vair

English

Vair

Etymology

From Middle English veir, veire, from Old French vair, veir, from the accusative singular masculine form of Latin varius (“variegated”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /vɛə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /vɛɹ/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /veə/
• Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ)

Noun

vair (countable and uncountable, plural vairs)

1. A type of fur from a squirrel with a grey back and white belly, much used on garments in the Middle Ages.
   • 1999, George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings, Bantam, published 2011, page 323:

     Bran wore grey breeches and white doublet, his sleeves and collar trimmed with vair.

2. (heraldry) An heraldic fur formed by a regular tessellation of bell shapes in two colours, (for example in the image, blue and white).

Related terms

• countervair
• vairy
• varriated

Translations

heraldic fur

• Catalan: vaire (ca) m
• Czech: popeličina f
• Dutch: vaar (nl) m, vair (nl) n
• Esperanto: vajro
• Finnish: oravannahka (fi)
• French: vair (fr) m
• German: Feh (de) n
• Hungarian: evet (hu)
• Irish: véir f
• Italian: vaio (it) m
• Japanese: ヴェア (vuea)
• Macedonian: верве́рица f (vervérica)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: gråverk n, gråskinn n

  Nynorsk: gråverk n, gråskinn n

• Portuguese: veiro (pt) m
• Russian: бе́личий мех m (béličij mex)
• Spanish: vero (es) m
• Swedish: gråverk (sv) n
• Ukrainian: ви́вірка (uk) f (vývirka)

See also

• ermine
• fur
• potent

Anagrams

• Ravi, Riva, Viar, riva, vari, vira

Catalan

Alternative forms

• vaire

Etymology

Inherited from Latin varius.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈbajr]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) unknown
• IPA^(key): (Valencian) [ˈvajr]

Adjective

vair (feminine vaira, masculine plural vairs, feminine plural vaires)

1. (archaic) varied
2. variegated, multicolored

Related terms

• gatvaire

Noun

vair m (plural vairs)

1. (historical) vair (black-and-white variegated squirrel fur)
2. (heraldry) vair

Further reading

• “vair” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Dutch

Etymology

From Old French vair, veir, from the accusative singular masculine form of Latin varius (“variegated”).

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

vair n (uncountable)

1. (heraldry) vair (fur used in heraldry)

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French vair, veir, from the accusative singular masculine form of Latin varius.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vɛʁ/

• Audio

  (file)

• Homophones: vaire, vaires, vairs, ver, vers, vert, verts, verre, verres
• Rhymes: -ɛʁ

Noun

vair m (plural vairs)

1. (heraldry) vair

Further reading

• “vair”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• ravi, riva, vira, vrai

Gallo

Etymology

From Old French veeir, veoir, from Latin videō, vidēre, cognate with French voir.

Verb

vair

1. To see

   Disez-mai don, v'ez-ti pas veü un jiene là tout à l'oure ?

   Please tell me, have you seen a young man there few minutes ago ?

Middle English

Noun

vair

1. Alternative form of veir

Old French

Etymology

From the accusative singular masculine form of Latin varius.

Adjective

vair m (oblique and nominative feminine singular vaire)

1. changeable; that may change
2. multi-colored; polychromatic
3. shining; brilliant

Declension

Declension of vair

Number	Case	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Singular	Subject	vairs	vaire	vair
	Oblique	vair			vaire	vair
Plural	Subject	vair	vaires		vair
	Oblique	vairs			vaires	vair

Noun

vair oblique singular, m (oblique plural vairs, nominative singular vairs, nominative plural vair)

1. vair (fur of a squirrel)

Descendants

• French: vair
• → Middle English: veir, feir, vair, vaire, veire, ver, voir, ware
  • English: vair
  • Scots: vair (obsolete)
  • Yola: vier, wyer, vierd
• → Irish: véir

Romansch

Alternative forms

• vesair (Rumantsch Grischun)
• veser (Sursilvan)
• vaser (Sutsilvan)
• veir (Surmiran)
• vzair (Puter)
• verer (Vallader)

Etymology

From Latin videō, vidēre.

Verb

vair

1. (Puter) to look
2. (Puter) to see