take the veil Definition

veil
noun

1. A fabric covering for a woman's head or face, forming part of traditional dress in some societies.
2. A covering of fine netting for a woman's head, which may be attached to a hat or headdress, worn for decoration or ceremonially, eg by a bride.
3. The hoodlike part of a nun's habit.
4. literary
The vocation of a nun.
Form: the veil
5. Anything that covers or obscures something.

Example: a veil of secrecy
Thesaurus: curtain, gauze, shade, screen, film, mist, cover, mask, blur.

verb veiled, veiling

1. To cover something, or cover the face of someone, with a veil.

Example: She veiled herself before going out
2. To conceal or partly conceal; to disguise or obscure something.

Example: veiled his threats in pleasantries
Thesaurus: cover, conceal, cloak, hide, mask, disguise, obscure, camouflage, shade, shield.

Derivative: veiled
adj

Example: veiled threats

Idiom: draw a veil over something

To conceal it discreetly; to avoid mentioning it.

Idiom: take the veil

To become a nun.

Etymology: 13c: from French veile, from Latin velum curtain.