hi(gh) vis

1. noun Clothing, especially a vest or jacket, made from highly reflective materials or containing bright, vivid colors. A shortening of "high visibility (clothing)." Sometimes hyphenated. Primarily heard in UK, Ireland. There are no street lamps along that road, so I always carry a torch and wear my hi vis when I go walking along it at night. Take a couple high-vises with you and make sure everyone on the crew is wearing one. At least the staff were in high vis, making them easy to pick out during the nighttime concerts.

2. adjective Of, containing, or made of such highly visible materials or colors. Usually hyphenated and used before a noun. Primarily heard in UK, Ireland. Please make sure you wear your high-vis vest when you ride your bicycle in the dark! All workers are required to wear hi-vis helmets and jackets while on site. Who would go running at this hour without wearing hi vis clothes? It's like they want to get hit by a car!

vis-à-vis

In relation to. The phrase is French for "face to face." And now our legal counsel will update us vis-à-vis the recent legislation. This paper will attempt to analyze the director's films vis-à-vis his personal life.

vis-à-ˈvis

(from French, written)
1 in relation to: Britain’s role vis-à-vis the United States
2 in comparison with: It was felt that the company had an unfair advantage vis-à-vis smaller companies elsewhere.This phrase originally meant face-to-face in French.

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