Dictionary

vice en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /vaɪs/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English vice, from Old French vice, from Latin vitium (“fault or blemish”). Displaced native Old English unþēaw.

Meanings

1. Bad or immoral behaviour. (Especially often, a habit that harms oneself or others)
   • I should not be left to my own devices / they come with prices and vices / I end up in crisis / Tale as old as time 2022 October 21, Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, “Anti-Hero”, in Midnights (Pop Rock, Synth-Pop, Electropop), performed by Taylor Swift:
   • Smoking was a vice Sally picked up in high school.
   • Shepard: I wear a lot of hats, Mr. Vargas. Some days I shut down criminals. Some days I defuse nukes. Some days I like to enjoy private vices. You understand me? 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Noveria:
   • Pride is a vice, not a virtue.
   • It's a rush you can't deny / A little violence is the ultimate drug / Let's get high / You've been powerless to your vices / Self-control defies you 2015, “Vices” (01:22-02:33 from the start), in Repentless (Thrash Metal), performed by Slayer:
2. Any of various crimes related (depending on jurisdiction) to weapons, prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.
3. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, slang) Clipping of vice squad.
   alt of vice squad
4. A defect in the temper or behaviour of a horse, such as to make the animal dangerous, to injure its health, or to diminish its usefulness.
   • So a horse with say, navicular disease, making him suitable only for light hacking, would probably be unsound, whereas rearing would be a vice, being a "defect in the temper... making it dangerous". A vice can however render a horse unsound - possibly a crib biter will damage its wind. 1839, Scholefield v. Robb; cited in Gilligan, Brenda, Practical Horse Law, 2002, →ISBN:

Forms

Antonyms

virtue

Deriveds

inherent vice · by vice of · secret vice · solitary vice · vice squad · vice girl · vice clause · antivice · miami vice · viceless · stable vice · sapphic vice

Relateds

habit · vituperate · vitiligo · racket · racketeering · vitiate · addiction · sin tax · vicious

Synonyms

profligacy · knavery · vice · Corinthianism · carrying-on · rakehood · profligacy

Translations (116)

io vicio (bad habit) · pl występek (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · ka ცოდვა (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · nl verdorvenheid (bad habit) · pl wada (bad habit) · ga ainbhéas (bad habit) · sh mána (bad habit) · sv last (bad habit) · be паро́к (bad habit) · el ελάττωμα (bad habit) · grc χαλεπότης (defect in the temper of a horse) · gl obenza (bad habit) · th อบายมุข (bad habit) · nl ondeugd (bad habit) · cs neřest (bad habit) · ka წუნი (bad habit) · pl przestępstwo obyczajowe (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · ja 犯罪 (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · de Untugend (bad habit) · sl razvada (bad habit) · he עבריינות מין (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · sl pregrešnost (bad habit) · bg поро́к (bad habit) · ro viciu (bad habit) · uk нецно́та (bad habit) · fa رذیلت (bad habit) · he עבריינות (bad habit) · pl nałóg (bad habit) · sh ма́на (bad habit) · tl bisyo (bad habit) · fr vice (bad habit) · ang unþēaw (bad habit) · da uvane (bad habit) · ka მანკი (bad habit) · de Sittenvergehen (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · cs zlozvyk (bad habit) · he השחתת מידות (bad habit) · de Laster (bad habit) · es resabio (bad habit) · de Sittlichkeitsdelikt (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · it difetto (bad habit) · gl vezo (bad habit) · ko 악습 (bad habit) · it delitto a sfondo sessuale (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · mi kino (bad habit) · cu порокъ (bad habit) · ja 罪悪 (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · be зага́на (bad habit) · cmn 惡習 /恶习 (bad habit) · cmn 魔道 (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · uk ґандж (bad habit) · sa व्यसन (bad habit) · hu gyengeség (bad habit) · he עבריינות סמים (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · sk neresť (bad habit) · es vicio (bad habit) · cs nešvar (bad habit) · ga drochbhéas (bad habit) · sv dålig vana (bad habit) · sv ovana (bad habit) · de Lasterhaftigkeit (bad habit) · pt mania (bad habit) · pl narów (bad habit) · eo malvirto (bad habit) · fi seksikauppa (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · ka მანკიერება (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · sh по̀рок (bad habit) · da last (bad habit) · tl bisyo (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · ga anlocht (bad habit) · hu gyarlóság (bad habit) · id cela (bad habit) · cmn 犯罪 (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · de Sittlichkeitsverbrechen (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · cmn 歪路 (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · it vizio (bad habit) · ms maksiat (bad habit) · bg поквара (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · ar رَذِيلَة (bad habit) · ga drochghnáthú (bad habit) · tr ahlaksızlık (bad habit) · ru поро́к (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · ko 범죄 (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · tr fuhuş (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · mk порок (bad habit) · sk zlozvyk (bad habit) · ru поро́к (bad habit) · it malvezzo (bad habit) · ka ზადი (bad habit) · cmn 罪惡 /罪恶 (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · ka ნაკლი (bad habit) · kk кемістік (bad habit) · uk ва́да (bad habit) · tr fuhuş (bad habit) · sq ves (bad habit) · fr affaire de mœurs (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · grc ἐλάττωμα (bad habit) · cmn 邪路 (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · ja 悪習 (bad habit) · nl zonde (bad habit) · ga duáilce (bad habit) · it pecca (bad habit) · gl vicio (bad habit) · uk поро́к (bad habit) · ca vici (bad habit) · sk nešvár (bad habit) · sh pòrok (bad habit) · da dårlig vane (bad habit) · be няцно́та (bad habit) · uk хи́ба (bad habit) · pl występek (bad habit) · fi pahe (bad habit) · vo lesinod (bad habit) · ko 죄악 (crime related to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs) · la vitium (bad habit) · pt vício (bad habit)

wikidata: Q1411242

vice en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /vaɪs/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

See vise.

Meanings

1. (Commonwealth, alt-of, alternative) Alternative spelling of vise (“mechanical screw apparatus used for clamping”).
   alt of vise
2. A tool for drawing lead into cames, or flat grooved rods, for casements.
3. A winding or spiral staircase.
4. (obsolete) A grip or grasp.
   • Fang. If I but fiſt him once: if he come but within my Vice. c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 79, line 22:

Forms

Deriveds

viceman · vicelike

wikidata: Q475638

vice en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /vaɪs/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

See vise.

Meanings

1. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative spelling of vise (“to hold or squeeze with a vice”).
   alt of vise
   • Camillo. As he had ſeen’t, or beene an Instrument / To vice you to't, that you haue toucht his Queene / Forbiddenly. c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 281, line 416:
   • What could be done—who was it that could do it—to check the storm-flight of these maniacal horses? Could I not seize the reins from the slumbering coachman? […] [F]rom the way in which the coachman's hand was viced between his upper and lower thigh, this was impossible. 1849 December, Thomas De Quincey, “The English Mail-coach. Section the Second.—The Vision of Sudden Death.”, in Miscellanies (De Quincey’s Works; IV), London: James Hogg & Sons, →OCLC, page 335:

Forms

vice en · ADJ · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• /vaɪs/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Latin vice (“in place of”), ablative form of vicis. Compare French fois (“time”) and Spanish vez (“time, turn”).

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) in place of; subordinate to; designating a person below another in rank
   • vice president
   • vice admiral

Deriveds

vice admiral · vice governor · vice-principal · vice mayor · vice president

vice en · ADP · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• /vaɪs/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Latin vice (“in place of”), ablative form of vicis. Compare French fois (“time”) and Spanish vez (“time, turn”).

Meanings

1. (dated) Instead of; in place of; versus.
   • He was gardener and out-door man, vice Upton, resigned. 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter XXI, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume I, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849, →OCLC:
   • A very small cab-boy, vice Stoopid retired, swung on behind Foker's vehicle; knock-kneed and in the tightest leather breeches. 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter XXVIII, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume I, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849, →OCLC:

vice en · NOUN · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• /vaɪs/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Latin vice (“in place of”), ablative form of vicis. Compare French fois (“time”) and Spanish vez (“time, turn”).

Meanings

1. One who acts in place of a superior.
   • c. 1850s-1870s, Edward Minister and Son, The Gazette of Fashion and Cutting-Room Companion The health of the Vice was proposed in appropriate language; in replying, Mr. Marriott thanked the company […]

Forms