Voile

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /vɔɪl/

Definitions

1. A thin and translucent fabric, frequently made from cotton or polyester, usually employed in the creation of flowing garments or light window coverings
2. A lightweight, semi-transparent material often crafted from natural or synthetic fibers, typically used in apparel or home textiles
3. A delicate, sheer textile that is commonly fabricated from silk, cotton, or synthetic fibers, primarily used for creating elegant clothing or airy draperies

Etymology: The English noun "voile" is a straightforward French loan, and the French word it came from is the ordinary word for "veil." The fabric takes its name from the idea of a thin covering that lets light and air through, so the textile is named for what it does rather than what it is made of. The French word itself descends from the same Latin root as "veil," which is why the two English words are doublets, two forms of one original word that entered English by different routes. The Latin ancestor, "velum," meant a sail or a covering, and English kept it as "velum," a fine parchment or membrane, while "veil" came down through Old French to mean a cloth screen. "Voile" arrived later as a French term for a light, semi-transparent fabric, and English borrowed it for that sense.