| Vernacular | a. [ L. vernaculus born in one's house, native, fr. verna a slave born in his master's house, a native, probably akin to Skr. vas to dwell, E. was. ] Belonging to the country of one's birth; one's own by birth or nature; native; indigenous; -- now used chiefly of language; as, English is our vernacular language. “A vernacular disease.” Harvey. [ 1913 Webster ] His skill in the vernacular dialect of the Celtic tongue. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ] Which in our vernacular idiom may be thus interpreted. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ] |
| Vernaculous | a. [ L. vernaculus. See Vernacular. ] 1. Vernacular. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. [ L. vernaculi, pl., buffoons, jesters. ] Scoffing; scurrilous. [ A Latinism. Obs. ] “Subject to the petulancy of every vernaculous orator.” B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ] |
| vernal | a. [ L. vernalis, fr. vernus vernal, ver spring; akin to Gr. 'e`ar, Skr. vasanta, Icel. vār, and E. Easter, east. ] 1. Of or pertaining to the spring; appearing in the spring; as, vernal bloom. [ 1913 Webster ] And purple all the ground with vernal flowers. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. Fig.: Belonging to youth, the spring of life. [ 1913 Webster ] When after the long vernal day of life. Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ] And seems it hard thy vernal years
Few vernal joys can show? Keble. [ 1913 Webster ] [ 1913 Webster ]
Vernal equinox (Astron.), the point of time in each year when the sun crosses the equator when proceeding northward, about March 21, when day and night are of approximately equal duration. The beginning of the Spring season. --
Vernal grass (Bot.), a low, soft grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum), producing in the spring narrow spikelike panicles, and noted for the delicious fragrance which it gives to new-mown hay; -- also called sweet vernal grass. See Illust. in Appendix. --
Vernal signs (Astron.), the signs, Aries, Taurus, and Gemini, in which the sun appears between the vernal equinox and summer solstice. [ 1913 Webster ]
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