Velarium
(||Ve*la"ri*um) n.; pl. Velaria [L., a covering.] (Zoöl.) The marginal membrane of certain
medusæ belonging to the Discophora.
Velate
(Ve"late) a. [L. velatus, p. p. of velare to veil. See Veil.] (Bot.) Having a veil; veiled.
Vele
(Vele) n. A veil. [Obs.] Spenser.
Velella
(||Ve*lel"la) n. [NL., dim. from L. velum a veil, a sail.] (Zoöl.) Any species of oceanic Siphonophora
belonging to the genus Velella.
These creatures are brilliantly colored and float at the surface of the sea. They have an oblong, disklike
body, supported by a thin chitinous plate, from which rises a thin diagonal crest which acts as a sail.
The feeding and reproductive zooids hang down from the under side of the disk.
Veliferous
(Ve*lif"er*ous) a. [L. velifer; velum a sail + ferre to bear.] Carrying or bearing sails. [Obs.]
"Veliferous chariots." Evelyn.
Veliger
(||Vel"i*ger) n. [NL., fr. L. velum a veil + gerere bear.] (Zoöl.) Any larval gastropod or bivalve
mollusk in the state when it is furnished with one or two ciliated membranes for swimming.
Velitation
(Vel`i*ta"tion) n. [L. velitatio, fr. velitari, velitatus, to skirmish, from veles, - itis, a light-
armed soldier.] A dispute or contest; a slight contest; a skirmish. [R.] Sir M. Hale.
After a short velitation we parted.
Evelyn. Velivolant
(Ve*liv"o*lant) a. [L. velivolans; velum a sail + volare to fly.] Flying with sails; passing under
full sail. [R.]
Vell
(Vell) n. [Cf. L. vellus the skin of a sheep with the wool on it, a fleece, a hide or pelt, or E. fell a
hide.] The salted stomach of a calf, used in making cheese; a rennet bag. [Prov. Eng.]
Vell
(Vell), v. i. [Cf. Vell, n.] To cut the turf from, as for burning. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
Velleity
(Vel*le"i*ty) n. [F. velléité fr. L. velle to will, to be willing.] The lowest degree of desire; imperfect
or incomplete volition. Locke.
Vellet
(Vel"let) n. Velvet. [Obs.] Spenser.
Vellicate
(Vel"li*cate) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vellicated ; p. pr. & vb. n. Vellicating.] [L. vellicatus, p. p.
of vellicare to twitch, fr. vellere to pluck, pull.] To twitch; to cause to twitch convulsively.
Convulsions, arising from something vellicating a nerve in its extremity, are not very dangerous.
Arbuthnot. Vellicate
(Vel"li*cate), v. i. To move spasmodically; to twitch; as, a nerve vellicates.
Vellication
(Vel`li*ca"tion) [L. vellicatio.]
1. The act of twitching, or of causing to twitch.
2. (Med.) A local twitching, or convulsive motion, of a muscular fiber, especially of the face.
Vellicative
(Vel"li*ca*tive) a. Having the power of vellicating, plucking, or twitching; causing vellication.
Vellon
(||Vel*lon") n. [Sp.] A word occurring in the phrase real vellon. See the Note under Its Real.
