vis-à-visn.prep.adv.
/vɪzɑːˈviː//vɪzaˈviː//vɪzəˈviː//ˈviːzɑːˌviː//ˈviːzaˌviː//ˈviːzəˌviː/ A. n.plur.1775 F. Burney Early Jrnls. & Lett. (1990) II. 72 Not being much in Town, the new Vis-à-Vis were not familiar to him.1787 in 6th Rep. Deputy Keeper Public Rec. ii. 177 A new method of hanging Coaches, Vis à Viss, and other Bodies.1802 Sporting Mag. 20 41 The number of coaches..vis-à-vis..and nondescripts.1834 in J. Tomlinson Doncaster (1887) 265 Mrs. Belcher for Chaises and visivis [sic].
1. A light carriage for two persons sitting face-to-face. Obsolete exc. Historical.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > cart, carriage, or wagon > carriage for conveying persons > [noun] > types of carriage > with seats facing each other
vis-à-vis1753
vis1809
1753 H. Walpole Let. 17 July in Corr. (1941) IX. 154 He was walking slowly..with..two pages, three footmen and a vis-à-vis following him.
1768 J. Byron Narr. Patagonia 230 The common vehicle here is a calash, or kind of vis-à-vis, drawn by one mule only.
1781 W. Hayley Triumphs of Temper ii. 98 Her quick eyes sparkle with surprise to see The glories of a golden viz-a-viz.
1831 J. Sinclair Corr. II. 357 It is necessary to purchase a very strong carriage... A vis-a-vis is the best shape, made so that it can be converted into a bed.
1844 Act 7 & 8 Victoria c. 91. Sched. Every horse..drawing any coach..chaise, phaeton, vis-a-vis, calash, curricle.
2.
a. One or other of two persons or things facing, or situated opposite to, each other.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > opposite position > [noun] > that which or one who is opposite in position
contraryc1400
contrariant1657
vis-à-visc1757
c1757 G. Williams Let. in J. H. Jesse G. Selwyn & his Contemp. (1843) I. 158 We are reduced to Miss Wylde, who has a most charming vis-à-vis, Mr. Ward, who sings like a nightingale.
1766 G. Williams in J. H. Jesse G. Selwyn & his Contemp. (1843) II. 56 My vis-à-vis thinks you have done wrong to let even the music-meeting go off unattended.
1840 T. Hood Up Rhine 105 There you are, at an Innkeeper's ordinary, with all kinds of low company, and a common soldier for your vis-à-vis.
1865 W. G. Palgrave Narr. Journey through Arabia II. 204 Menamah, though larger in extent than Moharrek, has a less showy appearance: it is a centre of commerce, as its vis-à-vis is of government.
1893 W. A. P.Martin in J. H. Barrows World's Parl. Relig. II. 1142 Does it make no difference to us, whether we have for our vis-a-vis on the other shore of the ocean a Christian or a pagan power?
b. esp. in dancing. Also as plural.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > dancing > movements or steps > [noun] > position
vis-à-vis1808
1808 M. Berry Jrnl. II. 371 It seems perfectly indifferent to them [the peasant men and women dancing] who is their vis-à-vis.
1834 F. Marryat Peter Simple II. xii. 200 Miss Eurydice had but a sorry partner, but she undertook to instruct me. O'Brien was our vis-a-vis with Miss Euterpe.
1841 W. M. Thackeray Great Hoggarty Diamond v Lady Jane Preston..asked me to dance with her. We had my Lord Tiptoff and Lady Fanny Rakes for our vis-à-vis.
1876 M. M. Grant Sun-maid II. v. 134 A rushing for partners; some scrambling for vis-à-vis and places.
c. A counterpart, an opposite number.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > relationship > equality or equivalence > [noun] > equal, counterpart, or equivalent
ylikeeOE
likea1200
make?c1225
fellow?a1425
proportion?a1425
countervailc1430
matcha1450
meetc1450
pareil?c1450
resemblant1484
equivalent1502
countermatch1587
second1599
parallel1600
equipollent1611
balancea1616
tantamount1637
analogy1646
analogate1652
form-fellow1659
equivalency1698
par1711
homologizer1716
peel1722
analogon1797
quits1806
correlate1821
analogue1837
representant1847
homologue1848
countertype1855
homologon1871
correlative1875
vis-à-vis1900
counterpart1903
1900 J. K. Jerome Three Men on Bummel xii. 273 The Vosges peasant has not the unromantic air of contented prosperity that spoils his vis-a-vis across the Rhine.
1975 Publishers Weekly 21 July 67/1 Middleton's admiration..[for the U.S. armed services] extends to their vis-à-vis, the Russian military.
3. A meeting face to face; an encounter.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > movement towards a thing, person, or position > meeting or encounter > [noun]
mootOE
gain-racea1340
again-cominga1382
encountering1482
rencountering1525
occursionc1540
encountrance1592
occurse1603
occurrence1607
affront1614
occursation1615
encountera1641
collision1664
vis-à-vis1867
1867 S. W. Baker Nile Tributaries Abyssinia ii. 41 This being my first vis-à-vis with a hippo, I was not certain whether I could claim the victory.
1871 ‘M. Legrand’ Cambr. Freshman 345 Every minute brought him nearer the dreaded vis-à-vis with an omniscient M.A.
B. prep.
Over against, in comparison with, in relation to; also literal, facing, face to face with.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > discovery > comparison > marking comparison [preposition]
withc888
toc1000
againsta1225
atweenc1400
toward1527
towards?1555
vis-à-vis1755
the world > space > relative position > opposite position > opposite [preposition]
anentOE
againOE
aforyenlOE
againsta1225
in contrary ofc1400
to-gainsc1450
fornent1524
thwart of1589
oppositea1596
vis-à-vis1847
1755 H. Walpole Corr. 16 Nov. (1973) XXXV. 260 What a figure would they..make vis-à-vis his manly vivacity and dashing eloquence.
1759 Ld. Chesterfield Let. 27 Feb. (1932) (modernized text) V. 2342 I allow his army will be what you say; but what will that be vis à vis French, Austrians, Imperialists, Swedes, and Russians, who must amount to..double that number?
1847 E. Brontë Wuthering Heights I. i. 10 His master dived down to him, leaving me vis-à-vis the ruffianly bitch.
1907 Westm. Gaz. 24 July 10/1 He is responsible vis-à-vis the Government for their efficiency.
C. adv.
a. Opposite, so as to face (another or each other).
ΚΠ
1807 Ld. Byron Let. 30 June (1973) I. 123 Even the hero of my Cornelian (Who is now sitting vis-a-vis, reading a volume of my poetics) passed me in Trinity walks.
1816 Gentleman's Mag. 86 i. 6 The captivating air and fascinating manners of a French lady, who sat vis-a-vis.
1871 A. Nesbitt Catal. Slade Coll. Glass 75 A pair of doves are poised vis-a-vis.
b. Const. to or with.
ΚΠ
1814 W. Scott Waverley III. xiv. 186 He..found himself in the desired vehicle, vis-a-vis to Mrs. Nosebag. View more context for this quotation
1841 Mrs. Mozley Lost Brooch II. xx. 142 Only too well pleased to find myself once again vis a vis to Constance Duff.
1870 B. Disraeli Lothair (new ed.) xxi Lothair was there vis-à-vis with Miss Arundel.
Derivatives
vis-à-vis v.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > opposite position > be opposite (something) [verb (transitive)]
oppose1615
encounter1660
subtend1670
answer1789
vis-à-vis1839
1839 C. J. Lever Confessions Harry Lorrequer vi The hissing kettle on the hob was vis à vis'd by a gridiron with three newly-taken trout.
vis-à-visness n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > opposite position > [noun]
opposition?a1425
counterview1590
contrariety1615
opposal1852
face-to-faceness1874
vis-à-visness1887
1887 E. Gurney Tertium Quid I. 371 I doubt whether it would involve anything like the sense of vis-à-vis-ness or parallelism, suggested to me now by such a phrase as ‘posited myself in space’.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1917; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.prep.adv.1753