in heraldry, one of the ordinaries whose figure is much like that of a flask or flaunch, only that it doth not bend so much. See Plate CXLVII. fig. 24.
VOL, among heralds, signifies the two wings of a fowl joined together, borne in armory, as being the whole that makes the flight. Accordingly, a demi-vol is a single wing.
VOLA, the palm or inside of the hand, comprehended between the fingers and the writ.
VOLANT, in heraldry, is when a bird in a coat of arms is drawn flying, or having its wings spread out.
VOLATILE, in physics, is commonly used to denote a mixed body whose integral parts are easily dissipated by fire or heat; but is more properly used for bodies whose elements or first component parts are easily separated from each other, and dispersed in air. See Chemistry.
VOLATILISATION, the act of rendering fixed bodies volatile, or of resolving them by fire into a fine subtle vapour or spirit, which easily diffuses and flies away. All bodies, even the most fixed, as gold, may be volatilized; either of themselves, or with the admixture of some volatile substance, or spirit, by distillation or sublimation.
VOLERY, a great bird-cage, so large that the birds have room to fly up and down in it.
VOLHINIA, or VOLONIA a province of Poland, bounded by Podolia, on the north; by the lower Volhnia, or Ukraine, in the territories of Russia; on the east by Podolia, on the south; and by the province of Red Russia, on the west.
VOLITION, the act of willing. See Metaphysics.
VOLKAMERIA, in botany, a genus of the didynamia angiospermae clais. The calyx consists of five segments; and the berry contains two bilocular seeds. There are two species, none of them native of Britain.
VOLLEY, a military salute, made by discharging a great number of fire arms at the same time.
VOLO, in Roman antiquity, an appellation given to the slaves, who, during the second Punic war, offered themselves to serve in the army.
VOLT, in the manege, a round or circular tread; and hence by the phrase, to make volts, is understood a gate of two treads, made by a horse going sideways round a center, in such a manner, that these two treads make parallel tracks, one larger made by the fore-feet, and another smaller made by the hind feet, the croup approaching towards the centre, and the shoulders bearing outwards.
VOLUME, in matters of literature, a book, or writings, of a just bulk to be bound by itself. The name is derived from the Latin volvere, to roll up; the ancient manner of making up books being in rolls of bark or parchment. See Book.
VOLUNTARY, in music, a piece played by a musician extempore, according to his fancy. This is often used before he begins to set himself to play any particular composition, to try the instrument, and to lead him into the key of the piece he intends to perform.
VOLUNTEERS, in the military art persons who of their own accord, and at their own expense, serve in the army.
VOLUTA, in natural history, a genus of insects belonging to the order of vermes testacea. It is an animal of the snail kind, with an unilocular spiral shell, of which there are 46 species, distinguished by peculiarities in their shells.
VOLUTE, in architecture, a kind of spiral scroll, used in the the Ionic and Composite capitals, whereof it makes the principal characteristic and ornament. See Architecture, p. 352.
VOLVULUS, in medicine, a name which some authors give to the iliac passion. See Medicine, p. 114.
VOMIR, in anatomy. See Anatomy, p. 163.