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veil

Apparel
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A piece of transparent or translucent fabric worn over the face or head, carrying potent poetic associations of mystery, modesty, mourning, and the separation of sacred and profane.

Detailed Definition
The veil is perhaps the most symbolically dense garment in Western poetry, standing for the hidden truth, the inaccessible divine, and the boundary between life and death. In wedding poetry, the veil is the bride's final ornament, lifted to reveal her face to her husband—an image of revelation and trust. In mourning verse, a black veil signals grief and the curtain between the living and the departed. In religious and mystical poetry, the veil of the temple is torn, suggesting direct access to the divine. Poets also use the veil to explore themes of female seclusion and agency, from the harem to the convent. Its transparent nature allows for play between concealment and display, making it an ideal subject for nuanced, ambivalent imagery.
Example
Example in poetry:
"She lifted her veil and revealed a face he had waited a lifetime to see"; "The veil's gauze was a mist between her and the world"; "He saw her through the veil, a woman half-hidden, half-revealed"; "The veil, black as mourning, was a curtain of grief"; "She dropped her veil and became a bride"; "The veil's lace was a web of dreams and promises"
Additional Notes
The veil is perhaps the most symbolically dense garment in Western poetry, standing for the hidden truth, the inaccessible divine, and the boundary between life and death. In wedding poetry, the veil is the bride's final ornament, lifted to reveal her face to her husband—an image of revelation and trust. In mourning verse, a black veil signals grief and the curtain between the living and the departed. In religious and mystical poetry, the veil of the temple is torn, suggesting direct access to the divine. Poets also use the veil to explore themes of female seclusion and agency. Its transparent nature allows for play between concealment and display. Related terms include mantilla, wimple, and headscarf. Students should note the veil's unmatched symbolic range, from modesty to revelation, from grief to transcendence.
Other Meanings of “veil”
Also Known As
face covering bridal gauze modesty shroud
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