shroud vs veil

shroud

verb
  • To conceal or hide from view, as if by a shroud. 

  • To cover with a shroud. 

  • To take shelter or harbour. 

  • To lop the branches from (a tree). 

noun
  • That which clothes, covers, conceals, or protects; a garment. 

  • One of the two annular plates at the periphery of a water wheel, which form the sides of the buckets; a shroud plate. 

  • The branching top of a tree; foliage. 

  • One of a set of ropes or cables (rigging) attaching a mast to the sides of a vessel or to another anchor point, serving to support the mast sideways; such rigging collectively. 

  • A covered place used as a retreat or shelter, as a cave or den; also, a vault or crypt. 

  • That which covers or shelters like a shroud. 

  • A streamlined protective covering used to protect the payload during a rocket-powered launch. 

  • Especially, the dress for the dead; a winding sheet. 

veil

verb
  • To conceal as with a veil. 

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

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

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

  • 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. 

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