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veronica

1
[vuh-ron-i-kuh]
|

noun (sometimes initial capital letter) Ecclesiastical.

the image of the face of Christ, said in legend to have been miraculously impressed on the handkerchief or veil that St. Veronica gave to Him to wipe His face on the way to Calvary.
the handkerchief or veil itself.
Also called sudarium. any handkerchief, veil, or cloth bearing a representation of the face of Christ.

Origin of veronica

1
1690–1700; < Medieval Latin veronica, alleged to be an alteration of vēra īconica true image (see very, icon), subsequently also taken as the name of the woman who gave Christ the cloth
Also called vernicle.

veronica

2
[vuh-ron-i-kuh]

noun

any of numerous plants belonging to the genus Veronica, of the figwort family, having opposite leaves and clusters of small flowers, as the speedwell.

Origin of veronica

2
1520–30; < New Latin or Medieval Latin, perhaps after veronica1 or St. Veronica (but compare Medieval Greek bereníkion plant name, equivalent to Bereník(ē) proper name + -ion diminutive suffix)

veronica

3
[vuh-ron-i-kuh]

noun

(in bullfighting) a pass in which the matador keeps his feet and legs absolutely still while slowly swinging the open cape away from the charging bull.

Origin of veronica

3
1925–30; < Spanish verónica probably literally, veronica1

Veronica

or Ve·ron·i·ka

[vuh-ron-i-kuh]

noun

a female given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for veronica

Contemporary Examples of veronica

Historical Examples of veronica

  • He needed a little persuasion, though, in spite of Veronica.

    Romance

    Joseph Conrad and F.M. Hueffer

  • Veronica wrote to me; Ralph to his attorney and the Macdonalds.

    Romance

    Joseph Conrad and F.M. Hueffer

  • "A clever letter, contemptible though it is," pronounced Veronica.

  • One of the earliest Bohemian women composers was Veronica Cianchettini.

  • Veronica was sitting on the floor, staring into the fire, her chin supported by her hand.

    They and I

    Jerome K. Jerome

British Dictionary definitions for veronica

veronica

1

noun

any scrophulariaceous plant of the genus Veronica, esp the speedwells, of temperate and cold regions, having small blue, pink, or white flowers and flattened notched fruits

Word Origin for veronica

C16: from Medieval Latin, perhaps from the name Veronica

veronica

2

noun RC Church

the representation of the face of Christ that, according to legend, was miraculously imprinted upon the headcloth that Saint Veronica offered him on his way to his crucifixion
the cloth itself
any similar representation of Christ's face

veronica

3

noun

bullfighting a pass in which the matador slowly swings the cape away from the charging bull

Word Origin for veronica

from Spanish, from the name Veronica
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 veronica

Veronica

fem. proper name, a variant of Greek Berenike (see Berenice). The popular "Saint Veronica" (not in the Roman Martyrology) traditionally was a pious woman who wiped the face of Christ when he fell carrying the cross to Calvary. The image of his face remained on the cloth, and the "veil of Veronica" has been preserved in Rome from the 8c. Her popularity rose with the propagation of the Stations of the Cross. Some also identified her with the woman with the issue of blood, cured by Christ, as in the East this woman was identified from an early date by the name Berenike.

In sum, it seems likely that the story of Veronica is a delightful legend without any solid historical basis; that Veronica is a purely fictitious, not a historical character, and that the story was invented to explain the relic. It aroused great interest in the later Middle Ages in the general devotional context of increased concern with the humanity of Christ, especially the Holy Face, and the physical elements of his Passion. [David Hugh Farmer, "The Oxford Dictionary of Saints," 1978]

Hence vernicle (mid-14c.) "picture of the face of Christ," from Old French veronicle, variant of veronique.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper