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veil
[veyl]
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.
veil
1/ ɪ /
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 life of a nun in a religious order and the obligations entailed by it
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
Veil
2/ ɪ /
noun
Simone ( Annie ) (simɔn). born 1927, French stateswoman; president of the European Parliament (1979–82): a survivor of Nazi concentration camps
veil
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.
Other Word Forms
- veilless adjective
- veillike adjective
- ˈ noun
- ˈ-ˌ adjective
- ˈ adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of veil1
Word History and Origins
Origin of veil1
Idioms and Phrases
take the veil, to become a nun.
Example Sentences
And when they sought legal advice to try to recoup their losses, they say that a park employee made veiled threats to them.
Things began to come to a head with “Don’t Worry Baby,” Wilson’s thinly veiled rewrite of The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” which he considered to be pop’s finest moment.
A soft veil pulled over the work, so the magic could shimmer brighter.
When a person pierces the veil — when a face becomes familiar, or a name repeats itself — it doesn’t necessarily feel comforting.
The burka is a one-piece veil worn by some Muslim women that covers the face and body, often leaving just a mesh screen to see through.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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