V \V\ (v[=e]).
1. V, the twenty-second letter of the English alphabet, is a
vocal consonant. V and U are only varieties of the same
character, U being the cursive form, while V is better
adapted for engraving, as in stone. The two letters were
formerly used indiscriminately, and till a comparatively
recent date words containing them were often classed
together in dictionaries and other books of reference (see
U). The letter V is from the Latin alphabet, where it
was used both as a consonant (about like English w) and as
a vowel. The Latin derives it from a form (V) of the Greek
vowel [Upsilon] (see Y), this Greek letter being either
from the same Semitic letter as the digamma F (see F),
or else added by the Greeks to the alphabet which they
took from the Semitic. Etymologically v is most nearly
related to u, w, f, b, p; as in vine, wine; avoirdupois,
habit, have; safe, save; trover, troubadour, trope. See U,
F, etc.
[1913 Webster] See Guide to Pronunciation, [sect] 265;
also [sect][sect] 155, 169, 178-179, etc.
[1913 Webster]
2. As a numeral, V stands for five, in English and Latin.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
v
adj : being one more than four [syn: five, 5]
n 1: a unit of potential equal to the potential difference
between two points on a conductor carrying a current of
1 ampere when the power dissipated between the two
points is 1 watt; equivalent to the potential difference
across a resistance of 1 ohm when 1 ampere of current
flows through it [syn: volt]
2: a soft silvery white toxic metallic element used in steel
alloys; it occurs in several complex minerals including
carnotite and vanadinite [syn: vanadium, atomic number
23]
3: the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one [syn: five,
5, cinque, quint, quintet, fivesome, quintuplet,
pentad, fin, Phoebe, Little Phoebe]
4: the 22nd letter of the Roman alphabet
WordNet (r) 2.0
V
Upper case V, ASCII character 86, known in INTERCAL as
book.
1. A testbed for distributed system research.
2. Wide-spectrum language used in the knowledge-based
environment CHI. "Research on Knowledge-Based Software
Environments at Kestrel Inst", D.R. Smith et al, IEEE Trans
Soft Eng SE-11(11):1278-1295 (1985).
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03)
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