veil

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a length of cloth worn by women as a covering for the head and shoulders and often especially in Eastern countries for the face
specifically : the outer covering of a nun's headdress
b
: a length of veiling or netting worn over the head or face or attached for protection or ornament to a hat or headdress
a bridal veil
c
: any of various liturgical cloths
especially : a cloth used to cover the chalice
2
: the life of a nun
often used in the phrase take the veil
3
: a concealing curtain or cover of cloth
4
: something that resembles a veil
a veil of stars
especially : something that hides or obscures like a veil
lift the veil of secrecy
5
: a covering body part or membrane: such as
a
: velum
b
: caul

veil

2 of 2

verb

veiled; veiling; veils

transitive verb

: to cover, provide, obscure, or conceal with or as if with a veil

intransitive verb

: to put on or wear a veil

Examples of veil in a Sentence

Noun Veils of moss draped the trees. under the veil of descending darkness the thieves began their operation Verb Her eyes were partially veiled by her long, dark hair. The sun was veiled by clouds.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Finishing off the look were a pair of fingerless black gloves, a slick black bag and a black hat featuring a small veil. Stephen Daw, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2024 The actress accessorized the look with a bridal veil, a midi-length white suede and faux fur coat. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 This powder can be used to apply a veil of color or be built up to achieve a more full coverage base that reduces shine and absorbs excess oil from the skin. Clare Holden, Glamour, 1 Mar. 2024 Sometimes, the diarists’ anger and frustration were expressed indirectly, cloaked under a veil of resignation and wry humor. Sarah Gristwood, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 Spanish moss hangs from branches of black cypress trees like funeral veils. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 Mourners showed up in feathery red dresses, fishnet stockings and lace veils, and the community prayed for God to protect trans people with health care and housing. Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 19 Feb. 2024 During a Spaces discussion, the Neuralink owner finally lifted the veil on the progress made by the first volunteer allegedly implanted last month with a microchip in their brain, saying the individual has made a full recovery and can even communicate with a computer using only their mind. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2024 One of the women, wearing a transparent veil over a bright-orange dress, leans out of the upper level. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
Tucked in a Lake Norman cove, veiled by beer, wine, cheese and live music, a 70-year-old business owner raked in money — and kept too much for herself, authorities say. Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024 In the meantime, one thing is certain, the mysteries that veil this exciting Javanese site will continue to perplex and capture the imaginations of future generations to come. Discover Staff, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 In the heart of the Himalayas lies a kingdom veiled in tradition and adorned with breathtaking landscapes of mountains and valleys. Judy Koutsky, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 And third, that thinly veiled anti-Chinese xenophobia has become a reliable part of the US political playbook. Dexter Thomas, WIRED, 1 Feb. 2024 The high-profile case has also largely been veiled in secrecy due to a gag order in place -- and the Goncalves family thinks more information needs to be revealed. Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 26 Jan. 2024 Claudel spent months on a version that veiled the female figure. Farah Peterson, The Atlantic, 14 Dec. 2023 Kashyap shoehorned into the script thinly veiled criticism of Indian politicians’ coziness with billionaire industrialists and the government’s handling of the pandemic. Anant Gupta, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023 Until then, most gay characters in American theater had been veiled or demonized. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'veil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Latin vēla, plural of vēlum "sail, awning, curtain," going back to *u̯eg-s-lo-, perhaps derivative of a verbal base *u̯eg-, akin to Old Irish -fig- "weaves," Old English wēoce "wick" — more at wick entry 1

Verb

Middle English veilen, borrowed from Anglo-French veler, verbal derivative of veil veil entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of veil was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near veil

Cite this Entry

“Veil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/veil. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

veil

1 of 2 noun
1
: a piece of cloth or net worn usually by women over the head and shoulders and sometimes over the face
2
: something that covers or hides like a veil
lift the veil of secrecy

veil

2 of 2 verb
: to cover with or as if with a veil

Medical Definition

veil

noun
: a covering body part or membrane
especially : caul sense 2

More from Merriam-Webster on veil

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