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.
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
First recorded in 1400–500; late Middle English; from Medieval Latin veronica, alleged to be an alteration of vēra īconica “true image,” subsequently also taken as the name of the woman who gave Christ the cloth; see very, icon
First recorded in 1520–30; from New Latin or Medieval Latin, perhaps after veronica 1 or St. Veronica, but ultimately from Medieval Greek bereníkion plant name, equivalent to Bereník(ē) proper name + -ion diminutive suffix; see origin at Berenice ( def. )
First recorded in 1925–30; from Spanish verónica literally, veronica 1 (from the resmblance of the matador holding the cape out with both hands to the woman who held the cloth out to Christ)
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She had plunged down winding roads, blackly shadowed by their hedgerow trees, passing sometimes a cottage that slept between its clumps of fuchsia and veronica.
From Tante by Sedgwick, Anne Douglas
At the base of the rocks, where there was still some moisture, were the blue flowers of the brooklime veronica, and the brighter blue of the forget-me-not.
From Wanderings by southern waters, eastern Aquitaine by Barker, Edward Harrison
Her little feet peeped out among the grass and the blue veronica flowers.
From Bevis The Story of a Boy by Jefferies, Richard
The loveliest veronica; ah, the head fell; but there is another, that will keep.
From In God's Way A Novel by Bj?rnson, Bj?rnstjerne
Of the mythic or poetic significance of the veronica, there is less to be said than of its natural beauty.
From Proserpina, Volume 2 Studies Of Wayside Flowers by Ruskin, John
Certified financial planner Veronica Taylor, who works for the women-centered firm Ellevest in New York, has helped many clients through this gauntlet, and is going through it herself.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Veronica Arreola found out that a children’s book she authored was among the most banned in the United States from an unlikely source: People magazine.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026
But a superior Italy wore Wales down after the break, with Ostuni Minuzzi crossing for a second, and Francesca Sgorbini and Veronica Madia also adding scores.
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
Veronica Dagher is an award-winning personal finance reporter for The Wall Street Journal, where her work explores the intersection of the housing market and individual wealth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026
Sister Veronica called it the yearly migration of the Igbo.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
