Veil

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɪl

Origin

From Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French veile (compare modern French voile), from Latin vēla, nominative plural of vēlum.

Full definition of veil

Noun

1. Something hung up, or spread out, to hide an object from view; usually of gauze, crape, or similar diaphanous material, to hide or protect the face.
• Bible, Matthew xxvii. 51The veil of the temple was rent in twain.
• MiltonShe, as a veil down to the slender waist,
  Her unadorned golden tresses wore.
2. A cover; disguise; a mask; a pretense.
• Shakespearewill pluck the borrowed veil of modesty from the so seeming Mistress Page.
• 2007. Zerzan, John. Silence. p. 4.Beckett complains that "in the forest of symbols" there is never quiet, and longs to break through the veil of language to silence.
3. The calyptra of mosses.
4. A membrane connecting the margin of the pileus of a mushroom with the stalk; -- called also velum.
5. A covering for a person or thing; as, a caul; a nun's veil; a paten veil; an altar veil; a Moslem veil.
6. (zoology) velum (A circular membrane round the cap of medusa)
7. (mycology) A thin layer of tissue which is attached to or covers a mushroom.

Verb

1. To don, or garb with, a veil.
2. To conceal as with a veil.The forest fire was veiled by smoke, but I could hear it clearly.

Anagrams

• evil
• Levi
• live
• vile
• vlei