velar
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to a velum, especially the soft palate.
-
Phonetics. articulated with the back of the tongue held close to or touching the soft palate.
noun
adjective
-
of, relating to, or attached to a velum
velar tentacles
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phonetics articulated with the soft palate and the back of the tongue, as in the sounds ( k ), ( ɡ ), or ( ŋ )
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of velar
From the Latin word vēlāris, dating back to 1720–30. See velum, -ar 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
We may further mention that the I. E. labialized velar gv is represented by b, e.g.
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
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
