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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Vengeance \Venge"ance\, n. [F. vengeance, fr. venger to avenge,
L. vindicare to lay claim to, defend, avenge, fr. vindex a
claimant, defender, avenger, the first part of which is of
uncertain origin, and the last part akin to dicere to say.
See {Diction}, and cf. {Avenge}, {Revenge}, {Vindicate}.]
1. Punishment inflicted in return for an injury or an
offense; retribution; -- often, in a bad sense, passionate
or unrestrained revenge.
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To me belongeth vengeance and recompense. --Deut.
xxxii. 35.
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To execute fierce vengeance on his foes. --Milton.
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2. Harm; mischief. [Obs.] --Shak.
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{What a vengeance}, or {What the vengeance}, what! --
emphatically. [Obs.] "But what a vengeance makes thee
fly!" --Hudibras. "What the vengeance! Could he not speak
'em fair?" --Shak.

{With a vengeance},
(a) with great violence; as, to strike with a vengeance.
[Colloq.]
(b) with even greater intensity; as, to return one's
insult with a vengeance.
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