-ism, -ismus
(Greek, ismos; Latin, ismus: a suffix: belief in, practice of, condition of, process, characteristic behavior or manner, abnormal state, distinctive feature or trait)
ventriloquism
The art of speaking such that the voice seems to come from somewhere else.
Ventriloquism is, literally, speaking from the belly.
verbalism
1. A verbal expression; a word or vocable.
2. Predominance of what is merely verbal over reality or real significance.
3. The uncritical or undisciplined use of words, especially without any attempt to analyze their meanings or values.
2. Predominance of what is merely verbal over reality or real significance.
3. The uncritical or undisciplined use of words, especially without any attempt to analyze their meanings or values.
verificationism
The view that every meaningful proposition is capable of being shown to be true or false.
veritism
1. A natural cross-pollination between two species or two varieties of nearby plants: Vicinisms take place when the pollen of certain flowers are shared with neighboring flowers.
2. Variations under the influence of neighbors: The vicinism of Jorge and Effie was changed from being suspicious to trusting when their neighbors took care of the couple's house and yard while they were in hospital after the car accident.
2. Variations under the influence of neighbors: The vicinism of Jorge and Effie was changed from being suspicious to trusting when their neighbors took care of the couple's house and yard while they were in hospital after the car accident.
virilism, virilization
1. A form of hermaphroditism.
2. The state of a female having some male sexual characteristics.
2. The state of a female having some male sexual characteristics.
virtualism
The Calvinistic doctrine of Christ's virtual presence in the Eucharist.
The opinion or theory that the internal organs are the principal origins of diseases.
vitalism
1. The theory, or doctrine, that life processes arise from or contain a non-material vital principle and cannot be explained entirely as physical and chemical phenomena.
2. The doctrine that all the functions of a living organism are due to an unknown vital principle distinct from all chemical and physical forces.
3. A former theory that life depends on a unique force and can not be reduced to chemical and physical explanations.
2. The doctrine that all the functions of a living organism are due to an unknown vital principle distinct from all chemical and physical forces.
3. A former theory that life depends on a unique force and can not be reduced to chemical and physical explanations.
1. Use of the voice to speak or to make audible sounds: When Ms Jones had laryngitis, she had to refrain from vocalism and to be as quiet as possible!
2. The technique of singing: Frank's daughter was taking lessons in musical vocalisms.
2. The technique of singing: Frank's daughter was taking lessons in musical vocalisms.
voltaism
Direct electric current produced by a chemical battery.
voluntarism
vorticism
1. A short-lived early-20th-century British movement in art and literature that used abstract forms to express concern about the future and the machine age.
2. A short-lived English movement in art and literature that arose in 1914 and was heavily influenced by cubism and futurism.
2. A short-lived English movement in art and literature that arose in 1914 and was heavily influenced by cubism and futurism.
voyeurism
The action of watching an unsuspecting person who is nude, in the act of undressing, or actively engaged in sexual intercourse.
Sexual contact between the observed and the voyerur is not known to occur.
1. An offensive or indecent word or phrase.
2. A word or phrase from a language spoken primarily by uneducated people, as contrasted with a more formal or refined usage by educated people.
2. A word or phrase from a language spoken primarily by uneducated people, as contrasted with a more formal or refined usage by educated people.
