vēlum (noun N) : root var, to cover; cf. vellus, and v. Corss. Ausspr. 1, 459
* A cloth, covering, awning, curtain, veil: tabernacula carbaseis intenta velis,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 12, § 30: velis amictos non togis,id. Cat. 2, 10, 22: eadem (i. e. uxor) si quando recito, in proximo, discreta velo, sedet,Plin. Ep. 4, 19, 3.—So of chamber-curtains, hangings, Suet. Claud. 10; Juv. 6, 228; 9, 105: adlevare,Sen. Ep. 80, 1.—Of the awnings stretched over the theatre or other public places as a protection from the sun, Lucr. 4, 75; Prop. 4 (5), 1, 15; Ov. A. A. 1, 103; Inscr. Orell. 2219; Val. Max. 2, 4, 6; cf. Plin. 19, 1, 6, § 23: multis simulationum involucris tegitur et quasi velis quibusdam obtenditur unius cujusque natura,Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 5, § 15.
* Esp., a sail (in good prose usually in plur.).
* Plur.: scindere vela,Plaut. Trin. 4, 1, 18: ad id, unde aliquis flatus ostenditur, vela do,Cic. de Or. 2, 44, 187: dare,id. Or. 23, 75; Liv. 31, 45, 11; Quint. 10, 3, 7; Hor. C. 1, 34, 4: facere,Cic. Tusc. 4, 4, 9; Verg. A. 5, 281; cf. fieri,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 34, § 88: pandere,Quint. 6, 1, 52: solvere,Verg. A. 4, 574: deducere,Ov. M. 3, 663: dirigere ad castra Corneliana,Caes. B. C. 2, 25: quo utinam velis passis pervehi liceat!Cic. Tusc. 1, 49, 119: contrahere,id. Att. 1, 16, 2; Quint. 12, praef. § 4; Hor. C. 2, 10, 24: subducere, Auct. B. Alex. 45, 3: legere,Verg. G. 1, 373: tendunt vela Noti,id. A. 3, 268: ventis inplere,id. ib. 7, 23: classem velis aptare,id. ib. 3, 472.— Poet., of wings: pennarum,Lucr. 6, 744.
* Sing.: navale velum,Macr. S. 5, 21, 5: in pontum vento secundo, velo passo pervenit,Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 45; id. Mil. 4, 8, 7; id. Ep. 1, 1, 47; Verg. A. 1, 103; 1, 400; Ov. H. 13, 101: pleno concita velo puppis,id. M. 7, 491; 11, 483 al.
* Trop.: utrum panderem vela orationis statim, an, etc.,Cic. Tusc. 4, 5, 9: dare vela Famae,Mart. 8, 70, 6: voti contrahe vela tui,Ov. P. 1, 8, 72: velis majoribus,with more zeal,id. A. A. 2, 725; id. F. 2, 3: in quo tu ingenii simul dolorisque velis latissime vectus es,Plin. Ep. 4, 20, 2: dedimus vela indignationi, dedimus irae,id. ib. 6, 33, 10: pande vela, ac, si quando alias, toto ingenio vehere,id. ib. 8, 4, 5.