cowl vs veil

cowl

noun
  • A mask that covers the majority of the head. 

  • A usually hood-shaped covering used to increase the draft of a chimney and prevent backflow. 

  • A caul (the amnion which encloses the foetus before birth, especially that part of it which sometimes shrouds a baby’s head at birth). 

  • A monk. 

  • A vertical projection of a ship's funnel that directs the smoke away from the bridge. 

  • A thin protective covering over all or part of an engine; also cowling. 

  • A monk's hood that can be pulled forward to cover the face; a robe with such a hood attached to it. 

  • A ship's ventilator with a bell-shaped top which can be swivelled to catch the wind and force it below. 

verb
  • To cover with, or as if with, a cowl (hood). 

  • To wrap or form (something made of fabric) like a cowl. 

  • To scrape together 

  • To make a monk of (a person). 

veil

noun
  • A cover; disguise; a mask; a pretense. 

  • A thin layer of tissue which is attached to or covers a mushroom. 

  • A membrane connecting the margin of the pileus of a mushroom with the stalk; a velum. 

  • Anything that partially obscures a clear view. 

  • A covering for a person or thing; as, a caul (especially over the head) 

  • The calyptra of mosses. 

  • That which separates the living and the spirit world. 

  • An obscuration of the clearness of the tones in pronunciation. 

  • velum (A circular membrane round the cap of a medusa). 

  • Something hung up or spread out to hide or protect the face, or hide an object from view; usually of gauze, crepe, or similar diaphanous material. 

verb
  • To dress in, or decorate with, a veil. 

  • To conceal as with a veil. 

How often have the words cowl and veil occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )