velum

noun

ve·​lum ˈvē-ləm 

plural vela ˈvē-lə 

1

: a membrane or membranous part resembling a veil or curtain: such as

a

: soft palate

b

: an annular membrane projecting inward from the margin of the bell in some jellyfishes (such as the hydromedusae)

2

: a swimming organ that is especially well developed in the later larval stages of many marine gastropods

Examples of velum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The result is a visual feast featuring velum paneling, burled wood doors with brass inlay, jewel-like dressing rooms and two expansive en-suite marble bathrooms. —Cynthia Rosenfeld Roxanne Fequiere Siska Lyssens Abigail Glasgow Tilly MacAlister-Smith Juan A. Ramírez, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2023

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin vēlum "awning, curtain"; in sense 1a short for New Latin vēlum palātī or vēlum palātīnum, literally, "curtain of the palate" — more at veil entry 1

First Known Use

1753, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

velum

noun

ve·​lum ˈvē-ləm 

plural vela -lə 

: a membrane or membranous part resembling a veil or curtain: as

a

: soft palate

b

: semilunar cusp