140 Science Words That Start With V (With Meanings & Examples)

Science is a world of discovery, and words are the tools that help us explain it. Without the right terms, complex ideas would stay locked away. One group of words that often appears in textbooks, research, and classrooms are science words that start with V. These words cover everything from velocity in physics to vaccine in medicine. They appear across every field, making them essential for learners of all ages.

This guide gathers 140 science words beginning with V, explained in simple English. You will see how they fit into different subjects, grade levels, and real-world examples. Each term comes with its meaning and a sentence that shows how it is used. By the end, you will understand not just the words, but also how they connect to science in everyday life.

Physics Science Words Starting With V

Word	Meaning	Example
Velocity	Speed in a given direction	The rocket’s velocity was 8 km/s upward.
Vector	Quantity with magnitude and direction	A force can be shown as a vector.
Vibration	Rapid back-and-forth movement	The earthquake caused vibration in the ground.
Voltage	Electrical potential difference	The battery gives a voltage of 9 volts.
Volt	Unit of electric potential	The lamp runs on 120 volts.
Vacuum	Space with no matter	Sound cannot travel in a vacuum.
Viscosity	Thickness of a fluid	Oil has more viscosity than water.
Vortex	Spiral motion of fluid or air	A tornado forms a powerful vortex.
Van der Waals force	Weak attraction between molecules	Ice crystals stick through Van der Waals force.
Vibrational energy	Energy from vibrations	Molecules absorb heat as vibrational energy.

Chemistry Science Words Starting With V

Word	Meaning	Example
Valence	Combining capacity of an atom	Oxygen has a valence of two.
Valence electron	Electron in the outer shell	Sodium has one valence electron.
Vaporization	Change from liquid to gas	Water boils by vaporization at 100°C.
Volatile	Substance that evaporates quickly	Ether is a volatile liquid.
Vanadium	A chemical element (V, atomic no. 23)	Vanadium is used to strengthen steel.
Volume	Space occupied by matter	The flask holds a volume of 500 ml.
Vapor pressure	Pressure from vapor in equilibrium	Water has higher vapor pressure when heated.
Vitrification	Turning material into glass	Sand turns into glass through vitrification.
Viscous flow	Slow movement of thick liquid	Honey shows viscous flow.
Valency	Number of bonds an atom forms	Carbon has a valency of four.

Biology Science Words Starting With V

Word	Meaning	Example
Vaccine	Medicine for disease prevention	The flu vaccine protects millions each year.
Virus	Microscopic infectious agent	The virus spreads through sneezing.
Virology	Study of viruses	Virology explains how viruses reproduce.
Vertebrate	Animal with a backbone	A dog is a vertebrate.
Ventral	Front or belly side of body	The ventral side of a fish faces downward.
Vacuole	Storage sac in cells	The vacuole stores water in plant cells.
Vascular	Relating to vessels in plants/animals	Trees have vascular tissue for transport.
Vegetative	Growth without reproduction	Vegetative cells divide in plants.
Variation	Differences within species	Variation helps evolution in nature.
Viviparous	Animals giving live birth	Humans are viviparous mammals.

Earth & Environmental Science Words Starting With V

Word	Meaning	Example
Volcano	Opening in Earth’s crust releasing lava	Mount Etna is an active volcano.
Volcanic ash	Fine rock from eruptions	Volcanic ash covered the nearby town.
Vent	Opening for gases or magma	Lava escaped through a vent.
Valley	Low land between hills	The Nile Valley supports farming.
Vapor	Water in gas form	Clouds form from water vapor.
Vegetation	Plant life in an area	Rainforests have thick vegetation.
Volcanology	Study of volcanoes	Volcanology helps predict eruptions.
Varve	Layer of sediment in lakes	Geologists study varves to track seasons.
Vadose zone	Ground zone above water table	Wells are dug below the vadose zone.
Volcanic rock	Rock formed from cooled lava	Basalt is a volcanic rock.

Mathematics & Statistics Words Starting With V

Word	Meaning	Example
Variable	Symbol for a changing value	x is a variable in algebra.
Variance	Measure of data spread	The variance shows how far data differs.
Vector space	Set of vectors in math	Linear algebra studies vector spaces.
Vertical	Line at right angle to horizon	The pole is vertical.
Vertex	Corner point of a shape	A triangle has three vertices.
Volume formula	Equation to find space	The volume of a cube is side³.
Venn diagram	Overlapping circles showing sets	A Venn diagram shows similarities.
Value	Numerical quantity	The value of π is about 3.14.
Verification	Checking correctness of results	Verification ensures the equation is correct.
Variability	Degree of change in data	The variability in temperature was high.

Medical & Forensic Science Words Starting With V

Word	Meaning	Example
Ventricle	Chamber of the heart or brain	The left ventricle pumps blood to the body.
Vein	Blood vessel carrying blood to heart	Oxygen-poor blood flows through veins.
Visual cortex	Part of brain for vision	The visual cortex helps us see.
Viral load	Amount of virus in body	Doctors measured the patient’s viral load.
Virulence	Ability of pathogen to cause disease	High virulence makes a disease deadly.
Venom	Poison from animals	Snake venom can paralyze muscles.
Vital signs	Indicators of body health	Nurses check vital signs regularly.
Ventilation	Movement of air into lungs	Ventilation helps patients breathe.
Vasoconstriction	Narrowing of blood vessels	Cold causes vasoconstriction.
Vasodilation	Widening of blood vessels	Heat leads to vasodilation.

Technology & Engineering Words Starting With V

Word	Meaning	Example
Virtual	Computer-based simulation	Students used a virtual lab.
Verification code	Check for identity in systems	The app sends a verification code.
Voltage regulator	Device controlling electric flow	A voltage regulator protects electronics.
VLSI	Very large-scale integration in chips	VLSI allows thousands of circuits on one chip.
VoIP	Voice over Internet Protocol	Skype uses VoIP technology.
Viscous drag	Resistance in fluids	Engineers measure viscous drag in aircraft.
Venturi effect	Fluid speed increases in a narrow pipe	Carburetors use the Venturi effect.
Vibration control	Reducing shaking in machines	Skyscrapers use vibration control technology.
Virtualization	Creating virtual versions of systems	Cloud services depend on virtualization.
Vector graphics	Images based on lines	Logos are designed with vector graphics.

Astronomy & Space Science Words Starting With V

Word	Meaning	Example
Venus	Second planet from the sun	Venus is called Earth’s twin.
Voyager	NASA spacecraft exploring space	Voyager 1 left the solar system.
Van Allen belt	Radiation zone around Earth	Satellites pass through the Van Allen belt.
Variable star	Star with changing brightness	Cepheid is a variable star.
Visible light	Light humans can see	Rainbows show visible light spectrum.
Void	Empty region in space	The galaxy sits in a cosmic void.
Velocity curve	Graph of star movement	Astronomers use velocity curves for galaxies.
Volatile compounds	Easily evaporated chemicals in space	Comets release volatile compounds near the sun.
Vacuum of space	Region with no matter	Space is a near-perfect vacuum.
Vulpecula	A small constellation	Vulpecula lies near Cygnus in the sky.

Genetics & Molecular Biology Words Starting With V

Word	Meaning	Example
Vector (genetic)	DNA molecule carrying foreign genes	Scientists used a plasmid vector in cloning.
Viral vector	Modified virus delivering genetic material	A viral vector was used in gene therapy.
Variant	Different form of a gene or virus	A new variant of the flu appeared.
Virion	Complete virus particle	The virion spread between cells.
Viral genome	Genetic material of a virus	The viral genome may be DNA or RNA.
Viable cell	Cell able to survive and grow	The lab kept viable cells for testing.
VDJ recombination	DNA rearrangement in immune cells	VDJ recombination helps produce antibodies.
Viral replication	Process of virus making copies	Viral replication occurs inside host cells.
Vesicle	Small sac for transport in cells	Proteins move in vesicles inside cells.
Viral protein	Protein produced by virus	The vaccine targets a viral protein.

Ecology & Environmental Biology Words Starting With V

Word	Meaning	Example
Vegetation cover	Plants covering land	Vegetation cover prevents soil erosion.
Vertebrate species	Animals with backbones in ecosystems	Fish are vertebrate species in lakes.
Viability	Ability of species to survive	Habitat loss reduces the viability of species.
Voluntary migration	Animal movement by choice	Birds show voluntary migration each season.
Vernal pool	Seasonal wetland area	Frogs breed in vernal pools.
Vent community	Organisms living near hydrothermal vents	Tube worms live in vent communities.
Vertical migration	Movement of organisms up and down	Zooplankton show vertical migration daily.
Vegetation zone	Plant region by climate	Tundra is a cold vegetation zone.
Vagrant species	Animals outside their normal range	A vagrant bird appeared far from its home.
Volcanic ecosystem	Life around volcanic regions	Volcanic ecosystems support unique plants.

Geology & Earth Structure Words Starting With V

Word	Meaning	Example
Volcanic cone	Mountain built by eruptions	Mount Fuji is a volcanic cone.
Vesicular rock	Rock with gas bubble holes	Pumice is a vesicular rock.
Volcanic bomb	Large molten rock ejected	A volcanic bomb landed near the crater.
Volcaniclastic	Rock made from volcanic fragments	Volcaniclastic deposits cover the valley.
Variegated rock	Rock with mixed colors	The canyon wall had variegated rocks.
Vertical fault	Crack with vertical movement	The quake caused a vertical fault shift.
Volcanic plateau	Flat land from lava flow	The Deccan Plateau is volcanic.
Volcanic plume	Column of gas and ash	The eruption sent a volcanic plume skyward.
Volcanic crater	Bowl-shaped volcanic depression	The volcano has a deep crater.
Volcanogenic	Caused by volcanic activity	Volcanogenic deposits form near eruptions.

Astronautics & Space Technology Words Starting With V

Word	Meaning	Example
Vehicle (space)	Craft for space travel	A launch vehicle carried the satellite.
Vertical launch	Straight-up rocket launch	The rocket used vertical launch.
Velocity vector	Direction and speed of spacecraft	NASA tracked the shuttle’s velocity vector.
Vacuum chamber	Equipment simulating space vacuum	Satellites are tested in a vacuum chamber.
Variable thrust	Engine power that can change	Rockets use variable thrust engines.
Vent port	Opening for gas release in spacecraft	Engineers checked the vent port before launch.
Viewport	Window on a spacecraft	Astronauts looked through the viewport.
Vibrational test	Test for shaking resistance	Satellites undergo vibrational tests.
Virtual telescope	Combined system of multiple telescopes	A virtual telescope gives high resolution.
Vehicle assembly	Process of building spacecraft	Vehicle assembly is done in NASA hangars.

Oceanography & Marine Science Words Starting With V

Word	Meaning	Example
V-shaped valley	River-carved valley	The river formed a V-shaped valley.
Vent plume	Hot water rising from vents	A vent plume supports deep-sea life.
Vertical current	Upward or downward water movement	Vertical currents mix ocean nutrients.
Vorticity	Rotation of water masses	Oceanographers measure vorticity in storms.
Variable salinity	Changing salt content in water	Estuaries have variable salinity.
Volume transport	Water flow in oceans	Volume transport is measured in Sverdrups.
V-shaped notch weir	Tool to measure flow rate	The lab used a V-notch weir.
Volcanic island	Island formed by volcano	Hawaii is a volcanic island.
Vibrio	Genus of bacteria in oceans	Vibrio bacteria can cause illness.
Vortex ring	Circular water motion	Dolphins make vortex rings underwater.

Psychology & Cognitive Science Words Starting With V

Word	Meaning	Example
Visual memory	Memory of images	Students use visual memory to recall charts.
Visual perception	Brain’s process of interpreting sight	Visual perception helps us recognize faces.
Verbal learning	Learning through spoken words	Verbal learning is common in classrooms.
Vestibular sense	Sense of balance in body	The vestibular sense helps us walk straight.
Visual field	Entire area seen by eyes	Glasses improved his visual field.
Volition	Act of making choices	Volition guides human behavior.
Validity	Accuracy of a test	Psychologists test the validity of experiments.
Visual cortex mapping	Studying brain vision area	Visual cortex mapping shows active neurons.
Verbal response	Reply using words	The subject gave a verbal response.
Visual-spatial skills	Understanding shapes and spaces	Architects use strong visual-spatial skills.

Conclusion

Science words that start with V open doors into many areas of knowledge. From the simplicity of valleys to the complexity of virology, these terms show how language shapes learning. By studying 140 science words with V, learners gain tools to understand physics, chemistry, biology, math, medicine, and more.

The more you practice these words, the more they connect in your mind. They are not just terms on a list but keys to science itself. Whether you are a student, teacher, or curious reader, mastering this vocabulary will strengthen both your knowledge and your confidence in science.