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Webster 1913 Edition

Veronica

Ve-ron′i-ca

,
Noun.
[LL.; – so called from
Veronica
, a woman who, according to an old legend, as Christ was carrying the cross, wiped his face with a cloth, which received an impression of his countenance;
Veronica
is fr. MGr.
Βερονίκη
, fr. Macedonian
Βερενίκη
, for Gr.
Φερενίκη
, literally, carrying off victory, victorious.]
1.
A portrait or representation of the face of our Savior on the alleged handkerchief of Saint Veronica, preserved at Rome; hence, a representation of this portrait, or any similar representation of the face of the Savior. Formerly called also
Vernacle
, and
Vernicle
.
2.
(Bot.)
A genus of scrophulariaceous plants; the speedwell. See
Speedwell
.
☞ Several herbaceous species are common in both Europe and America, most of which have small blue flowers. A few shrubby species from New Zealand are sometimes found in cultivation.

Webster 1828 Edition

Veronica

VERON'ICA

,
Noun.
[vera-icon, true image.]
1.
A portrait or representation of the face of our Savior on handkerchiefs.
2.
In botany, a genus of plants, Speedwell.

Definition 2024

Veronica

Veronica

Translingual

Veronica montana

Etymology

From Veronica ‎(“name”), probably after Saint Veronica, possibly for because of the flowers of some European species resembling the image on the Veil of Veronica in some way

Proper noun

Veronica f

  1. A taxonomic genus within the family Plantaginaceae – many species of herbaceous plants, many with blue flowers, including speedwells.

Hypernyms

Hyponyms


English

Proper noun

Veronica

  1. A female given name.
    • 2007 Anne Enright, The Gathering, Jonathan Cape, ISBN 9780224078733, page 128:
      My own name, Veronica — an ugly enough thing I had always thought, it sounded like either the ointment or the disease — was one her great favourites. St Veronica wiped the face of Christ on the road to Calvary and He left His face on her tea towel. Or the picture of His face. It was the first-ever photograph, she said.

Translations

Norwegian

Alternative forms

Proper noun

Veronica

  1. A female given name, cognate to English Veronica.

Swedish

Alternative forms

Proper noun

Veronica c

  1. Veronica. A female given name.

veronica

veronica

English

Noun

veronica ‎(plural veronicas)

  1. (Roman Catholicism) The image of Jesus's face believed to have been made on the cloth with which St Veronica wiped his face as he went to be crucified; or the cloth used for this.
    • 1973, Nicholas Monsarrat, The Kapillan of Malta:
      A veil that had wiped off the sweat of Christ? Who could possibly believe that? (…) The only true Veronica of this century was the veronica of the matador – the classic slow swing of the cape before the bull’s face, imitating that holy wiping, mocking it.
    • 1988, Anthony Burgess, Any Old Iron:
      He wiped the lady’s martini glass, having had some trouble with a kind of veronica of lipstick, spat in it viciously, then washed it again.
  2. (bullfighting) A circular swinging movement of the cape, used to avoid the bull.
    • 1973, Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow:
      The cougher makes a lunge. Slothrop sweeps aside, gives him a quick veronica with his cape, sticks his foot out and trips the kid, who lies on the ground cursing
    • 1989, Martin Amis, London Fields, Vintage 2003, p. 357:
      He stepped aside as a fight got going between an attendant and some kid by the Alkool display, hopping backwards in a practised veronica when a bottle broke, fearful for his flares.
  3. (botany) A flower of the genus Veronica, usually having blue petals.
    • 2006, Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day, Vintage 2007, p. 871:
      meadows full of wildflowers that seemed to Kit enormous, violets as big as your hand, yellow lilies and blue veronica you could shelter from the rain under
    • 1978, Iris Murdoch, The Sea, The Sea, Vintage 1999, p. 11:
      There are also (placed there by man or nature?) quite a lot of skinny fuchsias and dense veronicas, all in flower, and some kind of rather attractive grey-leaved sage.

Translations

Verb

veronica ‎(third-person singular simple present veronicas, present participle veronicaing, simple past and past participle veronicaed)

  1. To draw a muleta over and away from a bull's face in bullfighting.

Italian

Noun

veronica f ‎(plural veroniche)

  1. (Roman Catholicism) veronica (cloth)
  2. (bullfighting) veronica (movement of the cape)
  3. (botany) veronica (flower)

Anagrams

Manx

Etymology

Borrowing from English veronica.

Noun

veronica f ‎(genitive singular [please provide], plural [please provide])

  1. (botany) veronica

Etymology

Latin form of Berenice, from Ancient Greek Φερενίκη ‎(Phereníkē). Influenced by the Church Latin phrase vera icon "true image" associated with the legend of Saint Veronica who wiped the face of Jesus on the way to Calvary.

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