Words that start with V

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.

Variety is a way of saying you have lots of different things. Often you talk of variety between lots of similar things, for example "there was a wide variety of fruit available". The picture is of a variety of spices for sale at a market.

A vase is a container without a lid, which is used to hold cut flowers. Vases are often very pretty. People have been making vases for thousands of years, usually made from clay and painted different colours.

A vat is a very large container, either a large tub with no lid or an enclosed tank. Vats are generally used for making large amounts of food or drink, like wine or the early processes of cheesemaking.