vela

[vee-luh]

noun

plural of velum.

RELATED WORDS

veil, membrane, palate

Vela

[vee-luh, vey-]

noun, genitive Ve·lo·rum [vee-lawr-uh m, -lohr-, vey-] /viˈlɔr əm, -ˈloʊr-, veɪ-/ for 1. Astronomy.

the Sail, a southern constellation: one of the subordinate constellations into which Argo is divided.

U.S. Aerospace. one of a series of reconnaissance satellites designed to detect nuclear explosions.

Origin of Vela

< Latin, plural of vēlum sail

velum

[vee-luh m]

noun, plural ve·la [vee-luh] /ˈvi lə/, for 1, 2, ve·lum for 3.

Biology. any of various veillike or curtainlike membranous partitions.

Anatomy. the soft palate.See under palate(def 1).

Meteorology. a thin cloud, large in horizontal area, that is draped over or penetrated by cumuliform clouds.

Origin of velum

First recorded in 1765–75, velum is from the Latin word vēlum sail, covering

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for vela

Historical Examples of vela

His most western point was the province of Cuquibacoa and the Cabo de la Vela.
The Letters of Amerigo Vespucci
Amerigo Vespucci
At first Vela Nunnez was on his guard, lest it might be a false confidence devised for his ruin.
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 5
Robert Kerr
Leaving these friendly Indians, Ojeda pursued his way along the coast to the westward, until he reached cape de la Vela.
The American Quarterly Review, No. 17, March 1831
Various
Like the Greek or Asiatic litter, it had a roof of skin (pellis) and side curtains (vela, plagae).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 16, Slice 7
Various
I do not know whether Vela ever did put the group into marble.
Thoughts on Art and Autobiographical Memoirs of Giovanni Dupr
Giovanni Dupr

British Dictionary definitions for vela

Vela

noun Latin genitive Velorum (viːˈlɔːrəm)

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

noun plural -la (-lə)

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

anatomy any of various veil-like bodily structures, esp the soft palate

botany another word for veil (def. 6)

Word Origin for velum

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

Word Origin and History for vela

velum

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

Medicine definitions for vela

velum

[vē′ləm]

n. pl. ve•la (-lə)

An anatomical structure resembling a veil or curtain.veil velamen

greater omentum

A serous membrane or membranous envelope or covering.