Void, a.
Etymology: [OE. voide, OF. voit, voide, vuit, vuide, F. vide, fr. (assumed) LL. vocitus, fr. L. vocare, an old form of vacare to be empty, or a kindred word. Cf. Vacant, Avoid.]
1. Containing nothing; empty; vacant; not occupied; not filled. The earth was without form, and void. Gen. i. 2. I 'll get me to a place more void. Shak. I 'll chain him in my study, that, at void hours, I may run over the story of his country. Massinger.
2. Having no incumbent; unoccupied; -- said of offices and the like. Divers great offices that had been long void. Camden.
3. Being without; destitute; free; wanting; devoid; as, void of learning, or of common use. Milton. A conscience void of offense toward God. Acts xxiv. 16. He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbor. Prov. xi. 12.
4. Not producing any effect; ineffectual; vain. [My word] shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please. Isa. lv. 11. I will make void the counsel of Judah. Jer. xix. 7.
4 more senses
5. Containing no immaterial quality; destitute of mind or soul. "Idol, void and vain." Pope.
6. (Law)
Of no legal force or effect, incapable of confirmation or ratification; null. Cf. Voidable, 2. Void space (Physics), a vacuum.
Syn. -- Empty; vacant; devoid; wanting; unfurnished; unsupplied; unoccupied.
3 other Webster entries under this spelling
Void, n.
An empty space; a vacuum. Pride, where wit fails, steps in to our defense, And fills up all the mighty void of sense. Pope.
Void, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Voided; p. pr. & vb. n. Voiding.]
1. To remove the contents of; to make or leave vacant or empty; to quit; to leave; as, to void a table. Void anon her place. Chaucer. If they will fight with us, bid them come down, Or void the field. Shak.
2. To throw or send out; to evacuate; to emit; to discharge; as, to void excrements. A watchful application of mind in voiding prejudices. Barrow. With shovel, like a fury, voided out The earth and scattered bones. J. Webster.
3. To render void; to make to be of no validity or effect; to vacate; to annul; to nullify. After they had voided the obligation of the oath he had taken. Bp. Burnet. It was become a practice . . . to void the security that was at any time given for money so borrowed. Clarendon.
Void, v. i.
To be emitted or evacuated. Wiseman.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for void; he lists it under vacant.
Where he writes about it:
Void and devoid are rarely used in the literal sense, but for the most part confined to abstract relations, devoid being followed by of, and having with that addition the effect of a prepositional phrase; as, the article is devoid of sense; the contract is void for want of consideration. — from vacant