Vehmgericht, fām′ge-richt, n. one of the dread medieval German tribunals, empowered by the emperors to try cases in which the penalty was death and to execute the punishment on the guilty—also Fem′gerichte, or simply Vehme, Fehme:—pl. Vehmgerichte (fām′ge-rich-te).—adj. Vehm′ic. [Ger.,—fehme, fehm, a criminal tribunal, gericht, judgment.]
Veil, vāl, n. a curtain: anything that hides an object: a piece of muslin or thin cloth worn by ladies to shade or hide the face: a cover: a disguise: an obscuration of the clearness of the tones in pronunciation: in fungi, the partial covering of the stem or margin of the cap—applied also to the indusium of ferns.—v.t. to cover with a veil: to cover: to conceal.—n. Veil′ing, the act of concealing with a veil: a veil: material for making veils.—adjs. Veil′less, wanting a veil: uncovered; Vē′lar (philol.), denoting sounds (gw, kw, &c.) produced by the veil of the palate or soft palate; Vē′lary, pertaining to a sail.—n. Vēlā′tion, a veiling: concealment, mystery.—Eucharistic or Sacramental veils, the linen or silk cloths used to cover the eucharistic vessels and the elements during the celebration of Mass or Holy Communion.—Take the veil, to become a nun. [O. Fr. veile (Fr. voile)—L. velum, a curtain—vehĕre, to carry.]
Veilleuse, vā-lyėz′, n. a shaded night-lamp.
Vein, vān, n. one of the vessels or tubes which convey the blood back to the heart: one of the horny tubes forming the framework of an insect's wings: (bot.) one of the small branching ribs in a leaf: a seam of a different mineral through a rock: a fissure or cavity: a streak in wood or stone: a train of thought: a course: tendency or turn of mind: mood or humour.—v.t. to form veins or the appearance of veins in.—n. Vein′age, veins collectively.—adj. Veined, full of veins: streaked, variegated: (bot.) having vessels branching over the surface, as a leaf.—n. Vein′ing, formation or disposition of veins: streaking.—adj. Vein′less, having no veins.—n. Vein′let (bot.), a little vein or vessel branching out from a larger one.—adjs. Vein′ous, Vein′y, full of veins.—ns. Vein′stone, the earthy part of a lode; Vein′ūle, a very small vein. [Fr. veine—L. vena, perh. from vehĕre, to carry.]
Velamentum, vel-a-men′tum, n. a membrane or membraneous envelope—also Velā′men.—adj. Velamen′tous, veil-like.
Velarium, vē-lā′ri-um, n. an awning which could be drawn over the Roman amphitheatre: the marginal membrane of certain hydrozoans:—pl. Velā′ria.
Velatura, vel-a-tōō′ra, n. a method of glazing a painting by rubbing on colour with the hand. [It.]
Veldt, velt, n. in South Africa, the name given to unforested or thinly-forested grass country.—Also Veld. [Dut. veld, field.]
Vele, vēl, n. (Spens.). Same as Veil.
Velia, vē′li-a, n. a genus of semi-aquatic water-bugs.