veil

[ veyl ]

/ veɪl /

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See synonyms for: veil / veiled / veiling on Thesaurus.com

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.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about 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

veilless, adjectiveveillike, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH veil

vale, veil

Words nearby veil

vehemently, vehicle, vehicular, V-eight, Veii, veil, veiled, veiling, veilleuse, veiltail goldfish, vein

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use veil in a sentence

I’ve asked for records and gotten stonewalled behind the veil of public safety.
Lessons From the Year in Surveillance Tech Debacles|Jesse Marx|December 28, 2020|Voice of San Diego
The boy, whose face is covered by a semi-transparent veil, carries a lamb.
Don’t underestimate the cheapfake|Amy Nordrum|December 22, 2020|MIT Technology Review
There is a veil of shame and myth regarding the use of cannabis.
Myths and Shame Shouldn’t Guide Cannabis Regulations|John Bertsch|September 8, 2020|Voice of San Diego
In her book, Western Representations of the Muslim Woman, Moja Kahf traces one of the first discussions of the veil in western fiction to the novel Don Quixote.
We Are All Niqabis Now: Coronavirus Masks Reveal Hypocrisy Of Face Covering Bans|LGBTQ-Editor|April 29, 2020|No Straight News

Because one feature of contempt, it strikes me, is that there’s a little bit of a veil of secrecy over it.
What Does Covid-19 Mean for Cities (and Marriages)? (Ep. 410)|Stephen J. Dubner|March 26, 2020|Freakonomics
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
The Arab women wore their colored hejabs, and the non-Muslim women dressed modestly and without a 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
Watching a woman in a white dress and veil realize she just married the wrong person should be reality TV gold.
Reality TV’s Arranged Marriage Fail|Emily Shire|July 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Madame Ratignolle, more careful of her complexion, had twined a gauze veil about her head.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Lady Maude sat alone in her room; the white robes upon her, the orthodox veil, meant to shade her fair face thrown back from it.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
As you neared it, however, the watery veil seemed flung over them, like the foamy tulle over a bride.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
As I receded, the watery veil would disappear, and as I approached it would again take form.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
No Jewish historian nor scientist mentioned the rending of the veil of the temple, nor the rising of the saints from the dead.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford

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; maska 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, nounveilless, adjectiveveil-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

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

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.

Other Idioms and Phrases with veil

veil

see draw a veil over.

veil

Idioms about veil

Origin of veil

OTHER WORDS FROM veil

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH veil

Words nearby veil

Words related to veil

How to use veil in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for veil (1 of 2)

Derived forms of veil

Word Origin for veil

British Dictionary definitions for veil (2 of 2)

Scientific definitions for veil

Other Idioms and Phrases with veil