
Leon Uris
Uris, Leon (1924– ), U.S. author of modern historical fiction.
Ursa Major and Ursa Minor
Ursa Major and Ursa Minor See: Big and Little Dippers.
Ursulines
Ursulines, Roman Catholic religious order of women, the first devoted exclusively to the education of girls.
Uruguay
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. Covering 68,037 sq mi (176,215 sq km), which makes it the smallest republic in South America, Uruguay is bordered by Brazil to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Argentina to the west, and the Rio de la Plata to the south. The capital and chief port is Montevideo, where about 40% of the people live. Uruguay is a cou…
Uruguay River
Uruguay River, southern South American river.
USO
USO See: United Service Organizations.
USSR
USSR See: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Utah
Utah, state in the Rocky Mountain region of the western United States bordered by Utah to the north, Wyoming to the northeast, Colorado to the east, Arizona to the south, and Nevada to the west. Utah has three main land regions. The state's northeast corner is part of the Rocky Mountains, primarily the Uinta and Wasatch ranges. Eastern and southern Utah lie in the Colorado Plateau region, w…
Ute
Ute, Native American tribe speaking a Shoshonean language and having a nomadic culture common in the Western plains, particularly Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Uterus
Uterus, or womb, female reproductive organ that is specialized for implantation of the fertilized egg and development of the embryo and fetus during pregnancy.
Utica
Utica (pop. 75,632), industrial city of central New York State and the seat of Oneida County.
Utica
Utica, ancient Phoenician colony on the coast of North Africa on the Mediterranean Sea.
Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism, theory of ethics that holds that the rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by the happiness its consequences produce.
Utopia
Utopia, term used to denote any imaginary ideal state.
Utrecht
Utrecht (pop. 234,000), city in the central Netherlands.
Peace of Utrecht
Utrecht, Peace of (1713–14), series of treaties among England, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Prussia, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire concluding the War of the Spanish Succession.
Maurice Utrillo
Utrillo, Maurice (1883–1955), French painter best known for his Paris street scenes.
Uxmal
Uxmal, ancient city in Yucatán, Mexico.
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (Republic of), independent country in central Asia, surrounded by Kazakhstan (north), Kirghizstan and Tajikistan (east), Afghanistan and Turkmenistan (south), and the Aral Sea (west). The capital is Tashkent. The major part of the country is flat, there are mountains only in the east. The Aral Sea diminishes every year, as a result of the fact that it does no longer receive any water fr…
V
V, 22nd letter in the English alphabet, corresponding with the Semitic letter waw, meaning “hook,” represented by a tenthook symbol probably derived from an ancient Egyptian symbol for a pole support.
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
Vásquez de Coronado, Francisco See: Coronado, Francisco Vásquez de.
Vaccination
Vaccination, method of inducing immunity to infectious disease due to bacteria or virus.
Vacuum
Vacuum, region of space devoid of matter.
Vacuum cleaner
Vacuum cleaner, electric appliance that cleans dirt from surfaces such as carpets, rugs, and bare floors by suction.
Vacuum tube
Vacuum tube, glass or metal envelope that controls electronic currents that are necessary to operate electronic equipment like radios, televisions, and computers.
Vaduz
Vaduz (pop. 5,000), capital of Liechtenstein, a principality in the Alps between Switzerland and Austria.
Vagina
Vagina, female reproductive organ consisting of a tubeshaped canal leading from the external genital orifice to the uterus.
Vaginitis
Vaginitis, inflammation of the vagina, occurring particulary in women of childbearing age.
Paul Valéry
Valéry, Paul (1871–1945), French poet, essayist, and critic.
Valence
Valence, ability of an atom to form compounds, expressed as the number of electrons an element gives up or accepts from other elements.
Valencia
Valencia (pop. 752,900), third-largest Spanish city, in eastern Spain on the Turia River.
Valens
Valens (A.D. 328–378), Roman emperor from 364 to 378.
Saint Valentine
Valentine, Saint (d.A.D. 270), Roman martyred priest.
Valentinian I
Valentinian I (A.D. 321–375), Roman emperor who ruled 364–375 in conjunction with his younger brother Valens.
Valentinian III
Valentinian III (A.D. 419–455), Roman emperor 425–455.
Rudolph Valentino
Valentino, Rudolph (Rodolfo d'Antonguolla; 1895–1926), Italian-born U.S. film star, one of the greatest romantic male stars of the silent film era.
Eamon de Valera
Valera, Eamon de See: De Valera, Eamon.
Valerian
Valerian (d.A.D. 269), Roman emperor 253–60.
Valhalla
Valhalla, in Scandinavian mythology, paradise hall of the dead where slain warriors live under the leadership of the god Odin.
Valkyrie
Valkyrie, in Scandinavian mythology, warriorlike maidens sent by Odin to escort dead heroes to Valhalla.
José Cecilio Del Valle
Valle, José Cecilio Del (1780–1834), Guatemalan political leader and author of the Central American Declaration of Independence (1821).
Valletta
Valletta (pop. 9,200), seaport capital of Malta, on the northeastern coast of the island.
Valley
Valley, long, narrow depression in the earth's surface, usually formed by glacier or river erosion.
Valley Forge
Valley Forge, area in Pennsylvania about 21 mi (34 km) north of Philadelphia where George Washington and his Revolutionary troops camped during the winter of 1777–78, often called “The Winter of Despair.” Washington had suffered defeats at Brandy wine and Germantown, Pa., and Philadelphia was under British control.
Valley of the Kings
Valley of the Kings, or Valley of the Tombs of Kings, narrow canyon on the west bank of the Nile near Thebes, Egypt.
Valois
Valois, royal house of France that ruled 1328–1589.
Valparaíso
Valparaíso (pop. 301,600), seaport city in central Chile, capital of Valparaíso province.
Value added by manufacture
Value added by manufacture, statistical measurement of the gain in value of raw materials after being processed into a finished commodity.
Value-added tax
Value-added tax (VAT), tax on the value added to goods or services at each stage in their production and distribution.
Valve
Valve, mechanical device that, by opening and closing, enables the flow of fluid in a pipe or other vessel to be controlled.
Vampire
Vampire, in folklore, spirit of the dead that leaves its grave at night to suck the blood of living persons.
Vampire bat
Vampire bat, South and Central American bat (genera Desmodus and Diphylla) that feeds on the blood of larger mammals and birds; the only parasitic mammal.
Van Allen belts
Van Allen belts, 2 belts of high-energy charged particles, mainly protons and electrons, surrounding the earth, named for U.S. physicist James Van Allen, who discovered them in 1958.
James Alfred Van Allen
Van Allen, James Alfred (1914– ), U.S. physicist and inventor who discovered two zones of radiation surrounding the earth (1958).
Martin Van Buren
Van Buren, Martin (1782–1862), eighth president of the United States. Van Buren was a shrewd judge of people and affairs and a consummate politician who virtually created the Democratic party and made Andrew Jackson president. Van Buren's skill in political maneuvering and in using patronage and the power of the press earned him the nickname “The Little Magician” and &#…
Van de Graaff generator
Van de Graaff generator, or electrostatic generator, device for generating a high voltage charge, important in the study of nuclear power.
Robert Jemison Van de Graaff
Van de Graaff, Robert Jemison (1901–67), U.S. physicist and inventor of the electrostatic generator, used in nuclear research.
Hugo Van der Goes
Van der Goes, Hugo (1440?–82), Flemish painter of religious subjects.
Simon Van der Meer
Van der Meer, Simon (1925– ), Dutch physicist who shared the 1984 Nobel Prize for physics with Carlo Rubia for their leading roles in planning and executing the experiments, reported in 1983, that demonstrated the existence of the elementary particles called intermediate vector bosons.
Johannes Diderik Van der Waals
Van der Waals, Johannes Diderik (1837–1923), Dutch physicist who investigated the properties of real gases.
Rogier Van der Weyden
Van der Weyden, Rogier (1399?–1464), Flemish painter of religious subjects.
Willis Van Devanter
Van Devanter, Willis (1859–1941), associate justice of the U.S.
Carl Van Doren
Van Doren, Carl (1885–1950), U.S. author, educator, and literary critic.
Mark Van Doren
Van Doren, Mark (1894–1972), U.S. poet and critic.
Sir Anthony Van Dyck
Van Dyck, Sir Anthony (1599–1641), Flemish baroque portrait and religious painter.
Jan Van Eyck
Van Eyck, Jan (1390–1441), Flemish painter.
Vincent Van Gogh
Van Gogh, Vincent (1853–90), Dutch postimpressionist painter.
Anton Van Leeuwenhoek
Van Leeuwenhoek, Anton See: Leeuwenhoek, Anton van.
Lucas Van Leyden
Van Leyden, Lucas (1494?–1533), Dutch engraver and painter.
Kiliaen Van Rensselaer
Van Rensselaer, Kiliaen (1595–1643), Dutch colonizer and leading patroon (landowner).
Vanadium
Vanadium, chemical element, symbol V; for physical constants see Periodic Table.
Cyrus Vance
Vance, Cyrus (1917– ), U.S. public official.
Vancouver
Vancouver (pop. 42,800), city in southwestern Washington, seat of Clark County.
Vancouver
Vancouver (pop. 1,602,500), largest city in British Columbia and third-largest in Canada, located on the Burrard Inlet, Strait of Georgia.
George Vancouver
Vancouver, George (1757–98), English explorer.
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island, largest island on the Pacific North American Coast, off southwestern British Columbia, Canada.
Vandals
Vandals, ancient Germanic people.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt, Cornelius (1794–1877), U.S. transportation mogul.
Vanilla
Vanilla, any of various tropical vines (genus Vanilla) of the orchid family; the term also refers to the extract made from the vine's pods and used for flavoring.
Vanuatu
Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu, formerly the New Hebrides, independent republic consisting of 80 small islands, situated east of Australia and extending over some 500 mi (805 km) of the South Pacific Ocean. The overall area of the islands of Vanuatu is 4,707 sq mi (12,190 km). Espíritu Santo, the largest island, has an area of 1,542 sq mi (3,994 sq km). The capital, Vila, is on…
Bartolomeo Vanzetti
Vanzetti, Bartolomeo See: Sacco-Vanzetti case.
Vapor
Vapor, substance that, though present in the gaseous phase, generally exists as a liquid or solid at room temperature.
Edgard Varèse
Varèse, Edgard (1883–1965), French-born U.S. composer of non-traditional music and sound techniques.
Varanasi
Varanasi (pop. 932,400), formerly Benaras, ancient city in Uttar Pradesh State, on the Ganges River in northern India.
Getúlio Dornelles Vargas
Vargas, Getúlio Dornelles (1883–1954), president of Brazil (1930–45,1951–54).
Mario Vargas Llosa
Vargas Llosa, Mario (1936– ), Peruvian author of novels depicting modern Peruvian social and political life.
Varicella
Varicella See: Chickenpox.
Varicose vein
Varicose vein, enlarged or twisting vein, usually occuring in the legs, resulting from incompetent or damaged valves in the veins.
Varnish
Varnish, solution of resin that dries to form a hard, transparent film.
Varying hare
Varying hare See: Snowshoe hare.
Vasco Da Gama
Vasco Da Gama See: Da Gama, Vasco.
Vasectomy
Vasectomy, sterilization procedure for men.
Vassal
Vassal See: Feudalism.
Vatican City
Vatican City, independent state, the world's smallest. It occupies 108.7 acres (44 hectares) of territory within the city of Rome, Italy. Vatican City serves as the spiritual, administrative, and political center of Roman Catholicism, and it is ruled by the pope, as head of the Roman Catholic church. It has a population of c. 1,000 and its official languages are Italian and Latin. Vatican C…
Vatican Councils
Vatican Councils, the two most recent Roman Catholic ecumenical councils, held at the Vatican.
Vatican Library
Vatican Library, official library of the Roman Catholic Church in Vatican City.
Vaudeville
Vaudeville, term for variety shows deriving from Vau de Vire, a French valley and source of 15th-century songs, or from voix de ville, French street songs.
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Vaughan Williams, Ralph (1872–1958), English composer famous for his use of traditional English folk music.
VD
VD See: Venereal disease.
Veal
Veal, meat of young cattle or calves.
Thorstein Bunde Veblen
Veblen, Thorstein Bunde (1857–1929), U.S. economist and author.
Tiziano Vecellio
Vecellio, Tiziano See: Titian.
Vector
Vector See: Force.
Vedanta
Vedanta (Sanskrit, “end of knowledge”), system of Hindu philosophy, based at first on the Upanishads (the final part of the Veda) and later on the Brahma Sutras, commentaries on the Upanishads, that date from the 1st century A.D.
Vedas
Vedas (Sanskrit, “knowledge”), most ancient of Indian scriptures, believed to have been inspired by God and basic to Hinduism.
Veery
Veery (Catharus fuscescens), brownish bird of the thrush family, found in the northeastern United States and Canada.
Vega
Vega, or Alpha Lyrae, brightest main-sequence star in the constellation Lyra in the northern hemisphere, the fourth-brightest star in the night sky.
Lope de Vega
Vega, Lope de (1562–1635), Spanish dramatist and poet credited with founding Spain's national drama.
Vegetable
Vegetable, general term for the edible part of a plant.
Vegetable oil
Vegetable oil, substance obtained from the seeds of plants and the fleshy part of fruits.
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism, restriction of one's food to substances of vegetable origin.
Vein
Vein, thin-walled collapsible vessel that returns blood to the heart from the tissue capillaries.
Diego Velázquez
Velázquez, Diego (1599–1660), Spanish painter.
Velocity
Velocity, vector quantity expressing the direction and speed of any moving object.
Velvet leaf
Velvet leaf See: Indian mallow.
The Venerable Bede
Venerable Bede, The See: Bede, Saint.
Venereal disease
Venereal disease, name for infectious diseases transmitted mainly or exclusively by sexual contact. Gonorrhea is an acute bacterial disease that is frequently asymptomatic in females, although they may suffer mild cervicitis or urethritis. In males it may be asymptomatic also, but it usually causes a painful urethritis with urethral discharge of pus. Gonorrhea is best treated with penicillin. Syph…
Venezuela
Venezuela, republic in northern South America. Covering an area of 352,134 sq mi (912,050 sq km), Venezuela extends along the Caribbean coast from Colombia in the west and southwest to Guyana in the east. It is bordered by Brazil to the south and the Caribbean Sea in the north. The capital is Caracas. Venezuela may be divided into 4 contrasting geographical regions: the Venezuelan Highlands in the…
Venezuela Boundary Dispute
Venezuela Boundary Dispute, chiefly from 1841, Anglo-Venezuelan dispute over the location of the British Guiana-Venezuela border.
Venice
Venice (pop. 305,600), city in northeastern Italy, seaport capital of the Veneto region and Venezia province.
Ramaswamy Venkataraman
Venkataraman, Ramaswamy (1910– ), Indian statesman and president of India (1987–92).
Ventricle
Ventricle See: Heart.
Michael George Francis Ventris
Ventris, Michael George Francis (1922–56), English architect and cryptographer who deciphered (1953) Linear B, a semipictorial Minoan-Mycenaean script, and showed it to be an ancient form of Greek.
Robert Venturi
Venturi, Robert (1925– ), U.S. architect.
Venus
Venus, in Roman mythology, goddess of love and beauty.
Venus
Venus, second planet from the sun in the solar system.
Venus de Milo
Venus de Milo, armless statue of the Greek goddess Aphrodite.
Venus's-flytrap
Venus's-flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), insect-catching plant that lives in the sandy country of the Carolinas and neighboring states.
Veracruz
Veracruz (pop. 295,300), port city in east central Mexico on the Gulf of Mexico.
Verbena
Verbena, genus (Verbena) of the vervain family of herbaceous plants, especially several cultivated species with blue, white, crimson, purple, or striped flowers.
Giuseppe Verdi
Verdi, Giuseppe (1813–1901), Italian opera composer.
Verdin
Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps), songbird common in low deserts and brushlands of the U.S.
Battle of Verdun
Verdun, Battle of (Feb.-Dec. 1916), major World War I engagement.
Treaty of Verdun
Verdun, Treaty of, pact (A.D. 843) concluding the civil war between the heirs of Louis I, by which Charlemagne's empire was divided between his 3 grandchildren (Louis's sons).
or Virgil Vergil
Vergil, or Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro; 70–19 B.C.), Roman poet.
Paul Verlaine
Verlaine, Paul (1844–96), French poet, an early and influential exponent of symbolism.
Jan Vermeer
Vermeer, Jan (1632–75), Dutch painter who spent his entire life in Delft.
Vermiculite
Vermiculite, foliated clay mineral formed as a change in biotite.
Vermont
Vermont, state in New England, the northeastern region of the United States; bordered by Canada to the north, the Connecticut River (with New Hampshire on the other side) to the east, Massachusetts to the south, and New York and Lake Champlain to the west. Vermont has 6 main land regions. The Northeast Highlands are part of the White Mountain range of New Hampshire. In the Western New England Upla…
Vernal equinox
Vernal equinox See: Equinox.
Jules Verne
Verne, Jules (1828–1905), French novelist, pioneer of the genre of science fiction.
Giovanni da Verrazano
Verrazano, Giovanni da (1485?–1528?), Italian navigator and explorer in the service of France.
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, world's longest suspension bridge (4,260 ft/1,298 m), spanning the Narrows at the entrance to New York harbor, completed in 1964.
Andrea del Verrocchio
Verrocchio, Andrea del (1435–88), Italian sculptor, painter, and architect.
Versailles
Versailles (pop. 95,200), French city, residential suburb 12 mi (19 km) southwest of Paris, capital of Yveline department.
Treaty of Versailles
Versailles, Treaty of, agreement ending World War I, imposed on Germany by the Allies on June 28, 1919.
Vertebra
Vertebra See: Spine.
Vertebrate
Vertebrate, subphylum of the chordates, containing all those classes of animals that possess a backbone—a spinal column made up of bony or cartilaginous vertebrae.
Vertical take-off aircraft
Vertical take-off aircraft See: V/STOL.
Vertigo
Vertigo, disturbance in which the individual has a subjective impression of movement in space or of objects moving around him or her, usually with a loss of equilibrium.
Vervain
Vervain See: Verbena.
Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd
Verwoerd, Hendrik Frensch (1901–66), Dutch-born South African politician and premier (1958–66).
Very high frequency waves
Very high frequency waves (VHF), electromagnetic radio waves falling between high frequency and ultra high frequency.
Andreas Vesalius
Vesalius, Andreas (1514–64), Flemish biologist regarded as a father of modern anatomy.
Denmark Vesey
Vesey, Denmark (1767?–1822), free African American who planned a slave revolt at Charleston, S.C. (1822).
Vespasian
Vespasian (Titus Flavius Vespasianus; A.D. 9–79), Roman emperor from 69.
Amerigo Vespucci
Vespucci, Amerigo (1454–1512),Italian navigatorfor whom America was named.
Blood Vessel
Vessel, Blood See: Artery; Blood; Vein.
Vesta
Vesta, in Roman mythology, goddess of the hearth and home.
Vestal virgins
Vestal virgins, in ancient Rome, priestess, chosen very young, who served the shrine of Vesta, goddess of the domestic hearth, for 30 years.
Vetch
Vetch, climbing or trailing vine (genus Vicia) of the pea family.
Veterans Administration
Veterans Administration See: Veterans Affairs, Department of.
Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Affairs, Department of (VA), formerly the Veterans Administration, U.S. government executive department consolidated (1989) to administer the various health, rehabilitation, education, loan, compensation, and insurance programs provided to veterans of the military services.
Veterans Day
Veterans Day, U.S. holiday, celebrated on Nov. 11, to honor the members of the U.S. military forces, past and present.
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW), one of the largest veterans' organizations in the United States.
Veterans' organizations
Veterans' organizations, groups formed to foster the spirit of comradeship developed during war and to demonstrate support for the government.
Veterinary medicine
Veterinary medicine, medical care of sick animals, sometimes including the delivery of their young.
Veto
Veto, in politics, the power of the executive to reject legislation.
VFW
VFW See: Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.
VHF waves
VHF waves See: Very high frequency waves.
Vibraphone
Vibraphone, electric percussion instrument resembling a xylophone but having metal rather than wooden bars.
Vice president of the United States
Vice president of the United States, second-highest elected official. Constitutionally and politically, this office does not carry great power. The vice president was originally intended as the neutral presiding officer in the Senate and as the constitutional successor on the death or resignation of the president. Eight vice presidents have succeeded to the presidency during their time in office, …
Vichy
Vichy (pop. 30,500), health resort in south-central France, famous for its mineral springs.
Vicksburg
Vicksburg (pop. 25,434), city in western Mississippi, seat of Warren County and site of a crucial campaign in the U.S.
Battle of Vicksburg
Vicksburg, Battle of See: Civil War, U.S.
Victor Emmanuel
Victor Emmanuel, name of 3 Italian kings.