What does vised mean?
Vised is an uncommon past-tense and past-participle form of vise, used with two senses that are distinguished by context. In its concrete sense, it means to hold a workpiece securely in a vise or to fasten it with one: “The technician vised the piece before drilling.” In the other sense, it means to examine something minutely, especially to find errors or improprieties: “The auditor vised the accounts for discrepancies.” The two meanings have different histories: the inspecting sense ultimately comes from Latin videre, “to see,” whereas the tool sense comes from Latin vitis, “vine,” formerly associated with a screw or winding mechanism. Although standard in dictionaries, vised sounds literary or archaic in ordinary modern prose. It is worth knowing chiefly because it preserves a distinction between active examination and the physical act of clamping, and because the related adjective well-vised expresses judicious, careful judgment.
verb (past tense and past participle)Vised is the past tense and past participle of vise. It means either to fasten or hold something securely with a vise or to examine something minutely, especially for errors or improprieties.
- To fasten or hold something securely with a vise.
- To examine or scrutinize something minutely, especially for errors or improprieties.
"The auditor vised the accounts for discrepancies before signing off on them."
"She vised the evidence for inconsistencies."
"The technician vised the workpiece before drilling into it."
Vised has two origins hiding in one little word: one means “look closely,” while the other means “clamp down.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does vised come from?
Vised represents two historical word strands. The verb meaning “to examine minutely” comes through Middle English and Anglo-French from Latin videre, “to see,” and thus has the same root as vision and evident. The clamping-tool sense comes through Middle English vice and Anglo-French vis from Latin vitis, “vine,” a word also used for a screw or winding mechanism.
Related word forms
How vised is actually used
Vised is uncommon and sounds formal, literary, or archaic in contemporary English. Its synonyms depend on the sense: the fastening sense takes words such as fasten and clamp, while the inspecting sense takes inspect, scrutinize, and examine.
Easily confused with vised
For the clamping tool, vise is the usual US spelling and vice is the usual British spelling; “vice” also commonly means a moral fault.