Vacant

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Vacant \Va"cant\, a. [F., fr. L. vacans, -antis, p. pr. of
     vacare to be empty, to be free or unoccupied, to have
     leisure, also vocare; akin to vacuus empty, and probably to
     E. void. Cf. {Evacuate}, {Void}, a.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. Deprived of contents; not filled; empty; as, a vacant


        room.
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              Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form.
                                                    --Shak.
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              Being of those virtues vacant.        --Shak.
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              There is no fireside, howsoe'er defended,
              But has one vacant chair.             --Longfellow.
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     2. Unengaged with business or care; unemployed; unoccupied;
        disengaged; free; as, vacant hours.
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              Religion is the interest of all; but philosophy of
              those . . . at leisure, and vacant from the affairs
              of the world.                         --Dr. H. More.
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              There was not a minute of the day which he left
              vacant.                               --Bp. Fell.
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     3. Not filled or occupied by an incumbent, possessor, or
        officer; unoccupied; as, a vacant throne; a vacant house;
        a vacant apartment; a vacant parish.
        [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
              Special dignities which vacant lie
              For thy best use and wearing.         --Shak.
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     4. Empty of thought; thoughtless; not occupied with study or
        reflection; as, a vacant mind.
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              The duke had a pleasant and vacant face. --Sir H.
                                                    Wotton.
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              When on my couch I lie
              In vacant or in pensive mood.         --Wordsworth.
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     5. (Law) Abandoned; having no heir, possessor, claimant, or
        occupier; as, a vacant estate. --Bouvier.
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     {Vacant succession} (Law), one that is claimed by no person,
        or where all the heirs are unknown, or where all the known
        heirs to it have renounced it. --Burrill.
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     Syn: Empty; void; devoid; free; unemployed; disengaged;
          unincumbered; uncrowded; idle.
  
     Usage: {Vacant}, {Empty}. A thing is empty when there is
            nothing in it; as, an empty room, or an empty noddle.
            Vacant adds the idea of having been previously filled,
            or intended to be filled or occupied; as, a vacant
            seat at table; a vacant office; vacant hours. When we
            speak of a vacant look or a vacant mind, we imply the
            absence of the intelligence naturally to be expected
            there.
            [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  vacant
       adj 1: void of thought or knowledge; "a vacant mind"
       2: without an occupant or incumbent; "the throne is never
          vacant"

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  84 Moby Thesaurus words for "vacant":
     abandoned, absent-minded, available, bare, barren, bland, blank,
     blankminded, bleached, calm, characterless, clear, deadpan,
     deserted, devoid, dull, empty, empty-headed, empty-minded,
     empty-pated, empty-skulled, expressionless, extra, fatuous,
     featureless, fishy, forsaken, free, glassy, godforsaken, hollow,
     idle, impassive, inane, incogitant, inexpressive, insipid, jejune,
     nirvanic, null, null and void, oblivious, open, passive,
     poker-faced, quietistic, rattlebrained, rattleheaded, relaxed,
     scatterbrained, spare, stark, tenantless, thoughtfree, thoughtless,
     tranquil, unaware, uncomprehending, unengaged, unexpressive,
     unfilled, unideaed, uninhabited, unintellectual, unmanned,
     unoccupied, unpeopled, unpopulated, unreasoning, unrelieved,
     unstaffed, untaken, untenanted, untended, unthinking, unused,
     unutilized, vacuous, vapid, void, white, with nothing inside,
     without content, wooden