ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Vail

/veɪl/ · noun

Meaning

(obsolete) Profit; return; proceeds..

Definitions by Sense

(obsolete) Profit; return; proceeds.
(chiefly in the plural, obsolete) Money given to servants by visitors; a gratuity; also vale.
(obsolete) Submission.
(transitive, obsolete) To lower, let fall; to allow or cause to sink.
(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.
(intransitive, obsolete, nautical) To lower a sail, in salute or otherwise.
(transitive, obsolete) To remove as a sign of deference, as a hat.
(intransitive, obsolete) To pay homage, bow, submit, defer (to someone or something); to yield, give way (to something).

Example Sentences

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

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?

[…] 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.

Then let them vale a bonet of their proud ſayle,

[…] 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.

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

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.

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

Word Forms

vails
vailing
vailed

Related Words

When Should You Use Vail?

Use vail when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

Practice This Word

Frequently Asked Questions

What does vail mean?

Vail means (obsolete) Profit; return; proceeds..

What is a synonym for vail?

The closest synonym depends on the sentence and intended sense.

What is the opposite of vail?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use vail in a sentence?

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

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.

ENGLISH DICTIONARY

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Definitions by Sense

(obsolete) Profit; return; proceeds.

(chiefly in the plural, obsolete) Money given to servants by visitors; a gratuity; also vale.

(obsolete) Submission.

(transitive, obsolete) To lower, let fall; to allow or cause to sink.

(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.

(intransitive, obsolete, nautical) To lower a sail, in salute or otherwise.

(transitive, obsolete) To remove as a sign of deference, as a hat.

(intransitive, obsolete) To pay homage, bow, submit, defer (to someone or something); to yield, give way (to something).

Example Sentences

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

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?

[…] 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.

Then let them vale a bonet of their proud ſayle,

[…] 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.

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

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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What does vail mean?

Vail means (obsolete) Profit; return; proceeds..

What is a synonym for vail?

The closest synonym depends on the sentence and intended sense.

What is the opposite of vail?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use vail in a sentence?

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

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.