velum

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vēlum (“a cloth, covering, awning, curtain, veil”). Doublet of veil.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈviː.ləm/, /ˈvɛl.əm/, /ˈveɪ.ləm/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -iːləm

Noun

velum (plural vela or velums)

1. a thin membrane resembling a veil or curtain, such as:
   1. (anatomy) the soft palate
   2. (botany) a thin membrane partially covering the cluster of sporangia near the leaf base in quillworts and their extinct relatives
   3. (mycology) a veil-like membrane of immature mushrooms extending from the margin of the cap to the stem and is torn by growth, to reveal the gills
   4. (malacology) a locomotory and feeding organ provided with cilia found in the larval stage of bivalves
   5. (zoology) a annular membrane, typically bordering a cavity, especially in certain molluscs, medusae, and other invertebrates
   6. a delicate membrane found on certain protists
2. (meteorology) an accessory cloud resembling a veil extending over a large distance; normally associated with cumulus and cumulonimbus

References

• “velum”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “velum”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Anagrams

• mvule

Noun

velum

1. indefinite dative plural of vel

Alternative forms

• vélum

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin velum (“veil, sail”).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

velum m (plural velums)

1. velum

Further reading

• “velum”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈvɛlʊm]
• Hyphenation: vè‧lum

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Latin vēlum.

Etymology 2

From English vellum, from Old French velin (Modern French vélin), from Latin vitulinus (“of a calf”).

Further reading

• “velum” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.