1. [n]  relative darkness or lightness of a color; "I establish the colors and principal values by organizing the painting into three values--dark, medium...and light"-Joe Hing Lowe
2. [n]  the quality (positive or negative) that renders something desirable or valuable; "the Shakespearean Shylock is of dubious value in the modern world"
3. [n]  a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed; "the value assigned was 16 milliseconds"
4. [n]  an ideal accepted by some individual or group; "he has old-fashioned values"
5. [n]  the amount (of money or goods or services) that is considered to be a fair equivalent for something else; "he tried to estimate the value of the produce at normal prices"
6. [n]  (music) the relative duration of a musical note
7. [v]  estimate the value of; "How would you rate his chances to become President>"; "Gold was rated highly among the Romans"
8. [v]  place a value on; judge the worth of something; "I will have the family jewels appraised by a professional"
9. [v]  regard highly; think much of
10. [v]  fix or determine the value of; assign a value to, as of jewelry or art work
11. [v]  hold dear; "I prize these old photographs"

1. \Val"ue\, n.
   1.
      (a) That property of a color by which it is distinguished
          as bright or dark; luminosity.
      (b) Degree of lightness as conditioned by the presence of
          white or pale color, or their opposites.
   2. (Math.) Any particular quantitative determination; as, a
      function's value for some special value of its argument.
   3. [pl.] The valuable ingredients to be obtained by treatment
      from any mass or compound; specif., the precious metals
      contained in rock, gravel, or the like; as, the vein
      carries good values; the values on the hanging walls.
   

2. \Val"ue\, n. [OF. value, fr. valoir, p. p. valu, to be
   worth, fr. L. valere to be strong, to be worth. See
   {Valiant}.]
   1. The property or aggregate properties of a thing by which
      it is rendered useful or desirable, or the degree of such
      property or sum of properties; worth; excellence; utility;
      importance.
      Ye are all physicians of no value.          --Job xiii. 4.
      Ye are of more value than many sparrows.    --Matt. x. 31.
      C[ae]sar is well acquainted with your virtue, And
      therefore sets this value on your life.     --Addison.
      Before events shall have decided on the value of the
      measures.                                   --Marshall.
   2. (Trade & Polit. Econ.) Worth estimated by any standard of
      purchasing power, especially by the market price, or the
      amount of money agreed upon as an equivalent to the
      utility and cost of anything.
            An article may be possessed of the highest degree of
            utility, or power to minister to our wants and
            enjoyments, and may be universally made use of,
            without possessing exchangeable value. --M'Culloch.
            Value is the power to command commodities generally.
                                                  --A. L. Chapin
                                                  (Johnson's
                                                  Cys.).
            Value is the generic term which expresses power in
            exchange.                             --F. A.
                                                  Walker.
            His design was not to pay him the value of his
            pictures, because they were above any price.
                                                  --Dryden.
   Note: In political economy, value is often distinguished as
         intrinsic and exchangeable. Intrinsic value is the same
         as utility or adaptation to satisfy the desires or
         wants of men. Exchangeable value is that in an article
         or product which disposes individuals to give for it
         some quantity of labor, or some other article or
         product obtainable by labor; as, pure air has an
         intrinsic value, but generally not an exchangeable
         value.
   3. Precise signification; import; as, the value of a word;
      the value of a legal instrument --Mitford.
   4. Esteem; regard. --Dryden.
            My relation to the person was so near, and my value
            for him so great                      --Bp. Burnet.
   5. (Mus.) The relative length or duration of a tone or note,
      answering to quantity in prosody; thus, a quarter note [?]
      has the value of two eighth notes [?].
   6. In an artistical composition, the character of any one
      part in its relation to other parts and to the whole; --
      often used in the plural; as, the values are well given,
      or well maintained.
   7. Valor. [Written also {valew}.] [Obs.] --Spenser.
   {Value received}, a phrase usually employed in a bill of
      exchange or a promissory note, to denote that a
      consideration has been given for it. --Bouvier.
   

3. \Val"ue\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Valued}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Valuing}.]
   1. To estimate the value, or worth, of; to rate at a certain
      price; to appraise; to reckon with respect to number,
      power, importance, etc.
            The mind doth value every moment.     --Bacon.
            The queen is valued thirty thousand strong. --Shak.
            The king must take it ill, That he's so slightly
            valued in his messenger.              --Shak.
            Neither of them valued their promises according to
            rules of honor or integrity.          --Clarendon.
   2. To rate highly; to have in high esteem; to hold in respect
      and estimation; to appreciate; to prize; as, to value one
      for his works or his virtues.
            Which of the dukes he values most.    --Shak.
   3. To raise to estimation; to cause to have value, either
      real or apparent; to enhance in value. [Obs.]
            Some value themselves to their country by jealousies
            of the crown.                         --Sir W.
                                                  Temple.
   4. To be worth; to be equal to in value. [Obs.]
            The peace between the French and us not values The
            cost that did conclude it.            --Shak.
   Syn: To compute; rate; appraise; esteem; respect; regard;
        estimate; prize; appreciate.
   

brightness