Main Entry:

ve·la·men

Pronunciation:

\və-ˈlā-mən\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural ve·lam·i·na \-ˈla-mə-nə\

Etymology:

New Latin, from Latin, covering, from velare to cover, from velum curtain

Date:

1882

: the thick corky epidermis of aerial roots of an epiphytic orchid that absorbs water from the atmosphere