VELUM (vela)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: vela   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does velum mean? 

• VELUM (noun)
  The noun VELUM has 2 senses:

1. a membranous covering attached to the immature fruiting body of certain mushrooms

2. a muscular flap that closes off the nasopharynx during swallowing or speaking

  Familiarity information: VELUM used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• VELUM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A membranous covering attached to the immature fruiting body of certain mushrooms

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

veil; velum

Hypernyms ("velum" is a kind of...):

plant part; plant structure (any part of a plant or fungus)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "velum"):

universal veil (membrane initially completely investing the young sporophore of various mushrooms that is ruptured by growth; represented in the mature mushroom by a volva around lower part of stem and scales on upper surface of the cap)

partial veil (membrane of the young sporophore of various mushrooms extending from the margin of the cap to the stem and is ruptured by growth; represented in mature mushroom by an annulus around the stem and sometimes a cortina on the margin of the cap)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A muscular flap that closes off the nasopharynx during swallowing or speaking

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

soft palate; velum

Hypernyms ("velum" is a kind of...):

flap (a movable piece of tissue partly connected to the body)

Meronyms (parts of "velum"):

uvula (a small pendant fleshy lobe at the back of the soft palate)

Holonyms ("velum" is a part of...):

palate; roof of the mouth (the upper surface of the mouth that separates the oral and nasal cavities)

Derivation:

velar (of or relating to the velum)