A vacation, or holiday, is when you take some time off from work or school to relax. Most people go away for their vacations, and often go to stay near a beach.
A vaccine is something that increases the body's immunity to a disease or condition like measles or the flu. Vaccines do not provide complete protection, but if enough people are vaccinated they can minimise outbreaks, or in some cases actually wipe out a disease.
A vacuum cleaner, or sometimes a hoover, is a machine that is used to suck dirt and dust from floors inside your house. It works by making a vacuum inside it by pumping the air out of a chamber inside the cleaner, so that air from outside rushes in to fill up the space that is left. The dust is removed from the air by filtering it, usually through some cloth.
Valerian is a hardy plant with pink or white flowers. The roots of the plant can be used for medicinal purposes, usually by making them into a tea. Valerian has a sedative effect and helps you to sleep.
You may also be interested in red valerian, an unrelated plant with a similar name.
A valley is the space between two hills or mountains. Valleys often have a river flowing through them, and are full of fertile soil that has been washed down from the surrounding hills. Many towns and villages are built in valleys.
Something is valuable if it is worth a lot of money. Some things are valuable for other reasons, for example they have sentimental value because they remind you of someone.
Vampires are a mythical creature which is said to exist by drinking people's blood. They are said to only come out at night as daylight can destroy them. It is also said they can only be killed by a stake through the heart, or by a silver bullet. A vampire has no reflection, so they cannot be seen in a mirror.
A vandal is someone who breaks something that doesn't belong to them, for no reason. People who graffiti are called vandals. The picture is of a vandalised bus stop.
Vanilla beans are the seed pods of a kind of orchid. When they are grown outside Mexico, they need to be pollinated by hand. Vanilla has a strong, aromatic smell and is used in many different sweets, particularly icecream. The part of vanilla that makes the flavour can also be made artificially, and is a lot cheaper than natural vanilla essense.
