VV is an abbreviation most frequently employed in English-language texts to denote "verses," particularly in citations of poetry, scripture, or musical compositions, or "vice versa," a Latin phrase meaning "the other way around" or "conversely."[1][2] In musical notation, it may also abbreviate "violins," referring to string sections in orchestral scores.[2] Less commonly in technical contexts, such as chemistry, "v/v" (often stylized as VV) specifies volume-by-volume concentration, expressing the proportion of a solute's volume to the total solution volume.[3] These usages stem from historical conventions in printing, scholarship, and science, prioritizing brevity in referencing and measurement without implying causal mechanisms beyond practical utility.[1][2]
Abbreviations and notations
Vice versa (v.v.)
Vice versa is a Latin adverbial phrase meaning "the other way around," "conversely," or "with the order reversed," used in English to indicate that a preceding statement applies equally when its elements are interchanged.[4] The phrase entered English usage around 1600, derived from the Latin ablative absolute vice versā, where vice denotes "change" or "in place of" (from vicis, alternation) and versā is the feminine ablative of versus, past participle of vertere ("to turn").[5]The abbreviation "v.v." (or sometimes "vv.") stands for vice versa and appears in formal writing, legal texts, and scholarly notations to concisely signal reversal without spelling out the full phrase.[6][7] For instance, in bibliographic references or comparative statements, it might follow a description like "A implies B, v.v." to denote the converse relation.[2] While not as common in modern casual English, the abbreviation persists in technical and academic contexts to maintain precision and brevity.[8]
Verses (vv.)
"vv." is the standard abbreviation for "verses," denoting multiple verses in citations, particularly within biblical, literary, or musical texts.[1][9] This plural form derives from the singular "v." for a single verse, rooted in the Latin versus meaning "a turning" or "line of poetry," adapted into English scholarly notation.[10][11]In biblical studies, "vv." specifies ranges or sets of verses within a chapter, as per guidelines from the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). For instance, "Gen 1 vv. 1-2" refers to the first two verses of Genesis chapter 1, distinguishing it from chapter abbreviations like "ch." or single-verse markers.[12][13] This usage avoids confusion with "v." for "versus" in legal or sports contexts and ensures precision in theological or exegetical writing.[10]Style manuals, including those for short-form biblical citations, recommend "vv. #–#" for consecutive verses (e.g., "vv. 16–17") or "vv. #" for non-consecutive ones, often following the most recent reference in a discussion.[13][14] Beyond scripture, "vv." appears in analyses of poetry or hymnals to denote verse segments, maintaining consistency across academic disciplines.[11] It differs from "v.v." (vice versa), emphasizing the need for contextual clarity in notations.[9]
Volume per volume (v/v)
Volume per volume (v/v), often denoted as % v/v when expressed as a percentage, is a unit of concentration used to quantify the amount of a liquid solute in a liquid solution by relating the volume of the solute to the total volume of the solution.[15] It is calculated as the volume of solute divided by the volume of the solution, multiplied by 100 to yield a percentage: % v/v = (V_solute / V_solution) × 100%.[16] This notation applies specifically to mixtures where both the solute and solvent are liquids, as volumes are directly measurable under standard conditions.[3]The v/v designation differs from mass-based units like % w/v (weight per volume) or % w/w (weight per weight) because it accounts for volumetric contributions without requiring density conversions, making it suitable for applications where precise liquid dispensing is prioritized over mass.[17] However, it assumes ideal mixing without significant volume contraction or expansion upon combination, which may not hold for all solvents; for instance, ethanol-water mixtures exhibit partial volume contraction.[15] In practice, % v/v is measured by adding solute to solvent until the total volume reaches the desired mark in a volumetric flask, ensuring the final volume includes both components.[18]Common applications include pharmaceutical formulations, beverages, and industrial solvents. For example, rubbing alcohol is typically sold as a 70% v/v aqueous solution of isopropanol, meaning 70 mL of isopropanol per 100 mL of solution.[19] In alcoholic beverages, ethanol content is expressed as % v/v; table wine averages 12% v/v ethanol, while spirits may reach 40% v/v.[18] In the United States, spirit proof is defined as twice the % v/v alcohol content at 60°F (15.6°C), so 80-proof vodka is 40% v/v ethanol.[17] Engine coolants, such as those containing 75% v/v ethylene glycol, are diluted 1:1 with water for automotive use to achieve antifreeze properties.[20]The notation v/v without the percentage symbol can indicate a simple volume ratio in dilutions or recipes, such as 1:1 v/v for equal volumes, but in scientific contexts, it most frequently denotes the percentage form for standardization.[3] Temperature and pressure affect liquid volumes, so % v/v values are typically reported at 20°C or 25°C unless specified otherwise to ensure reproducibility.[15]
Geography and transportation
Varna Airport (IATA: VV)
Varna Airport (IATA: VAR, ICAO: LBWN) is Bulgaria's third-busiest airport, primarily serving seasonal charter and low-cost flights to European tourist markets and year-round connections to regional hubs. Located 10 kilometers west of Varna city center near Aksakovo village, it supports tourism to the northern Black Sea coast, including resorts like Golden Sands. The facility handled over 1.5 million passengers in 2024, with peak summer traffic exceeding 300,000 monthly amid a post-pandemic recovery, though total coastal airport volumes (including Burgas) dipped 8.7% year-over-year due to reduced charter demand.[21][22]Operated since December 2006 by Fraport Twin Star Airport Management AD—a 60-40 joint venture between Germany's Fraport AG and Bulgaria's Industrial Holding Bulgaria—the airport emphasizes efficiency for high-season surges, with 52 airlines offering routes to over 100 destinations in 2024, led by Germany, the UK, and Russia. Infrastructure includes a single asphalt-concrete runway (09/27) of 2,500 meters by 45 meters, capable of handling Boeing 737 and Airbus A320-class aircraft common to its charter focus. Recent expansions, including a 2025 Terminal 2 upgrade adding 2,000 square meters and Europe's first fully equipped outdoor gate zone ("Gate Garden"), boosted departure capacity by 40% to accommodate growing low-cost carrier traffic.[23][24][25]Historical development began in 1916 as a seaplane hydroport in Varna's Chaika district, evolving into irregular mail services by the 1930s and military use during World War II. Civil operations formalized post-1948, with the original Terminal 1 opening in 1972 for TABSO (later Balkan Bulgarian Airlines) flights; it closed permanently in 2013 after Terminal 2's debut, while a smaller Terminal 3 (opened 2007) handles supplemental low-cost and VIP services. Concessionaire investments exceeding €100 million since 2006 have modernized navigation aids, passenger processing, and commercial spaces, aligning with EU standards post-Bulgaria's 2007 accession.[26][27][28]Facilities prioritize seasonal throughput, featuring automated check-in kiosks, inline baggage screening, and a compact airside with duty-free outlets, cafes, and currency exchange; landside amenities include car rentals and taxi stands, though public transport links remain limited, relying on buses to Varna's center (30-40 minutes). Security and border controls process up to 1,000 passengers hourly in peak periods, supported by Schengen Area integration since 2024 for select flights. The airport maintains a 99% on-time performance in recent audits, attributed to single-runway operations minimizing delays.[29][30]
Valencia postcode district (VV)
Valencia, Spain, does not utilize a postcode district designated as "VV," as the Spanish postal system employs exclusively numeric five-digit codes managed by Correos since their nationwide implementation on July 1, 1984. The province of Valencia falls under the "46" prefix, denoting the Valencia province within the Valencian Community, with the city proper encompassing codes from 46001 to 46080, subdivided by neighborhoods and urban zones rather than alphanumeric districts.[31] For instance, the historic Ciutat Vella district uses 46001, while Eixample and Extramurs areas align with 46004–46008.[32] This numeric structure facilitates automated sorting and delivery, covering approximately 1.5 million residents in the metropolitan area as of 2023 census data.Any reference to "VV" in a Valencian context more likely pertains to provincial road designations (e.g., VV- followed by numbers for local vías valetudinarias or secondary routes), not postal districts.[33] These roads, such as VV-6091 linking Llíria to Olocau, support logistics but do not intersect with postal coding. Misattributions may arise from confusion with alphanumeric systems in other countries, like the UK's outward code districts, but Spain's system remains strictly decimal to align with national standardization efforts post-Franco era.[34] For precise addressing, Correos recommends verifying via official locators, as sub-district variations within 46xxx ensure targeted delivery across Valencia's 134.7 km² urban footprint.[35]
Finance and business
Vanguard Large-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares (VV)
The Vanguard Large-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares (VV) is an exchange-traded fund managed by The Vanguard Group that employs a passive indexing strategy to replicate the performance of the CRSP US Large Cap Index, a market-capitalization-weighted benchmark comprising the largest 85% of the U.S. equity market by capitalization, focusing on predominantly large-capitalization stocks diversified across growth and value styles.[36][37] The index emphasizes low turnover and broad representation of the U.S. large-cap segment, excluding smaller-cap equities.[37]Launched on January 27, 2004, and trading on the NYSE Arca exchange under the ticker VV, the ETF holds approximately 468 stocks, with significant weighting toward technology and other leading sectors reflective of the underlying index's composition.[36][38] As of late 2024 data, the fund's ETF shares managed around $46.3 billion in net assets, part of the broader fund's total of $66.5 billion, underscoring its scale among large-blend ETFs.[37] It features an ultralow expense ratio of 0.04%, aligning with Vanguard's emphasis on cost efficiency in passive investing, and distributes dividends quarterly.[36][38]The fund's methodology involves full replication of the index where feasible, investing at least 80% of assets in index components, with any deviations minimized to track returns closely before fees.[36] This approach results in a portfolio heavily concentrated in top holdings like major technology firms, mirroring broader U.S. large-cap market dynamics without active management overlays.[38] VV serves as a core equity holding for investors seeking diversified large-cap exposure, distinct from narrower benchmarks like the S&P 500 by including a broader set of large-cap securities.[39]
Aerosvit Airlines (former IATA: VV)
Aerosvit Airlines was a privately owned Ukrainian carrier headquartered at Boryspil International Airport near Kyiv, operating scheduled and charter passenger flights from 1994 until its cessation in 2013.[40][41] Established on March 25, 1994, by a consortium of Ukrainian and Israeli investors in the post-Soviet aviation market, the airline commenced operations on April 15, 1994, initially focusing on international routes from Kyiv Boryspil in partnership with state-owned Air Ukraine.[42][41] It held IATA code VV and ICAO code AEW, and was recognized as one of Ukraine's largest private airlines during its peak, serving over 70 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North America through direct and codeshare arrangements.[43]The airline began with a single Boeing 737-200 acquired under dry lease, expanding its fleet by 1997 to include owned aircraft such as Boeing 737-300s, 737-400s, 737-500s, and later Boeing 767-300ER widebodies for long-haul services.[44] At its height, Aerosvit maintained a fleet of approximately 20 aircraft, emphasizing medium-haul European routes to cities like London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, alongside charters to leisure destinations. Operations were constrained by Ukraine's economic challenges and regulatory environment, including fuel pricing volatility and competition from low-cost carriers, but the airline achieved IATA membership and pursued IOSA certification to enhance safety standards.[43]Financial distress culminated in bankruptcy proceedings initiated on December 28, 2012, when the Kyiv Commercial Court accepted the airline's petition amid mounting debts exceeding $100 million, primarily from unpaid fuel suppliers and lessors.[45] Operations were suspended in January 2013, stranding thousands of passengers and prompting government intervention for repatriation flights via Ukraine International Airlines.[46] The court formally declared bankruptcy on July 14, 2015, after failed restructuring attempts, marking the end of Aerosvit's independent operations; assets were liquidated, and its route network was partially absorbed by competitors like Wizz Air.[47][48] This collapse highlighted systemic vulnerabilities in Ukraine's aviation sector, including overreliance on short-term leasing and exposure to geopolitical risks.[49]
Science and technology
VistaVision
VistaVision is a widescreen motion picture process that employs standard 35 mm film run horizontally through the camera to capture a larger image area, yielding higher resolution and sharper detail compared to conventional vertical 35 mm formats.[50][51] Developed by engineers at Paramount Pictures as a response to the rise of CinemaScope and television competition, it prioritizes optical quality through enlarged negatives rather than anamorphic squeezing.[50][51] The format's native aspect ratio measures approximately 1.5:1, with projection flexibility allowing ratios of 1.66:1, 1.85:1, or up to 2:1 via cropping or anamorphic lenses.[50][52]Paramount announced VistaVision on February 28, 1954, following internal tests that refined a horizontal "lazy 8" perforation pull-down mechanism in collaboration with Eastman Kodak and Mitchell Camera Corporation.[51][53] The process debuted commercially with White Christmas, directed by Michael Curtiz and released on October 14, 1954, marking the first feature-length film photographed in VistaVision.[54][51] Paramount produced over 100 titles in the format through 1961, including The Ten Commandments (1956) and Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief (1955) and Vertigo (1958), leveraging custom cameras that exposed an image area roughly 2.66 times larger than standard 35 mm vertical frames for enhanced grain structure and depth of field.[50][51]In operation, VistaVision cameras advance film horizontally with eight perforations per frame, producing a negative aperture of 1.472 inches by 0.997 inches, which is optically reduced during printing to standard vertical 35 mm release prints compatible with existing theater projectors.[52][53] This reduction step minimizes print defects while preserving negative detail, avoiding the optical distortions of anamorphic systems like CinemaScope.[50][51] Although film stock consumption doubled due to the horizontal orientation, the format's clarity supported versatile post-production, including mattecompositing for visual effects.[50][51]VistaVision declined after 1961 as Paramount shifted to Panavision and Technirama for cost efficiency, with One-Eyed Jacks serving as the studio's final major release in the process.[50][51] Its high-fidelity negatives proved valuable for later visual effects work, scanning into motion control systems for films such as Star Wars (1977) and The Dark Knight (2008).[50] Revivals include "Super VistaVision" 70 mm blow-ups for restorations like The Ten Commandments in 1989 and recent productions such as The Brutalist (2024), capitalizing on digital scanning for modern workflows.[51][55]
VV Cephei
VV Cephei is an eclipsing binary star system situated approximately 4,900 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cepheus.[56] The system consists of a massive red hypergiant primary (VV Cephei A) and a hotter blue supergiant secondary (VV Cephei B), which orbit a common center of mass with a period of 7,430 days, or about 20.4 years.[57] This places it among the longest-period eclipsing binaries known, with deep primary eclipses lasting several months that diminish the system's visual magnitude from around 4.8 to as faint as 8.0.[58] Observations of these eclipses provide critical data on the stars' sizes, temperatures, and mass loss dynamics, revealing circumstellar material and potential interactions between the components.[59]The primary star, classified as M2 Iab, exhibits a radius of roughly 7.9 AU—equivalent to about 1,700 solar radii—making it one of the largest stars observed, with its extended envelope extending beyond the orbit of Jupiter in scale.[56] Its surface temperature hovers near 3,500 K, yielding a bolometric luminosity of approximately 400,000 solar luminosities and an estimated mass of 35 solar masses, consistent with evolutionary models for hypergiants in late stages of core helium burning.[56] The secondary is a main-sequence or supergiant B-type star (B2–B3 V/III) with a mass around 20 solar masses, a radius of about 10 solar radii, and luminosity near 10,000 solar luminosities, providing a stark contrast that drives the system's photometric variability.[60] Spectral analyses during non-eclipse phases show strong emission lines, particularly in Hα, indicating ongoing mass ejection from the primary's unstable envelope, which forms a disk-like structure potentially interacting with the companion.[61]VV Cephei's variability was first noted in the early 20th century through photographic plates, with systematic studies confirming its binary nature by the 1930s via radial velocity measurements and light curves.[62] Modern campaigns, such as the 2017–2019 eclipse monitored with ground-based spectrographs and Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet observations, have refined orbital parameters and highlighted periodic 43.5-day Hα emission cycles linked to the binary interaction rather than intrinsic pulsation.[58][61] These phenomena underscore VV Cephei as a prototype for ζ Aurigae-type systems, where cool giants eclipse hot companions, offering insights into mass transfer, envelope ejection, and pre-supernova evolution in massive stars, though uncertainties persist in precise angular diameters due to interferometric challenges posed by the extended atmosphere.[63][64]
Arts and entertainment
Vopli Vidopliassova
Vopli Vidopliassova, often abbreviated as VV, is a Ukrainian rock band formed in Kyiv in 1986 by guitarist Yuri Zdorenko and bassist Alexander Pipa, who had previously played heavy metal in the band SOS since 1984.[65][66] The band's leader is vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Oleh Skrypka, who handles vocals, accordion, and guitar.[67] Debuting as BB in 1987, the group emerged from the Soviet underground punk scene, blending punk rock with Ukrainian folk elements, hard rock, heavy metal, and patriotic motifs to create an ethno-rock sound.[65][68][67]The band's early output included the semi-official cassette Tantsi ("Dances") released in 1989, which captured their raw punk energy and became a staple in the Soviet-era underground.[69] By the 1990s, following Ukraine's independence, Vopli Vidopliassova gained prominence with albums such as Kraina Mriy in 1994 and Muzika in 1997, incorporating chastushka-style intonations and folklore alongside rock structures.[70] They pioneered international touring for Ukrainian acts, performing abroad from the early 1990s and addressing figures like U.S. President Bill Clinton during a 2000 visit.[71][72]Stylistically, the band's music fuses aggressive punk rhythms with traditional Ukrainian instrumentation, as evidenced in Skrypka's accordion work and lyrics drawing from folk and national themes, distinguishing them as founders of ethno-rock in Ukraine.[66][70] Core members have included Zdorenko on guitar and backing vocals, with lineup changes over decades; Skrypka remains the constant creative force, also producing solo albums.[73][67] As of 2025, the band continues active, planning a 40th-anniversary U.S. and Canada tour starting in early 2026 to celebrate their enduring influence on Ukrainian rock.[68][74]
The Faceless Ones (production code VV)
"The Faceless Ones" is a six-part serial of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, originally broadcast on BBC1 from 8 April to 13 May 1967.[75] Written by David Ellis and Malcolm Hulke under the pseudonym "John Peel", the story was commissioned in June 1966 as part of efforts to introduce more Earth-bound adventures following viewer feedback on the programme's space-heavy narratives.[76] Directed by Gerry Mill, it was produced by Innes Lloyd, with Peter Bryant serving as associate producer for episodes 1–3. The serial features Patrick Troughton in his first full season as the Second Doctor, accompanied by Ben Jackson (Michael Craze), Polly Wright (Anneke Wills), and Jamie McCrimmon (Frazer Hines); it served as the final regular outing for Ben and Polly.[77]Filming commenced with location shoots at Gatwick Airport on 20 September 1966, capturing authentic aviation scenes that grounded the story's airport setting, followed by studio sessions at BBCLime Grove Studios from October to December 1966.[76] The narrative centres on the TARDIS arriving at Gatwick in July 1966, where Polly witnesses a murder linked to Chameleon Tours, revealing faceless aliens called Chameleons who impersonate humans via a memory-transfer device after destroying originals, aiming to infiltrate Earth society due to their homeworld's destruction.[78]Key guest cast included Bernard Kay as Inspector Crossland, Colin Gordon as the airport commandant, and Donald Pickering and Peter Vaughan as Chameleon leaders.[79] Stock airport footage and model work supplemented practical effects, with the Chameleons' faceless appearances achieved through blank masks, reflecting budget constraints typical of 1960s BBC television production.[80]Only episodes 1 and 3 survive in the BBC Archives, recovered from overseas broadcasts, while episodes 2 and 4–6 remain lost, leading to fan reconstructions using tele-snaps and audio soundtracks until official intervention.[81] In 2020, BBC Studios released a fully animated version of the serial, restoring visual elements based on original scripts and surviving materials, which aired on BBC America and was made available on home video.[82] The story's production code is KK, assigned sequentially in the Second Doctor era, with no verified use of VV in official documentation.[83] Reception has noted its procedural thriller elements akin to quota-quickie films, though pacing issues arose from expanding a four-part outline to six episodes, diluting tension in later instalments.[84]