vanishv. i.[OE. vanissen, OF. vanir (in comp.): cf. OF. envanir, esvanir, esvanur, F. s'vanouir; fr. L. vanus empty, vain; cf. L. vanescere, evanescere, to vanish. See Vain, and cf. Evanescent,-ish.]()1. To pass from a visible to an invisible state; to go out of sight; to disappear; to fade; as, vapor vanishes from the sight by being dissipated; a ship vanishes from the sight of spectators on land.()The horse vanished . . . out of sight. (Chaucer.)Go; vanish into air; away! (Shak.)The champions vanished from their posts with the speed of lightning. (Sir W. Scott.)Gliding from the twilight past to vanish among realities. (Hawthorne.)2. To be annihilated or lost; to pass away.(Milton.)n. (Phon.) The brief terminal part of a vowel or vocal element, differing more or less in quality from the main part; as, a as in ale ordinarily ends with a vanish of i as in ill, o as in old with a vanish of oo as in foot.(Rush.)()