velum

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈviːləm/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(vē′ləm)

Inflections of 'velum' (n):
vela
npl (All other usages)
velum
npl (For the cloud meaning only)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ve•lum  (vē′ləm),USA pronunciation n., pl. -la (-lə),USA pronunciation for 1, 2, -lum for 3.
  1. Biologyany of various veillike or curtainlike membranous partitions.
  2. Anatomythe soft palate. See under palate (def. 1).
  3. Meteorologya thin cloud, large in horizontal area, that is draped over or penetrated by cumuliform clouds.
  • Latin vēlum sail, covering
  • 1765–75

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
velum /ˈviːləm/ n ( pl -la /-lə/)
  1. any of various membranous structures, such as the ciliated oral membrane of certain mollusc larvae or the veil-like membrane running around the rim of a jellyfish
  2. any of various veil-like bodily structures, esp the soft palate
  3. another word for veil
Etymology: 18th Century: from Latin: veil
'velum' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
reveal - veil - velamen - velar - veliger - vexillum - vela - velarium - velate - velic - vellum - volva - speech organ

Forum discussions with the word(s) "velum" in the title:


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