Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Vital
1.
Belonging or relating to life, either animal or vegetable;
as,
vital
energies; vital
functions; vital
actions.2.
Contributing to life; necessary to, or supporting, life;
as,
. vital
bloodDo the heavens afford him
vital
food? Spenser.
And
vital
virtue infused, and vital
warmth. Milton.
3.
Containing life; living.
“Spirits that live throughout, vital in every part.” Milton.
4.
Being the seat of life; being that on which life depends; mortal.
The dart flew on, and pierced a
vital
part. Pope.
5.
Very necessary; highly important; essential.
A competence is
vital
to content. Young.
6.
Capable of living; in a state to live; viable.
[R.]
Pythagoras and Hippocrates . . . affirm the birth of the seventh month to be
vital
. Sir T. Browne.
Vital air
, oxygen gas; – so called because essential to animal life.
[Obs.]
– Vital capacity
(Physiol.)
, the breathing capacity of the lungs; – expressed by the number of cubic inches of air which can be forcibly exhaled after a full inspiration.
– Vital force
. (Biol.)
See under
– Force
. The vital forces, according to Cope, are nerve force (neurism), growth force (bathmism), and thought force (phrenism), all under the direction and control of the vital principle. Apart from the phenomena of consciousness, vital actions no longer need to be considered as of a mysterious and unfathomable character, nor vital force as anything other than a form of physical energy derived from, and convertible into, other well-known forces of nature. Vital functions
(Physiol.)
, those functions or actions of the body on which life is directly dependent, as the circulation of the blood, digestion, etc.
– Vital principle
, an immaterial force, to which the functions peculiar to living beings are ascribed.
– Vital statistics
, statistics respecting the duration of life, and the circumstances affecting its duration.
– Vital tripod
. (Physiol.)
See under
– Tripod
. Vital vessels
(Bot.)
, a name for latex tubes, now disused. See
Latex
.Vi′tal
,Noun.
A vital part; one of the vitals.
[R.]
Webster 1828 Edition
Vital
VI'TAL
,Adj.
1.
Pertaining to life, either animal or vegetable; as vital energies; vital powers.2.
Contributing to life; necessary to life; as vital air; vital blood.3.
Containing life.Spirits that live throughout, vital in every part - and vital virtue infus'd, and vital warmth.
4.
Being the seat of life; being that on which life depends.The dart flew on, and pierc'd a vital part.
5.
Very necessary; highly important; essential. Religion is a business of vital concern. Peace is of vital importance to our country.6.
So disposed as to live.Pythagoras and Hippocrates affirm the birth of the seventh month to be vital. [Little used.]
Vital air, pure air or oxygen gas, which is essential to animal life.