[veyl] 
,| 1. | a piece of opaque or transparent material worn over the face for concealment, for protection from the elements, or to enhance the appearance. |
| 2. | a piece of material worn so as to fall over the head and shoulders on each side of the face, forming a part of the headdress of a nun. |
| 3. | the life of a nun, esp. a cloistered life. |
| 4. | something that covers, separates, screens, or conceals: a veil of smoke; the veil of death. |
| 5. | a mask, disguise, or pretense: to find fault under a veil of humor. |
| 6. | Botany, Anatomy, Zoology. a velum. |
| 7. | Mycology. a membrane that covers the immature mushroom of many fungi and breaks apart as the mushroom expands, leaving distinctive remnants on the cap, stalk, or stalk base. |
| 8. | Scot. and North England. a caul. |
| 9. | to cover or conceal with or as with a veil: She veiled her face in black. A heavy fog veiled the shoreline. |
| 10. | to hide the real nature of; mask; disguise: to veil one's intentions. |
| 11. | to don or wear a veil: In certain Islamic countries women must veil. |
| 12. | take the veil, to become a nun. |
| veil (vāl) Pronunciation Key
A membranous covering or part, especially a membrane surrounding the young mushrooms of certain basidiomycete fungi. In some species the membrane (called a partial veil) extends only from the stalk to the cap. As the cap expands, the veil breaks, leaving a ring called an annulus on the stalk and often scalelike pieces on the cap. These veil remnants are important for identifying species of mushrooms. |