Definitions

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Force; power.
  • noun Physical force.
  • noun Moral power.
  • noun (Mech.) the principle that the difference between the aggregate work of the accelerating forces of a system and that of the retarding forces is equal to one half the vis viva accumulated or lost in the system while the work is being done.
  • noun (Mech.) force exerted, as in moving a body, or changing the direction of its motion; impressed force.
  • noun Inertness; inactivity.
  • noun (Mech.) dead force; force doing no active work, but only producing pressure.
  • noun (Physiol.) vital force.
  • noun (Mech.) living force; the force of a body moving against resistance, or doing work, in distinction from vis mortua, or dead force; the kinetic energy of a moving body; the capacity of a moving body to do work by reason of its being in motion. See Kinetic energy, in the Note under Energy. The term vis viva is not usually understood to include that part of the kinetic energy of the body which is due to the vibrations of its molecules.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • I'm not sure if D ever mentioned this to you, but the tiny island of Vis is just a ferry away from Split, and from there you can take a boat to see the blue cave on the island of Bisevo.

    We Apologize for the Inconvenience Heather McDougal 2008

  • Dr. Doimi's people have lived for many years on this island -- his father was mayor of the capital, which is also called Vis, for half a century -- and now they have become so acclimatized that, as he told me, three of his four nephews prefer to call themselves Yugoslavs.

    The Birth of Yugoslavia, Volume 2 Henry Baerlein 1917

  • There's a little village called Visé near the Dutch frontier; some old chap got fooling there with a fowling-piece; and they've wiped it out.

    Mr. Britling Sees It Through 1906

  • "At the start of the trial we were portrayed as these vicious barbarians who had no respect for human lives and drove around planting bombs everywhere," testified Gerhardus "Vis" Visagie.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 2004

  • LV_Modify (LV_GetCount (), "Vis"); goto last position return

    AutoHotkey Community 2010

  • LV_Modify (LV_GetCount (), "Vis"); goto last position return

    AutoHotkey Community 2009

  • Jake's mission is to learn the Na'Vis 'ways of life and feed the info back to the humans off-planet.

    All articles at Blogcritics 2009

  • LV_Modify (0, "Vis") loop, % seachingfolderx%\*,2 if % ProcAnimFlag% = 0 return if (sfl = 0)

    AutoHotkey Community 2009

  • LV_Modify (LV_GetCount (), "Vis"); goto last position

    AutoHotkey Community 2008

  • Reuters Ronald Van Der Vis, chief executive of fashion retailer Esprit Holdings, at a news conference presenting the company's annual results in Hong Kong on Thursday.

    Esprit to Abandon North America After 98% Profit Fall Chester Yung 2011

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