means A piece of often sheer fabric worn to cover the face or head, or anything that conceals or obscures something from view.

from From Latin 'vēlum,' meaning a sail, cloth, or covering — the same root that gives us 'reveal' (to pull the cloth back) and possibly 'vellum.' It traveled through Old French 'voile' before settling into English, carrying with it the double life of cloth: something that both catches the wind and hides the face.