(in cards) lack of cards in a suit: a void in clubs.
–verb (used with object)
14.
to make ineffectual; invalidate; nullify: to void a check.
15.
to empty; discharge; evacuate: to void excrement.
16.
to clear or empty (often fol. by of): to void a chamber of occupants.
17.
Archaic. to depart from; vacate.
–verb (used without object)
18.
to defecate or urinate.
[Origin: 1250–1300; (adj.) ME voide < AF, OF < VL *vocīta, fem. of *vocītus, dissimilated var. of L vocīvus, itself var. of vac(ī)vus empty; see vacuum; (v.) ME voiden < AF voider, OF < VL *vocītāre, deriv. of *vocītus; (n.) deriv. of the adj.]
Completely lacking; devoid: void of understanding. See Synonyms at empty.
Ineffective; useless.
Having no legal force or validity; null: a contract rendered void.
Games Lacking cards of a particular suit in a dealt hand.
n.
An empty space.
A vacuum.
An open space or a break in continuity; a gap.
A feeling or state of emptiness, loneliness, or loss.
Games Absence of cards of a particular suit in a dealt hand: a void in hearts.
v.
void·ed, void·ing, voids
v.
tr.
To take out (the contents of something); empty.
To excrete (body wastes).
To leave; vacate.
To make void or of no validity; invalidate: issued a new passport and voided the old one.
v.
intr.
To excrete body wastes.
[Middle English, from Old French voide, feminine of voit, from Vulgar Latin *vocitus, alteration of Latin vacīvus, vocīvus, variant of vacuus, from vacāre, to be empty; see euə- in Indo-European roots.]
c.1290, "unoccupied, vacant," from Anglo-Fr. and O.Fr. voide "empty, vast, wide, hollow, waste," from L. vocivus "unoccupied, vacant," related to vacuus "empty" (see vacuum). Meaning "lacking or wanting" (something) is recorded from c.1420. Meaning "legally invalid" is attested from 1433. Noun sense of "empty space, vacuum" is from 1727. The verb meaning "to clear" (some place, of something) is first recorded c.1300; meaning "to deprive (something) of legal validity" is attested from c.1325.
an empty area or space; "the huge desert voids"; "the emptiness of outer space"; "without their support he'll be ruling in a vacuum"
verb
1.
declare invalid; "The contract was annulled"; "void a plea" [syn: invalidate] [ant: formalise]
2.
clear (a room, house, place) of occupants or empty or clear (a place or receptacle) of something; "The chemist voided the glass bottle"; "The concert hall was voided of the audience"
3.
take away the legal force of or render ineffective; "invalidate a contract" [syn: invalidate] [ant: validate]
4.
excrete or discharge from the body [syn: evacuate]
A*void"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Avoided; p. pr. & vb. n. Avoiding.] [OF. esvuidier, es (L. ex) + vuidier, voidier, to empty. See Void, a.]1. To empty. [Obs.] --Wyclif. 2. To emit or throw out; to void; as, to avoid excretions. [Obs.] --Sir T. Browne. 3. To quit or evacuate; to withdraw from. [Obs.] Six of us only stayed, and the rest avoided the room. --Bacon. 4. To make void; to annul or vacate; to refute. How can these grants of the king's be avoided? --Spenser. 5. To keep away from; to keep clear of; to endeavor no to meet; to shun; to abstain from; as, to avoid the company of gamesters. What need a man forestall his date of grief. And run to meet what he would most avoid ? --Milton. He carefully avoided every act which could goad them into open hostility. --Macaulay. 6. To get rid of. [Obs.] --Shak. 7. (Pleading) To defeat or evade; to invalidate. Thus, in a replication, the plaintiff may deny the defendant's plea, or confess it, and avoid it by stating new matter. --Blackstone. Syn: To escape; elude; evade; eschew. Usage: To Avoid, Shun. Avoid in its commonest sense means, to keep clear of, an extension of the meaning, to withdraw one's self from. It denotes care taken not to come near or in contact; as, to avoid certain persons or places. Shun is a stronger term, implying more prominently the idea of intention. The words may, however, in many cases be interchanged. No man can pray from his heart to be kept from temptation, if the take no care of himself to avoid it. --Mason. So Chanticleer, who never saw a fox, Yet shunned him as a sailor shuns the rocks. --Dryden.
Va"cant\, a. [F., fr. L. vacans, -antis, p. pr. of vacare to be empty, to be free or unoccupied, to have leisure, also vocare; akin to vacuus empty, and probably to E. void. Cf. Evacuate, Void, a.]1. Deprived of contents; not filled; empty; as, a vacant room. Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form. --Shak. Being of those virtues vacant. --Shak. There is no fireside, howsoe'er defended, But has one vacant chair. --Longfellow. 2. Unengaged with business or care; unemployed; unoccupied; disengaged; free; as, vacant hours. Religion is the interest of all; but philosophy of those . . . at leisure, and vacant from the affairs of the world. --Dr. H. More. There was not a minute of the day which he left vacant. --Bp. Fell. 3. Not filled or occupied by an incumbent, possessor, or officer; as, a vacant throne; a vacant parish. Special dignities which vacant lie For thy best use and wearing. --Shak. 4. Empty of thought; thoughtless; not occupied with study or reflection; as, a vacant mind. The duke had a pleasant and vacant face. --Sir H. Wotton. When on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood. --Wordsworth. 5. (Law) Abandoned; having no heir, possessor, claimant, or occupier; as, a vacant estate. --Bouvier. Vacant succession (Law), one that is claimed by no person, or where all the heirs are unknown, or where all the known heirs to it have renounced it. --Burrill. Syn: Empty; void; devoid; free; unemployed; disengaged; unincumbered; uncrowded; idle. Usage: Vacant, Empty. A thing is empty when there is nothing in it; as, an empty room, or an empty noddle. Vacant adds the idea of having been previously filled, or intended to be filled or occupied; as, a vacant seat at table; a vacant office; vacant hours. When we speak of a vacant look or a vacant mind, we imply the absence of the intelligence naturally to be expected there.
Void\, a. [OE. voide, OF. voit, voide, vuit, vuide, F. vide, fr. (assumed) LL. vocitus, fr. L. vocare, an old form of vacare to be empty, or a kindred word. Cf. Vacant, Avoid.]1. Containing nothing; empty; vacant; not occupied; not filled. The earth was without form, and void. --Gen. i. 2. I 'll get me to a place more void. --Shak. I 'll chain him in my study, that, at void hours, I may run over the story of his country. --Massinger. 2. Having no incumbent; unoccupied; -- said of offices and the like. Divers great offices that had been long void. --Camden. 3. Being without; destitute; free; wanting; devoid; as, void of learning, or of common use. --Milton. A conscience void of offense toward God. --Acts xxiv. 16. He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbor. --Prov. xi. 12. 4. Not producing any effect; ineffectual; vain. [My word] shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please. --Isa. lv. 11. I will make void the counsel of Judah. --Jer. xix. 7. 5. Containing no immaterial quality; destitute of mind or soul. "Idol, void and vain." --Pope. 6. (Law) Of no legal force or effect, incapable of confirmation or ratification; null. Cf. Voidable, 2. Void space (Physics), a vacuum. Syn: Empty; vacant; devoid; wanting; unfurnished; unsupplied; unoccupied.
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