What does veillike mean?
Veillike means resembling a veil, especially a thin, sheer, gauzy, or gently obscuring covering. In literary use, it can describe mist that softens a landscape, a curtain that filters light, or a screen that hides something without fully concealing it. The word is more evocative than the plainer words sheer or hazy because it evokes both fabric and mystery. It is usually treated as an adjective and may appear in the closed form veillike or the open form veil-like, depending on house style. Though uncommon in everyday prose, veillike is useful when the image of a veil is central to the description rather than when a neutral term such as translucent would suffice. Its formation is transparent: veil plus the suffix-like, meaning “resembling.” The expression carries a poetic or atmospheric quality and is often chosen for its imagery rather than strict technical precision.
adjectiveResembling a veil, especially in being thin, sheer, gauzy, or obscuring. It describes something that softly hides or filters what lies beyond it.
- Resembling a veil in appearance or effect, particularly as a sheer, gauzy, or softly obscuring covering.
"A veillike mist softened the outlines of the distant hills."
"A veillike mist softened the outlines of the distant hills."
"She lowered the veillike curtain, and the speaker disappeared behind it."
Veillike literally means “like a veil,” while its Latin root, velum, was also the word for a ship’s sail.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of veillike
Veillike is an English compound formed from veil and the adjective-forming suffix -like. Veil came through Old French from Latin velum, meaning “sail,” “covering,” or “curtain,” while the English -like element derives from Old English līc, meaning “form” or “likeness.” Latin velum also underlies cognates such as velum and velop.
How veillike is actually used
Chiefly literary or poetic, and less usual in plain prose. It is often chosen for its imagery and atmospheric associations. The closed form veillike and the hyphenated form veil-like both occur, depending on dictionary or house style.
Easily confused with veillike
Veillike and veil-like are stylistic variants of the same adjective, although dictionaries and style guides differ on whether the compound is closed or hyphenated.