1. Any kind of cloth which is used for intercepting the view and hiding something; as the vail of the temple among the Israelites.
2. A piece of thin cloth or silk stuff, used by females to hide their faces. In some eastern countries, certain classes of females never appear abroad without vails.
3. A cover; that which conceals; as the vail of oblivion.
4. In botany, the membranous covering of the germen in the Musci and Hepaticae; the calypter.
5. Vails, money given to servants. [Not used in America.]
VAIL, v.t. [L. velo.] To cover; to hide from the sight; as, to vail the face.
VAIL, v.t.
1. To let fall.
They stiffly refused to vail their bonnets.
[I believe wholly obsolete.]
2. To let fall; to lower; as, to vail the topsail. Obs.
3. To let fall; to sink. Obs.
VAIL, v.i. To yield or recede; to give place; to show respect by yielding.
Thy convenience must vail to thy neighbor's necessity. Obs.
