Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Very?

\Ver"y\, a. [Compar. {Verier}; superl. {Veriest}.] [OE. verai, verray, OF. verai, vrai, F. vrai, (assumed) LL. veracus, for L. verax true, veracious, fr. verus true; akin to OHG. & OS. w[=a]r, G. wahr, D. waar; perhaps originally, that is or exists, and akin to E. was. Cf. {Aver}, v. t., {Veracious}, {Verdict}, {Verity}.] True; real; actual; veritable. Whether thou be my very son Esau or not. --Gen. xxvii. 21. He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends. --Prov. xvii. 9. The very essence of truth is plainness and brightness. --Milton. I looked on the consideration of public service or public ornament to be real and very justice. --Burke. Note: Very is sometimes used to make the word with which it is connected emphatic, and may then be paraphrased by same, self-same, itself, and the like. ``The very hand, the very words.'' --Shak. ``The very rats instinctively have quit it.'' --Shak. ``Yea, there where very desolation dwells.'' --Milton. Very is used occasionally in the comparative degree, and more frequently in the superlative. ``Was not my lord the verier wag of the two?'' --Shak. ``The veriest hermit in the nation.'' --Pope. ``He had spoken the very truth, and transformed it into the veriest falsehood.'' --Hawthorne. {Very Reverend}. See the Note under {Reverend}.
\Ver"y\, adv. In a high degree; to no small extent; exceedingly; excessively; extremely; as, a very great mountain; a very bright sum; a very cold day; the river flows very rapidly; he was very much hurt.