velum

American  

[vee-luhm] / ˈvi ləm /

noun

plural

vela, velum

1. Biology. any of various veillike or curtainlike membranous partitions.

2. Anatomy. the soft palate. palate1

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

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velum British  

/ ˈviːləm /

noun

1. 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

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

3. botany another word for veil

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Etymology

Origin of velum

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

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

On the opposite wall were displays of marbled papers hand-rubbed with beeswax, bookbinders’ tools laid out in glass cases like surgical instruments and an 18th-century velum press standing tall beside the entrance door.

From New York Times