— vanisher , n. — vanishingly , adv. — vanishment , n.
/van"ish/ , v.i.
1. to disappear from sight, esp. quickly; become invisible: The frost vanished when the sun came out.
2. to go away, esp. furtively or mysteriously; disappear by quick departure: The thief vanished in the night.
3. to disappear by ceasing to exist; come to an end: The pain vanished after he took an aspirin.
4. Math. (of a number, quantity, or function) to become zero.
v.t.
5. to cause to disappear.
n.
6. Phonet. the last part of a vowel sound when it differs noticeably in quality from the main sound, as the faint /ee/ at the end of the /ay/ in the pronunciation of pain.
[ 1275-1325; ME vanisshen, vanissen evaniss-, long s. of e ( s ) vanir ex- EX- + vanescere to pass away, equiv. to van ( us ) VAIN + -escere inchoative suffix ]
Syn. 1. evanesce. See disappear .
Ant. 1. appear.