Part 260

Up"si*lon (?), n. [Gr. 'y^ psilo`n bare, mere, simple y.] The 20th letter (, υ) of the Greek alphabet, a vowel having originally the sound of as in room, becoming before the 4th century b. c. that French u or Ger. ü. Its equivalent in English is u or y.

Up`-to-date" (?), a. Extending to the present time; having style, manners, knowledge, or other qualities that are abreast of the times. "A general up-to-date style of presentment." Nature.

I must prefer to translate the poet in a manner more congenial if less up-to-date.

Andrew Lang.

Up"-wind`, adv. Against the wind.

||U*ræ"us (?), n. [NL., fr. L. uraeus pertaining to a tail, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; tail.] (Egypt. Archæol.) A serpent, or serpent's head and neck, represented on the front of the headdresses of divinities and sovereigns as an emblem of supreme power.

U*reth"ane (?), n. [F. uréthane. See Urea; Ether.] (Org. Chem.) A white crystalline substance, NH2.COOC2H5, produced by the action of ammonia on ethyl carbonate or by heating urea nitrate and ethyl alcohol. It is used as a hypnotic, antipyretic, and antispasmodic. Hence, any ester of carbamic acid.

U"-shaped` (?), a. Having the form of the letter U; specif. (Phys. Geog.), of valleys, resembling a broad U in cross profile.

||U`vu*li"tis (?), n. [NL. See Uvula, and -itis.] (Med.) Inflammation of the uvula.

||Va*ca"tur (?), n. [NL., it is made void, fr. L. vacare to be empty. See Vacant.] (Law) An order of court by which a proceeding is set aside or annulled.

Vac"cine point` (?). (Med.) See Point, n., 26.

Va`chette" clasp (?). [Cf. F. vachette cowhide leather used for ligatures.] (Veter.) A piece of strong steel wire with the ends curved and pointed, used on toe or quarter cracks to bind the edges together and prevent motion. It is clasped into two notches, one on each side of the crack, burned into the wall with a cautery iron.

Vac`u*om"e*ter (?), n. [Vacuum + -meter.] (Physics) (a) An instrument for the comparison of barometers. (b) An apparatus for the measurement of low pressures.

Vac"u*um clean"er. A machine for cleaning carpets, tapestry, upholstered work, etc., by suction.

Val`or*i*za"tion (?), n. [Pg. valorizacão.] Act or process of attempting to give an arbitrary market value or price to a commodity by governmental interference, as by maintaining a purchasing fund, making loans to producers to enable them to hold their products, etc.; -- used chiefly of such action by Brazil.

Val"ue (?), n. 1. (a) That property of a color by which it is distinguished as bright or dark; luminosity. (b) Degree of lightness as conditioned by the presence of white or pale color, or their opposites.

2. (Math.) Any particular quantitative determination; as, a function's value for some special value of its argument.

3. [pl.] The valuable ingredients to be obtained by treatment from any mass or compound; specif., the precious metals contained in rock, gravel, or the like; as, the vein carries good values; the values on the hanging walls.

Val"ued pol"i*cy. (Fire Insurance) A policy in which the value of the goods, property, or interest insured is specified; -- opposed to open policy.

Valued-policy law. (Fire Insurance) A law requiring insurance companies to pay to the insured, in case of total loss, the full amount of the insurance, regardless of the actual value of the property at the time of the loss.

{ Valv"al (?), Valv"ar (?) }, a. (Biol.) Valvular.

Va*na"di*um bronze` (?). (Chem.) A yellow pigment consisting of a compound of vanadium.

Van*dyke" beard`. A trim, pointed beard, such as those often seen in pictures by Vandyke.

Van"i*ty box. A small box, usually jeweled or of precious metal and worn on a chain, containing a mirror, powder puff, and other small toilet articles for a woman.

Van"tage game. (Lawn Tennis) The first game after the set is deuce. See Set, n., 9.

Vantage point. A point giving advantage; vantage ground.

Van't Hoff's law (?). [After J.H. van't Hoff, Dutch physical chemist.] (Phys. Chem.) The generalization that: when a system is in equilibrium, of the two opposed interactions the endothermic is promoted by raising the temperature, the exothermic by lowering it.

Va"por gal"va*niz`ing. (Metal.) A process for coating metal (usually iron or steel) surfaces with zinc by exposing them to the vapor of zinc instead of, as in ordinary galvanizing, to molten zinc; -- called also Sherardizing. Vapor galvanizing is accomplished by heating the articles to be galvanized together with zinc dust in an air tight receptacle to a temperature of about 600° F., which is 188° below the melting point of zinc, or by exposing the articles to vapor from molten zinc in a separate receptacle, using hydrogen or other reducing gas to prevent oxidation.