vela

¹ American  

[vee-luh] / ˈvi lə /

noun

1. plural of velum.

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Vela ² American  

[vee-luh, vey-] / ˈvi lə, ˈveɪ- /

noun

Astronomy.

genitive

Velorum

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.

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Vela British  

/ ˈviːlə /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of Vela

< Latin, plural of vēlum sail

Example Sentences

“I could never dress like this in Veracruz, where I live now,” said Ximena Ximénez, 27, who returned to Juchitán for the vela and wore a black, gold and white garment with a matching headpiece.

From Los Angeles Times

This weekend's festival is called the "True Fearless Seekers of Danger" vela, a name that harkens to the risk many members of the community face.

From Reuters

As soon as the sun sets, locals gather at the cemetery to light candles over their family tombs and start a vigil known as “vela.”

From Seattle Times

TNT will not be used; it would malfunction like it did when they took down the first vela in 1997.

From The Guardian

The roof of the fourth ventricle widens out very much and remains largely epithelial as the superior and inferior medullary vela.

From Project Gutenberg