:vacuum Empty space. That is, space containing only dead cells.

:Venetian blinds The p2 agar obtained by using the pattern O..O to tile the plane. Period 2 stabilizations of finite patches of this agar are known.

	..................O.OO.OO......O......OO.OO.O..................
	..................OO.O.O...OO.O.O.OO...O.O.OO..................
	.....................O...O..O.O.O.O..O...O.....................
	.....................O..OOO...O.O...OOO..O.....................
	....................OO.O.....O.O.O.....O.OO....................
	.......................O..OO.O...O.OO..O.......................
	....................OO..OOO..OO.OO..OOO..OO....................
	................OO.O.OO...OO.OOOOO.OO...OO.O.OO................
	................OO.OO....O...........O....OO.OO................
	...................O..OO.O.O.......O.O.OO..O...................
	................OO..OOO..OO.OOOOOOO.OO..OOO..OO................
	........OO..OO.O.OO...OO.OOOOOOOOOOOOO.OO...OO.O.OO..OO........
	.....O..O...OO.OO....O...................O....OO.OO...O..O.....
	....O.O.O......O..OO.O.O...............O.O.OO..O......O.O.O....
	...O..O.OO..OO..OOO..OO.OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.OO..OOO..OO..OO.O..O...
	...O.OO....O.OO...OO.OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.OO...OO.O....OO.O...
	OO.OO...OO.OO....O...........................O....OO.OO...OO.OO
	O.O...OO.O.O..OO.O.O.......................O.O.OO..O.O.OO...O.O
	..O.OO.O.O..OOO..OO.OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.OO..OOO..O.O.OO.O..
	..O.O..OOOO...OO.OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.OO...OOOO..O.O..
	.OO..O.......O...................................O.......O..OO.
	O..O.O....OO.O.O...............................O.O.OO....O.O..O
	.O.O..OOOOO..OO.OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.OO..OOOOO..O.O.
	..O.OOO..OOO.OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.OOO..OOO.O..
	....O.O..O...........................................O..O.O....
	..O.O.O..O.O.......................................O.O..O.O.O..
	..OO...O.OO.OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.OO.O...OO..
	.........OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.........
	...............................................................
	...............................................................
	.........OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.........
	..OO...O.OO.OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.OO.O...OO..
	..O.O.O..O.O.......................................O.O..O.O.O..
	....O.O..O...........................................O..O.O....
	..O.OOO..OOO.OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.OOO..OOO.O..
	.O.O..OOOOO..OO.OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.OO..OOOOO..O.O.
	O..O.O....OO.O.O...............................O.O.OO....O.O..O
	.OO..O.......O...................................O.......O..OO.
	..O.O..OOOO...OO.OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.OO...OOOO..O.O..
	..O.OO.O.O..OOO..OO.OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.OO..OOO..O.O.OO.O..
	O.O...OO.O.O..OO.O.O.......................O.O.OO..O.O.OO...O.O
	OO.OO...OO.OO....O...........................O....OO.OO...OO.OO
	...O.OO....O.OO...OO.OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.OO...OO.O....OO.O...
	...O..O.OO..OO..OOO..OO.OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.OO..OOO..OO..OO.O..O...
	....O.O.O......O..OO.O.O...............O.O.OO..O......O.O.O....
	.....O..O...OO.OO....O...................O....OO.OO...O..O.....
	........OO..OO.O.OO...OO.OOOOOOOOOOOOO.OO...OO.O.OO..OO........
	................OO..OOO..OO.OOOOOOO.OO..OOO..OO................
	...................O..OO.O.O.......O.O.OO..O...................
	................OO.OO....O...........O....OO.OO................
	................OO.O.OO...OO.OOOOO.OO...OO.O.OO................
	....................OO..OOO..OO.OO..OOO..OO....................
	.......................O..OO.O...O.OO..O.......................
	....................OO.O.....O.O.O.....O.OO....................
	.....................O..OOO...O.O...OOO..O.....................
	.....................O...O..O.O.O.O..O...O.....................
	..................OO.O.O...OO.O.O.OO...O.O.OO..................
	..................O.OO.OO......O......OO.OO.O..................

:very long = long long

:very long house The following induction coil.

	.OOOOO.
	O..O..O
	OO...OO

:volatility The volatility of an oscillator is the size (in cells) of its rotor divided by the sum of the sizes of its rotor and its stator. In other words, it is the proportion of cells involved in the oscillator which actually oscillate. For many periods there are known oscillators with volatility 1, see for example Achim's p16, figure-8, Kok's galaxy, mazing, pentadecathlon, phoenix, relay, smiley and tumbler. Such an oscillator of period 3 was found in August 2012 by Jason Summers.

	.........O.O.....O...O.....O.O.
	........O...O....O...O....O...O
	.........O.......O...O.......O.
	...........OO.OO.O...O.OO.OO...
	.................O...O.........
	..........O...O.........O...O..
	........O.O.................O.O
	...............................
	........O...................O..
	.......OO..................OO..
	.......O...................O...
	.....O..O................O..O..
	O....O..............O....O.....
	OOOO.OO.OOO.........OOOO.OO.OOO
	OOO.OO.OOOO.........OOO.OO.OOOO
	.....O....O..............O....O
	..O..O................O..O.....
	...O...................O.......
	..OO..................OO.......
	..O...................O........
	...............................
	O.O.................O.O........
	..O...O.........O...O..........
	.........O...O.................
	...OO.OO.O...O.OO.OO...........
	.O.......O...O.......O.........
	O...O....O...O....O...O........
	.O.O.....O...O.....O.O.........

The smallest period for which the existence of such statorless oscillators is undecided is 7. There are oscillators with volatility arbitrarily close to 1 for all but finitely many periods, because of the possibility of feeding the gliders from a true period n gun into an eater.

The term "volatility" is due to Robert Wainwright. See also strict volatility.

:volcano Any of a number of p5 oscillators which produce sparks. See lightweight volcano, middleweight volcano and heavyweight volcano.

:von Neumann neighbourhood The set of all cells that are orthogonally adjacent to a cell or group of cells. The von Neumann neighbourhood of a cell can be thought of as the points at a Manhattan distance of 1 from that cell. Compare Moore neighbourhood.

Cell neighbourhoods can also be defined with a higher range. The von Neumann neighbourhood of range n can be defined recursively as the von Neumann neighbourhood of the von Neumann neighbourhood of range n-1. For example, the von Neumann neighbourhood of range 2 is the set of all cells that are orthogonally adjacent to the range-1 von Neumann neighbourhood.

:V-pentomino Conway's name for the following pentomino, a loaf predecessor.

	O..
	O..
	OOO

:V spark A common three-bit polyplet spark, produced most notably by the pentadecathlon.

	O.O
	.O.

	.O...
	OO..O
	...O.
	....O