Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To wound (oneself) by biting at the breast. Used of the pelican, which was once believed to feed its young with its blood, as a heraldic motif and symbol of Christ.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To wound: in heraldry, especially said of the pelican, which is blazoned as vulning herself when represented as tearing her breast to feed her young. Compare pelican in her piety, under pelican.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun computing, informal vulnerability (a weakness in software etc. that can be maliciously exploited)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Latin vulnerāre, to wound; see vulnerable.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Shortening.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word vuln.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • To wound (oneself) by biting at the breast. Used of the pelican, which was once believed to feed its young with its blood, as a heraldic motif and symbol of Christ.

    A heraldry word, odd yet charming.

    Time to start a heraldry list. As soon as I get done with an alchemy list... So many words, so little time.

    October 18, 2007

  • Um....eeew!

    October 18, 2007

  • These days, they give birds anti-anxiety meds for that. ;-)

    I've always loved that idea of the pelican symbolizing Christ. Odd, but fascinating.

    October 18, 2007

  • This is one whacked-out verb!

    Ooh, sionnach, do please start a heraldry list someday. I started a medieval heraldry list, but I don't feel like I ever gave it due attention. It feels half done--which is silly to say of a Wordie list (aren't they all half done?). I'd like to see what others come up with.

    Anyone else with an interest in heraldry out there? *raises hand* The intersection of military history and art, that's what it is.

    October 18, 2007

  • This shoots to #1 on my "to use in conversation or official reports" list. The trouble with these wonderful heraldry words is, they set their sights too low. I get the sense we can learn a lot from heraldry.

    October 18, 2007

  • Never thought of it that way, yarb, but that's true. And c_b, I have an interest, but it's mostly in the symbolism, less in the actual history (although that's also fascinating).

    October 18, 2007

  • Just for fun

    February 21, 2010