Definition

1. Noun:

   • A piece of fine material worn to cover the head and face, often for religious, cultural, or formal reasons: A "veil" is a length of cloth, often sheer, that conceals part or all of the face.
   • Something that conceals, separates, or obscures like a curtain: A "veil" can be a metaphorical covering that hides the true nature of something.
   • In biology, a thin membrane covering a structure: Specifically, it can refer to a membranous covering on certain fungi or embryonic tissues.

2. Verb:

   • To cover or conceal with or as if with a veil: The action of placing a veil over something to hide it.
   • To obscure or disguise the true nature of something: To make something difficult to perceive or understand.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The bride wore a beautiful lace veil. (The bride's face was covered with a decorative cloth.)
  • A veil of secrecy surrounded the negotiations. (The negotiations were hidden from public knowledge.)
  • The mushroom's veil protects the developing gills. (The mushroom has a thin membrane.)

• Verb:

  • In some cultures, women veil their faces in public. (Women cover their faces with cloth.)
  • Fog began to veil the distant mountains. (Fog obscured the view of the mountains.)
  • She veiled her criticism with polite words. (She disguised her negative opinion.)

Advanced Usage

• "To draw a veil over something": to avoid discussing or drawing attention to an embarrassing or unpleasant subject.

  • Let's draw a veil over what happened last night. (Let's not talk about the embarrassing events.)

• "Beyond the veil": a poetic or metaphorical reference to the unknown, especially the state of existence after death.

  • The novel explores mysteries from beyond the veil. (The novel deals with supernatural or afterlife mysteries.)

• "A veiled threat": a threat that is not stated directly but is implied or disguised.

  • His compliment was actually a veiled threat. (His polite words contained a hidden warning.)

Variants and Related Words

• Veiled (adj): covered with a veil; not openly or directly expressed.

  • She made a veiled reference to the scandal. (Her comment indirectly hinted at the scandal.)

• Veiling (n): the material used to make veils; the act of covering with a veil.

  • She bought some delicate veiling for her hat. (She bought sheer fabric for decoration.)

Synonyms

• Noun: Covering, shroud, curtain, mask, cloak.
• Verb: Conceal, hide, obscure, mask, cloak, shroud.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions

• Veil oneself: To cover oneself with a veil.
  • She chose to veil herself according to tradition. (She followed the custom of wearing a face covering.)

Related Idioms

• Take the veil: (archaic) to become a nun.
  • In the 19th century, many women took the veil. (They entered a convent to become nuns.)

Noun

1. a vestment worn by a priest at High Mass in the Roman Catholic Church; a silk shawl
2. the inner membrane of embryos in higher vertebrates (especially when covering the head at birth)
3. a membranous covering attached to the immature fruiting body of certain mushrooms
4. a garment that covers the head and face

Verb

1. make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing
   • a hidden message
   • a veiled threat
2. to obscure, or conceal with or as if with a veil
   • women in Afghanistan veil their faces