Definitions
01facial covering
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a thin piece of fabric worn over the head or face, often for religious reasons or at a wedding.
n. a garment of sheer fabric worn over the head or face for concealment, protection, or as part of ceremonial or religious dress.
“The bride lifted her veil just before the couple shared their first kiss.”
“In many cultures, the veil serves as a complex symbol of modesty, social status, or religious devotion, depending on the specific historical context.”
02figurative barrier
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. something that hides the truth or prevents you from seeing a situation clearly.
n. a figurative barrier or concealment that obscures the true nature of a situation or entity.
“The company hid its financial problems behind a veil of secrecy.”
“The intelligence agency operated behind a thick veil of anonymity, making it nearly impossible for journalists to identify the lead investigators.”
Antonyms
03fungal/marine membrane
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Technical
n. a thin layer of tissue that covers a young mushroom or part of a jellyfish.
n. a delicate membrane in biological structures, such as the velum of a medusa or the tissue connecting a mushroom cap to its stalk.
“As the mushroom grows, the veil breaks to reveal the gills underneath.”
“The partial veil remains visible as a ring around the stipe once the pileus has fully expanded during the fruiting stage.”
Synonyms
04to hide or cover
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to cover something with a cloth or to hide the truth about something.
v. to cover with a veil or to obscure something so as to render it indistinct or hidden.
Español:velar
“Mist began to veil the mountains as the sun started to set.”
“The diplomat carefully veiled his criticism in polite language to avoid causing a major international incident during the summit.”
Real-World Examples
“Austria, like several other European countries including France, Belgium and Denmark, bans the full face veil (niqabs or burkas) in public.” “A yellow veil frames her face, covering her ears.” Etymology
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/veil
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0