velar

American  

[vee-ler] / ˈvi lər /

adjective

1. of or relating to a velum, especially the soft palate.

2. Phonetics.  articulated with the back of the tongue held close to or touching the soft palate.

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noun

1. Phonetics.  a velar sound.

velar British  

/ ˈviːlə /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or attached to a velum

   velar tentacles

2. phonetics articulated with the soft palate and the back of the tongue, as in the sounds ( k ), ( ɡ ), or ( ŋ )

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Other Word Forms

• postvelar adjective
• pseudovelar adjective

Etymology

Origin of velar

From the Latin word vēlāris, dating back to 1720–30. See velum, -ar ¹

Example Sentences

These velar vocal folds are three times longer than the pair in the voice box and weigh 683 times more.

From Scientific American

Farther up, within the velar area, the rudiments of the cerebral nerve-ganglion ng are seen separating from the ectoderm.

From Project Gutenberg

Large and heavy velar vocal folds let male koalas bellow at low frequencies.

From Scientific American

The foot now protrudes below the mouth, and the post-oral hemisphere of the trochosphere grows more rapidly then the anterior or velar area.

From Project Gutenberg