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.
A yellow vetchling, too, is now opening its yellow petals beside the Long Ditton road: another summer flower, which comes in as the blue veronica is leaving the sward.
From The Toilers of the Field by Jefferies, Richard
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
In the meantime I was taking the salicylate of soda and the cathartic, veronica water, as directed below.
From Mother's Remedies Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remedies from Mothers of the United States and Canada by Ritter, Thomas Jefferson
Among them were occasionally seen the berberis ilicifolia and veronica, the latter of very small size.
From Narrative of the surveying voyages of His Majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle, between the years 1826 and 1836 Volume I. - Proceedings of the First Expedition, 1826-1830 by Fitzroy, Robert
She turned as she spoke and preceded him up the little path, bordered by clumps of hydrangea, veronica and fuchsia, to the house.
From The Princess Galva A Romance by Whitelaw, David
During the trial, the jury heard Veronica Irwin had suffered a fall in the bathroom which prosecutor Phil Barnes KC said was the only one in the small flat she shared with her son.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
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
South-Central L.A. native Angie Bravo, 26, attended the festival to watch “Eres Suficiente,” the short film by her wife’s cousin, Veronica Jurado.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 2, 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.
