veil
n. countablen. a thin piece of cloth that covers the face or head. It can also mean anything that hides or covers the truth about something.
n. a piece of fine material worn by women to protect or conceal the face; figuratively, something that serves to cover, hide, or disguise a situation.
The bride wore a long white veil over her face.
The government's secrecy acted as a veil that kept the public from seeing the true cost of the project.
Historians are still trying to lift the veil of mystery surrounding the ancient civilization's sudden and unexplained disappearance from the region.
From Middle English veil, veyl, from Anglo-Norman and Old Northern French veil (“sail, veil, shroud”) (Francien Old French voil, French voile), Latin vēlum (“cloth, covering”). Displaced Middle English scleire, scleyre, sleyre, slyre (“veil”) (compare German Schleier). Doublet of velum and voile.
Often used with the verb 'to lift' when referring to revealing a secret.