vail

See also: Vail, and -vail

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /veɪl/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪl
• Homophones: vale, veil, Vail

Etymology 1

From Middle English vayle, from Old French vail, from valoir (“to be worth”), from Latin valeō (“I am worth”).

Noun

vail (plural vails)

1. (obsolete) Profit; return; proceeds.
   • 1605, George Chapman, Ben Jonson, John Marston, Eastward Hoe‎^[1], London: William Aspley, act II, scene 2:

     My house is as t’were the Caue, where the yong Out-lawe hoords the stolne vayles of his occupation […]

2. (chiefly in the plural, obsolete) Money given to servants by visitors; a gratuity; also vale.
   • 1696, John Dryden, The Husband His Own Cuckold‎^[2], London: J. Tonson, act I, scene 1, page 9:

     Do you remember, how many Rich Gowns and Petticoats, how many lac’d Pinners, Hoods, Scarfs, and Nightrails, I have given you, since the three Years you have serv’d me, together with many other Vails, Perquisites, and Profits you have enjoy’d in my Service?

   • 1742, Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews‎^[3], London: Harrison & Co., published 1780, Volume I, Book 2, Chapter 16, p. 91:

     […] it is a maxim among the gentlemen of our cloth, that those masters who promise the most, perform the least; and I have often heard them say, they have found the largest vails in those families where they were not promised any.

Etymology 2

From Middle English valen; either from Anglo-Norman valer or a clipping of avalen. Compare avale.

Noun

vail (plural vails)

1. (obsolete) Submission.

Verb

vail (third-person singular simple present vails, present participle vailing, simple past and past participle vailed)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To lower, let fall; to allow or cause to sink.
   • c. 1515–1516, published 1568, John Skelton, Againſt venemous tongues enpoyſoned with ſclaunder and falſe detractions &c.:

     Then let them vale a bonet of their proud ſayle,
     And of their taunting toies reſt with il hayle.

   • 1594, Christopher Marlow[e], The Troublesome Raigne and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England: […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] for Henry Bell, […], published 1622, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

     […] when he shall know it lies in vs,
     To banish him, and then to call him home,
     Twill make him vaile the topflag of his pride,
     And feare to offend the meanest noble man.

   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

     […] Vail your regard
     Upon a wrong’d, I would fain have said, a maid!

2. (transitive, vexillology) To lower or “dip” a carried flag or banner in a salute by a forward reducing of the angle of the pike/flagstaff with respect to the ground; in extreme instances, as when saluting a monarch, both the banner and the finial of the pike are allowed to rest upon the ground.
3. (intransitive, obsolete, nautical) To lower a sail, in salute or otherwise.
   • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii:

     Both we will walke vpon the loftie cliffes,
     And Chriſtian Merchants that with Ruſſian ſtems
     Plow vp huge furrowes in the Caſpian ſea,
     Shall vaile to vs, as Lords of al the Lake.

4. (transitive, obsolete) To remove as a sign of deference, as a hat.
   • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:

     […] Now the time is come
     That France must vail her lofty-plumed crest
     And let her head fall into England’s lap.

   • 1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC:

     […] the Templar […] , without vailing his bonnet, or testifying any reverence for the alleged sanctity of the relic, took from his neck a gold chain, which he flung on the board […]

5. (intransitive, obsolete) To pay homage, bow, submit, defer (to someone or something); to yield, give way (to something).
   • c. 1607–1608, William Shakeſpeare, The Late, And much admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: Imprinted at London for Henry Goſſon,  […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act IV, Prologue]:

     She would with rich and constant pen
     Vail to her mistress Dian;

   • 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], chapter 4, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC, book IV, page 346:

     […] when a Man does not readily vail to the Opinions of approved Authors, which have been received with respect and submission by others

   • 1692, Robert South, Discourses on Various Subjects and Occasions, Boston: Bowles & Dearborn, 1827, Discourse 5, p. 370,^[4]

     Thy convenience must vail to thy neighbour’s necessity.

Etymology 3

Noun

vail (plural vails)

1. Archaic form of veil.
2. Misspelling of veil.

Verb

vail (third-person singular simple present vails, present participle vailing, simple past and past participle vailed)

1. Archaic form of veil.
2. Misspelling of veil.

Anagrams

• LAIV, VALI, Vali, Vial, Vila, vali, vial, vila