English → Latin
“veil” in Latin
rīcaveilvēlāmencover, covering; clothing, robe, garment; veilvēlāmentumcovering; screenintegumentumcovering; lid; a mean of defenseinvolūcrumwrapper, covering, case, envelopespeciēsseeing, view, look; spectacle, sight; external appearance, looks; general outline or shapeimāgōimage, imitation, likeness, statue, representation; ancestral image; ghost, apparitionsimulācrumimage, likeness, statue, effigy, portrait; specter, ghost, phantom; mimicry, imitationrīcīnĭuma small veil thrown over the head by the early Romansflammeusflaming, fiery; red
The English word veil itself goes back to Latin vēlum.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
veil s.
A cover to conceal the face, rica; diminutive, ricinium (☞ not velum, which is = a sail, a curtain): flammeum: flammeolum (a bride’s veil):
Any covering, velamen: velamentum: integumentum: involucrum (also, velum, especially as technical term for the veil, i. e., curtain, of the Tabernacle or Temple).
Figuratively, A pretext, species: imago: simulacrum: Under the veil of, per simulationem (☞ not sub obtentu or sub praetextu). Vid: PRETEXT.
veil v.
aliquid velare (PROP. and figuratively): nomine alicujus rei tegere atque velare aliquid (IMPROP. = to cloak; e.g., cupiditatem suam, Cic.). Vid: To CLOAK.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for veil?
- The usual Latin words for “veil” are rīca, vēlāmen, vēlāmentum; also integumentum, involūcrum, speciēs. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.