n. The theory, doctrine, or practice of peaceful resistance to a government by fasting or refusing to cooperate.
Syn. -- passive resistance. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. peacefully resistant in response to injustice; not using violence; -- used of protests and demonstrations; as, nonviolent resistance. Opposite of violent.
Syn. -- passive, peaceful. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. achieved without bloodshed. Contrasted with bloody.
Syn. -- unbloody, bloodless. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ Pref. ultra- + violet. ] (Physics) Lying outside the visible spectrum at its blue-violet end; -- said of light more refrangible (i. e. having a shorter wavelength) than the extreme violet rays of the visible spectrum. Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths shorter than those of ultrviolet light are not usually considered as light waves, but are classified differently. The ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum is generally considered as comprising those electromagnetic emissions with wavelengths lying between those of visible light and those of X-rays, i. e. between 4000 Angstroms and 100 Angstroms. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. A vial. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. L. violentia. See Violent. ] 1. The quality or state of being violent; highly excited action, whether physical or moral; vehemence; impetuosity; force. [ 1913 Webster ]

That seal
You ask with such a violence, the king,
Mine and your master, with his own hand gave me. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

All the elements
At least had gone to wrack, disturbed and torn
With the violence of this conflict. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Injury done to that which is entitled to respect, reverence, or observance; profanation; infringement; unjust force; outrage; assault. [ 1913 Webster ]

Do violence to do man. Luke iii. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

We can not, without offering violence to all records, divine and human, deny an universal deluge. T. Burnet. [ 1913 Webster ]

Looking down, he saw
The whole earth filled with violence. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Ravishment; rape; constupration. [ 1913 Webster ]

To do violence on, to attack; to murder. “She . . . did violence on herself.” Shak. --
To do violence to, to outrage; to injure; as, he does violence to his own opinions. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Vehemence; outrage; fierceness; eagerness; violation; infraction; infringement; transgression; oppression. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To assault; to injure; also, to bring by violence; to compel. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. F. violenter. ] To urge with violence. [ Obs. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F., from L. violentus, from vis strength, force; probably akin to Gr. &unr_; a muscle, strength. ] 1. Moving or acting with physical strength; urged or impelled with force; excited by strong feeling or passion; forcible; vehement; impetuous; fierce; furious; severe; as, a violent blow; the violent attack of a disease. [ 1913 Webster ]

Float upon a wild and violent sea. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

A violent cross wind from either coast. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Acting, characterized, or produced by unjust or improper force; outrageous; unauthorized; as, a violent attack on the right of free speech. [ 1913 Webster ]

To bring forth more violent deeds. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some violent hands were laid on Humphrey's life. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Produced or effected by force; not spontaneous; unnatural; abnormal. [ 1913 Webster ]

These violent delights have violent ends. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

No violent state can be perpetual. T. Burnet. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ease would recant
Vows made in pain, as violent and void. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Violent presumption (Law), presumption of a fact that arises from proof of circumstances which necessarily attend such facts. --
Violent profits (Scots Law), rents or profits of an estate obtained by a tenant wrongfully holding over after warning. They are recoverable in a process of removing. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Fierce; vehement; outrageous; boisterous; turbulent; impetuous; passionate; severe; extreme. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An assailant. [ Obs. ] Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To be violent; to act violently. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The grief is fine, full, perfect, that I taste,
And violenteth in a sense as strong
As that which causeth it. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a violent manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. viola a violet. ] Tending to a violet color; violascent. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. violette a violet (cf. violet violet-colored), dim. of OF. viole a violet, L. viola; akin to Gr. &unr_;. Cf. Iodine. ] 1. (Bot.) Any plant or flower of the genus Viola, of many species. The violets are generally low, herbaceous plants, and the flowers of many of the species are blue, while others are white or yellow, or of several colors, as the pansy (Viola tricolor). [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The cultivated sweet violet is Viola odorata of Europe. The common blue violet of the eastern United States is Viola cucullata; the sand, or bird-foot, violet is Viola pedata. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The color of a violet, or that part of the spectrum farthest from red. It is the most refrangible part of the spectrum. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. In art, a color produced by a combination of red and blue in equal proportions; a bluish purple color. Mollett. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of small violet-colored butterflies belonging to Lycaena, or Rusticus, and allied genera. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ 1913 Webster ]

Corn violet. See under Corn. --
Dame's violet. (Bot.) See Damewort. --
Dogtooth violet. (Bot.) See under Dogtooth. --
Water violet (Bot.), an aquatic European herb (Hottonia palustris) with pale purplish flowers and pinnatifid leaves. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. violet. See Violet, n. ] Dark blue, inclining to red; bluish purple; having a color produced by red and blue combined. [ 1913 Webster ]

Violet shell (Zool.), any species of Ianthina; -- called also violet snail. See Ianthina. --
Violet wood, a name given to several kinds of hard purplish or reddish woods, as king wood, myall wood, and the wood of the Andira violacea, a tree of Guiana. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Any tropical humming bird of the genus Petasophora, having violet or purplish ear tufts. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. (Zool.) A very handsome American butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis). Its wings are mottled with various shades of red and brown and have violet tips. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Bot.) See under Violet. [ 1913 Webster ]