velar

American  

[vee-ler] / ˈvi lər /

adjective

1. of or relating to a velum, especially the soft palate.

2. Phonetics. articulated with the back of the tongue held close to or touching the soft palate.

---

noun

1. Phonetics. a velar sound.

velar British  

/ ˈviːlə /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or attached to a velum

   velar tentacles

2. phonetics articulated with the soft palate and the back of the tongue, as in the sounds ( k ), ( ɡ ), or ( ŋ )

---

Other Word Forms

• postvelar adjective
• pseudovelar adjective

Etymology

Origin of velar

From the Latin word vēlāris, dating back to 1720–30. See velum, -ar ¹

Example Sentences

Un hombre, que ha sido despedido de todos los trabajos que ha tenido, recibe la tarea de velar por un campeón deportivo, pero se acobarda y Cantinflas lo reemplaza, provocando una confusión.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2021

That’s the voiceless velar fricative, and it adds a wonderful percussiveness to “99 Luftbalons.”

From Slate • Nov. 8, 2012

In phonology there are also very striking differences, apart from the treatment of the labialized velar qv already mentioned.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5 "Cat" to "Celt" by Various

Farther up, within the velar area, the rudiments of the cerebral nerve-ganglion ng are seen separating from the ectoderm.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5 "Gassendi, Pierre" to "Geocentric" by Various

The foot now protrudes below the mouth, and the post-oral hemisphere of the trochosphere grows more rapidly then the anterior or velar area.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5 "Gassendi, Pierre" to "Geocentric" by Various