n.
Pronunciation: ' vel-v ə t
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English veluet, velvet, from Anglo-French, from velu shaggy, soft, velvety, from Vulgar Latin *villutus, from Latin villus shaggy hair; akin to Latin vellus fleece ― more at WOOL
Date: 14th century
1 : a clothing and upholstery fabric (as of silk, rayon, or wool) characterized by a short soft dense warp pile
2 a : something suggesting velvet b : a characteristic (as softness or smoothness) of velvet
3 : the soft vascular skin that envelops and nourishes the developing antlers of deer
4 a : the winnings of a player in a gambling game b : a profit or gain beyond ordinary expectation
– vel · vet · like \ - ˌ l ī k \ adjective