Velum
(||Ve"lum) n.; pl. Vela [L., an awning, a veil. See Veil.]
1. (Anat.) Curtain or covering; — applied to various membranous partitions, especially to the soft palate.
See under Palate.
2. (Bot.) (a) See Veil, n., 3 (b). (b) A thin membrane surrounding the sporocarps of quillworts
Isoetes).
3. (Zoöl.) A veil-like organ or part. Especially: (a) The circular membrane that partially incloses the
space beneath the umbrella of hydroid medusæ. (b) A delicate funnel-like membrane around the flagellum
of certain Infusoria. See Illust. a of Protozoa.
Velure
(Vel"ure) n. [F. velours, OF. velous, from L. villosus hairy. See Velvet.] Velvet. [Obs.] "A
woman's crupper of velure." Shak.
Velutina
(Vel`u*ti"na) n. [NL. See Velvet.] (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of marine gastropods
belonging to Velutina and allied genera.
Velutinous
(Ve*lu"ti*nous) a. [It. velluto velvet. See Velvet.] (Bot.) Having the surface covered with
a fine and dense silky pubescence; velvety; as, a velutinous leaf.
Velverd
(Vel"verd) n. The veltfare. [Prov. Eng.]
Velveret
(Vel`ver*et") n. A kind of velvet having cotton back.
Velvet
(Vel"vet) n. [OE. velouette, veluet, velwet; cf. OF. velluau, LL. velluetum, vellutum, It. velluto,
Sp. velludo; all fr. (assumed) LL. villutus shaggy, fr L. villus shaggy hair; akin to vellus a fleece, and
E. wool. See Wool, and cf. Villous.]
1. A silk fabric, having a short, close nap of erect threads. Inferior qualities are made with a silk pile on
a cotton or linen back.
2. The soft and highly vascular deciduous skin which envelops and nourishes the antlers of deer during
their rapid growth.
Cotton velvet, an imitation of velvet, made of cotton. — Velvet cork, the best kind of cork bark,
supple, elastic, and not woody or porous. — Velvet crab a European crab When adult the black carapace
is covered with a velvety pile. Called also lady crab, and velvet fiddler. — Velvet dock (Bot.), the
common mullein. — Velvet duck. (Zoöl.) (a) A large European sea duck, or scoter The adult male is
glossy, velvety black, with a white speculum on each wing, and a white patch behind each eye. (b) The
American whitewinged scoter. See Scoter. — Velvet flower (Bot.), love-lies-bleeding. See under
Love. — Velvet grass (Bot.), a tall grass (Holcus lanatus) with velvety stem and leaves; — called
also soft grass. — Velvet runner (Zoöl.), the water rail; — so called from its quiet, stealthy manner
of running. [Prov. Eng.] — Velvet scoter. (Zoöl.) Same as Velvet duck, above. — Velvet sponge.
(Zoöl.) See under Sponge.
Velvet
(Vel"vet), a. Made of velvet; soft and delicate, like velvet; velvety. " The cowslip's velvet head."
Milton.
Velvet
(Vel"vet), v. i. To pain velvet. [R.] Peacham.
Velvet
(Vel"vet), v. t. To make like, or cover with, velvet. [R.]
