Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

2 → see also weather vane

van|guard /væ ngɑː ^r d/

1 N‑SING If someone is in the vanguard of something such as a revolution or an area of research, they are involved in the most advanced part of it. You can also refer to the people themselves as the vanguard . □  They are in the vanguard of a movement reshaping the computer industry. □  …the role of the Party as the political vanguard.

2 N‑SING The vanguard of an army is the part of it that goes into battle first. □ [+ of ] They could strike quickly and effectively at the vanguard of an invading army.

va|nil|la /vən I lə/

1 N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] Vanilla is a flavouring used in ice cream and other sweet food. □  I added a dollop of vanilla ice-cream to the pie.

2 ADJ If you describe a person or thing as vanilla , you mean that they are ordinary, with no special or extra features. □  …just plain vanilla couples like me and Tony.

van|ish /væ n I ʃ/ (vanishes , vanishing , vanished )

1 VERB If someone or something vanishes , they disappear suddenly or in a way that cannot be explained. □ [V ] He just vanished and was never seen again. □ [V + from ] Anne vanished from outside her home last Wednesday. □ [V + into ] The gunmen paused only to cut the wires to the house, then vanished into the countryside.

2 VERB If something such as a species of animal or a tradition vanishes , it stops existing. □ [V ] Near the end of Devonian times, thirty percent of all animal life vanished. □ [V + from ] He does not think that craftsmanship has vanished from our world.

va n|ish|ing point (vanishing points )

1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The vanishing point is the point in the distance where parallel lines seem to meet. □  The highway stretched out ahead of me until it narrowed to a vanishing point some miles away.

2 N‑UNCOUNT If you say that something has reached vanishing point , you mean it has become very small or unimportant. □  By 1973, this gap had narrowed almost to vanishing point.

van|ity /væ n I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT If you refer to someone's vanity , you are critical of them because they take great pride in their appearance or abilities. [DISAPPROVAL ] □  Men who use steroids are motivated by sheer vanity.

van|quish /væ ŋkw I ʃ/ (vanquishes , vanquishing , vanquished ) VERB To vanquish someone means to defeat them completely in a battle or a competition. [LITERARY ] □ [V n] A happy ending is only possible because the hero has first vanquished the dragons.

van|tage point /vɑː nt I dʒ pɔ I nt, væ nt-/ (vantage points )

1 N‑COUNT A vantage point is a place from which you can see a lot of things. □  From a concealed vantage point, he saw a car arrive.

2 N‑COUNT [oft with poss] If you view a situation from a particular vantage point , you have a clear understanding of it because of the particular period of time you are in. □  From today's vantage point, the 1987 crash seems just a blip in the upward progress of the market.

vape /ve I p/ (vapes , vaping , vaped )

1 VERB If someone vapes , they breathe in a flavoured steam containing nicotine from a special device, instead of smoking burning tobacco in a cigarette or pipe. □ [V ] Some airports allow travellers to vape; some do not.

2 N‑COUNT A vape is a device that produces flavoured steam containing nicotine. □  He smokes as well as using a vape.