sb. [ad. L. Vulcān-us, the god of fire, son of Jupiter and Juno. Cf. F. Vulcain, † Vulcan.]
I. 1. Rom. Mythol. The god of fire and of metal-working, corresponding to the Greek Hephæstus.
The lameness of Vulcan, and the infidelity of Venus towards him, are occas. the subject of literary allusions.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, VIII. vii. 122. Quhilk forgeis bene Vulcanus duelling call, And eftir Vulcane that cuntre nemyt all.
1579. Lodge, Def. Poetry, 20. Al lame men are not Vulcans, nor hooke nosed men Ciceroes.
1634. Milton, Comus, 655. Though he and his curst crew Feirce signe of battail make, and menace high, Or like the sons of Vulcan vomit smoak, Yet will they soon retire, if he but shrink.
1725. Pope, Odyss., VIII. 314. Stung to the soul, indignant through the skies To his black forge vindictive Vulcan flies.
1753. Chambers’ Cycl., Suppl., Vulcanalia, among the Romans, a festival in honour of Vulcan.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. III. v. His wig and gown are his Vulcan’s panoply, his enchanted cloak of darkness.
1851. Borrow, Lavengro, lxxxiii. I never associate Vulcan and his Cyclops with the idea of a forge.
b. An image or picture of the god.
1638. Junius, Paint. Ancients, 160. There were in old times neere all Chimneys almost some earthen Vulcans set up, seeing that God was the president of these Arts wrought by fire.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 10 Nov. 1644. In one of the chambers hang two famous pieces of Bassano, the one a Vulcan, the other a Nativity!
c. fig. A lame slow-moving person.
1682. Sir T. Browne, Chr. Mor., III. § 20 (1716), 109. Many, who are sinistrous unto Good Actions, are Ambi-dexterous unto bad, and Vulcans in virtuous Paths, Achilleses in vitious motions.
2. a. transf. A blacksmith; an iron-worker.
1638. Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (ed. 2), 55. Cingis-chan … was at first by profession a Vulcan or Black-smith.
1693. Dryden, Juvenal, X. (1697), 255. His Sire, the blear-ey’d Vulcan of a Shop.
1704. R. North, Lett., 20 Aug., in Lives (1890), III. App. 252. This bearer is the Vulcan of our village, and one of the eaters of us farmers.
1831. Carlyle, Sart. Res., I. vi. Those jingling sheet-iron Aprons, wherein your otherwise half-naked Vulcans hammer and smelt.
1890. W. J. Gordon, Foundry, 15. Here the modern Vulcans, in shirt-sleeves and with unbroken legs, are still casting thunderbolts.
† b. A miner. Obs.–1
1662. J. Bargrave, Pope Alex. VII. (1867), 121. When we came into the vast high vaults, where hundreds and hundreds of men or Vulcans were at work, one of the overseers … would have let us see their art by blowing up a part of the mine by gunpowder.
3. A hypothetical planet supposed to have its orbit between the Sun and Mercury.
1870. Proctor, Other Worlds, iii. 58. I would willingly pay some attention here to the story of Vulcan … were it not for the great doubt in which the existence of the planet seems enshrouded.
1879. Newcomb & Holden, Astron., 310. They comprise Venus, Mercury, and, in the opinion of some astronomers, a planet called Vulcan.
II. † 4. A volcano. Obs. (Cf. VOLCAN.)
In Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 319 and Maundeville (1839), 55 Vlcane and Wlcanes occur as a name for the Lipari Islands: cf. VULCANIAN a. 3.
1578. T. N., trans. Conq. W. India, 160. Then appeared the vulcan and concavitie which was about halfe a league in compasse. Ibid., 161. This vulcan is like unto the vulcan of Cecilia.
1604. E. G[rimstone], D’Acosta’s Hist. Indies, III. ii. 119. Of those which are in the Vulcans or mouths of fire at the Indies … I will speake in their order.
1648. Gage, West Ind., xiii. 69. But they were not gone farre, when the Vulcan began to flash out flames of fire.
a. 1691. Boyle, Hist. Air, xi. (1692), 41. The number of these may … be much increased by those Vulcans, that have open Vents to discharge their Fumes.
1707. Funnell, Voy., v. 111. These Vulcans send out Smoke sometimes.
† b. Const. of (the matter ejected). Obs.
1647. A. Ross, Mystag. Poet., iii. (1675), 72. A Hill, on the top whereof were Lions and Vulcans of fire.
1648. Gage, West Ind., 179. The Town standeth on the backside of the Vulcan of water.
1680. Morden, Geog. Rect., New Spain (1685), 553. The other Vulcan of Fire is more unpleasant.
5. Fire; a fire. Chiefly poet.
1674. Josselyn, Voy. New Eng., 138. They make their Vulcan or fire near to a great Tree, upon the snags whereof they hang their kettles.
1708. Philips, Cyder, II. 142. Altho’ Devonia much commends the Use Of strengthning Vulcan.
1728. Pope, Dunciad, III. 81. There rival flames with equal glory rise, From shelves to shelves see greedy Vulcan roll.
Hence † Vulcan v. trans., to make into a Vulcan; to cuckold. Obs.
1623. Massinger, Bondman, I. ii. Corisca. To me You are a young Adonis. Gracculo. Well said, Venus! I am sure she Vulcans him.
