VAIL, noun [Latin velum, from velo, to cover, to spread over. It is correctly written vail for e, in Latin, is our adjective ]

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, verb transitive [Latin velo.] To cover; to hide from the sight; as, to vail the face.

VAIL, verb transitive

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. obsolete

3. To let fall; to sink. obsolete

VAIL, verb intransitive To yield or recede; to give place; to show respect by yielding.

Thy convenience must vail to thy neighbor's necessity. obsolete