velum

ve·lum

noun \ˈvē-ləm\

plural ve·la\-lə\

Definition of VELUM

1

: a membrane or membranous part resembling a veil or curtain: as a : soft palate b : an annular membrane projecting inward from the margin of the umbrella in some jellyfishes (as the hydromedusae)

2

: a swimming organ that is especially well developed in the later larval stages of many marine gastropods

Origin of VELUM

New Latin, from Latin, curtain

First Known Use: 1753