veil

—veilless, adj. —veillike, adj.

/vayl/, n.

1. a piece of opaque or transparent material worn over the face for concealment, for protection from the elements, or to enhance the appearance.

2. a piece of material worn so as to fall over the head and shoulders on each side of the face, forming a part of the headdress of a nun.

3. the life of a nun, esp. a cloistered life.

4. something that covers, separates, screens, or conceals: a veil of smoke; the veil of death.

5. a mask, disguise, or pretense: to find fault under a veil of humor.

6. Bot., Anat., Zool. a velum.

7. Mycol. a membrane that covers the immature mushroom of many fungi and breaks apart as the mushroom expands, leaving distinctive remnants on the cap, stalk, or stalk base.

8. Scot. and North Eng. a caul.

9. take the veil, to become a nun.

v.t.

10. to cover or conceal with or as with a veil: She veiled her face in black. A heavy fog veiled the shoreline.

11. to hide the real nature of; mask; disguise: to veil one's intentions.

v.i.

12. to don or wear a veil: In certain Islamic countries women must veil.

[1175-1225; (n.) ME veile < AF < L vela, neut. pl. (taken in VL as fem. sing.) of velum covering; (v.) ME veilen < AF veiler, deriv. of veile]

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