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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Veil Definition, Usage & Figurative Meanings (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：head covering (veil)

veil 🔊

/veɪl/

A thin piece of fabric that a person, especially a woman, wears over the head and sometimes the face.

head covering 🔊

➕

/hɛd ˈkʌvərɪŋ/

A piece of fine, often sheer fabric worn over the head or face, typically for ceremonial, religious, or traditional purposes.

📁 Category：Fashion Trends 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'vēlum' meaning a covering, curtain, or sail.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a 'veil' as a 'vail' you pull down over details, making them 'veiled' or hidden.

📖 Example

At the wedding, the bride looked incredibly elegant with a beautiful lace veil flowing down her back. 🔊 At the wedding, the bride looked incredibly elegant with a beautiful lace head covering flowing down her back.

🔗 Collocations

bridal veil – the veil worn by a bride during a wedding ceremony

to drop the veil – to put down or remove a veil from one's face

a veil of lace – a veil made from a delicate, ornamental fabric

🔄 Synonyms

headscarf (n.) – A piece of cloth worn over the head, often for modesty or religion.

mantilla (n.) – A lace or silk scarf worn over the head and shoulders, especially in Spain.

🚫 Antonyms

bare head (n. phrase) – A head with no covering.

🌱 Derivatives

veiled (adj.) – Wearing a veil; partially hidden or disguised.

unveil (v.) – To remove a veil from; to reveal or introduce publicly.

📖 Cultural Story

In many cultures, veils hold deep symbolic meaning. Bridal veils in Western traditions originate from ancient Roman customs where a 'flammeum' (flame-colored veil) was worn to ward off evil spirits. The idiom 'take the veil' refers to becoming a nun.

Meaning 2：figurative covering (veil)

veil 🔊

/veɪl/

Something that hides the truth or the real nature of a situation, like a thin cover.

Symbolic image of a landscape obscured by a translucent veil, representing hidden truth.

figurative covering 🔊

➕

/ˈfɪɡərətɪv ˈkʌvərɪŋ/

Something that conceals, obscures, or disguises the true nature of something, like a thin layer hiding reality.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

A veil of prejudice often prevents people from seeing each other's true intentions. 🔊 A figurative covering of prejudice often prevents people from seeing each other's true intentions.

🔗 Collocations

a veil of secrecy – a state of keeping something completely secret

to draw a veil over something – to avoid discussing or thinking about an unpleasant subject

behind the veil – in a concealed or secret state

🔄 Synonyms

cover (n.) – Something that hides or protects something else.

mask (n.) – A covering for all or part of the face; something that serves to conceal.

cloak (n.) – Something that hides or covers something, like a disguise.

🚫 Antonyms

revelation (n.) – The act of making something known that was secret.

disclosure (n.) – The action of making new or secret information known.

🌱 Derivatives

veiled (adj.) – Wearing a veil; partially hidden or disguised.

unveil (v.) – To remove a veil from; to reveal or introduce publicly.