Trends ofveil
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veil
(veɪl)
Word forms: plural veils
1. countable noun
A veil is a piece of thin soft cloth that women sometimes wear over their heads and which can also cover their face.
She's got long fair hair, but she's got a veil over it.
She swathes her face in a veil of decorative muslin.
Synonyms: mask, cover, shroud, film More Synonyms of veil
2. countable noun [usually singular]
You can refer to something that hides or partly hides a situation or activity as a veil.
The country is ridding itself of its disgraced prime minister in a veil of secrecy. [+ of]
The chilling facts behind this veil of silence were slow to emerge. [+ of]
Synonyms: screen, mask, disguise, blind More Synonyms of veil
3. countable noun
You can refer to something that you can partly see through, for example a mist, as a veil.
[literary] The eruption has left a thin veil of dust in the upper atmosphere. [+ of]
He recognized the coast of England through a veil of mist.
Bright moonlight shines through a thin veil of clouds.
Synonyms: film, cover, curtain, cloak More Synonyms of veil
4.
See to draw a veil over something
More Synonyms of veil
veil in British English
(veɪl)
noun
1.
a piece of more or less transparent material, usually attached to a hat or headdress, used to conceal or protect a woman's face and head
2.
part of a nun's headdress falling round the face onto the shoulders
3.
something that covers, conceals, or separates; mask
a veil of reticence
4. the veil
5. take the veil
6. Also called: velum botany
a membranous structure, esp the thin layer of cells connecting the edge of a young mushroom cap with the stipe
7. anatomy another word for caul
8. humeral veil
verb
9. (transitive)
to cover, conceal, or separate with or as if with a veil
10. (intransitive)
to wear or put on a veil
Derived forms
veiler (ˈveiler) noun
veilless (ˈveilless)
adjective
veil-like (ˈveil-ˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
C13: from Norman French veile, from Latin vēla sails, pl of vēlum a coveringVeil in British English
(French vaɪl)
noun
Simone (Annie) (simɔn). 1927–2017, French stateswoman; president of the European Parliament (1979–82): a survivor of Nazi concentration camps
veil in American English
(veɪl)
noun
1.
a piece of light fabric, as of net or gauze, worn, esp. by women, over the face or head or draped from a hat to conceal, protect, or enhance the face
2.
any piece of cloth used as a concealing or separating screen or curtain
3.
anything like a veil in that it covers or conceals
a veil of mist, a veil of silence
4.
a.
a part of a nun's headdress, draped along the sides of the face and over the shoulders
b.
the state or life of a nun
chiefly in take the veil, to become a nun5.
humeral veil
6. Dialectal
caul
7. Biology
velum
verb transitive
8.
to cover with or as with a veil
9.
to conceal, hide, disguise, screen, obscure, etc.
Derived forms
veillike (ˈveilˌlike) adjective
Word origin
ME veile, veil, sail, curtain < NormFr < L vela, neut. pl., taken as fem., of velum, sail, cloth, curtain < IE base *weg-, to weave, attach, a textile > OIr figim, I weave, OE wecca, wickMore idioms containingveil
draw a veil over something
Image ofveil
© Photosebia, shutterstock
Examples of 'veil' in a sentenceveil
In other languagesveil
British English: veil /veɪl/ NOUN
A veil is a piece of thin soft cloth that women sometimes wear over their heads and which can also cover their face.
She wore a veil over her face.
- American English: veil
- Arabic: خِمَار
- Brazilian Portuguese: véu
- Chinese: 面纱
- Croatian: veo
- Czech: závoj
- Danish: slør
- Dutch: sluier
- European Spanish: velo
- Finnish: huntu
- French: voile coiffe
- German: Schleier
- Greek: πέπλο
- Italian: velo
- Japanese: ベール
- Korean: 베일
- Norwegian: slør
- Polish: welon
- European Portuguese: véu
- Romanian: voal
- Russian: вуаль
- Latin American Spanish: velo
- Swedish: slöja
- Thai: ผ้าคลุมหน้า
- Turkish: peçe
- Ukrainian: вуаль
- Vietnamese: mạng che mặt
All related terms of 'veil'
Chinese translation of 'veil'
veil
(veɪl)
n (c)
- (= covering)
面纱(紗)
(miànshā) - (fig) [of secrecy, silence]
掩盖(蓋)
(yǎngài)
1 (noun)
Definition
a piece of thin cloth, usually as part of a hat or headdress, used to cover a woman's face
She swathed her face in a veil of decorative muslin.
Synonyms
mask
cover
The grocery store was just a cover for their betting shop.
shroud
film
shade
She left the shades down and the lights off.
curtain
cloak
Individualism is sometimes used as a cloak for self-interest.
2 (noun)
Definition
something that conceals the truth
the chilling facts behind this veil of secrecy
Synonyms
screen
mask
His mask cracked, and she saw an angry and violent man.
disguise
a ridiculous disguise
blind
3 (noun)
Definition
something that conceals the truth
He recognized the coast of England through the veil of mist.
Synonyms
film
There was a sort of film over my eyes.
cover
curtain
a curtain of cigarette smoke
cloak
Today most of England will be under a cloak of thick mist.
shroud
a parked car huddled under a shroud of grey snow
(verb)
Definition
to cover or conceal with or as if with a veil
Her hair swept across her face, as if to veil it.
Synonyms
cover
the black patch which covered his left eye
screen
The road is screened by a block of flats.
hide
The compound was hidden by trees and shrubs.
mask
A thick grey cloud masked the sun.
shield
He shielded his head from the sun with an old sack.
disguise
She made no attempt to disguise her contempt.
conceal
The device, concealed in a dustbin, was defused by police.
obscure
The building is almost completely obscured by a huge banner.
dim
cloak
He uses jargon to cloak his inefficiency.
mantle
Many of the peaks were already mantled with snow.
Opposites
reveal
, display
, expose
, disclose
, unveil
, uncover
, divulge
, lay bare
Additional synonyms
in the sense of blind
Definition
a person, action, or thing that serves to deceive or conceal the truth
Synonyms
cover,
front (informal),
screen,
mask,
cloak,
façade,
camouflage,
masquerade,
feint,
smoke screen
in the sense of cloak
Definition
something that covers or conceals
Individualism is sometimes used as a cloak for self-interest.
Synonyms
disguise,
front (informal),
cover,
screen,
blind,
mask,
shield,
cover-up,
façade,
pretext,
smoke screen,
smoke and mirrors
in the sense of cloak
Definition
something that covers or conceals
Today most of England will be under a cloak of thick mist.
Synonyms
covering,
layer,
blanket,
shroudNearby words ofveil
- vehemence
- vehement
- vehicle
- veil
- veiled
- vein
- velocity
Synonyms of 'veil'
veil
Explore 'veil' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of cloak
Definition
to hide or disguise
He uses jargon to cloak his inefficiency.
Synonyms
hide,
cover,
screen,
mask,
disguise,
conceal,
obscure,
veil,
camouflagein the sense of conceal
Definition
to cover and hide
The device, concealed in a dustbin, was defused by police.
Synonyms
hide,
bury,
stash (informal),
secrete,
cover,
screen,
disguise,
obscure,
camouflagein the sense of curtain
Definition
something forming a barrier or screen
a curtain of cigarette smoke
Synonyms
screen,
veil,
shroud,
pallin the sense of disguise
Definition
a mask, costume, or manner that disguises
a ridiculous disguise
Synonyms
costume,
get-up (informal),
mask,
camouflage,
false appearance
in the sense of disguise
Definition
to change the appearance or manner in order to conceal the identity of (someone or something)
She made no attempt to disguise her contempt.
Synonyms
hide,
cover,
conceal,
screen,
mask,
suppress,
withhold,
veil,
cloak,
shroud,
camouflage,
keep secret,
hush up,
draw a veil over,
keep dark,
keep under your hat
in the sense of hide
Definition
to obscure or cover (something) from view
The compound was hidden by trees and shrubs.
Synonyms
obscure,
cover,
screen,
bury,
shelter,
mask,
disguise,
conceal,
eclipse,
veil,
cloak,
shroud,
camouflage,
blot out
in the sense of mantle
Definition
to spread over or become spread over
Many of the peaks were already mantled with snow.
Synonyms
cover,
hide,
blanket,
cloud,
wrap,
screen,
mask,
disguise,
veil,
cloak,
shroud,
envelop,
overspread
in the sense of obscure
Definition
to make unclear or vague
The building is almost completely obscured by a huge banner.
Synonyms
hide,
cover (up),
screen,
mask,
disguise,
conceal,
veil,
cloak,
shroud,
camouflage,
envelop,
encase,
enshroudin the sense of shade
Definition
something used to provide a shield or protection from a direct source of light, such as a lamp shade
She left the shades down and the lights off.
Synonyms
screen,
covering,
cover,
blind,
curtain,
shield,
veil,
canopyin the sense of shield
Definition
to protect, hide, or defend (someone or something) from danger or harm
He shielded his head from the sun with an old sack.
Synonyms
protect,
cover,
screen,
guard,
defend,
shelter,
safeguardAdditional synonyms
in the sense of shroud
Definition
anything that hides things
a parked car huddled under a shroud of grey snow
Synonyms
covering,
veil,
mantle,
screen,
cloud,
pall- to be seated
- to be second nature to sb
- to be second only to sth/sb
- to be second to none
- to be secretive about sth
- to be seeded nine/fifteenth etc
- to-be-seen-dead
- to be seen dead to be caught dead
- to be seething (with)
- to be self-conscious about sth
- to be senior to sb, be sb's senior
- victoria land
- victorian
- victoriana
- victoria nile
- victorianism
- victorian values
- victoria nyanza
- victoria plum
- victories
- victorine
- victorious
- victoriously
- victoriousness
- victory