veil
noun /veɪl/
/veɪl/
Idioms - a piece of very thin material, worn especially by women to protect or hide the face, or as part of a hat, etc.
- The bridal veil was fringed with lace.
Extra ExamplesTopics Clothes and Fashionc1- A veil covered her face.
- I couldn't see her face behind the veil.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- thin
- black
- white
- …
- wear
- take
- lift
- …
- cover something
- hide something
- behind a/the veil
- a piece of cloth worn over the head and shoulders by nuns or Muslim womenOxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
- thin
- black
- white
- …
- wear
- take
- lift
- …
- cover something
- hide something
- behind a/the veil
- [singular] (formal) something that stops you from learning the truth about a situation
- Their work is carried out behind a veil of secrecy.
- It would be better to draw a veil over what happened next (= not talk about it).
Extra Examples- I'll draw a discreet veil over the rest of the proceedings.
- The government has decided to lift the veil on its plans.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- discreet
- lift
- penetrate
- pierce
- …
- behind a veil of
- under a veil of
- [singular] (formal) a thin layer that stops you from seeing something
- The mountain tops were hidden beneath a veil of mist.
- He couldn't see anything through the veil of cloud.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Anglo-Norman French veil(e), from Latin vela, plural of velum ‘sail, curtain, covering, veil’.
Idioms
take the veil
- (old-fashioned) to become a nun