vellum
Americannoun
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calfskin, lambskin, kidskin, etc., treated for use as a writing surface.
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a manuscript or the like on vellum.
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a texture of paper or cloth resembling vellum.
adjective
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made of or resembling vellum.
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bound in vellum.
noun
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a fine parchment prepared from the skin of a calf, kid, or lamb
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a work printed or written on vellum
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a creamy coloured heavy paper resembling vellum
adjective
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made of or resembling vellum
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(of a book) bound in vellum
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vellum
1400–50; late Middle English velum, velim < Middle French ve ( e ) lin of a calf. See veal, -in 1
Explanation
Vellum is a thick, fancy type of paper that was traditionally made from animal skin. Today, vellum is much more likely to be made of cotton instead. If you buy a sheet of vellum from an art supply store, you can rest assured that it's completely vegetarian. Partly because animal skin vellum is so expensive to produce, it's rare these days. Some sacred texts are still printed on the very fine, thin hides of cows, including Torah scrolls. The British Acts of Parliament also continue to be printed on animal vellum. The word vellum shares a root with veal, or "calf meat."
Vocabulary lists containing vellum
Stroke of Genius: Words About Painting
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Art History
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Medieval Europe - Middle School
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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.
Vellum, made from animal skins, was long prized for manuscripts because of its texture and durability.
From Seattle Times • May 2, 2024
“Everyone knows they want a certain set of rooms in their home: a kitchen, a particular number of bedrooms and baths,” said Jeff Pelletier, managing principal and founder of Board & Vellum.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 30, 2022
Each piece is “a drawing on top of a drawing on top of a drawing,” as if Servellon had created separate art works on translucent Vellum paper and layered them one on top of another.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 31, 2016
Chad Post made a similar L.T.I.-sponsored trip to Seoul, with Will Evans, the publisher of Deep Vellum, and Ross Ufberg, of New Vessel Press, last winter.
From The New Yorker • Jan. 28, 2016
The Art of Writing on Vellum had hardly passed its youth at the time when the Text advocated by B and א fell finally into disuse.
From The Traditional Text of the Holy Gospels by Burgon, John William
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.
