V

1. the twenty-second letter of the alphabet.
2. a shape like that of a letter V.

   deep, V-shaped valleys

3. the Roman numeral for five.

1. Vatican City (international vehicle registration).
2. volt(s).

1. the chemical element vanadium.
2. voltage or potential difference.

   V = IR

3. (in mathematical formulae) volume.

   pV = nRT

1. verb.
2. (in textual references) verse.

   the use of the dī phrase in v.44

3. verso.
4. versus.

   Portsmouth v Coventry City

   the case of Stacey v Babcock Power Ltd

5. very.
6. (in textual references) vide.

symbol

velocity.

noun, symbol

the chemical element of atomic number 23, a hard grey metal of the transition series, used to make alloy steels.

mid 19th century: modern Latin, from Old Norse Vanadis (a name of the Scandinavian goddess Freya).

1. against (especially in sporting and legal use).

   England versus Australia

late Middle English: from a medieval Latin use of Latin versus ‘towards’.

noun, symbol

the SI unit of electromotive force, the difference of potential that would carry one ampere of current against one ohm resistance.

late 19th century: named after A. Volta (see Volta, Alessandro).