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velum

[vee-luh m] /ˈvi ləm/
noun, plural vela
[vee-luh] /ˈvi lə/ (Show IPA), for 1, 2, velum for 3.
1.
Biology. any of various veillike or curtainlike membranous partitions.
2.
Anatomy. the soft palate.
See under palate (def 1).
3.
Meteorology. a thin cloud, large in horizontal area, that is draped over or penetrated by cumuliform clouds.
Origin of velum
Latin
1765-1775
First recorded in 1765-75, velum is from the Latin word vēlum sail, covering

Vela

[vee-luh, vey-] /ˈvi lə, ˈveɪ-/
noun, genitive Velorum
[vee-lawr-uh m, -lohr-, vey-] /viˈlɔr əm, -ˈloʊr-, veɪ-/ (Show IPA), for 1. Astronomy.
1.
the Sail, a southern constellation: one of the subordinate constellations into which Argo is divided.
2.
U.S. Aerospace. one of a series of reconnaissance satellites designed to detect nuclear explosions.
Origin
< Latin, plural of vēlum sail
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.
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British Dictionary definitions for vela's

Vela

/ˈviːlə/
noun (Latin genitive) Velorum (viːˈlɔːrəm)
1.
a constellation in the S hemisphere, close to Puppis and Carina and crossed by the Milky Way, that has four second-magnitude stars and a young bright pulsar

velum

/ˈviːləm/
noun (pl) -la (-lə)
1.
(zoology) any of various membranous structures, such as the ciliated oral membrane of certain mollusc larvae or the veil-like membrane running around the rim of a jellyfish
2.
(anatomy) any of various veil-like bodily structures, esp the soft palate
3.
(botany) another word for veil (sense 6)
Word Origin
C18: from Latin: veil
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word Origin and History for vela's

velum

n.

1771, from Latin velum "a sail, awning, curtain, covering" (see veil (n.)).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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vela's in Medicine

velum ve·lum (vē'ləm)
n. pl. ve·la (-lə)

  1. An anatomical structure resembling a veil or curtain. Also called veil, velamen.

  2. See greater omentum.

  3. A serous membrane or membranous envelope or covering.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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7
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