vice-, prefix
(vaɪs)
representing L. vice in place of: see prec. Originally this governed a following word in the genitive, but in late L. the tendency to use the phrase as a compound noun appears in vicequæstor (equivalent to prōquæstor of analogous origin). In med.L. such formations became common, as vicecomes, -consul, -decanus, -dominus, -princeps, -rector, -rex, etc. From the 13th cent. onwards a number of these appear in OF., at first usually with the prefix in the form of vis-, vi-, but latterly assimilated as a rule to the Latin original. Similar compounds with vice- are also employed in It., Sp., and Pg. The older examples in English, having been taken immediately from French, also present the prefix in the reduced forms vis- (vys, viz-) and vi- (vy-), subsequently replaced by vice- (also in early use vize-) except in viscount. The more important compounds are given below as main words; the following are illustrations of less usual or more recent terms. a. With personal designations, especially titles of office, indicating that the person so called acts temporarily or regularly in place of, in the absence of, or as assistant to, another who properly holds the office or bears the title or name, as vice-abbot, vice-agent, vice-Apollo, vice-apostle, vice-architect, etc. Also occas. transf., as vice-nature.
In the dictionaries of Florio and Miége many examples of similar forms are employed to render the Italian and French equivalents, e.g. vice-captain, vice-cardinal, vice-censor, vice-commissary, etc.
| a 1661 Fuller Worthies ii. (1662) 50 Gregory of Huntington..was bred a Benedictine Monke in Ramsey, where he became Prior, or *Vice-Abbot. |
| 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. xli. §1 A vassal whom Satan hath made his *Vice-agent. |
| 1648 Crashaw Poems (1904) 138 Him the Muses love to follow, Him they call their *vice-Apollo. |
| 1641 ‘Smectymnuus’ Vind. Answ. xiii. 114 They were Comites, and Vicarii Apostolorum, *Vice-Apostles. |
| 1779 Phil. Trans. LXIX. 598 M. Forfait.., *vice-architect of the French navy. |
| 1690 Lond. Gaz. No. 2617/2 The Troops there under the Command of the Ban and *Vice-Ban, were obliged by the bad weather to separate. |
| 1686 Ibid. No. 2201/2 He who formerly commanded that Garison was *Vice-Bassa. |
| 1778 Stiles Diary (1901) II. 288 The Diploma Examinatorium..was delivered to the President, who gave it to the *Vice Bedellus, directing him to read it. |
| 1671 F. Philipps Reg. Necess. 433 The Baron of Limpurgh *Vice-Butler to the King of Bohemia. |
| 1600 J. Pory tr. Leo's Africa i. 10 Hauing first put to flight the *vice-Califa of Aegypt. |
| 1860 All Year Round No. 46. 475 The unmanageable 'Arry, who was a species of *vice-chair, and was also provided with a hammer. 1882 J. Hardy in Proc. Ber. Nat. Club. IX. 440 Mr. Charles Watson..discharged the duties of the vice⁓chair. |
| 1858 Simmonds Dict. Trade, *Vice-chairman, a person who presides at the lower end of a table, supporting and aiding the chairman or president; the deputy-chairman of a board of officers. |
| 1943 W. S. Churchill End of Beginning 69 The Chiefs of Staff Committee are assisted by a *Vice-Chiefs of Staff Committee. 1978 R. V. Jones Most Secret War xlv. 458 The Vice-Chiefs of Staff..advised that the threat was over. |
| 1659 Baxter Key Cath. xlii. 300 Prove that Christ hath commissioned a *Vice-Christ. 1691 ― Nat. Churches x. 42 Being an Usurpation of Christ's Office, and making a Vice-Christ, which is an Antichrist. 1712 [see vice-god]. |
| 1497 in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. i. I. 58 It is thought expedient that the Popes Holynesse comaund the said aide..to be publisshed by his *vicecollectour. |
| 1858 Simmonds Dict. Trade, *Vice-commodore, a deputy commander of a naval squadron. |
| 1631 Weever Anc. Funeral Mon. 541 Edward the third..did substitute Edward Bohun, the Earles younger brother, *Vice-Constable vnder him. 1878 J. Gairdner Hist. Rich. III, iv. 175 Sir Ralph Ashton was..appointed Vice-Constable..to exercise all the powers of the Lord High Constable for the particular emergency. |
| 1566 tr. Beza's Admon. Parlt. D j, Cathedrall churches,..where master Deane, master *Vicedeane,..readers, vergerirs, &c. liue in great idlenesse. 1637 Gillespie Eng. Pop. Cerem. iii. viii. 161 Deanes, Vice-Deans,..Subdeacons. 1697 Lond. Gaz. No. 3341/1 The Vice-Dean with the Clergy, made a Congratulatory Speech. 1875 W. H. Jones Fasti Eccl. Sarisb. 265 There is always a distinction to be observed between a ‘Vice-Dean’ or a ‘Locum Tenens’, and the ‘Sub-Dean’. |
| 1647 R. Stapylton Juvenal 153 He made choice of his..master or generall of the horse, or *vice-dictatour. |
| 1882 Macm. Mag. XLVI. 249 A *vice⁓director of the military college. |
| 1976 National Observer (U.S.) 12 June 22/2 A fellow with the title of *vice editor. |
| 1818 Shelley Eug. Hills 244 But Death promised..That he would petition for Her to be made *Vice-Emperor. |
| 1844 Thirlwall Greece VIII. lxvi. 451 Before Diæus came to Corinth, a council was held there by the *vice-general Sosicrates. |
| 1711 Hickes Two Treat. Chr. Priesth. (1847) II. 188 Would he not have been a *vice-high-priest as well as a viceroy? |
| 1749 Fielding Tom Jones xi. x, As the law hath foolishly omitted this office of *vice-husband, or guardian to an eloped lady. 1817 Byron Beppo xxix, And so she thought it prudent to connect her With a vice-husband, chiefly to protect her. |
| 1609 J. Davies Hum. Heaven ii. cvi, My *vice Ioues quoth he are ne'r afraid. |
| 1555 Eden Decades (Arb.) 112 Lupus Olanus the conductor of one of the shippes of Nicuesa, and nowe also *vice Leauetenaunt in his steede. 1963 Times 4 June 13/5 His native county of Lincolnshire, of which he was Vice-Lieutenant for many years. |
| 1690 Lond. Gaz. No. 2527/3 And after them Count Popenheim, *Vice-Marshal of the Empire, carried the Sword of State naked before the Emperor. |
| 1593 G. Harvey Pierce's Super. Wks. (Grosart) II. 212 He hath not played the *Vicemaster of Poules, and the Foolemaster of the Theater for naughtes. 1618 Barnevelt's Apol. G j, The Vice-maisters place of the fees hath not allowed one halfe penny for stipend. 1690 C. Nesse O. & N. Test. I. 370 Potiphar..made him his vice⁓master. 1886 Abp. Benson in A. C. Benson Life (1899) II. 122, I sate..next to the Vice-Master. |
| 1909 E. M. Satow in Cambr. Mod. Hist. XI. xxviii. 865 Ōki of Hizen, and Itō, Inouyé and Yamagata of Chōshiu were retained as *vice-Ministers. 1976 Eastern Daily Press (Norwich) 19 Nov. 1/5 The agreement was signed by Iran's vice-minister of war. |
| a 1631 Donne Love's Deity i, Since this god produc'd a Destiny, And that *vice⁓nature, custome, lets it bee. |
| 1707 Lond. Gaz. No. 4395/2 Advices from Hungary say, That Prince Ragotzki had declared Count Berezini *Vice-Palatine of that Kingdom. |
| 1775 L. Shaw Hist. Moray 357 Fraser of Strichen, who, as *Vice-Patron, presented Mr. John Anand in 1640. 1793 [see vice n.6 2]. |
| 1643 Prynne Popish R. Favourite 69 And therefore the Popes Holinesse hath given these his *Vice-popes instructions, Commissions thus to do. |
| 1705 Hickeringill Priest-cr. i. (1721) 54 As the Pope keeps the Keys, they say, of Heaven Gates, being *Vice-porter under St. Peter. |
| 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. xvii. (1787) II. 37 The eleven remaining dioceses..were governed by twelve vicars, or *vice-præfects, whose name..explains the nature..of their office. 1877 J. Morris Troub. Cath. Forefathers Ser. iii. 116 During this time he was Socius to Father Henry Garret, Vice-Prefect of the English Mission. |
| 1600 Holland Livy xxvi. i. 582 Those legions which were commaunded by P. Cornelius the *Viz-pretour in Sicilie. |
| 1802–12 Bentham Ration. Judic. Evid. (1827) V. 161 The celebration of the ceremony..proved by the habitual operator, the *vice-priest, a tobacconist. |
| 1810 Oxford Univ. Cal. 129 Edmund Hall... Principal, George Thompson, D.D... *Vice-Principal, Daniel Wilson, M.A. 1864 J. H. Newman Apol. i. (1904) 7/2, I became very intimate with him [Whately] in 1825, when I was his Vice-Principal at St. Alban Hall. |
| 1857 G. Oliver Coll. Hist. Cath. Relig. Cornwall, etc. 486 Adeodatus l'Angevin, elected *vice-prior at the fourth general chapter. |
| 1602 Archpriest Controv. (Camden) II. 2 To present ourselves first to the Protector and *Vice-protector. |
| c 1890 Stevenson In South Seas i. xiv. (1900) 122 The sergeant of gendarmerie enjoys the style of the *vice⁓resident. |
| 1878 Stubbs Const. Hist. xx. III. 421 The undue return made by the *vice-sheriff, who had substituted another name. |
| 1704 Lond. Gaz. No. 4015/2 Baron Taston is made *Vice-Stadholder, and as such will preside over the Regency at Amberg. 1710 Ibid. No. 4664/2 Lieutenant-General Weebe, Vice-Stadtholder of Norway, is lately dead. |
| 1835 App. Munic. Corp. Rep. iv. 2345 (Lincoln), A Deputy Recorder, *Vice Steward, Gaol Chaplain [etc.]. |
| 1894 19th Cent. XXXVI. 425 The *vice-sultan of Haura received us right well. |
| 1631 R. Brathwait Whimzies, Zealous Brother 119 Hee was once in election to have been a *vice-verger in Amsterdam, but he wanted an audible voice. |
| 1848 Curzon Monast. Levant i. iii. (1897) 22 The great man, who was *vice-viceroy on this occasion. |
b. With nouns or
adjs. derived from personal designations, as
vice-apostolical,
vice-cancellarian,
vice-deity,
vice-duchy, etc., or associated in some way with the holding of office, as
vice-chair,
vice-government,
vice-throne.
This type is represented in late L.
vice-quæstura,
med.L.
vice-comitalis,
-comitatus,
-dominium, etc., and occurs freely in French and the other Romanic languages.
| 1641 ‘Smectymnuus’ Vind. Answ. xiii. 119 He bids him goe on with speed to execute his *Vice-Apostolicall office. |
| 1843 Whewell in Life (1881) 285 Much too should I like to see you in your *Vice-Cancellarian chair. |
| 1839 Dickens Nickelby xlviii. 475 A farewell-supper..at which Mr. Snittle Timberry would preside, while the honours of the *vice chair would be sustained by the African [Sword-]Swallower. 1850 Thackeray Pendennis lxxvi, The chair was taken by Sir Francis Clavering,..the vice-chair being ably filled by ― Barker, Esq. 1884 Cyclists' Tour. Club Gaz. Mar. 82/1 Messrs. W. B. Tanner and A. R. Sheppee occupied the vice-chairs. |
| 1826 Southey Vind. Eccl. Angl. 394 You have to reconcile the pretensions of the Popes with their practices,..their *vice-deity with their crimes. |
| 1611 Florio, Vicedominanza, a *vice-gouernment. 1876 Bancroft Hist. U.S. IV. xxxvi. 113 The offer of a baronetcy and the vice-government of Virginia. |
| 1856 Merivale Hist. Rom. Emp. l. (1865) VI. 188 In the mean time he was deputed to hold pro⁓consular, or *vice-imperial, power beyond the city. 1880 Swinburne Stud. Shaks. 240 His poor little vice-regal or vice-imperial parasite. |
| a 1617 Bayne On Coloss. i. & ii. (1634) 97 We must not supply Him with *vice-ministeriall heads. |
| 1574 Life 70th Abp. Canterb. Pref. C vij, The same Austen hauinge thus gotten by conquest this uniuersall *vicepapaci ouer England. |
| 1775 L. Shaw Hist. Moray 343 How far the King may claim a *Vice-Patronage, I shall not determine. |
| 1677 Miége Fr. Dict. i, Vice⁓rectorat, a *Vice-principalship. 1870 Routledge's Every Boy's Ann. Apr. 211 Fortunate enough to obtain the vice-principalship of the college. |
| 1868 Daily News 23 Oct., The *Vice-Provostship of Eton College. |
| c 1890 Stevenson In South Seas i. xiv. (1900) 125 He was being haled to the *vice-residency, uncertain whether to be punished or rewarded. |
| 1884 A. Forbes Chinese Gordon iii. 114 A royal salute was fired, and then Gordon had to make his speech from the *vice-throne. |
c. With verbs, as
vice-preside (after
vice-president),
vice-reign (after
viceroy).
| 1889 Sat. Rev. 1 June 653/2 If it were not for the Civil Service, the Viceroy simply could not vice-reign. 1889 G. B. Shaw London Music in 1888–89 (1937) 94 You are patronized by the Lord Mayor, presided over by the Duke of Westminster, and vice-presided over and councilled by nearly five dozen illustrious persons. |