veil

[ veyl ]

/ veɪl /

noun

a piece of opaque or transparent material worn over the face for concealment, for protection from the elements, or to enhance the appearance.

a piece of material worn so as to fall over the head and shoulders on each side of the face, forming a part of the headdress of a nun.

the life of a nun, especially a cloistered life.

something that covers, separates, screens, or conceals: a veil of smoke; the veil of death.

a mask, disguise, or pretense: to find fault under a veil of humor.

Botany, Anatomy, Zoology. a velum.

Mycology. a membrane that covers the immature mushroom of many fungi and breaks apart as the mushroom expands, leaving distinctive remnants on the cap, stalk, or stalk base.

Scot. and North England. a caul.

verb (used with object)

to cover or conceal with or as with a veil: She veiled her face in black. A heavy fog veiled the shoreline.

to hide the real nature of; mask; disguise: to veil one's intentions.

verb (used without object)

to don or wear a veil: In certain Islamic countries women must veil.

Idioms for veil

take the veil, to become a nun.

Origin of veil

1175–1225; (noun) Middle English veile < Anglo-French < Latin vēla, neuter plural (taken in VL as feminine singular) of vēlum covering; (v.) Middle English veilen < Anglo-French veiler, derivative of veile

OTHER WORDS FROM veil

veil·less, adjective veil·like, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH veil

vale veil

Words nearby veil

vehemence, vehement, vehicle, vehicular, veii, veil, veiled, veiling, veilleuse, veillonella, veiltail goldfish

Example sentences from the Web for veil

Mrs. Kouachi works at a nursery and has worn the veil since she made the pilgrimage to Mecca in 2008.

France Mourns—and Hunts |Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey |January 8, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
No piece of cloth throughout history has sparked more controversy as the veil.

Saudi Activist Manal Al-Sharif on Why She Removed the Veil |Manal Al Sharif, Advancing Human Rights |October 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
If users want to send naughty photos with a veil of privacy, opt for the pixilated shower door filter.

Swipe Right For Sex: Mixxxer Is Tinder for the Porn Star Set |Aurora Snow |October 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
When I ask why she wears a veil in a society where it's optional, Sakdiyah explains how it frees her.

Young Muslim Comic Takes On Fundamentalists |Moral Courage |May 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

But while the veil of privacy—for better or worse—has been lifted, the stigma still remains.

Coming Out of the Addiction Closet |Abby Haglage |May 10, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Jessie stood staring, and a veil of thought dropped over her eyes.

The Wheels of Chance |H. G. Wells
It was a curious contrast made by the removal of the ugly bonnet and veil.

The Girl Next Door |Augusta Huiell Seaman
Mrs. Priest nodded graciously to Thea, coquettishly to Bowers, and asked him to untie her veil for her.

Song of the Lark |Willa Cather
Gracefully she raises her veil over her Spanish hood, and advances cautiously, as the old man closes the door behind her.

An Outcast |F. Colburn Adams
Dorothea took the Moorish lady by the hand and leading her to a seat beside herself, requested her to remove her veil.

The History of Don Quixote, Vol. I, Complete |Miguel de Cervantes

British Dictionary definitions for veil (1 of 2)

veil

/ (veɪl) /

noun

a piece of more or less transparent material, usually attached to a hat or headdress, used to conceal or protect a woman's face and head

part of a nun's headdress falling round the face onto the shoulders

something that covers, conceals, or separates; mask a veil of reticence

the veil the life of a nun in a religious order and the obligations entailed by it

take the veil to become a nun

Also called: velum botany a membranous structure, esp the thin layer of cells connecting the edge of a young mushroom cap with the stipe

anatomy another word for caul

See humeral veil

verb

(tr) to cover, conceal, or separate with or as if with a veil

(intr) to wear or put on a veil

Derived forms of veil

veiler, noun veilless, adjective veil-like, adjective

Word Origin for veil

C13: from Norman French veile, from Latin vēla sails, pl of vēlum a covering

British Dictionary definitions for veil (2 of 2)

Veil

/ (French vaɪl) /

noun

Simone (Annie) (simɔn). born 1927, French stateswoman; president of the European Parliament (1979–82): a survivor of Nazi concentration camps

Medical definitions for veil

veil

[ vāl ]

n.

caul

velum

Scientific definitions for veil

veil

[ vāl ]

A membranous covering or part, especially a membrane surrounding the young mushrooms of certain basidiomycete fungi. In some species the membrane (called a partial veil) extends only from the stalk to the cap. As the cap expands, the veil breaks, leaving a ring called an annulus on the stalk and often scalelike pieces on the cap. These veil remnants are important for identifying species of mushrooms.

Idioms and Phrases with veil

veil

see draw a veil over.

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veil