Lewis & Short

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vēlum, i, n. [root var, to cover; cf. vellus, and v. Corss. Ausspr. 1, 459],

  1. I. 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.
  2. II. Esp., a sail (in good prose usually in plur.).
          1. (α) 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.
          2. (β) 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.
        1. b. Prov.: remis velisque, with oars and sails, i. e. with tooth and nail, with might and main: res velis, ut ita dicam, remisque fugienda, Cic. Tusc. 3, 11, 25; cf.: remigio veloque quantum potis es festina et fuge, Plaut. As. 1, 3, 5 (cf. the similar phrase, remis ventisque, sub remus); cf.: non agimur tumidis velis, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 201: plenissimis velis navigare, Cic. Dom. 10, 24.
    1. B. 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.