Vest (?), v. i. To come or descend; to
be fixed; to take effect, as a title or right; -- followed by in;
as, upon the death of the ancestor, the estate, or the right to the estate,
vests in the heir at law.
Vest (?), n. [L. vestis a garment,
vesture; akin to Goth. wasti, and E. wear: cf. F.
veste. See Wear to carry on the person, and cf.
Divest, Invest, Travesty.]
1. An article of clothing covering the person; an
outer garment; a vestment; a dress; a vesture; a robe.
In state attended by her maiden train,
Who bore the vests that holy rites require.
Dryden.
2. Any outer covering; array; garb.
Not seldom clothed in radiant vest
Deceitfully goes forth the morn.
Wordsworth.
3. Specifically, a waistcoat, or sleeveless body
garment, for men, worn under the coat.
Syn. -- Garment; vesture; dress; robe; vestment; waistcoat. --
Vest, Waistcoat. In England, the original word
waistcoat is generally used for the body garment worn over the shirt
and immediately under the coat. In the United States this garment is
commonly called a vest, and the waistcoat is often improperly
given to an under-garment.
Vest, v. t. [imp. & p. p.
Vested; p. pr. & vb. n. Vesting.] [Cf. L.
vestire, vestitum, OF. vestir, F. vêtir.
See Vest, n.] 1. To clothe
with, or as with, a vestment, or garment; to dress; to robe; to cover,
surround, or encompass closely.
Came vested all in white, pure as her
mind.
Milton.
With ether vested, and a purple sky.
Dryden.
2. To clothe with authority, power, or the like; to
put in possession; to invest; to furnish; to endow; -- followed by
with before the thing conferred; as, to vest a court with
power to try cases of life and death.
Had I been vested with the monarch's
power.
Prior.
3. To place or give into the possession or
discretion of some person or authority; to commit to another; -- with
in before the possessor; as, the power of life and death is
vested in the king, or in the courts.
Empire and dominion was [were] vested in
him.
Locke.
4. To invest; to put; as, to vest money in
goods, land, or houses. [R.]
5. (Law) To clothe with possession; as, to
vest a person with an estate; also, to give a person an immediate
fixed right of present or future enjoyment of; as, an estate is
vested in possession. Bouvier.