Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

1 N‑COUNT A vendor is someone who sells things such as newspapers, cigarettes, or food from a small stall or cart. □  …ice-cream vendors.

2 N‑COUNT The vendor of a house or piece of land is the person who owns it and is selling it. [LEGAL ] □  Remember, the estate agent is working for the vendor.

ve|neer /v I n I ə ^r / (veneers )

1 N‑SING [adj N ] If you refer to the pleasant way that someone or something appears as a veneer , you are critical of them because you believe that their true, hidden nature is not good. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ of ] His super-clean image gave a veneer of respectability to the new professional set-up.

2 N‑VAR Veneer is a thin layer of wood or plastic which is used to improve the appearance of something. □  The wood was cut into large sheets of veneer.

ven|er|able /ve nərəb ^ə l/

1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A venerable person deserves respect because they are old and wise. □  …a venerable old man with white hair.

2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is venerable is impressive because it is old or important historically. □  May Day has become a venerable institution.

ven|er|ate /ve nəre I t/ (venerates , venerating , venerated ) VERB If you venerate someone or something, you value them or feel great respect for them. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] My father venerated General Eisenhower. ●  ven|er|at|ed ADJ □  Jerusalem is Christianity's most venerated place. ●  ven|era|tion N‑UNCOUNT □  Churchill was held in near veneration during his lifetime.

ve|nereal dis|ease /v I n I ə riəl d I ziː z/ (venereal diseases ) N‑VAR Venereal disease is used to refer to diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhoea which are passed on by sexual intercourse. The abbreviation VD is also used.

Ve|netian blind /vəniː ʃ ^ə n bla I nd/ (Venetian blinds ) N‑COUNT A Venetian blind is a window blind made of thin horizontal strips which can be adjusted to let in more or less light.

venge|ance /ve ndʒ ^ə ns/

1 N‑UNCOUNT Vengeance is the act of killing, injuring, or harming someone because they have harmed you. □ [+ on ] He swore vengeance on everyone involved in the murder.

2 PHRASE If you say that something happens with a vengeance , you are emphasizing that it happens to a much greater extent than was expected. [EMPHASIS ] □  It began to rain again with a vengeance.

venge|ful /ve ndʒfʊl/ ADJ If you describe someone as vengeful , you are critical of them because they feel a great desire for revenge. [DISAPPROVAL ] □  The house is terrorised by vengeful ghosts.

veni|son /ve n I z ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Venison is the meat of a deer.

ven|om /ve nəm/ (venoms )

1 N‑UNCOUNT You can use venom to refer to someone's feelings of great bitterness and anger towards someone. □ [+ for ] He reserved particular venom for critics of his foreign policy.

2 N‑VAR The venom of a creature such as a snake or spider is the poison that it puts into your body when it bites or stings you. □  …snake handlers who grow immune to snake venom.

ven|om|ous /ve nəməs/

1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a person or their behaviour as venomous , you mean that they show great bitterness and anger towards someone. □  She has endured more sustained and venomous attacks than any woman politician.

2 ADJ A venomous snake, spider, or other creature uses poison to attack other creatures. □  The adder is Britain's only venomous snake.

ve|nous /viː nəs/ ADJ [ADJ n] Venous is used to describe something which is related to veins. [MEDICAL ] □  …venous blood.

vent /ve nt/ (vents , venting , vented )

1 N‑COUNT A vent is a hole in something through which air can come in and smoke, gas, or smells can go out. □ [+ in ] There was a small air vent in the ceiling.