vela

¹

[ vee-luh ]

noun

1. plural of velum.

Vela

²

[ vee-luh, vey- ]

noun

, Astronomy.

, genitive Ve·lo·rum [vee-, lawr, -, uh, m, -, lohr, -, vey-]

1. the Sail, a southern constellation: one of the subordinate constellations into which Argo is divided.
2. U.S. Aerospace. one of a series of reconnaissance satellites designed to detect nuclear explosions.

Vela

/ ˈviːlə /

noun

1. a constellation in the S hemisphere, close to Puppis and Carina and crossed by the Milky Way, that has four second-magnitude stars and a young bright pulsar

Word History and Origins

Origin of vela¹

< Latin, plural of vēlum sail

Example Sentences

She sat patiently as ardent beauticians prepared her for her formal investiture, a highlight of the three-day festival — or vela — that celebrates muxe culture here every November.

From Los Angeles Times

This weekend's festival is called the "True Fearless Seekers of Danger" vela, a name that harkens to the risk many members of the community face.

From Reuters

As soon as the sun sets, locals gather at the cemetery to light candles over their family tombs and start a vigil known as “vela.”

From Seattle Times

TNT will not be used; it would malfunction like it did when they took down the first vela in 1997.

From The Guardian

The roof of the fourth ventricle widens out very much and remains largely epithelial as the superior and inferior medullary vela.

From Project Gutenberg